The Hard Sell Ch. 01

Warning: This story is merely an introduction towards some of the main characters, the purpose of the establishment they work in and the setting environment. There will be no NSFW material starting off, but in later chapters will provide said actions. I would still recommend reading this in order to understand what is happening, just so there is no confusion behind later details.

Thank you and I hope you enjoy~!

*****

Genevieve watched the carriage make its way into the front courtyard, her body fidgeting with a nervous energy while her gaze remained set and facing forward. She shouldn't be nervous about this. Hells, being nervous was never shown in her race at all. And yet, she knew that if this settlement went through, big changes would occur within everyone's lifestyle.

A large shape shifted beside her, her pale white gaze flicking up to the large green-skinned man wearing a worn out apron over casual clothes. Rozuk, as calm as ever, looked down to her and grinned behind thick tusks and a coat of dark gray hair. He was an orc, so one would assume he was the large and burly dangerous types that raided villages and pillaged it for their goods, keeping some folks for entertainment as well. This one, however, was one of the few who lived within cities and made a living through a career. Still, it was a stereotype that couldn't be broken easily, and Rozuk was subject to such stereotypes.

"It's alright, ma'am. Everything is set, we have the boys ready to play their role. Madaf even made sure our little cleaning trio was on the other side of the inn so they wouldn't be seen."

Genevieve sighed, nodding to herself. "Right, yes. Good call on that one. Still, what if this doesn't fall through? We could get in trouble. Hells, the person arriving could already hate us for... you know? Not being human.?"

"Or elf.", Rozuk responded. He tilted his head to the side while examining Genevieve. "Well, a lighter skinned elf."

Genevieve mumbled, acknowledging the predicament. She was a drow, or in some places a dark elf. White hair trimmed into a marilyn cut, showing dagger-like ears beneath them. She had onyx skin that was reminiscent of the shadowy dark landscape she used to live in. She wore a tailored vest that hugged her upper body, concealing the white button-up beneath that covered her modest chest perfectly. Her legs were hidden in a pair of black slacks as well, the length a bit short to reveal her ankles hugged within sharp, high heels that glitter in the dying sunlight. Prestigious, beautiful, it was something many elven species shared with one another.

"So you see my point? What if he's the type that just hates seeing us? He could report back to the kingdom, say we're housing criminals or some shit. Next thing you know we're being run out of here." She watched the carriage circle around, getting closer to their destination. At this point, Rozuk adjusted himself while his eyes caught onto something.

"Then we go for plan B.", he responded, the carriage pulling to a stop before the both of them. The coachman, an older man with what appeared to be two large brown ears sticking from the top of his head, called out as his horses drew to a stop. A shape shifted from behind the window, just as Rozuk responded, "We show her a good time."

Genevieve straightened her back. The carriage door opened to reveal a woman in a similar attire to hers, though her outfit shared down cold trimming that danced across her shoulders and waist-line of a pencil skirt. Her skin was a bronze coloration, her hair tied in a small golden bun over her head. Crooked glasses were quickly adjusted over a heart shaped face, the newcomer's eyes a bright green as six inch long ears flicked on each side of her head.

"I apologize for the late arrival! My name is Casper, and I'm here to review the business proposal you had for the City of Cherrywater, under the orders and watch of the Sheertow family. It's a pleasure to meet you, Madame Sha-."

"Genevieve!," she had interrupted the client, raising a hand to her quickly, "Just Miss or Lady Genevieve! I try not to get involved with my last name."

Rozuk huffed amusingly beside her as Casper reached up, taking her hand. "I... I see. My apologies, I wasn't aware, uhm..." Her attention went to the orc standing in front of her, something that Genevieve caught onto instantly.

"She's attracted to him... well, stunned mostly.", she thought. It was a skill of hers, a way to examine who was into her. She noted how the inspector's posture had changed suddenly, her back straightened while her gaze went up to examine his chest, which he had the buttons to his shirt open due to the warm weather. Rozuk looked down, smiling as he raised his own hand. "Pleasure to meet you ma'am. Call me Rozuk."

"It's nice to meet you~!" Casper responded, smiling as she took his hand in hers. Those long ears had turned a shade of red near the tips, her voice filled with a hint of nervousness. "I read the report given to me. You're one of the workers here, the chef if I remember correctly?" At his nod, her smile relaxed a bit before her attention turned to Genevieve. "I can certainly tell this is going to be an interesting business. Mind if we start the tour?"

With a wave of her hand, Genevieve guided Casper to follow her and Rozuk to the building; a two story manor that was decorated with several vines and rustic timber wood used to make the frame. The walls itself were painted over in a dull gray coloration, the windows tinted yellow so the light glowing within gave a heavenly luminescence. It didn't seem like much as Rozuk opened one of the double doors to the entrance, allowing the ladies to enter the front waiting area.

"Welcome to the Hard Sell!"

*****

The inn was rather... dull, Casper had noted. The carpet was a nice royal red coloration, but the main area didn't really have any decorations along the walls. There were some lavish sofas and some small tables in the center of the, but anything of significance was the front desk that was stacked with papers. Miss Genevieve walked over to it, raising a clipboard to her with a paper and signature on it. "As you can see, we have a few documents that need to be organized, but that's for another time. Signing this, you've registered yourself as a patron for a night in the inn, and consent to the following agreements." Casper took it, reviewing the words, charges and rules of the business.

"Welcome to the Hard Sell. By signing your signature here, you have agreed to the following:

- By entering the establishment, you agree to treating the staff with respect, and will not disrupt their work activities. You will not touch them during their activities without their consent either.

- Kissing costs after two minutes.

- If you have a partner and you wish to start a group session, be sure to ask the staff member first if they would be interested in joining.

- Any activities involving racism, bigotry or any sort of aggression outside of sexual activities will result in an arrest and banishment from the tavern.

- If you wish to involve yourself in sexual activities involving pain, you and your chosen partner or partners must sign a written consent form showing you were consensually involved in such activities. We will check in every hour to see if you and your companions are alright. No response from all party members will lead to forced entry.

- No member under eighteen is allowed within the establishment. False identity will lead to banishment.

- Drink responsibly. Any drunken activity that results in interrupting shows or sessions, or discomforting the other guests, will result in you being kicked from the brothel for a week.

More rules will be added when needed.

"These rules seem rather fair. I am curious, how many staff members do you currently have here?" Casper was still looking through the rules, trying to figure out if there were any issues as she followed Genevieve to the main lounging area. The dark elf turned to smile at her, her interest in the establishment seemed to please her.

"Well, not too many. Two part-timers who come in when they're most available or in town. We have ten other staff members who work full-time, not including myself. Though some of them are currently out gathering supplies. To help figure out who's into what, we have a menu for it." Genevieve reached into her tunic, pulling out a small pamphlet for Casper to read right as they reached the main lounge. The space was large enough to hold entire banquet parties with tables decorating the main floor and a bar aligning the back. Taking most of the space on the opposite end was a larger performance stage that had silk sheets hanging from the rafters above it.

Casper could see that someone was moving within them, a blue shape that twisted and swayed with the movement of the silk. Short black hair decorated the top of his head, which was surrounded by a pair of blue horns laced in purple metallic paint. He wore a white leotard as well with purple patterns swirling around it, taking the shapes of sparkling flowers as he moved in the lantern light, a leg getting caught up high while he leaned backward towards the stage, his bright golden eyes catching their arrival. The dancer grinned, his canines gleaming as a tail whipped excitedly behind him, the end spaded into a heart shaped point. "Oh, hellos Genie!"

"Kareus, I see you're still practicing." Genevieve smiled, turning to the inspector. "Miss Casper, this is our main performer, Kareus. He comes from the desert region east of here, and is known for being an incredible tiefling dancer. Folks in his region call him, "The Lapis Spark."" Kareus twisted in his sheets, spinning as he lowered himself to the floor before taking a leap and landing smoothly before them on stage. He took a bow towards Casper. "As you can see, he's very skilled."

Casper nodded. A performer would be useful in this business, especially a famous one. "I've never seen an aerial silk performance before. It's not something you come across here in the city, so I'd assume it'd gain a lot of attention." Genvieve nodded as Kareus decided to hop down from the stage, brushing his hair back. "Yep! Genie thinks it would be unique for the brothel. And I would love to share my abilities with strangers outside of home!" His words were a bit odd to say the least. Casper had noticed that he had a bit of an accent, his words being pronounced much more enthusiastically than what she's used to.

"Common isn't his first language.", Genevieve noted. Casper turned to her, surprised that she had managed to catch on to her confusion. "Or at least, he has a more eastern accent compared to us. So he tends to speak a bit differently, but in a way where you can still understand him." Kareus would nod at this, moseying up to Casper to lean against her side. He was a size shorter than her, and she couldn't help but think he was rather cute with how he grinned up at her. "So's are you the inspector? This place is very homey! I think you might like it, or do you have to fuck someone to determine whether it's good or not?"

Casper blushed heavily at that question, taking a step back while Genevieve reached over to flick Kareus on the forehead. "Take that type of chatter somewhere else, you little miscreant. Of course she won't be having sex with anyone here." She paused, turning back to Casper. "Unless that is a requirement. I mean, this place is an inn AND a brothel. How can you rate the service here without experiencing everything we have to offer?" Her question left Casper flustered. She wasn't wrong! Far from it! And yet, this was a professional inspection.

She couldn't... she shouldn't...

"Maybe we should discuss this later. Maybe during the meal Rozuk is preparing for us." Genevieve nodded over to the bar, and it was then Casper realized that the orc had moved away from the group. He must have disappeared into the kitchen, which left her amazed at how quiet he can be for his size. "Uh, yeah. We'll cross that idea later."

They waved Kareus goodbye, the tiefling going back to practicing his next performance while Genevieve led the way. The tour led them down the main hall, where Genevieve raised a hand to the several doors lining the hallway. "You can see that we have rooms for the guests to pick out. The lower rooms are for the ones who need a place to rest, while the upper floors are more for the wealthier types and our own staff. Some of them aren't able to afford a good home around here, so we provide them a place to stay."

"That's rather kind of you. I mean, it's something I would certainly expect." Casper nodded, noticing that when they reached the stairs there was a set not only going up, but down as well. "I wasn't informed there was a lower floor as well. Was there a reason for this to be secluded from the form you handed to us?" Genevieve seemed to pause a moment, then turned to the high elf. Her face was drawn into some concern.

"We are trying to start up a male only brothel, Miss Casper. It's a rather difficult business, especially considering the fact that our main audience, for now, are women and men. We're bound to attract some unwanted attention, especially with our "side project," so we have a dungeon for any self-entitled or aggressive folks. I'm sure you know what I am referring to?"

"An integration program. Your goal is to accommodate others with the lifestyle of anyone who appears... well, less human." Casper had read the files, an idea she found intriguing. Genevieve nodded, her attention turning back to the stairwell while Casper continued. "It's true, stereotypes these days have drawn some rather aggressive appearances towards anyone who doesn't live in large communities. Beastfolk are seen as animals, orcs are seen as sex hungry savages. It was something that drew Sheertow's family attention."

Genevieve led her upstairs as she listened. "They thought your proposal was something that would be handy for the community. Cherrywater is dead center on the continent's map, having access to the most trade routes, resources and people. The duchess specifically thought it would be useful to understand the lifestyles of the people outside of here... which is why, if I find this business suited as a successful establishment, we'd like to propose an offer." The moment they reached the top of the stairs, Genevieve reached a hand out to grab Casper by the collar, startling her before she forced her back to the wall with incredible strength.

"If this "proposal" involves hurting others, you should leave now. 'Cause if this involves enslavement, pillaging or anything that will affect-"

"N-NO! No, nothing like that! We want to help!" Casper shouted, stunned by the sudden aggression Genevieve was showing. Her hands were raised innocently as the drow eyed her, checking for any signs of ill-intent. "There's a lot of activity in this city, criminal activity, that involves slavery or force of another being, all because they're different. We also have a history of finding lost individuals from outside tribes causing havoc here, and in most cases they were killed. We were hoping you'd be willing to help them!"

Genevieve still held her against the wall. After a minute, her grip loosened and she slowly drew herself away from Casper. The inspector continued, "Your business involves the integration of other races. We believe that since this is an environment where people are more exposed, people would be more comfortable to listen or meet someone that they're not familiar with. Plus, it would be a nice shelter for those who are lost, or are free from being held as a prisoner." Casper breathed out, brushing her shirt as she looked up towards Genevieve. "We understand that this place is meant to be a home. And the noble family would be happy to place this establishment under their protection... if it suits the expectations."

The owner of the establishment simply stared at her, but slowly that aggression seemed to wane a bit. She sighed aloud, her hand coming to rub the wrist that pinned her. "I'm... I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." She took a step back, giving Casper some space now as she started to walk down the hall again. She followed, keening her head forward to listen to her. "I come from a very prestigious city. They saw everyone different as a threat, and well... discrimination was abundant. It hurt a friend of mine one time. So we ran off, and since then every city or small town I've been to has treated me, well, poorly would be an understatement. So from those experiences, I'm very protective of my staff. And anyone who is different from human, or elf, or anything that just just has the basic human appearance." She would nod in understanding, having been the subject to similar behaviors in town. Though, the dark elves were far different than her kind, having been viewed as superior and dangerous sadists. And it would appear that the stories of people entering their territory and never leaving was correct.

"So... you protect them. I think that would check you off as a responsible inn owner. And a reliable one." Miss Genevieve turned nod weaky to her, a hand reaching to brush her hair back. "Thank you."

The tour continued, and Casper took note of the rooms that drew her attention. The staff seemed to have their own private corridor for them to rest in, with Genevieves being on the very end. They also, surprisingly, had a library on the upper floor as well, where she met another staff member organizing the shelves. He was clearly a halfling, three foot five in height with a mop of reddish brown hair and large ears that flicked with their arrival. He turned to see them, and Casper noted that the man seemed annoyed. Genevieve chimed in, "Andaf, sweetie, is everything alright?"

"The trio just came by to clean the library. Next thing you know, several of the books fell off the shelf!" Andaf, as he was named, hopped down the ladder before he walked towards them. "I was rushing to clean this place up before you two arrived. I swear, you need to put them on a leash. Those goblins can be a handful sometimes."

Casper was startled, her attention turning to the owner. "Goblins? You have goblins working in this establishment?"

"Three of them, all of them outcasts from separate tribes. They used to run amuck in the city here before I found them raiding my pantry. Now, they work as our cleaning service in exchange for food and shelter." Genevieve's gaze went to the ceiling as she started to count off on her hand. "You've met Kareus, Andaf and Rozuk. You know of the goblins. The ones who are out currently are Madaf, Estelin and Balron."

They continued on with the tour while Genevieve explained, "Balron used to own a tavern outside of town, "Drinkers Trinkets." A terrible name, if you ask me. Anyways, when his business was doing poorly I asked him to work for mine, while also giving him ownership of the bar. He had a list of contacts with suppliers, so he was also able to provide the goods we needed for the shop. Only issue is, he needs a stool to stand up on when bartending! You know, cause he's a dwarf?" She nodded, taking the stairs down with Genevieve before they turned down the next corridor.

"Our largest staff member is Estelin. He's a highland minotaur from the north, with a bit of a unique talent. He's strong, and makes for good security. But when he's not a bouncer he's an artist." They reached a hallway that showed a wide open window to the back garden, which left Casper breathless. There were vases and pots decorated with several plants, but the paintings on them showed a vivid coloration of shapes and splotches. Some of the bushes were also shaped differently, some shaped to be people interacting with one another through intimacy. That left Casper a bit red in the face. "This is rather gratuitous, don't you think?"

"Romance is what he specializes in. He can do other pieces of art that are more affectionate, but he's a professional at anything erotic. The odd part is though, Estelin is a bit special. He doesn't really show any emotions. We don't even know if he's even capable of doing so. So we question how he can make such beautiful artwork without getting hard doing so."

They looked at each other before falling into a fit of giggles. Genevieve covered her mouth to stifle it as much as possible while they moved closer to the entrance again. "Anyways, over on our left, we have a bathing area too. Really, it's just a public hot spring. We're also looking to hire a masseuse in the future too, but we're having difficulty finding one that isn't a massive pervert." Cherrywater was located close to a dormant volcano, so having your establishment built on top of a hot spring certainly was useful. "Anyways, then we have my closest friend, Madaf. He mostly handles the forms and bills in this place. He's better at managing it than I am."

"Is he also a unique race? I noticed all the staff here are different. It helps spread the diversity a bit." Casper noted, just as they finally reached the main entrance again. The halls had looped around, making it simple for someone not to get lost in. Genevieve shook her head, "He's human... but he's special. To me, anyway."

Casper could easily see the dark elves' cheeks turn a shade of purple, understanding the relationship a bit more. The owner looked back towards the lounge, seeing Rozuk move some plates onto the floor with Kareus helping him out. "I think dinner is ready. Shall we dine in?"

"Hold on," Casper paused, remembering something Genevieve had said earlier. "You mentioned that there were ten members here, not including yourself. You only spoke about nine of them... who's the tenth?"

The drow turned, and a sense of unease washed over Casper as she saw Miss Genevieve smile something... mischievous.

"That would be our guard dog. I'll introduce you to them later..."

*****

To be Continued....