main thread Blackberry Falls

[Chiyako]

Location: Emi's apartment (714). 9:49 AM.

Wait what?

Once more those brilliant blue orbs widened in surprise! Immediately Emi's mind went blank, no longer required to think up a good question to ask. There was hardly any hesitation before the boy started to strip. But Emi didn't shy away. No, this wasn't the first person she'd seen naked. Of course it was a much nicer circumstance, but it was also different. Instead of torture she was enjoying a game and some friendship building with a boy close to her age. Suffice it to say her reaction was a bit different.

Emi's face went red, but she allowed her curious gaze to wander. From nicely sculpted abs to muscled legs she drank in the sight before her. When Isaac removed his undergarments she naturally looked to the boy's crotch, eager to see what lay beneath. Her tail was wiggling again, legs pressing together, and fingers fiddling with the fabric of her shorts. Even as the boy took a seat Emi kept her gaze a bit lowered.

Nice. Right. Well. He certainly isn't playing softball.

With a smile Emi wrote her response, holding it up. 'Truth.' She wasn't going to let him undress her that easily! Obviously that would have been his next dare, right? It'd only be fair. Besides, she was already starting to get a little warm. No need to go exposing that so quickly.

[Akira]

Location: Emi's apartment (714) 9:52 am.

That damn girl. She clearly was avoinding the dare part because she knew he would dare her to get naked as well. In that case all he had to was to come up with a 'truth' she wouldn't want to answer or at least something that would be very awkward for her to tell. There was one thing keeping him from coming up with something, though... "Would mind stop staring? My eyes are up here you know?" he said while pointing at his eyes.

In a few moments, he had decided on what to ask her "I want you to tell me about your deepest sexual fantasies" once again, the smug grin was there. She would surely feel unfortable talking about that.

Being continued here: 

 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Akira

[Manni]

On 24/02/2019 at 19:40, Neptune said:

Location: Laundry Room, Naughty Cow Dairy

Alvina remained where she was until David had explained the problem to her. Unconsciously, she glanced up but lowered her gaze again. But she then looked back up as she realised that while she could hear David, she couldn’t see him. She couldn’t help but to let out a sigh of relief because otherwise she doubted she would have been able to help her, because she was too distracted being embarrassed. She wasn’t like her mother, who seemed to have a towering confidence. She was quite shy, and what made it even worse was that she was still fully clothed. She certainly wouldn’t refuse David, if he asked, but she herself wouldn’t ask. She was too shy to. Especially when David had far more interesting women to ask, such as her mother or even Evelyn outside. Why would he even look at her in that manner?

“I-I’ll try and look at it.” Alvina stuttered before clearing her throat and moving over to the dryer where she saw the clothes. Since there were other dryers, she figured that he had attempted to use the others with a similar success rate. She looked up at the screen and saw that he had not set the program before setting it off, “Oh. I think I see what went wrong. You didn’t set the program properly. Are your clothes cotton, or synthetic materials?” She asked, sounding a little more relaxed now that she was concentrating on the problem, rather than the naked man.

"Umm...I think they are cotton." David replied meekly, as he continued to hide from Alvina in the laundry room. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell anyone about this or if anyone would believe him. How on earth did he wind up naked in a room with a girl, especially a elven one?! The first event today was so out of the blue that he decided not to count it at all. So, this made it the first time today he was alone with a girl in a room, while naked. As he wondered how the hell he was going to proceed, he found that he lost his balance squatting and fell forward out of his hiding place. Fortunately, he landed on his ass side facing Alvina and not the other side. Still...she'd be able to see a bit of David's penis which was still quite hard. David had no idea what to do now and was completely flustered. For a while, he lay there not moving a muscle. 

How embarrassing he thought to himself. 

Little did David know that as he was cowering on the floor, his phone was updating with something unexpected.

[Neptune]

Location: Laundry Room, Naughty Cow Dairy

“Cotton…” Alvina mumbled softly to herself when David gave his response. Her eyes were completely fixed on the machine in front of her, concentrating on setting up the program to dry cotton clothing. It only took a few presses of buttons and the machine began to hum as it thrummed into life. She saw the drum inside begin to spin, sending the clothing tumbling over and over as they started to dry. She smiled, feeling quite satisfied that she not only got it to work properly, but she was able to help someone. 

“Right, it’s now-” Alvina started to say, but was interrupted when she heard something behind her. Instinctively, she turned around to see what it was. When she saw David sitting on his arse in front of her, his hard cock on full display, she let out a rather high pitched squeak of surprise and turned around so that she was no longer looking at him, “Sorry!” She apologised quickly, as she had not realised he had fallen over. It was not something she wanted to see, as it was embarrassing for both of them. David seemed like such a nice guy, the last thing she wanted to do was humiliate him. “I-I’ll j-just leave, yes? L-leave you to it?” Alvina asked in a stuttering tone, slowly edging towards the door, figuring that he would much rather be alone right now. Her cheeks were so bright and red, that she knew someone could cook an egg off of them.

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Evelyn stepped out of the main campus building, tilting her head up with a slight smile as she looked at the rather dim, wintery sun surrounded by rather grey clouds. While she was technically on holiday at the moment, she had come in to get some extra curricular credits to go towards her final graduation score. Her parents had protested against doing more work while she was supposed to be off for Christmas, but Evelyn had shrugged off their complaints with ease. The project she was currently working on wasn’t leaving her head, and she was getting antsy with not being able to do anything about it. It was something that she wanted to work on, not something she felt that she had to work on. Reluctantly, they had let her head back into University for a few hours to do her work.

She lowered her eyes from the sun to look out across the campus, seeing snow slushed up in a few places but otherwise, it was quite empty. It was almost eerie in a sense. The sun seemed to disappear as it was swallowed by the sullen clouds that threatened to begin pouring it down with rain. Despite the rather miserable weather, Evelyn wasn’t quite ready to head home just yet. Her favourite campus café was still open today, as she wasn’t the only student in doing extra work. She fancied one of their hot chocolates, with marshmellows and the unhealthy amount of cream that they added to the top. With her intended profession, Evelyn always watched what she ate, always making sure that she was eating a good, varied diet while keeping the treats down to a minimum. But she allowed herself a few treats on occasion, like this hot chocolate. Her only concession to being allowed them was that she had to do a little extra exercise later. It was worth it.

With a smile, she turned on her heel and headed to the café, humming softly to herself. The café itself was situated in a prime location on the campus, near the main building where it saw the most traffic. It was very popular, and it was a common place for her, and her friends to hang out. Thus it only took a few minutes for her to arrive. Compared to normal, it was relatively empty but even so, half of the seats were filled with patrons. She entered the café and approached the counter where a rather chipper young woman was waiting,

“Hey, Evelyn! What’s your pick of the day?” The young lady asked, having served Evelyn many times before.

“Hot chocolate. How I usually have it, thanks Maria.” Evelyn replied with a smile as she pulled out her purse from her bag, pulling out the change for the drink as well as her loyalty card. 

“Hot chocolate, with marshmellows, lots of cream and chocolate flakes?” Maria asked as she pressed several buttons on her till screen. 

“Right as always. It’s amazing how you always seem to read my mind.” Evelyn joked, causing them to both laugh as she handed over her money and Maria added another stamp to her loyalty card. Once the order was put through, Maria moved off to deal with the order as Evelyn left the counter and took her favourite spot next to the window. As she waited for her drink, she turned her gaze out of the window and watched as a couple walked past the window, holding hands as they laughed. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was evidently a lively conversation. Her eyes were then drawn back up to the sullen cloud, and hoped that the rain would at least wait until she was safe within her car before decided to throw its water around.

She tore her eyes away from the sky when Maria came up and put her drink in front of her, “There you go.” The young woman said.

“Thanks, Maria.” Evelyn thanked her with a smile.

“You’re welcome!” Maria responded with a cheery smile before leaving to return to the counter. Evelyn looked back at her drink, smiling as she saw the copious amounts of cream that just barely remained upright. She was definitely going to need to do more exercise later. Picking up the spoon that had been provided, she scooped up some of the cream and chocolate flakes before moaning in satisfaction as she ate it.

[Manni]

On 05/01/2020 at 06:39, Neptune said:

Location: Laundry Room, Naughty Cow Dairy

“Cotton…” Alvina mumbled softly to herself when David gave his response. Her eyes were completely fixed on the machine in front of her, concentrating on setting up the program to dry cotton clothing. It only took a few presses of buttons and the machine began to hum as it thrummed into life. She saw the drum inside begin to spin, sending the clothing tumbling over and over as they started to dry. She smiled, feeling quite satisfied that she not only got it to work properly, but she was able to help someone. 

“Right, it’s now-” Alvina started to say, but was interrupted when she heard something behind her. Instinctively, she turned around to see what it was. When she saw David sitting on his arse in front of her, his hard cock on full display, she let out a rather high pitched squeak of surprise and turned around so that she was no longer looking at him, “Sorry!” She apologised quickly, as she had not realised he had fallen over. It was not something she wanted to see, as it was embarrassing for both of them. David seemed like such a nice guy, the last thing she wanted to do was humiliate him. “I-I’ll j-just leave, yes? L-leave you to it?” Alvina asked in a stuttering tone, slowly edging towards the door, figuring that he would much rather be alone right now. Her cheeks were so bright and red, that she knew someone could cook an egg off of them.

 

*Now David was literally in a bit of a compromising position, so he thought with Alvina. He felt really bad that Alvina had to see all that though really, he felt he couldn't quite help falling over. That was beside the point though...now how the hell was he supposed to explain this if his boss walked in on him?! This situation would look totally suspect and possibly get him fired immediately...even if he had just been hired. That was something he really didn't want to happen but what could he really do now? He wasn't sure he could really move at the moment, given his embarrassment and certainly, he couldn't say anything. There really wasn't much he could do in this situation at least in his opinion to make this situation better...which made him feel terrible.

"Ah! Umm...geez! Sorry, I fell over!" David somehow managed to get out, completely flustered.

[Neptune]

Location: Laundry Room, Naughty Cow Dairy

Alvina froze when she heard David’s voice, but she refused to turn back around towards him. Her cheeks were still bright red, and she could feel the heat radiating from them. To try and clear the uncomfortable sensation in her throat, she coughed a little before she stuttered, “I-It’s alright! I’ll just… just, um, step outside. L-leave you to it!” She then gave into the compulsion to flee, and quickly made her way to the door, opening it up and stepping outside. She then quickly closed and locked the door behind her so that David could deal with himself in peace. She couldn’t believe that her first time seeing a man naked was a complete accident and she very much doubted that David wanted her to see him in such a compromising position. She just hoped that he could forgive her for it.

Alvina closed her eyes, trying to will the persistent blush away, feeling the heat prickling against her fair skin. She crossed her arms against her chest, silently counting down from ten in her heat as she forced her breathing to even out. Slowly, her heartbeat returned to normal, and the blush receded. By the time she reached zero, she felt almost like herself again. She still felt a little jittery, but otherwise she was feeling better. She took a deep breath, calming herself fully before she glanced around to see if Evelyn was still hanging around in the corridor.

Location: Haunted Hotel and Promiscuous Palace

After ensuring that Chazin would keep his little brother firmly in line, Diomedes had left the two in the basement of the hotel to continue playing and left through the front door while the oblivious receptionist sat at the desk. After all, he needed to return to the Promiscuous Palace to continue his vigil. Before he did, he pulled out his phone and saw that he had a missed call from Rayvenne while he was busy with Chazin. He called her back, and only had to wait a few moments for her to pick up.

‘About time you called back.’ Rayvenne’s voice greeted him.

“I apologise. I was busy with someone. I assume you’re now in Ashaea?” Diomedes asked.

‘Sure am. So what can I do for you?’ Rayvenne asked, getting straight to business.

“I want you to check up on someone for me. I’ll email the details later. But I want you to stay in Ashaea for the time being. I need eyes and ears outside of the mansion.” Diomedes told her.

‘Need someone to do your dirty work, huh? Alright. As long as you pay me.’ Rayvenne told him, causing him to give a humourless chuckle.

“Of course. Standard pay, and you’re welcome to find other contracts in your free time.” Diomedes told her.

‘Deal. I’ll await your email. Take care.’ Rayvenne said.

“And you.” Diomedes said before hanging up and slipping his phone back into his pocket. He then dimensionally shifted, slipping back to the point where he had left the mansion in the first place, the moment he had disappeared. He descended down into the basement, but paused when he saw that the bookshelf he had destroyed in his fit of frustrated anger was now fully repaired. Slowly, he turned his eyes towards his chair where the furry form of the Daedric Wolf sat. His eyes glanced down, to see the pitch black shadow of the Mako. He then looked up at the Daedric Wolf who turned in his chair to say, “About time you returned.”

Thinning his lips slightly, Diomedes responded in a rather short tone, “I had something I needed to do.” 

“I know. That’s the problem with your future self. He tends to rat you out.” The Daedric Wolf said, sounding almost amused before his tone turned serious again, “You can’t go disappearing like that. While you returned only moments after you left, the Spectres are tied to you. The same amount of time has passed for them, as it has for you. They are Temporal Spectres after all. Work it out. Don’t do that again. Next time you need to go off, call me and I’ll babysit the Spectres while you’re gone.”

The corner of Diomedes’ lip twitched slightly, and he had to clamp down on an angry response. Because he didn’t want to look like a petulant child, because the Daedric Wolf was correct. He really shouldn’t have gone off like that. Finally, he gave a stiff nod, “Yes, Father. I promise I will call you… if I have a means to. At the moment, the only way I have to call you is to visit the Jyravana. But then we’re back at square one. Although I’ve made arrangements so that this situation shouldn’t arise again, unless it’s extremely serious.”

“It won’t be a problem, son. I’ll sort you a way to call me.” The Daedric Wolf said, before he looked over at the bookshelf, “Although I would have thought you would have lasted longer before going crazy.” He commented.

Diomedes twitched, feeling a surge of that frustrated anger again. It made him want to lash out, to snarl hurtful words but with an effort he controlled himself, “It’s nothing.” He said, trying to keep his voice even.

The Daedric Wolf looked back at him, looking vaguely unimpressed, “Don’t fall into your mother’s old habit, son. It’s not ‘nothing’.” He then looked a little compassionate before he said, “If you need company, just call. It’s not like I don’t understand, son. Because I do. At least mostly so don’t bother trying to hide how much it’s affecting you.” He then stood up, “I think it’s pretty clear that you need some balancing. So come on, to the bedroom.”

“I don-” Diomedes started to say but was interrupted by the Daedric Wolf, “And that tells me just how much you need it. Don’t make me order you, son. Get in the bedroom, now. Father will keep an eye on the Spectres while we’re gone.”

Diomedes sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue, “Yes, father.” He said before moving towards the bedroom. Another figure emerged from the Daedric Wolf’s shadow, sitting down in the chair in front of the screens. With fur so black that it was impossible to see details, the cheeky grin that stretched at his lips looked out of place. As the two disappeared into the bedroom, the Dark Star Wolf turned and looked up at the screens as the blank faced Wolfie’s stared back at him. He wiggled his fingers at the screen before chuckling as he picked up Diomedes’ Game Boy and opened it up, “Now let’s see… ah!” He muttered as he loaded up the game to see where he was. Breeding some Pokémon. His grin widened as he started playing the game.

Location: Thaene’s House

After he and Karma had visited his probation officer, Thaene had left the young anthro to return home so that he could go to work. That left Thaene with the uncomfortable task of heading home, as he knew his mother had been there for the night and would no doubt rail on him for spending the night away on Christmas Day. He knew his grandparents would understand. They always did. How such sweet people were able to produce a child like Jillian, Thaene had no idea. He was convinced that she had some kind of fucked up mental illness, and thus deserved to be locked up in the crazy house. It was a shame that his grandparents were too old to look after his siblings. He grimaced, knowing that if she did disappear, he would likely be the one landed with them if their biological fathers were not interested in them. And as much as he loved his siblings, he wasn’t exactly good with doing that. He didn’t have a stable job, nor did he even have his own home. And he couldn’t until his probation was up or he had a stable job, not without raising suspicion. Maybe he should start hunting around for a job that he liked enough to stick with, that paid enough money to pay the rent and other bullshit bills. 

When he arrived at the front door of his grandparents house, he paused for a moment before unlocking the door and stepping inside. However, as he looked over at the coat and shoe rack, he saw that Jillian’s things were not there. He sighed in relief before closing the front door. He moved into the living room where his grandparents were sitting watching some daytime television. His grandmother, Margaret, looked up at him with a motherly smile, “Hello, dear.” There was a hint of worry in her eyes, “Where were you last night?”

“I stayed with a friend. Sorry about that.” Thaene apologised, feeling genuinely bad for not keeping them in the loop.

“It’s alright, son. I think we can understand why.” His grandfather, Daniel, said with a soft snort as he continued gazing at the screen.

“Are you hungry, dear?” Margaret asked. Thaene smiled before shaking his head, “No thanks, nan. I’m good for now. I’m just going to go to my room and do some more job searching.” He said.

“Good lad.” Daniel said encouragingly as Thaene left the room and headed up the stairs. He slipped into his room which, thankfully, looked unmolested by his mother. His grandparents had put his presents on his bed for him to sort out. Most of them were from them, with one or two from his other siblings. Nothing from his mother, of course but that was to be expected. He sat down at his desk and booted up the computer. Normally, he would just sit and play games, but this time he decided he was actually going to hunt for a place to stay.

[Aura]

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

Sophia slowly woke up in the extravagant bed. She had a pounding headache, but that wasn't even close to the only part of her body that was aching. She could barely remember anything that had happened the night before, but every movement of her body caused a sharp pain to shoot through her muscles. "Ah... fuck..." She mumbled to herself, lifting her hand to her forehead in a futile attempt to dull the pain. Her hair was a mess and her body was coated with splotches of dried cum which pulled at her skin as she stretched. She reached over to her side to reach for her phone. In her dazed stupor, it was only after realizing her bedside table was missing that she started to realize she wasn't in her apartment. 

For a brief moment, total panic shot through Sophia's body. Dried cum, a strange bed, she was completely naked, a hangover from heavy drinking... was she raped? Kidnapped? Was she safe? Where was her stuff? Thankfully, it wasn't long before the memories, or whatever she could vaguely recall, started to flood back in. The young woman slowly sat up and looked around. It seemed like the man she'd met at the bar and the poor receptionist she'd seduced were both gone. She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about that latter part. No doubt the poor girl must have lost her job... Then again, she seemed to be well aware of what was at stake. Maybe she'd intended to quit for a while and was finally given an exciting opportunity to do so. Shez's disappearance, though... She couldn't say she was surprised, but it left her quite disheartened. The man had given her a promising job offer but hightailed it after having his way with her. 

Thinking back at all the things that had happened the previous night while she was drunk, Sophia could feel her heart drop once again. "Oh god, oh fuck..." She placed her hand on her stomach in a panic. "I-I didn't get pregnant, did I? Oh shit, I can't afford something like that...!" Immediately, she shot out of bed and got to work stumbling around searching for her discarded clothes which were scattered around the room, torn to shreds. Her phone had to be somewhere among them... "No, no, no, no, where's my stuff? Dammit! I don't need this right now!" The young woman was on the verge of tears. What was she going to do? She didn't have anywhere to go and she most certainly couldn't afford to stay here for another night... and now she had to look into getting morning after pills? Her life was just spiraling out of control. It was just one stupid decision after another. "God, you're so stupid!!" She yelled aloud at herself, slamming her clenched fist against the wall. "Like some sort of stupid whore! I just let that bitch come in and steal my stuff!"

[Neptune]

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

Kaylaen found himself being jerked out a really nice dream of a time when his mother had been alive, and he was helping her organise the wedding of a really nice couple. His eyes snapped open before he closed them with a slight groan as the light coming into the room from the window caused a stab of pain to violently rip through his skull. Why did he end up drinking last night? He knew it would always end up like this, so why did he keep doing it? It wasn’t as if he was masochistic, and was getting off on his own pain. While he liked drinking, and the sensation of being drunk, he certainly didn’t enjoy the morning after when he was sobre. Normally, if he had been at home, he would have drank a large glass of water and taken painkillers before passing out. It sometimes helped with the pain in the morning.

It was then that he became aware of a panicked feminine voice. He opened his eyes a little, keeping them squinted almost closed as he forced himself to get used to the unreasonably bright light. He then turned his head to look over at the dusky skinned female standing near the bed with a look of frustration. He frowned slightly, trying to remember who she was. Vague memories returned to him from the night before, after he had left the bar. He had met that guy… Shez. Shez was his name, and then this woman. Sophia. That was her name. He remembered now. And then the receptionist, Emma. He glanced around, noting that neither Shez nor Emma were there. Clearly they had already left, leaving the two of them to sleep in. 

With an involuntary groan, Kaylaen sat himself up before he ran his fingers through his unruly hair. He tried to pat it down into some semblance of order, but it defied his efforts. With a sigh, he decided to leave it for the moment. He returned his attention to the clearly stressed out woman, “Sophia? What’s the matter?” He asked, annoyed to find that his voice was slightly rough sounding. He cleared his throat to try and force his throat to speak somewhat normally, “Where are Shez and Emma? Have they left already?” He then asked, hoping that she had an answer.

[Aura]

3 hours ago, Neptune said:

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

Kaylaen found himself being jerked out a really nice dream of a time when his mother had been alive, and he was helping her organise the wedding of a really nice couple. His eyes snapped open before he closed them with a slight groan as the light coming into the room from the window caused a stab of pain to violently rip through his skull. Why did he end up drinking last night? He knew it would always end up like this, so why did he keep doing it? It wasn’t as if he was masochistic, and was getting off on his own pain. While he liked drinking, and the sensation of being drunk, he certainly didn’t enjoy the morning after when he was sobre. Normally, if he had been at home, he would have drank a large glass of water and taken painkillers before passing out. It sometimes helped with the pain in the morning.

It was then that he became aware of a panicked feminine voice. He opened his eyes a little, keeping them squinted almost closed as he forced himself to get used to the unreasonably bright light. He then turned his head to look over at the dusky skinned female standing near the bed with a look of frustration. He frowned slightly, trying to remember who she was. Vague memories returned to him from the night before, after he had left the bar. He had met that guy… Shez. Shez was his name, and then this woman. Sophia. That was her name. He remembered now. And then the receptionist, Emma. He glanced around, noting that neither Shez nor Emma were there. Clearly they had already left, leaving the two of them to sleep in. 

With an involuntary groan, Kaylaen sat himself up before he ran his fingers through his unruly hair. He tried to pat it down into some semblance of order, but it defied his efforts. With a sigh, he decided to leave it for the moment. He returned his attention to the clearly stressed out woman, “Sophia? What’s the matter?” He asked, annoyed to find that his voice was slightly rough sounding. He cleared his throat to try and force his throat to speak somewhat normally, “Where are Shez and Emma? Have they left already?” He then asked, hoping that she had an answer.

Sophia was startled by the sound of an unexpected voice calling out to her. This whole time she had no idea she wasn't alone. When she turned to look in the direction of the voice, she was even more startled to see the figure of a man sitting in the bed she had just been laying in. The fact that she could have missed a whole person like this was perhaps even more unsettling than the presence of the blurred figure. But as she squinted to focus on the figure, she was relieved to at least recognize Kaylean who must have been left behind. 

"Oh..." she breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just you..." She gritted her teeth as soon as Kay expressed that asked her where the other two were. On one hand, it was at least confirmation that she hadn't gone completely crazy. On the other hand, she probably would have preferred if none of that had ever happened. Her whole life this past week had been nothing but a trainwreck driven by her own pathetic addictions... She was still fighting her tears. It was harder without being able to take her anger out on something, but she didn't want to lose her cool in front of Kay, who really didn't have any part in her life. She didn't need to get him involved.

"No, I don't know where they are, and they're not the only thing that's--I can't find my bag! One of them must have taken it before leaving, and I bet it was that receptionist girl! She probably disappeared without it... Dammit, I really needed that money..." She sighed and leaned against the bed with a dejected look across her face. "I hate this place... I really do... I just wanna go..."

[Neptune]

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

Kaylaen’s eyebrows almost shot into his hair when Sophia said that her bag was gone, and she thought it was the receptionist girl. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe her, and honestly a part of him was inclined to do so because neither of them knew what either Shez or Emma were like, but a larger part wanted to believe the best in people. Still, he forced himself to push back the covers and slide out of the bed. He grimaced at another stab of pain through his head as he forced his body into activity before he began to look around the room, hoping to actually find her bag. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any sign of it. It wasn’t even cheekily hidden in the wardrobe, or underneath the bed. He even went so far as to check the en-suite bathroom. It seemed like it was really gone. He managed to find his clothes strewn across the floor, and he checked through his pockets before cursing. His wallet was gone. While it didn’t have an awful lot of money in it, it did contain his cards as well as his drivers license. He had other things in there, like store cards but they were quite unimportant to him. 

In a panic, his hand flew up to his neck before he let out a sigh of relief. His necklace, the last real possession he had of his mother was still there. It was possible that they attempted to steal it, however while the chain was extremely delicate looking, it was very strong. Someone had attempted to mug it from him before but had been unable to tear it some his neck, nor were either of them able to undo the lock. He then rubbed his head trying to calm his raging headache before he looked back up at Sophia, now convinced that she was absolutely right about either Emma, or Shez, “My wallet is gone, too. Which means they made off with my shit, too.” He grimaced again before sitting down on the edge of the bed, laying his clothes neatly beside him, “I think we’ve been scammed. Quite possibly by them both. He seduces a pretty and innocent young lady, brings her back to a hotel to fuck and rob her blind. The pretty lady at reception could have been in on it, to help lower the guard… because who would suspect? I was just the unfortunate gubbi that was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time and was drunk enough to accept an invitation from three strangers.” He moved to shake his head at his own foolishness but stopped when it caused his headache to flare up, “Yeah, we’ve been had.”

He took a deep breath, closing his head to centre himself and to try and think of what to do next. It was hard, with the pounding of his head, but he knew for certain that he would need to call up his bank and get his cards cancelled. He also would need to apply for a replacement driver's license. He also didn’t want to just leave Sophia alone to deal with this. He opened his eyes again before he focused on her, “We’ll get out of here. I can call a friend to drop me off at my place, and I can pick up some money. I think a hangover fighting breakfast is in order, because I don’t know about you but my headache is killing me and it’s hard to think like this, and we need our thoughts in order. Then… then I’ll try and help you. We can figure something out… how much money did you have?” Then he had a sudden thought and he asked, “Sophia…? Did they pay for the hotel room, or is that bill on us as well?” He really hoped she would give him the answer he was looking for.

[Aura]

Sophia leaned against the bed to support herself as she slouched down. A part of her wanted to feel like an idiot after Kay found her bag for her. So many emotions were going through her mind as she clenched her fists around the edge of the mattress. Like Kay, her head was pounding and her body likely ached far worse considering the brutal fucking she'd been through the previous night. But all she could focus on was the simple one-word question that kept echoing in her mind: 'why?' 

"Dammit..." She muttered out loud in a defeated tone. One thing after another, it felt like her whole world was collapsing around her. "Everything... Literally everything I had was in that bag. I lost my job, my apartment, and now all my money and everything else... If that bill isn't paid I'll probably end up going to jail, too... I thought I was in control, dammit. The one time... the one time I was in control..." Tears started to flow from her eyes again. "I hate this! I hate that bastard and I hate that bitch! I hate everything, dammit!!" She shouted, she didn't care if she woke anyone else up or got any complaints. She had nothing to lose anymore. Hell, getting arrested would probably be better for her than whatever hell this prison she was already in had prepared for her next. 

If she was going to try to take control of her own life again, she'd have to go back to one of those seedy bars and start singing... Of course, nobody would care about her talent. She'd just be there as a decoration, as eye candy, hoping to god the truth doesn't come out about her real age. And with that horrible assignment Diomedes had given her... the thought of what disgusting things those old creeps would try to do with her that she wouldn't be able to say 'no' too... it made her skin crawl. 

This was supposed to be a path of pleasure... so why did every step of the way feel miserable? Why was it that everything she did only made her suffer more? 

Before she knew it, Sophia had found herself leaning against Kay and sobbing. She felt so pathetic, helpless... hopeless... 

"I just don't know what I'm supposed to do... I'm supposed to please men, not be a burden to them. I can't just let you take care of me. I guess... I'll just have to be a prostitute. It's no different than what I'm doing anyway, so I guess I may as well make money doing it... N-no... the money will just get stolen, won't it? Shit, this sucks..."

[Neptune]

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

Kaylaen looked up when she cursed softly in a defeated tone. He frowned a little when she seemed to talk to herself, saying that she had lost everything, that she had no job, no apartment and now had lost her money. He grimaced as he felt compassion for her swell in his chest. He felt really shitty for her, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to just walk off and leave her alone to it. He didn’t comment when she suddenly shouted, knowing that she needed to vent at least some of her anger and frustration. He wanted to reach for her, to draw her close and hug her but he wasn’t sure how such a gesture would be taken by her. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel crowded.

However he didn’t need to wonder for much longer, because she leaned against him as she began to sob. Automatically he wrapped an arm around her and held her close, allowing her to cry out her frustrations as she spoke through her tears. He frowned deeply when she spoke about turning to prostitution. He knew that it was legal here, but it had strict guidelines. Such as being done in a fully licensed brothel, or from your own home. Street prostitution was only during certain times. But there was also the problem of the pimp. Even if Sophia got herself a pimp that kept her safe on the streets, it was likely that he would actually take most of her money and leave her barely any to live off of. 

Kaylaen rubbed her arm gently before saying, “Don’t worry about that right now, Sophia. I don’t think prostitution is really viable unless you do it in a brothel.” He paused for a moment before sighing slightly as he found that his compassion was causing him to make a decision he could likely regret such as the night before, “Look. I’m not going to just leave you, okay? You lost your job and apartment? How about you come and stay with me for a bit? I can help you find a job and help you get your life back on track.” He then shrugged a little self-consciously as he figured that she might try and refuse out of feeling bad, “I live alone and I would actually appreciate the company.” 

[Aura]

On 1/25/2020 at 6:56 AM, Neptune said:

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

Kaylaen looked up when she cursed softly in a defeated tone. He frowned a little when she seemed to talk to herself, saying that she had lost everything, that she had no job, no apartment and now had lost her money. He grimaced as he felt compassion for her swell in his chest. He felt really shitty for her, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to just walk off and leave her alone to it. He didn’t comment when she suddenly shouted, knowing that she needed to vent at least some of her anger and frustration. He wanted to reach for her, to draw her close and hug her but he wasn’t sure how such a gesture would be taken by her. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel crowded.

However he didn’t need to wonder for much longer, because she leaned against him as she began to sob. Automatically he wrapped an arm around her and held her close, allowing her to cry out her frustrations as she spoke through her tears. He frowned deeply when she spoke about turning to prostitution. He knew that it was legal here, but it had strict guidelines. Such as being done in a fully licensed brothel, or from your own home. Street prostitution was only during certain times. But there was also the problem of the pimp. Even if Sophia got herself a pimp that kept her safe on the streets, it was likely that he would actually take most of her money and leave her barely any to live off of. 

Kaylaen rubbed her arm gently before saying, “Don’t worry about that right now, Sophia. I don’t think prostitution is really viable unless you do it in a brothel.” He paused for a moment before sighing slightly as he found that his compassion was causing him to make a decision he could likely regret such as the night before, “Look. I’m not going to just leave you, okay? You lost your job and apartment? How about you come and stay with me for a bit? I can help you find a job and help you get your life back on track.” He then shrugged a little self-consciously as he figured that she might try and refuse out of feeling bad, “I live alone and I would actually appreciate the company.” 

Sophia just shrunk down again as Kay told her not to worry about prostitution. She was sure the boy didn't quite understand her position, but what he was saying was probably true. The idea of working in a brothel for the rest of her life caused bile to build up in her throat. She wouldn't be running around sleeping with a bunch of daring men, she'd just end up getting bedded by whatever smelly old perverts had money to spare. She was already repulsed by the idea of performing at those bars, knowing very well that she would be asked time and time again for special 'favors' for extra tip money. And in her position, she'd be a lot more inclined to say yes... This whole lifestyle change her master had forced on her... Was this really what she wanted deep down...? 

Kay then offered a potential solution, what that Sophia was very quick to shoot down already. "-no." She cut him off. "I can't just do that. I can't be a burden to you. My mission is to please men, not beg for someone to save and protect me." She paused again with a sigh and thought over the words he had just finished on...

"You'd really... appreciate the company? But... I'm a waste of space. I don't have any income, I can't carry a job, I'm irresponsible, I'm stupid... All I'm good for is using my body to serve my superiors." She bowed her head in shame as she crossed her arms under her tits. She was still completely naked. "This is all I have to offer, and surely you'll get bored of it. I'm nothing special at the end of the day, I'm just a slut to be passed off from man to man... That's all I am and all I'll ever be." She bit her lip reluctantly and shook her head, trying to fight the tears back. "I'm not worth loving... Why else would God take everyone else away?"

[Neptune]

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

It seemed quite clear to Kaylaen that Sophia had some serious self-esteem issues. She clearly didn’t see herself as someone of value. He couldn’t quite put himself in her shoes, as he had never suffered from any real confidence problems. It was why he wasn’t freaking out right now, as he knew that as long as he treated the situation right he could lessen the damage. He ignored the way that she seemed to hunch in on herself. Her attitude seemed completely different from the night before. The night before she had been confident, knew what she wanted and seduced it out of him. He had found it rather sexy. He wasn’t one to like this self pitying attitude, but he held his tongue because he knew that right now she was at a really low point in her life. She did have some right to feel sorry for herself.

He wasn’t sure what she meant about the last comment. Perhaps she was religious, and believed in a higher power. He would have never guessed from the way she was acting the night before. But then he had no idea that his mother was religious until after she had died, and she had left that letter for him. Unconsciously, as he often did, he reached up with his free hand to stroke against the golden necklace around his throat, feeling the intricate pattern of the tree leaves against his fingertips. One thought that came to his mind was that perhaps she was as lonely as he was. While he had friends, he had no family. His mother was dead, and he had never known his father and he had no siblings. He also has no aunts or uncles, and his grandparents had died before he was born. It made him wonder what had happened to her. He also wondered why she seemed to be of the impression that she had to please men, as if it was her only purpose in life.

He sighed a little before saying, “You wouldn’t be a burden. I would only consider you such, if you take the absolute piss. But I have a gut feeling that you aren’t that kind of person. I would appreciate it if you would leave the decision as to whether or not I think you’re a burden to me.” He removed his fingers from his necklace and waggled his finger at her. He lowered his hand and said, “Look, you seem like a nice person. You’re not begging for help off of me. I’m offering it to you, because what other choice do you have? If you have no home, no money and no one else to help you… then what are you going to do?” He tightened his hold on her, hugging her a little more, “I’m not asking you to move in on a permanent basis. Just until you get your feet on the ground again. If you want to pay me back in some way, I’ll leave that to you. If you really think your body is the only thing you have to offer, then I really don’t mind being friends with benefits. But your company would indeed please me.” 

[Aura]

Sophia listened to Kay's words as he spoke to her so supportively... nobody had ever really treated her with any sort of respect since she got here. The most "respect" she'd ever gotten was from men who were clearly just trying to get in her pants. Granted, she'd mostly invited that sort of behavior herself, but at the end of the day, she was just seen as a commodity. Nobody wanted to get to know her, everyone just wanted to use her. Things weren't like this before she and her sister were abducted. She had so many close friends and family she would have died for. But in just that one night, that was all torn away from her. All her old friends probably thought she was dead. It was like God was still actively punishing her for perverting her own sexual fantasies so much... 

And then there was Diomedes... 'master,' ... He knew everything about her. He destroyed her inside and out. He knew exactly how to play her and manipulate her. She was never going to be the same. And that assignment she'd been given... how much truth was there to it? Did he really care that much if she would slack on it? Would he haunt her for the rest of her life? It really didn't feel like she had any choice but to give up everything and just be a slut for the rest of her life. This was the path she'd chosen for herself, she may as well stick to it...

"So you... really don't think I would be a burden? My addictions have gotten everyone I know into trouble..." She was going to elaborate, but she realized it would probably be a bit difficult to explain the events that transpired with Diomedes and what led up to it, but she decided he deserved to at least know something of what he was getting into. She decided to grossly simplify the story and completely leave Diomedes out of it, at least for now. "...I lost my job because I lost track of time while playing with some girl, my family and I got abducted by slavers because I was stupid enough to volunteer too much information to a creep online... Stupid me thought the risk of getting kidnapped with such a thrill. And because of that, my parents are dead and my sister died because of my own ineptitude. I couldn't get her to a hospital fast enough..." She clenched her fists. "Everything wrong with my life is because of this stupid addiction to sex!" She paused and sighed. "And yet, it's gone so far now that there's just no turning back... I hate it, but what else am I supposed to do? Now I have a master who's given me an order to have sex with every man in the city with no concern for my body, pregnancies, or disease... It's honestly really scary, but I don't know what the consequences of failure would be..."

[Neptune]

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

He tilted his head a little when she spoke, before she seemed to hesitate as if trying to figure out if she should say more. He decided to remain silent, because he knew that if he interrupted now she was likely draw back in on herself. Her next words shocked him and left him slightly lost for words. It became very clear why she had self-esteem issues, especially if she thought that she was the reason that her parents were dead. He wished he could say something to comfort her in regards to that, but he knew so little about the situation that he would likely make things even worse. His eyebrows rose a little when she mentioned that she had a master that had given her an impossible task of fucking every man in the city. Not only were there millions for her to get through, but not everyone was going to wait to fuck her. There would be ones that wanted to remain faithful to their beloved. It was a cruel order to give, and he wasn’t sure if he could comfort her.

“Damn that’s… that’s pretty heavy.” He said, being honest with her. He was silent for a few moments before shaking his head. It was a lot to take in and process. While he had encountered whores before, and even slept with a few himself, he had never heard of someone with that kind of story. And the manner in which she spoke, and her emotions convinced him that she was being absolutely genuine. That she wasn’t lying. Finally, he sighed and said, “It sounds like right now you need a friend. Things seem really tough for you right now, so let me help you sort shit out.” He then paused and looked back at her and asking, “If this Master seems to have so little regard for you, then why are you even contemplating doing what he wants? I mean, I’ve heard of Master-Slave relationships, and I don’t judge people that are in one but I admit, I am pretty ignorant when it comes to them. I thought a master was meant to be caring for their… slave?”

He paused, as he wasn’t sure if he was wording his question right, and he hoped that he wasn’t upsetting her father. So he tried to re-word himself, “Well, perhaps not slave. Maybe a pet? I… forgive me, I am pretty innocent when it comes to that. Compared to what some people are into, I’m pretty vanilla.” He gave her a slight smile, hoping he wasn’t completely fucking things up right now. She was distraught, and really down on her luck and the last thing he wanted was to pile more shit onto her plate.

[Aura]

1 hour ago, Neptune said:

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

He tilted his head a little when she spoke, before she seemed to hesitate as if trying to figure out if she should say more. He decided to remain silent, because he knew that if he interrupted now she was likely draw back in on herself. Her next words shocked him and left him slightly lost for words. It became very clear why she had self-esteem issues, especially if she thought that she was the reason that her parents were dead. He wished he could say something to comfort her in regards to that, but he knew so little about the situation that he would likely make things even worse. His eyebrows rose a little when she mentioned that she had a master that had given her an impossible task of fucking every man in the city. Not only were there millions for her to get through, but not everyone was going to wait to fuck her. There would be ones that wanted to remain faithful to their beloved. It was a cruel order to give, and he wasn’t sure if he could comfort her.

“Damn that’s… that’s pretty heavy.” He said, being honest with her. He was silent for a few moments before shaking his head. It was a lot to take in and process. While he had encountered whores before, and even slept with a few himself, he had never heard of someone with that kind of story. And the manner in which she spoke, and her emotions convinced him that she was being absolutely genuine. That she wasn’t lying. Finally, he sighed and said, “It sounds like right now you need a friend. Things seem really tough for you right now, so let me help you sort shit out.” He then paused and looked back at her and asking, “If this Master seems to have so little regard for you, then why are you even contemplating doing what he wants? I mean, I’ve heard of Master-Slave relationships, and I don’t judge people that are in one but I admit, I am pretty ignorant when it comes to them. I thought a master was meant to be caring for their… slave?”

He paused, as he wasn’t sure if he was wording his question right, and he hoped that he wasn’t upsetting her father. So he tried to re-word himself, “Well, perhaps not slave. Maybe a pet? I… forgive me, I am pretty innocent when it comes to that. Compared to what some people are into, I’m pretty vanilla.” He gave her a slight smile, hoping he wasn’t completely fucking things up right now. She was distraught, and really down on her luck and the last thing he wanted was to pile more shit onto her plate.

Something about Kay's awkwardness when approaching this situation cause Sophia to giggle. His consideration was endearing. It didn't help the situation she was in at all, but at the very least he was able to put a smile on her face, even if not the way he'd intended. She finally found the strength to sit up on her own and wipe the tears away. "You're a really sweet man. I don't know how someone like you ended up getting involved with a night like this, but I'm glad you're here now." She made the comment half-ironic, knowing full-well it was partially her own seduction that brought him along. "Slave... is a pretty accurate word for it, but the way you said it implies that there's a lot more... consent on my part." She turned away, shaking her head. "Look, I'm sorry for dumping all of this on you all at once, you have your own stuff to worry about..." 

She sighed as she recalled what Kay had suggested, to leave the decision of whether or not she was a burden to him. He was offering his hand in a trying time, and a friend certainly did seem like something she needed. But it just felt like she was doomed to suffer. What could he possibly gain from being friends with her? There was so much baggage he'd have to deal with and she couldn't imagine much she could offer in return. Sophia slowly stood up from the bed and started searching for her clothes, or what remained of them anyway. They were practically nonexistent and torn apart, though. There was no covering her breasts with the shirt that was torn apart, but her shorts were mostly still intact. "The fact of the matter is, I'm his slave because I'm scared of what's going to happen if I don't obey my orders... Maybe he never expected me to actually have sex with every man, but if he sees me making an honest effort then maybe he'll have mercy on me... Or maybe he doesn't give a damn about me at all and just told me to do this as an insult... Maybe I'm just enslaving myself... Because I want to find some purpose in my life no matter how small... I don't know, but after what he did to me, I can't just walk away from it... Besides, I did have fun last night, despite everything that happened, and I was promised that living for my own pleasure would make me happy... There must be some truth to that."

As she gathered her clothes together, she tried to fit them on as best she could. It was clear she was going to need to get some new clothes soon. Though she technically hadn't lost her apartment yet, she could still go back and retrieve her stuff from there. Everything she had wasn't literally in her bag. At the very least, she still had her phone in her pocket, the charger at her apartment and a closetful of clothes. This was enough to at least put a positive spin on things now that she'd had some time to calm down.

[Neptune]

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

Out of all the reactions he was expecting, a giggle wasn’t one of them. Still, he was glad that he was able to cheer her up, if only slightly. When she pulled away, he didn’t resist and allowed her a moment to wipe her tears. He smiled when she said he was really sweet. It was something that his mother often said to him. Although those that wasted his time, and were idiots certainly wouldn’t agree. When he wanted to, he could get quite nasty, but he doubted that Sophia would see that side of him. He tilted his head a little when she implied that there wasn’t much consent in her part. He frowned a little at that, but he supposed that she had mentioned that she had been kidnapped against her will because she had carelessly given her details over to the wrong kind of people. 

When she apologised for dumping this stuff on him, he shrugged and said, “My problems are pretty tame compared to yours.” Which was true. At the moment, the most pressing issue in his life was trying to get his mother’s house sold. And of course, he had just spent the first Christmas alone since his mother’s death. He had decided that instead of staying at home alone all day, he would work and then get drunk at the bar just to make himself forget how lonely he was without her. But compared to Sophia, it was nothing; his life was pretty damn sweet. When she stood up, he watched her moving around and looking for her clothes as she explained why she obeyed him.

When she finished speaking, he remarked, “That sounds so confusing. I wish I could help you figure it out, but I don’t think there’s anything I could really do.” He also doubted he could ‘free’ her from this ‘Master’. He had no idea who it was, or what kind of person he was. It would be foolish of him to make some grand promise to Sophia without a means to actually carry it through. When he pulled himself from his thoughts, he noticed that Sophia was getting herself dressed in the tatters of her clothes. He straightened himself up and suggested, “Hey, why not take advantage of the shower? Even if the room isn’t paid for, you might as well use it while you can. I can call reception and find out if the room was paid for, or if Emma was in on some fraud with Shez.” 

[Aura]

5 hours ago, Neptune said:

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

Out of all the reactions he was expecting, a giggle wasn’t one of them. Still, he was glad that he was able to cheer her up, if only slightly. When she pulled away, he didn’t resist and allowed her a moment to wipe her tears. He smiled when she said he was really sweet. It was something that his mother often said to him. Although those that wasted his time, and were idiots certainly wouldn’t agree. When he wanted to, he could get quite nasty, but he doubted that Sophia would see that side of him. He tilted his head a little when she implied that there wasn’t much consent in her part. He frowned a little at that, but he supposed that she had mentioned that she had been kidnapped against her will because she had carelessly given her details over to the wrong kind of people. 

When she apologised for dumping this stuff on him, he shrugged and said, “My problems are pretty tame compared to yours.” Which was true. At the moment, the most pressing issue in his life was trying to get his mother’s house sold. And of course, he had just spent the first Christmas alone since his mother’s death. He had decided that instead of staying at home alone all day, he would work and then get drunk at the bar just to make himself forget how lonely he was without her. But compared to Sophia, it was nothing; his life was pretty damn sweet. When she stood up, he watched her moving around and looking for her clothes as she explained why she obeyed him.

When she finished speaking, he remarked, “That sounds so confusing. I wish I could help you figure it out, but I don’t think there’s anything I could really do.” He also doubted he could ‘free’ her from this ‘Master’. He had no idea who it was, or what kind of person he was. It would be foolish of him to make some grand promise to Sophia without a means to actually carry it through. When he pulled himself from his thoughts, he noticed that Sophia was getting herself dressed in the tatters of her clothes. He straightened himself up and suggested, “Hey, why not take advantage of the shower? Even if the room isn’t paid for, you might as well use it while you can. I can call reception and find out if the room was paid for, or if Emma was in on some fraud with Shez.” 

Sophia blushed slightly at the realization that she should have taken a shower before trying to put her clothes back on. For some reason, the idea hadn't even crossed her mind. She supposed it was just part of her mindset to just be used and disposed of as a total mess. At the very least, she was glad that her conversation with Kaylean had shed light on this line of thinking that at some point had gotten hard-wired into her head. "You're right, I guess I should take a shower before going, huh?" She stripped back out of her tattered clothes and started walking toward the bathroom before turning back to look at Kay. Strangely enough, a part of her felt the need to 'pay him back' for his kindness by offering her body again, but this time she caught herself in that train of thought and shook her head. While she still lacked the self-confidence to really say she was worth more than that, she could tell that such an offer would only cause Kay to worry for her more than he already was. So she just smiled at him. "Thank you, Kay... and, if the offer's still open, maybe I could stay with you for at least a little while." With that, she stepped into the shower and closed the door behind her. 

She climbed into the shower and turned the hot water on. It'd been a long time since she'd had a shower with anything but cold water. Even with only the cheap, generic hotel shampoos and conditioner, she was just glad she had a chance to feel clean again after all this time. As the warm water ran over her body, she began to reflect on the conversation and thoughts she'd just had. Did she really have to go through with this stupid command? Surely not. She was just some human, probably one of thousands Diomedes had dealt with in his existence. Would he really waste his time tracking her down and making sure that she did indeed make a whore out of herself for his pleasure? No... It was such a demanding, impossible task. She let him guilt her into feeling selfish for keeping her body to herself... but what about her own needs? She couldn't just throw her life away for the pleasure of everyone around her... Being less modest, maybe, but going so far? There was just no way he could ever reasonably expect anyone to do that. Surely this was a mission she was given with the expectation of her failure, so why should she even bother trying? On the offchance that he'll be satisfied with 'the best she could do?' 

Then... she couldn't understand why, but the image of her sister in that hospital came to mind. Ari... What would she think of her big sis seeing her like this? Surely she was looking down on her from heaven. Probably scared that her big sis was doomed to go to hell. What about her parents? What did they die for? How betrayed must they feel? The thought brought the tears back to her eyes. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, mama, I just don't know what to do..." She muttered to herself, sobbing into her hands. Before she knew it, something had come over her and she had the urge to sing. The sensation came out of nowhere and was unlike anything she'd experienced before. She lifted her face from her hands and found herself singing an old lullaby her mother used to sing for the both of them, one that she'd started to sing to her sister as well whenever things got rough.

"Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
Then you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away..."

As she sang, her heart started to beat heavier and the tears started to flow more freely, yet it wasn't quite the same as a breakdown. The tears were more from a sense of... relief? It was like some sort of burden had been lifted and she could feel a sense of hope in the air. It was almost like God had put that song on her heart because she needed to sing it for herself. It almost felt like her mother was right there with her, comforting her and telling her everything was going to be okay...

Finally, she finished up her shower and started drying herself off, taking a moment to calm down before stepping back out of the bathroom wrapped in towels.

[Neptune]

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

His lips quirked up a little when he saw the darkening on her cheeks at his suggestion. He nodded slightly when she agreed that taking a shower was a good idea. He watched as she stripped herself once again before turning towards the bathroom and then back again. At her thanks, he smiled at her before he then chuckled a little and said, “Of course it is. We’ve both been shafted here, and not in the way we might like. We kind of need to stick together. Now go for your shower.” He watched as she disappeared into the bathroom before he stood up and moved over to the hotel room phone. 

He then paused, as he wasn’t sure what room he was in. He looked at the phone, and to his relief he saw a small number outlined in gold just above the number pad. He picked it up and held it against his ear as he pressed the quick dial button for the reception. The phone rang for a few moments before someone on the other end picked up, ‘Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa, Amanda speaking, how may I help you?’ A cheery and polite female voice said. At least it gave him the name of the place they were at as before this point, he had no clue.

“Ah, good morning. I’m in room forty-eight, and I wanted to know if it had been pre-paid for?” Kaylaen asked.

‘Let me check that for you, sir.’ The lady on the other end said politely before he could hear the soft clicking of the keyboard. He was forced to wait a few anxious minutes before she returned, ‘No, sir. It has not been paid for. In fact the room shows as empty for the night. How are you in there?’ She asked, and it sounded as if she was trying hard not to be accusing. 

“A friend and I met two people. The first guy called Shez, a kitsune guy who brought us to this hotel and appeared to have paid someone at reception by the name of Emma. She had a key for the room and everything. This morning when we woke up, we found that most of our valuables had gone missing. All I’m left with is my clothes and all my friend has is her phone. I guess it wasn’t worth enough for them to take.” Kaylaen explained.

There was silence on the line for a moment before she said, ‘Alright, sir. I would ask that you make your way down to reception. I am going to inform the Police, and we would appreciate it if you and your friend would make a statement to them.’ 

Kaylaen grimaced, but he knew that it was inevitable. If Sophia and Kaylaen didn’t make a statement, then the blame would likely fall on them. He coughed a little to clear his crappy throat and said, “Alright. We will be down in a bit.”

‘Security will meet you on the ground floor.’ The girl then added, to which Kaylaen wasn’t surprised to hear. No doubt the female still held her doubts about the validity of their story.

“Fair enough.” He said, not wanting to ruffle their feathers. He then put the phone down and and ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. He was then that he could hear muffled singing coming from the bathroom, and he tilted his head to listen for a few moments. He smiled a little; from what he could hear, she had a beautiful voice. He himself wasn’t much of a singer, but he wasn’t absolutely terrible at it. He turned back to his clothes and dressed himself. He wasn’t as messy as Sophia had been, and he felt he could wait until later for a shower. Right now he just wanted to get this bullshit with the police over and done with. 

When the bathroom door opened and Sophia stepped out, looking a little more calm than earlier, he said, “I called reception. The room wasn’t paid for. She’s going to call the police and she wants us to make a statement. Hopefully the hotel will have CCTV that will back up our story and with any luck we won’t have to pay for the room because you and I were tricked into thinking that it was. By someone who broke their security which would be embarrassing for them. They won’t want us to make a massive fuss about it.” 

[Aura]

On 2/1/2020 at 9:49 AM, Neptune said:

Location: Luxury Hotel; Early morning

His lips quirked up a little when he saw the darkening on her cheeks at his suggestion. He nodded slightly when she agreed that taking a shower was a good idea. He watched as she stripped herself once again before turning towards the bathroom and then back again. At her thanks, he smiled at her before he then chuckled a little and said, “Of course it is. We’ve both been shafted here, and not in the way we might like. We kind of need to stick together. Now go for your shower.” He watched as she disappeared into the bathroom before he stood up and moved over to the hotel room phone. 

He then paused, as he wasn’t sure what room he was in. He looked at the phone, and to his relief he saw a small number outlined in gold just above the number pad. He picked it up and held it against his ear as he pressed the quick dial button for the reception. The phone rang for a few moments before someone on the other end picked up, ‘Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa, Amanda speaking, how may I help you?’ A cheery and polite female voice said. At least it gave him the name of the place they were at as before this point, he had no clue.

“Ah, good morning. I’m in room forty-eight, and I wanted to know if it had been pre-paid for?” Kaylaen asked.

‘Let me check that for you, sir.’ The lady on the other end said politely before he could hear the soft clicking of the keyboard. He was forced to wait a few anxious minutes before she returned, ‘No, sir. It has not been paid for. In fact the room shows as empty for the night. How are you in there?’ She asked, and it sounded as if she was trying hard not to be accusing. 

“A friend and I met two people. The first guy called Shez, a kitsune guy who brought us to this hotel and appeared to have paid someone at reception by the name of Emma. She had a key for the room and everything. This morning when we woke up, we found that most of our valuables had gone missing. All I’m left with is my clothes and all my friend has is her phone. I guess it wasn’t worth enough for them to take.” Kaylaen explained.

There was silence on the line for a moment before she said, ‘Alright, sir. I would ask that you make your way down to reception. I am going to inform the Police, and we would appreciate it if you and your friend would make a statement to them.’ 

Kaylaen grimaced, but he knew that it was inevitable. If Sophia and Kaylaen didn’t make a statement, then the blame would likely fall on them. He coughed a little to clear his crappy throat and said, “Alright. We will be down in a bit.”

‘Security will meet you on the ground floor.’ The girl then added, to which Kaylaen wasn’t surprised to hear. No doubt the female still held her doubts about the validity of their story.

“Fair enough.” He said, not wanting to ruffle their feathers. He then put the phone down and and ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. He was then that he could hear muffled singing coming from the bathroom, and he tilted his head to listen for a few moments. He smiled a little; from what he could hear, she had a beautiful voice. He himself wasn’t much of a singer, but he wasn’t absolutely terrible at it. He turned back to his clothes and dressed himself. He wasn’t as messy as Sophia had been, and he felt he could wait until later for a shower. Right now he just wanted to get this bullshit with the police over and done with. 

When the bathroom door opened and Sophia stepped out, looking a little more calm than earlier, he said, “I called reception. The room wasn’t paid for. She’s going to call the police and she wants us to make a statement. Hopefully the hotel will have CCTV that will back up our story and with any luck we won’t have to pay for the room because you and I were tricked into thinking that it was. By someone who broke their security which would be embarrassing for them. They won’t want us to make a massive fuss about it.” 

"Th-the police!?" Sophia exclaimed with worry. "I-I don't want to talk to the police!" She quieted herself to a semi-whisper. "Do you have any idea how much trouble I could get in if they found out certain things about me? Especially with this incident in particular. Alcohol was involved, if they find out my age, I'll be screwed! I've already had a run-in before, there's no telling how much it will take to get me kicked out of this city, and I can't leave!" She shuddered at the very thought of being thrown back to the wolves that had chased her into this cage. This city may have felt like a prison, but it was designed not to keep her in, but to keep those fiends that kidnapped her out. Perhaps it was a bit irrational, but she'd always been terrified that those very same men were just waiting for her to leave the city to get their revenge... or just to reclaim her, part of their lost stock. 

After a few moments, she took some deep breaths and tried to relax. Still, she wanted to find any excuse she could to avoid the police at all costs. She didn't want to take the risk of them digging up anything else against her, especially not with her current track record. Of course, at this point it was far too late. The police already knew she was there, so it would just make her seem more suspicious if she suddenly disappeared or decided not to make a statement. "...okay, alright... as long as they don't ask for my age or anything, I should be fine. Maybe I can request to stay anonymous or something so I don't get looked into. That's a thing, right? And, and... right, it'll be fine. I'll be fine..." She seemed less confident in what she was saying and more so just trying to convince herself. "Even if I do get in trouble for drinking underage, that probably wouldn't be enough to deport me, right? Although it would almost certainly guarantee I never get those gigs at the bars..." 

[Neptune]

Location: Sapphire Mantle Hotel and Spa (Luxury Hotel); Early morning

Kaylaen expected the terrified outburst regarding the police, and in her position it was a reasonable fear. Not many people liked run-ins with the police, even while being the victim of a crime. He himself didn’t really like dealing with them. He rubbed a hand against his forehead, wishing this headache would disappear. When she alluded to being too young to drink, he eyed her for a few moments. She didn’t look underage. But then she could simply look more mature than her age, and it made him nervous to even ask. His hand moved down from his forehead to his face as he let out a soft groan before letting it fall back to his side again,

“Well, if you were drinking underage the most that is likely to happen to you is that you’ll get a warning. They only deport those that make repeat crimes, or a big crime. But as far as I am aware, it’s possible to do a statement anonymously especially as a victim of a crime. But regardless, I don’t think the police themselves would look into your identity. You might need to provide ID if the two of them are caught and end up in court but with any luck that won’t be needed. For all we know, Sophia, we are the most recent in a long line of victims. Just, when they ask for a contact number, don’t give them one. Let me put down my numbers so that they ring me, instead of you.” He then sighed, pausing for a moment before going on to ask, “Forgive me for asking, but how old are you? You don’t look that young.”  

Location: Thaene’s House

The best Thaene was able to find to live, was somewhere, where he would be forced to house share with others. They were the cheapest accomodations possible. He didn’t really like that idea, since it would mean that the other tenants were likely going to be eating his food among other kinds of bullshit. With a grimace he closed down the property hunting sight, deciding that perhaps it would be a good idea to get himself an actual job before looking into a place to stay. He would need to not only factor in rent, but bills as well. That was another problem with sharing with others. They might rack up a massive bill, when he had hardly used the utility and yet be forced to cough up the money for their shit. That was not bullshit he wanted to deal with. He would much prefer a nice little one bedroom flat that was his own space. He could supplement his income with the money he made selling drugs. 

His phone chimed at him, indicating that he had a text. He slipped it from his pocket and looked at it to see that it was someone wanting some weed. Easily done. He sent back a text, telling them where to meet him. He then slipped the phone back into his pocket before getting up and moving over to his bedside table. He opened it up fully, revealing that it had a few personal items in it. He took these out before pressing down on the back to lift the front to reveal the false bottom where there were several packets of various drugs. He pulled out a couple bags of weed before returning the drawer to its previous state. He slipped the weed into the pocket of his hoodie before he picked up his keys and slipped them into his pocket again. He then left his bedroom and went downstairs where his grandparents were still watching the television.

“I’m popping out. Going to try and look about for a job.” Thaene called to them. While it wasn’t entirely true, he might still make an effort to look around. Granted, most places these days only accepted a CV, rather than a job application but it couldn’t hurt to try. The only places open that day were retail, and retail was not something he really wanted to work in. He slipped his shoes back on and was out of the door into the freezing cold air. He shivered a little, glancing around out of habit before be headed to the end of the front garden and then turned down the street. 

[Lawless Lawyer]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

A door to the library swung open, and a tall, scrawny looking man walked out with books in his hand and a sports jacket on his back. He made his way over to the small café, looking at the store with a hungry gaze. As he strode into the café, he set the books on a table gently. He quickly threw on his jacket and shivered a bit. Getting used to the new weather here would take a bit, but he shrugged off the cold feeling he had. He turned toward the counter and slowly approached the staff. He stopped a bit before the cashier as he read the menu. 

 

The woman a the counter smiled cordially at the young man. "Oh, hey, you are new here, aren't you?" She nodded at him. "Care to have me suggest something, or do you know what you would like to get?"

 

The well-dressed man nodded. "I know what I want, but I thank you for the offer. I just wanted to make sure I had my order ready." He cleared his throat some. "I will take a large white chocolate mocha with cream..." He paused as he waited for her to get the first part of his order down. "And a blueberry muffin, lightly toasted." He finished with a smile.

 

Maria was typing away. "Is that all?"

 

The young man nodded. "That will be it." He said gently as he paid her. Once he had exchanged the currency for the goods, Brighton made his way over to the table and sat down. He opened a book that held the laws of the land. The new person began to study it. As he read, he briefly glanced up to see a young, black-haired woman enjoying her drink. He studied the beverage for a few more moments before looking back down.

 

A few moments later, Maria brought him his order. "White chocolate mocha and a toasted blueberry muffin." She chirped. "Hope you enjoy it and welcome to Thorndown University." She gave him a wink.

 

Brighton happily took the items. "Thank you for the warm welcome." He responded politely. 

 

As she turned away to leave, Brighton took a small sip of the coffee. He reeled as he burnt his tongue a bit on the piping hot liquid. "Oh, damn it..." He said under his breath as he fanned his tongue a bit. "That will learn me..." As he waited for the mocha to cool, he started to read again as he looked at the book. Every once in a while, Brighton would nibble on the muffin as he was engrossed in the book.

[Neptune]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Evelyn looked up when there was a light breeze of cold air that swirled around her legs causing her to shiver a little. She looked up from her drink and looked over her shoulder to see a guy entering the café. She only looked at him for a moment before she turned away, looking back to her own drink. By now, the café was mostly full, and the chatter of the other people filled the room with a pleasant background noise. She had eaten her cream to the point where most of it was gone, and so she swirled her spoon into the liquid to mix the sweet scream in with the hot chocolate to make it sweeter. The marshmallows had melted completely, meaning that the drink was going to be just how she loved it. Sweet enough to rot her teeth. 

She lifted her cup and took a cautious sip, pleased to note that while it was still hot it wasn’t going to scold her tongue. She gently put the cup down on the table, before she heard Moira’s voice behind her, and a masculine voice responding. It was quite deep, but it was as smooth as chocolate. It was very pleasant and she found herself smiling a little. It was a voice that caught her attention very easily within the café. She tilted her head a little as she heard her friend welcoming him to Thorndown University. Curious, she looked back up and turned in her seat to have a closer look at him. Now that she could see him fully, the first thing she noticed was the eyepatch. It made her curious as to why he was wearing it. One might assume it was merely a fashion choice, however the other attire he was wearing threw doubt on that. Which meant that he was hiding his eye for some reason, such as he had hurt it.

She allowed her eyes to lazily roam the rest of him. His features were quite strong, and he had a light dusting of stubble on his chin that made her want to run her fingers along it just to see how it felt. His hair was longer than what she was expecting, but it complimented his appearance well. Overall, other than a thoughtful furrow between his eyebrows as he concentrated on his muffin, he looked quite friendly and attractive. Her eyes then moved over to the book and she focused on it to see that it seemed to be some kind of law book. She had never seen him around the campus before but then with the number of subjects that the university hosted, it was unlikely she would ever come across every student. Especially a law student. That was one of the furthest things away from what she did.

Evelyn was not a shy person, and she was someone to eagerly begin a conversation with someone even if they were not welcoming of company. And because of that, she gave the man a friendly smile and asked, “New to Thorndown? Are you a student, or just visiting?” She knew that it was more likely that he was merely a visitor rather than a student, as the courses started a few months ago although he could be a transfer student from other University. But it was a good place to start a conversation. She didn’t like being alone, and she hoped that the man would be receptive to at least some company.

[Lawless Lawyer]

Location: Thorndown University Campus

Brighton had made it halfway through the upper part of his muffin when a feminine voice alerted him to the girl he was inspecting. He slowly raised his head as his furrowed brow raised some into a type of inquisitive look. After carefully pondering to himself, he slowly nodded. "Student is a relative term. I am a licensed lawyer, but in moving here, I have to take classes to practice. I am new to Ashea itself and, I need to learn about what ordinances it has and what practices to follow." He stated matter-of-factly. 

Brighton looked over the girl. He took in her large, blue eyes, her delicate nose, and her shapely mouth. "She is a pretty one." Brighton mused in his head as he took note of her looks. He was mostly focused on the mane that was her hair. Long, sleek, and black strands kept his attention as he slowly wiped his mouth with a napkin. He cleared his throat as his focus turned to her eyes. "If you want to join me, ma'am, I offer you the seat across from me so we can chat." This was very unusual for Brighton to do, but the loneliness that he felt from just getting here caught up with him. He gave a soft smile as he looked at her locks of hair again. "The name is Brighton Masurati. You are...?"