Chapter Text
It has been a strange day for Carmilla Carmine.
She was simply walking through the busy hellish streets, on her route to work. With each step she took rowdy crowds moved away, providing a makeshift walkway, granting her easy access to the path. Watchful eyes of the passerby followed her every step, every body movement, every change in expression, hoping to get a glance of something extra special.
Such is the life of a succubus.
Carmilla ignored their antics. Succubi naturally emit pheromones around them, clouding any room they inhabit. That fact combined with their natural beauty and assets, makes them highly attractive and desirable.
There are ways for succubi to lessen the impact they have on other demons, such as wearing loose clothing or putting scent blockers on their necks. But for succubus of high power like Carmilla, those never worked. Instead, she had to learn to live with the attention of the lovesick masses.
She didn't mind really. The reality is, that she has been snacking on the energy they give of, giving her the extra boost in strength. It's a power she inherited and the reason Carmines were one of the most famous succubi that have ever lived.
She basked in the given energy, making her captivating walk harder on surrounding demons. Inhaling the air around her, she took pleasure in their abundant scents...
She paused in the spot.
Something was different. The aroma was different. It was richer, deeper, tastier. She whooped around a bit, trying to spot what or who is making that scent so powerful that it made her brain fuzzy. Her view shifted to a nearby cafe.
There she saw him.
She stared at the dark figure sitting on the small cafe chair, just a meter from her. He was tall. Easy could be one of the tallest demons she had ever seen. His form was lanky and covered with clothes in a style that can only be described as "archaic vampire". On the top of his head was an old hand-patched hat, that looked as if it went through multiple wars from how mismatched the sawn pieces were.
He brought a teacup to his fanged lips, his long fingers making the size of the cup almost comical, but to her... it was mesmerizing.
He halted his action, putting the cup on the coffee table. He opened his eyes. Four sets of neon green stared into her soul, reaching the depts no one ever even scrapped. Her body wished to go closer, but her mind said no. This attraction was new and unexplored. Surely, must be a trick. Succubus can't be affected by allure spells, yet she was somehow affected by one.
Then he smiled and she melted inside. Warm heat flooded her cheeks, making them blush slightly. What kind of sorcery was this? What does she do? Why is she smiling back? She begged her brain to stop.
Then he stood up and started walking. The problem was, it was in her direction. He was walking in her direction. Panic flooded her senses. An urge to flee.
So she did. Or more so, walked away swiftly. She can't be attracting attention to her. Nor can she show that the spell affected her. She can only act as normal as possible.
She hurried to her workplace, not noticing the new skips now present in her steps.
...................
It has been an intriguing day for Zestial.
His regular coffee shop had closed down for today before he had a chance to get his special brand of tea. There are only a few shops that sell his preferred type of tea and even fewer in the area close to his home.
He scowled under his breath quietly. Seems he will have to settle for another location for today. Luckily, he heard a new shop has opened up recently. So, he started walking in that direction.
As he walked all demons were covering in fear, running away at just a small glance, as his dark and ominous presence suffocated the whole area. It is to be expected, considering he has been rising in power over the last few years, by creating connections, webs, that he can control as he pleases. He had influenced so many, and created so many deals, that now he is acknowledged as an overlord.
Soon, the destination was reached. The shop seemed cozy enough, though it seems, most tables was full. Zestial looked around till he found one small table on the terrace, perfect for him.
He seated himself and ordered his tea, the waiter stuttering and shaking through the whole ordeal. The tea was brought in a matter of minutes. Being an overlord has its advantages. He brought the tea to his lips, enjoying the sip of green tea leaves blend. It was light and delicate, with a few subtle grassy notes. Quite to his tastes.
As he was about to take one more sip, he noticed it. The feeling of his senses alerting him, that there is another powerful figure nearby. It would be unwise to ignore this warning. He slowly turned his head in the other direction. His breath hitched.
Such beauty and elegance is rarely seen lately. The long snow-white hair flowed with each step she took. The warm gray skin shined brightly in the morning hues covered in heart-shaped white and black patches. Her back was adorned by a pair of black, leathery demon wings. Tail swished behind her so relaxed, yet with a certain warning not to get too close.
She was simply walking through the street, passing him, till she stopped in her tracks. He decided to pretend he wasn't staring and closed his eyes as he went to take a sip of his tea. When he opened them in the next moment, he was met with quite a sight. Her face was covered by a birthmark-like mask, enveloping her eyes and making them pop out. Said eyes shined red like rubies, with white irises and narrowed pupils that conveyed command and strength. Truly a beautiful sight.
He smiled at her trying to show friendliness. The woman smiled back. That smile had the power of a thousand suns at least. He stood up slowly, trying to get to talk to her. But... She fled away.
Why had the woman walked away so quickly? He didn't even manage to get her name! He muttered curses under his breath. He wanted to at least discuss a few words with her. Feel her voice in his ear. He started to think of ways to find her.
Such a powerful presence must mean she is someone influential, someone, in a high position. That lowers the possibilities, by a lot, but not much. He started questioning people on the street who were admiring her as well. He found out quite a lot fairly easily.
Her name is Carmilla and she is a succubus that came from well known Carmine family. As a family of pure-blood succubi, they possess massive amounts of power and influence. He furrowed his eyebrows. Strange... He didn't feel anything alluring coming from her that would indicate she was a succubus.
He did find her attractive and her power was enticing, but... It was more in fascination than anything sexual and he knows the difference. He has had a few sexual partners over the years. This fascination with her is different.
He couldn't find any more useful information than that from the passerby, so he hired an informant. In a span of a few hours, he had found out where she worked. A succubi joint, owned by the Carmine family, that specializes in succubi that can extract the energy from their targets just through the air.
That kind of succubi doesn't even have to do much to get the required substance for the day. Simple kissing can sometimes be enough for a full week, depending on the power of the individual. And it's an expensive place, considering how many people want to be with them. Thankfully, Zestial possesses that kind of money.
...................
Carmilla Carmine has been busy for the last few hours. It was a bit tiring. Clients are demanding after all... Even though she simply mostly talks to them and occasionally kisses a few, they can be very pushy if not used to normal succubi aura. Her last client tried to grab her without permission. She left him unconscious in a matter of seconds.
Luckily, the Carmine family teaches their members self-defense, just for situations like this. Carmilla herself had to attend them as soon as she started to walk properly. Classes usually consist of multiple dances and martial arts techniques. The members are required to develop their fighting style depending on their dance preferences.
She herself chose ballet, one of the hardest dances to learn. She combined it with Brazilian fighting style capoeira, a style that usually revolves around music and dance, while incorporating multiple leg kicks and swirls. A perfect union of lethality and style.
Carmilla starts to play with her hair. Her job is pretty monotonous and dull at times, such as it is today. She wishes it was at least a bit more challenging, as her brain wouldn't stop buzzing about her previous encounter.
Her mind can't comprehend what kind of situation that was. It felt so different than usual... She closed her eyes trying to recover some indicator this was some sort of a ruse set up to lower her guard. As she tried envisioning the scenery, pictures simply didn't want to appear. Instead those glowing green orbs appeared, asking for her name...
Wait! That didn't happen. Carmilla opened her eyes immediately. Her brain is starting to hallucinate nonsense. What kind of tactic was used to make her keep remembering him in such detail, yet everything else easily disappear. She groaned audibly. This sort of gibberish cannot be impending her mind. She is a high succubi of the Carmine family and she should act like it.
She tensed when a bell was heard signaling someone's arrival. A new possible client perhaps? It could certainly take her mind of this. She glanced in the direction of the entrance and gasped.
What is he doing here?
...................
Zestial found himself standing in front of the Carmine family succubi joint, her workplace. The building was huge, vibrant purple walls, decorated with neon pink lights. No windows were present on the whole building, probably to keep people from getting free peeks. Outside the shaded entrance were two hellhound guards, providing some sort of protection to the place.
Zestial hasn't been to such establishment since he was alive, his raise in overlord power ranks taking a main focus. He couldn't afford spare time for such leisures.
But now that he is feared and well accepted, tracing a mystery dame is acceptable.
He entered the establishment, hellhounds easily letting him in due to his status. The bell chimed. The surrounding area was dimmed, blue lights flashing around randomly. The beats of the musics spreading through the establishment were stimulating to the brain, playing with the mid of the listeners, clearly a tactic to increase client's money consumption.
Zestial glanced around the small reception area, taking a few steps towards the desk where an imp man was doing some paperwork. Zestial coughed to get his attention, "Valorous day sir, i am looking to inquire about a c'rtain mistress thee has't h're."
The imp looked from his seat, his eyes widening. He stammered a bit before recovering, "Of course, L...L..Lord Zestial! We have such a nice selection. But considering you asked for a specific one, do you have the name of the lady?"
Zestial smiled politely, his fangs slightly showind. „I doth forsooth. I wisheth to seeth mistress Carmilla Carmine.”
The imp nodded, „She is quite a popular choice. Luckily, it has been a slow day, and she is available. What kind of service do you wish to request?”
Zestial answered with simple words, „A private cubiculo. Whole day.”
Imp staggered slightly in shock, „A private room? For a whole day? Are you sure, Lord Zestial? Not many can handle a full blooded Royal succubi... Especially one like Carmilla Carmine.”
Zestial didn't hesitate in his reply, realizing a bit of his power to intimidate the imp, „Art thee impl'ring yond i am an idiot? Yond i has't not valorous judgment? Questioning mine own status?”
Imp shook in fear and hid most of his body behind the reception desk before answering shakily, „No, no, no, Lord Zestial. I will immediately enable your request.”
The transaction went smoothly after that, with Zestial giving the requested amount of money. The imp then led Zestial through the halls of the flashy building. The sounds disappeared as they walked deeper and deeper into the backrooms. They stopped at a red door, Carmila's name written on it in cursive.
„Here is the room. You are free to enter, Lord Zestial. Lady Carmine will see you shortly.” After exclaiming that, the imp disappeared to his business, leaving Zestial alone.
Zestial opened the door to see a spacious room, clearly seeing a difference between the club itself and the said room. The walls and furniture were colored in gray tones, with black and white accents covering the room. The first thing you notice is the giant, king sized bed in the middle of the room, rich red sheets and pillows adorning it. Next to it is the basic furniture, a couple of nightstands, a makeup station, a table with a pair of chairs, and a wardrobe.
Upon closer inspection, it seems like the private rooms were also the succubi living quarters. He observed the little details in the room, trying to find out more about this lady. He noticed a hidden bookshelf behind the wardrobe. Upon closer inspection, it contained random books. Or one would think... Some of them seemed out of place; the bindings were off... He took one in his hand, „Chains that bind us”, and opened it. It definitely didn't contain anything even close to its title.
Zestial smirked. It seemed this special lady liked mechanics. He opened a few more, finding various books on the arts, languages, mechanics, physics, and even business. Quite a clever lady in fact... But why hide this interest? Does it have something to do with her life? He made a mental note to see the truth behind this one day. He continued to investigate.
On the walls were many pictures. Considering that the people in them resembled Carmilla, they must be her family. He irked a brow at one of the pictures. It was a photo of her whole family it seems; she appears as a child in this one, smiling widely. She is the only one with eyes holding that ruby red color. Who did she get those from?
Zestial ignored the thought for now, instead focusing on a small fact... How her smile didn't reach her eyes. She was the smallest kid, placed on the far left side of the big group of people. Holding her hand across her dress and fidgeting, she looked to the side. She seemed sad. Did something happen in her youth? There was so much stuff he uncovered, but not many answers.
He sighed and decided he had snooped too much already. Instead, he sat down on a chair and waited for Carmilla to come. Surely... She should have been here by now.
...................
Carmilla paced back and forth in front of her room. It's not like she was never requested like this before. But this time it's by a guy that has irked the corners of her mind ever since she laid eyes on him this morning. She grumbled to herself, debating if she could get out of this somehow.
She thought about this for a while. Unfortunately for her, it's in her contract that if someone pays for service, she has to abide by it and provide. She grumbled some more before taking a deep breath and opening the door.
She paused before exclaiming in surprise, „What are you doing?”