VICIOUS

@ladasokolov·

Cubi were a prison of their own for all the souls they consumed in their immortal lives, Lada wasn’t the first that he’d encountered, but her kind were a dying breed. Little by little, they each were being snuffed out, and with no means to be replaced their interference in a natural order would be put to an end. She was a cage of monsters and men, and even now sat across from one another he could hear them screaming to be released. Hotaru had watched the world evolve decade to decade, but this was the longest the Oni had ever been outside of Hell. “Do you still feel them inside of you?” Hotaru asked, “Or are their souls just - air, food, water. Consumption you forget about.”

The energy this one created was unlike any other she had seen before. It didn’t particularly appeal to her, but it was intriguing to see what he was like. If she could even pinpoint it. Lada was Russian which meant she didn’t know what beings had been made in this Greek world she had been thrust into. It was no problem though. She would learn as she once had when becoming a succubus. “Why would I care for those that don’t matter? I hope you don’t expect for me to simply let them take over my mind. Then I’ll never get to live my life.”

Vika paused, reaching for Lada’s chin as they pulled apart, holding her sister firmly. Tartarus had sloughed away much of her notion to be gentle, and the grip would likely leave a mark. “You will not touch her.” Whatever warmth had sat in her blue eyes had now turned to blue flame, fierce and feral. “She is mine to kill, and I will see her suffer at my hand, no one else’s.” Her hand dropped, returning to the same expression she had earlier fixed upon her baby sister. “Not even yours.” The question made her smile grow, “The veil grew thin, and then it broke. The magic that held us in Tartarus had disappeared long enough for us to escape. We were perfect then, Typhon’s creations unleashed.” Vika beamed. “I have claws now, little one.”

Her sister’s fingers on her chin caused her to rip away from the grasp as quickly as she could. Lada would not be made to look weak. Not even to her sister. “As you wish.” Her hand lifted to her jaw, rubbing at the mark that was sure to be blooming from the harsh grip that had once laid there. “Do not do that again.” She let out a breath as she gathered the smile upon Vika’s face. It was a different kind than she was used to, but she would certainly not show fear to anyone. “As if you didn’t have such claws before. Tell me. How was it in Tartarus then?”

Seeing Lada never came without regrets and shame. He’d walked out on her some time ago now, but with everything going on in Corinth, their paths had crossed more than once in the city. It was only a slight relief to know that he wasn’t the only one hurting over those reunions. He swallows at her question, eyes shifting away and then back to her. “You know I’m not doing it on purpose,” he says softly. At his side, his hand twitches to reach for her, but he doesn’t allow it. She’d probably break each finger. “You look good though.” Leon cringes internally. What a stupid fucking thing to say. What did he think this was, a fucking romcom?

“No. I actually don’t know that you’re not doing it on purpose.” As a matter of fact, she was sure that he just simply lived to annoy her as much as possible. Then again, it was only Lada’s fault for that even happening. If he truly did annoy her as much as she liked to say he did, then she would have rid herself of him a long time ago. Unfortunately, here he still stood. Or fortunately depending on if she wanted to admit that to herself yet. “I look better than good,” she stated as she flipped her hair behind her shoulders. “You look decent. Why are you here exactly?”

-

Unnaturally attractive was the only way of describing the apparent owner of this establishment. She was young too. Kore wasn’t easily impressed but this one had managed as much with little more than her presence accompanied by a few simple words. “Each one as irredeemable as the last.” Kore said simply as her gaze drifted from the owner of the club to the drink that Kore held in her hand, she took a sip of bourbon and exhaled through the familiar burn that accompanied it. “You must get a lot of the same in here.”

Lada was always interested in the feminine-presenting people that found themselves in Mokosh. She had noticed a lot of the time that they didn’t usually end up in places like this. Where she was from at least. It was different there than it was in Corinth though. They were common when a place such as this was so accepting of all kinds of people. However, the only people she was interested in were the ones she could take the souls of. And this one was just that kind of person to her. A werewolf with magic flowing through their veins. What wasn’t to like? "Unfortunately, so. They lose their braincells as soon as they see a pair of tits in their face. How unfortunate.”

++

Kit was certainly not the kind of person you would find in a club, let alone a strip club how he ended up there was a long story. It had something to do with meeting a couple Greek men who were going out for a bachelor party, their english wasn’t great and Kit found himself being pulled like a current into the club along side them. But he was able to manoeuvre his way through the crowd to make it to the one place that made sense. The bar. There were plenty of rowdy men, ordering their drinks, laughing loudly, speaking even louder. It was tough for the werewolf to focus on anything with all the stuff going on. But then he heard a surprisingly pleasant voice speak up beside him. “Uh,” he laughed and sheepishly smiled down at his glass of beer, “Men are the worst,” he agreed. He made a point to keep his head down, not to stare at the scantily clad women, he was a polite southern boy born and raised. The last thing he wanted to do was look disrespectfully at any of them and make them uncomfortable. “Can’t live with ‘em – could probably live without ‘em too.” 

The person she spoke to was one that didn’t look familiar to her. All she could truly recognize was the aura he had and that was that he was a werewolf. Which meant that his soul was certainly hers for the taking. He seemed nice enough though so maybe she wouldn’t be too mean when she went about it. However, she definitely wouldn’t care if he suffered afterwards. As long as she was the one surviving at the end of the day, she didn’t give a fuck about anyone else around her. “You know, when men say that, it somehow loses its appeal. It’s like they expect to get brownie points for agreeing that men are the worst.” It was like reverse psychology. Lada probably would’ve been happier if he simply tried to fight her on it. “I hope that’s not what’s going through your head right now.”

“I have a flexible schedule.” Walking into Mokosh feels like home. Ambrosia is great, it is one of the nicer clubs she’s been at. But there’s something simple about the lights, the sound of high acrylic platforms clacking against a stage. As much as she likes doing more elaborate numbers, there’s something to just doing a simple pole routine, collecting tips, and slipping into a robe and that’s the evening. The woman across from her in the leather booth is also stunning. “I won’t quit one location for another.” @ladasokolov·

“Nobody told you to. This is a simple interview. You impress me and you get to pick whatever schedule you want,” she stated as she flagged down one of the waiters that had come in early. After she asked for them to get her a drink, she looked back at Harlow. A vampire in her establishment? Maybe that would be good for business. People loved that kind of freaky shit, didn’t they? “This is nothing like Ambrosia though. It can be classy if you want it to be, but I promise you that’s not going to get you as many tips as the other girls.”

.

Vika curved an arm around Lada, pulling her in for a proper embrace. She smelled the same— the allure of a cubi had not left her, she was all smoke and sweetgrass, like a field ablaze. Her fingers carded through her hair, and she pressed a kiss to the crown of her sister’s head, pulling away to study her features. Time did not touch her, nor had it of claimed Vika— they were women trapped in amber, to remain the same forever. “I was dead.” It was an easy enough thing to say, nonchalant. “Then I was in Tartarus, and now,” she smiled and the expression was sharp. “I’m here, with you.”

Her arms moved to encircle her Vika just as the other’s did the same. Lada couldn’t imagine her life without the other woman. Finding out her sister had died was like a punch to the gut. How would she have known? She couldn’t protect her sister no matter how much she wished she could. It was just further reminder that she was the youngest. It was always Vika’s job to protect her, wasn’t it? Lada just wished that she could do the same. “Who did it? I’ll leave them a husk of a person when I’m through with them.” She pulled back and looked in the other’s eyes. “How are you here now?”

.

It was a slow evening and Vika had taken up a presence against the door, filling the frame with her unforgiving stare and her cold judgement. She was letting in more people that she turned away— Lucian had discussed with her the importance of actually having patrons on slow nights, but it was a boring task, shining a flashlight onto IDs before waving people inside. An arm on hers made her nearly react with claws, but a glance over her shoulder had her taking in gilded hair and a familiar, soft pout. Lada. Vika allowed her to drag her off, leaning back against the brick wall when they were out of the brightness of the streetlights. A smile curved on her lips, something fond to contrast the anger in Lada’s eyes. “Malyutka,” she cooed to her baby sister, reaching out to touch her face. “You’re here.”

Her forehead immediately rested against her sister’s, her eyes closing in the process. It only took a few seconds for her to realize the difference in Vika. Lada knew her elder sister was as vicious as they came, but she was no longer a succubus. That much was apparent to her. What was she now? What had happened? There had been so much time that had passed since the last time she had seen her and Lada was dreading every moment all over again upon seeing her sister’s face. Upon hearing the other’s voice. “No. You’re here.” Emotion wasn’t often shown upon the faces of the Sokolov girls, but it was something that Lada had never been afraid to show her sister. If there was anyone who could see her weakness, it was Vika. “Where have you been?”

-

Passive features revealed little as Dante sat with one arm across the back of the booth, the other on the table in front of them. Nobody ever wanted to come here with him, not Hakon, Anders, Enzo, Toni, or Adam. Dante liked to think he was contributing to the economy, he tipped well and was probably putting someone through school every time he paid for a private dance. Lada was the only one who was ever interested and Mokosh had the best dancers in Greece, the genasi knew because he’d been to just about every strip club in the country at this point. Corinth was famous for wine, prostitutes, and establishments just like this. Lada spoke but vaguely interested eyes lingered on the jiggling ass of some girl named Star. Dante rolled his eyes at the mention of the succubus, “No one I haven’t paid for.” He didn’t need to, but there were things you just couldn’t find with random hookups at the bar. “Besides, I’ve been busy. Me and some others are going to be performing a call soon.” His eyes shifted from the dancer to Lada, “A big one.” She looked sad for someone who was watching tits bounce up and down, he quirked a brow, curious. “What’s up with you?”

It was clear to her that Dante picked up on her not-so-interested demeanor. Lada was usually so much better about hiding how she felt about certain things. Except when it came to her sister. There was a time where she depended on the other blonde more than anything else in the entire world. Her eldest sister had been the one person she could never want to hurt in her life. That had changed immediately as soon as the other had disappeared without a trace. There was no call, no nothing. And now here the other Sokolov was. In Corinth Bay of all places. She hadn’t worked up the nerve to talk to her, but it was something she had been thinking about for much too long now to put it off any longer than she already had. Lada looked over at Dante as he spoke. “You’re so romantic,” she stated with sarcasm laced throughout her tone. Luckily, he hadn’t been bogged down with thoughts of someone he even remotely liked. Or worse, loved. “A call, huh? Your god must be so ecstatic. What do you plan on giving him in return? I know these gods aren’t very giving without incentive.” She let out a sigh as she turned back to the tits. “My sestra. She’s alive.”