Dungeons and Dalliances Ch. 310-319

7.44 - Catching Up

Watching the Coliseum's fight to the conclusion provided a single enchanted token--which was an abysmal rate, at least based on how much she and Vanetta had benefited from their arena runs. Then again, the average delver couldn't fight through so many rounds, and thus earned less. So the passive generation from the Coliseum was comparatively more attractive to a 'normal' person.

For her part, she doubted she'd be idling around much. Better to hunt for a supply of basic tokens, then perhaps visit the Bordello. That was likely the second-best way to empower tokens behind official assignments.

Afterward, their team of five descended into the lobby area and stood in a corner for privacy. Natalie and Vanetta filled the other three in on what they'd learned. Elida, Clementine, and Faye did the same for what they'd heard and been told.

The only major piece of information--though it was more theory or suspicion than concrete intel--that was brought up besides the Emporium was a suspected method to gain a key. Everyone knew that drawing the City's attention could luck a person into getting a copy, but there weren't guaranteed methods. Natalie had heard that story about the girl who'd gotten overly enthusiastic about the pillory, but copycats had had much less luck. Probably, some genuine passion would be required; it couldn't be gamed.

They had a lead, though. The Ruins of Elysium, which the City of Eros was surrounded by in all directions.

"Those towers we saw," Natalie said. "And the other buildings. That--that makes sense actually. But it's not confirmed? The person who told you didn't actually clear one himself?"

"He knew a guy who knew a girl who completed one and got a key, apparently," Elida said, shrugging. "Even if it doesn't have one, we'll obviously be making a trip regardless. Why hunt the easy open areas? We have one of the best level-three teams in the world, maybe. Of course we'll take the challenge zones."

Natalie raised her eyebrows at that, because it sounded egotistical to state it outright. But damn. Maybe Elida was right. A team of elites, two of them god-sponsored. Their only major weakness was a lack of synergy and familiarity. By raw stats and talent for their level, they were up there.

So yeah. Of course they would tackle one of those points of interest now that the team had reunited.

"And we're gonna go do that now?" Natalie asked. "It's a while before the next reset." The other three had gotten unlucky with the timing of their arrival. "Vanetta and I are low on non-enchanted tokens anyway. It wasn't hard to enchant what we had."

"Indeed. For that matter, we're wasting time standing around and talking. I won't squander this opportunity." Elida pursed her lips. "But before we go, Natalie, can I speak with you privately?"

Natalie eyed the girl. "Sure?" she said hesitantly.

Being cordial to Elida hadn't been difficult in this team context--and since she wasn't acting like a major bitch, beyond the smirks and general aura she carried around.

A private conversation might make her ten times more difficult to deal with though. And more importantly, what topic needed secrecy? Only ones related to their class and to waking deities, Natalie assumed, which was why she was leery.

Regardless, she stepped aside with Elida.

"I expected your patron to influence the floor," Elida said with no ceremony, "but this is absurd, Natalie."

Natalie reflexively looked around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "It's hardly my fault. Nor even my class's fault. City's been around for--I don't know how long, but a few weeks at a minimum. It's luck who gets pulled in."

"Maybe for the average person. I refuse to believe we were dragged in by chance."

That might be fair. "Still wasn't my class. The City existed before we walked in, and has been pulling in all sorts of strangers." She narrowed her eyes. "Is there anything we need to worry about from your class, since we're on the topic?"

"Probably not. And if we do, we'll deal with it when we get there." She smiled politely at Natalie, and Natalie knew no amount of digging would get further details. A Parda-Halt played their cards close to their chest.

"Isn't it interesting how no one's heard of this place, though?" Elida continued, before Natalie could try prying. "If it's been around for weeks, as you say, surely some rumors would be floating through Tenet. There's hundreds of people here. More would've passed through. We certainly aren't the first Tenet students. I bet we could find some now, if we looked. Probably not any first-years. Laggard second-years, perhaps. Nevertheless. At least some."

Indeed, their team was likely one of only a handful of first-years who could be on the third floor, being ahead of their class. It was a shame Natalie knew the rest of her own party would be playing it safe and staying on the second floor. Maybe divine fate would've thrust them into the City of Eros alongside Natalie, if not for that.

"Maybe Tenet's keeping reports on lockdown," Natalie said, shrugging. "Maybe there just haven't been that many Tenet students to pass through. There's plenty of explanations.

"Perhaps."

"You think it's something else?"

"There could be stranger reasons. Clearly the typical rules of the dungeon have gone out the window. Look around."

"Meaning?"

Elida shrugged. "I'm not insinuating any one thing. But mind-erasing spells, when leaving? To keep it a secret? Not impossible. Or perhaps once we leave there will be some insurmountable trial no one has made it through. Perhaps we're dead and we don't know it. Simply food for thought. But, ah, that's not why I pulled you aside." She cocked her head. "Truly, this is new to you? Or have such events happened before?"

"You're being stingy with your class, so why shouldn't I be?"

Elida laughed. "Quite. Very well. I simply wanted to hear what you had to say. Whether this was... your normal." She peered at Natalie curiously, but Natalie kept her face straight. "It isn't," Elida deduced. "I see. Thank you for humoring me. Let's return, shall we? We have tokens to collect."

Walking back to the other three, Elida continued speaking--asking questions and making plans, at full volume as they strode over to include their teammates.

"How many did you earn, anyway? And is there a market for conversion? Trading unenchanted for enchanted? Perhaps it could be worthwhile amassing an enormous supply through efficient hunting practices, then trading them off. I presume there must be at least some market, because enchanting tokens comes with no risk of death--even those averse to casual sex will recognize that and value unenchanted tokens highly. Sex is more enjoyable than nearly dying to even those with reserved personalities, I would figure," she said, laughing. "Food for thought, food for thought. In any case, we need a key to that Emporium, and our best lead is one of those towers. So we'll be exploring one regardless. Shall we?"

7.45 - Tower I

They picked a tower in the distance as their target. It was neither the nearest nor farthest of the visible landmarks--of the buildings more intact than the rest of the Ruins.

The team was unsure whether the nearest points of interest had already been raided and cleared of valuables and powerful enemies, hence they picked one in the middle distance. They could see it going either way: perhaps the zones regenerated, and perhaps they did not.

Natalie suspected the former: that valuables would restock over time. It only made sense. Otherwise, with the number of teams stationed at the City of Eros, everything would be stripped clean.

Nonetheless, they hedged their bets, since even if valuables did regenerate, the nearest zones were the ones most likely to have been recently cleared--and thus be depleted. They also picked their target based on how visually intimidating the building looked. The tower they decided on was the tallest and most menacing of the constructions they could spot, in the near or far distance.

She wondered whether jumping straight into what might be the hardest zone was smart, when they didn't have a standard of reference for what these 'points of interest' would be like. Clementine was the one to verbally point this out, but Elida brushed past the worry with little willingness to compromise. Vanetta, likewise, was set on not wasting time. Natalie also agreed, secretly, but it might have been smarter to test the waters.

Regardless, if there was a team who could handle the worst the Ruins had to throw at them, it would be their squad. Unless a mid-rank team had been exploring the third floor and been thrown into the City, which wasn't impossible, but was unlikely.

With their destination decided, they set off. The City of Eros had a bubble of safety around it, but the moment they trekked outside--and it was a stark difference, the polished and clean streets morphing into decayed ruins--Natalie was reminded they were in the dungeon proper. Less than a minute's travel in and one of those ghostly monsters that were common to the Ruins was assaulting them.

Finally, Natalie had the opportunity to focus on what had been the original goal of this mission, before Lust's intervention had derailed them. Not that Natalie was complaining about the absurdly beneficial opportunity presented to her... even if she'd much rather have been thrown here with her real team.

Observing Elida. Natalie had agreed to this mission to get her to leave her alone, as Elida had promised she would, but also to gather information. She knew that would be a two-way street, with Elida studying her back, but Natalie and her team had decided it worth it. Some information was better than none.

So. Elida.

She was...

Strong. Every bit Vanetta's equal, and Natalie had already been astounded by how skilled the dark-haired rogue was. Even during the trip to the tower, in which they encountered no harrowing fights, Natalie could tell that the first and second place titles of 'strongest fighters' of Tenet--much less within their team--went to Elida and Vanetta. They were monsters, both of them. And Natalie hadn't even seen the full extent of their abilities yet.

It made Natalie concerned for the inevitable Coliseum fight. Begrudgingly, she admitted to herself she would almost certainly lose a one-versus-one against the red-haired rogue.

And the reason why was obvious. No small amount of Natalie's strength was tied to her teammates. [Aura of Blessed Advancement], [Divine Invigoration], [Stylish]--some of her strongest abilities were support skills, or if not support, then team-based. And all of them weren't even power-based support skills. [Aura of Blessed Advancement] was undoubtedly one of the most incredible level-three skills Natalie had ever heard of, but gaining extra experience provided no utility in a fight whatsoever.

For Elida, Natalie suspected her god-imbued class benefited her more directly. She didn't give absurdly strong buffs to her teammates nor accelerate their leveling speed. Well, probably. Natalie wouldn't know.

Perhaps Elida didn't even have an [Advance] skill like Natalie, granting a secondary progression path, and thus would be stronger earlier in her career, but would be outpaced over time.

Regardless, her class's kit was clearly more selfish.

And didn't that make sense? It did in Natalie's head. Lust implied a person to lust over; and thus her skills were targeted that way, not purely on herself. Like [Divine Invigoration]. Moreover, she was a Paladin of Lust, and paladins were traditionally fighters, tanks, healers, and supports all in one--though the exact ratios varied.

But a Rogue of Rage, or whatever class Elida had, would trend toward personal combat abilities, not team-wide buffs.

In any case, Natalie had to acknowledge reality: Elida was her superior when it came to individual combat.

For now. And only in one-on-one fights. Natalie wondered whether her team would beat Elida's, at this point. She felt they would. [Divine Invigoration] was obscenely potent, especially when used with [Empower]. Natalie had given it to Malice before leaving, seeing how she needed to act as the team's tank, and she honestly suspected the boost was so enormous that the wolfgirl would be able to stand toe-to-toe with Elida.

If only she could apply it to herself. Honestly, she might be able to, though she doubted it. She had no intentions of trying, because while the boost in strength would be lovely, Natalie's priority was for her teammates. They needed an empowered Malice as their front line. Even if she'd felt compelled to accept this delve with Elida, at least Natalie could be helping her team from afar.

For now, Natalie appreciated that Elida was on her side. Having such a skilled teammate was... nice. Not that she would admit as much out loud.

Unfortunately, beyond recognizing how skilled the girl was, Natalie failed to make useful observations on how her class functioned. Vanetta's conversation had been many times more revealing: the suggestion that anger drove the woman was more insight than Natalie discovered first-hand during the trip to the tower.

Perhaps the lack of insight came from the lack of difficulty. These fights weren't challenging enough to get her to show her hand. If that was the case, an opportunity was coming up. Because after a several-hour expedition--which was useful for gathering unenchanted tokens, if nothing else--they had arrived at the base of the tower. The construction stretched hundreds of feet into the air and was as thick as several houses around. It would take a while to ascend even if there weren't guardians inside. And of course there would be.

There might be an Emporium Key at the top, too, and if not that, there would surely be interesting fights and some sort of loot.

So, with building anticipation, Natalie shouldered the door open, the wooden slab creaking loudly as the first room revealed itself.

7.46 - Tower II

It turned out that the tower's imposing appearance did indeed hint at the danger inside.

Natalie and Vanetta alone had been able to fight through the Ruins without overmuch difficulty, which meant for their full squad of five, travel had been close to trivial. Thus, they'd made good time. Inside the tower, however, they met a new caliber of opponent. After walking cautiously into the first room, spectral beasts flooded from overturned tables and behind crumbling pillars. Half a dozen at least. They were faster, stronger, and more durable than any of monsters they'd run into thus far--a prelude and a warning to what lay higher in the tower.

A frantic fight ensued in which Natalie was, for the first time in a few hours, pressed hard. When the last monster had been dispatched, she looked around and made sure everyone had come out alright. They had, of course, though Clementine had to cast a minor heal on Natalie.

Thus, the real adventure began.

They set a careful pace. There was no timer pushing them along, like with the Arena. And unlike her duo assignment, they had a healer. Clementine tended to any of their wounds, both during the fight and after, making the expedition less a war of attrition and more a standard dungeoneering trip.

Token drop rates were nearly doubled, they discovered. And finding fights--difficult ones, with large payouts--was as simple as ascending to the next floor. So the trip was quickly proving itself to be lucrative. Worth their time even without other rewards, since the alternative would have been mundane Ruins hunting.

With each floor completed, Natalie's curiosity grew on what they would find at the top. The best case scenario would be an Emporium Key. Well, the best case would be a Mythical item or something equally absurd, but the best reasonable expectation was an Emporium Key. Nobody they'd spoken to at the City had been inside the Emporium, so Natalie, and everyone else, was intensely curious what sorts of wares would be available. If the public shops sold Epics, would there be Mythicals there?

While it would be lovely, she didn't have great hopes for finding a key. They had a few leads on how to earn one, such as high-profile Coliseum fights, deep expeditions into the Palace Basement, and odder methods like indulging in the Pillory a little too thoroughly, but there were no guaranteed methods. Likely, the City itself had to take interest in a person's efforts and reward them personally. So no matter what, it wouldn't be a simple process to find an Emporium key.

Natalie wasn't sure whether being Lust's champion would make it easier or harder. From one perspective, the City was interested in her by default--and thus more likely to reward her. From another perspective, Lust's champion might have greater expectations placed on her. She may have to work harder to impress the City.

During the intense expedition up the tower, Natalie was given a better look at the full extent of Elida's combat abilities. There were two observations of note. First that she was truly incredible at dodging--she had yet to take a single injury, even minor, despite lacking a stealthy style like Vanetta--and also that with the fights requiring more effort from all of them, Vanetta's description from earlier showed itself: Elida fought angry.

It wasn't a fuming, boiling sort of rage. It was cold, repressed, and--yes, even a little sadistic. Earlier, Vanetta had made a claim that sent a shiver down Natalie's spine: that Elida liked hurting things. Enjoyed the violence more than most delvers. That she became overenthusiastic, at times, during their fights. And indeed, Natalie started to catch hints of that. She was precise and vicious with those daggers of hers, and the further they went up the tower--the harder the fights got, the lower her stamina dropped--the more clear it became. As if, perhaps, Elida was relying on certain skills to carry her forward, ones that were affecting her mind. Rage based ones?

She was no regular berserker, she didn't think. Her judgment didn't seem to cloud; there didn't seem to be a 'rage resource,' not in a traditional manner. She was fighting angrier, but--purposefully so. Or maybe, as if, with the rising difficulty, the mask was slipping?

It was difficult to make any concrete deductions, especially because Natalie was busy with her own fights. She hardly had time to stand around and watch Elida. Her observations were stolen in snatches, between changing targets or coming to help a teammate.

Whatever the case, she grew more certain that the information Vanetta had given was accurate. She tentatively confirmed Elida's patron deity. Though, specific manifestations of her class eluded her. To be fair, Elida didn't know the details behind Natalie's skills either. She had guesses at best, and probably not many.

After a grueling ascension, they reached the top floor, which predictably held the boss encounter.

[Knight-General of the 2nd Battalion - Lv. 4]

It was a level four, Natalie noted grimly. Such a fight ought to be reserved for the fourth floor, not the third. But they had chosen to trek to the most menacing of the nearby buildings.

The ghostly Knight-General sat atop a horse armored as heavily as himself. The beast pawed the ground, snorted loudly, and lowered its head. Without ceremony, the horse charged, the Knight-General lowering a lance toward the nearest target--Natalie. She also rushed in, eager to take the boss's attention, noting the battlefield as she went. The tower was large by diameter, and this top room encompassed an entire floor. Still, it wasn't an open field; cavalry would be limited indoors.

She also noted a sheathed sword. If they knocked him off his steed, would he discard the lance and engage in a manner better suited to a footsoldier? With that sword, rather than his lance? She kept that in mind too.

Natalie preferred to preserve valuable cooldowns for deeper into a fight, or for emergencies, but in this case, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Seeing the knight charge with his spear lowered, she allowed her opponent's weapon to hit true: dead center of her chest. Even to her, it would have been a killing blow, considering the level of her enemy and that it was a boss monster.

But of course, she didn't just let herself get skewered. She [Hunkered Down].

The charging knight's lance slammed into a near-invulnerable brick wall, and the impact was so jarring it nearly flung him off his steed. Not just that, but before using [Hunker Down], Natalie had hooked her arm in such a way that, as his momentum carried forward, his lance was wrenched from his grip, secured by the angling of Natalie's immobile body.

[Hunker Down] was a niche skill, but a wonderful one when it came into play.

The knight wasn't fully knocked off his horse, but he was dangling precariously off his saddle, struggling to reorient, which gave her team several seconds to capitalize--an eternity to professional fighters. Unfortunately, disarming him did little; the ghostly lance fizzled, then reappeared in his grip. Natalie couldn't help but feel like that was cheating, but she had turned herself into an invulnerable statue a few seconds earlier, so fair enough.

Dropping the skill's active effect, Natalie charged in.

An exhausting four minutes later, both horse and general had died. Natalie was aching even through Clementine's heals by that point, and Elida had taken her first injuries of the day as well; even she had been pressed by a level four boss.

The ghostly remains evaporated, leaving an object behind. Natalie's heart jumped, seeing a key, but to her disappointment, it wasn't for the Emporium.

[Tower Vault Key]

The disappointment lingered for a second, but was quickly replaced. Because--loot from a level four boss. They hadn't gotten Emporium access with this expedition, but there would surely be interesting rewards.

7.47 - Tower III

The Vault was located on the floor above the boss room--which she had previously and incorrectly assumed to have been the top. To get there, they climbed a rickety ladder which had blended into the background during her appraisal of the battlefield.

Plopped down on the floor of the next room was a huge metal vault large enough to walk inside, about twelve feet by twelve feet. The key slid into the keyhole, and a large mechanism engaged when Natalie turned. After spinning the handle, she pulled the door open and peeked in.

Despite the dramatics of being stored away inside a solid metal vault the size of a small room, only a single wooden chest sat inside--and not even all that large of a chest. Natalie's enthusiasm wasn't dampened, because the size of loot hardly affected its value. Besides, some dungeon containers played fast and loose with the laws of spatial continuity; large things could fit inside small spaces.

They checked for traps. Finding none, Natalie popped the wooden chest open.

Unenchanted Tokens of Eros filled the box to the brim. She whistled in appreciation.

"That's a lot of coins."

"Six hundred? A thousand? Maybe more." Elida peered at the pink-purple metal with a gleam in her eye. "That would've made this trip worth it alone. And there's more. What's the potion? And the necklace?"

Indeed, a hefty payload of Tokens of Eros had been all but expected, but their reward didn't end there. A vial of purple liquid and a necklace lay atop the treasure. Perhaps there were more trinkets buried inside the coins, though Natalie didn't get her hopes up.

To her side, Vanetta made a choking noise as, presumably, she read the item's description, which set her expectations for what she was about to see.

***

Necklace of Gender Transformation

When worn, transforms the wearer's body into that of the opposite gender. Binds upon use.

***

Natalie's eyebrows shot up. That--was an interesting item. It wasn't gear, with no associated stat bonuses or even combat applications. It was something anyone could wear. No level minimum, no seeming cooldown or other requirements. Which made it valuable.

But still, it wasn't as strange as she'd expected, based on the choking noise Vanetta had made.

Which meant the other object must be the culprit. Her eyes slid to the potion.

***

Potion of Temporary Breast Enlargement--

***

Of course. Natalie sighed before inspecting the item again.

***

Potion of Temporary Breast Enlargement

Consume in tiny quantities to produce significant, but temporary changes to the drinker's breast size.

***

Yeah. That would do it. She risked a glance at her teammates. They were staring at her, a mixture of blank and incredulous expressions. At least with her old team, they were used to the weird loot. Here, she was getting the same strange looks back when this ordeal had started.

"It'll sell well, at least," Natalie said dryly.

Elida recovered first, maybe because she saw the truth in Natalie's statement.

"The trinket especially. It physically swaps a person's gender? Not even an illusion, but truly?" She shook her head in amazement. "Perhaps such a thing is possible with other magical means, but if so, I haven't heard of them. Relatively straightforward requirement, too; just need to wear it. It'll sell incredibly well. We should fight with Tenet for an exemption to find a buyer through a private party rather than the Exchange."

"That's possible?"

Elida shrugged. "It's worth trying. Such an item would be wasted through traditional channels--unless similar effects are easier to produce than I assume. I'm sure the right buyer would pay wonderfully for an item like that. It's a shame it's bind-on-use." Her attention swiveled back to the vial of purple liquid. "The potion, though," she said, amused. "That's a stranger one."

"Am I reading this right?" Clementine asked--or rather, squeaked. "Breast enlargement? As in, it makes your boobs bigger?"

"So it seems."

"Why?"

Such was the question Natalie asked herself constantly, these days.

"Shall I remind you what floor you're on?" Elida said, rolling her eyes--as if she hadn't also been gawking at the absurd item. "It's perfectly thematic. It'll also fetch an excellent price. This is a great haul." She pursed her lips. "Unless, as I said, similar alchemical or magical solutions are more common than I assume. Naturally, I'm no expert on the topic. Perhaps Natalie knows more?"

"Why would I be the expert?"

"Of anyone, surely you would be."

The worst part was that it didn't seem like Elida was teasing or taking a jab at her.

Flustered, she said, "I have no idea. I don't think there's--potions like that on the market." Magic could be pretty varied, but as far as sex items went... she knew they existed, since the dungeon spat up all sorts of crazy items, but a potion of breast enlargement specifically? Especially that could be commercially produced, rather than just found through loot? "I doubt it."

"Mm. In any case, the tokens are the true prize. I'd estimate there's eight hundred? Approximately one hundred and sixty for each of us, then. Not to mention what we've earned from hunting and clearing the tower, which is significant in its own right." She nodded. "Yes, I'm pleased with how this went. Even if we didn't find an Emporium key."

"Enchanting so many coins will be a problem," Faye said, interjecting for once. The orange-haired, serious mage was the least talkative of the party. "You said you earned thirty for your assignment, Natalie?"

"Thereabout."

"Then we have enough to last three or four days of enchanting, from this run alone. And we could clear two of these towers a day, if we wished. While still performing our assignments, assuming they only take a few hours on average."

Elida hummed. "That assumes we get a similar haul every time, which is optimistic. We could've gotten lucky."

"What I enchanted was just with the Arena, by the way," Natalie said. "Didn't use other--avenues. And we didn't go too, ah, hard at it. With the stake, I mean."

They all raised an eyebrow at her phrasing, and Natalie blushed. Vanetta's face stayed stony. Whatever walls Natalie had broken down with the rogue had been fully erected again. Her embarrassment, which Natalie knew was there, didn't show in the slightest. Natalie kind of hated that--she missed the more emotive Vanetta.

"The Arena is the slowest active assignment for enchantment," Natalie clarified. "The Palace Basement and Coliseum are the real ways to convert coins in bulk. And you can visit the Bordello in your off time to keep enchanting, even after you've finished your assignment for the cycle." Acacia had also said simply having sex or anything lewd in general would enchant tokens, but she would leave that implied. "So thirty coins per twelve hours isn't an accurate estimate for our top enchantment rate."

Faye inclined her head in acknowledgment. "Point taken. Perhaps it'll be doable, then. Still, I think it's more likely than not we end up with an excess of unenchanted tokens. As Elida mentioned, we should look into trading. Even at a poor ratio, it could be worthwhile from a time efficiency standpoint."

"Hunting is also lucrative for outside the dungeon, though," Clementine said, eyeing the potion and trinket. "Since we're getting real loot alongside the tokens."

"Shop items might be more worthwhile than anything we find," Faye countered. She shrugged. "Hard to tell what the most efficient path is, with so little information."

"Do the tokens store inside monster cores?" Elida asked, tilting her head at the chest of coins. "Otherwise, that's going to be a pain to carry back." She fished out a small glass orb to check. Before pressing it against the side of the container, she withdrew the potion and necklace and set them aside.

The chest vanished into the orb.

"Oh," Elida said. "Indeed. [Small Chest of Tokens of Eros (839)]. Convenient."

Monster cores could also store various raw resources in bulk, like ore. So it wasn't surprising it could suck in a whole chest of coins, even if it didn't normally allow containers.

Elida stored away the other two items into monster cores, and however many misgivings Natalie had about the other girl, she didn't take her as a thief. Letting her take temporary ownership of their loot didn't bother her.

"Wonderful," Elida said, standing. "We're already pressed for time--let's not dally. We should try to make it back before assignment turnover. And we all need some rest."

7.48 - Next Assignments

The return trip was uneventful. Tiring and fraught with monsters, naturally, but uneventful.

The trek to the nearest tower, clearing it, and returning to the City had taken enough time that when they returned, the next cycle of assignments had been posted. Natalie had heard the change-over bell ringing from the city center even half an hour's distance away.

This second bell was the 'midnight bell', not that there were real day-night cycles in the City of Eros. The twilight sky never changed, the collection of stars and glowing moon having hung in the same spot since her arrival. Yet the city folk had collaborated to form a schedule for organization's sake. Thus, the streets were near empty when they returned, as expected of a city past midnight.

Natalie's body was feeling the day's exertions. They'd woken early to start the weekend delve, and it had been close to twenty hours of high effort activities since she'd last slept. She was looking forward to re-acquainting herself with that plush bed in her Palace room. And she said another thankful prayer that there would be a bed. Most dungeon trips, sleeping conditions were much rougher.

Before she slept, though, should she check what assignment she'd gotten? Or afterward? There was no need to rush out and complete the task immediately, since she would have a few hours after waking to handle it. But if the task ended up being too strange, she could see herself staying awake out of--not anxiety, but anticipation, maybe.

Or the former. Who knew? Assignments could get crazy in this City. Though there was always the option to skip if what was asked of her was too uncomfortable. She wasn't like Vanetta; this was no new dilemma. She would place comfort over progress. Accepting whatever degeneracy the dungeon asked simply to earn experience or loot faster was a slippery slope, and one she'd decided to not go plummeting down. Not head-first and willingly, at least.

Since the rest of her team bee-lined to the assignment boards after returning, Natalie also tagged along, somewhat reluctantly. She would have preferred to wait until morning. Holding her breath, she found the board with her name on it and tracked down the appropriate slip of paper.

Before laying eyes on her task, she had been certain what she was about to find: an assignment in the Coliseum with Elida. The tension was there, a part of her acknowledged, and the City had a specific interest in Natalie with her being Lust's champion. Not to mention Elida's own status as god-favored. Put together? Their clash in the Coliseum was inevitable.

Yet--

Report to the Arena for your solo assignment.

She almost didn't parse the words. Not that they were strange. Just, she'd expected more. If not a Coliseum event--and she'd been so sure that she would get one the moment Elida showed up--then at least something more adventurous. Perhaps a task that bucked all standard trends, even?

Maybe she wasn't special. Her cheeks colored at the possibility. Did she have an inflated sense of importance? The City could be treating her the same as anyone else. So even if there was the requisite tension with Elida, it might take time before a slot at the Coliseum opened up for them. Paladin of Lust or not.

Either way, she was grateful. While the looming 'solo stakes' were sure to be interesting in their own right, she at least didn't have to fall asleep knowing the moment she woke she'd be heading off to fight against Elida--with sexual favors as the reward for winning.

No Coliseum also meant her sleep wouldn't be interrupted. She appreciated that. Time slots for Coliseum ran through the night on the same hourly block schedule as the daytime, and she easily could have gotten one at four in the morning. Not that there was a real 'four in the morning', since again, time wasn't real in the City.

She supposed that nighttime Coliseum events might be more palatable than daytime ones. Fewer spectators. Or maybe the smaller audience would make it more intimate, not less? A crowd was a crowd, faceless and meaningless to some extent. Two or three people peeping in, though, felt--worse. Sort of? Natalie shook her head and stopped thinking about it.

Without meaning to, she found herself wandering over to Vanetta to see what she'd gotten. Vanetta had, since their team had reunited, reverted to stony silence, so Natalie brightened when the other girl glanced over, hesitated, and actually grimaced at her--the first real emote she'd seen in a while.

She murmured to Natalie, "Bordello. Not sure if I'm gonna take it."

"Ah." Natalie thought about how she would feel getting that assignment. "Not sure if I would either, to be fair."

"You wouldn't?"

"That surprises you?"

"You just seem, ah, open. To things."

Natalie shrugged. "Something about doing it with total strangers, I'm not sure I like."

She gave Natalie a skeptical look. "There's no way you haven't hooked up with 'total strangers' before."

"Well. Sure." She tried to sort through her thoughts, but found there were some logical inconsistencies. "Even if I get to pick my clients--and we don't even know if it works like that-- something doesn't sit right with me." Random hookups had some basic level of chemistry before things got hot and heavy, however brief. And even if she found that with a client at the Bordello...? She shrugged. "Not sure I can make it make sense. I just don't want to, and that's enough for me to skip."

"You'd be missing out on tokens."

"Who cares?"

"I care. For myself, I mean. You can do what you want."

This was no new conversation, and Natalie sighed. She'd said her piece on it already. Hesitating for a moment, her lips quirked up. "Well. Maybe you can stop by to see how it works. And if you do get to pick your clients--I can pay a visit? That way you'd get your tokens, and it doesn't have to be with a stranger. But I've got my own Arena assignment before that. Would you be interested?"

Vanetta's cheeks colored, and she glanced around to check for eavesdroppers.

"We'll see," she coughed. "But, um, yes. I might--prefer that. Over strangers. It might make the assignment tolerable."

Natalie's grin might've been a little too satisfied, because Vanetta narrowed her eyes and poked her in the chest.

"But only because it's better than strangers. Don't get any weird ideas."

"I would never."

Huffing, Vanetta spun and stalked toward the other three of their teammates, who had collected in their own sub-group. Following her, Natalie went to see what the rest of her teammates had gotten, assignment wise.

7.49 - Solo Stakes

"So," Natalie said. "What'd you three get?"

Elida answered first. "Bordello. I won't be attending. Thankfully, after we sleep, there shouldn't be much time left before the next assignment. I want to explore the shops and the rest of the city, anyway. What'd you two get?"

"Arena," Natalie offered.

Elida's eyes turned to Vanetta. The stony mask was back in place. She really kept her walls up around the Parda-Halt, it seemed.

"Bordello, like you."

"Ah? Will you be--engaging?"

"Mm. I'll sleep on it."

Elida seemed interested that there was even a possibility of a yes, though she didn't voice it aloud.

Natalie looked at Faye next. The team's mage was as aloof as always, and not in the same manner as Ana, rather, with an unfriendliness about her. Besides Elida, Faye was the person she liked least on the team. Clementine had also been there when Elida's team had beaten and stolen from her own, but at least she seemed remorseful about it. Pulled in by Elida's authority and forced to act. Not an excuse, but it was something. A small something.

"Palace Basements," Faye said. "I've heard it's the most extreme assignment, so I, also, will not be attending. I'll likely join Elida in her explorations."

"Fair enough," Natalie said. Her teammates were more willing to turn down assignments than she'd expected, which pleased her.

"Arena," Clementine offered last, when their gazes turned to her. "It's the most tame, and also private, so I guess I'd be crazy not to at least take a look." Her cheeks colored, and she glanced away. "I'm still adjusting to the whole idea, though."

"If you pick the easiest stake, it really doesn't ask for much," Natalie said. "You get options, too. And you can bail if you're uncomfortable, soon as the fights get hard. It's no big deal."

Elida pursed her lips like she disagreed with the sentiment--but she wasn't a purely practical actor either, since she intended to skip her Bordello assignment. So she didn't say anything.

The conversation continued briefly, but only for a minute or two before they broke off. Natalie wasn't the only one exhausted from the day, and it was well past time to sleep. Plus they would be cutting it close on the assignment reset, assuming they got a full night's rest, so there was no time for idle chat.

On the trip through the Palace halls, Natalie briefly considered following Vanetta back to her room. She missed having her as a duo partner already, half because Elida being gone had been a blessing, but also because Vanetta seemed to shut down in public settings. Or maybe just around Elida. Which would be fair; if there was anyone to be guarded around, it would be a Parda-Halt.

She chose not to, only because she thought things had moved fast between them, and Vanetta probably wanted time to herself. She did call out a 'good night!' to the girl, though, and Natalie was inordinately pleased when the stony girl hesitantly returned it before disappearing into her room.

Natalie took a quick shower--it was truly heavenly that despite being in the dungeon they had hot running water--and afterward collapsed into the plush spread of her bedsheets.

Though her thoughts ran on all sorts of topics--her upcoming solo assignment, Vanetta, her team which was tackling the second floor without her right this moment, Elida, the City, and so on--sleep consumed her after only a handful of minutes. That was the upside of pushing herself so hard: easy to knock out for the night.

Her eyes pried open some seven or eight hours later. Groaning, she stretched her limbs, gave a huge yawn, stared at the ceiling for a bit, then rolled from bed and hobbled to the bathroom.

Clean and geared back up, she departed for the Arena. The bell tower was loud enough it could be heard even half an hour's travel away, so she would've heard it if assignments had changed over while she'd been sleeping; thus, despite not knowing the exact time, they were on the same cycle. But she wasn't sure exactly how long she had, so she ought to hurry.

She never slept more than nine hours, so in the worst case, she had two-ish to go about her Arena runs and, afterward, head to the Bordello to find Vanetta, if she had indeed decided to hang out and wait for her. How exactly the Bordello functioned eluded her, but assuming it worked like the rest of the City, Vanetta ought to have a choice in her clients or sub-assignments--and might be waiting for Natalie, unwilling to engage with anyone or anything else.

She was acquainted with the Arena already, so she didn't speak with the automaton receptionist, instead striding right in. She was greeted with three stone pillars with tablets on each that described the stakes she could choose from.

The leftmost and easiest was rated three hearts. Vibration, the stake was titled. Submit to a device's pleasure until climax is achieved.

Simple and straightforward. It brought a blush to her cheeks, of course, but done in private? Hardly anything to write home about.

The second was more contentious. Semi Public Nudity, it read. All gear and clothing will appear invisible to anyone you consider acquainted with for the next twenty four hours.

It was a type of stake she hadn't seen before--one that persisted beyond the Arena. Twenty four hours. Two assignment cycles. In some ways, it seemed less lewd than the previous. But it wasn't, really. Because public exposure? Even just to her teammates? That beat out private masturbation of any sort. Well. Most sorts, in any case.

Her teammates were surely included in that qualifying set of people she considered herself 'acquainted with'. Two of them--Elida and Vanetta--at a very minimum. So they would see her naked for the next day, no matter what she wore.

Would the stake be retroactive? If she spoke to someone and 'became acquainted with them', would they also be able to see through her clothes? Perhaps halfway through a conversation? That was a mortifying possibility.

If she accepted this stake, she would have to keep to herself for the next day. And she wondered how strict or loose the idea of 'acquaintance' was. Vanetta and Elida one hundred percent qualified, and probably Faye and Clementine as well--but depending on how the City perceived it, maybe not, since she didn't know those two girls well. They were more than strangers, but far less than friends. Which was normally where 'acquaintances' sat, but she wasn't sure how the City defined it. For the purpose of analyzing whether the stake was worth taking, she assumed they would be included. Probably even Acacia would be, if she bumped into her again. Anyone more than a total stranger.

Oral Self-Service, the last stake read--the five-heart one, to match the three and four. A spatial anomaly will be provided to assist in oral self pleasure. Must bring self to climax using mouth.

Natalie stared at it.

Then stared some more.

Oral... self-pleasure?

She was expected to--?

Well.

Yes, that was worth a five-heart perversion rating, without a doubt. Maybe higher. Were there six-heart ratings?

Once upon a time, in a previous dungeon run, Natalie had sucked her own cock. Or her own body's. So the idea wasn't totally alien. Yet that had been with Ana piloting her body, so it hadn't really been 'self-intimacy'. The idea of truly doing that--in feeling the sensations from both ends at once--was scandalous enough her face was set on fire.

No. That was too much. She had her limits. She couldn't--

Could she?

No. Definitely not. She shook her head rapidly, clearing the thoughts away. The four heart was a better choice. Showing up naked to Elida and Vanetta--and Faye and Clementine, possibly--was much more palatable than pleasuring herself with her own mouth. That was simply taking the perversion too far.

Secretly, though, a part of her was highly interested in what it would feel like.

Her excitement at the concept was what urged Natalie to hastily step forward and select the four-heart option. Semi-Public Nudity. If she'd stood there too long, considering, she might have made the wrong decision.

Stomach squirming, though, she acknowledged she was only on the second day of her stay at the City of Eros. More stakes of a similar type would be coming. And now that the idea had been introduced, had time to wiggle into her head, would she accept the lewdness of a similar stake when it next appeared?

For now, at least, she chased the flustering thoughts away. Because the Arena's first monster had appeared, and she had a fight to focus on.

7.50 - Bordello I

For the third time in less than twenty four hours, Natalie was murdered by a dungeon monster.

She was becoming rather desensitized to the whole process, to be honest. Sure, feeling a blade go through her neck was definitely odd, but if there was anything she was good at, it was adapting to violence. Kinda the cornerstone of her career. Magical death and resurrection was just a spicy variation of it.

She rematerialized in the center of the Arena, whole and uninjured. Orienting to her sudden change in position--heart slamming, but healthy and energized--she placed a hand absently on her neck as the exit gate swung open. In previous runs, there had been a stake to complete before she could leave. Not this time.

Because the stake she'd accepted was a passive effect. For the next twenty four hours, anything she wore would be invisible to people she considered acquaintances.

Oh dear. Maybe she should've gone for the three-heart stake. The vibration one. Or even the--

Well. No. That one would've been too much. And the four-heart stake paid better than the three. So it was the obvious choice.

Her heart skipped a beat imagining her next meeting with Vanetta, who she would be heading to shortly. She'd promised--well, not promised, but suggested--to show up and, ah, patron her. If she was interested. And since she wasn't sure how long she had before the next assignment reset came, she needed to get there expeditiously.

The stake's effect worked on her too, Natalie discovered. Looking down, she was naked to her own eyes. She felt the metal of her armor cradling her body, but visually, there was nothing. It was interesting; she felt her chest, sliding fingers across the metal and observing the invisible force-field that prevented her from touching skin to skin. The armor was there, but she couldn't see it. Like any of her teammates wouldn't be able to.

Hm. Explanations were going to be awkward. Better than having to--deal with that five-heart stake, though.

At least it wasn't real exhibitionism. While her cheeks colored as she strode out onto the streets--which were filled with people, the 'daytime' cycle having arrived--nobody gave her a second look, despite appearing naked to her own eyes.

That wasn't entirely true. Some people did give her a second look. But no one saw a nude woman walking around; they just appreciated her scantily clad form as they had previously. Which was to say, she was more than aware of the ogling, since her armor was revealing, and she knew her body was easy to appreciate. But nobody was gawking as if a woman was striding naked down the street. Especially one with extra equipment between her legs.

She tracked down the Bordello. It was an establishment with a gaudy exterior made of the same marble as the rest of the city, but with a lot of decorative features. It wasn't nearly as large as the Coliseum, Arena, or Palace. Of the primary buildings, it was the smallest, and it was tucked off to the side of the city center, away from everything else.

Walking inside, she was hit with the pleasant but overpowering scents of perfume--no doubt to mask all the other smells that came naturally to such an establishment. Fitting the trend, there was an automaton servicing a receptionist desk.

There was a clear sightline deeper into the Bordello. A dancing stage with plush sofas and chairs hosting clients caught Natalie's eyes in particular. And there were clients--lots of them. Plenty of people had accepted their Bordello assignment for the day, it seemed, and even more had come to participate. Natalie fought a flush from creeping up her neck. While she had plenty of sexual experience, bordellos and their like weren't included on that list. She'd been in red-light districts... twice? And just passing through out of curiosity.

"Hello, miss," the automaton greeted. "Here for a show, or a private encounter?"

"I'm, uh, here for a friend."

"Of course!" came the chipper reply. She shared a knowing look with Natalie, and she almost opened her mouth to say 'it's not like that'--but it was. Literally. She'd come here looking for Vanetta so that they could... she didn't know what yet. But not have a friendly conversation. "Name?" the automaton asked.

"Vanetta. Vanetta--I don't actually know her last name."

"No problem, miss. If you take a seat, we can send her down to you."

"Great. Um. Thank you?"

"My pleasure!" She beamed at Natalie. "The entry fee is five tokens."

She unbuckled her pouch and scooped them out. "That's just for entry, right? How's payment work for--services rendered?" Natalie realized she was being awkward, but she was out of her element.

"Our fine men and women set their own prices," the automaton said, tone chipper. "Tips are encouraged for public shows--please be considerate of their hard work and show your support." Her expression turned apologetic. "And nuisances will be escorted off the premises, or worse. Keep your hands to yourself unless you have permission. And, of course, in the private rooms, rules are set by the workers. We have a zero tolerance policy in that regard."

The warnings set Natalie at ease. Like the rest of the City, there were basic decency rules in place. "Understood."

"Be right back, then, miss. Feel free to take a seat and enjoy the show in the meantime."

With the automaton scurrying off to fetch Vanetta from who knew where, Natalie tentatively walked inside, curious despite herself. The Bordello was dimly lit and smelled strongly of jasmine, lavender, vanilla--other perfumes, all mixing together and fogging her head. Her attention gravitated to the show on the stage. There was one girl up there, though scattered throughout the spacious first-floor lounge were a number of men and women giving their, ah, affections to various clients. Nothing too lewd; lap dances, mostly, and clothed ones at that... if scantily dressed, 'clothed' in only a nominal sense for some of them.

Acacia's brief overview of the Bordello had described how the atmosphere became more scandalous the higher a person ascended the Bordello, and Natalie was only on the first floor. She had no doubt there were far more bawdy things happening in the lounges above. Not to mention the private rooms.

There was music playing from a presumably magical source, distractingly loud, masking the noises coming from the higher floors. Since she assumed there did have to be noises coming from above. She almost thought if she strained her ears, she could hear the moaning and creaking of bed frames. Maybe it was in her head though.

Natalie settled into a free chair a safe distance from the stage, eyes tracking the rhythmic dancing of the blonde woman on stage. People were tossing or flicking Tokens of Eros to encourage her impressive use of the metal pole installed into the center of the stage. It wasn't all that unusual of a sight, Natalie knew, for similar establishments back at Aradon. But again, she had little experience in such things, so she was somewhat enraptured by the display. The woman really knew how to dance. She had to have done it before.

"Don't stare too hard, Natalie," a dry voice said. "Your eyes'll fall out."

Natalie twitched, attention flicking to the source. It was, of course, Vanetta, who had been fetched quicker than she'd expected.

Her mouth was already opening in a retort--but it froze in her throat when she saw what the other girl was wearing. Gone was her conservative leather armor: she was dressed in a flimsy see-through dress and lacy black undergarments. Lingerie, the showy sort, though they kept her modesty in a strict sense.

Gray eyes slid away from Natalie after a few seconds of speechlessness. A hand went up to cover her chest, even if nothing was technically showing.

"S-Shut up. Say anything about it, and I'll kill you," she growled. "It's part of the assignment. And you're one to talk. You wanna tell me why you're sitting there naked?"

7.51 - Bordello II

"Well," Natalie said. "To that second part--I'm not naked. Not really."

Vanetta's eyes flicked down, and, a dubious expression appearing, she crossed her arms. "You don't even have your belt on. What if you needed your weapon?"

"Why would I? The city is safe."

"Supposedly."

"The guards deal with violence, anyway. I wouldn't want to pull my weapon and get mixed up in an incident."

Vanetta wrinkled her nose and reluctantly agreed. "Even so."

"And I do have my belt," Natalie said, patting her side--and, despite herself, being a bit surprised when her hand met the leather of her monster core pouch. "I told you, I'm not actually naked. It was a stake. My gear is still on. Only you can see me like this."

"Only me?"

"Er, anyone I'm 'acquainted with'. Which is no one else here."

"Oh." Vanetta adjusted to that announcement. "That's... a weird stake. How many hearts was it?"

"Four."

"That's it?"

"I mean. It's just nudity."

"Public nudity."

"Semi public. But I get your point." She shrugged. "It was better than the five heart. And paid better than the three. So. It was the obvious choice."

"Do I even wanna know?"

"What the five-heart was? No, you don't."

"Seeing how even you didn't take it, I can't imagine."

Natalie narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean? There's plenty I wouldn't take."

"Sure there is." Vanetta cleared her throat. "Anyway. Come with me? I don't like being out here, in these." She idly picked at the see-through flimsy black dress she was wearing, as if trying to adjust it to better preserve her modesty. It did little to help. "Feels like people are looking. Upstairs is private, at least."

"Sure." Natalie stood and pretended to ignore how Vanetta's eyes flicked down her body--which was completely exposed, from her perspective--before darting back up. The rogue abruptly turned, the tips of her ears coloring red as she hurried forward.

"How many runs did you do?" Vanetta asked.

"Just the one. Wanted to make sure I got here in time. Didn't want to leave you hanging."

"Oh, yes. I'm sure your motivation had nothing to do with employing my services."

Natalie laughed. "Don't get me wrong, looking forward to that too. But no, really, it was mostly because I promised. Couldn't let you sit here when I told you I'd come."

Vanetta glanced over her shoulder, met her eyes briefly, then flushed and started walking faster.

The conversation stilled as Vanetta led her through the lobby, into a stairwell, and up into the second floor of the Bordello.

"How many are there, anyway? Floors, I mean."

"Five," Vanetta said. "Three lobbies: the ground floor, third, and fifth. Then there's the second-floor private rooms, and the fourth-floor private rooms."

"What's the difference between the two?"

"Fourth floor is for group activities. Or the crazy stuff."

"The crazy stuff?"

"Didn't ask, and I don't want to know," she muttered. "No intentions of going up there."

"Not even if I ask nicely?"

She glared over her shoulder and didn't reply.

Upstairs, the scent of perfume was less overwhelming, and thus, other smells were more prevalent. There was also a lot more noise. The walls and doors were soundproofed, but considering the sheer enthusiasm of the occupants, thick walls could only do so much. Vanetta scurried forward, finding the room she'd been assigned to, and honestly, Natalie also hurried through. This was no more her environment than it was Vanetta's, even if she had a more casual attitude toward sex.

Inside, she found more or less what could be expected inside a private Bordello room. It was brightly lit, with brass lamps casting warm, yellow glows through the room--since the twilight of the City didn't provide much natural illumination. A bed dominated the space, a large four-poster with dark wooden posts and lilac-colored bedding. The sheets were pristine, not a stain in sight--thank the heavens--and pillows were piled high with a mix of satin and velvet covers. A matching chaise lounge sat in a corner of the room, its upholstery a faded floral pattern, soft-looking but clearly old.

The floor was covered by a thick rug, edges frayed, but the intricate pattern still visible. Heavy velvet curtains hung over the window, half-drawn, not that there was much light to block from the City's dark sky. To the right of the bed, a small vanity table stood cluttered with glass perfume bottles, a hairbrush, and a silver hand mirror; she doubted Vanetta had touched them.

The air was faintly perfumed, as in the rest of the Bordello, a mix of something floral and with a faint hint of tobacco smoke lingering in the air. A narrow armoire was tucked into the corner opposite the door; it was open, displaying sets of lingerie--Natalie suspected this was where Vanetta had picked out her 'working uniform'. Natalie glimpsed her armor sitting inside. Would she get to see Vanetta try some of the other lingerie sets on?

There was a small table near the edge of the room that held a tray with a crystal decanter of amber liquid and a couple of mismatched glasses. Natalie didn't intend to indulge in any alcohol, whether it was free or not, though she was vaguely tempted. She didn't want to be even slightly impaired, not when dealing with Vanetta; she'd feel more comfortable loosening up that way with maybe Jordan, but when interacting with someone relatively new to her, she preferred to stay sober. Not to mention how she was in the dungeon. Getting drunk on a delve was--a pretty horrible idea, no matter the circumstance.

The last thing Natalie's attention lingered on was the tall, seven-foot oval mirror leaning against the wall opposite the bed. Her lips quirked at that. How prescient of the designers. She really ought to get something like that for her own bedroom, back at Tenet. Should... anything happen on that bed, she would enjoy the extra viewing angles.

"Do I even want to know why you're smiling like that?"

Natalie blinked and faced back to her hostess, who was glaring, having seen Natalie's eyes linger on the mirror. She supposed the lewd ideas she'd had must have been clear on her face. She wiped her expression clean, putting on an innocent look that was mostly intended to annoy Vanetta, who took the bait.

"Pervert," she muttered. "Ugh. I can't believe I'm actually doing this." She stalked over to the armoire and pulled out, surprisingly, a small chalkboard. "Here," she said, thrusting it out to Natalie. "This is the menu. We're required to make one for our customers to look through."

7.52 - Bordello III

A menu?

Blinking, Natalie accepted the small chalkboard. It hadn't been cleaned well since the last use; the black surface was smudged white, with the new menu written over top the smears.

Vanetta's service list was brief, with prices listed after each item. Her handwriting surprised Natalie; it was cutesy and neat, with loopy letters, the opposite of Natalie's own near-illegible scrawl that had earned her so many reprimands in school. The bubbly script was so feminine that heart-dotted i's wouldn't have looked out of place--but of course there weren't any.

"That's it?" Natalie asked, amused, when she'd read the entirety of her offerings.

Vanetta's glare appeared in full effect, arms crossing in a way that Natalie rather appreciated--propping her already nicely framed chest up.

"What do you mean, that's it?"

"A handie's the best I can buy?"

"What did you expect?"

Honestly? She hadn't thought about it. The lack of options did make sense. Even if the girl had only intended on having one customer from the start.

"Is there a friends discount? A loyalty rewards program? Any secret menu I can order from?"

"You aren't funny, you know that, right?"

"Not even a bit?"

"No."

Natalie met the glare evenly, then, to Vanetta's clear outrage, laughed. She brought her attention back to the chalkboard and made a show of considering her options, taking her time to mull her decision over.

Vanetta huffed, loudly, part-way through.

"Sit," she ordered. "And do you--do you want anything?"

"Want anything?" Natalie echoed.

"To drink. Or eat. There's stuff in this room. I'm supposed to be your hostess," she grumbled. "That's where half the tokens come from, it's not just about the--other stuff."

"Oh?" Natalie's grin slowly widened. "You're telling me you're contractually obligated to put me in a good mood? To be a sweet, polite hostess?"

She glowered. "It's part of the assignment. Don't get any ideas."

"I'm definitely getting ideas," Natalie said. "There's food?"

"Sliced fruit, for one. Snacks. And liquor, as I'm sure you saw." She gestured at the nightstand, where the bottle of amber liquid and crystal glasses were laid out.

"Sliced fruit?" Natalie repeated. "Ooh. Can you feed them to me? Is that part of the experience?"

"Feed you?"

"It's every girl's dream to have a scantily clad woman sit on her lap and feed her, don't you know?"

"Speak for yourself, pervert."

"You've been using that word a lot."

"I wonder why."

"You're lucky I like girls with attitude, otherwise I'd say you're not being a very good hostess."

Vanetta glared, but it shifted a moment later into vague amusement. Snorting, she turned and walked over to the nightstand and crouched down. Inside was a tray with an assortment of fruit, as promised, and she pulled it out and walked over to her.

"Sit, then." Vanetta pointed at the chaise lounge chair. "But I'm not getting on your lap."

"Aw. That's the whole point. What if I pay you?"

Vanetta almost bit off a second denial, but she hesitated. Probably realizing she was offering much more than sitting on a girl's lap through her menu, and that this was the whole point of the Bordello.

Her cheeks colored, and to Natalie's delight, she growled out, "Fifty tokens, and I'll think about it."

"Deal."

"What?"

"Fifty tokens, to fulfill a life-long dream? Sounds worth it to me."

"Don't be ridiculous." She hesitated. "... Five is fine."

"Pretty sure you're supposed to barter up, not down," Natalie said, amused.

"You're not paying me fifty tokens just to sit on your lap." She grumbled, "The whole paying part of this is weird, anyway."

"I'll take it for free, too, if you want."

"You wish." She sniffed, then, with some reluctance, settled onto Natalie's lap, who had lounged out on the comfy chair. She sat sideways, across her thighs, legs dangling off.

Vanetta blinked as she settled in.

"Wait, I can feel your armor."

"Not actually naked. I've told you that like three times now."

"I know, but--" She settled the weight of the food tray in one hand, and tentatively poked at Natalie's waist, surprising herself when she found the leather string that held her lower armor on. Shifting her eyes higher up, she poked at Natalie's chest next. In amazement, she cupped the metal of her bra. "Weird."

"Pretty sure I'm the one supposed to be groping you," Natalie said, lips quirking as she watched Vanetta massage her metal bra.

Vanetta didn't seem to realize what she'd been doing, because her hand jerked back.

"I was just--it's interesting. I wasn't touching you like that."

"You were literally squeezing my tit."

"Your armor. Because it's invisible, and I was curious. Shut up! Eat." She picked up a bundle of grapes from the tray--interestingly, they were cold, there must have been a cooling preservation effect--and thrust them at Natalie's face.

"Hey. You're supposed to do it sexily."

"Sexily isn't a word. And I'm not sexy anyways, so get used to it."

"That's a damn lie. Are you kidding me?"

Bizarrely, Vanetta seemed almost disoriented by Natalie's tone, which in turn made Natalie pause. Surely this girl knew--?

"Eat your stupid fruit," Vanetta mumbled. She dangled the edge of the grape bundle at Natalie's lips, putting in at least half an effort to fulfilling the scenario, and, Natalie's grin returning, she delicately plucked one from the bundle with her teeth. She held the other girl's gray eyes--as gorgeous as always--as she suggestively chewed, then swallowed.

"Delicious," she murmured.

Vanetta's face went impressively red, considering all she'd done was eat a grape. Natalie dared to venture her hand lower from where it'd been resting on Vanetta's hip down to her thigh. Not dangerously low, but Vanetta jumped anyway.

It continued for a bit. Vanetta's face stayed flushed, and Natalie delighted in teasing her simply by being hand-fed a variety of fruit. It was all fresh, too, which she appreciated.

And juicy. Messily so. Though maybe Natalie was playing that part up.

She wiped her chin, and said, "So. How's the Bordello work, anyway? Assuming you did your research."

"Which part of it?"

"The private rooms. All this," she waved around. "You pick your clients, that much is obvious, else you'd have left."

"We have right of refusal, yes," Vanetta said. "But only so many. We're expected to work. It's good you came quickly. I think I would've been kicked out soon."

Natalie's eyebrows went up. "You've had... people propositioning you?" That was what was implied.

"Two men and two women, so far."

A weird feeling went through her at that, which she tried to ignore.

"What's that for?" Vanetta asked, poking at the corner of her mouth. Natalie realized she was frowning.

"Nothing."

"Don't like the idea that I might've had someone else as a client?" Oddly, Vanetta seemed--amused? Maybe even satisfied.

"Of course not. We're hardly--" She trailed off.

"A couple," Vanetta finished for her. "Yes, we aren't. Like I said, don't get any ideas about--all of this."

Natalie frowned for a second longer, then shook it off.

"I am the only one you let in, though," she grinned. "Aren't I?"

Vanetta narrowed her eyes. Natalie wasn't sure why she had pointed the obvious out; she hurried to move the topic to safer waters.

She did know they weren't a couple, and if Vanetta wanted to involve herself with other people, that was her choice. They weren't anything, much less exclusive. They'd only met yesterday, for heaven's sake. Yet the idea of Vanetta having other clients did bother her slightly. Maybe not full-blown jealousy, but there'd been a stirring in her chest.

Maybe she liked this girl more than she thought. She was seriously cute. Though saying so to her face might get her killed.

"Anyway," Natalie said. "About this 'menu' of yours."

7.53 - Bordello IV

"What about it?"

"Could I get more, if I asked nicely? Or is it locked in somehow? Magically, as part of how the Bordello works?"

The response took a few moments to come. "... It's not locked in." She sniffed. "But that doesn't mean it's changing for you."

"But it only goes up to a handie."

"And? Is having your cock stroked not enough for you? Ugh, you really are a pervert."

"What if I wanted something less lewd, though?"

"Less lewd?"

"More lewd would be good too," Natalie said, grinning at the girl on her lap. "But we gotta work into that. Foreplay is important."

Vanetta eyed her warily. "What do you want?"

"That's a dangerous question. What don't I want, from you?"

"You know what I meant. That's 'off the menu'. And 'less lewd'. I'm curious now."

Natalie indicated another piece of fruit, and Vanetta huffed and fed it to her. It was surprisingly intimate, being fed by another woman--especially a woman in lingerie sitting on her lap.

After chewing slower than usual, buying herself a moment to think whether she should actually ask for this, she solidified her decision. Might as well try.

"I want you to draw something for me."

Whatever Vanetta had been expecting, that wasn't it. She was visibly taken aback.

"What?"

"Feel free to say no, obviously," Natalie hurried to assure her. "I know it's a personal request. But--" She couldn't stop the smile stretching across her lips. "I really like your outfit." She picked at the lacy hem. "I want something to remember it by."

"You want me to draw myself?"

"I'd pay well?" Natalie smirked. "My team just came back from a lucrative delve. We're flush on coins. I'd be a good patron."

The brief vulnerability on Vanetta's face flicked away, replaced with amusement--as had been Natalie's intent.

"What a coincidence," she said dryly. "So did mine. Which means I'm not desperate to be paid."

"But you'll get enchanted tokens for it, too."

"For drawing myself?"

"In lingerie? It would turn me on, at least, and that's how it works, isn't it? Plus you'd be a good hostess for it--because I really want something to remember this by."

Vanetta flushed, as if she hadn't considered the long-lasting nature of Natalie's request--that doing this would mean Natalie had a lewd image of her for basically forever. She broke eye contact, looking away.

"Why?" Vanetta asked.

"Why what?"

"You could have me--doing other things, right now."

"Believe me, I will soon enough."

"Shut up. You know what I mean. You want me to draw for you? Even if it's something like that, it's just..."

"You said you like drawing. And I want something of you to keep. So it's win-win." She squeezed her by the waist. "But I know you said it's a private hobby, so seriously, no big deal if you don't want to."

Vanetta plucked a slice off the dwindling fruit tray and fed it to Natalie. It was obviously meant to buy time as she thought over the request.

"What kind of drawing?" she finally asked.

Natalie shrugged. "Something sexy. Which would be anything with you wearing that, or anything with you in general, but I mean--something deliberately sexy." She winked. "You know, that I can use for lonely nights."

"You are not implying you're going to masturbate to my drawing," she said flatly.

"Sure. I totally won't." She winked with dramatic flair.

"You--pervert," she sputtered. The next piece of fruit was shoved at her less delicately than the previous. "You're disgusting."

"Am I? You seem excited by the idea too."

"Excited? Embarrassed, if anything. Because it's weird! You're weird."

"My hostess is being mean to me, again," she lamented. "I thought courtesans were supposed to be nice?"

"Shut up. Ugh. What kind of pose, specifically?"

"You're considering it?"

"No. Maybe. There's a big mirror, so it's at least possible." She nodded in the direction of the huge wall-mirror leaning opposite the bed. "Answer me."

"Honestly, anything. Use your artistic intuition. Though even this would be nice." With her free hand, she gestured at the two of them.

"Me sitting on your lap?"

Natalie pursed her lips. "Nah, you're right, that's too tame. Something more exciting. Can I get one in the nude?"

"No."

"Lingerie is hotter, anyway." She mulled that over. "Kind of. It's hard to decide. Would a two-person pose be too difficult?"

"Depends. What pose, specifically?"

"Dunno. The lewder the better though, right? I'm sure it means more tokens. How much experience do you have drawing people, anyway?"

"I draw everything. So I'd be--fine. I'm not that good overall, don't expect too much."

It sounded like she was actually going to do this. Natalie found herself inordinately pleased. She was absolutely interested in more physical activities, but this offer felt many times more intimate. A more important victory.

She grabbed the tray from Vanetta's hands and set it aside. Making to stand, Vanetta shuffled off her lap and let her.

"I'm gonna take these off, since there's not much point," Natalie said, untying the thin string that held her lower armor on. Her top followed afterward.

Interestingly, the armor became visible the moment it separated from Natalie's body, materializing from thin air. With some fascination, she pulled her bra on and off, watching it vanish the moment it settled against her skin, then reappearing when removed.

But she had an even keener interest, right now, so she pulled Vanetta by the hand, guiding her to the edge of the bed. Sitting, she pulled the girl back onto her lap--except this time, with Natalie naked. So rather than Vanetta's ass meeting the metal cup of her armor, Vanetta's panties and thin, diaphanous dress pressed straight into her cock. Which, of course, took no time to swell to full mast, having already been half-ready from previous teasing.

She ran her hands up and down Vanetta's sides as the two of them watched the mirror--watched Natalie caress her lingerie-clad curves. When the girl's breath caught, but she didn't protest, Natalie's hands ventured closer to her breasts--and, still no objections coming, she slid them on and began to grope. She kissed the side of the girl's neck, holding her eyes through the mirror.

"Wouldn't this make for a great drawing?" she murmured.

Vanetta squirmed on her lap, unintentionally giving Natalie a good time. Lifting the girl slightly, Natalie grabbed her cock and guided it so it stuck up between Vanetta's thighs.

"But that's even better," Natalie mused, pressing her length into the other girl's stomach. "Squeeze in. Keep it there."

Vanetta, amazingly, obeyed. Her legs closed, trapping Natalie's cock as it stuck up and laid against her stomach--and her pussy. She shivered in satisfaction.

"Yeah. That's the pose. Cock between your thighs, while I'm feeling you up." Another kiss to her neck. "You don't mind if I keep myself occupied while you work, do you?"

"It'd be easier if we stayed still," Vanetta mumbled, visibly overheating by how fast things had moved.

"I have faith," she murmured. "Couldn't help myself if I wanted to, anyway. You brought what you need? Paper and pencils?"

"Charcoal and a sketch book. Yes. I keep them in my supplies. To draw before sleep, or during down time."

"I'll have to let you up to go get them," Natalie pouted.

"Yes, you will."

Lamenting her fate, however temporary, she released Vanetta--but only after feeling her up a bit more. Her cock slid out from between her thighs as she stood, and she scurried away to grab her drawing supplies.