It was perhaps one of Quinn's more redeeming qualities that she was so quick to accept the fact that her teacher was willing to dress up as a woman for her sake, because the more Cobalt thought about it, the more ludicrous the entire plan seemed.

"This is mortifying..." the pseudo-Succubus muttered miserably, shuffling after Quinn as she gleefully darted around the Brimstone Arcade.

"Quit worrying. Nobody even knows who you are," the Imp replied, hunkering down by a crane game as she pulled a switchblade from her pocket.

"Regardless, it's embarrassing. Imagine if I brought you to my mother and said that I was dating you."

She laughed as she began to pry the access panel off the machine.

"First off, this was your idea. Second, if we're truly reversing the roles here, then you'd have me dress up as a fella, right?"

"It would be a lot simpler if that were the case. Merely a case of lowering your voice, I'd imagine."

"Heh, yeah. Besides, been meaning to ask..."

Pulling the panel off the crane game, Quinn quickly looked around for any patrolling security guards before she began to shovel coins into her pockets.

"How come you're still a virgin?"

Cobalt nearly choked on his tongue, earning him a series of disturbed glares from the other patrons of the arcade.

"Wh- What makes you think that-?!"

Shrugging her shoulders, the Imp began to screw the panel back on the with edge of her blade.

"Kara's been talking. Says you don't even wank or nothing. Gotta say, not what I was expecting from an Incubus," Quinn interjected casually, her bulging pockets jingling with every step she took.

"I- I'm just not into that sort of stuff!"

She crooked an eyebrow.

"Really? Huh."

"What makes you so interested in my personal preferences, anyway?!"

"Got a couple of bets riding on who you'll end up riding. Guess that's fifty quid down the drain, then..."

"Why would you bet on something like that?!"

"The odds were looking good for you doing the deed with Kara, that's why! I was fixing to make a killing!"

Gritting his teeth, Cobalt shook his head and tried to unhear what Quinn had just said. Honestly, he knew that B.I.D.'s students occasionally partook in some unsavoury activities in their spare time, and it didn't surprise him to hear that some had taken up gambling. But placing bets on something like... that?!

"Still, if you ever need me to wingman for you, I'm right here. Call it a favour for doing this for me," the Imp quipped with a sly grin.

"Speaking of the current situation, when will we be meeting your parents? I feel like you've dragged me all over town these past few hours."

"Why, you not having fun?"

That wasn't strictly true. In fact, having spent the day with Quinn, Cobalt had begun to realise how little of his spare time he had spent on simply enjoying himself. The first thing they did was grab a bite to eat at a downtown dive, where the Imp instructed him to spill their drinks all over one of the waitresses. While he kept the diner distracted, she set about slipping her fingers into peoples wallets, and though Cobalt abhorred the idea of thievery, she never took more than a few bank notes apiece, and even offered to split the money with him.

He declined, of course. But that was only the beginning of the day's escapades.

As the town prepared for the Autumn Festival by setting up countless black and orange decorations across every street, Cobalt began to gradually loosen up. His situation was bizarre, there was no doubting that, but when he looked past that and simply focused on spending time with Quinn, he realised that he was having fun. When he thought about his own time at B.I.D., he lamented the fact that he never really had a true best friend. He hung around with a small group of class pariahs, of course, but it wasn't as though he had any other option.

But as he chatted with the intrepid Imp as they skipped rocks across a pond and watched as workmen set up the festival grounds in the middle of the park, a small smile flickered across his face. Bathed in the setting sun, Cobalt relaxed and admitted to himself; he was actually having fun.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Look at you, finally breaking a smile. I was wondering when it would finally happen," Quinn quipped, tossing another stone across the surface of the water.

He shook his head, still smiling.

"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to enjoy myself today. Despite the circumstances... this is kind of fun," Cobalt replied, throwing a rock with markedly less success.

"Sure that's the point, innit? You didn't think I was just gonna drag you up to my mum and dad all cranky and embarrassed, did you?"

"Ever the schemer. Still, thank you. I've been so tightly wound these past few weeks that I've completely forgotten to just... unwind."

"Well, that's what best mates are for, right?"

He raised an eyebrow at her words.

"Best... mates?"

Quinn flashed him a brilliant smile.

"A close second to Lottie, but still up there in my book."

"But I'm your-"

"My teacher, yeah, I know. But teachers don't crossdress for the sake of one of their students' pride. That's best mate territory right there."

"Well, um... I'm flattered. Thank you, Quinn."

"Wanna make it official?"

"Sorry?"

Her grin widened as she drew her switchblade. Before he could react, the Imp gripped the knife and cut her palm, before swiftly reaching across the bench and slicing Cobalt's hand. As he cried out in pain, the Imp firmly squeezed their wounds together, causing blood to leak out from between their clasped hands.

"There! Nothing proves a friendship like a good old blood pact!" she laughed, seemingly unfazed by the cut on her hand.

Cobalt bit his lip and hissed as his palm stung.

"A- Agh...! You do this kind of thing on Earth, too?!"

"Back in the day. Come on, I stashed some stuff in the bog, should be bandages there. It'll be a quick detour before heading down to the terminal."

Pulling tissues from his pocket in order to stem the bloodflow, he got off his seat and followed her towards the public restrooms. A lot of old Hellish rituals and traditions involved the letting of blood, and yet it was surprising to hear that some of them were being performed on earth. A blood bond was probably one of the most simple yet meaningful ones; a signifier of an unbreakable bond of brotherhood, once practiced by Golem soldiers before heading to war.

Arriving outside the toilets, Quinn bid him wait by a tree while she popped inside to retrieved her belongings. No sooner had Cobalt begun to wonder why she felt the need to hide them when she dashed back outside again with a rucksack tucked under her arm.

"Run!" she cried gleefully, vaulting over the low fence that ran alongside the pathway.

He wanted to question why, but Cobalt's thoughts were immediately scrambled as something within the bathroom violently exploded, causing gallons of water to start gushing out the door. Blanching, he deigned to simply keep his questions to himself and follow the Imp's advice.

-----

Apparently, it wasn't the first time Quinn Redtile had rigged fireworks to public toilets, and judging by the smile on her face, it was going to be far from the last. Supposedly the BPD had a warrant for the arrest of the "Bathroom Bomber", and at this stage she was just doing this to frustrate the local constabulary.

But it was neither here nor there, as Cobalt reasoned to himself. With their hands patched up with supplies from her rucksack, the two demons gradually made their way towards the Jump Terminal as the streetlamps flicked on one by one.

"What's even in that bag of yours?" he asked curiously, wincing as he brushed his hand against his side.

"Bunch of stuff. Snacks, meds, fireworks, toiletries; you know, the essentials. I have a load of them stashed all over town," Quinn replied, tugging on the bag's straps.

"May I ask why?"

"Just in case I get caught unawares, yeah? If I need to skip town or something, I can just grab the nearest one and take off."

"... and why would you need to do that?"

"Why not? Fail to plan, plan to fail, right?"

"That doesn't really answer-"

"Look, there they are!"

She pointed across the street right as a pair of stout individuals pushed through the doors of the Jump Terminal buildings. They were both humans, but upon being notified by an attendant, they reached behind their necks and pulled off a pair of gleaming black Cloaking Charms. Once they completed their brief transformation, Cobalt was left staring at an Imp couple. The woman had a leather handbag slung across her shoulder, whilst the man was busy pulling a beaten cap from the inside of his jacket.

Looking across the street, they both beamed at Quinn and waved vigourously.

"Come on, let's not keep them waiting!" the Imp cried excitedly, grabbing Cobalt's wrist and dragging him into the oncoming traffic.

Backed by a chorus of blaring horns and swearing drivers, she cried her parents' names as she hauled the pseudo-Succubus along behind her, before kicking off the curb and leaping into their arms.

"Oh, my baby girl! I've missed you so much!" Quinn's mother squealed, squeezing her tight.

Grinning, the Imp took a step back and grasped Cobalt's hand.

"Mum, Dad, this is Copper. Copper, these are my parents, Trevor and Susan," she explained.

Putting on his most polite smile, he lightly bowed his head.

"I- It's good to finally meet you," Cobalt stammered, desperately hoping that they bought into his disguise.

Susan replied with a polite greeting of her own, but when their eyes turned to her husband, he went quiet. Brow furrowed, he took a step forward and sized Cobalt up with a scrutinising glare, like that of a furious lion's. His heart froze right in his chest, his breathing low and shallow.

"So, you think you're gonna date my daughter, huh...?" he murmured, bearing an even thicker East End accent than Quinn.

Right as Cobalt began to internally resign himself to his fate, Trevor Redtile broke out into a bout of uproarious laughter. Throwing an arm across his shoulders, he pointed at him before slapping his daughter on the back.

"Ha, I bloody knew she'd inherit it! Tell me Copper, how's it feel to fall for the famous Redtile animal magnetism?!"

"Um... Nice? I guess?"

"Trev, let the poor girl go," Susan sighed, grabbing her husband's collar and yanking him away.

Smiling sweetly, she turned to the pair and beamed.

"Well, I hope you girls are ready to show a pair of out-of-towners how real Hell demons have a good time!" Quinn's mother stated cheerily, keeping an iron grip on Trevor.

Cobalt glanced down at Quinn, who simply replied with a thumbs up. Swallowing hard, he put on a nervous smile, despite his own mounting paranoia. Not only did he fear for his cover being blown, but he was beginning to feel tingling on the back of his neck, and couldn't help but see a dark figure occasionally crop up in the corner of his vision.

He shook his thoughts free and forced an excited grin.

"Y- Yeah!"