DAY 500

"I am afraid I do not feel very...comfortable, with all this."

Lollyp looks around at her surroundings, taking in the mostly-empty Fiver's Lounge, before looking up at the demon standing next to her. "Oh, you're not comfortable with the dancers? I didn't even think - although I thought it might be better if we visited the lounge instead of the inn. Less crowded, right? But we can go over there if you'd rather."

The crimson-skinned fellow shakes his head, his long dark horns holding his hair in place. "No, no, the environment is fine. It is just...I am not used to walking on two legs, no? It feels...very wrong, somehow."

The slime tilts her own head as she leads the man to a table. "You, uh...you did live an entire adult life on two legs, yeah? What, were you always secretly hoping to become half-spider or something?"

The man laughs as he takes a seat. "Hahaha...hrmm. Well, perhaps? But no, I have just become used to it. I have spent an entire season or more living as a beast, and to change now...not to mention, it is taking some getting used to, not having mandibles anymore..."

As he's rubbing his chin Emma comes up to greet the new arrivals. Although she's wearing the form of one of the bar bunnies, by this point Lollyp's become more than used enough to the mirror-woman to recognize the certain look that's often in her eyes. "Well well, who's this? A new Challenger? Got yourself an incubus boyfriend, Lollyp? Nice going!"

The hostess moves for a high-five but is left hanging as the slime woman scoffs. "Ha, no, this is purely a friend-date. This is Sevastion, trying out a...let's call it a 'civilian' form, I guess? Poor guy really needed something that was easier to get around with."

Emma frowns as she considers the information. "Oh, hey Sevastion, welcome to the lounge! But why a demon? Xenia can't do something closer to your old form?"

"Why should she? I bore it no particular attachment. ...Also, no, she cannot. These 'False Mortal' forms are...disturbing, even for me. I did not wish to become a rabbit, but with the Demonic Illusion spell available a more manly, dashing option was available to me!" As he speaks he stands back up to show off said form, and the fashion he's wearing. It's certainly clothing suited for an incubus - the shirt is left hanging open, exposing a bare, if hairy, chest, and the pants are cut to allow a slender pointed-tip tail to wave about. The illusion doesn't appear to include wings, or at least not at the moment, but that's probably for the best considering it would rather limit his seating options.

"Quite nice! If you've got any dancing skills, you could definitely take a shift on stage! Although why don't we start you off with some drinks, hrmm?"

"Yes, thank you!" The man eagerly agrees as he sits back down, and Emma waves over another bunny with a tray of mugs. "Lollyp here deemed me in need of some 'socializing'. I was never much for such things, but I could certainly use a good drink!"

"Seriously! Xen makes sure to throw some sort of party for a birthday or a holiday or something every month or so, but it feels like those are the only times I've seen this guy! And even then he's usually standing off in some corner...or on a wall or something, doing his spider thing." Lollyp sighs in exasperation, although her mood improves as the drinks appear. "I know our floors are on opposite ends of the dungeon but you'd think we'd run into each other a little more often!"

Emma nods in agreement. "Yeah, you've definitely been missing out on the lounge. Would you like some more company? It's pretty early here so there's not much of a crowd for me to deal with right now."

The slime shakes her head. "Thanks, but I'm trying not to overwhelm him or something. And we are supposed to be meeting - oh hey, that's...uh, I think that's her? Yulia?"

She points out a semi-recognizable face approaching from the lounge's entrance portal, and the face at least certainly seems to be Yulia's. The body however is entirely new. Definitely a succubus to go along with Sevastion's incubus form, but while her brother's garments may be flamboyant, hers are an absolute scandal. The woman walks in a dress made of draping black fabric that's so loosely fixed to her form that it seems as if every step ought to be revealing something that would cause heart attacks outside the lounge. In fact, the more Lollyp watches her approach, the more the elementalist is certain that there is in fact something magical going on, as otherwise the Floor Nine Guardian ought to have had three wardrobe malfunctions just on the way over here.

Emma at least is eager to accept the new arrival at face value. "Yulia!? Now I know you've been up here a couple of times, but I've definitely never seen you in that! The dress or the body, that is - and both are killer! Did Xenia put that together for you?"

Yulia's smile is stunning - literally, Lollyp is pretty sure a Challenger across the room trips and falls on something as she flashes her teeth. "Indeed, grandmother was most kind! In addition to the demonic spell, my outfit has been enchanted with 'physical charisma'! I am told the traditional medium for such an enchantment is a pair of bunny ears, but it still suits this dress quite well, would you not agree?"

Stolen novel; please report.

"Yulia! You are quite nearly indecent!" Sevastion waves his hands at his sister. "Just how many men do you intend to seduce today, vixen!?"

"None, dear Sevastion." Yulia rolls her golden eyes. "We're here to have a late lunch with Lollyp and grandmother, are we not? ...I am simply testing out her work for later. Perhaps I shall seduce some partners tonight, we shall see."

"Ah, like old times." He gives a resigned sigh as Yulia takes a seat on Lollyp's other side in the booth, and the slime begins to feel herself heat up as she realizes she's now sandwiched between two very attractive demons.

"Oh? I never heard much about how things were for you, y'know, before you died and all that. Have any interesting stories?"

"I wouldn't mind hearing a few myself." Invisible to the mortal guests, Xenia herself finally arrives and slides into the opposite side of the booth. The woman looks absolutely plain in comparison to her grandchildren - she's never been a great beauty, and her 'working outfit' of a black, short-sleeved shirt and laborer's pants seems completely out of place next to the fanciful fashions of Sevastion and Yulia. Even so, the two quickly bow their heads as if they'd just spotted their queen.

"Of course, grandmother!" Even after bowing, Sevastion's eyes don't quite return to meet Xenia's. "Perhaps you would like to hear of our mother - your daughter?"

"I - " Xenia sucks in a breath before continuing. "Yeah, definitely, but not right now. If we start there then I'd mostly worry about what a shitty dad I must've been to her, and I'd like for today to be a little more upbeat. Speaking of, how's the demon bodies working out?"

"Perfect, absolutely no complaints!"

Lollyp gives the man next to her a bit of side-eye as she recalls the complaints she certainly heard only a few moments ago. "Sevastion, come on. We've talked about this - you don't have to walk around on eggshells with Xen."

The reincarnator raises an eyebrow. "There is an issue?"

Sevastion looks slightly chastened. "Ah, just that I am no longer used to such a form, grandmother. Nothing wrong with the body! I'm just not used to it, that's all."

"Ah, well, I can understand that. You should definitely hang out in it more often! That's the only way to settle in, really." Xenia passes an envious glance at the mugs the others are drinking from, but given that she's not burning avatar time right now she has to settle for pleasant conversation to entertain her. "So where were we - Yulia, you used to be a bit of a party girl, from the sounds of it?"

The current succubus nods. "Oh yes! We were minor nobility of a sort, you know, so we were invited to many soirees. Wild parties had apparently somewhat fallen out of favor in comparison to the legends of your time, but some did keep such things going as a tradition. Although most of the fun was that involving the other young scions."

"You mean like, cousins and that sort of thing?"

"Some of them, yes. Though many of your 'Fallen Champions' had children and grandchildren of their own across the kingdom, whether you were involved or not. Add in the traditional nobility and such and, well...there were quite a few youngsters with wealth and a desire to prove themselves when we were becoming young adults."

Lollyp grins, hoping things are about to get juicy. "So what kinds of things did you get up to?"

"Well - " Yulia starts to speak, then thinks again. "I suppose I should leave out the stories involving the assassination of rival scions, yes?"

Xenia grimaces. "Yeah, let's skip those. There was something fun back then, I hope?"

"Yulia here was quite the prankster in her day." Sevastion smiles as he looks at his sister, and she smirks back.

"Ah, yes. You know my primary school of magic at the time was Spirit Stalking, yes? The ability to leave my body, and travel and interact on the spirit plane? Well for starters, it was quite amusing to to take a drink of something and then 'die' in front of a crowd, haha!"

Sevastion shifts his tone of voice. "Oh Yulia, no, she has been poisoned! Quick, did anyone drink the punch? You are all going to suffer terribly!" He laughs as he shakes his head. "Was much more entertaining after she learned a spell to make her eyes bleed."

As the siblings chuckle at the memory, Xenia and Lollyp watch on with somewhat more forced smiles. "Haha, guess you got them pretty good, huh?"

Yulia continues. "Oh, but it got better once I learned to interact with things as a spirit! Hiding things, moving things around while they were not looking...aha, and often I would give someone a spank or pinch while they were standing next to someone else!"

Sevastion grins widely. "Remember when you pinched Lady Azale's buttocks and she thought Lady Prizza had done it! My, did that backfire spectacularly!"

Lollyp looks a little worried. "Did they start a fight?"

"No! Azale dragged Prizza off to a side room, and the two began fucking so loudly the whole chamber could hear it! Now that was an awkward brunch with everyone's parents..."

The grandmother does smile a little at that. "That does sound fun. How about these days, though? You two think you might start spending more time hanging out and getting to know folks? I keep saying, it's alright to relax and get to know your coworkers a little better. You're gonna be working together for...well, a real long time, hopefully."

Sevastion grows a little more serious as he answers that. "I...did wish to confirm that, grandmother. You are...okay with Yulia and I staying on as your guardians? Now that our former prince has been soundly defeated, and our insight into his companions is of little use?"

The question confuses Xenia more than a bit. "...Sevastion, that was over months ago. You've still been worried that I'm gonna put you back in storage or something? As far as I'm concerned, you two have been doing great with Floor Nine."

"We are glad you think so, grandmother. We have been a little concerned, though." Yulia bites her lip. "Valkyrie Brightsky still looks at us at times as if she wishes to send us to meet her lord, after all..."

Xenia sighs. "Brightsky is...still working through some things. But she's improving too. Don't let her bother you. In fact, I think I probably need to have a chat with her later myself, there's a few things we've been putting off." She shakes her head and refocuses. "Anyhow, no one's sending you to hell or putting you in a box or anything. Just keep up the good work, and learn to live a little with your new lives, okay? Being stuck down here forever will drive anyone crazy if they don't know how to cut loose now and then. A happy dungeon monster is a healthy dungeon monster, I always say."

"Wisely said, grandmother!" Sevastion lifts his mug, and raises it in a toast for Lollyp and Yulia. "To happiness, health, and keeping hold of our souls!"

Yulia clinks her mug eagerly. "To happiness and health! Now - where are all the bunny boys hiding at, hrmm?"

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