Infernal Academia

Chapter 44 - The D- D- Date: Part 2

The lobby of the Brimstone Baths was a sight to behold.  Just like its exterior, the building's interior design was nothing short of a masterwork, sporting vaulted ceilings decorated with carved statues and smooth wooden floors underfoot.  Various demons milled about, either heading from one part of the leisure centre to another, or just sitting and chatting on the various plush couches and chairs set up around the lobby.  A couple of children with goggles on their heads ran around chasing on another as their exhausted parents booked them in for swimming lessons.  Over at the far side of the front desk, Cobalt could see a small cafe situated by windows that overlooked the main pool area, where other parents sat and watched as their kids thrashed about in the water below.

"Was it always this fancy?" Cobalt murmured aloud, looking around.

Despite his mother's fame as an actress, she always held firm to the beliefs of living simply.  Whenever the Trayers went swimming, in was in either the Brimstone cove or the lake in Phrodival.  It was going to be a first experience for him, swimming in water that wasn't full of weeds and small fish.

Glancing over at Jelli, he noticed that her brief bravado had quickly dissipated, and that she was now clutching her bag to her chest, shivering like a leaf in the wind.

"M- M- Maybe I shouldn't have come here..." she murmured fearfully, flinching as one of the children brushed past her tail.

Frowning at the errant younglings, Cobalt pulled the Glutton closer, much to her alarm.

"It'll be fine.  Didn't you say you've already had the time booked?" he responded, looking down upon her very red face.

"O- Oh, ja.  I- I did, didn't I?"

Noting the nervous look in her eyes as the receptionist waved them over, Cobalt gave Jelli a reassuring pat.

"Do you want me to do the talking?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her own eyes widened for a second before she turned away and nodded sheepishly.

Taking a deep breath, Cobalt stepped up to the Succubus woman behind the front desk, who was disinterestedly chewing gum as she tapped at her keyboard with one hand, her other occupied with scrolling through her phone.

"Welcome to the Brimstone Baths, can I interest you in a gym membership?  New signups get half off for six months," she recited, sounding as though she had said it a thousand times before.

"No thank you, miss.  I believe there's a prepaid booking for the swimming pool under the name Pharmine?" 

"Lemme check... Yeah, here we are.  Could I just get you na-"

The bubblegum burst as soon as she looked at Cobalt.  For a few moments, she stared at the Incubus before she slowly tracked her gaze over to the terrified form of Jelli.  A grin crept across the receptionist's face as she quirked an eyebrow and typed Cobalt's name into her computer.

"Never mind, I know who you are for a fact, Mr. Trayer!" she laughed.

"S- Sorry?"

"You've been the talk of the town the last couple of months!  Say..." 

She nodded at the Glutton, who looked as though a light breeze could bowl her over.

"... is that your side piece?" the Succubus asked with a lascivious smile.

Cobalt, however, just scoffed and furrowed his brow.

"Her name is Adeline Pharmine and she is nothing of the sort!" protested the Incubus.