Public Bonus Chapter 4 - Idle Hands
Volex and Talia cuddled in Talia's bed, wordlessly entwined in each other's embrace.
When Volex first bound herself to Joseph- she wasn't sure if she should be using that name for her Master in the past tense, for all that her Master did go by that name at the time- she'd been worried about Talia, and how she'd react. Sure, the two of them were High Elves, who were far more accepting of non-monogamous relationships, but all the same, after three hundred years among the Hikaano elite, Volex had been the cause of more divorces than she could count. With the Hikaano men, Volex had delighted in watching their lives crumble about their ears from their own stupid, selfish choices.
With her Master, however... Terpsichore Ironheart had been the best thing to ever happen to her, and Joseph Ironheart had been quick to honor that bond, and any obligations he may owe as part of it. He'd asked for her help rather than demanding her service. And when the two of them made a deal, he honored his commitments without complaint.
Joseph had been a good man from the very start. It didn't take long at all for Volex to devote herself to him as she had to Terpsichore, all those years ago. And in her devotion, the idea that she might ruin his life terrified her. What sort of Master kept a Familiar who was more trouble than she was worth?
"Mrrmn... warm..." Talia blearily murmured, as she nestled deeper into Volex's embrace.
Volex had wrapped her up in every appendage she had- arms and legs, but also wings and tail. Joseph- he'd still been Joseph at the time- had absolutely adored the wing-cuddles she'd given him a few weeks ago, and it seemed Talia was the same way.
Talia. Talia was also devoted to Joseph, in her own way. Talia hadn't talked about it, but Volex was a Succubus, a demon of the Occult, and she could tell what someone's life story was, with some effort. Talia and Joseph were both autistic, and from a very young age, they'd had the good fortune to have compatible autism; Talia was non-verbal for a long time, and Joseph was the first person to properly understand her, and used that understanding to help her, literally speaking on her behalf when necessary. As they grew older, things changed, but for a long while, Joseph remained in a sort of Big Brother role to her, standing up to the other children on her behalf, letting her hide behind him without complaint.
(This was, incidentally, why Volex had been caught off-guard by the fact that Joseph was actually Catherine, and now a woman. For the entirety of Joseph and Talia's shared childhood and adolescence, he had behaved in a searingly masculine manner, by the standards of a High Elf. He was, to Volex's own elf-influenced sensibilities, the manliest man she'd laid eyes on in centuries, and then, without warning, she was now the manliest woman Volex had ever met. It was a bit confusing, but Volex supposed she just didn't know High Elves as well as she'd thought she did.)
There did, however, come a turning point in Talia's relationship with Joseph, where Talia had grown past her shy timidity, and come to realize that he needed her as much as she had needed him. And so, without even a moment's hesitation or doubt over whether this was what she wanted, Talia became someone who could protect and guide Joseph, doing her best to help the boy escape his... well, his rather rough and antisocial mannerisms. Inch by inch, day by day, she'd worked with him to tame his temper and smooth off the sharpest of his rough edges, until he'd become the charismatic, if not especially outgoing, young man she'd first sworn herself to serve.
There was an interesting story to be told, with Volex and Talia both being devoted to Joseph, and now Catherine. However, the thing that stuck out to Volex more than that was the simple fact that Talia was more than her devotion to Catherine. Talia had desires and ambitions beyond the woman she hoped to officially marry.
And Volex, a Succubus, bound by narrative, by other people's expectations, simply... didn't.
What did Volex want beyond serving her Master to the fullest of her abilities and being lovingly rewarded for it? It felt like there should be something there, but there wasn't.
It was as the Hall of Demons had shown her: she was hollow and empty. A sweet and pretty candy coating over a pit of nothingness where a person should be.
It was all Volex could do to choose an older narrative, rather than the modern pulp fiction trope of a Diabolist and a Succubus engaging in what Joseph had derisively called 'adversarial BDSM.' She didn't want to mislead her Master and bring the poor girl to grief- if nothing else about Volex was real, then her love was real, her devotion was real. And not for anything would she give those up.
Certainty settled over Volex. There had to be a way out of this. And with some thought... she knew just who to ask.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
---
Volex poured Kiyoko a cup of tea- made with leaves from an older tree, out of fashion with today's elves, but closer to the tea blend that Elana had served, back in the day, and helped along by a minor Occult flavoring charm.
"It smells comforting," Kiyoko said quietly, as she picked up her teacup and lifted it to her nose. "Like a long-lost home... But, perhaps the familiarities of days gone past aren't the right choice for you, Miss Ironheart."
Volex inhaled sharply through her teeth; Kiyoko hadn't even waited for her to sit down before cutting to the quick.
"I understand what you're trying to do," Kiyoko continued. "You wish to transcend your limits as a Succubus, and become a full, flesh-and-blood person, with the ability to defy the expectations of others, even your own Master."
Volex closed her eyes, going through the motions of calming herself as she took a deep breath. She opened them, and spoke.
"Hello, Kiyoko," Volex said. "I'm glad you could make it. Would you like a pastry to go with the tea? We've got fruit-filled, cream-filled, and even a batch of savory cheese-filled."
"You have come to me seeking my guidance and tutelage," Kiyoko said. "If I am to mentor you, you will address me as Takeda-sensei. Do I make myself understood, young lady?"
Catherine had mentioned that a Kitsune's tails could be an indicator of their age; a nine-tailed Kitsune like Takeda-sensei was very likely to be upwards of four thousand years old.
Volex was barely one thousand. She was, in fact, the young lady here.
"Yes, Takeda-sensei," Volex said. "Why do I have to become flesh and blood to transcend the Occult? Can't I remain a Succubus, just... with more agency?"
"Unfortunately, no," Takeda-sensei said. "How much do you know about liches?"
"Only what Catherine has told me," Volex said. "Undead mages who bind their souls into reliquaries to escape their failing mortal bodies, but inevitably lose their minds after a century or two. Why do you ask?"
"Then you are unaware that a Succubus is a kind of lich," Takeda-sensei said. "The issue you are facing, where you are confined by narrative, is in fact the solution to a problem inherent in your nature: you have already lost your mind. The framework of narrative is what keeps you coherent and functional."
Volex blinked a few times.
"...Ah," Volex murmured. "Then... Mmn."
"You understand, now?"
"I have to either put my soul into a flesh-and-blood body, or I need to find a cure to lich insanity," Volex said.
Takeda-sensei blinked once, long and languid.
"...Well," Takeda-sensei said. "I was going to suggest you find a way to take up the practice of Primal Magic, but if you think there's a way out through the Occult...?"
"You are the Occult professor," Volex offered. "If anyone knows how to do this, it's you."
"Well, no, Ariel Silver might also know," Takeda-sensei said. "Or perhaps the Silver Maidens. But, well, they aren't here, and I am, so..." She hummed quietly, tapping her chin. "...Is this what you want?"
"Even if it fails, knowing more about the Occult can only help my Master," Volex said. "She's been learning quickly, and I was beginning to worry I'd run out of things to teach her in a few years."
"Mmn. Well, Volex, in that event..." Takeda-sensei withdrew a thin packet of paperwork from her sleeve. "This shall detail the exact nature of our mutual obligations in a Mentor/Apprentice relationship, and if those terms are agreeable to you, then we can sign the contract, and you can begin studying the Occult at my feet." She set the paperwork in front of Volex, and began to sip her tea.
Catherine was cautious, and she expected Volex to be smart, to be clever and cunning, and not let anyone take her for a ride. So Volex read over the contract carefully, examining the terms and conditions from a variety of angles, all of them uncharitable.
Still, despite her best efforts to find the hidden trap... she found nothing. The contract was reasonable, clearly delineating the sorts of tasks Takeda-sensei could and could not set for her, and the serious teaching responsibilities Takeda-sensei had to her in turn.
"...If I accept this contract..." Volex began.
"By all means, take your time," Takeda-sensei said. "After all, you and I and your Master are all immortal. We have all the time in the world."
Volex grunted wordlessly.
"Now, if you do not accept," Takeda-sensei continued, "I will be sad, but I will understand, and I will still provide you with a recommended reading list, and answer questions during office hours. But if you do decide to accept, then simply sign that contract, and I'll send you your first learning exercise."
---
Later that evening, Catherine and Volex laid together in bed, holding each other close.
"Takeda-sensei came by earlier," Volex said.
"Oh?" Catherine asked.
"I was thinking about my future," Volex continued. "And... she offered me an apprenticeship. I'm... It's an appealing offer, I'd be able to keep teaching you about the Occult for years to come, but I wanted to check in with you about it first."
"Volex, honey, you can do whatever you want," Catherine said, squeezing her closer. "You don't have to get my permission to do anything, and you don't have to be my Occult mentor just to be my friend. If you really wanted to, you could kick back and do nothing but dispense hugs and dick jokes for the next four years, and I'd still be glad you're here. But if what you really want is to study the Occult for your own edification? Well, I'll admit my own bias here and say I'm proud of you."
"...Thank you," Volex whispered.
"Of course," Catherine said, before kissing her cheek. "I love you."
Volex's heart swelled in her chest. "I love you too."
In the morning, she would sign the contract.
Tonight, though... she was busy.