I hold Lila’s arm tighter as we stop in front of the greeter. I can tell she’s nervous, not just from her tense stance and sharper breaths, but from the tighter squeeze her tail gives around my shoulders.

I always wanted to visit the Dream Typhoon, a nightclub where demihumans could be themselves and let loose. I finally helped Lila get the courage to visit with me—I didn’t want to risk it on my own, both knowing the danger a lone human could face and being nervous myself—but I’m worried she’s having second thoughts seeing the greeter is a bright red, bat-winged, horned demon.

“Welcome to the Dream Typhoon!” he says. Despite his little wave and calm smile Lila pulls me closer.

“They’re with me!” she says. I want to respond but her tail squeeze my neck. The demon grins and gives us two sharp thumbs up.

“Nice! Always love to see a couple visit.”

“This is our first time here,” I squeak out from Lila’s grasp. She seems to notice the struggle in my voice as she gives a small gasp and loosens her tail.

“Glad you’re giving us a visit,” the demon says, “feel free to relax in the lobby, we got a bar stocked with any drink you can imagine and some you can’t, the dance floor is pumping, though”—he nods to Lila’s tail—“be wary of other dancers out there.” He gestures to one of the wide signs of a long list. “If you ever need a reminder, the rules are posted throughout the lobby, so you can see them wherever you are.”

Lila and I stare at the list of rules. There are so many it’s hard to focus on one, let alone all of them.

“That’s a lot of rules,” Lila mumbles. The demon winks.

“Just treat the lobby like you would anywhere else and you’ll be fine. What’s important is to remember what rules don’t apply if you enter one of the special sections, like the lamia section.”

“Is anyone allowed in those?” I ask.

“I’m not sure I want to jump in there just yet,” Lila says.

“Anyone’s allowed,” the demon says, “but easing into it can be a good idea. Would you like labels to designate yourself as a couple?”

It’s true but I still blush.

“That way certain rules will apply to you regardless of where you are. People will know you’re with someone if you get lost and know not to try and separate you.”

I can feel Lila’s tense panic returning.

“D-Does that happen a lot?” she asks. The demon waves a hand.

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s a game for some people. That’s why we have the couple system, to know who is opting out of some of the sneaky stuff.” His smile drops to a stern look. “Remember, if anyone hassles you or tries to break any rule applying to you, please bring it to the attention of staff. We’re here to make sure you have a good time.”

Lila and I get designated as a couple, matching stamps on the back of our hands and bracelets with identical numbers. We settle into a soft booth in a corner of the lobby and watch the club patrons.

“I’ve never seen so many lamias in one place,” Lila says, “let alone all these other demihumans.”

Lila probably wonders why I wanted to come when I’m so shy. I curl against her tail and give it a small kiss, and she smiles and slides her tail along my chin. Being out here with her is enough for me.

Of course, I want to visit the lamia section and see what fun is to be had there, but I don’t want to push Lila too soon.

We watch patrons pass by and mingle for a bit. My breath catches when someone at the bar literally melts into a puddle of goo, and I’m afraid Lila will slither right out of there at the sight of that.

“Oh, gosh!” Lila pulls her arms against her chest. “They have transformation drinks here! Those people are turning into slimes. Gosh, I wonder if the slime section is just a big pool.”

“Oh, that’d be fun to swim in,” I say.

I can hear a whine from Lila.

“M—Maybe next time?”

I smile and raise an eyebrow.

“Next time?”

“I mean—” Lila looks down. “If this place does seem safe.” She looks towards the demon who greeted us and all the other demihumans in staff uniforms. “This place does seem to have an emphasis on safety, but I don’t know how the special sections operate yet.”

I take her hand in mine.

“Why don’t we take the leap and check out the lamia section?” I say. Lila looks at me and smiles.

“Okay. Let me get a drink to—a small drink, just to loosen my nerves. And”—she curls her tail further over my shoulders and slides a loop below my chest under my arms. “Stay close to me, okay?”

I hug an arm around her.

“Of course.”

After Lila downed her shot—she can hold her drink quite well, though she rarely imbibed (and I, never—I preferred to imbibe in more visual mind-numbing vices) we entered the halls leading into the back sections. It felt in sharp contrast to the lobby, the pumping dance music faded in exchange for a warm, cozy vibe with soft tunes.

We stop outside the entrance to the lamia section. The sign is different, snake coils curled around the storm with someone wrapped up in them and hypnotized. We both stare at the rules sign, many of them crossed out—no biting, no groping, no mind control, all ceasing to apply beyond those doors. Not all of them, though. I wondered if every rule was nulled somewhere in the nightclub—where would they allow slipping someone a drug?

I don’t know if I should be surprised that eating other patrons isn’t allowed.

“Hi, there!” A lamia attendant outside the door reaches out with two pairs of glasses. “Would you like some shades?”

“Oh, hex yeah, free shades.” They’re big enough for us to wear them over our glasses.

“I wonder if it’s so we can avoid being recognized if we want,” Lila says as we enter.

“Maybe this place is just cool,” I say with a grin. My grin falls as the warm lighting of the halls becomes a supernova of colors.

“Oh, wow, this place is bright,” Lila says. “Even with the shades. No wonder.”

It’s so bright I don’t even notice the piles of scaly tails at first, plush pillows piled up like forts where lamias and humans lounged together. The open center of the room is dominated by these coil piles, while darker booths nestle along the room’s edge.

“There’s a lot of colors to the lights,” I say. “I wonder why they make it so bright.” I lower the shades to get a better look at the layout of the room.

The layout spins and blurs into a haze as the swirling lights pulse in my vision. My eyes widen as I stare, thoughts spinning and pulsing in rhythm to the lights. My arms fall to my sides and my mouth hangs open, but I hardly notice. I just follow the lights up until I’m staring mindlessly at the hypnotic glow.

The nightclub falls away. All I see are flashing lights. All I can think about are flashing lights.

“I don’t know,” speaks a familiar voice, a comforting one I want to nuzzle into, “but maybe—” The voice squeals. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

I feel a hand hold my chin and I nuzzle it as it pulls me to look into my favorite pretty face I just love to stare at and kiss.

“I’m fine,” I mumble, eyes drooping as I smile. “Just so many pretty lights . . .”

Lila blinks.

She curls her tail further around me and I sink against her soft scales, her body so strong and snuggly. She slithers to a booth she pulls me in, and I cuddle against her tail, caressing it in my arms.

“I think I know what happened,” Lila says. Her voice rolls through me like a bubbling river and I nuzzle closer against her tail. “The lights here must be hypnotic. That must be what the shades are for. Let’s just—oh, shoot, we lost your shades.”

“Tha’s okay,” I murmur, nuzzling against Lila with all the tenderness a child has for their mother. “I feel great.” I want to hold her face in a hand, but my arm only gets as high as a hug for her shoulder. “Can I look into your eyes?”

Lila chuckles and strokes my face before she kisses my forehead. My arm can’t stay sturdy under such tenderness and falls to Lila’s lap. My control over everything slips so far my tongue slides out against her scales.

“Well, as long as you’re enjoying yourself, I suppose there’s nothing wrong.” She presses her forehead to mine.

Fewer hypnotic lights reach the dark edge of the room, and my mind begins to reform solid shape, but all my thoughts turn to Lila’s forehead as eager anticipation for her enchanting eyes builds in me.

“Aw, I love seeing such cozy scenes in here!”

My drooping eyes turn from Lila to the blurry blue figure who has slithered up to our booth. My eyes focus until I can see properly her curly blue hair, tight shirt with a hole at her chest, and green eyes more snakelike than any I’ve ever seen.

“Got room for a third, cuties?” Alya asks.