Being an Overlord had its boons and curses, on one hand you had absolute power and control over those below you and had some perks other demons lack. On the other hand, being an Overlord makes you a target and you have to be suspicious of every demon that worms their way up to you. If they proved to be a threat, dispose of them, if they appear as if they could be used, exploit them. It's a simple matter, but a delicate one too.
The Overlord who was the wariest of all was none other than Carmilla Carmine.
Carmilla Carmine is a tall and slender, gray-skinned demon who sports black streaks on her white hair with bangs, usually kept into large horns by thin, ballerina-like black ribbons. When she lets her hair loose, it is rather voluminous and slightly messy-yet-wavy and reaches down to her ankles. She has a darker-colored marking that appears similar to a mask on her face, which is around her slanted-eyes with white irises and red sclera. The rest of her arms and hands are colored white, with her hands being rather large in proportion to her body with black nails protruding from them.
Her presence alone filled her office with fear and her guards were dead silent, doing their duty as she worked. Carmilla had a stack of papers on her desk, a folder next to her as well as a computer of her own design – given that she didn't trust Vox and the other Vees. She hummed and glanced down at one of the papers.
"I thought I told them to discontinue this product," She narrowed her eyes and reached over to press a button that would allow her to talk with one of her interns. When she pressed down, she spoke clearly: "Tell the Head of Forging that I had told them that the sickle weapons are to be discontinued due to lack of demons buying the product."
The intern spoke back: "Yes, ma'am."
"Thank you," Carmilla said, however, before she could lift her finger off the button, the intern would speak again.
"Also, ma'am, there is someone who wants to speak with you."
Carmilla raised a brow. Now who would want to speak with her, was it a past business partner trying to start a partnership again or perhaps another Overlord who wants to form an alliance with her? "Who is it?"
"It's a man who calls themselves, uh… Mr. Mask."
Carmilla rolled her eyes, 'Great, another salesdemon who wants to sell me something or someone who wants to work for me.' She looked over the stack of paperwork and sighed, rubbing her eyebrows, "Hijo de puta," she muttered to herself, "Send them in."
"Yes, ma'am," The door to her office would open and standing in the center of the doorway was the so-called 'Mr. Mask' in question, wearing a white half-comedy and half-tragedy theater mask, Carmilla could tell where he got the name from. She saw that his clothes were all black, from his trench coat to his gloves, to his pants and boots, all black. As if trying to help him hide his identity, she narrowed her eyes, trying to get a read on him. She analyzed his body language; he was standing with good posture, but she could tell his shoulders were tense; a sign of fear. Good, that means he knows to watch his tongue.
"Come in," She said dryly. Carmilla's words seemingly took a wild to register as he had a delayed reaction.
"O-oh! Right, uh, yes, right away." Mr. Mask walked inside her office and the doors behind him shut automatically, making him sharply turn to face the door. He chuckled nervously, "Yeesh," he turned around and saw the glare Carmilla was giving and quickly hurried his way to her. However, he didn't take a seat and instead stood up, "Well…"
"Sit down," Carmilla's brows furrowed, and the masked man complied and sat down on a chair directly in front of her. For a while Carmilla and Mr. Mask stared at each other in the eyes, the man across from her silent – and more importantly, wasting her time. "Why have you come here, Mr. Mask?"
"Uh…" Mr. Mask cleared his throat and leaned close, hesitant to put his hands on her table, "I think I have something that may interest you, Lady Carmine."
Carmilla mentally rolled her eyes, 'This was another salesdemon, I should have known.' She turned to the guards, "Get him out of my sight." With a nod the guards moved towards him.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Mr. Mask exclaimed as the guards grabbed his shoulders and took him off of the chair, "It's super important! I'm not trying to sell you anything, I swear, it's really, really imperative that you hear me out! I will get on my knees and BEG if I have to! Please, just listen to me!"
The desperation in his voice made Carmilla tilt her head, it almost sounded like her listening to him was as important as life or death… To him. She raised a hand, "Halt," the guards stopped, "Turn around and bring him to me," the guards did as they were told and brought the masked man back into the chair he sat on. "Speak."
Mr. Mask let out a sigh of relief and gave into his temptation of putting his elbows on her desk and leaning forward, "Lady Carmine, I, uh…" he looked anxiously at the guards, "I have a secret that is only for your eyes and ears only."
Carmilla glanced at her guards, "You want me to have my guards leave the room?" She chuckled and shook her head, "How dumb do you think I am? You want to assassinate me, is that it?" The Overlord's eyes narrowed.
"No!" Mr. Mask exclaimed and raised his hands, "I swear it, I won't assassinate you or do anything bad to you, I swear on it!"
There it was again, the desperation. Her eyes narrowed and she turned to glance at her guards, "You said for my 'eyes', I'm assuming you can show me it." Mr. Mask would nod, "Show me, I'll have my guards turn the other way."
"But…" Mr. Mask looked on as the guards that protected Carmine faced the opposite direction, so that they couldn't see the pair. He sighed and looked at Carmilla and swallowed his fear, "...Here goes nothing," he said to himself and reached up to grab his mask. Slowly, he slid it to the side and took off the mask partially to show half his face, and that was all he needed to show.
"Everyone, get out," Carmilla said with narrowed eyes, the guards turned around – Mr. Mask quickly put his mask back on to hide it = and began to head for the door. Mr. Mask stood up too but was stopped when Carmilla said: "Not you, you stay." She pointed at his chair, "Sit down." and like that, he did what he was told. She then reached over to press a button and the windows that were behind her started to get covered with a black sheet, which left the only light coming from the chandelier above. Mr. Mask gulped as he saw Carmilla look at him through his mask, "Take off your mask."
With a shaky hand, he reached up and took off his mask completely setting it down on the table. Carmilla saw a light skin African-American, complete with an afro and brown eyes, appearing like a teenager or young adult. "Uh… So, yeah."
"You're human," Carmilla said, looking at his face, "How did a human get into Hell?"
Mr. Mask cleared his throat and let out an exhale, "Well… It's a long story, but we humans have been researching on portals. We thought that we could reach Mars faster if we could have a portal get us there half-way. I, uh, got the opportunity to be one of the…" he paused, trying to find the word, "Test-ee? Tester! Yeah, I had the opportunity to be a tester, it was at a military segment at a mall they advertised it as 'bootcamp'. And I looked to be old enough to be accepted, so I took the opportunity. And as a result of me being a tester, I would get one million big ones."
Carmilla shook her head, "Typical humans, you let your greed take control of your common sense and now you're in Hell." She gave him a look of what appeared to be contempt, "Looks like you'll fit right in."
"I didn't do it for greed, I did it for my Mom," Mr. Mask explained, which led her to pause for a moment and tilt her head.
"...Continue." She said, masking her curiosity under a strong poker face.
Mr. Mask put his hands together and locked them, "My family, is uh… Single income. My Brother doesn't have a job and my Mother is stuck raising us alone, Pops just dipped out on us, so it was just us three. On top of having to feed two boys, she has to feed a dog and a cat too on one income. She has three jobs and is struggling with all of them, she doesn't have time to teach us how to drive, so…" He sighed and lowered his gaze, "...I just wanted her to be happy again. I love her, and now… I'm here and I can never see her smile again."
Carmilla's gaze softened slightly, though she kept up her poker face. This human reminded her of her daughters, wanting to help out in any way they can, and it was Mr. Mask's own love for his mother that got him to Hell as a human. "My second question," Mr. Mask's eyes shot up to meet hers, "...Why did you come to me?"
Mr. Mask rubbed his neck and brought his gaze back down, "I, uh… Saw you talking on one of those TV screens and, uh…" He cleared his throat, "This is going to sound embarrassing but you reminded me of my Mom."
She nodded slowly, it was beginning to make sense now. It's almost like a lost duckling separated from its Mother, the duckling will follow after whatever just to fill up that spot in their aching heart. "I see," She sat up straight, "And how old are you, exactly?"
"Sixteen."
A teenager who's so desperate in trying to help their Mother they would risk their own life to do so. Her eyes narrowed; she could use him. "Mr. Mask," She stood up from her seat, tall and high, "I'm willing to bet you came to me because you wanted shelter too, not just because I remind you of your Mother."
"Um… Yeah, how did you know?" She gave Mr. Mask a sarcastic look, "...Nevermind."
"If you want to be taken under my wing, I want to know one more thing," She leaned over to him and stared down at him, "How many other demons know your identity?"
Mr. Mask looked up at her, nearly shrinking back down into his seat, "Un… Just you."
She smiled, "Good, now, come with me," She stepped around her desk and began walking towards the door as Mr. Mask scrambled to put the mask back on. She pressed a button on the door frame that uncovered all the windows, she waited for a moment as Mr. Mask walked over to her.
"Um, where are you taking me?" Mr. Mask asked as the doors automatically opened in front of them, leading to Carmilla stepping out with the masked man following closely behind her. Kind of just like a duckling. Carmilla spared him a glance.
"To your new home.
Carmilla sat directly across from Mr. Mask in the limousine, Clara was next to him, one of the daughters of Carmilla. She was a female demon with puce skin, curly cream hair tied up in a ponytail, black lips, eyes with red sclera and white irises, and small black horns atop her head. Next to Carmilla was Odette, the other daughter of Carmilla, a female demon of tall and slim stature. She has pale white skin, light blonde hair that's tied up in a short ponytail, eyes with red sclera and white irises, and small black horns atop her head. She also wore red tinted circular glasses.
"So, how did you survive all this time by yourself?" Carmilla asked with a raised eyebrow, "And how did you acquire such clothes?"
Mr. Mask sat up straight as he prepared himself, "To answer your first question, I lived under a bridge and avoided a lot of people, drugs, and especially bad places. I do NOT want to be caught over where that moth guy is at," He shuddered, "And to answer your second question; I stole it."
"I believe stealing is a sin," Carmilla hummed.
"Stealing from a sinner?" Mr. Mask asked, Carmilla then paused.
"...Hm, I suppose that would cancel it out," She shrugged.
The drive would go on before they would all eventually arrive at the Carmine Manor; the butlers would open the doors and they would walk out. Mr. Mask looked up at the manor, "Wow… That's a big house," He started to turn to Carmilla, "So where will I–"
"Welcome, Mr. Mask, to my humble abode," Carmilla started to sing as music started to play. Mr. Mask could do nothing but look at her with surprise. "Where shadows dance and secrets are stowed."
"In the heart of the night, where darkness prevails," She walked up to him and grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to the doors of her manor where she'll kick them open, "I bid you enter, where mystery hails."
As she sung, Mr. Mask was looking around, "Where is the music even coming from?"
"Stay calm and collected, weather the storm," Carmilla flicked his forehead to gain his attention.
"Be aware, Mr. Mask, of what you have sworn." She took a step closer and he took a step back, "Within these walls, my kin find their rest," She pokes his chest and brings him over to stand with her daughters, "And I'll protect them and my next."
Carmilla would twirl him around, "In this house of shadows, rules must be obeyed," She would sing louder than Mr. Mask's yelps as he was spun, "Where love and protection are sacredly laid."
"Stop spinning me!" Mr. Mask would yelp as she would oblige and stand in front of him,
"No harm shall befall those under my care," Carmilla held Mr. Mask by his cheeks and pulled him close, making him look up at her as she looked down, "For my heart is unyielding, my love beyond compare." She would let him go and Mr. Mask would stumble back as a light was shown on him, music still playing but the singing has stopped.
Mr. Mask looked to his left and right and then at Carmilla, "...I'm not singing.
She facepalmed as did her daughters, "Ugh, caramba."