It was a rainy day in the ring of Lust. Although no clouds had formed, it managed to supernaturally rain down from the deep blue skies on the denizens of this ring, who were all prepared with umbrellas for such an event to occur. All except for one. An imp who was currently pushing people aside as he rushed through the throng that took up the sidewalk.
His name is Fizzarolli and he had an interview to get to. He wasn't late for it, although he would be if he didn't continue at the pace he was currently going. The metal poles that made up his legs squeaked audibly as he ran; they were never put through this much work before. More than a couple times Fizz fell over as they landed mid-dash at an awkward angle, but just as quickly he pushed himself up with hooked hands and continued on his way.
He should've been more careful. The circus he used to love turned on him in seemingly an instant the day he lost his limbs; that was no more apparent than when he woke up this morning to find his legs were hidden from him, again. Now because of that, he was running out of time. More than anything he wanted a chance at getting this new job he was rushing to, to escape the people he used to see as his friends. Anything had to be better than the circus.
Eventually he broke through the crowd and found himself in front of the place he needed to be. Ozzie's. The hottest and most lustful establishment in, well, Lust. And it was run by none other than the Goetian prince Asmodeus himself. He paused in the street for a moment to admire the glamour of the building.
The giant neon sign that adorned the top of the heart-shaped entrance, the lengthy windows that dotted evenly along the sides of this grand structure. It was a far cry from the simplicity of the tent he had been working in. Similarly, so was the crowd. He never saw a crowd like what currently gathered behind the velvet rope back at the circus, not even in its better days. He had heard how popular this place was, but to see it with his own eyes nearly gave him pause. But he didn't let it linger long, reminding himself what the alternative was if he didn't go in there. So he continued his brisk pace until he found himself off the street and in front of the bouncer.
He was slightly taller than him, and well-built. His attire consisted solely of pants, cuff-links that sat on his wrists like bracelets, and a bow-tie without a matching suit. It was an odd combination of well-dressed and not-dressed-at-all, yet completely in line with the theme of the business being run. When the bouncer noticed his presence, he gave him a gruff huff.
"Couples only. So unless your date is hiding around the corner I suggest you go somewhere else to have fun."
He was extremely short with him, but Fizzarolli understood that he was just doing his job. So he explained himself, "No, I'm not here for that. I agreed to do an interview right about now for the new position; I hope I'm not too late?"
The bouncer eyed him up and down slowly after he explained himself, then he reached behind his back and pulled out a clipboard. Where exactly that was tucked away Fizzarolli left up to his imagination.
"Fizz-a-roll-eye?" He slowly, and incorrectly, pronounced, then looked up at him for confirmation.
Deciding not to correct him, he simply nodded his head enthusiastically.
The bouncer tucked the clipboard away then pointed a thumb behind him towards the entrance. "Alright kid, you just made it. Rush in there and look for an imp with silver hair by the backstage entrance. Her name is Sarah and she'll be taking you to the interview."
Fizzarolli nodded at all of this and nearly sprinted off when he thought he had concluded, but a firm hand from him halted him in his tracks. "Listen to everything she tells you," he continued, making sure to look him in the eyes. "It's important you follow the rules. Otherwise, let's just say your time here will be very short."
Fizzarolli felt him squeeze his shoulder at that. He nodded, slowly this time, to let him know he understood what he meant. The bouncer nodded back then clapped him on the same shoulder and said, "Alright, go in and give it your best. Remember to have fun."
Fizzarolli smiled at the bouncer as he stood back into his usual, arms-crossed, rigid position in front of the club. His attention turned back to the entrance and he ran inside, not wanting to waste another second. When he entered the change in atmosphere was immediate.
The gloomy blues of Lust's skies were replaced by beautiful, complimentary reds and greens. The smell of rain had changed into the smell of cotton candy, and while strong it failed to entirely mask the various other smells that lingered underneath. Not that it bothered him, he smelled far worse when handling the circus animals.
Imps and succubi were raised high above the patrons seated at their tables. Some were dancing seductively in hanging cages, while others pole-danced on stands that came down from the ceiling. The main stage glowed bright with all the lights that pointed on it, and the sigil of Asmodeus burned at the very front. A clear mark that let everyone know who was in charge here.
Fizzarolli nearly got lost in the spectacle of it all, but as his eyes darted around the room to take it all in he spotted the person the bouncer told him to look for. Just as he said, she had silver hair and was standing by the backstage entrance. She was way more conservatively dressed than the other employees working here. With her plain black and white suit, she'd look more at home in an office building than a strip club. He noticed she was looking at her watch frustratingly, no doubt it was because of him. Recognizing this, his face flushed and he hurriedly walked over to her. He didn't want to sprint, as he feared drawing unnecessary attention, but considering how pre-occupied all the couples were he could have thrown a grenade and no one would have noticed.
As he came closer to the imp named Sarah, he saw her look up at his approaching form and she rolled her eyes. Stepping away from the wall, she met him with a greeting that he expected.
"You sure took your sweet time. Y'know just because the interview says it's at 4 does not mean show up at 4. Didn't anyone teach you it's common courtesy to show up at least 10 minutes early?" The question was asked rhetorically, but Fizzarolli was prepared to explain himself.
However, before he could get a word in, she continued berating him, "I mean, fucks sake, this isn't Voxbucks. This is Ozzie's! You should've been here an hour early, at least."
Her judgemental yellow eyes stared down at him, now demanding a response from him. Meekly, Fizzarolli gave one. "Sorry, I was planning on coming early, really I was. But it's a bit hard to…" His voice drifted off and he looked down at his feet. Sarah followed his look and she saw the prosthetics sticking out just below his jester outfit.
Her eyes widened slightly, but she closed her eyes with a pinch of her nose before Fizzarolli could catch it. She shook her head with a sigh, "Fuck. Fuck!" She removed her hand from her face, "Ok, sorry for getting on your ass just then. It's been a bit stressful today. New position at the hottest club in the ring and every son-of-a-bitch wants a shot at getting it. We have at least a hundred more people ahead of you so I've been stretched more than thin making sure Asmodeus doesn't have his time wasted."
Fizzarolli nodded his head understandingly, but stopped after registering the last thing she said. "I'm sorry, what did you say about Asmodeus?"
She blinked at him, then answered, "Asmodeus is the one interviewing you. Hello? You remember what you signed up for right? Ozzie's is looking for a new person to act as their "hype man". Basically you introduce the acts, mix in some entertainment, and put on performances yourself. This isn't some janitor position anyone can do, this is THE biggest position we have here. And to make sure the right person is chosen, Asmodeus himself will be the one overseeing all aspiring candidates."
Her explanation was long, and Fizzarolli was left wide-eyed and slightly stiff by the end of it. He had performed plenty of times in front of audiences large and small, but suddenly the prospect of putting on a show for just one Goetia was giving him stage fright before he even got on stage. He began to question if he was ready to do this. A question that was echoed by Sarah as she recognized his change in demeanor.
"Hey, are you alright? Look if you ain't up for it, just say so. Don't go puking on these floors. They already got enough crap on them."
Hearing her passive-aggressive voice helped bring him out of his thoughts and he took a deep breath. He reminded himself why he was here, and that backing out now while he was so close would be the dumbest decision of his life. He didn't know how well this would go, or if he would even impress Asmodeus, but he had to try.
With this thought, he went into entertainment mode. All traces of the real Fizzarolli were tucked behind a persona which slowly came to the forefront. Sarah watched as the sick-looking imp before her grew a cocky smile and a confidence that arose from nothing. Despite his prosthetics he seemed to stand taller.
With a small chuckle, he threw out his arms and replied, "Not up for it? I was born for this! Let's get this show on the road. Like you said, you're busy and I don't want to keep you. So show me to the big man and I can get out of your hair."
The change was complete, as he put his hooks on his hips and looked at Sarah expectantly. Now she was the one stunned by his words. It was like she was talking to a completely different imp. However, rather than question it, she decided to move this along and showed him to the backstage door. Opening it, she walked through first and let him follow closely behind. As she led him down the hallway, she explained the rules of how the interview was going to be handled.
"Alright, you have five minutes as soon as you enter the room, like I said we have a lot of people to get through. Remember, the key here is entertainment. If you can make Asmodeus entertained, there's a chance you'll get a call from him, or at least a strong recommendation. His word means a lot around here, and just because you didn't get into Ozzie's doesn't mean another business won't take you in. Especially if he's vouching for you."
Fizzarolli nodded as he looked around the hallway. There was nothing special about it. It carried the same color scheme as the room outside with bare, equally spaced, red doors lining both walls. He was merely lost in thought. Despite the persona he put on, he still had doubts he was mulling over internally. Asmodeus. He was going to have a personal audience with Asmodeus. He didn't want to think about it, as he knew it would only serve to heighten his anxiety, but he couldn't help it. He focused back on Sarah's words to distract himself, giving her his full attention as he looked at the back of her head.
"Anyways, the rules are simple. First, do not touch Asmodeus unless he EXPLICITLY states you can. This is a job interview you got chosen for, not a meet-and-greet, so remain professional. And none of this 'Oh, but it sounded like he wanted it' crap either. Try it and you'll find yourself-" She stopped and looked back at Fizzarolli, looking at artificial limbs one by one. She bit her lip and looked directly into his eyes, "You'll find yourself out the door."
Fizzarolli didn't catch what she originally intended to say and he cocked his head in confusion at the long pause for such a benign threat. Rather than address it, she turned around and continued walking, as well as explaining the rules.
"Secondly, we don't kinkshame here. So any mention of disliking a particular fetish will guarantee you don't get this job. Just a fair play heads-up so you don't fuck yourself within the first minute of the interview."
After a few more steps, Sarah stopped in front of a door at the very end of the hall. This was it, Asmodeus was right behind this door. Fizz's forced smile twitched; it took him slight effort to force the worrying thoughts from crawling back into his head. The longer he stared at the door, the more nervous he became. To try and stop that, he looked back down at Sarah, who was now turned to face him to give him one last parting comment.
"And most importantly, have fun. This is Ozzie's after all, and pleasure is our policy. Now show our esteemed host a good time."
Her words mirrored that of the bouncer's, and it helped calm Fizz down a little; whether she meant to do that or not he didn't know, but it was appreciated nonetheless. With a wink she opened the door slightly and stepped aside so Fizz could go ahead. The door still blocked most of the view; he couldn't see if or where Asmodeus was inside. This caused his heart to beat a little faster. While he was still internally conflicted, his outward disposition continued to reflect the front he put on. Following through with his facade, he went against his thoughts and confidently pushed the door open all the way and walked in.
Once he was inside, he heard the door close behind him, then he got a quick look at his new surroundings. It was a smaller room than that of the main area, but was still larger than the tent he'd usually sleep in. The lights were dimmer here as well, mood lighting that indicated this was a private area not uncommon in establishments like these. It was even outfitted with a pole that extended from the floor to the ceiling. The lights made the colors of the room look muted, which helped Fizz easily spot the Goetia sitting in front of him; although considering the size of the demon it would have to have been pitch black to miss him.
The demon prince Asmodeus was as flamboyant and grand as his business. He was dressed in heeled boots that ran up his long legs, ending a little above his knees. His great feathered tail swished slightly side-to-side between them. A suit was wrapped around his person that was adorned with brilliant white stripes, and it seemed to glow in this darkened room. They came from his grand shoulders and ended at a heart that was shaped at the bottom of the jacket. And to top it all off, a top hat, which sat on the main of Asmodeus's three heads. Fizz couldn't tell if he was wearing any pants, although knowing his reputation he probably wasn't.
Upon seeing him enter the room, all three heads smiled warmly at him and Asmodeus leaned down to get a closer look at the imp.
"My my, you have to be the cutest candidate I've seen today. And what is your name?"
Fizz was slightly intimidated by the stature of Asmodeus. He had heard of him before, you couldn't exactly walk around Lust not knowing who he was. But to see him in person, and this close, was a whole different experience. He hesitated in a response at first, taking the brief time to study the prince closely.
While he noticed the three heads earlier, from here he could see clearly that they weren't three of the same head. The heads that flanked either side of Asmodeus took the shape of a sheep and a bull; they floated around happily in his large, glowing, mane. Asmodeus's face also wore a pleased expression, and as he looked at it Fizz felt himself relax. He had been feeling so anxious ever since he learned he would be entertaining a Goetia, but the way he looked at him was pleasant and undemanding. Unlike his employees that he briefly interacted with he wasn't curt, even now while he gawked at him he just patiently waited for a response. So he decided to give it to him.
"The name's Fizzarolli, your highness," Fizz responded sincerely with a bow. "And I'm going to be your new employee."
Asmodeus's smile growed when he heard his answer and he sat back in his large seat with a warm laugh, "Is that right? Well, confidence is a good start. Let's see what else you can do, Fizzy."
The nickname was unexpected to Fizz. They had just met yet Asmodeus was so casual towards him, as if they were long-time lovers that had not only just been acquainted. Does he talk to everyone like this? While this question circled in his mind, it didn't distract him like before. Now he was on the clock, and if the goal of this was entertainment, then the embodiment of lust would be entertained.
As he stood up, Fizz said, "Well I have a comedy routine that always gets people rolling on the floor. But, I also know of a few things someone of your reputation would like to see." He teased the Goetia with his seductive words, hooking his arm around to reach the zipper holding his outfit together.
Asmodeus placed a finger against his cheek, mimicking as if he was in thought, and immediately replied, "Show me everything you got."
His words and his expression radiated pure lust, and with a mischievous grin Fizz pulled the zipper down until his outfit cleanly slid down his frame, leaving him only in his underwear. He stepped out of the pile of clothes under his feet and walked over to the pole between them. Holding onto it with one hook he leaned towards Asmodeus with a chuckle, and made a casual remark of his own.
"Of course Ozzie. For a demon like yourself, I'll make sure you get the best."