Trying to whistle softly, and utterly failing, Lord Pendleton Algernon Tellish made a grand display of his entrance into Ame Corrumpue Manor with the grin of a man in antiipation. Wearing what he considered 'street clothes' which consisted of polished beltbuckle shoes, black sued breeches, over velvet, a white poet's shirt over which was worn a red surcoat to make Captain Hook cringe. Wheat blonde curls were pulled back and out of sight; a tricorn hat finishing out the entire display. To him it looked and felt like commoner rags, he just assumed the laughter which followed him through town meant it was working. The soft pads of his left hand lighlty touch on the engraved handle of a sword-cane as he offered a nod to the red-haired fellow all ready sitting in the foyer. Tipping his hat, he moved to the lounge and awaited dear, sweet...Lyre.

Jamie Kilner finally stepped into view far down the hall, her black hair looking a bit tussled. She wore a long, hot pink, fuzzy bathrobe with heeled slippers and had in tow a young, dark-haired elven woman in a short, red dress with matching stockings and heels who seemed to be positively glowing. The tall demoness smirked briefly as she and her diminutive, by comparison, escort stepped up to Lord Pendleton.

"Ah, I see you've arrived in time... and...." Her gaze slid elsewhere. "So did someone else...."

As the madame of the house approached Lord Pendleton, or "Penny" as some of his friends had taken to calling him, removed his hat and offered her a respectful smile. "You should know by now Madame Kilner, I always make my appointments." His gaze slipped to Lyre and there was the faintest softening at the edges for the elven maiden. He woudn't dare say to her the things he wished in front of her employer.

With the comment on another arriving his mind went back to the fellow waiting in the foyer. "There's a rather fetching man sitting close to the main door, I take it you're expecting him?"

Penny asked the question out of curiosity more than any true desire to enter into Lady Kilner's affairs, It was the positively hardest thing to keep his eyes off of Lyre. While there were evenings he couldn't be sure if she reciprocated his feelings, others left him absolutely hopeful.

Jamie frowned briefly. "In a way, but that's no concern of yours." She ushered both the Lord and Lyre down the hall toward the stairs, and Lyre took the lead from there. Jamie gave one last, brief look toward the man seated by the door, pulled down an eyelid and stuck out her tongue before disappearing from sight down another hall.

At the little antics from the demoness the celestial did the one thing he knew just might shock her. He lifted the hem of his robes to reveal the one thing on him that could be called 'ungodly'. The thing wasn't even semi-erect. The entire time his ear was turned elsewhere.

Jamie couldn't see what was already out of her sight, but she'd likely not think much of it. She'd seen all sorts.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Lyre led Lord Penny to a familiar room, fitted a key into the door, and pushed it open. Turning to face him, she smiled and pulled him in.

"So Penny, how've you been?" she asked in that familiar elven accent.

"Well enough I think." The words were truthful but there remained a light tightness around his features hinting at a man with troubles one in his station shouldn't have.

Lyre nodded, pushing the door shut behind Penny and then sat on her bed which was currently immaculately made. She eyed it a moment with a hint of curiosity, as if remembering it differently. Nevertheless, she leaned back in her usual, seductive pose, inviting Penny to be seated next to her.

"Well, you do look well. So, Penny, what will it be today?"

With a cough he propped his cane against an empty chair and removed the red coatas he watched her pose that had his pulse skipping before his clothes were even off! "I feel like something new...what would you like?"

Normally he offered the usual things or just went straight into it. That he put her first could seem highly unusual as he slipped off the buckled shoes and moved to seat himself next to her. The family knew of his trips to the Manor, but they couldn't have any idea at what he wanted to bring back with him the most. His father all ready had one foot in the grave, his heart's one desire might well throw the man into that waiting pit.

Lyre arched a brow at Penny. Such a request was usually unheard of. One only really heard "what would you like" from the shy newbies to establishments like this, not an assertive regular customer like this man. It was... unexpected.

She looked around, trying to maintain her composure then she lied back along the bed even further. "Why don't you ravish me like you always do, but with a bit more attention to other areas?"

Arching a golden brow he offered a truly deviant grin as he rolls to lean himself partially over her, one arm across her stomach to set his face inches from her own. "You're the professional...Lyre, dear. You'll make sure I hit all the right notes, I think."

With that he was upon her. Fingers grip into the firmness of her breath with a strength hidden by his royal airs; the hollow of his palm twisting to catch the pert nipple when it hardens. But it was his eyes that looked upon her ageless features expectantly. No matter how many times they'd danced, he treated each like the first; incorporating every new secret pleasure into the next trip onto the floor.

Lyre smirked and nodded, letting the fabric slip with his probing fingers. Something seemed a bit different about him today, as though he was nervous about something, but she couldn't place it. Nevertheless, she'd had experience with all sorts of different men and some of them could have barely said a word to her, so he wasn't that far gone. She let out pleasurable little gasps as his hands roamed. Her own arms entwined around his shoulders, pulling him close.

Following her lead as much as he led, Penny shifted more of himself above her. Balanced at his knees, an industrious free hand followed the curve of her side south along Lyre's hip to disappear beneath the hem of her red dress.

Despire the nervousness he poured it into each touch and kiss, though he avoided her lips. His open mouthed affections brushing across her neck, jaw, and ear. Per her request, he held back from going straight to the thick of what brought him to her every time. His fingers trace the lines of her cleft, like some explorer following engravings on an ancient treasure.

One of her legs angled upward at the knee off the side of his legs as she settled underneath him, feeling his lips travel along her jawline. Her soft gasps let him know that he was going in the right direction. A hand traveled along the side of his face, rubbing it in an almost loving caress. It was odd, but she almost sensed that he seemed to genuinely care for her. She'd heard of men falling in love with her fellow employees, but they were usually only rumors.

She wondered....

If only she knew the thoughts running over each other within his mind at that familiar caress. Teeth brush against her neck and graze down to the hollow of her throat as his delicate fingers continued to trace her folds. Penny himself wasn't sure what it was he felt. Of all the girls in the Manor, Lyre was the one he came back to again and again. Like a moth to a flame. He was still more than willing to see where the path went.

Slowly he started to slide down her willowy frame. Still wearing that deviant smile only she could bring to his lips he lowered himself down between her thighs.

Her soft moans were the only sound that filled the room and she shivered in anticipation when she realized where he was going to head with today's session. Her folds were already wet from his delicate touches. Her palm stroked across his cheek again as he lowered himself while her eyes observed him intently.

He didn't dive straight in, oh no. Penny knew better and actually inhaled deeply of her scent, making a barely noticible sound as if her musk were something intoxicating. Rather than lap like some animal at a trough he watched her face as the soft tip of his tongue resumed what his fingers had started. With his mouth busy, his hands drug their nails across her thighs to cup her shapely derrier.

Her gasp was loud with the initial sensation but then relaxed as she regained familiarity. One hand clenched at the bedsheets while the other continued its tender caress of his cheek. Her eyes closed shut while his tongue explored her soft folds. Ah, how many times she had done this and it never ceased to catch her off guard.

Lips seal over her petals so he can suckle at her folds as his hands lift and part her buttocks. Despite this his eyes remain on her face, with ears focused on every sound she makes. Ignoring the throbbing want between his own legs, Penny is dialed in completely upon this wild elf.

The strokes of his tongue continuously switch between broad laps with the flat, light flips against the moist center, and completely pushing the tip within as far as it can reach. That pink muscle getting in a complete work out as his thumbs creep closer to the puckered center of her backside.

Lyre cried out as ecstatic sensations overcame her. Usually she was used to him just inserting himself per usual missionary, but this time he seemed to simply be treating her. Which was odd, as it was her job to treat him. Ah, but he was paying, so he could do whatever he liked... so long as it wasn't against her mistress' rules.

A thought crossed her mind over the visit that Jamie had paid her the night prior and a wave of heat passed over her as the memory cemented itself in her mind. She groaned as she felt his tongue push in as much as he could make it, and her fluids continued to secrete readily. Oh, and those probing thumbs....

"Oh... yeah...."

Nails rest against the outter ring, spreading it just a bit. He never thought to how many men she saw in a day..week...month, nor did he really care. To him, Lyre was special. Worth taking time and not just a hole to stick his dick into. Of course he never could bring himself to ask what she thought of herself.

Easing back enough to take in her position he put his lips around the real prize. The tip of his tongue starting to swirl over the swollen pearl hidden amongst her folds, a little search at fist before recognizing the familiar knot of nerve endings.

Her lewd cries a sweet symphony as he watched happily.

Lyre shook as his venturing mouth found her clit and she cried out even more. Both hands gripped at her sheets as the sensation from it overtook her. Voice reverberating from the walls just as it did hours before when Jamie had been here, she was lost in bliss. She was curious why she had been getting this special attention from her mistress and now Penny, but all curiosity about that was promptly banished from her mind.

All it took was a few teasing licks from his tongue when finally she released her fluids and cried out in climax. Her gasps filled the room after as she reclaimed her breath. The Lord was no stranger to treating a woman well, that she could attest to.

Right at the point of her release he plunged both thumbs clear to the first knuckle within the tight encasement of her sphincter. As her climax coated his tongue, Penny smiled inwardly as he continued his ministrations, now licking up every trace of her climax.

Once he was sure of his task Penny drew back from her and stood to undo lacings of his breeches. "I think I could've done a little better, but that's just my opinio, Lyre. I'll take your cum for a counter argument..."

The words teasing as he removed his shirt to let it fall to the floor leaving him bared from the waist up. He wasn't an overly athletic man, but his build was sinewy and lithe like a sapling. Masculinity was there, but it hid beneath the scented oils and powdersof a man surrounded by pomp and circumstance.

She looked at him with a faint smile and chuckled. She reached up and rubbed his chest softly and smirked. "You did great."

That smirk became a deep smile.

"Well then...let's see if we can't keep that trent, shall we?" With that smile from her how could he not return it in kind? Stepping forward he finished the last lacing of his breeches, letting them fall so his hardened manhood coud hang free.

She looked down at his hanging shaft and grinned impishly. She settled back on the bed, hands moving over his chest and stomach. She'd let him guide or suggest where he wanted to go next. Occasionally she'd toy at his waist with a soft tickle.

He can do nothing but laugh and shake his head at the soft tickles along his waist. Leaning over her, crown poised to enter he looked upon Lyre, still wearing that soft smile. "You ever consider doing anything but what you do here?"

It was a question he hadn't been able to bring himself to ask...until now.

Lyre blinked at the question, finding it rather unexpected. She craned her head to the side to think and stroked her chin. She ignored the scents and sights around her briefly.

"Well, I'm particularly good at dancing. We have the stage downstairs for that. If you want to see, then I suppose we could go down there."

"I think I'd like to see you dance..." Though his movements weren't away to let her get up. He lowered his hips and shoved, intent to make himself stand out amongst her partners. Though he'd seen some that left his mind boggling.

As a being of multiple domains Druid remained seated on his plush bench in the foyer as his attention remained elsewhere in the house. Humming softly to himself, long fingers idly pluck at an odd instrument. Its base, resting on the floor by his left foot, supported itself with a built in stand. An irrediscent bridge anchors six golden strings into place across an hourglass shaped sound box. His right foot rests comfortably on the bench seat, raised knee acting as support for the same side hand that grips the stock. His idle strokes produce a haunting melody that gently drifts from his location to a few yards into the house.

A few of the working girls had passed by on their trips throughout the house, each offering curious looks; as well as more expected expressions at what they thought was merely a musician stopping for a visit. As Penny worked up his courage to ask of Lyre he wanted most, Druid felt the itch that the two weren't in complete privacy and a smile found its way onto his mask. A caramel skinned beauty mistook the timing of his smile as an invitation and moved to sit next to him on the bench. Muscular, but gentle, she put her chin on his shoulder so his arm brushed the proud swells of her breasts while he played.

"You play beautifully, m'Lord..." she whispered in a husky, velvet tone in his ear.

He turned to look at her, drawing her deeply within his gaze of eons...and smiled again. Still nothing said while playing the strange instrument and its haunting, yet uplifting, chords. Within a few breaths she was swaying softly to the music, unaware of the spell being spun. Continuing to play, he sent forth a projection into a crystal ball, his features filling its surface as though through a fish-eye lense.

For one so confident, you need to spy? Incredibly amused, the celestial looked upon Jamie and her thick endowments. Come madame, where's your certainty of three days past?

With his image came the hauntinlgy uplifting melody of the instrument in his hands. A minor display of just how much a pain in her ass he is capable of being.

You're just upset because I interrupted the show at the climax. Almost chipper at her ire, Druid's mask broke into a broad grin. Slowly the scrying ball would lift into the air so he could look Jamie in the eyes as though deliberately taking his time to follow the red mountain of flesh.

However, I'm not in your ball. Merely a projection dear. I'm still where you last saw me, though several of your girls seem to have gathered here to listen to me play. Perhaps if I"m feeling generous I"ll let them handle my stock.. Laughing gently the ball goes dark, falling from the air. With his disappearance the same haunting music stops. It's arcane aura lingering for just a second.

His masked features wear an amused grin with the knowledge at how much of a nerve he struck with Jamie. A full understanding of what could lay ahead if this gambit failed wasn't far from his thoughts. Fingers still work along the stock of his dulcimer as the small gathering listens intently to the light tune. The old man looks from each entranced face before patron and working girl alike slowly drift off on their business.

At his side remains the same woman who first met him shortly after the music began. The paleness of her cheek resting comfortably against his shoulder, Druid mused idly before leaning over and whispering in her ear. After a low murmur she offers a soft nod and lowers her head into his lap. Gently stroking the back of her head, he watched her part the folds of his robes. You work for me now... he thought to himself watching her lips stretch wide.

The hue of his eyes glitter faintly as he goes back to watching Penny and Lyre....and Jamie. This game was only just beginning the Abyssal would find.

?You?re awfully quiet, Penny. Something you want to tell me?? The words come softly as Lyre looks down at him with only the faintest wrinkles of concern creeping to the corner of each eye.

This entire day continued to be off, though she wouldn?t complain. First Jamie comes to give her a ravishing she still had trouble getting out of her mind, though a few things Penny did came close to banishing them. The Lord truly knew how to treat a lady. Moving to straddle his hips, her eyes look upon him expectantly as she knew how he loved to talk.

No response comes at first as his hand traces the soft line of her hip slowly towards the smooth surface of her stomach. His touch is gentle as it drifts lower, toying with the light tuft of hair above her sex. ?My father is pushing me to finally take over the family holding,? he finally answers lifting his eyes to look upon her ageless features. ?And choose a wife.?

Dancing her fingers up his chest with an impish giggle, Lyre leans forward to lick his lips. ?And you want to bring home your favorite Lady of the Night?? She teases with a sensual slide against him.

Coughing in surprise Pendleton looks suddenly uncomfortable as his hands drift along the curvature of her shapely posterior. ?Actually yes.?
All joking falls from her features as he turned out to be, in fact, serious.

?Now Penny, why would you want to do that?? Trying to remain professional became suddenly difficult as she gives his bare chest a light slap.

?Honestly?? Surprised more from the fact that she didn?t just kick him out on the spot his eyebrows creep very close to his hairline.
She eases off of him to sit on her knees while gesturing for him to make his case. He better have a very good reason for wanting me to risk myself in that manner. Who knows how many friends of the family I have taken into myself!

?Well, you see Lyre. I?m not very good with people. At reading them, I mean.? He starts to fidget under her continued scrutiny. ?The women, girls really, my father suggests are all either fat, mannish, or obsessed with the idea of being the perfect wife to someone they don?t know.?

He is slow to sit up as his mind starts gathering momentum in its thought processes. Close to a transformation, the foppish Lordling starts to exude an uncharacteristic confidence. The fog gray of his eyes shifts to a deep smoky hue as his jaw sets when he speaks. ?Lyre, I don?t want a wife. I want a partner. Someone with strengths and skills I don?t have. ?

Lyre narrows her eyes at that last bit and crosses her arms over her smallish breasts. Part of her really didn?t like the way this conversation was starting to go. However, the idea of access to Penny?s assets at any given time did have its appeal. No longer having to work...? Would life with Penny be worth dealing with what she?d done with possible friends of his father? Hope he?s not expecting some immediate answer.

?Oh don?t look at me that way, Lyre. I guess, I have come to love you, though there is no way for me to know if what I love is who you show me, or who you really are. I know women of your profession no doubt need to protect themselves from unhinged customers.? Unhinged certainly was one way to say crazy. ?

After a moment?s pause he continues. ?I told you I want a partner who, on her own, can act in my best interest if those I deal with try to manipulate me, through her. A woman who can turn the tables and manipulate them into doing what is beneficial to us. You are smart, quick, and easily able to make them come unglued. So really, Lyre, will you become my partner? Maybe?a mutual love can come of it later??

The look in those smoke gray eyes was so endearing and earnest she almost said yes right there. Mouth suddenly dry, she gives his hands a squeeze before speaking. ?Give me time, Penny. That?s a lot to consider, and I have obligations here to Madame Kilner?? Would Jamie let me come back for..conjugal visits?

?That?s a fair answer?? he would give her that much even though in his heart it felt as though a resounding No would be the end result. However, he wanted to remain optimistic. ?I think that?s enough talk on the subject though?let?s go downstairs. I want you to dance for me before I leave.?

?All right Penny.? She offers with a breathtaking smile and leans in to kiss him fully upon the mouth.

There had been far too much waiting. Jamie had left the room to approach the stairs to the ground floor after tying her robe firmly around her and donning her pair of heeled slippers. It was when she was halfway down that she noticed that the celestial's presence could no longer be felt down there, rather it had moved upward. She recollected seeing him wandering a random hallway on the crystal ball and immediately turned back the way she had come, having a better idea of his location.

She eyed the few halls that branched from the stairs and smirked when she picked up his disgusting scent. It was an unmistakable smell that many from the Upper Planes possessed and it could belong to no one else here. Quickly she followed it, the click of her heels creating a rapid beat.

It wouldn't take long for her to catch up to him and she found him down a hallway from her still wandering around with a covert stance to his gait. Clearly he intended to be up to more mischief. Whatever that mischief was, she didn't care at the moment but she simply crossed her arms and cleared her throat to gain his attention. When he turned, she simply let her solid black eyes stare into him.

"Your puppets are late, celestial," she said with an oh so scant hint of mockery in her voice. "You do realize that if they don't show at all, I will be calling on our wager and cashing in. And I'm sure you know what that means."

Storm-gray eyes look upon Ame Corumpue Manor with a hesitant licking of chapped lips as the Rake stood before it?s front doors. Wearing an unassuming shirt of green and simple tan cargo pants, Samuel didn?t look like the son of a wealthy textile merchant. The yellow bruise under his left eye could have come from anything, but only he knew that it was from Karliah?s backhand less than a week ago where he hadn?t reacted quickly enough to her commands.

The path to the main door and beyond was a haze of wandering thoughts as he wondered what his Mistress held in store today as well as if the Madame of the House would watch. Sometimes he thought there were eyes upon him that weren?t Karliah?s, but could never see anyone else in the room. That is when he was permitted to see anything.

Samuel quietly seats himself in the parlor to await his appointment time as always. From one of the large pockets close to his knee, he removes a small book that fits in the palm of his hand. Within the book he has penned his cavalcade of thoughts and invoiced yearnings. However part of him his troubled by recent events, how would she take the news that he must leave Rhydin? Certainly the last year could have just been business for her, but he had a nagging hope she?d command him to stay...or would she be unaffected by his news? Wetting his lips with the rough pad of his tongue, Samuel looks towards the stairs half expecting to see his Mistress there. To behold her powerful form begging his rapt attention.

It was then that another one of the girls approached him from the side with a look of recognition and concern.

?Um, you might want to head up to Karliah?s room right away,? she said uneasily. ?She?s been expecting you for some time.?

Eyes widen at the woman's warning as Samuel checks his watch with a frown. The hands had stopped. Shit. With an audible gulp he begins to traverse the innards of the manor. Even before finding her door, he felt the ghostly nips of a punishment awaiting him. Samuel is late. Mistress Obloddra hates to be kept waiting. A few breaths ease the pounding in his chest before he reaches to knock on the door when it suddenly opens and the hand of a goddess jerks him into the room.

Following the jerk, he was thrown halfway across the room to land prone on the hardwood floor. Heels clicked behind him and a hand tore away his shirt with alarming ease. The next thing he heard was a familiar whistle through the air and a painful snap against his back as the whip created a long, red welt along it.

?You are late,? the feminine voice said in that familiar thick, northern accent. ?You will grovel to Karliah for forgiveness.? The whistle carried through the air again before the whip struck again.

?Bismillah!? the oath is jolted from his hips by the exquisite bite of the whip against his bare flesh. Shivering at the pain, Samuel croons in ecstasy as he begins to crawl towards Mistress Karliah?s boots.

?Yes, Karliah....I?m sorry Karliah...? he simpers in delight while prostrating himself on the floor at her feet. The nerves along his back tingle at the dual strikes from the whip as he begs for more, craning his neck to actually kiss the toe of her boots. ?I am a worm, Mistress. A lowly worm before your magnificence. Forgive my transgression...?

Samuel tries not to laugh giddily hearing one more swish of the whip, feeling it?s boiled tip lick the tough skin of his back as Karliah creates a pause in her punishments. Like her, he knew that if she didn?t wait, the old pain would dull him to the new and then neither would get what they were here for. On reflex he has twisted and lurched away from the whip, a natural reaction that even his tenure with Karliah could hope to break.

The whip kisses his back three more times before she uses the toe of her boot to kick him harshly in the side, making Samuel roll over holding his ribs. Caught in the place between pleasure and pain, he looks up at his Mistress expectantly as she stands over him. The sharp heel of a boot on either side of him so he cannot run from her. ?You call that begging? Pathetic!?

Karliah?s eyes narrow as she cracks the whip above her head. The thunderous display makes him cringe away from her in glee at the display of domination before her boot is suddenly there, pressing into his neck. Feeling the oxygen slowly shut off from his brain, Samuel slaps at her calf in fear. This wasn?t something she?d done before, but he knew the look in her eyes as the soft tip of her tongue drifts out to lick across her full lips.

His muscles fight to swallow air as fingers cling to the leather around her calf where it travels up her powerful legs towards her corset that barely contains her bountiful bust. From this angle he could see the wetness of her nethers, from her excitement at knowing she could kill him. Something in that knowledge, that she could kill him...and he deserved it...pushed a strain of blood away from his brain straight to his loins where he suddenly felt a powerful swelling.

?You have not been late before, Sa-mule. Your reason had best be a good one.? she says thinly before removing her boot from his throat making him gasp and gulp for air.

?Funny story?? Samuel begins while rubbing his neck and sitting up to gaze upon Karliah with a disarming smile as he begins.

?Ahh, there he is now..? Druid quips motioning for Jamie to look as a young man rushes by them to a doorway farther down only to be yanked within the room. ?Bad spot of luck for his watch to stop working, don?t you think? Then again, the crueler she is to him, the more he?ll love it. Match made in sin.?

Lightly clucking his tongue, the celestial pulls a smoking pipe from his robes and puts it to the lips of his mask which part of their own will to let him chew upon the stem. ?I?ll admit, ?he continues. ?Penny and Lyre were a touch vanilla, but we?ll see all sorts before this game is through. Well, nothing either one of us haven?t seen before. But the emotions will be the real spices I think.?

Watching Jamie slip away he couldn't help but smile darkly as he took out his pocket watch to check the time. "Have a few more yet before the other two find their way here. Roderick still has to take his medicine."

Reginald and Miho

He leans heavily upon his cane to maneuver the front steps before looking breathlessly at the foyer where he always sits to wait. Sweat beads upon his furrowed brow as the flare of his malaise passes shortly. As he settles in to wait, his hips rock gently in slow circles to alleviate sudden tension in his lower back. The rocking helps reduce the compression of muscles, but he knows it will come back soon. The perfume on his lady?s favor helps to calm him to a degree, he just hopes Miho doesn?t make him wait too much longer.

Almost immediately following his arrival, a small Asian woman emerged from the hallway, wearing a bright pink, puffy, Gothic lolita-style dress and white, opaque tights and pink platform heels. She smiled brightly at him and bowed respectfully to him.

?Konban wa, Reginald-san,? she said in a cheery tone. ?What experience would you like today??

?I?m afraid my ailments are being tenacious...best prepare your needles and oils.? he replies to young Miho with a wan smile while coming to his feet. Goddess be praised for the woman?s beauty he thinks to himself and offers her his arm.

?Very well, still no cure?? Her voice twinges with sadness at his plight as they walk to her rooms. Her hand lightly stroking his arm before she has to release it to open the door to her chambers, ushering him inside politely.

The inside of Miho?s room looked like any other oriental tea house. Dragons of jade and gold stood erect in the corners of the room. Murals of her homeland?s stories decorate the walls with a long table in the middle of the room laden with lotus, orchids, and blossoms. To the left is her bed, made of bamboo and linens with a long pillow. It is to the right of her bed that she leads, Reginald. A waist high table covered by a cloth.

?Ready yourself, Reginald-san. I will get my things.? she says, leaning up to kiss his cheek sweetly before she moves behind a privacy curtain wall, casting her frame into a silhouette

The man watches her move away with sad eyes before he slowly begins to undress. Arthritis riddled hands fumble at the buttons and clasps of his shirt, slowly revealing his salt and pepper chest hair. Despite his bent back and poor health, Reginald isn?t as old as he appears. Not even in his silver years he despairs at the loss of his youthful vigor to the nightshade affliction taking over his musculature.

With care he undoes the fastenings of his belt to ease off his breeks. The comfortable material hits the floor with a soft thud before Reginald climbs onto the table, folding his arms about the small pillow to rest as best he can. ?How are you, Miho. And have you thought of my offer??

?No I have not. Jamie has kept me rather occupied the last few days, I think something is going on with her...the Mistress seemed more enthusiastic than I have seen in a long time.? she replies to him, coming to the side of the table and unrolling her acupuncture needles and incense.

?That good or bad?? He asks before balling up in a coughing fit at a sudden chill down his spine like the stroke of a caressing finger from a ghost.

?Something says I perhaps should not discuss much more with you, beloved. Never know when the Mistress might pass by the door and hear. She has ways of knowing much?? her words are hushed as she gently palms an aromatic oil onto his back, fingers kneading into the muscles expertly.

One by one, each of the needles would work their way into Reginald?s flesh under her skilled and delicate hands. It was one of the stranger fetishes she had run into, but the old man seemed to get a sexual arousal from acupuncture. It wasn?t her job to ask why, but she was the only one in the Manor who knew how to do it and thus she proudly administered it whenever the old man arrived. She?d miss his visits when he was gone, but until then she?d enjoy it to her fullest as well.

?Ooch!? Reginald yelped momentary before smiling. ?That one was a bit tender.?

Miho sympathetically massaged the area of his buttox around the needle that had elicited the noise from him. ?Ah yes, sorry about that, but you are doing so well so far.?

She offered him a very sweet smile.

?Each treatment makes everything better.? he murmurs a bit and casts a look her way over his shoulder. ?You must appreciate the break this gives your day.? A shiver passes through him feeling the next gentle pinch, understanding she?d start in with the aromas shortly.

?Soon? she says, perching herself beside the crystal ball and rests delicate hands upon her lap as one pale leg crosses over the other. ?We?ve left Penny and Lyre alone for a while, who knows what we?ve missed.?

One hand is lifted from her lap to rub over the top of the orb, almost groping it to make the image return. The image is split between Penny and Samuel, completely divergent scenes. On the left, Penny sits with Lyre, still talking. The right, however, is a vastly different scene. Tethered between two vertical poles, Samuel strains to listen for Karliah who circles him. Stripped head to toe, the mortal shivers in the image as they continue to talk about his needing to leave. Karliah staking her claim.



Penny and Lyre

?Please, come with me.? the young lord asks once more in earnest as his hands hold Lyre?s. Watching her closely as she shifts on his lap.

?Pen..? she trails off with a shake of her head. ?I just don?t know. You?re asking something that takes time.?

?I know, I know. I?m just frustrated by the whole of it. I want you to be my Ace in the hole, Lyre. My trump, my partner?.my wife. I know you?ve done and seen much, I would like to have you along for the ride of my life with me.? Lord Penny tries not to plead, but it underrides his words anyway.

Lyre sighed, turning away briefly. ?But consider the life, Penny. You?re a human, I?m an elf. I?ve been alive since before your grandparents were born, possibly even your great-grandparents.? She turned to look at him. ?You?ll grow old while I remain relatively young. And any children we had wouldn?t be able to live a normal life in either world, living too long for humans and living too shortly for elves. In fact, even I would outlive them by a few hundred years.?

She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. ?I don?t think I could bear outliving my own children.?

?I?m sure we can find a way around that, especially in Rhydin.? He offers, placing a hand upon her shoulder. ?I don?t know what brought you here, Lyre. But do you want to work for Madame Kilner forever either? I?m offering you an alternative. If you want it.?

Lyre frowned at the easy dismissal of her concerns.

?But is it a viable alternative?? she asked. ?You seem so certain that there?s a way around something that has troubled elf and human relationships for centuries, yet you could very well be wrong. In fact it?s likely you are, otherwise a solution would have been well known by now. Would we spend the rest of your life looking for this solution that likely doesn?t exist? It seems like such a fool?s folly; I?m sure there?s hundreds of human girls out there that you could be much happier with and grow old with.?

She contemplated the stage for a moment. ?Perhaps let me dance for you again and forget such wishful thinking?.?

?Lyre?? he murmurs softly and bends forward, capturing her lips chastely. ?I can never say no to you. Watching you dance is an endless pleasure, one I selfishly desire. Your concerns are valid and I ought not have dismissed them so readily.?

A gentle smile creeps upon his young features, and Penny gives her a soft nod. ?Dance for me, but know that I won?t stop asking you to marry me...even if it means doing so long into my twilight years. Even coming here to see you illuminates my world. Narrowed in focus as it is by my age and life.?

His lips brush hers once more before the young man seats himself on a comfortable wingback. Spine straight and proper in the chair, his eyes focus on Lyre?s graceful frame. He just wants her to see it from his perspective...wait, that?s the problem. A change of gears begins to churn in his mind, slow at first as the insane thought steeps through a kettle of conflict.

Lyre smiled softly at his continued folly but nevertheless returned to the stage to display more of the dances she?s learned in her century of life for him. Someday she was certain he?d find someone who was right for him and could offer him much more than she ever could. She smiles coyly, watching the delight in his eyes. Enjoying the way he seems so enthralled with every movement she makes.

He didn?t look like someone of money, that?s for sure as Jameson made his way into the Manor. Wearing a simple pair of jeans that contoured to his frame, and sturdy boots along with a frayed flannel shirt, the man looked truly out of sorts among the paintings and decor inside. The top button on his shirt, the only thing undone, his slate gray eyes look around in amusement while waiting to check in. Tanned fingers scrub through the unrully mat of chestnut brown hair brushing over his shoulders.

A wink eclipses his left eye in passing one of the girls while moving deeper into the building. An errant hand gropes a porcelain breast in passing, ?Perky as ever madame?. He quips with a laugh to the statue.

His hands trail along the banister on the way up the curved stairs, humming a light tune under his breath. A few stray thoughts play across his face looking at different images, his steps know their path well. ?If she?s busy...wonder if Jamie?d be up for a roll in the sheets,? he murmurs licking his lips. ?I?d climb that red mountain with fervor.?

A smirk slides on to Druid?s plush lips watching the demoness and her thrall, she can?t help but laugh. ?I?d say oh ye of little faith, but that?s counter productive.?

For all of a second she debates casting some enchantment upon Stazia, but the demoness would merely enjoy whatever was done to the mortal. Well, perhaps one thing may cause some discord. Her fingers lightly swirl in place to cast a sensory swap spell over the pair, let each feel as the other does. An impish bit of fun as her attention leaves the pair to look upon monsieur Volk.

?Ahh, but it?s not always on the outside that matters in the end. Great things come from within?? the words are a soft whisper more than anything. However she?s smiling pointedly.

Her gaze is taken from the scrying orb to regard Jamie openly. No judgement passed, just looks at her with something of a sadness. She waits until Stazia has half of the devil?s cock down her throat before suddenly looming over the pair. Druid?s face comes within an inch of Jamie, while her hand grabs the back of Stazia?s head and pushes down, forcing the human whore to take it all or choke.

Not a word is said as she just looks Kilner in the eyes; dispassionately listening to Stazia?s gurgles and grunts for air. The woman?s weak attempts to push back against the hand are thus far ignored. She increases the pressure against the back of Stazia?s head, pushing further, but her gaze never leaves the mortal?s Mistress. ?I never said my fate rested in the hands of one man??

The scent of vanilla and cinnamon drift from her lips to brush over Jamie?s when finally her hand lets go of the mortal. Not particularly caring if she could still draw breath or not. She?d watched the look that came over the Abyssal?s face at the sensory change spell. Watched her lose herself in the feeling of suckling at flesh her own size. Something to perhaps exploit once more, later.

The plaster and paint fracture in long reaching webs out around her. The pressure is great, and with it she feels it pushing against her lungs and chest, flattening her against the wall space. She knows the building will break long before she does. However that?s not why she came here or is making this wager. Almost went too far there, however she does see how possessive the demoness is of her mortals.

Finally a reaction I have hoped for, a glimpse at what can snap her restraint?

First she shook the walls on his first visit, growing annoyed at the asinine antics that would have infuriated even himself if their spaces were reversed. Then three times now, first breaking her hand, the shove from earlier, and now this. Four fracture points to see her control. Need to keep pushing her buttons to know how far this can spread. Is it a possessive sense of property behind the outburst...or because the mortal?s life were threatened? They can?t make her any money if their dead?

?Treatment that is only comes at your hand, correct?? she whispers back with a daring smile. Druid manages to speak without much strain at doing so. Her head pushes forward against the invisible force to look directly at Jamie. Paint chips and falls from the cieling as the room continues to violently lurch. ?It?s almost...as if you care about her?? A sneer is added for effect.

She brushes dirt and filth from her body and steps through the hole to float down to the heart of Jamie?s scrying room. ?All the pieces are in place??

The words are whispered as she picks up the scrying orb and pricks her thumb, scrawling a rather nasty ngokian sygil on the underside of it. Next time the Abyssal uses that orb, she?s in for quite a ride. Blowing across the sign, she watches it evaporate from sigh. Turning, she waves her hand, undoing the damage to the room and leaving it spotless. ?I at least clean up after making a mess of the place.?

A few moments later, the robed demoness returned sans Stazia who was presently under the tender care of the Manor?s healer, Vinzilda. She gave a cold look at Druid as she stepped into the room, seemingly not registering the repairs that were made.

?You?re still here?? she asked in a chilly voice.

A slow turn to look upon Jamie, she smiles sweetly. ?Just on my way out the door behind you. Unless of course you want to keep an eye on me?? Her words are light with amusement over everything even as she stands there regarding the towering demoness. Her own robes hanging open without care.

Knowing full well the question had been rhetorical, Dru glides past Jamie with an impertinant slap to that firm red ass. ?Always so serious. it?ll be the death of you one day, and we angels get called uptight.?

Exiting the room, she closes the door behind her with a sharp click.

Shaking her head with a grumble, she walked back to her couch and sat down. ?That celestial will have everything that?s coming to her in due time. But first, time to look at what the fourth cretin is up to.?

With a wave of her hand, she attempted to tune the crystal ball back to Jameson.

The flash was abrupt and mind numbing, but in a few moments her head eventually cleared. Jamie stabilized herself by bracing her hands against the bar counter in front of her and smoothed out her light blue gown and brushed back a few strands of her red hair. The commons of Jazmyn's Lesbian Inn came back into focus.

It was another slow day, as usual more often than not, but she was hoping that Jezzy would come in soon. She grabbed the small velvet box and slid it closer as she waited, keeping watch for any incoming customers. It took some time before anyone finally did come through that door.

It was Jezzy, with her familiar strawberry blond hair and cheerful smile. Wearing a pink halter top and white skirt, she was a welcome sight to Jamie's eyes. She drew the small, velvet, black box closer and clasped it tighter in her hands.

"Hello, love," Jamie said with a small smile.

"Hello, love," Jezzy replied, leaning over the counter and placing a kiss on Jamie's red painted lips.

"How're you today?" Jamie asked, returning the kiss.

"Better, now that I'm with you," Jezzy answered with a wink.

Smirking at the wink, Jamie glanced around the mostly empty inn, her light skin flushing just slightly. Letting out a small breath, she began slowly pushing the small box forward.

"For a while now, we've been spending a lot of time together," she began with a soft smile, "and for once in my life I can say that I've never been happier. In fact, I finally am happy. I enjoy being with you, in each others' embrace, and so I've realized that you're the one that I want to spend the rest of my life with."

She pushed the small, velvet, black to a complete stop at the other edge of the counter and flipped it open, revealing the diamond ring inside. Jezzy's eyes lit up at the sight of it and beamed before grasping the ring to put it on.

Adoringly, Jamie asked, "Will you marry me?"

"Oh! Of course I will," Jezzy exclaimed.

Quickly they took each other in an embrace and a deep kiss, lips parting and exploring each others' mouths in passionate love for each other. Jamie felt her heart beat faster, wishing that that very moment could last forever.

***

Lying on the couch, lost in the memory triggered by the celestial's sigil, the demoness stared ahead blankly as she relived the happiest moment of her entire existence. A small tear ran down the side of her crimson cheek as a part of her subconscious mind grew aware of what she had lost so long ago.

She was embraced with Jezzy for several long moments, their mouths locked together in harmony. Mutual exploration of each other's slender forms and mouths created a seemingly endless moment of bliss. Their soft moans and passion filled the bar area and without any customers around, they could get as loud and scandalous as they wanted. Both of them were almost on top of the counter between them.

Eventually Jezzy drew back. "Mmm... do you want to get more intimate?"

Jamie's smile grew wide at the question; she did in fact have something of the sort in mind. "As a matter of fact, there is a position I've been curious about that I wanted to try."

"Then let's do it," Jezzy replied.

And that's when the deja vu really struck Jamie. They would try that position, and it would prove to be quite enjoyable for the both of them. She looked down momentarily at the ring with a frown and realized then, no, remembered that the marriage would never happen. As Jezzy and Jamie strode together toward a more discrete corner of the inn, more came to mind about the ensuing events.

In several days a vampire named Frankie would embrace them both and attempt to install herself as their third partner. Shortly after that, Jezzy would just outright disappear from her life forever. About a month or so later, Jamie would meet a tall, statuesque demoness named Jade who would transform her into her identical twin. And then....

***

The demoness' solid black eyes blinked once, then twice. She was in the room with the couch and the crystal ball again; her surroundings left mostly unchanged. She stood up abruptly and felt a slight tug on her raven locks and she turned curiously to look for the source.

Her eyes narrowed. "You!"

Something, somewhere, toppled over on its own. Jamie didn't give her time to look.

"I understand..."

Overhead, a vase flew of its own volition.

"I understand that you are a conniving, insidious little creature."

Objects from all around the room began swirling in a circle around them, creating a chaotic vortex of things. Some would randomly rush past Druid, coming shockingly close to hitting her.

"You arrive to disrupt my business, disrupt the lives of those I employ here, even coming close to critically injuring one, and then..."

Druid is sent levitating in mid-air, body ramrod straight, limbs apparently bound and unable to move. She stepped closer to the angel, solid black eyes seeming to glow with an even deeper darkness, if such a thing was possible, and stared into her eyes.

"...invade my very mind with that vile vision."

Invisible hands felt like they were pressing back and forth against the sides of Druid's head.

"I should just send you right back to where you came from, a greeting to the Upper Planes from Madame Kilner...."