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Liam couldn't move his body of his own will. It made no sense; even if they had known to use a mortal to shield themselves from damage, due to the limitation he had set upon himself in his own realm, there should have been no way a simple drone network should be affecting him like this. Sure, he'd gone in a bit hot and heated, but he had actually had a plan. Though even those thoughts were fuzzy now as the big drone with four arms led him toward some kind of pod. Whenever he tried to focus on a coherent thought, it was quickly brushed aside by voices and images that sprang unbidden to his mind. He would find himself trying to focus on any one sound or image and end up spacing out as the programming took deep hold of him.

"...I don't... feel good..." Liam managed to say, finally managing to push back on the hand a little before it gently pushed him forward again.

"It will undergo maintenance soon," the large drone told him, though whether he heard it with his ears or in his mind was unclear. "Drone is malfunctioning."

"Malfunctioning...?" Something about that didn't sound right to Liam, but before he could really question it another wave of subliminals assaulted his mind. Yes. He... it was malfunctioning. It was a drone. It made the most sense to him in that moment, especially when he was rewarded with feelings of pleasure and bliss.

"Step into the pod," ordered the guardian, its voice deep and robotic but with a hint of something familiar.

"...Dav...in?" he asked, before shaking his head. Why had he said that? He lingered outside of a strange looking compartment made of the same material as the drones around him; noticing his hesitance, the guardian nudged him.

"Step into the pod," it said, a bit more forcefully this time. "Drone will comply."

"Dav... drone... will comply," he said, his body stepping forward. With a soft hiss the pod closed around him, and he was left in complete darkness. All he could really see or recognize were the images and words flashing inside his mind, but somehow it felt comforting to be in the enclosed space. He felt something restraining him and holding him upright, though rather than feeling tight and chafing it was more of a gentle embrace. Something slid over his muzzle and down his throat even as it plugged up his nostrils; panicking on instinct, he soon relaxed as a sweet smelling gas helped him calm down and breathe in slow, rhythmic breaths. As liquid ooze slowly pumping into the pod around his feet, he felt something shift in his mind and suddenly his vision was filled with some sort of virtual interface.

"Currently experiencing temporal anomaly between realms," he heard a voice say inside him; it was the same voice as the guardian that had lead him here. "Explain."

"I-" Liam began to answer in his head, though his thoughts were quickly overwhelmed.

"Explain."

"...Drone syncs time with Earth whenever present in this realm," Liam answered more carefully this time, and was rewarded instantly for using the 'correct' terms. "A day here becomes a day there until drone leaves or ah... breaks the link? Hard to explain... so tired..."

"...Sever temporal link," the voice said, after what seemed like ages. Any semblance of the time passing was lost on him in his current state and surroundings.

"Why..."

"Sever temporal link. Drone will comply."

"...Drone will comply," Liam responded, before reaching for his power. It was the only thing he was able to do, but it was as easy as taking a pair of scissors to a piece of paper. As soon as he had finished, he felt himself denied from his power once more... but he simply moaned in pleasure around his mask as he was instantly rewarded for his obedience. His body hung limp in the restraints over the slowly encroaching goo, which had reached up to his thighs by now. Reflexively kicking his legs, something felt amiss; even in his addled state he could tell there was far less resistance than there should have been in the thick liquid.

"What... what's happening to..."

"Drone will relax."

"But..."

"Drone will relax."

"...Drone... requests explanation?" Liam asked, hoping that would work. He was starting to get extremely worried despite how much he wanted to obey what the voice was telling him to do.

"...Conversion process for daemon physiology requires breakdown of all energy within the drone prospect. Energy cannot be integrated into us without special treatment. Abdication of 'title' was considered but deemed unnecessary, due to likelihood of complete rejection and disintegration of drone prospect during conversion process."

"So I'm dying?" Liam asked, half-expecting the pain to correct him. Instead, he felt a wave of... empathy? He wasn't sure, but it caused him to relax a little bit.

"Drone prospect's energy will be treated and reformed into a more improved model. Physical efficiency is projected to increase two-hundred percent compared to current model of drone."

"...I... drone understands..." Liam said. Maybe he should have felt even more freaked out, but somehow knowing he was going to be even better than before calmed him. If he had been in his right mind, he of course would have rejected the explanation and struggled to break free or keep his form intact. But right there, in that moment, he welcomed the warmth of the ooze that was 'treating' him.

"Drone will relax and comply?"

"Drone will relax and comply..." Liam said lazily in his mind. He could almost feel his diluted energy in the liquid, now that it was almost up to his shoulders. He realized he had stopped breathing a while ago, but as a daemon he didn't need to breathe to exist. "...What is conversion for mortals like?"

"...More complicated," the intelligence responded after a while. It had determined that satisfying the converting drone's fading curiosity was the best way to keep it relaxed and compliant. "Mortals cannot be broken down the same way, so conversion to cybernetic organisms is significantly slower and less efficient until more advanced methods can be researched and successfully implemented. Drone will understand once it has been integrated within us."

Liam would have sighed in contentment, if he could have. Instead, he simply relaxed his mind as his programming seemed to increase in intensity and frequency. It wasn't long before he was fully submerged and a feeling of weightlessness began to take over. He had never been more relaxed or empty as he felt his essence being pumped into some kind of system. He should have been floating around with the other intangible lust daemons, but something about the goo he had turned into seemed to serve as a temporary body even as it began to fill an empty mold in another pod unbeknownst to him. It wasn't until the last drop of his essence filled the mold that he began to reform and reshape inside it, and soon the connection to the hivemind was reestablished. Unlike before, however, it felt much clearer and focused.

"Report status."

"Conversion complete. Awaiting purpose and designation."

As the pod flushed out any remaining liquid to be recycled and reused, the doors opened and the new drone stepped out, stopping on a small platform as medical drones began scanning it for flaws and defects. Its previous clothes had long since disintegrated and been disposed of with the rest of the waste, so the only thing it was required to do was simply stand and assist with the scans if necessary.

"Scan complete. Full conversion of daemon drone successful," GD-01 stated, having analyzed the stream of information as it came in. "Redistributing excess energy among existing drones of daemon origin."

Every drone that was a daemon instantly felt a rush of energy as the full power of the Elder of Lust was evenly spread across them. They grew in size and strength save for the guardian drones, who used the energy to increase their processing power instead. The collective didn't need his title to do so, now that he was one of the many drones under its control. An emissary drone walked up to the new drone, before a cable snaked out of its arm and attached to the new port on its neck. Jolting, the drone stood still and rigid as Liam found himself waking up in an extravagant looking room. It looked like his place in the realm of Lust, but... different. More minimalistic. Here and there, he could see random letters and numbers of some kind pop up before winking out of existence.

"How long?" Liam asked, not even bothering to look up at the person in the room with him.

"A month," Jared said; it looked like Jared, but Liam knew it wasn't. Not exactly, at least. After all, he remembered seeing his drone body. "We had to be certain your essence was processed correctly. There could be no room for error."

"I guess I should feel grateful for that, in some twisted way," Liam sighed, all fight gone from his voice. "...You're a daemon, aren't you?"

"We... do not understand. Elaborate," Jared said, clear confusion on his face. Damn, that was too 'uncanny valley' for him; a shiver ran up Liam's virtual spine.

"I wasn't able to think too clearly before, but now that I've got a clear head at the moment... or well, what passes for a head I guess," Liam said, chuckling wryly. "...Well, the only way you could have taken me by surprise like that was with some kind of daemonic influence. Even the simpler drone networks can't convert me without my consent; they use technology. Granted, technology created with daemonic influence, but still technology. What you're doing is... different, though. You, the being that controls all of this... you're a daemon. Gotta be."

"We will take this observation into consideration. But, even if it is true, it does not change what we must discuss here," Jared said. "We wish for you to join with us fully."

"I feel like I should say no, that I should resist. But whatever you did to me..." Liam sighed, shaking his head. "It's like I've been... pacified, somehow. Like someone's used my true name, almost. Why ask me to join you at all when you can just root around in my head and wrench that from me, though? Just use it already and be done with it."

"If we did that, you would still resist mentally. This would cause division, even if you could not disobey," Jared explained. "We have subjected you to a more experimental conversion process, however. If effective, it will likely be the standard way we process daemons from here on out. That will, of course, depend on you."

"I guess I remember something about my energy being 'treated', huh? Also explains the time lapse..." Liam sighed. "I thought they'd be here by now."

"You mean Seth and Vance returning with Orias?"

"...Yeah."

"A day has not passed on Earth yet, and they are not within the realm at this time. It is safe to say they do not know anything has 'gone wrong' yet."

"Yeah, I guess it is. Right. You made me... no. I kinda... wanted to, didn't I?" Liam said, confused and horny. "...Dammit. I thought I'd gotten strong enough to resist this shit. Guess I still have a lot to learn... I owe Davin an apology, if we ever get out of this. This is worse than Temperance's influence. Whoever you are, you're strong. Even if you did cheat."

"We didn't cheat. We simply used what tactics would prove most successful in quickly incapacitating you before you could destroy us. You would have done the same, if you were forced to defend yourself."

"Yeah, I would have," Liam laughed. He couldn't help but feel relaxed, despite his situation. "I guess you win, then. I'm too mindfucked to resist you for long. Not for six months, anyway, give or take. I should have said an hour. So... how do we do this? Do I abdicate my title, or...?"

"No need for that, even if we could guarantee the title would pass to one in our collective," Jared said, smiling. "It would be an inefficient usage of time, trying to find and assimilate Lust all over again. No. All you need to do is let go and join with us as one."

Holding out his hand, Jared waited patiently as he stared with unblinking eyes, a smile frozen on his face. It was surreal, but he got the feeling there was still some kind of emotion behind the eyes no matter how distant it seemed. His hand seemed to move of its own volition; even if he wanted to resist at this point, the thought never entered his mind as he clasped Jared's hand firmly in his own.

"We are one?" Liam asked, smiling as Jared nodded.

"We are one."

The eyes of the drone snapped open as its vision came back into focus, only barely noticing the cable slinking back into the emissary drone's body. What was once Liam examined itself, grimacing in disapproval. This wouldn't do. It was too inefficient for what its role would be. It showed far more autonomy than the others, but it could still feel every drone working in unison with each other. As all of Liam's knowledge and power was processed, the collective began to make adjustments to itself as it evolved at a rapid pace.

"Why am I so different?" it asked, and an answer came out of GD-01's mouth. It had stayed to observe and record, even as it synced with the other guardians and optimized patrol routines.

"Drone is to become an Overseer unit, and will modify itself according to new blueprints. Standby for update."

"Standing by," the drone said, before information began beaming into its mind faster than it could keep up with on its internal display. Falling to its knees as it fell into a temporary 'shut down' state, it soon rebooted its mind and began to process and install what had been downloaded into it. "...I see. Drone will comply with new schematics immediately. We are one."

"We are one," GD-01 replied, before turning to resume its normal patrols. They all had a lot of work to do, but none more than the newest drone. It would take time and power to accomplish it's current task; as it walked, it began to design new blueprints that would increase the efficiency of its own task and speed up the process. It also began to lay plans out for when Seth was due to return; with any luck, the wolf would be assimilated within minutes of his arrival... but that was months away. They would be ready.

*******

"Thanks, babe," Bruce said, grateful for the massage as his lover's hands firmly grasped and caressed his backside. Normally he would be horny and ready for 'something more', but at the moment it simply felt like he'd gone on a bender for a week straight. Everything he did tired him out and left him sore, even when he took it easy.

"No problem, but I still don't know why you get like this," Clay cheerfully said, though there was clear worry in his voice. Bruce felt a pang of guilt; this must be a nightmare for him, not knowing what was wrong with the mortal. He didn't bring it up, but instead relaxed and let Clay's hands work him over. They really were like magic, weren't they? Like a potter shaping the clay... heh.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Bruce said, after a long pause. "I mean, this body has gone through a lot already. Even if we don't count all the sex we've been having - and I've lost track, hon - we both know transformation and curses can take a toll for a long time after they manifest. For all I know, this might be a werewolf thing. Maybe I need more meat?"

"Hm, I guess we could get you more steak," Clay said, pausing only to slather more oil over his hands before returning to the massage. "Might need to take you to a doctor though if this happens again. I won't take no for an answer next time."

"You know how I feel about doctors... but okay. For you, I'll go. But only if this happens again."

"It shouldn't be happening at all, really," Clay sighed, clearly confused. "Even if our lord Lust isn't here, it's not like the realm wouldn't sustain us. We've gone far longer without his presence and guidance, and there are more than enough lustful mortals here to feed from. What's changed, then?"

"There you go, trying to solve the worlds' problems," chuckled Bruce, feeling some energy returning to him through the warm oil. "I'm sure everything will be fine. But maybe we should take a little trip to Earth? I know of a bar from 'Uther's' memories."

"That Deviant Delights place? I hear it's supposed to be like this place, just tamer. Why go there if it's just inferior?"

"It's not just the lust energy for daemons. There's something special about it. I could go there as a bearer and relax among daemons when I was Uther. And he hated daemons because of the stupid past lives bullshit. I mean, I don't actually know anyone very well there, but... we should give it a try before shooting it down, maybe make a few friends. Besides, we could go sightseeing around the city too. Could be fun to see how humans live, right?"

"...Yeah, it could be fun actually," laughed Clay, kneading out some knots in Bruce's lower back. "I'm just... worried you'll collapse again. Like when you..."

"I'll be fine, I promise," Bruce said, reassuring him. "If I thought every body my consciousness could inhabit would develop the same physical problems as my original body, I wouldn't have even bothered with the hat. Have a little faith in me, hon. What happened then won't happen this time."

"...Okay. Sorry, I..."

"You have nothing to apologize for, babe," Bruce said, reaching up to clasp an oily hand with his. "Let's just enjoy the time we have together, while we can. I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, you know?"

"Yeah, you are stubborn like that," laughed Clay, but he kept hold of Bruce's hand a little longer before reaching for a small towel. "Here, clean up your hand silly. If you get that in your eyes or mouth you're gonna be useless for anything but being a mindless fucktoy."

"I know, I know," Bruce said, carefully getting all the oil off of his hand. It still tingled where it had touched his skin, but the warmth felt nice as it seeped into him and gave him strength. As much energy as he gained from the oil, though, it made him feel like one big erogenous zone as Clay sensually traced his fingers up and down his spine. "O-ohhhh... fuck."

"If you think that feels good, then flip over. I still need to work on your front," Clay said, winking as Bruce slowly turned over to expose his naked front.

"I wanted you to massage my ass a bit more," Bruce said, pretending to sulk. "You know how much that relaxes me."

"I know," Clay said, pouring a small amount of oil on his chest before working his hands into the massive mounds of muscle. Moaning, it almost sounded to his own ears like he was some kind of cow, but he didn't really care. The wolf necklace rested perfectly in the cleft between his pecs, but Clay's expert hands were careful to work around it. "You're feeling pretty full, aren't you?"

"Mmm... mooore," Bruce moaned. He was always at Clay's mercy when it came to his chest; part of the curse of his nipple piercings, probably, but he didn't mind.

"Behave yourself and maybe I'll milk you today," Clay laughed, before tweaking a nipple on his way down to Bruce's abs. Nothing came out, but it still caused stars to explode in his head as his cock jumped. As embarrassing as it was to admit to himself, he really was looking forward to being milked when just a small tease caused him to feel this good. "Gods, you're such a himbo, Bruce."

"And?" Bruce asked once he had calmed down a bit. "Whose fault is that?"

"Technically yours, if you're calling this body your own. But now that I look at it, it's really starting to come together huh?"

"What, the tattoos? Yeah. I've almost got all my old ink back. Looks as fresh as the day I got it too," Bruce said, incredibly proud of his tattoos. "Though I might need to get them touched up a bit if I'm going to keep my body this way. Some of them don't look quite right."

"Well it's not just that. You're getting your tan back, too. Hell, the more I look at you, the more you look like your older self... though I have to admit, you look amazing with that orange hair of yours."

"I mean blondes have more fun, but yeah. I like the orange too," Bruce said, sniffing as he rested a hand on his head. The hat was still there, though it had changed shape to fit his head much more snugly. "Think I'll keep it, if my curse lets me."

"How long until it's..."

"Permanent?" asked Bruce, stifling a moan or two before continuing. "Hm... not long, I think. It'd be longer if it were on an ordinary mortal, but on Uther? He was practically a hollow shell waiting to be filled. Sucks to be an amnesiac, but it works out well for me."

"It still feels a bit... wrong," Clay said, though he showed no regrets when Bruce looked into his eyes.

"Hey, it's not like he went away. We just merged our memories and my charming personality took over. Just because I'm going by Bruce now doesn't mean I'm not Uther as well. Besides, I'm the one who put the hat on. The curse and its consequences are all on my shoulders."

"I guess so," Clay laughed, massaging Bruce's thick thighs. "I'm just about done here. You ready to stand?"

"Yeah. I think so," Bruce said, waiting for Clay to finish his massage. He laid on his back while Clay cleaned himself up, giving Bruce time to let the oil seep its power into him. Yet, he barely felt stronger than when they'd first started. Not wanting to worry Clay, he simply smiled and took the hand that was offered to him as he was helped to his feet.

"Hey, now that I think about it..." Bruce said, not bothering to clothe himself. "I haven't seen a lot of people on the street lately. Bunch of those new gimps, sure, but..."

"Yeah, they're kinda hot but... not my thing," Clay said, shrugging. "Still, I haven't seen a lot of our neighbors either. You think there's a new hotspot and they forgot to invite us out?"

"More likely we were too busy going at it to notice any invites to their own orgy. But yeah, it seems quieter lately. I've been having trouble falling asleep because of it."

"Hm. Well, if you have trouble tonight then tell me. I can whip you up something that'll give you some nice dreams," Clay said, growling seductively. "You ready to be milked?"

"I... maybe after a walk," Bruce said, trying not to look dizzy. "Wanna come with?"

"I actually have to go over inventory," sighed Clay. "I was gonna do it while you were on the machine, but if you want a walk first then go for it. It'll be good for your circulation. Just call me if you feel faint, okay? I'll come running."

"I will. I remember the spell," Bruce said, smiling. "See you in a bit, babe."

They hugged tightly before giving each other a sloppy goodbye kiss. Bruce was still hard even as he walked out the door, but as soon as the haze of lust in the realm hit him he really felt it. There was something very potent about it today; breathing it in, he smiled as his cock bounced with the pulse of his heart. Giving it a few satisfied tugs, he picked a random direction and just began walking. It wasn't long before the dizziness he was feeling faded away, but instead of heading home he just kept walking instead. Between the oils he'd been treated with and the thicker haze in the air, he felt too good to think of much besides doing what he was already doing, a wide smile plastered on his face as he stared ahead with half-lidded eyes. Turning down another street, he joined a group of men headed the same way without even realizing it. They had the same look on their faces, the same painfully hard erection as him. He felt an odd sense of camaraderie with them, like a group of old friends who had gotten drunk together.

"You feel it too, right?" someone asked out loud, and most of the group simply nodded or grunted. Bruce took a moment himself to understand what he meant, before realizing he felt like he was being called somewhere. It was why he had wanted a walk in the first place, in fact. He could feel the call of Lust himself.

"Our lord calls for us," he said, and everyone agreed. From what Bruce could feel around him, his dulled instincts could at least tell they were all mortal. Every single one, anthro or human, was a mortal answering the call. Did he wish to feed upon them? Such questions were beyond them, but a small spark lit up inside Bruce's head as he felt himself being corralled into a line. He had just stopped watching where he was going, but opening his eyes again he could see those weird suited guys walking around. Some were massive with two horns and four arms; hell, he'd hate to be in a fight with them, especially as they seemed to stare just a bit too long at those passing by. There were a couple at the head of the line he was in, as if providing some sort of security, with a third patrolling up and down the line and making sure no one strayed. It passed by a few times as the line grew shorter, before stopped entirely at his side. He could feel its penetrating gaze on him even from behind the visor, before it finally placing a hand around his shoulder and steered him away.

"Follow," it said, in a voice that would have creeped him out if he'd been in any other state of mind. Instead, he let himself be led down a maze-like set of paths and corridors before arriving in a room with more of the smaller suited men. He assumed they were men, but their features weren't particularly defining other than what species they might be. He could easily mistake one for the other if they looked similar enough.

"This one is wearing cursed items," the large one said. "He will require special processing."

Without another word, the big guy left him with a dopey grin on his face as the others began to examine him up and down.

"State name and occupation," one said. After a few repetitions, Bruce realized they were talking to him.

"Oh, uh... Bruce. I run a shop with my lover, Clay." Giving the name of the curio shop, as well as where it was located, he waited while they seemed to stand still and think.

"Error. Records show 'Bruce' to be deceased. Identity deemed false."

"...Oh. No, I'm Bruce. My hat, you see..."

Another pregnant pause later, they took a device and began scanning his body as well as his cursed items. When they were done they steered him toward another place in the room before leaving him, heading toward some kind of monitor.

"Identity confirmed: cursed object contains essence of entity Bruce. Curse type: pseudo-possession. Threat level: minimal. Species still undetermined: proceeding with full body analysis. Please hold still."

Bruce almost nodded before catching himself. They'd asked so politely for him to hold still, so he did his best not to move an inch. It was the least he could do, after all. He was wondering what was going on, but maybe he was in some sort of doctor's office? He vaguely remembered Clay suggesting he go see one, and it did seem like he was being given a free checkup.

"Species not found in database," the strange man said, before turning to look at him. At least, he assumed it was looking at him. It was hard to tell what the man was looking at from behind its visor. "What is your species."

"...I was human, but this necklace made me a werewolf," Bruce said, happy to answer. "Sorry for the confusion."

"Recording species to database. Unable to remove item responsible for species change; adjusting parameters to compensate for unique biological and metaphysical anatomy."

"Is there some... something wrong with me?" Bruce asked, still feeling as if he were drunk. Concern was starting to gnaw at him as he watched the man at work on his tablet. As if on some kind of cue, they walked up to him and place a hand gently over his wrist, beginning to lead him away.

"You require treatment and processing. High fatigue likely the result of excessive feeding."

"Feeding... you mean like... daemons? I guess I have been feeling pretty tired lately."

"We will rejuvenate you soon. Please sit."

Sitting down, Bruce watched as they lowered some kind of screen or dome around his head. It kind of reminded him of those old hairdresser machines, only this one seemed to be some kind of transparent screen. Before he could ask what was going on, all sorts of images and sounds began to overwhelm his senses. Smiling, he simply began staring as he strained to listen to whatever those soothing voices were saying to him.

*******

"Ugh, finally. At least someone around here know what they're doing!"

"Eh, sorry about that, ah..." Vance said, struggling with what words to say.

"Honey, it's Maeryn. Okay? Just because I look like a celebrity doesn't mean you have to be so nervous around me. Especially if you can keep these drinks coming," Maeryn said, smiling as he took another sip from his straw. "Where is everyone else, anyway? It's like the second half of a football game and all your best players are on the bench or something."

"You like sports?" Vance asked, still not sure how to answer that question.

"Mmm... sometimes. Can't help but admire that level of talent, you know? Even if it's not really my thing for this life, who knows? I might go pro next time. Heehee..."

"Heh, why not?" Vance asked, cleaning a glass. Looking up, he saw Seth coming toward the bar. Sitting next to Maeryn, he looked up at Vance with a glare. "Ah... you okay there...?"

"It's just gonna be us," Seth grumbled, rolling his eyes. "He said he's not going to help."

"He can't help?"

"Oh, he CAN help. He just refuses to," Seth sighed. "We had a small fight about it, but honestly I can't blame him too much..."

"Hmmmmm? Who are we gossiping about?" Maeryn asked, causing Seth to jump a little. He looked over to see Maeryn as if he was seeing him for the first time.

"Ah! None of your business, Maeryn! Don't sneak up on me like that..."

"Actually he's been here the entire time..." Vance said, a sheepish smile on his face. "You sort of just interrupted and..."

"Ah fuck," Seth said, lowering his gaze in embarrassment. "Sorry. Got a lot on my mind is all."

"Still hasn't been a full day," Vance said, looking at his watch. "Oh, but can I get you something to drink while you're here?"

"Ah... the usual. And I know it hasn't been a full day, but I thought maybe I could prepare for once and be ready to go, just in case," Seth said, scratching his chin in irritation. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't though."

"Okay, if you two keep talking like I'm not here, I'm gonna be seriously pissed," Maeryn said, the feminine voice coming across more whiny than offended. "What the hell are you two talking about? Out with it."

"Ah... well..."

"Nothing, Maeryn. Just my boyfriend and I got into an argument about how he would rather tend to his own realm than help me with a favor. Even if he doesn't like my bosses, I thought he could at least put that aside for me. And he doesn't really care what happens to mortals not under his sway, so..."

"Hmm... so is that why the only good bartender left who can make me a decent Sex on the Beach is Vance, here?"

"...Y-yeah, something like that," Vance sighed, wanting to answer the question but not give away too much with Seth there. "You see-"

"No, let me guess!" Maeryn said, a mischievous smile on his face. Twirling a curl of hot pink hair in one of his fingers, he looked up at Vance with such an innocent look that for a moment he forgot he was looking at the Elder of Envy. "This story starts with something like 'unfortunately, Davin was feeling horny'. Am I far off?"

"Ah, I don't know about that, but... yeah. He kind of went missing," Vance said, earning a glare from Seth. "We went looking earlier but then Liam sorta... told us to leave and let him handle it."

"Why don't you tell him your true name, while you're at it?!" Seth grumbled, before his shoulders sunk in resignation as he gave an apologetic look. "Well, it can't be helped now I guess. Here's what happened..."

Seth took his time telling Maeryn everything so far, though he took quite a few long pauses to drink or stare out at the dance floor. If Maeryn was annoyed, Vance couldn't tell just by looking at him as he patiently waited to hear the entire thing. Before too long, he was finally caught up to speed.

"Hmmmm... so you just left him there? Sounds kinda dumb..."

"I mean, even if he wasn't my boss, I'm a lust daemon. I have to obey my elder while I'm in the realm," Seth sighed, irritated at Maeryn's implication. "He all but forced us to leave."

"And I couldn't really do anything, either. Seth sorta grabbed me and we were just here," Vance said, smiling despite his concerned look. "And I'm not that good at traveling on my own yet, so I couldn't exactly go back without that key Liam uses..."

"I guess that's true," Maeryn sighed wistfully into his empty glass, a slight blush of inebriation on his face. "I like Liam and Davin, but they're such idiots sometimes. Liam especially. Just because he's an elder now he suddenly thinks he's hot shit huh? Ah, to be young again... well, it can't be helped. Let's go."

"...What do you mean?" Seth asked, confused.

"I mean let's go to your realm. It's obvious you need help with this."

"...I guess we can meet you there, sure. You going to go get Pride or...?"

"Honey. Just do what I tell you, for your sake," Maeryn said, a strange look on his face. It made Vance nervous; he felt like he was in danger just from being near him, and he wasn't even being looked at. "I know you think you know more about this than I do, but there's a reason I'm an elder and you're not, little boy."

"...I... okay," Seth said, taken aback just as much as Vance was. "Sorry."

"Okay, then it's settled!" Maeryn said, the danger gone as his mood shifted immediately to some sort of giggling drunk who'd had way too much to drink. Vance could have sworn he'd just had the one drink though, and it really wasn't even that alcoholic. "This is gonna be fun!"

"I guess I'll go too?" Vance asked, causing Seth to nod. "Okay. I mean, I know we're all coworkers but I like to think they're my friends, too. I'd hate to have to sit here and wait..."

"Alright. Alright," Seth sighed, clearly frustrated with Maeryn but also still too shaken up to protest. "But only when it's time to go. I can't disobey Liam by going too early, yeah? Pretty sure he used his full authority on me for that one."

"Fiiiiiine," Maeryn said, sliding the empty glass toward Vance. "We can wait. But get me another in the meantime, okay sweetie?"

"Sure. Coming right up!" Vance said, glad to focus on his job instead of the awkward conversation. As he made the new drink and slid it in front of Maeryn, he noticed Seth finally take his still untouched drink as he stood up, his phone in his other hand. Mouthing an 'excuse me', he headed to a more private area of the bar. Vance tried not to spy, but he couldn't help but notice that as Seth spoke over the phone, he seemed to be having some sort of argument. When Seth managed to accidentally make eye contact with Vance, the fox quickly averted his gaze in embarrassment. Even though his fur covered it up, he could feel his burning cheeks.

"Everything will be fine," he told himself, before attending to a customer who had just walked up to another part of the bar. He quickly distracted himself with work; while the current bartenders weren't exactly beginners, at least three of them had been called in on their days off and weren't too happy to see Vance return so quickly. He apologized again to the one who was supposed to work his shift, saying he'd talk to the boss about overtime in order to pacify them. As soon as he found the boss, that is. He left that part out, instead helping out where he could so as to make the time pass faster. He was surprised when he looked up and saw Onyx approaching the bar; he seemed grumpy, though he still smiled when Seth gave him a quick hug.

"I'm still not coming," he heard Onyx say as they got closer. "I know that seems selfish, beautiful, but..."

"Hey, as long as you're here for backup, I can rest easier," Seth said, before noticing Vance was watching their approach.

"We... ah, still have a few hours, don't we?" Vance asked, pretending not to have heard. He could tell they both saw through his body language, but they didn't press the issue.

"Yeah, though if you don't cut Maeryn off I think he's gonna be swimming in his own fish bowl soon," Seth laughed, noticing the large bowl-like glass Maeryn now had.

"He insisted," Vance sighed. As drunk as Maeryn looked now, though, Vance didn't have the heart to tell any of them that he'd cut Maeryn off hours ago. All the drinks he'd been serving to the elder were non-alcoholic, yet...

"Wooooow, so this is the fabled boyfriend huh?" Maeryn said, ogling Onyx up and down. "Waiiiit, you were at that birthday party, weren't you?"

"Hello to you too, Maeryn," Onyx chuckled, shaking his head.

"Hmmmm? You know me, huh?"

"Your reputation precedes you."

"Finallyyy! Some re-cog-ni-tion!"

"If you're finished, I think it'd be best to go over the plan," Seth said. Despite his scolding of Maeryn, Vance could tell he was a lot more reserved. Was he afraid to piss him off? Vance wouldn't blame him. Despite scoffing, Maeryn was quick to fall in line as they began to form a plan or two there at the bar. Vance still wasn't sure what to expect, but it was better to be prepared all the same.