Roleplay City
Infusco => INFUSCO: Enter The Shadows => Ouroboros => Topic started by: The Cedar Witch on January 10, 2020, 07:46:42 AM
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Tonight was a Special Night for Celebrations, of plans falling into place and the Prize well within reach. He could have taken her right there from the bathroom - and oh what a Temptation she was - but McCloud was too alert for an easy getaway. How Tantilizing it was to taunt them! How her little heart pounded while they made their escape - so Difficult to Resist. None of that mattered, let them have a little Warning, see how Evans would scurry to prepare for an Invasion.
Instead of following the car speeding back to Evans' home, Laurent moved West in the shadows. While Zeus formally cut ties with him, none of his sentries in the shadows seemed to pay him any mind. Perhaps he was unrecognizable - well, he certainly Preferred it that way. Whatever the reason for his Uninterrupted travel, he arrived at the door to a new pawnshop - though the grime on the windows indicated that it had been here for longer.
It was Highly Unlikely that he would run into Chtahzus'aak here, and that was all that mattered.
A bell chimed overhead while Va'tamal's boots fell heavy on the linoleum floor. With a grin on his face, the shadow demon approached the glass counter of the pawnshop and his favorite Serpent.
"Busy?" A lit cigarette dangled from his lips as he spoke, black eyes moving around the empty shop while he took a drag.
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Apep swept the floor of the shop, a simple pleasure in the repetitive, but productive, task. There was something about being unproductive that bothered Apep to his core. While he could be everything to everyone, the thing he hated being most was lazy. Every decision he made had to advance him somehow, and so sweeping the floor made it cleaner for customers. To tell Apep that he was actually just anxious would've earned a slap at best, and fangs in their neck at worst. Music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlWqrBeRN1s) played through the PA, and Apep moved his lips along with the lyrics, breath escaping without sound. The young and ambitious demon had trouble accepting recent successes. He'd moved into the west properly, had a front, and was making money hand over fist. The bar ate most of their hall, put even still, Apep had put away a decent chunk of change. Everything was going according to plan, and yet, he swept as if it could fall out from under him at a moment's notice.
The ringing of the doorbell caused his head to turn, and he broke into a deep smile at seeing his newest customer. Laurent was the first big deal he'd struck, other than Zeus, and his supply of souls had contributed to Apep's part of the payment for the building and restorations. He was also the kind of demon Apep strove to be, if not a bit more subtle. He rested the broom against the shelf he was nearest to, and took his proper position behind the counter.
"Always," he teased, "but for you I can spare a few minutes." Apep sucked on a jewel, taking the vapes into his lungs. He looked to Laurent's real cigarette. "Hey can I suck on that for a moment," he said, pointing at Laurent's crotch, before tilting his finger towards the sin stick.
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Laurent's eyebrows lifted in momentary surprise, but it was a slow wicked smile that followed. Images of the snake's pretty lips wrapped around something Other than the cigarette made his cock twitch. Delicious. His brush with the Prey left him full of enough Desire, and the snake's insinuation was more than welcome.
With eyes locked on the demon before him and steps deliberately unhurried, Laurent moved around the barrier of the counter. He came to a stop well within what would be considered Personal Boundaries, and took a slow drag. Smoke drifted lazily from his nostrils as he plucked the cigarette from between his lips and held it to Apep's mouth for taking.
"Here," came his husky murmur.
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Apep wrapped his lips around the filter, hands remaining at his side. He took a deep drag, letting the smoke fill his lungs and water his eyes. He pulled his head back, and lifted his chin towards the florescent lights. A smoke ring, large and halo like was blown through Apep's pretty lips, and it framed Laurent's face like a picture.
"Tasty," he complimented, before blowing out the rest of the smoke. Now he wanted more things to smoke, and considered he couldn't do them here in the pawn shop. He decided the first step was to get any official business out the way.
"Before I get too distracted with you, anything you need tonight from the serpents, or are you just here for me?"
His eyes glowed gold, and he looked to the door marked, Boiler Room. "Here to inspect the best new speakeasy in the city?"
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Intently Laurent watched Apep's mouth while he smoked, tongue darting out to wet his own lips. The smoke ring went unnoticed - too busy imagining the way Apep's throat would bulge with his cock reaching as far as the snake would accommodate.
He inhaled steadily before answering. "I am here to celebrate," his gaze followed the serpent's to the door before darting back. "I hear you know how to show a proper Good Time." He grinned with his teeth.
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Apep considered things quickly. Laurent had no official business, but was here for a good time. Apep wanted to keep one of his best customers happy, and had long thought about how alluring Laurent's human form was, and so decided that he would celebrate too. He smiled knowingly, wagging a finger in a classic no, no, no like style.
"I am the good time," he corrected, hitting the button underneath the counter and unlocking the door to the club with a loud buzz.
"Head down, grab a plushy couch and order me something strong to drink. If you want Hookah we have it. I just need to close up the shop and I'll be down to join you."
Once Laurent had headed down the steps, Apep went to the front door and flipped the open side to closed, before locking the front door and pulling down the blinds. Lights were flicked off, music unplugged and lastly, the broom was placed in it's proper home. Satisfied, Apep unlocked the boiler room door, and headed down into the club to find the waiting Laurent.
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With nothing more than a sultry grin, Laurent descended the staircase with a series of thumps. When he reached the bottom step he gave a curt nod to the coat check, and, keeping his coat, headed past the curtain and into the bar. His fingers moved to take another cigarette from his leather jacket but they stalled as he remembered the Hookah. The speakeasy was a touch emptier than he expected it to be - a free carnival in Central would draw supernaturals from every distract, no doubt. That was fine with him - he wasn't here for the crowd.
His eyes moved about the room as he went first to the bar to order "Two whiskeys, neat," and continued directly to the first open booth he spotted. Sitting back against the booth he allowed his gaze to drift about, staring unabashedly at the exposed skin of the waitstaff going to and fro.
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Apep worked his way down the stairs and started for the booth where Laurent awaited him. He'd be be preforming later, his contortionist act always being a hit. For now, a few other Scarei played snake jazz. Apep snapped along as he reached the booth. He slid in, and not so subtly, rested one of his legs on Laurent's waiting lap. The snake demon grabbed his whiskey and took a healthy swig, before resting it back on the table.
"This is the waiting room," he said of the main bar. "Another layer of illusion for what really goes on here."
Apep let his hand find Laurent's, and although he wasn't planning on holding it like middle school lovers, it ended up looking that way. Laurent's hands were bigger, and rougher, than Apep's smooth ones. Their fingers were interlaced.
"How do you normally celebrate," he asked. He didn't know much about Laurent beyond business. Now seemed the best time to learn.
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With the intensity of a predator, Laurent's eyes followed Apep as he approached the booth. He savored the alcohol in his cup, corner of his mouth curling into a smirk while the snake settled in beside him. One large hand went not so subtly over the leg that Apep draped over his own. A knowing smile spread across his face while Apep talked of waiting and illusions, a pulse of sultry desire spreading through his limbs. Yes, tonight would be for indulging in such pleasures.
When his hand was taken into the snake's grasp, Laurent quirked an eyebrow. His fingers were stiff, as though hand-holding were a completely foreign concept to the demon. The near tenderness of the gesture made his stomach churn with mild disgust and he disengaged his fingers in favor of pulling his pack of smokes from his jacket pocket.
"With sinful pleasures of the flesh," he crooned, taking another sip from his glass. This, of course, meant Sex and Substances. His fingers moved idly across Apep's thigh, hoping that they would not be grabbed for again. "How long is the wait?" He asked, placing the flat of his palm firmly (and high) on Apep's thigh.
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Apep noticed how briefly their hands were joined, and made note of it. Grabbing a smoke was a good excuse though, and so Apep was unsure if Laurent had pulled away for any other reason. He asked to bum a smoke since Laurent had brought out his pack. Apep hadn't charged him for the drink, so it's not like he was looking for something for free.
Laurent had answered his question, but Apep was unsatisfied with the answer. He wanted more. How had Laurent become Laurent? What were his real plans, and why of all people had he come to Apep to celebrate? He didn't ask any of this now. Last thing he wanted to sound was needy, when it reality he was mostly just curious. Laurent seemed to want to move to the finale of their time together, and skip the build up. That might've been fine for him, but Apep loved the foreplay of conversation. He decided to split the difference and provide a bit of both.
"Tina," he yelled to the passing cigarette girl, a kind of demon who looked strangely like an imp. "Fetch us a Hookah, two hoses, one ice tip, the other standard."
"Flavor," she asked, in a chirpy sounding voice.
"Tobacco, but throw in a fruit blend to offset."
With the addition of bringing a bottle full of whiskey, Tina scurried away. Now, he'd answer Laurent's question. "As long as I want," he said. "I own the place and don't care if I end somebody's trip too early. I need to warm up a bit though. By the time we finish the appetizer, we'll be ready for the main course."
The main course was heavy drugs and lots of fucking, and he was sure even Laurent would understand his double meaning this time. Laurent's hand was grabbed again, but this time not like lovers. Apep simply guided Laurent's hand around back to his ass, and rested it with a handful of cheek. He assumed that was a more comfortable place for Laurent's hand to be.
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Laurent watched the exchange between the snake and the woman in silent approval, watching the way her body moved as she went to fulfill the request. When Apep spoke again his eyes darted back, words drawing a smirk to the corner of his mouth. Information was good since up until this moment, he wasn't exactly sure who owned Ouroboros. Fascinating that the mighty Chtahzus'aak would Permit such an establishment in his district, but he knew the other shadow demon would keep his head turned until Something forced him to turn it back.
An appreciative hum rumbled deep in his chest. Laurent's appetizer was had before he reached the doors to the pawnshop, but he didn't mind a bit of a tease. When his hand was guided to the snake's rump he gave it an enthusiastic squeeze with fingertips pressing roughly into his flesh as if to test its give. With his free hand, he reached for his drink, throwing back the rest of the whiskey and smiling through the satisfying burn.
"You haven't even asked me what I am celebrating," he observed, pouring himself another glass from the bottle and topping off Apep's.
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Apep felt a strong hand squeeze his rump, and made pretty eyes at Laurent to indicate his pleasure. He needed a good shag, and he imagined Laurent would be good. He felt strange sitting next to Laurent. There was something about him that made Apep feel. The Scarei prided himself on detachment. It was good for business not to care. However, he wanted Laurent to like him. No. That wasn't it. He wanted Laurent to respect him and think him an equal. He... revered the other.
Apep was mildly disgusted at the realization, but figured this was one of those few times when he should go deeper, not pull away. Tender moments, however brief, separated neat monsters from messy ones. Tina returned, placing the bottle of whiskey next to Laurent, as well as two fresh glasses. She poured for each of them, and finished by placing an ice bucket between them.
"Hookah is being prepared now," she informed. "Should I inform Butler we have a VIP guest," she said looking at Laurent.
"No," Apep said, his tone suddenly more cruel, and his face filled with disqust. "Do I work for Butler?"
"Um, no sir. I just know he's in charge of the alcohol and such."
"Butler would have no interest in my guest, and my guest would have no interest in him. Move along before I make you work with Slytheira."
Tina moved away like lighting, leaving the two men alone again. "Sorry about that," Apep offered. "The help am I right?"
Now he had time to consider Laurent's last statement, and he decided to go with the most obvious reply. "So... what are you celebrating," he said, offering an apologetic smile for not asking before.
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Judging from the grin on his face, there was one thing Laurent took a special liking to: boasting. Dark eyes twinkling dangerously, he leaned in close so his breath would be felt hot against the other man's neck.
"Soon I will be taking a Pretty Prize," he pulled pack to tip more whiskey into his mouth. "Tell me," Laurent drew close in again, speaking low and sensual, "What would a fresh, near-millennium old soul be worth to you?" The demon was not yet in the market for such exchanges, but if the price was enticing enough he could be convinced to trade.
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Apep contained the majority of his reaction, but Laurent would notice a lift of the snake's brow, and the tinniest curl of his lip.
"Oh Laurent," Apep joked. "And here I feared you didn't know me."
He turned his head, and now his lips and Laurent's were separated by the smallest amount of air. That kind of soul was worth more than Apep had to sell, but Laurent didn't need to know that. Value was subjective, and Apep had several things that were valuable.
"It would be worth quite a lot," Apep admitted. "More than our current deal allows for, but... you already knew that didn't you?"
He smiled wickedly. "I have a few magic items that would equal a trade of that size. Consider me intrigued."
The Hookah arrived, and and was placed between them, charcoal burning. Two hoses were presented. Apep grabbed the ice tip first, taking in a long pull from the hose. The blend was excellent, and he blew a trio of smoke rings, before handing the ice tip to Laurent.
"Cold smoke," he explained. "Ever tried it?"
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Laurent's toothy grin only widened at the snake's answer. Magical objects were in short supply in his world - his storage limited to flesh and souls, both of which he had aplenty. But the prospect of adding an edge to his own abilities was a tantalizing one, and he almost regretted not having perused the objects in the pawnshop a little closer. He watched as the Hookah was placed on the table, watching still as Apep wrapped his lips around the tip and sucked. He shifted in his seat to accommodate his stirrings, and instead of answering the snake's question he took the tip and smoked. Admitting inexperience was not something Laurent would ever do, not that it was, at this moment, true.
He too could blow smoke rings and did so lazily before returning the tip to the snake's fingers.
"Who do you work for?" Va'tamal asked casually, though his eyes were bright and attentive.
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The Sinister Serpents did have a leader, and Apep knew who that leader was. That didn't mean he was going to share this with Laurent though, but that didn't mean he couldn't answer the shadow demon honestly. He took the standard hose now, and took in a fresh hit of nicotine. He placed the hose back on the table, and drew out the answering time even longer by draining his glass of whiskey.
"I've called people boss before," he said, remembering his earlier days of being nothing more than a runner for fools. He'd known even then he wasn't meant to follow. "But the only person I've ever really worked for is myself. It's easier that way, and more profitable."
He poured more whiskey into his glass and topped off Laurent if he needed more. "The serpents here work as a team. We each do our own shit, and the others don't interfere. We pool our resources and strengths to maximize our chances of success. Nothing more."
"And you," he said. "You work alone I assume?"
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Laurent did not miss the carefully phrased reply and was not so keen to let it go yet.
"Correct," smoke blew out of his mouth with his answer and he did not elaborate. Instead, he reflected the topic of conversation back to the serpent.
"From what I recall from our humble beginnings together, you mentioned talking to your boss about an inter-city distribution connection," He spoke quietly, reaching for his glass again, "I see you've gotten your toes into the city proper." He hid his grin behind a sip before setting the glass back down on the table. "Business is going well, I imagine?" he gestured to the bar, indicating it as evidence of this statement.
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Apep was not surprised by Laurent's confirmation of self employment, but he was surprised by what he'd said next. As Apep had said he had no other leader than himself, Laurent reminded him he'd already let the falsity of that leak. If Apep hadn't been annoyed at Laurent for remembering, he might've been impressed. He took back the ice tip, using the time it took to take a pull to contemplate his reply. He could throw himself at the shadow demon, using lust to pause the conversation further. No. He would win this game. He bet on the fact he was better at playing.
"Bars are money sucks," Apep deflected. "This place currently costs more than it makes. We're going to change that once we get fully staffed."
"Our success is based on our plethora of services," he hissed seductively, properly answering Laurent's question without mention of a boss, or exactly what those services were. "But you're right to think that business is booming. McCloud removed our competition."
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Laurent, ever the Gentleman, did not make a fuss about catching Apep in a lie. He understood the game well enough, a sly smile the only hint to this thought.
"I've offered you a contact for distribution," he observed patiently, "Discrete, resourceful, elusive to authorities, and obedient." Nikolai and the Eastwood Disciples were good at what they did, and already had buyers lined up. It was simple math, and the Serpents should expect to see an explosion of growth.
Quicker than a human (though perhaps not quicker than a snake) his arm wrapped around the snake's waist and pulled him into his lap. He leaned in close, teasing Apep's earlobe with his lips, "Shall I take your dodging as a lack of interest?"
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Apep appreciated Laurent's boldness. It was sexy, and Apep paid Laurent back for his gesture by rotating his hips, pushing his bum down on Lauren'ts crotch. He was slow and deliberate, seemingly still to observers. He knew Laurent wanted him, that on some level this interest was as much about control and power as it was actual lust. It was rare to meet someone who made Apep feel this way. It was rare that someone made him feel at all.
"No, I'm verrrry interested," he hissed. The business talk in their pleasure was confusing, but far from unwelcome. Apep loved to do business, and it was as much foreplay as the placement of his ass and Laurent's hands. "Do you like obedience," Apep teased softly. "I want your contact," he assured, dialing back the seduction just a tad. "I like connections that make me money, but aren't easily traced back. What do you want from me in return?"
Apep never assumed Laurent would do this for free.
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His cock responded eagerly to the tease, and a pleasurable hum sounded from the base of his throat. Hands moved to Apep's hips, holding him firmly in place. At Apep's first question, Laurent chuckled softly. Obedience was something enjoyed, but the game of obtaining it from the less-than-willing was the more succulent prize. Soulless husks were obedient, but draining them was where the pleasure resided. Should the prey have a little fight in them, it was all the better.
Like his Lost Little Princess, but she would be home soon.
"What do you have to offer?" The smile flavored his voice, lips brushing against his neck just below the ear. Laurent could ask for a few things but was interested in seeing what Apep thought such a connection was worth.
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The game was proving an interesting one, and the increase in pressure on his ass from Laurent's twitching cock told Apep he wasn't losing. He pulled the hose to his lips to create a moment for him to think. What price did Laurent want for his offered connection? He assumed Laurent was already getting something from the contact, or it was someone firmly in his pocket. Despite appearances, Apep was not in Laurent's pocket though, and that meant paying for services obtained. He kept his ass in a wiggle, his own rod beginning to stiffen from the massage his bum was getting.
"I have a few odds and ends you might like in the shop," he said, pointing towards the upstairs in case Laurent thought that meant going to a different location. He had conditions though. Parting with magical items was often a risk for something as intangible as a connection.
"Orrrrr, you can tell me what you need. I like it that way, to please. I mean, why offer you something at random, when you likely already know what you want. So what do you want, sir?"
The last word was said with something of a pout, and Apep craned his head back so Laurent would see his pretty, golden eyes and soft lips. Let Laurent name his price. Otherwise, Apep would demand proof before completing the deal.
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The Honorific brought an unexpectedly delightful surge of warmth to his groin. He hummed thoughtfully, fingers dancing playfully along the tops of Apep's thighs.
His words took on a notably honeyed quality. "I imagine in this line of business you find yourself with access to..." he paused, searching for the right turn of phrase, "...interesting information." He was desirous of shop items, sure, but that seemed more appropriate for a one-time transaction - in exchange for the soul he would acquire soon, for instance.
The Eastwood Disciples were not a one-time transaction, but an avenue of growth.
"A Connection for a Connection would be an..." his fingers traveled higher, tracing the seam of the serpent's jeans, "...appropriate trade, yes?"
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Apep reacted to Laurent's caress, making sure Laurent could look directly into his eyes. Eyes were normally the window to the soul, but Apep's lived deeper down than that. He was layered in a protective armor of falsity, so much so not even he knew the extent of it. To Laurent, he looked like a man surrendering, but internally he felt strong and in control.
"Perfectly appropriate," he breathed out in a whisper. "A place to give your girls when they've outgrown their value to you," he dangled, knowing it was flesh that paid Laurent's bills. "Or," he said, building this one up more than the last. "A witch, who specializes in the darkest of magics. I assume you could have use for such a person."
If neither of these connections were ones Laurent wanted, he'd try others, but Tess was a powerful weapon in the right hands, and Slytheria would likely take Laurent's unwanted. She'd pump them with venom and put them back to work. He laughed in a combination of pleasure, and amusement. Today was going so well.
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While Laurent had originally intended for access to the Eyes in Ouroboros, for the city's dirty secrets to be passed along to him, what Apep offered was much more interesting. His needs had shifted since falling from Chtahzus'aak's grace, and the services of a dark witch had a myriad of uses.
Hips shifting forward, he reached into his back pocket for a crisp white business card and flipped it face down on the table. Somewhere along the motion, a small pen appeared in his fingers and he reached around Apep to scribble down a name - NIKOLAI ARMANI - and phone number. The pen went back to that unseen place from where it had appeared, and Laurent's hands found their way back to Apep's hips.
"I want to know more about this witch," he punctuated the sentence with a subtle hip-thrust, "but first--" his hand darted out for the hose, and he took a long pull--
"Pleasure and--" smoke drifted from his nostrils on the exhale, escaping from his parted lips with his words-- "Celebration."
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The deal was struck when Laurent presented Apep with the card for Nikolai Armani. What a pretentious ass fake name, or Apep thought as he carefully placed the card in his jeans pocket. He would give Laruent Tess's contact, and tell what he knew of her. The rest was up to him. Apep debated getting their deal in writing, or at least an official verbal confirmation. However, he didn't want to spoil the mood, and if their lips touched the deal was sealed that way. He wanted to kiss those lips, to feel if there was any passion in them.
"Then we've waited long enough," he said, picking up his whiskey glass and draining the remainder. They'd really wasted such a nice Hookah, and so Apep resolved to bring it back with them. The whiskey would come too. This was a night for forgetting oneself. Apep pulled himself off Laurent with purpose, his leg kicking up, almost like a dancer, and swinging wildly to hit the floor. He rose, and grabbed the bottle, only then realizing how much the booze had hit him. He motioned for Laurent to follow and headed for a back area.
Laurent might be confused why Apep chose to stop in front of a painting of snakes playing poke.r, but Apep smiled at him for reassurance. The bathrooms were to the left, and the main bar was back down the hallway to the right. They were at a crossroads. Apep knocked on the wall to the painting's left. One of the snakes in the painting turned to the pair.
"Password," it hissed.
"Kumquat," Apep replied, pointing at Laurent for inclusion. The painting returned to normal, but slid open revealing a dark passageway. Once they were inside, the painting swung shut, leaving them in what looked like the basement of the apartment building their operation was situated in. Gone was the glamour of the speak easy. Here was the real club.
Red lights flooded the room, and shined on gold curtains hung from various curtain rods. Tons of comfortable furniture revealed men and women with needles in their arms, or fangs in their necks. They were already chasing the snake, as Apep sometimes called the venom high. More snake demons were here than any other part of the club, beautiful men and women providing drugs and pleasure. Apep was sure Slytheria was here somewhere, but didn't seek her out. He led Laurent past one of the gold curtains, a mattress and several pillows awaiting them.
"All of this," he said referencing the club, "and you get by far the best this club has to offer. Do you know what the best is?"
As if to make his point, his hands finally reached into Laurent's pants. The hookah was brought in by the cocktail waitress and placed on an end table near the pair. Laurent could drop the curtain, or let others see. Apep cared not which. His pretty fangs stared back white, as the Scarei's face was bathed in red.
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If Laurent was confused or uncertain during any portion of the journey into Ouroboros inner-sanctum, he did not make any outward indication of it. He absorbed each detail from the painting, to the password, to the writing bodies awash in red and the undercurrent symphony of pleasure beneath the background music. With each step forward his whisky-loosened smile widened and widened.
Now this was more like it.
This was what his own flesh-den looked like before authorities had shut him down the first time - when he was sorely lacking the resources to challenge them. In time it would look like this again, after he'd claimed his prize and made his trade.
His eyes raked over Apep's form while he led them on, glancing back up into the serpent's eyes as he spoke. The boast gave him a little thrill. "I take it the best--" the hand sneaking under his clothing stopped his sultry answer with a sharp intake of breath "--is you?"
When the hookah followed, he flashed the waitress a toothy grin, staring avidly until she left, letting the curtain drop of its own accord. His attention returned to Apep's fangs. He pressed into Apep's hand, moving him slowly backwards with a shuffling step toward the mattress.
His hand went suddenly to the side of Apep's face, taking his jaw in a less-than-gentle grip. For a moment it seemed their lips would connect intensely, but he stopped the motion when they were parted only by centimeters. His thumb swiped across Apep's bottom lip, inching up slightly to brush against a fang. "Will it wear off before sunrise?" he asked, eyes fixed on pointy white.
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Apep nodded as Laurent asked if the best was himself, smiling wickedly. He 'd thought about this moment for a long time, the first night he'd met Laruent being attracted to him. It was rare for Apep to care about anything, but even the Scarei recognized that he desired this demon's approval. He couldn't probe the origin of this feeling, and part of him was repulsed by what he normally saw as a weakness. Apep had a rule of no attachments, however small. Yet, here he was, just wanting this man to like him, but being far too duplicitous and opaque to ever say how he actually felt. It was a cruel irony for a polished con. They forgot how to say what is real.
When his jaw was grabbed, Apep winced in genuine discomfort. Normally, he would've backhanded a partner for such a move, but here he only shot a warning glance. Laurent would not be treating Apep like the garbage he traded in. Submissive was one thing, but owned was another. Apep refused to be owned. When Laurent's thumb ran across his lip, he slowly closed his eyes, imagining what was to come betwixt them.
The serpent nodded again at Laurent's question, knowing it would take a lot of venom just to get Laurent high, let alone keep him there till sunrise. Demons were harder than humans or wolves to infect. Still, Laurent would end up with a few hours of fun, and Apep knew a way he could follow Laurent into the trip. Scarei Di could not get high off venom. It was a cruel irony of their potent poison that it was only for others. Apep knew what the effects would be, and picked a drug to match, snapping his fingers to get an attendants attention.
He obtained a tablet of acid, and placed it under his tongue, and then returned to Laurent. "Are you ready to fly," he asked, moving to kiss the demon's neck. They were soft, sensual kisses, but he also let his fangs scrape along the demon's flesh in tease. There was pain waiting on the other side of this gentleness. "Tell me when to bite, he whispered softly."
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“Do it,” he murmured, shivering with pleasure at the scrape of Apep’s teeth.
The fangs slipped into his neck and he let his head roll back, a smile plastered across his face.
A euphoric surge spiked through the hazy liquid state the whiskey slipped him into. He was aware, peripherally, of his lips moving against Apep’s - rough and dominating fueled by euphoric passion. Slowly he began to drift away from his body and he watched it fall onto the bed with the serpent, hands roving and mouths tasting. Farther he drifted, the red and black of the den swirling and blending into a whirlpool, pleasure sparking through like the vibrant twinkle of starlight. The murmuring conversations in other areas of the den devolved into a torrent of whispers, simultaneously distant and unpleasantly close to his eardrums.
Sluggishly he looked back down at his body, unable to determine the positioning of tangled limbs. A flash of color in the distance -- on a newly sprouted horizon -- drew his eye. He was floating toward it now, curious, eager to leave the whispers and tangled bodies behind. The sun was suspended there, as though it had stopped mid-set between the shoulders of a mountain range. The wind rushed, crimson highlighting the curves of grey clouds like cotton moving across the darkening sky -- this too pulled his attention, whisps undulating and contracting to form familiar faces contorted in anguish.
Unable to control the speed with which he drifted along, Va’tamal turned to face the direction he was headed -- directly for the mountains. A fog poured, waterfall-like, from the sun. Now that he was closer, the sun seemed to decide to continue its descent. For reasons unbeknownst to the shadow demon, this filled him with unpleasantly intense fear. The air was otherwise silent, whispers and voices of Ouroboros far behind him now. The sinking sun increased the saturation of the reddened sky, competing with the inky blackness that edged in at the far most edges of his peripheral vision.
In the foggy distance against a bloody sky, the craggy mountain face shifted, peaks rolling into valleys, cliffs splitting and unfurling with thunderous rolling. In a blink, the mountain was no more, in its place the enormous demonic form of Chtahzus’aak, wings stretching and arms reaching into the endless void overhead. His luminous eyes pierced the blackness like two great spotlights, scanning the grassy knolls below. Va’tamal darted behind a rock, but once the light passed overhead the bolder dissolved. He turned to look upon the giant Chtahzus’aak, stooping now so that his enormous face was at Va’tamal’s eye level. There was no amount of willpower large enough that would allow Va’tamal to look away. The Giant Chtahzus’aak opened his terrible mouth and unleashed such a sound that the air vibrated intensely at his inhale. Va'tamal had no hands to cover his ears -- and no ears either, for that matter -- and the force of the sound possessed a physicality that could not be resisted, knocking Va'tamal straight onto his back.
-
Apep took one last pull from the hookah, and as he breathed out his smoke rings they were each a different color. He giggled at the blues, reds, and greens, and moved over to take a bite out of Laurent. His fings slid into Laurent's neck, and the slow drip of venom began. It took a few minutes until Laurent had a dose large enough, and once Apep was sure his comrade was flying he retracted his fangs, and started to seek of kisses. Flesh touched flesh, and hands moved up and down one another. Apep noticed a bit more than Laurent did, enough to know they were naked and the demon was inside him. His fears of being abused were not founded. If anything, Apep drove.
The snake demon's mind traveled far and wide, leaving the Ouroboros behind all together. He was back in Egypt, his family home in Cairo. His mother prayed in Arabic to the snake god, while his father stood showing him Scarei artifacts.
Now this one comes from the area known as Mesopotamia, hi father taught, focusing into view. "And it is a tool used by a high priestess for fertility. Apep was young again, no more than twenty Scarei years. He'd forget most of what his father said today. He wanted to go play with his toys. The outside should've been a busy bazaar, but it was dead quiet. An eclipse blocked out the sun. His mother stopped her praying and wen to the window.
"He is rising," she said to her husband.
"It's just an eclipse dear," Apep's father replied. "Now this rod was used for curses," he continued, showing Apep another artifact. His mother faded away, as did the apartment, leaving Apep alone with his father.
"One day my son, you will know all of our people's secrets."
"But I don't want to," Apep said, pouting and looking for a toy.
"You will son," his father assured. "One day this knowledge will matter more to you than anything else."
The vision, that was half memory, half drugs faded to black, and Apep was left alone with only the artifacts his father had tried to show him.