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Chapter 7

In Which the Bird Demon Vera Brings a Plus-One

In the end, once Solace can focus, the shopping doesn’t take long at all. Vera buys Solace a few casual outfits, then gets to work on her party plans. On a whim, she decides to structure Solace’s party garb around the top she’s lending her. Accentuated with some arm jewelry and slightly tailored to Solace’s narrower frame, the pseudo-dress takes on a whole new formal aspect.

Vera has to admit, she’s salivating a little herself. Why, oh why, did Solace have to be straight?! She vows to find some other shy, buxom girl at the party to take out the disappointment on.

The bird demon looks on, smiling, as the novice succubus admires herself in the mirror. “How’s that?”

“You’re a pretty good tailor, Vera. It fits much better now.”

Vera chuckles. “Well, you pick up a few things over the milennia.”

Solace leans a little closer to the mirror. “Mmm. This is a lot more appetizing than I usually look.” She bites her lip.

“’Attractive’ is the word you’re looking for, sweetie. Remember, humans don’t think about this in the same terms you do. You’re trying to appeal to their breeding instinct. You should meet them on their terms, by using their terms.”

“I know that much. Most kinds of people eat plant and animal matter with their mouths, right?” Solace glances over at Vera, tilting her head. “What do they call my kind of hungry, then?”

“In English? They call it being ‘aroused,’ or ‘turned on.’ Or ‘horny’ if you’re feeling a little more crude.”

Self-consciously, Solace reaches up to touch her own little horns. “Horny?”

Vera bursts out laughing. “You’re adorable, sweetheart. Yeah, that’s exactly it, actually. That expression comes from an old saying, ‘to have the horn,’ meaning to be as lustful as a concubus.” She taps her chin. “Not especially politically correct, now that I think about it. Probably a good thing it got shortened.”

Solace just stares back, looking puzzled. “Does that mean... they really like concubi?”

Vera can’t help herself. She pats the succubus on the head and ruffles her hair encouragingly. “Yeah. Don’t worry, sweetheart. You won’t have any trouble finding a willing partner. They’ll be lining up to--”

A loud buzzing interrupts her. Vera whips out her phone to answer it. “Ah, hold that thought. The car’s here.”

Solace takes a deep breath.

Vera giggles. “It’s time! You excited?”

“Yeah...!”

With a grand sweeping gesture, Vera strides for the door. Solace scurries after her.

Solace is predictably dazzled to discover that they’ll be heading to the party in a limousine. She gazes around at all of the vehicle’s fancy accountrements as she sits down inside. “Wow... Are you rich up here, Vera?”

“Hah!” Vera chortles. “Not really. If I had fuck-you money, you think I’d still be rooming with that walking corpse?”

Solace shivers. “I guess not.”

Vera settles into her seat. “No, I’m afraid this reception is for you, sweetie.”

Solace blinks. “Huh?”

“Like you said, humans love concubi. I told the host I’d be bringing a cute, hungry succubus and he fell over himself to roll out the red carpet.”

“So I’m gonna be... t-the guest of honor?”

Vera scoffs. “Nah, not really. Probably won’t even be the only succubus at this thing. It’s his son’s twenty-first birthday, so he’s going all out to show him a good time.”

Solace looks a little uneasy at that. Vera hurriedly leans forward, cupping Solace’s chin in her hand. “But look at me, okay. Don’t think that means you gotta let the birthday boy hit it if you don’t want to! I’m bringing you because there’s gonna be plenty of guys around your age here who also wanna bone down. You’ll have your pick, ok? All you can eat buffet, heh heh. Explore your options first.”

Solace nods slowly. “Okay.” An unmistakeable expression of relief slackens her brow.

“Good girl. You’ll do great, don’t stress.” Vera takes one of Solace’s hands in both of hers and squeezes it.

“Thank you, Vera,” Solace exhales.

As the limousine begins to move, the succubus relaxes and takes to staring out the window, marveling at the sights outside. Vera, satisfied, settles back into a seat. For a moment, she watches Solace, charmed anew by her wonderment. It’s endearing, it really is. Vera can hardly even remember the last time she experienced that kind of novelty herself. Maybe it really is time to move out of the Whitworth estate. She’ll go traveling, she decides on the spot. See if any ladies abroad have need of her healing powers. Or her tongue.

But first, she’s got a very important task to see through. Reaching for the limousine’s minifridge, Vera pours herself a glass of champagne and primly sips at it. This might turn out to be an uphill battle.

Solace’s curiosity waxes to full excitement as the limousine climbs to richer environs still. Grand estates pass on either side. Some are newly built in avant-garde styles, while others sag under the weight of history. The evening light has some windows illuminated already, but when the car finally reaches their destination, the decorated house and lawn outshine them all. Their host tonight is really pulling out all the stops.

The limousine pulls into the great ring of a driveway that bisects the yard. Today, the driveway is also pulling double duty as a runway, it seems, with people gathering on both sides to catch sight of the new arrivals. Behind tinted windows, this fact has propelled Solace onto some kind of emotional journey. Vera grasps her shoulder and gives her an encouraging smile. “You get out first,” she instructs the succubus. “A lot of these people already know me, but you’re a new face. Get those eyes on you. Get ‘em interested.”

Solace takes a deep breath and nods. “Right.”

The limo comes to a gentle halt. The driver emerges and strides stiffly back to open the rear door. Solace checks her makeup one last time in the reflective ceiling, then bravely climbs out of the car and into the playground of the rich and famous.

Vera stares at Solace's gorgeous ass as she does, cursing her own luck once more, then follows her.