The Worst Succubus

Mel shook her head and took a deep breath. She pushed her hair back behind her ear as she bought herself a moment. "Shit, yeah, you're right, Jen. Fuck. Sorry, Az. Really. That wasn't... that's not how I should have handled that."

"It's fine," Aztra said. "But... I don't want to talk about that stuff, if that's ok."

"Sure," Jen said. "We'll behave ourselves," she said, staring meaningfully at Mel as she spoke. "Finan mentioned you like video games?"

Aztra nodded and let herself smile cautiously. "I really like Mario. He let me play that a lot. But I've been trying out some other games too. They're really fun. I never really got to play many at home."

"That's weak. 'Cause of your parents? Or just, like, something else?"

Aztra flinched slightly at the mention of parents. She didn't much mind not really having any in her life. She had Katrin. That was enough. But it was another case of feeling like she didn't want to talk about it. Another way she might feel like an outsider.

"Kind of cultural, I guess," Aztra said evasively. "Like... I knew some people who played. Got their own consoles even. But it was more of a rebellion thing, I think. Like... there's just not that much interest most of the time."

"Well shit," Mel said. "I mean, I only play rarely. Not my thing usually. But... I mean we could all play together sometimes, if you want. I think that could be fun."

"Yeah, definitely," Jen agreed. "If you want."

Aztra let herself uncurl a little more. "That could be fun," she said cautiously. "I definitely want to try more sometime."

Jen beamed. "Great. Let's do it."

****

"I don't like these new friends of yours," Erota said.

Aztra frowned at her. "Why?"

"I mean... they're a bad influence. Just look at you. Always wearing that... sweater. And playing those video games. Not even any sex in them. I've been watching."

Aztra stuck her tongue out and curled up tighter in the corner of Erota's bed. Dheni was lying on her back, head over the side, casually watching porn on Erota's tv.

The three of them had just been chilling, as they so often did, except that this time Aztra had a handheld game that Jen had lent her. Erota had been distrustful of it right off the bat.

"That's just Az," Dheni said, not looking away from her porn. "Why you getting in her grill over this all of a sudden?"

"I'm not," Erota insisted. "Just... she might have fallen in with the wrong kind of crowd."

"Pff, what are you, a human grandmother in disguise? Wrong crowd. Really."

"Well just..." Erota balled her fists up. "You're spending so much time with them," she said to Aztra. "Just like a lot."

Aztra relaxed some. "Oh. Is that it? You know you're still my girls, right? I just... I want to hang out with them sometimes. They understand parts of me that other people never have."

"Well I try!" Erota said. "But... but you're gonna like them more."

"I'm so not."

Aztra tackle-hugged Erota, who in turn laughed and fought back in a way that was intended to get pleasantly inappropriate. Aztra had plenty of experience deflecting her friends' casual groping though.

"I love you both," Aztra said, rolling Dheni into the cuddle. "That's not changing."

"Better not," Erota grumbled.

Aztra let her get a butt-squeeze in just to make her feel better, then forcibly disengaged.

"Kinda true, though," Dheni said, her attention finally ripped away from the sweaty action she'd been watching. "If these new people have all these interests in common, and we don't..."

"Just sex," Aztra said. "That's the only one I don't really have."

"That's the best one!"

"Uh huh."

"Friends have broken up over less," Dheni said.

Aztra rolled her eyes. "My fuck, you two. So needy today. Listen, what if I just bring you to meet them, huh? Maybe you could try some of my new interests. It could be good for all of us."

Erota wrinkled her nose. "Like... hobbies other that wanton, irresponsible sex?"

"Sounds weird," Dheni said.

"Difficult."

"Unpleasant."

"Unnatural."

"Questionable."

"Possibly dangerous."

"Are you in or not?" Aztra interrupted.

Erota and Dheni looked at each other then, nodded at the same time.

"Sure."

"Why not?"

"Sounds like fun."

****

Introducing her friends to each other was a bit awkward at first. Which didn't exactly come as a surprise to Aztra.

It did make her question some decisions, but she still felt like it had to be done. She didn't want to lose Dheni and Erota. They were her besties since forever. And maybe she thought this would help them understand.

However, what mostly happened at first was Aztra's human friends all stared at the sudden bounties of lithe sensuality presented to them. Dheni and Erota reveled in the attention and got busy flirting right from the get go.

"I thought I asked you to dress a little more modestly than usual," Aztra mumbled to Dheni.

"Mmhm," Dheni said. "My bits are covered, aren't they?"

"I mean... technically."

"There you go then. Got panties on and everything. Wanna see?"

"Dheni, everyone's seen by now."

Dheni beamed. "They have, haven't they?"

Erota was even less help, squeezing herself between Kade and Mel and encouraging Kade's wandering eyes at every opportunity. Aztra anticipated disaster, which was somehow averted by Mel, who actually was the first to cop a feel. Erota was as surprised as Aztra, but quickly shifted gears and shamelessly flirted back with Mel just as hard as she'd been seducing Kade a moment ago.

"You're brave," Jen murmured, sneaking up next to Aztra.

"Stupid, more like," Aztra sighed.

"I wouldn't say that. Although... maybe."

"I think it had to be done. Dheni and Erota were getting jealous."

Jen lifted an eyebrow. "The way they came in here... I wouldn't have thought they could get jealous."

"Emotionally, not sexually. I don't think they have sexual shame at all." She frowned. "Most of us probably don't, for that matter."

"Oh sure."

"Emotionally?" Aztra shrugged. "I don't think we ever get taught how to handle any of that particularly well."

Jen snorted. "Not sure anyone does."

"Maybe. But you guys seem to at least understand it some. I've learned a bunch just from watching you. And your tv shows."

"Haha, not the best teachers, maybe, but I get what you're saying."

Aztra and Jen just watched the social carnage for a moment.

"You think this is all gonna blow up in my face?" Aztra asked.

"I mean... maybe."

"Oh."

"Probably not," Jen amended hastily.

Aztra sighed. "But definitely maybe."

"... yeah."

****

Erota ended up disappearing with Kade and Mel at some point. They were surprisingly sneaky about it, and Aztra didn't notice at first. Once she realized all three of them were nowhere to be seen, she was quick to realize what had happened.

And that was fine. If that's what they all wanted, who was she to judge.

Somewhat less fine was Dheni slipping over next Aztra.

"Hey, so, your boyfriend..." Dheni said.

"Not my boyfriend," Aztra mumbled.

She knew precisely who Dheni meant. Particularly since Dheni had been getting awfully flirtatious with Finan, who in turn didn't seem to know what to do with the overtly sexual demon girl, but seemed to be enjoying the attention.

"Right. Cool. So... is it ok if I bang him then?"

Aztra felt a surge of something she didn't understand. Something almost physically painful inside her.

Her initial urge was to say no, of course it wasn't ok. But why, though? She didn't want sex. Why should she care what her friends did together? She never had before.

"It's fine," Aztra mumbled.

Dheni cocked her head while bouncing anxiously on the balls of her feet. "Yeah? You kinda sound like it isn't, though. Are you-"

"Yes. It's fine. Whatever."

Dheni opened her mouth again, the shrugged and scooted away.

Aztra sighed heavily and stalked off to the kitchen. She needed something laden with sugar, for reasons she still didn't understand.

Jen was hiding out there already, as it happened. She watched Aztra cautiously as she approached.

"What happened?"

Aztra shook her head. "Nothing."

"Your tail's twitching awfully hard for it to be nothing."

Aztra tried to clamp down on her various body parts as she made her way to the fridge. "Maybe this really was a mistake."

"Mmm. It's... a lot. I mean your friends seem nice though."

"They are. Sort of. Just... urgh. Why's it still always about sex?"

"Oh. Erota and Kade and Mel? Yeah, that's... I mean whatever, it's their relationship."

"Right. Them too."

Jen's eyebrow went up. "Who else?"

"No one."

"Az, who else?"

Aztra slammed the fridge door closed again. She didn't even know what she wanted anyway. "Dheni wants to bang Finan. But whatever, right?"

"Oh, Az..."

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"Why? 'Cause you like him."

"Sure. But not that way."

"You sure about that?"

"I don't want to fuck him, ok?" Aztra said, stomping her foot for emphasis. "I know that."

"You can like someone without wanting to fuck them. It's not a requirement."

"As friends. I know."

Jen shook her head. "No, like, more than that."

Aztra's brow wrinkled. "I don't get it. What else is there?"

"Relationships don't need to be sex based. That's all I'm saying."

Aztra squirmed uncomfortably. "But... that's what relationships are, isn't it? Like when people mostly want to fuck one person? I don't want that."

"Oh, Az. I mean, yeah, some people think that way. But that's not really the main thing."

"Then... I don't get it."

"Maybe we should go sit somewhere. I'll try to explain it."

"Ok. I need chocolate milk for this first, I think."

Jen cracked a smile. "You know what we could do, actually?"

"What?"

"Ever had hot chocolate? With Bailey's in it?"

"... no?"

"You're gonna like this."

****

"Fuuuccck this is good!" Aztra said.

Jen smiled over her mug. The two of them were barricaded in Jen's room for the sense of privacy and coziness.

"Thought you might like it," Jen said. "Not too hot?"

"No way. Hot is good."

"Mmhm."

Jen was still waiting for her drink to cool. Humans had more sensitive mouths, Aztra had realized.

"I gotta remember about this," Aztra said, taking another long sip of creamy, chocolaty goodness.

"For sure. So, like, Finan..."

Aztra balled up tighter and tried to keep her focus on her drink. She curled her hands around the hot mug, deriving comfort from it. Her tail wrapped itself around her waist. "Yeah?"

"You know it's ok to like someone more than a friend, but not want to sleep with them, right?"

"That's the part I don't understand."

"Why not?"

"Well like... how can you be more than friends without sleeping together?"

Jen stared at Aztra, then slowly and patiently answered. "You just don't fuck. It's pretty simple."

"So then you're just friends."

"You... ugh, you don't have to be." Jen rubbed her forehead.

Aztra's tail twitched anxiously. She tried sipping more of her drink, but it wasn't sufficiently comforting.

"I don't think I like this conversation," Aztra said.

"I'm not explaining it well enough. I know."

Aztra shrugged. "Maybe it's just not something I'd understand."

"I don't think that's true. Just, like..." Jen took a deep, calming breath. "Let's try something different. What do you want with Finan?"

"Want with him?"

"Like picture the two of you, right? Don't worry about anyone else. What do you picture?"

Aztra cupped her mug in her hands and held it closer to her face. She felt oddly embarrassed at the question, and her mind's reaction to it.

"I dunno. Playing games together, I guess."

"And?"

"And... I dunno. Laughing. Having fun."

"Aaannnd?"

Aztra curled tighter again and had to consciously relax her tail. "Nothin'."

"Not nothin'. Somethin'. What?"

"... it's embarrassing."

"So? Who cares. I'm not gonna tell."

"Even Finan?"

"Especially him. This is for you."

Aztra took a deep breath. "Maybe... maybe I want him to look at me more."

"Look at you?"

"You know. Like sometimes he has this look when he thinks no one's watching. I kinda like it. Or like... I like being close. We don't get that close mostly. I don't want him to start thinking about sex or anything. I mean, it'll probably happen sooner or later. I know how that goes."

"Nevermind what might happen," Jen insisted. "Keep going. Focus on what you want."

Aztra was quiet a long moment, deep in thought and squirming about how much she wanted to share. "I want to share hoodies with him," she finally said.

"Yeah, you do wear that one he gave you a lot."

"I maybe want to, like, just be close. Watching movies or something. Or when he teaches me a game. If we could just sit all close and stuff. And I didn't have to worry about it..."

"Holding hands sometimes?" Jen asked.

"... maybe that too."

"Going out doing stuff together? Coming home to each other? Telling each other about your day?"

"Yeah."

Jen shrugged. "So maybe you wanna be his girlfriend."

"I-"

"Or friends. Maybe just friends is all. But, like, you don't need to limit it. Just think about it."

Aztra rubbed her mug with her fingertip and accidentally took a chip out of it with her nail. She frowned at the now marred cup, then took another drink from it anyway.

"Would he even be interested though?" she mumbled unhappily.

"Finan really likes you. That's pretty obvious."

"But he likes sex too, doesn't he?"

"I mean... I assume. I'll admit we've never really talked about it. But he is kind of a regular horny boy in some respects, yeah."

Aztra nodded gloomily. "So even if I was into him-"

"Which you are."

"Fine. Yes. Which I am. Even then... and even if he is too... it wouldn't really work, would it?"

Jen shrugged. "I don't know. Ask him."

"What if he says no?"

"Then at least you tried."

"What if he says no and then doesn't want to hang out anymore?"

Jen threw her hands up helplessly. "I don't know. I want to say that wouldn't happen, but I've seen stuff like that definitely happen before. So... I just don't know. Az, I'll I'm saying is I don't want you to be miserable and making self-destructive decisions over this. We both know what you want, and I don't know if it's in the cards, but whatever you do you have to at least acknowledge what you're feeling, ok?"

"I-"

"You've got friends here. Especially Finan. I really can't believe he'd stop liking you even if... if things get a bit awkward for a while."

"Yeah. Yeah you're probably right."

Aztra finished the last of her drink. Jen gave a small, cautious grin.

"You want another drink?" Jen asked.

"Kinda, yeah."

"Heavier on the Bailey's?"

"... yes please."

"Good choice."

Aztra nodded absently. "Or... is there somewhere we can buy more booze nearby?"

"Ooh. That kinda mood, huh?"

"I think so. I don't drink a lot, but I feel like maybe..."

"Yeah, I hear you. Officially, I advise against drinking to solve problems, but-"

"Not to solve. Just to... make them less important for a bit."

"Yeah yeah. Right. Either way, unofficially... I'm just gonna get my jacket."

****

Aztra and Jen got stupid giggly by themselves in the living room. They didn't really talk about Finan any more than they already had. Mostly they played some video games, generally quite badly, or watched some tv.

"I think Mario Kart's more fun when neither of us is any good at it," Jen said.

"Speak for yourself. I'm twice as good as you."

"I'm last, you're second last. That's not-"

"Twice as good! That's what I said."

"Pfff, ok, whatever."

Jen set her controller aside and took another drink. Aztra concentrated hard and finished the current race, but for the next one they both just forgot about the game and watched the AI opponents zoom past them while sipping more alcohol.

Erota came slinking out at some point and joined them. "Ooh, getting drunk, Az?"

"Maaayyybe," Aztra giggled.

"Neat. She doesn't do this with us much," Erota whispered to Jen.

"I do it when I want," Aztra said with drunk finality.

Erota swiped a drink and worked on catching up.

"How're Kade and Mel?" Jen asked.

"Oh, they're fine," Erota said with a wide grin. "Sleeping now. I wore them out, I think."

"Hehe. I can't believe they fucked you."

"Why not?" Erota said. "I'm very fuckable."

"Of course you are," Jen agreed easily. "Just... they don't really do that kind of thing. With other people."

"I'm very, very fuckable."

Jen snorted and laughed some more. "You're very sure of yourself."

"Well it's true. Az, tell her how hot and good at sex I am!"

Aztra laughed too. She and Jen were feeding off each other in their mutual drunkenness, and Erota's minor crisis of sexuality just seemed hilarious for some reason.

"You are both those things," Aztra finally managed with a more or less straight face. "All the reviews I've heard have been quite positive."

"Yeah," Erota said. "Exactly."

"Well maybe I'll find out some time," Jen teased.

"Really? You want to-"

Jen devolved into another giggling fit.

"I wouldn't listen to anything she says right now," Aztra said. "She's drunk."

"I see that. But still, though."

Aztra waggled a finger. "No taking drunk friends to bed. That's... cheating... or something."

Erota nodded reluctantly. "That's fair. More fun when it's a proper seduction anyway."

"Mmhm. I'm sure it is."

Dheni came out shortly after and settled easily next to Erota, the two of them sharing Erota's drink as naturally as if they did it all the time.

Aztra frowned at Dheni, trying to concentrate for a moment in her slightly whirly mind. She looked over toward Finan's door, but there was no sign of him.

"Where's Finan?" she asked.

Dheni handed Erota's drink back to her. "In bed still, I think."

"Asleep?"

"No. He just... got really quiet afterward. Didn't really want to talk or cuddle or anything." Dheni shrugged uncomfortably. "I get wanting to hit 'em and quit 'em-"

"You know it," Erota agreed, fist bumping Dheni without either of them even looking. "The old fuck and forget."

"But that didn't even seem like what it was," Dheni said, an edge of frustration creeping into her voice. "It was more like... like he wasn't even happy with the sex. I'm really good at sex. You know that."

Erota patted Dheni on the shoulder. "We know, babe. Humans are weird about stuff sometimes. You know that."

"Yeah, that's true."

Despite her friend's annoyance, or perhaps because of it, Aztra felt a small surge of hope inside her. She was too inebriated to really be taking on what she was contemplating, but she was also drunk enough too feel false confidence.

"I'ma go talk to him," she announced.

"Do you want-" Jen started hesitantly.

"Right now," Aztra insisted.

"Ah. Ok then. Just remember you're drunk!"

Aztra stumbled slightly on standing up, but after that was steady enough to walk in a mostly straight line. "Only a little drunk," she said.

"More than a litt- oh whatever."

****

Finan's room was lit only by a bedside lamp. More than enough light to navigate by, while still affecting a dimmer mood in the room than if the main light had been on.

Aztra pattered over to the bed and sat at the foot of it. She sat with her legs folded and her tail in her lap where she could fidget with it.

Finan lay mostly under his covers. He was clearly shirtless. Possibly naked still, given that he'd just finished fucking not too long ago.

"So how was it?" Aztra blurted.

Not the question she wanted to ask, but it was too late to do anything about that now. Maybe she should have let herself sober up a little first.

"Pretty hot," Finan said. "But... weird?"

"Ah."

"Yeah."

"Like weird how?"

"I don't know exactly. I mean... shit, I don't know, Az. I shouldn't have just done that, I think. With your friend especially."