Humble Beginnings
Searing 15th, 112th Year, AoS
Another question stemmed from Nnerka as the spider-woman asked him of his job, inquiring specifically as to what other reason brought him onto Madame Lunaria's very doorstep. The wolf's eyebrows furrowed at the question when he heard it, his eyes faltering as he recollected that very day in particular...
Sunlight bore down on the huge red building that was the establishment known as The Velvet Cabaret, the young wolf looking up at the many windows on it's exterior as people passed him by in the street. The smell of the port still clung heavy to him as his eyes faltered from where they lingered, having fallen on the entrance to the building itself as he bit his lower lip self consciously. Everything he wanted to know was waiting for him... Right beyond the threshold of those double brocaded doors. Checking the flaps of his vest with his hands, he gave out a low exhale through his nostrils before approaching it, and gave one of the doors a pull in order to slip within the premises of the establishment.
Right away the scent of burning incense and ordorous sweat assailed his nostrils, giving the wolf cause to raise his eyebrows as he peered about the main lobby beyond the foyer. Red velveteen curtains covered the windows to bar the natural lighting, while the rooms were exquisitely decorated with lounging furniture and tables set for gambling. Though activity seemed rather minimal during this time of the day, there were patrons both men and women alike pandering for their favorite courtesan. Scantily clad women walked about with feathered scarfs and embroidery on their outfits, generating suggestive themes with their breasts and thighs as they advertised themselves to those throughout the hall. The very room beyond the front desk echoed with music as gentle laughter became an ambiance from beyond, followed by a few loud whistles that were enough to cause the wolf to wince.
"Well hey there suga," A petite woman whose outfit was that of a leathery corset and shorts came around from behind, brushing a finger up along his right bicep when he looked down to gaze at her suspiciously, "like what you see?" The woman had auburn hair color tied back in a pony tail, allowing Rickter to gaze at her face and neck when she arced back a bit. Moments later his eyes traveled down from her face to her form, the wolf only able to briefly admire it before looking away in turn. "Aaawe, a shy one are we?" Rather quickly the courtesan brought that same hand up to his face, pressing only a couple of her fingers on the side of his chin, so that she turned his face back toward her while his eyes still remained averted. "Come now, there's no need to hide from me. My name's Ruby, what's your's handsome?"
He remained stiffened as his eyes avoided her altogether, not wanting to be distracted by her impressively alluring charms. The woman had confidence in her the wolf couldn't ignore, even so much as found it alluring, though he hadn't quite the audacity to entertain such frivolous inclinations at the moment. Seeing how he remained stoic even with her advances, Ruby couldn't help but lightly chuckle at him with a grin to boot. "Looking for a lady that works here." He gruffly remarked to her after, finally, after keeping silent for the minute she'd flirted with him. Ruby looked up to him with her eyebrows raised, the playful smile curving higher as she leaned closer toward him.
"Oh really? Well, look around, hun!" Ruby then gestured an arm out to the lobby itself, pointing out the many courtesans found entertaining their guests of the day. "We've many women to choose from, though I'll be sad if you don't pick me." Ruby started to play with the buttons of his vest then, running a finger down from his sternum to just above his waist, the tip traversing through the trail of hair that led down to the hemp of his breeches. The wolf's eyes moved from her finger to her then, a stern pair of blue eyes fallen on her rich red lips as her smile remained.
"A Hytori." He then added with a glance to her ears, the expression he still wore unyielding when he expressed the query. Ruby sighed then with her eyebrows lifting, gazing upon him wantingly as her hand drew back to rest at her hip next.
"You have a thing for them. I understand! Really."
"That'll do Ruby," Another voice weighed in as the one who carried it approached, the somewhat melodic tone matched by a finely dressed woman whose curves were accentuated by her dark flowing dress. She looked to be a bit on the heavier side than some of her fellow courtesans, but it was the sharply pointed ears that drew the wolf's attention to her quickly. The courtesan she dismissed curtsied to him and the Hytori woman, her eyes quickly appraising him as she held a clipboard to her side. "So, you looking for a particular Hytori, or just invested in renting one for a bit?"
"Neither." The response brought the new lady to raise her eyebrows at him, the top corner of her lip puckered a little before she broke into a grin.
"I'm sorry, if you're not here to pay me for sex, then why the hell are you even in my cabaret?" Now it was Rickter's turn to raise an eyebrow, a suspecting gaze now on the Hytori as he brought his arms up to cross them.
"You run this place?" To that the woman nodded, her lips puckering once again as though the observation was too obvious, so much in fact that it might've actually pained her on the inside.
"Something I can do for you? Or you just here to oggle at my clientele and whores?"
"I'm wondering if you knew someone who worked here years ago..." The statement led her to look at him, lost and certainly dumbfounded by the admittance. "A woman who worked here? She might've been a Rathari, and..." Now it was all making sense to her, a sudden smile beaming up at him as the Hytori looked to him rather sweetly. It was very disconcerting for the wolf, seeing as how she'd seemed annoyed by him just moments ago.
"Ooooh, how precious this is!" Somehow she giggled aloud and a couple of her spectating courtesans chirped in, leading the wolf to glance about nervously as the lady herself leaned with her free hand on her hip as well. "I know exactly who you are, my my what a treat you've become." In sharing this the Hytori used her clipboard to lift one of the flap's of his vest, eyeing the firm muscles found along his abdomen before he tucked to pull away. "Hm, well, certainly could do with some work though. What's your name?"
"...Rickter..." He shared gruffly with the stern expression still present, which somehow caused the woman to fuss eagerly over him before padding him on the arm.
"Oooo, I just love this whole candor you have! Strong but silent, good-looking man with a bad attitude. You say you wanted to find a Hytori earlier, well it just so happens that I'm your Hytori!" The burly woman gave a bow to him almost in a mocking manner, her lips curved deviously when she straightened back out to eye him once more. "You must have a lot of questions Rickter. Why don't we go to my office for a bit, I'm sure I can answer all of them there." With a turn of her back to him the Hytori looked to Rickter with a nod to follow, sauntering her way toward a set of doors on the western end of the main lobby. Though he remained apprehensive about it, the wolf did as prompted and walked behind her in turn, following the Hytori into a hallway that stretched incredibly far with a lot of doors; and even a couple of stairwells on each end of the wing.
Before too long the Hytori led him into a room beyond a backstage area, where performers scrambled to prep for their next bit as she yelled to them "Break a leg!" in their passing. When they finally reached the door to her alleged office, she turned to look at Rickter once more, her intense gaze still merged with the delighted sound of chuckles before she opened the way to enter. "Come now, come come!" The urges were met with a few waves of her hand, ushering the wolf to step inside with her closing the door behind them.
Right away the scent of burning incense and ordorous sweat assailed his nostrils, giving the wolf cause to raise his eyebrows as he peered about the main lobby beyond the foyer. Red velveteen curtains covered the windows to bar the natural lighting, while the rooms were exquisitely decorated with lounging furniture and tables set for gambling. Though activity seemed rather minimal during this time of the day, there were patrons both men and women alike pandering for their favorite courtesan. Scantily clad women walked about with feathered scarfs and embroidery on their outfits, generating suggestive themes with their breasts and thighs as they advertised themselves to those throughout the hall. The very room beyond the front desk echoed with music as gentle laughter became an ambiance from beyond, followed by a few loud whistles that were enough to cause the wolf to wince.
"Well hey there suga," A petite woman whose outfit was that of a leathery corset and shorts came around from behind, brushing a finger up along his right bicep when he looked down to gaze at her suspiciously, "like what you see?" The woman had auburn hair color tied back in a pony tail, allowing Rickter to gaze at her face and neck when she arced back a bit. Moments later his eyes traveled down from her face to her form, the wolf only able to briefly admire it before looking away in turn. "Aaawe, a shy one are we?" Rather quickly the courtesan brought that same hand up to his face, pressing only a couple of her fingers on the side of his chin, so that she turned his face back toward her while his eyes still remained averted. "Come now, there's no need to hide from me. My name's Ruby, what's your's handsome?"
He remained stiffened as his eyes avoided her altogether, not wanting to be distracted by her impressively alluring charms. The woman had confidence in her the wolf couldn't ignore, even so much as found it alluring, though he hadn't quite the audacity to entertain such frivolous inclinations at the moment. Seeing how he remained stoic even with her advances, Ruby couldn't help but lightly chuckle at him with a grin to boot. "Looking for a lady that works here." He gruffly remarked to her after, finally, after keeping silent for the minute she'd flirted with him. Ruby looked up to him with her eyebrows raised, the playful smile curving higher as she leaned closer toward him.
"Oh really? Well, look around, hun!" Ruby then gestured an arm out to the lobby itself, pointing out the many courtesans found entertaining their guests of the day. "We've many women to choose from, though I'll be sad if you don't pick me." Ruby started to play with the buttons of his vest then, running a finger down from his sternum to just above his waist, the tip traversing through the trail of hair that led down to the hemp of his breeches. The wolf's eyes moved from her finger to her then, a stern pair of blue eyes fallen on her rich red lips as her smile remained.
"A Hytori." He then added with a glance to her ears, the expression he still wore unyielding when he expressed the query. Ruby sighed then with her eyebrows lifting, gazing upon him wantingly as her hand drew back to rest at her hip next.
"You have a thing for them. I understand! Really."
"That'll do Ruby," Another voice weighed in as the one who carried it approached, the somewhat melodic tone matched by a finely dressed woman whose curves were accentuated by her dark flowing dress. She looked to be a bit on the heavier side than some of her fellow courtesans, but it was the sharply pointed ears that drew the wolf's attention to her quickly. The courtesan she dismissed curtsied to him and the Hytori woman, her eyes quickly appraising him as she held a clipboard to her side. "So, you looking for a particular Hytori, or just invested in renting one for a bit?"
"Neither." The response brought the new lady to raise her eyebrows at him, the top corner of her lip puckered a little before she broke into a grin.
"I'm sorry, if you're not here to pay me for sex, then why the hell are you even in my cabaret?" Now it was Rickter's turn to raise an eyebrow, a suspecting gaze now on the Hytori as he brought his arms up to cross them.
"You run this place?" To that the woman nodded, her lips puckering once again as though the observation was too obvious, so much in fact that it might've actually pained her on the inside.
"Something I can do for you? Or you just here to oggle at my clientele and whores?"
"I'm wondering if you knew someone who worked here years ago..." The statement led her to look at him, lost and certainly dumbfounded by the admittance. "A woman who worked here? She might've been a Rathari, and..." Now it was all making sense to her, a sudden smile beaming up at him as the Hytori looked to him rather sweetly. It was very disconcerting for the wolf, seeing as how she'd seemed annoyed by him just moments ago.
"Ooooh, how precious this is!" Somehow she giggled aloud and a couple of her spectating courtesans chirped in, leading the wolf to glance about nervously as the lady herself leaned with her free hand on her hip as well. "I know exactly who you are, my my what a treat you've become." In sharing this the Hytori used her clipboard to lift one of the flap's of his vest, eyeing the firm muscles found along his abdomen before he tucked to pull away. "Hm, well, certainly could do with some work though. What's your name?"
"...Rickter..." He shared gruffly with the stern expression still present, which somehow caused the woman to fuss eagerly over him before padding him on the arm.
"Oooo, I just love this whole candor you have! Strong but silent, good-looking man with a bad attitude. You say you wanted to find a Hytori earlier, well it just so happens that I'm your Hytori!" The burly woman gave a bow to him almost in a mocking manner, her lips curved deviously when she straightened back out to eye him once more. "You must have a lot of questions Rickter. Why don't we go to my office for a bit, I'm sure I can answer all of them there." With a turn of her back to him the Hytori looked to Rickter with a nod to follow, sauntering her way toward a set of doors on the western end of the main lobby. Though he remained apprehensive about it, the wolf did as prompted and walked behind her in turn, following the Hytori into a hallway that stretched incredibly far with a lot of doors; and even a couple of stairwells on each end of the wing.
Before too long the Hytori led him into a room beyond a backstage area, where performers scrambled to prep for their next bit as she yelled to them "Break a leg!" in their passing. When they finally reached the door to her alleged office, she turned to look at Rickter once more, her intense gaze still merged with the delighted sound of chuckles before she opened the way to enter. "Come now, come come!" The urges were met with a few waves of her hand, ushering the wolf to step inside with her closing the door behind them.
"Every side attacks you, when you don't take sides."
