The Low and The High

Skylar takes his word for it. “If that’s the case then let us move on to our next contestant, we’re halfway done folks. Those past two contestants were pretty intense, so let’s relax for a moment.”

String music begins to play over Skylar’s words. Curtains of silk fabric spill out over the balcony. The other contestants scoot back momentarily, surprised, though less terrified than Olympias' introduction.

Hypnotize By System of A Down starts playing.

“A girl with a flower can unhorse any boy with a stick.”

A breeze began the roll in the curtains wave on the wind and as they do butterflies begin to filter into the area. Femininity and female wiles is on the wind.

“Even if that boy is the mightiest warrior in China!”

The curtains part and our next contestant enters the game. A Chinese woman with long hair tied up in an intricate style thanks to pins and combs slowly moves forward. Her naked form is quickly covered by the chorus of butterflies who fly to protect her modesty, they spread their wings to give her a dazzling dress.

“Did this woman save China from a Monstrous Tyrant, or doom it to decades of bloody civil war? One of The Four Beauties of China Diaochan!

The beauty gives a deep bow and joins the rest at the fire pit. “My lord Lucifer it is an honor to be able to compete for your favor I hope you are pleased with me.” Her voice is a weird combination of confident, and docile.

Her eyes are fixed on the floor. The tiny woman’s looks are a welcome sight in the circle, her soft pale features, her dark black hair. “Pleased indeed.” Lucifer smiles “here I was thinking Helen would be peerless.” Though the two are gorgeous neither of them looks anything like the other, beautiful in their own ways. A simple reminder of the human form's infinite routes to perfection.

“You flatter this ****.”

“What a cute little thing.” Cleopatra cooes. I’ve not seen you in the realm of lust, where in the hurricane have you been hiding?” She gestures to Helen a fellow Denizen of that particular circle of hell.

Diaochan opened her mouth to speak but is silenced by a wave of Lucifer’s hand. “You wouldn’t have seen her Cleo.” He says and leans forward to admire the insect-coated girl. “She lives in the deepest pits of hell, along with me.”

All the girls stiffen at that, even Olympias. This girl? This doll?

Cleopatra notices the girl’s eyes glint sinisterly in her direction for a moment before returning to the floor. The goddess shudders, and looks to the rest of the crowd. This isn’t going to be as easy as she imagined, out of these other women, Helen alone did not terrify her.

“Welcome, Diaochan!” Skylar says feeling herself warm up to the submissive girl instantly. She pinches herself to remind herself not to take favorites, but to her dismay, her body rewards her punishment with a flush of pleasing heat. "This woman's a freak." She whispers to herself, before continuing with the program.

“Can we get a few initial thoughts from you?”

“All I have is gratitude to my master for giving me this chance to be worthy of him.”

“How will your earn your place by his side as a new sin?”

“By doing whatever pleases him.”

“Is that really your strategy? That’s closer to the rules of the game, than a tactical insight.”

“Is it not so, that a **** should only do and behave as her master command?”

Skylar looks to the other woman. “Umm, no i guess that’s true. Though I admit we wouldn't have much of a show if everyone felt that way.”

Diaochan’s butterflies shifted into a sweater, and sweat pant combo. The sweater emblazoned with a regal monarch butterfly.

“May I be seated?”

“Please, just three to go.”

As she sits Helen leans in toward the Asian beauty. "Loved your butterfly outfit, so bourgeois!"

Diacohan blushes and lowers her head with a slight smile. "It was so itchy."

“This next contestant was a surprise get, and we’re all quite excited to see what you do with her!” Skylar casts her hand towards the sky.

Only The Good Die Young by Billy Joel starts to play.

To everyone’s surprise, a golden ray of light shoots down from the clouds and lands squarely on the deck. Billy Joel is briefly drowned out, by what sounds like every trumpet in a kingdom heralding the next contestant.

“The Heroes Heart knows no race, sex, or creed. But even age is meaningless when the call is heard.”

“Like rain from a thunderhead, a figure drops from the clouds, caught in the ray of light she descends with all the grace in the world.

“At only 19 this woman, lead the armies of France to their salvation.”

“No!” Lucifer cries out, guess who exactly this descending scar would be.

“Lead by the voices of saints and angels this little fireball found her moment and changed the world forever more.”

“Fuck you!” Lucifer cries out to the sky. “I’m not doing this! It’s my birthday!”

The woman did not stop. Gently her feet touch the ground. Her outfit is a great deal more practical than the other ladies on the show. She is clad in armor, and armed to the teeth, with a sword in one hand, and a spear in the other, a flag drapes off of the spear tip, depicting angel giving a lily to Mary. Her dark hair is cut into a bob, THE bob.

“Though burned as a witch, she emerged a saint, it’s none other, than Joan of Arc!”

Like a switch as soon as that name is announced, she vanishes. In her place, a Hispanic girl stumbles to the ground. Her outfit is less distinct. She's wearing jeans, trainers, and a purple track jacket. Her brown hair is cut into a pixie. She dusts herself off and looks incredibly embarrassed. She gives the cameras an apologetic look. “Actually I’m Erica Hernandez.” She gets up to her feet and looks at Lucifer. “Are you the guy?”

“What guy?” Lucifer growls.

“The guy I’m going to kill.”

He looks to Skylar. “Hostess, what’s going on here?”

Skylar smiles. “We couldn’t get the real Joan, seeing that she’s a saint and all. But Gabby here is possessed by Joan.”

“How?”

“She came to me and asked if I’d help her kill Satan.” She shrugs. “I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Then let’s fuckin get on with it then!” Boudicca was back on her feet, and though she lacked a weapon, she now knew that Satan did as well.

“No.” Erica holds up her hand. The young lady is remarkably calm, considering what's happening. “Joan says it’s not time.”

“This is a farce.” Lucifer snarls. “Stripping me of my powers I can live with, but a saint? That’s going too far.”

“It’s part of the drama sir.” Skylar bows her head apologetically. “It’s the will of the Producers, and thus out of my hands.”

“Even the Producers can not touch a saint, what do they think they’re dealing with here?”

Erica held up her hand. “Yeah dude, you can’t touch Joan, but I’m still fair game.” She gestures to her body, half in invitation, and half just for show.

Lucifer sighs, exhausted. Normally he loves when humans foolhardily offer themselves up for corruption. “Why would you take that deal? Do you have any idea what this game does to people?”

“No clue, but it’ll be worth the reward I was offered.” Erica beams, seeming rather dim when compared to some of the most sinister contestants.

“Which was?” Lucifer is pinching the bridge of his nose, in disbelief.

“Killing you.” Dim though she might be, she said those two words with the razor-sharp certainty of the spear she'd been wielding.

“Stop saying that!” His wings spread out and he rose from his chair into the air.

“Is now the time?” Boudicca had her chair raised above her head like a weapon.

Erica just shakes her head and smiles. “No way, we can’t end this thing on the first episode.”

Skylar smiles. "Right you are. Sir if you would take a seat, we'll introduce your final two slaves."

Lucifer grimaces, and holds his hand out towards Erica, who's already sat herself down in her chair. "You hear that Saint? ****. Know that whatever folly you have planned for me, cost you this girl her soul and freedom. Hide behind her if you desire, but your cowardice has doomed this vessel?"

Erica's eyes lift to the side like she's listening to something. "Joan says..."|Then she tilts her head with a cocky grin and holds up a middle finger.

"Charming." Lucifer falls into his chair once more, and gives Skylar a dirty look. "I see now that Helen and Cleopatra were to lure me into a false sense of security."

The host bats her big brown eyes innocently. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean sir. Ready for the last two?"