The Scarlet Crossing (DeliciousLust & darjeeling)

darjeeling · Nov 28, 2014

The bright crimson lights of well-lit lamps blinded Aurelia at every turn, drawing her gaze to the corner stores before she caught herself staring. Loud, heart pounding music played from clubs blazing colorful LED lights on their signs and the smell of smoke and humidity clouded her senses. The Scarlet Crossing, also known as the Cross, was the well-known name of a local red-light district yet it was not one visited often, if at all. The strange scents and pulsating lights confused her and the loud voices clamoring above all the blaring tunes made her edge just a little closer to her shepherd, a twitchy boy of twenty three who preferred to be called Hunter though Aurelia knew that was not his birth name.

Another catcall rose up, this time close to her ears and she balked away, almost crashing into Hunter for safety. He knew these roads and people like the back of his hand and to Aurelia, it was just as unfamiliar. Despite her timidness, she still scowled at the waving women and adverted her gaze to the ground. It was dark, thank the gods, else her blush would be present to the world. Apart from the ambiance screaming the illicit, posters and pictures were plastered about the windows, toys and items displayed in glass cases like a museum would with an ancient artifact. Aurelia could not help but peer briefly from time to time but in large part, she continued to glance at her friend's back as if willing him to take note of her discomfort. Hunter would not stop.

Her fingers were woven tightly into the hem of his dark shirt as he swerved sharply around a crowded corner brimming with women in heels and men in naught but a tie and sweatpants. This street looked the same as all other streets, but Aurelia sensed they were near by the way Hunter looked about. The caterwauling did not fade in the slightest until they at last wove through a band of smokers and into a building that smelt much the same as outside though far hotter. It seemed to be no different from the rest of the 'establishments' they had stalked past, yet its dance floor and bar were much more packed. Hunter did not even pause as they pushed there way through a thick crowd of squirming bodies; Aurelia simply held on tighter, filling her lungs with the smell of spilled alcohol and nicotine, her steps uneven and as they took a staircase leading downwards.

The smells were not so much better here but Aurelia had become so used to it, they all seemed to writhe together much like the dancers above her. The music was but a slow drum, vibrating through the thick walls and ceiling, muffled. "Hunter," Aurelia finally hissed, tugging his shirt so hard it was like to rip. The male finally stopped as he took off his glasses and wiped the steam from them. He looked at her with an apologetic grin but shook his head. Aurelia felt her jaw clench but she said nothing more. It was quiet down here; still smokey, yes, but she could think much more clearly. She had been holed up in her dingy apartment as always when Hunter came a-knocking, as always. He would always try to persuade her to come outside and join him at the lake, at the marketplace or his favorite place, which she would find out later was the Crossing. If she knew, she would have considered kicking him in the stomach and telling him to bugger off.

Aurelia was jolted from her brooding as Hunter began to move, finding herself being drawn towards the center where an impressive crowd of five or six had gathered. Aurelia felt Hunter shake her off impatiently; he was a good friend but tonight, he seemed like a different person and soon, he was merged with the rest of them. Aurelia felt like an outsider with her unbound hair, ruby red in color streaked in brown. Her hair had a natural wave to it that flowed about her shoulders, framing her otherwise unimpressive features save for the unnatural golden glow of her eyes. Truth be told, Aurelia thought people were only drawn to her because of the way her eyes shone and truth be told, it was partly the truth. She was reclusive and entirely uninterested and inexperienced in Hunter's world. The way she fidgeted was evidence enough of that. Yet she was intrigued. Why did Hunter seem so anxious to bring her here?

Against her better judgement, she squeezed her way past two men covered in sweat towards the platform, her nose almost brushing the edge before she could look up. The sight made her pause and a surprised squeak drifted from her lips as fast as the fifty shades of red coloring her cheeks.

DeliciousLust · Nov 29, 2014

RE: The Scarlet Crossing

For poor Aurelia, there could have been many things that could have made her blush many delightful shades at red at once. It was indeed quite a sight for her to be exposed to and many a things could have been the culprit, though it was perhaps best to blame the sum of all of the parts. Could anybody truly point the finger at anyone one thing that Aurelia found herself overwhelmed by?

Even though they were below ground, the loud rhythmic beats from the clubs were hardly silenced by the stark concrete ceiling and the multiple metal pipes that ran through the ceiling. It wasn’t exactly a place that would appeal to many, though it was barely light by a mix of old bulbs and a few old-fashioned lanterns that were hooked to fixtures along the walls. The sounds might have been something that Aurelia caught at first from the questionable den. It was a mixture of heavy breathing and physical exertion in motion, like almost an awkward struggle. There were two parties involved, certainly a male and a female. The crowd was mostly silent, save for the occasional snicker or chuckle that would come from them. It wouldn’t take long for anyone to put some context to the passionate sounds, the heavy and primal sounds of a couple in sexual congress.

The male was a man in his 30’s, though in reasonable shape in his life, only dressed in jeans and a tank top. He seemed to favour the sloven dress the crowds and clientele seem to find trendy while visiting the Scarlet Crossing, all the better to prepare for any indulgence he may be parting tonight. Certainly, he was having his fill at the moment at least. His jeans were nearly down to his knees, as he worked hard in pleasuring on his latest conquest with heavy laboured breaths.

His ‘conquest’ was perhaps more notable in many ways. The woman wasn’t human for one, though had a lovely familiar form to compensate well for all of her differences. She was of ‘monster blood’, though there were many words and terms that could be used to describe her rare kind. From where she was from, she would be referred as a ‘bakemono’, sort of a vague catch-all term for people of breeding outside of human. The smooth green skin on her sensuous body was the first evidence of that. Her thick reptilian tail and her clawed hands were perhaps more than enough to pick her out as one of the monster blooded. Her eyes were yellow with reptilian slits to them. It certainly wasn’t difficult to see all of her natural-born features, considering her current state of bare dress. She was laying on her back to a futon placed on the platform, one leg wrapped around her current lover as they struggled in their current passionate urges.

Mariko was the name of the bakemono who was shamelessly entertaining and pleasing the crowd that had gathered here so far. Her kind was rare, but even rarer to find in such a dark and decadent places. There was something in her lukewarm blood that made her appreciate the heat of such an uncomfortable place, and the activities she partakes here. While most here seemed to dress slovenly or scantily, Mariko at least took some pride in forging her own fashion. It was perhaps a little difficult for the crowd to notice or care about that in her at the moment. Her long shimmering tresses of hair was fashioned in a complicate and elaborate style, quite similar to an oiran in feudal Japan. She sported a golden hair comb and several matching elegant hair pins along the side of her coif. Her eyes were done with smoky make up with notable red accents to match her crimson painted lips. The oiran were the courtesans of the Japan, so she thought that was a quaint nod. As for her dress, she dressed more contemporary. Her top was a simple low-cut band shirt, unceremoniously pulled barely above the tops of her bountiful breasts, stopping short at the pert dark nipples. One of her nipples had a brass crown piercing. There was a hint of an elaborate tattoo on her chest. She wore a short pleated miniskirt, hiked up at the moment with her panties wrapped around to one thigh. Her legs were clad in white stockings with cute bow tops, her clawed toes hinting through the fabric.

Hunter or Aurelia was hardly noticed by either the man or Mariko. The bakemono placed her clawed hands on the shoulders of her partner, letting out a few small breathless moans as he continued to pound into her without consideration. This was hardly romantic, but two individuals selfishly wanting to meet their perspective goals.

darjeeling · Nov 29, 2014

Aurelia's first thought was to hightail it out of there, but she didn't know the way and she was much too afraid to traverse these streets alone. The Scarlet Crossing only held a few high class establishments. The rest were debauched and salacious; both words the redhead did not like to associate with. Her second thought was to rack her brain for the word that continued to flow like water between the threads of her memories: the pair rutting before her was a human, of that she had no doubt with his soft grunting and the way in which he slammed himself ruthlessly told her that he was blind and deaf but all to the form beneath him. Aurelia wasn't so sure what that form really was, only that she was, in fact, not human. Though the room was dimly light, she could make out the form of a tail thick at the base and thin at the point, and her claws were largely reminiscent of some kind of overgrown lizard... with breasts. Large breasts, at that. Aurelia squinted; crimson make-up, as red as the Crossing and a hairstyle she was unfamiliar with

The thought whispered like a forgotten breeze, lazily floating across her mind. The word she did not know intimately, but the meaning she was well-versed in. Bakemono. A monster and a girl, they were sought after as exotic prizes but had largely been integrated in this society as normal beings, on par with humans yet the rift was still very much apparent albeit made invisible by law upon law upon law. Though she did not like to admit it, their kind had always intrigued her though she had never seen - or heard - of any kind of bakemono who indulged in such desires especially with human folk. Their track record when it came to treatment of monsters was not the most impressive. Aurelia highly suspected the color of her eyes came from her own ancestors being a monster of some kind though perhaps too far removed for her to have inherited any other visible traits. A blessing, she thought, yet she had still been shunned.

So why was this reptilian female crying out softly in ecstasy crowded about and used by humans? Aurelia shook her head. From what she recalled, the woman was doing this out of her own accord. There were no abrasions or chains, there were no chains or words meant to debase and humiliate. It seemed to be raw and natural, a human reverting back to his primal roots and indulging in only the basest of human desires: lust. Her cheeks burned bright like a sunset, yet far more ferocious in her fluster as she laid her guilty attention at the stocking-clad feet of this woman writhed in euphoria. Time seemed to be a non factor and she most likely would have continued to stare had the spell not been broken seconds later.

The rustle of movement and an uncontrolled groan had Aurelia tearing her eyes away from the bakemono and edged away from the platform as the men by her side continued to pleasure themselves over their shorts or under their track pants. It made for a raunchy sight and one the golden-eyed girl did not wish to be privy to any longer than necessary. The image of the voluptuous monster girl was seared into her mind, however. The male was a faceless body which only seemed to ruin it, but the bakemono was too clear. Aurelia suddenly found it was far too hot but she dared not remove her jacket. Now free of the crowd for a moment, the air was still thick but it smelled much cleaner. She shuddered, knowing that she would have to seek out Hunter and convince him to take her home, both of which were no easy feats.

Thankfully, Hunter was spotted not mere three minutes later when Aurelia found she had to block out the sounds of squishing, slapping, smacking, heavy breaths and heaving groans. Her cheeks boiled beneath the flickering lights as she grabbed a hold of Hunter's trembling arm. It was only then did she realize what he was doing and she quickly let go. His eyes were glued onto the bakemono's supple flesh as she instead slid behind him with her eyes closed and tapped his shoulder lightly. "These bastards, I've seen them before..." Hunter muttered to himself. Either he was completely ignoring her or he had silenced his thoughts from everyone but Mariko. Aurelia, on the other hand was becoming more and more concerned by the way her friend's eyes seemed to glow like hot coals. She saw his fingers clenching tightly and his jaw tightening even more. The implications of his words were not lost on her: Hunter was no stranger to the Crossing but even so, the thought that he would be utterly familiar with this monster girl was shocking.

"Oi! Give us a turn!" The sudden outcry shocked her even more as the unanimous silence was shattered by none other than Hunter who made for a very undignified sight with his belt unlatched and his pants hanging loosely about his thighs. He was not much taller than the rest of them but Aurelia thought he looked particularly rabid as he pointed his finger accusingly. The redhead simply squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the eyes of every man in the room on her friend and, it seemed, on her. It was likely that the bakemono was rarely visited by females and the presence of one besides Mariko was a rare sight. She tugged her collar upwards as if she could have it devour her entire face as Hunter continued to shout and it was not long before the voices of agreement soon joined the fray.

DeliciousLust · Nov 29, 2014

When Hunter called out in annoyance at the situation of not being given a turn to ride the rather exotic and monstrous strumpet on the futon, there were some men who turned to give him a mere glance. That was perhaps the best he got from some people, others were blind to his complaints, merely focusing on their own enjoyment of the current splendorous sight before them. It’s not like they haven’t heard their share of impatience and usually the most impatient of people were easily to flake off in due time. If he wanted a girl, there could be many he could seek out without bothering them. They knew they would get a turn eventually. If not tonight, they would eventually. Mariko was more or less the village bicycle, a reputation she was proud of, and it would be easy to get a ride from her.

Mariko and her current paramour did stop in their congress, for just a moment. She tightened her clawed grip on the shoulders of her partner to get her to stop. The sound of squishing and slapping was paused, an almost eerie silence seemed to almost dominate the room for a few seconds. The modern day oiran seemed to be scan the room to see what the hubbub was about, noticing the familiar and impatient hunter. He seemed to have brought a girl with him this time. While women were not unheard of in her little den of debauchery, Aurelia certain made herself more memorable than the ones who passed by here. For one, she was dressed normally, which easily painted her as a virgin visitor or one who was set to their non-deviant lives. Her ruby hair held her attention, seemingly more genuine than manufactured and the unusual glow in her eyes. Mariko could easily catch this one as a person of bakemono blood and she never had someone with that ancestry in her den. Now she was interesting...

It seemed her pause was cut short and her partner was more eager than her to return to their previous activity. With firm hands, he placed them on her stocking clad legs and positioned them over his shoulders show that there will be little else resisting the push of his lustful thrusts. Mariko’s eyes widened for a moment at the new sensation and then her eye lids sank in a submission of her sensation. Her hot breaths turned to small moans as she grew increasingly heated in her passions with her lover pushing against her in quick aggressive thrusts. The small golden ornaments in her hair dress shook with her, rustling softly against each other. Her clawed hands bit into the fabric of his shirt, but he gave little care to that. A little pain for much pleasure.

In all of her haste, and those of her crowd, she seemed to have forgotten about some precaution in her transgressions. While the physiology of both bakemono and human were different, there was a small chance she could endanger herself with a biological union or any other unwanted side effects. There was a small law that sex workers in the city protect themselves against that in someway. Not that Mariko considered herself a sex worker, at least officially. Having sex wasn’t her job exactly, but it was fun and dangerous. In her passionate moans, she managed to say. “Mmm, yes...but please...ahn! Don’t cum in..ahn! Me...Please be considerate.” Some weren’t fans of sloppy seconds, after all.

However, anyone noticing the small trail of cum barely seeping out from the tight confines of her womanhood could see that was already a futile request from her partner. A flood of his seed was flooding deep into her womb and the excess was running out. He wouldn’t have cared either way, as there were already acceptable risks to what she wanted to do here. There were a few grunts from him as he gave a few more laboured thrusts to ride out the remainder of his ride. Unceremoniously, he left her wet confines with a small cream white trail of the damages staining the skirt and bed. He grinned at his successful conquest and merely strode out of the room without saying anything else.

Mariko sat up on the futon with a crossed pout in on her full lips, a little annoyed at this. She hadn’t had her fill yet and he broke her request. Not that she was angry, as he wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last tonight. Either way, she could find a distraction elsewhere and took a small breather from her exertion. She picked up a long narrow pipe that sat on an ashtray beside the bed to take a small puff, her eyes falling on the lone girl in the room as she suddenly became picky with her partners. “You seem rather interesting...” She drawled off suggestively with a small smile.

darjeeling · Nov 30, 2014

Her gaze was brief but Aurelia saw it all the same. Glints of shadowed yellow decorated with scarlet roamed over the crowd first for the noise, then at Hunter whose voice immediately softened as did the crowd's, then on Aurelia herself who finally realized that she had sorely underestimated the beauty of this beast. Perhaps it was not so much the provocative position Mariko was in, though the way her hips bucked was certainly enticing enough, but the taboo of this... this. Aurelia had no words. She watched helplessly with the edge of her long dark sleeve caught between her teeth as their cries of pleasure rose and rose, ascending the smokey air and dull, throbbing music before the monster's voice climbed over all the rest. The implications were as subtle as the claws wrapped about the man's wiry shoulders.

Before she knew it, she was leaning forward closer to the platform. She could barely see the slick white gleaming in the soft, blurred lights and that was when Aurelia realized she had not blinked in what seemed like hours. She wiped the smoggy tears away with the back of her hand, cursing softly beneath her breath. She looked up again only to witness the tail end of the encounter, with the man pulling up his jeans accompanied with a cocky smirk and not so much as a farewell as he disappeared up the stairs. Aurelia found herself irritated at that, but quickly caught the emotion before it could blossom. Her eyes were upon the bakemono again, her faux anger only seemed to make Mariko more beautiful to behold and the smoke that whisked about her naked form made the monster look as if she had jumped right out of an ancient Eastern scroll.

But if there was any sort of attention Aurelia could say she hated the most, it was the kind where she found both heart and mind to be so utterly captivated that all she could do was work incomprehensible words over the lump in her throat - her heart, she thought absently - as a pair of goldens as bright as hers peered with intrigue riddled in their depths. A second attempt at breathing went unnoticed by the female's lungs as her cheeks decided it rather liked the shade of red it had been wearing the entire night.

Aurelia offered no response at first, both unable to and uncertain as to the proper etiquette. Instead, she looked around quickly, noting that Hunter had fallen silent at the bakemono's melodious voice scratched slightly raw from her recent passions. The slight movements by her side had not stopped or slowed, nor the whispers and grunts but nothing moved beyond that. Clearly the monster held some power over them and through the thickness of the haze in her thoughts, Aurelia found it surprising that men such as these could exercise such restraint. Those claws did look wicked sharp and the ruby haired girl had no doubt that should those stockings be peeled off, they would reveal talons just as pointed.

She forced her gaze away from the curled legs of the woman, to the slick white that painted her inner thighs most subtly. Aurelia worried her lower lip at the sight, almost drawing blood but she quickly moved from that too. Curve followed voluptuous curve, ample breasts and the slender lines of her limbs and even her make up; Aurelia stood motionless even as Hunter turned back to look at her, incredulous. She felt the heat of his jealousy lick at her skin like fire so she stepped away from him gingerly and, as if on instinct, closer to the platform that held the monster girl. Aurelia was not yet swayed, but curiosity begets curiosity and the redhead had that in spadefuls. Whilst reclusive, the relatively human female was not shy though she was quick to fluster and quicker to anger. Her life thus far had been a solitary chapter and she was bold when she had to be.

Aurelia's eyes gleamed brightly where the light shone the strongest: on the main attraction. Beneath it, her hair too seemed to glow with ripples of garnet, a rubellite that drank in the envy about her as she took another step forward to the platform, close enough that she could climb on it if she wanted to. Instead, her lips twitched into a strange smile. The smells had gotten to her head and the visual stimuli was too much. Finally, she found her voice, and it was low and strangely husky. "I'm far from the most interesting in this room." Dimly, Aurelia felt her friend's hand tug at the tail of her jacket but she only seemed to be emboldened by this. "Why are you here?"

DeliciousLust · Nov 30, 2014

The striking ruby-haired interloper posed a rather interesting question to the monster girl. Why was she here? It wasn’t exactly a question she seriously posed to herself for a while now and not exactly one that was given to her by the time she began to part her thighs around the Scarlet Crossing. She didn’t exactly consider herself a sex worker, though there were many of them around the Scarlet Crossing. It wasn’t exactly a difficult trade to get into, nor one she could apply a license for. There were a few incentives for her to procure such a licence, though it wasn’t exactly on her list of priorities. It took away from her time of doing her studies, partying and engaging in sexual congress with strangers. There was some pleasure found in what she was doing. Not exactly what went on in her little den, but what she fulfilled by spirit and her role. The unappreciated hairdo she sported was certainly a nod to the oiran of the great feudal past, though many just thought it was a great place to target their release. She liked being a shameless strumpet, for better or worse. The oiran weren’t just common whores though, they had standards and customs. She knew that she didn’t honour the tradition fully, but certainly found pleasure in fulfilling it in her own way with a small bit of role-playing. After another small drag of smoke from her pipe, she smirked sly when she found her answer. “Why am I here? Well, you could say that this is a little hobby of mine. I love to please and to cater. Do you as well?”

Her reptilian ocular slits gave a few glances to the company that surrounded her, finding rather great humour in the company that surrounded her. It seemed that they were enjoying themselves well enough even without her active administrations. She centred her gaze back to the girl before her, drinking in her sight and evaluating her character. There was a hint of lust in her exotic eyes, though there was something analytical about this. She was rather curious as to how a timid person such as Aurelia stumbled into her den of selfish pleasures. It’s not like she hadn’t had her share of interlopers, they made themselves clear after the first visit though. They were either going to leave with revulsion or stay and indulge themselves. There was something unusual with the girl, her peculiar eyes and her ruby tresses provided more than enough of a distraction for Mariko to get a proper read on her. Aurelia was a source of curiosity and the monster felt like having that sated, among other things. “Please, I wouldn’t sell yourself short. You’re quite the lovely guest around here. I love your hair and your eyes are just so enchanting. You almost have me smitten, dear lady. I wouldn't mind you as a lover...or co-worker.” She let out an amused giggle under her breath.

She let out another small drag of smoke from her pipe, the combination of tobacco, additives and questionable herbs filled the small space. It wasn’t exactly suffocating or obnoxious in smell, having a faint sweet lingering to it before it dissipated with the scent of passion and sweat that was pervasive in the room. She placed a hand on her womb, as the remainder of her last lover’s seed seeped out of her and dripped on the reptilian tail she was sitting under. Her unique physiology allowed her to feel every sensation inside of her, including his seed attempting to couple with her egg. Even their different genetic make up, it wasn’t likely going to happen but it was possible. That was a concern she wasn’t going to give more than a moment to think about, especially with the lovely guest before her.

Mariko realized, with the inkling of propriety she had ingrained in her personality, that this must have been a very awkward first impression on the girl. She just arrived when Mariko had gotten started tonight, welcoming familiar faces and strangers to use her to their needs. In turn, she gained their attention and fulfilled that little fantasy in her mind as a harlot. Was it really much of a fantasy when she was indeed one now? Aurelia was lucky to arrive now and not in the middle of a night, where opening congress gave way to orgies of little regard.

Putting the pipe away, she smiled sweetly to the girl as she attempted to make herself more presentable for a suitable first impression. She fully sat up, closing her legs together and smoothing down her skirt, though much of the evidence of her scandal had already stained her. The bundled panties on her thigh acted almost like a garter. Mariko sat herself in a seiza, a traditional seating position. She pulled her band shirt down over her large and perky breasts, keeping to their bounce with little aid, the pert nipples still managed to poke out of the material though. The shirt had a logo of the 'Calibre Saints', which was some sort of unknown punk band of yesteryear. Her chest tattoo above her breasts became visible, a mix of Asian characters on a colourful banner of dragons. It was the name of her ex, though not many people caught on to that and she kept the regrettable tattoo. She tucked away the stray locks of hair tossed from her recent transaction behind her pointed ear, hinting another tattoo on her wrist, and greeted Aurelia with a polite bow. “I am Mariko, it is a honour to have you here.”

darjeeling · Dec 1, 2014

Aurelia suddenly thought her question was worded poorly and that the monster might take offense. But it was too late to take it back and so she could only wait with her fingers curled tight and tense, her shoulders hunched in a similar manner. The redhead's temperament seemed to be shifting at every turn, from open curiosity to guilt and shame. She blamed the smoke addling her brain and that strange stuff the bakemono was billowing from her lips, though that was dangerous territory to dwell on. This entire territory was dangerous. She had half a mind to box Hunter about the ears but he seemed to be eager enough to pull her away from the platform. A meaner part of her stayed only to spite him though it was a small enough incentive to remain where she was. Every second which passed had Aurelia wonder and wonder some more, even if logic dictated that had she offended the monster girl, she would have been told off. The answer that came was somewhat expected, if not disappointing to Aurelia who needed more than just a simple response to sate her thirst. It was like giving a hungry man a bone to chew on. It was something but at the same time, it was nothing. The saying goes that beggars can't be choosers. Well, Aurelia was no beggar, or so she'd like to think. She shrugged slow as her own reply, the world about her of no concern. Her attention was on the bakemono alone. "My hobby is to collect different candy wrappers. I do not think I will be pleasing anyone as another."

The human girl shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she was once again appraised, feeling the need to yell at the men to stop their perverse actions. The bakemono wasn't even doing anything, but it appeared that it did not take much at all. Aurelia swept her hair over her shoulders and brushed her bangs from her eyes, not knowing what more to do with her hands as they fell awkwardly by her side. Having forgotten her recent boldness, she had found herself tongue-tied once more and the words would not come no matter how desperately she bade them to. Finally she ended up dropping them into the one large pocket located at the front of her jacket, clasping them together tightly out of sight. Her nails dug sharply into the other hand and palm, not yet drawing blood but they would definitely leave a mark. When the monster spoke once more, its words were Aurelia found herself shocked for what seemed to be the fourth time in the span of two hours. They were words that she had never heard said before, not out loud nor behind her back. "My hair?" Aurelia frowned, shocked as she was, she did not stutter. Her voice was surprisingly stable. "People say that if your hair is likened to that of blood, then blood is all you will seek and find in your life." She lifted a hand to a stray lock of ruby-red, twirling it between two fingers and rubbing the strands softly. "They are less subtle about my eyes, which they say they find... abnormal."

Aurelia was at a loss then, the lump in her throat quickly growing so she had to blurt out. "I wouldn't want to share--" Where that had come from, the redhead could not say but her mouth had clamped shut before the word was said, yet it was done. Her cheeks were afire as she shook her head slowly, now avoiding eye contact the best she could. "What I mean to say is that... I don't think I'm suited to your... line of work." Back and forth, back and forth, her gaze darted about nervously. She was now well and truly sub-conscious about her eyes and even the men who had paid any sliver of attention to their conversation was now peering at her with their manhood out in full view. They had no shame. She had no shame. Out of all of them, it was ironic for Aurelia to think that the bakemono seemed to be the most composed and elegant of them all. Her smile gave the human the courage to lift her head again as the woman sat and bowed in a manner most familiar and the offering of a name served to make the redhead return the smile.

With Mariko sitting the way she was, Aurelia could almost forget the fact that she had just seen her writhe like an exotic eel, moaning wantonly. It was easy enough to ignore the underwear wrapped about her thighs and the rumpled state of her clothing. She couldn't help but wonder how long Mariko expected to indulge these men and if more would show throughout the night though she was not bold enough. Still her form seemed to relax, comforted by some sense of normalcy as she allowed herself to lean forward though Aurelia was still careful not to touch the platform. God knows what had been there before. "I'm Aurelia," she returned politely, racking her brain and trying to remember if there was a certain way to go about responding. In the end, she could come up with nothing and simply said, "The honor is mine."

Her gaze traced the outline of a tapered ear previously hidden and the tattoos near her breasts and painted upon her wrist. Aurelia could not read the characters but the dragons were very well done. She herself bore no tattoos on her own body, even if she thought about it more often than not. The only sign of rebellion she bore was her naval piercing, a silver studded star and one she had forgotten all too quickly after it had healed. It was barely worth mentioning, as were the thoughts surrounding it. Aurelia allowed herself this moment to satisfy at least one itch. She gestured towards the general vicinity of the bakemono. "Are you from this town?" She asked, then her circular motions became smaller until she was gesturing at the woman's breasts without actually looking at them, as captivating as they were. "What do those mean?"

DeliciousLust · Dec 1, 2014

Mariko would have found it rather amusing that Aurelia thought she was in danger of offending her. Considering how the monster lacked shame and was fairly open with her sexual pleasures, it might have taken much more to truly anger her. If she had any hidden sensitive buttons to speak of, as most people do, there weren’t pushed yet. At the very least, she could sense that Aurelia seemed rather uneasy about something. It couldn’t be that she found the bakemono revolting, or else she would have been less civil than she was now. However, it was a little fascinating to see someone out of their natural environment in hers. It was difficult to keep an level head in the face of so much blatant audacity that was conducted here. Aurelia was admirable in how she handled herself and it was perhaps all the more reason that Mariko wished to loosen her moral fibres more. It was going to be a challenge, no doubt, but certainly she wasn’t going to be shy form the opportunity. At the very least, she could sense that Aurelia sought more answers from her. “Collecting candy wrappers is a rather unusual hobby. Not one I would partake in, but that isn’t to say that I can’t be persuaded. I hope that doesn’t mean you can’t be persuaded to mine, dear girl.” She said with a sly grin on her glossy crimson lips, they were sensuous and enticingly lewd by intention.

In part, Mariko did find pleasure in her little hobby beyond having her sexual needs sated. Yes, that was a large part of it, but there were many perks. There was all of this lust and want that was directed to her, which in turn gave the bakemono some semblance of control over these men (and the occasional women) that visited her den. It seemed Aurelia’s little friend was rather envious of the attention that she was receiving. Men were still ogling and pleasuring themselves, despite her taking a break from sex. She had become an object of desire to them and it seemed her presence alone was drive them into lust and drop all pretenses of shame. Mariko did indeed exercise more direct control over her power, making it anything more than just something she perceived at the moment. There was a sharp gaze given to Hunter to stop annoying her current person of interest, Mariko was a little hurt that she didn’t choose to join her on the platform, even for just conversation. One of the men was about to reach his climax and was typically given free reign to share that with her, she gave him a glare to dissuade him from doing that in front of her.

“Sometimes what people say is true, but it takes a certain coaxing to bring it out to light.” There was a glint in her eyes as she looked over her little den and the company they shared at the moment. “It does help to have the right venue to express it too sometimes. They say that my people are primal and vicious, despite acting as civilized as your kind. That isn’t to say that they aren’t completely incorrect. What I do here is certainly primal and I love sating that call however possible. My blood tells me that I am of the ripe age to mate, why not indulge myself in that very call until I find my match. Or even after that...” She giggled with a dark edge to it as she oozed keep words. Her reptilian golden eyes found their way directly to Aurelia’s eyes once more.

She sighed softly at Aurelia’s rejecting of her offer. “That’s shame, but I don’t think you’ll ever know until you try. It’s no doubt that you have something in your blood. Maybe it’s silly of me, but I thought it would be a little...romantic...that I found a kindred spirit. My kind aren’t as primal as I am, at least, they won’t admit to be. You have potential.” Her tone was a little teasing at that, not wanting to let up the possibility that she could be turned into a person that was much more daring than she was now. It might not be evident at first glance, but as the conversation with the bakemono prolonged, Aurelia might have noticed something with the monster’s teeth. They were straight and flat, like a human, but had a jagged edge to them. Her canines were notably longer and the back row of teeth looked the most wicked and sharp. It was a good reminder of the carnivore diet of her kind, setting them apart from humans.

When it came to elegance and composure, that was a trait that the bakemono prided herself to being capable of. A harlot needn’t be a social wreck all the time. Seeing the lustful company she favoured and the ill-reputable establishment she was in, there wasn’t exactly much she had to do to elevate herself. By the local standards, she might have been a proper queen. If a proper queen stooped low to cater to her subject’s needs, that is. “Aurelia, that’s a lovely name. It’s great to have you here. I was beginning to think I was going to get dicks all day. You’re a delightful breeze of fresh air, in a sex den.”

When it came to tattoos and piercings, Mariko didn’t shy away from them. She wasn’t exactly covered in them, but had thought to experiment with every combination in her lifetime at least. Her kind did age slower than humans, so she thought that was a real possibility and she could stand to be patient. That didn’t factor in the tattoo on her chest though, and it was done at a time where she thought she should be open with her relationship. Still, it looked wicked enough to keep and she could make up stories about it whenever people asked questions. Not many did. “Yes, I am from this town...at least, I am now. I immigrated here two years ago to continue with my studies. I must say, those continue in a different way here.” Her waggled brow coated that in a suggestive manner. She then placed her clawed hands at the tops of her breasts, tugging the material of her shirt more to expose the tattoo in question, which said ‘Akina’ in reality. For that moment, the tattoo on her wrist became more visible, seemingly a swirl of ghastly faces of spirits circling each other. “Oh, this little thing? It’s a little poetry meaning 'blooming spring', that is to say that my flowers are always lively and moist, my petals are open and for the taking.”

darjeeling · Dec 3, 2014

Subconsciously, Aurelia drew her own unpainted lips beneath her teeth, worrying at them even as her gaze was drawn towards the monster’s own which seemed to gleam beneath the smoky pale lights. Unusual. She couldn’t take offense to that, considering it was Mariko it had come from, but still the word drenched her tongue in a familiar, bitter taste. Unusual was just another word for abnormal, abomination, aberration and all the other a’s she’d forgotten. “Collecting candy wrappers is harmless.” Aurelia pointed out, banishing her thoughts to the wind with a wave of her hand. The gesture would have been odd and out of place but in here, it looked as if she were implicating the men, an assumption born not entirely out of falsity. Along with pleasure and exotic eroticism, the Scarlet Crossing also invited a myriad of unfortunate circumstances which seemed to have been glossed over so many times by now. To Aurelia, it would always be a place where one would need to be careful and yet, perhaps it was different for bakemono. If they were not bound by the laws of human aesthetic then their bodies too may work differently. It seemed that Mariko wasn’t too concerned with that either, considering she saw no plastic wrappers nor any other tell-tale littering around the platform. Aurelia shook her head – as alluring as the monster was, she would not partake in such pleasures in the foreseeable future. Yet some part of her did not want to say as much, so she merely shrugged as an aside and said, “I hope not.”

Aurelia at first was not aware that Mariko was looking over her head, and it was only when the irritating tugs and pulls at her back had stopped did she realize that Hunter had stepped back gingerly. The looks the bakemono gave to the males around the room only seemed to further remind her of this strange situation. Her face was still red; the blush had faded slightly and her heart still beat painfully in her chest but she was conversing as if she had just met this woman on the street or perhaps about to invite her to coffee or tea. It was ironic, really, that the abnormal would be found so normal and that the normal was not. A small snort of laughter escaped at her the thought, the ungainly sound hidden beneath her palm. At Mariko’s response, however, all humorous thought vanished and a frown settled instead as she pondered at those words. From what she had read, it was true that some monsters, while mostly integrated into human society, still sometimes lacked the foresight to change or modify their behaviours befitting of the world they lived in now. Some even dared to feast on human flesh though the last time that had happened was many, many years ago now. Monsters were intelligent; Aurelia remembered she had said as much to Hunter at one time. She wondered if even back then he had been visiting this Mariko.

“Why do you not mate with your own kind?” Aurelia asked then. “Surely you would have more success finding a mate who is… similar, in body, to you.” She wanted to ask if Mariko had ever given birth to a half human child before, mostly for her own benefit but the bakemono didn’t seem to have the signs of motherhood. Her body looked as well toned as any other human she had caught a glimpse of outside, and her extra appendages only made it all the more attractive. Besides, a monster’s age was always difficult to discern as they rarely seemed to be touched by time in appearance. Though speaking of time, she had no idea how long she had been down here for. Aurelia stirred, her legs were cramping as was her forearm so she shifted to stretch her limbs subtly stopping only to parrot Mariko. “Romantic?” Romantic was one of the words the redhead thought to never associate herself with. She had no interest in striking up a spark with any such creature, or at least, that was what she had decreed just this morning. Yet the offer was rather… appealing, even if Aurelia was not likely to budge so soon. She said no more on the matter but she did allow it to stew in her mind, even if she did leave this place and thought never to return.

“Moving the location of your services above ground may help with fresh air,” Aurelia could not help but quip, her grin tight and unsure if Mariko would take offense to that. After fluster always came a defensive mechanism, not flight or fight but a bite, no matter how kindly she meant it. She cleared her throat, which only seemed to make room for more of that smoke to seep in, so she coughed again. It would have been much better had there not been multiple exposed men around her and no doubt she may have seriously considered Mariko’s offer. But putting on an erotic show was not very high on her things to do before she perished mysteriously. “They’ll go to waste, you know.” She said lamely, unwilling to gesture around herself again but certainly implicating those about her. It was a miracle in itself that the bakemono had taken note of the redhead, more so that they had talked for an impressive amount now considering where it was the conversation was taking place.

But the bakemono’s voice was nice enough to listen to and she didn’t feel all that bad about being curious, especially when Mariko seemed not to mind answering her questions. She looked again as the monster pushed down the fabric, revealing more and more skin and possibly exciting even more of the audience. As to the story, it certainly did make sense albeit it did not stop her face from collecting a little more scarlet on her cheeks. “… fascinating.” Aurelia frowned at the characters, wondering how they could look so innocent yet imply such lewd meaning. That was the beauty of a language she could not read nor understand, she supposed. “It’s pretty.” She said truthfully before turning her gaze away from the woman’s tantalizing breast. They said a tattoo would be for life, but they also say a great many other things were for life too. “Would you get another? And where did you come from?”

DeliciousLust · Dec 3, 2014

Mariko seemingly found it almost quaint that the girl had decided to defend her hobby, especially when she was saying one was safer than the other. It seemed the monster already had an answer waiting for her when it was given. A hand, with short sharp claws found on every finger, went up to casually brush some of her sleek ebony hair behind her pointed ear once more in a subtle motion. “You’re right to say that collecting candy wrappers is harmless. Then again, I could easily say that my hobby is far from safe because I’m the one who’s not harmless here.” She slowly grinned smugly at that statement, the dim light of the den seemed to give the bakemono a dangerous and deadly air that wasn’t there before. Her claws up for display and quite obvious when it was brought close to her own face to deal with the stray locks of hair that were loosen from her elaborate coif. If she wished, her claws were definitely able to cut flesh and harm someone on the receiving end of her wrath. She had little to fear from the men when it came to her safety. Any frailties or sicknesses found in humans weren’t exactly compatible with her own kind, which was a strength she enjoyed as well. The worst that could happen was that she would catch faint cold-like symptoms from something that would usually be deadly to humans. There weren’t many of her kind on this world, but the few that were around were more than capable of surviving almost everything the common world threw at them. If she was inclined to, she could take offense to the possibility that she could be in harm’s way. However, she found their exchange a little too delightful and Aurelia was amusing her greatly with her naiveness.

However, there were indeed some plastic wrappers around the platform, just a few from occasions past and hidden away in the darkness of the stone floor. They weren’t necessary when conducting congress with Mariko, but there were some who found comfort in bringing such little protective tokens whenever possible. She wasn’t exactly human and some of her guests weren’t prepared in thinking that she was completely safe, despite having such a pleasing and compatible form in beauty. They thought that perhaps such an open and shameless beauty came with a price. Sometimes, it was at the request of Mariko that such little devices be utilized. It fell under a form of fantasy that she would enjoy from time to time, silly thoughts that she needed protection or for those partners who wanted insurance to claim no responsibility. It was a bit a personal role-playing that made her almost tease herself to be more human like, instead of the bakemono that she was. Not that it was something she shared with many people, there was just an underlining flavour that made sex all the more erotic for the beast on some occasions.

Aurelia didn’t seem like an easy one to reason and bring down to her level. It should have been expected, especially seeing as it was her first visit here and she was clearly from a whole different morale make. At the very least, the girl had a notable blush on her that seemed to show no signs of disappearing anytime soon. It was something with this place, conversation, or her person, that gave her a provocative undercurrent she wasn’t immune to. Perhaps it was a daring notion that required a longer burn to see realized. She was going to be harder 'game', but it was certainly more fun than spreading one’s legs to immediately earn their admiration and lust. Then again, her own desires and primal lust wanted this girl in some shape or form. Either as a lover, or perhaps a kind spirit as a colleague. In her own depraved little mind, she sort of picture Aurelia in a similar dress as hers, giving herself to all sort of men who wanted to perform carnal acts on the ruby haired beauty. Red was the colour of lust, after all.

“Mate with my own kind?” She repeated those words, as if it was a silly notion to consider or she was chastising the girl for having such limited imagination when it came to the possibility of inter-species relationships. That was something she had considered once before, but ultimately it didn’t factor what she was going for around here. She was different, but dominant in her own needs and those of others here who want her so desperately. If she were to mate with her own kind, she may subject herself to even or lesser ground. It was a sense of normalcy she couldn’t find herself committing to just yet, especially for its ultimate repercussions. “I don’t think I want to. It’s much more fun this way, having others around here attempt to mate with me and make me either a wife or a bearer of their children. That’s not to say that it’s impossible, just very unlikely. I think I have all of the patience in the world when it comes to such things. I like my company here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to meet a darling such as you, hm?” She looked at Aurelia inquisitively, wondering if she understood her point.

“Mmm...romantic.” She purred softly in a husky tone to allow the words and its meaning to sink, a lewd moan seemed to reverberate under her breathe. It may have meant something entirely different with the girl, but it certain struck a bell inside the bakemono’s mind. Perhaps it wasn’t a mate she wanted, but a partner to partake in the same pleasure she did. While unique and dominant in this den, she could stand to share that honour with someone else and somebody who was just as unusual. Even if that unusual trait was just a faint lineage that was hinting through Aurelia’s hair.

“Maybe I’ll consider moving above ground, my dear. I’m not that shameless. I like an audience but not a whole stadium worth of people. I do have some standards after all and I’m ravenous, but sensible.” She smirked darkly at that with a suggestive expression in her eyes at the last few words. Her hand waved dismissively to the people around them, making it clear that they were partners to her lust, not elements that held dominion over her. “Let them go to waste, there will be others to take their place eventually. I don’t think many of them will be as amusing as you, Aurelia. If not, then hopefully I still have you in my den by the end of the night?” She released her hold of the fabric of her shirt, allowing it to settle it back to the way it was before. It was admittedly a form fitting shirt and would still keep a good hint of her generous bust, along with the taunt aroused nipples and the exotic piercing on one of them. “Thank you, you have a taste for beauty, perhaps that is why I've been able to garner your attention? I have been considering getting another, something more dynamic and something just as lewd. Maybe a piercing and maybe another message hinting my true nature...”

Her sharp eyes narrowed, the reptilian slits in her eyes seemed to glow in the dim lighting when she considered the last question. There was a hint of teasing as she now decided to hold back some answers for the first time since their conversation started. “Oh...I don’t know if I could share that with you, just yet or now. It seems I’ve revealed much of me already and I don’t think you've even reveal half as much as...Only if you showed you were wanting or eager...”

darjeeling · Dec 5, 2014

The monster’s show of her claws made Aurelia hesitate if only for a split second, wondering if people came here to be deliberately raked by those talons – after all she had seen and heard in the span of a single day, that would not be so surprising to her. The world beyond hers was incomprehensible to her. “You’re right,” she conceded grudgingly. “But if you were to use your claws on anyone, the police might come and arrest you, and I know that monsters are bound by human laws if they live here.” The integrity of said officers left much to be desired but Aurelia could not imagine them in their suits and stiff faces to visit the Crossing unless it was for business purpose. At the same time, she would never have believed Hunter would indulge in such desires and yet, here they were. It would not be so large a stretch to think that some of these men may well be a part of their noble police force and keepers of the peace. For some reason, the possibility unsettled her so Aurelia moved an inch to the left to put a little more distance between her and the male beside her. Besides, Aurelia wasn’t implying that she was in danger of being assaulted by any patron she had but surely there were some rules and regulations to follow. Aurelia noted that she must have a read on this topic though how many books the library offered on “monster girls” was a grand total of 1 and Aurelia had that one already. “But I do not have those,” she lifted her hands out, long and unmarred; her nails were somewhat perfectly white. “No claws, no talons. If I were to join you, it might be safe for you but not so much for me, yes?” She clenched her fingers back down. “If you collect stamps, perhaps your audience would soon find another like you.”

Aurelia didn’t know why she was being so adamant on this matter. The bakemono was surely enjoying herself and she could not fathom how that could be so. Giving yourself up to be used by people for their enjoyment, and yours, was an idea that was a borderline impossibility for the redhead. It wasn’t something she was about to vocalise however, as she knew full well that certain people were certainly different, and monsters were not exempt. She filtered out a sigh, unwilling to inhale more of the smoke. The smells addled her brain and made her thoughts turn to soft mush. Leaving early would be wise but at the same time, she did enjoy talking with Mariko even if their topics of conversation were somewhat strange. A fitting subject for a fitting pair of misfits, Aurelia thought, though it would be unfair of her to describe the bakemono in such a way. After all, Mariko seemed more human than she did at this point – disregarding the outwards appearances, it certainly seemed like she was more interested in humans than Aurelia was herself. A hypocrite she might be, it only served to further her interest.

She frowned at the monster’s dumbfounded reply, almost as if she had said something completely obnoxious like she had just told Mariko the sky was green and the sea was purple. Except it made perfect sense to the confused human, who was quick to ponder on her own words: of course there should be an explanation. It was possible that there weren’t a great many monsters to begin with so searching for a needle in a haystack, no matter with the needle was the one would take much too long and Mariko was not patient enough. Or it could simply be a preference to one’s tastes. Much like Aurelia’s own, where she eschewed the company of men in favour of women in most cases though it would be far more accurate to say that she disliked both to a certain extent. Or perhaps it was not men and women, but male and female humans. Either way, Aurelia did not think to concern herself on such matters. Romance and relationships of any kind were for people who were not abnormal in this dingy little town. “Is it so strange a notion?” She queried then, unknowingly biting her lip. “Your words are sweet but the way I see you now, they are perhaps words you’ve spoken before.” There was some hint of accusation in the redhead’s tone, even if she had no right to be envious. The reverberation of eroticism was clear when Mariko spoke again, the sound not lost on her whose bitterness was swept away with those very waves and in such a fashion that Aurelia almost missed when the monster spoke next.

“I did not think I would be in high demand,” she said, shrugging. Again her attentions were drawn to their onlookers though it appeared that Aurelia had almost become used to their presence. Mariko had a way of making the room seem as if it were just the two of them, and perhaps it was the same for those who partook in the pleasures of her body. The platform was just the right height for it too, and the lights centred upon it too made it seem that way, though Aurelia’s fingers barely touched the rim of the bright circle. That was fitting too. “You could start your own… place,” she suggested, “This place is ill suited.” Aurelia wrinkled her nose, remembering the sweaty dancers and eardrum bursting music. Surely one did not have to be drunk to enter this place though sex and alcohol usually coincided along with the odd needle or powder packet. Whatever the case was, the pipe did give Mariko a little more class and the bakemono seemed to be sound of mind. Aurelia blushed again, “Perhaps so, though immodesty is most unbecoming.” At this, the redhead offered a kinder smile than she had ever this night, “as for tattoos or piercings… a peacock, maybe?" She tilted her head as Mariko returned with her coy reply, unused to being denied when she had been given so much already. “I like to keep things to myself,” she waved her hand in the air, flashing an almost rakish grin. The bakemono would not give her the answers she sought and so too shall she refrain.

“But I am afraid I cannot stay long.” Aurelia straightened, her back stretching subconsciously, her arms flexing from the pressure put upon them. “Please… enjoy yourself for the remainder of this night,” one more glance was given to the men and to Hunter who avoided her eyes the best he could. She could not help but feel like she had lost her friend that day. Aurelia offered a polite inclination of her head and turned, though not before saying softly, “Perhaps I will return,” and hurried herself through the crowd, up the staircase and into the hot night without a second glance back.

DeliciousLust · Dec 6, 2014

Those yellow reptilian slits seem to make their way over to Aurelia’s own eyes. Mariko's luscious lips seem to form together in pout, though any genuine hurt from it was feigned. If anything, she was hurt by Aurelia’s great lack of imagination, it seemed everything was straight forward and orderly in her world. The bakemono knew for well that the Scarlet Crossing was made of greys and blacks. Either she thought that she would be so careless to just rake just about anyone without pretense, or that the police would come to arrest her in such a place. Perhaps they would arrest everyone in the upper levels first, considering the bouncers didn’t do a good job of taking in the IDs of some of their customers, there were many people of questionable ages here. Or perhaps the druggies and pushes who dwelled around here, finding easy prey or providing to their customers. She was their occasional customer to know a few who lurked here. It could also be that the building wasn’t exactly up to code and caused a genuine fire hazard, the owner was slipping bribes to the local department to keep all of the inspectors out. Mariko was aware of the many layers the establishment found itself bound to. They were likely sooner to arrest Mariko for accepting sex without a license. Then again, she wasn’t really charging anyone. There were a few occasions where some of her lovers would pay, thinking that she needed to pay. Again, it wasn’t necessary but played into some inner fantasy of hers that she was a legitimate prostitute.

She sighed softly, giving the girl a few shakes of disapproval. “I suppose I do have the advantage of claws, but I am rather careful about them. You shouldn't think I'm a monster, just because I look like one. There’s a reason you see me out here, rather than locked away in a cage with the other creatures of the zoo. I treat all of my lovers right, and make sure that those who cross me pay dearly, just like any human. As for actual claws and means to defend yourself, such things are not exactly necessary. You’ll find that confidence does wonders around here. You’re not going to be mounted unless you want it. We would be doing this as partners too, ne? I could be your insurance.” Her smiled broadly at the next statement she made, purring under her breath. “I doubt there will be another like me, though I would welcome the competition. If there’s another, it would no doubt coax me to watch and ask questions like you have done. Like, why would she do such a thing...and what are her favourite positions...would she enjoy scissoring? Mmm, that would be sexy.”

“Take my words as you will, my dear. It is the truth on the matter. Some may consider it an exercise in futility. It’s not exactly futile when there’s so much fun in the journey.” Mariko pointed out, thinking that she was clear earlier. While she was perhaps allow her primal instincts to get the better of her when it comes to mating, she was indeed doing more for pleasure than to actually find a mate. There could be a time where she could get pregnant, maybe by some random man who had potent enough seed. She would concern herself on what to do then. She was a bakemono who lived in the present, than one who look forward to the future.

“As for my own place, I could consider it when I pursue my license, if ever. It would be nice to have a place to take a shower after, than make my way home in a bit of a mess. Less awkward for my neighbours.” She smiled shamelessly at that, almost prod of it. “As for a tattoo, I’ll consider it. I’m in the mood to get a piercing. A peacock might be nice on my ankle.”

Ultimately, it seemed that Mariko was unable to hold on to the girl and she seemingly had enough here. She promised another occasion, but she couldn’t be sure if she truly captured her attention until she returned to confirm her words. There was a spark of interest that she saw in Aurelia’s eyes when she peered into them. The girl was curious about her race and her ‘profession’, perhaps it was enough to enthrall her, if she wasn’t going to join her. She became relaxed in her posture, leaning back until she was laying on her side, nearly returning to the position she was in before. The skirt sat lewdly on her hips as she moved, stained underneath with the white trails of her previous lover. “Mmm, I will...but I do look forward to your return. I may convince you yet, take care for now and safe journey...” She said in parting, just before she turned her back to her without looking back, and beckoned Hunter forward to take her place. Mariko still needed to be sated...

darjeeling · Dec 6, 2014

Aurelia had somehow made it back home without the help of a guide though the walk had taken her about an hour. An hour to think back on Mariko and her words, the way her eyes gleamed bright with familiar gold and her hair as dark as her smoky lair had been. She was tantalizing to be sure, and the redhead knew she had not gone away untouched. Even when doused in the cool, fresh air away from the Scarlet Crossing and its ilk, it did little to banish the images that had come when there was little to distract her from them. Beneath the soft glow of the streetlights lining the sidewalk and with her hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets to protect them from the chill, it had been a quiet night. Once or twice she passed by a drunkard or a smoker and more than once she had spied couples lip-locked and pressed into each other. If Aurelia didn’t know any better, she would have thought that Fate was playing tricks on her. She cursed Hunter softly beneath her breath, recalling the way he had tugged at her – he didn’t even have the decency to leave with her either. Unwittingly, her hands clenched together in her pockets. No doubt he was still in the bakemono’s den eagerly waiting his turn.

At the mere thought, the rest of her journey was somewhat bitter as she brooded, trying so very hard not to think about it yet unable to do anything but and she almost passed by her home, so deep in her thoughts she was. Home was a small apartment on the second floor of a dingy looking building, the floors so close together Aurelia could have jumped from her window and she’d land safely on both feet. Home smelled of instant noodles and books and clothing strewn about as she threw her jacket over the only chair in the room. Home looked like the cliché hovel of a poor college student and home had never looked so desolate until now. A petty sigh broke through her dry lips as Aurelia collapsed on her creaky bed. The blankets were still messy from this morning, which seemed like aeons ago, and her computer still whirred with life. She reached over to power it down, her finger smashing against the button almost violently before she rolled over to face the scratched up wall. The redhead was desperate to ignore it, but alone and home, Aurelia was acutely aware of her own desire and the way her shorts chafed against her thighs. It made her frown and shake her head.

“I don’t need any of it.” Aurelia said to herself, her voice seemed louder to her now when there was only quiet and the gentle chirp of insects bouncing about her windowsill. She didn’t miss the music or the raucous sound of laughter and she most certainly did not miss the depraved moans and groans, but she had to admit that speaking with someone like Mariko had been nice. However odd their background was, the woman was interesting, more so than anyone Aurelia had met before. Ever since she had moved away from her parents’ house and her neighbors who always seemed to terrify her as much as she terrified them, a child’s mistake no doubt but at eighteen, the redhead had been more than eager to leave that all behind. If she thought that college life would be any different, she was most certainly proved wrong almost instantly. At the age of twenty-three, Aurelia had yet to have anything worthwhile to show from her studies, having used the money sent by her parents to pay for her bills rather than for her education. She thought it most prudent to spend much of her time at home or elsewhere, eschewing the company of people as much as possible. In Mariko’s language, it would be safe to say that Aurelia was a hikikomori through and through.

Aurelia’s eyes stung when she shut them, the residue of smoke still lingering but the human girl was determined to sleep. She pressed a pillow to her face, inhaling the familiar musk and exhaustion took her unprepared, unaware and entirely welcome. The dreams her mind spun were of claws and silk and ruby-red lips; pure black and white stains on a grey canvas and golden dust floating through the air. It tasted of warmth and obsession and of guilty intrigue, the flavors strange on her tongue but it was a good kind of different and the kind Aurelia wanted to savor more than anything else. So it should not have been to anyone’s surprise, especially not her own, that Aurelia found herself waking to the sound of squeaking birds and her clothes damp from her own sweat and something more. She banished them both in an icy cold shower but they returned before long and not an hour passed did Mariko not invade her thoughts. Her return to the Scarlet Crossing had not been on whim, but had been born out of something else entirely.

The second night occurred much like the first, the men still faceless to her and ignored as she pushed her way through to greet the bakemono. Aurelia had asked her questions, to which Mariko would answer some and wave away the others and the redhead would never ask the same thing twice. She was always unwilling yet wanting to give in to the monster’s seductive beckons, but she’d leave before she could. This happened again the next night, then the next and the next until a full week had passed and it had become something of a ritual for Aurelia. Of Hunter, the hikikomori did not notice though it was likely she had missed him – she had found another to pass her time with and perhaps it was due to Mariko’s reciprocated interest that had Aurelia wanting. Sometimes she was emboldened and queried the monster brusquely, other times she was content in simply waiting until the bakemono was done. Never did she sit and watch like a voyeur, she held too much respect for herself and for her new found… addiction.

It was to her great chagrin that one night after two weeks, there was no sign of the bakemono or the crowd of men. The place had seemingly been abandoned, leaving only the platform and subtle swinging light overhead. Aurelia had not lingered long, not in the room or at the Crossing. She had fled straight home, her heart pounding and her face bright red as she scolded herself for being disappointed. Was she really so desperate and needy that the disappearance of a creature so scandalous had shocked her to her core? Aurelia did not sleep that night; she merely lay awake and stared at the ceiling, contemplating her life choices and innumerable queries of why, differing in context but always beginning the same way swam about her head like drowning fish. For one reason or another, she swore to herself that she would piece herself back together.

Three days had passed with Aurelia hefting an empty backpack to her college with her sunglasses perched upon her nose to hide away the bright sheen of her eyes. Her hair was a little more difficult to hide but thankfully the color was not so surprising even if the crimson was as natural as any color could hope to be. The lectures were dull and the people surrounding her even duller. Her resolve was fading as fast as her time with Mariko, even if the bakemono was far from a distant memory. Aurelia had not returned to the Crossing since that night, but as fate might have it, as it did the first time, her path lead her directly to the monster and not in a way the human was expecting. The hair was different, the dress different and scholarly but Aurelia had laid her eyes too many times on the monster girl’s form to forget it so easily.

The tail had turned the corner and Aurelia had gone speeding after it and, forgetting herself, touched and grasped hold of the bakemono for the first time. Aurelia's eyes blazed and she was very much intent on spinning the woman around by the shoulder as a breathy accusation of “You!” would come spilling forth in an almost carnal growl from her lips.

DeliciousLust · Dec 7, 2014

Even though her company didn’t say much on it, nor do they usually said much beyond to lewd request, they were rather glad that the red haired girl left the den so that they could left alone to their devices. Mariko was more than happy to appease their desires and also continue trying to satisfy her own. While she allowed herself to be pleasured by her visitors, the number of ways became more imaginative as the night went on, she certainly didn’t forget about Aurelia. Even as the hours of the night drew closer to morning, when the club had closed and all of its customers were ousted from its premise, the girl lingered in her thoughts. Aurelia was certainly the most distinct face she had seen in her den for a while, which was no small feat, considering the number of deviants and strange characters that were common visitors to the Scarlet Crossing. She could say it was something so simple as her shockingly red hair colour or her hypnotic eyes, but that would be absolutely superficial. There was something about her curiosity and her reluctance that made her more exciting sport, something she found herself yearning for even as the fifth man climbed atop of her to ride the bakemono, where many men had been to already. Part of her wanted to imagine it was Aurelia who was pleasuring her in their place, but that would do her rather great injustice. No, she wasn’t going to find a replacement for her in any shape and it was going to be a prey she would have to keep track of.

Her curiosity about the girl was answered and confirmed when she did indeed show up for another night. It seemed that she did managed to enthrall the girl enough to return, whether it was because she was so unusual and because she was akin to a car crash, where people found it rather hard to turn away. Regardless, Aurelia was received with a welcomed reception, as well as one could be managed in such an awful place where carnal desires were the order of the day. She was happy to oblige to the girl’s quest on learning more about her it seemed, though some things were still ultimately a secret with her. Even a harlot such as herself had some things she wouldn’t reveal to people, as she had an inkling of discretion at least. Of course, she would continue to attempt to tease her into submitting to her seductions. Sometimes she was rather nice about it and laced her words subtly with that request and sometimes she was blatant, testing the girl’s patience when it came to lewd words and audacious sexual displays where she would press to have a strained conversation while engaging in congress. It was expected that she would leave early whenever she pressed too far, but it seemed the girl returned the following night, seemingly having forgiven her or finding her too enticing to ignore all together. She naturally tried to press for information of the girl form Hunter, but he wasn’t exactly cooperative in that manner and hadn’t heard much from Aurelia in a while. A part of her wondered how long this was going to keep up and if Aurelia’s ever polite interest in her would keep up. Maybe she would believe that her normal existence was enough and pursue a normal relationship with a man who could guarantee her a family and the complete package with the white picket fence. Mariko thought that would be a rather sad ending to their relationship together.

Ultimately, their relationship would a road bump when it seemed that one of the wives of the men she frequently pleasured had learned of her husband’s transgressions. It was something that happened eventually, and often, but this particular one managed to bribe the owner of the business to have Mariko ousted from that basement. That made things difficult for Mariko, considering that she had lost a venue to cater to her base and primal desires. She also wouldn’t be able to catch Aurelia again, considering the girl lived an absolutely private life and never bothered to exchange contact numbers with her. It was a shame, but perhaps a judgement from fate that they had to ultimately part ways. Either way, it did encourage her to seek out a license as a sex worker and potentially find a proper venue for her carnal activities, fulfilling both her fantasies and inner animalistic call.

Mariko had a life, believe it or not, outside of being laying on a platform for the pleasure of men. There was also the studies that she had to tend to, ever since she moved to this country. Her studies weren’t particularly focused and she perhaps took that excuse to claim membership to the college. College was another portal that allowed her access to various things, such as friends, parties, and general school life. Yes, sex was part of that cycle as well, as she wasn’t shy in advertising her service anonymously as dorm ‘stress relief’. The difference here was that it wasn’t so blatant as she did in the Crossing, there were whispers and rumours of it, but not something that would ever reach the faculty level to get her expelled. She danced that line here, between provocative and undecided majors. In her own way though, she ultimately cared little for other people’s opinions and put her enjoyment on the forefront. There also the fact that she was one of the very few monster girls on campus, which was another social web she had to wrangle and tussle with from time to time.

At the time when Aurelia happened upon her in campus, she did indeed have a whole different appearance from that of the whore of the Scarlet Crossing. She wasn’t any less provocative though, but didn’t risk looking like she could get naked at a moment’s notice. At least, not usually, as there were some days where she got dangerously close to looking like herself on those hot carnal nights. She was dressed in jeans, though custom made to allow her free movement of her tail, denim hugging her toned thighs. Her tail would move back and forth playfully, easily hinting a provocative air about her as it was an appendage that was awkwardly exposed. She still favoured her platform heels, ruby red with an ankle strap and open toed to allow her talons to fit through without annoyance. Her height was tall with the heel's aid, reaching nearly six foot with their aid. Her top was a loose pinstripe dress shirt, open slightly to tease hint of that tattoo, which supposedly declared herself as a creature of wanton lust. She wore suspenders with her shirt, which served no functional purpose but to draw more attention to her generous bust, pushing the straps to the side to give her breasts even more perceived definition. Rectangular glasses framed her eyes, which had no prescription of any sort, it was again for the look and appearance to make her look like a studious member of the campus. Her sleek black hair was also different too, worn down and reaching easily past her waist, it was complete with straight fringe.

When she was called over, she turned around to see Aurelia suddenly in front of her and looking quite intense. Mariko was honestly bemused and smirked at her. “...Me?”

darjeeling · Dec 8, 2014

As if a great flame had suddenly engulfed her hand, Aurelia quickly snatched it back to her side, looking equal parts horrified and astonished that she had even touched Mariko in the first place, and that she had found her once more against all odds. The monster looked different and yet was still completely recognizable to the human girl. For one, none could deny the plentiful eyeful of cleavage or the sensuous curves accentuated by the tight, form-fitting clothes she wore. The heels that Mariko wore also pushed her height to higher grounds, far more than Aurelia could recall even if most of the time she had seen the monster seated on the platform. Aurelia herself wasn’t lacking in stature either but she found that she had to crane her neck upwards slightly so that she might look upon golden eyes behind fashionable glasses. It was somewhat jarring to see the monster in normal clothes, a strange thought given that Aurelia had seen her bare, or mostly bare, to the world and surrounded by equally undressed men to which she had been unphased at by her second visit.

Yet for some ghastly peculiar reason, she remembered that she was wearing the same clothes she had on the first night she had come into contact with the bakemono. The thought had been so sudden and Aurelia had been so unprepared that she visibly shook her head like a mutt flinging water from its fur. The action would have been somewhat strange and definitely abnormal. Her hands went to her pockets again, to hide away the red tips of her fingers but there was nothing she could do for the blush masking the normally pale tone of her cheeks. Beneath the sun, carmine and crimson interbred, wave upon gentle wave of both hair and fluster as she took a step back, contrasting the cotton blue scarf wrapped around her neck and the lower half of her face. The color didn’t suit her in the slightest but it did help to protect her from the chill wind the city was accustomed to at times. It was Aurelia’s ill luck that there was no wind now to cool her down, though she doubted it would help at all. She shifted, acutely conscious of the woman’s toothy smile and look of befuddlement. It made sense that Mariko would make that kind of face, she reasoned to herself, considering her complete lack of tact and somewhat rude ‘greeting’.

“You,” Aurelia bit her lip beneath the scarf, “M-Mariko.” The word tasted odd on her tongue; rarely had she spoken the other’s name aloud and when she did, it had been under miniscule coughs and clearing of throats. Her fingers twisted against the insides of her pockets anxiously as she casted her eyes to the side, noting the people milling past them and the few who stopped to stare at Mariko’s figure and swaying reptilian tail were offered Aurelia’s trademarked frown. Not that it dissuaded them; the pavement corner wasn’t a good place to talk, but to the redhead, it was all background music, like one might listen to in an elevator. The cars zooming past was the booming bass and the smell of petrol and gas the nicotine, “Who else?” Aurelia offered a tight, awkward grin, the smoulder in her eyes dying away the more she spoke. She knew it was terribly silly of her to act as if she had been taken off guard, especially since she had been the one to call the bakemono out. Aurelia could have easily turned heel and escape in the other direction to never hear from Mariko again, but she knew that she wouldn’t have done that. At the very least, she commended herself for not following the woman like a silent, creepy ghost or even managed to restrain herself from launching into a massive spiel about how delighted she was to see a familiar face in a sea of strangers.

The idea that Mariko was one of the only creatures she considered as something of an acquaintance made her smile, hidden beneath the winding blue fabric. Aurelia shook her head again, determined not to paint herself a fool though it was already too late. “I mis—“ She stopped, her teeth almost separating the tip of her tongue from the rest of the muscle as the middle of her sentence bled into a quiet choking sound. No, she wasn’t bold enough to speak that way, especially in broad daylight. Aurelia swallowed audibly, her inelegance almost cringe-worthy as her hand dropped out of her pocket and she half lifted it in the air as if to slap away her slip-up. “I mean w-would you like to talk… elsewhere?” Her throat felt dry and sore, her heart thudding away against her ribcage, the possibility of her offer being rejected terrified her even if it was just a simple askance of a conversation. “If you want. Of course.” Aurelia added, quickly stuffing her fist back into her jacket but to her credit she did manage to look at Mariko, even if her glance to the monster’s eyes took a little longer getting past her bust.

DeliciousLust · Dec 8, 2014

It was equal parts surprising and amusing to Mariko that the girl had suddenly pulled herself into a smaller person so suddenly after her bold move to touch her. Like a sudden crack of fire that flared up and suddenly quieted, remaining in its place there it continued to burn. Was that to say there was some fire in this girl, its colours seemed to show off from the girl’s head to the hair tips with that delightful red. It was rather adorable to see her look up at her large bust to meet her eyes. There wasn’t much reason for her to stand in their previous occasions together, where she was either found seated or various other positions to facilitate her carnal passions. It was almost tempting to reach over to hold the girl’s chin, lest she had to look back down and do all of that work to look at her again. She didn’t though, perhaps out of suspicious that she might disappear around the corner or combust into nothing the moment that she touched her. Despite the temptation to scare the girl around, she wanted her around and was glad that some coincident had brought them together again. It was a large city and they did meet in the seediest part, where everything was usually forgotten on the next night.

Her smile grew more and showed more sharp teeth when Aurelia did prove herself to be something more permanent, than a whimsical spirit that threatened to invisible at a moment’s notice. There were in a different venue to be sure, there were still eyes on them, maybe the bakemono specifically, but they were in public. There weren't four walls and a roof to contain their privacy, make things entirely intimate. The broad daylight added more to the setting, able to see the girl in full view and colour, where old lamps and candles hardly did the job. It was a view that Mariko could appreciate, perhaps giving them real normalcy for the first time in two weeks. She did indeed notice that she was dressed in the same clothes when the first acquainted, it took her back to that first night, but she didn’t linger there entirely. Her attention was more on the present and it was cute to see her do all of these strange and unexplained gestures. It might not have meant much but there probably spoke more about the girl than she would ever dare to reveal about herself. She was nervous and embarrassed for reasons unsaid. The daylight made her blush all the more evident and the blue scarf only heighten its contrast. Just because it was the day and they weren’t in the Scarlet Crossing, it didn’t deter the monster from potentially teasing the girl in any way that she could. Her reputation was already questionable around campus, so her image wasn’t so pristine that she couldn’t afford a few suggestive moves here or there. Admittedly, what she was doing with her tail was also to keep it out of stepping range of anyone behind her. It was annoying to walk with a tail in crowded hallways and she learned at a very young age. The side effect was that made Mariko constantly playful, and she just happened to be in that mood at the moment.

A clawed hand pushed up her glasses as she got a better look at the girl, feigning as if she was entirely surprised as to why the girl would even make a big deal of her. Her hand sank down but rested at the top of her sumptuous breasts. “Mariko would be my name, yes.” She said coyly with a hint of smugness about her and an over exaggerated air of a proper person. “There could be no one else, only me.” Her next words came to answer the question that didn’t really need an answer. As she spoke more, her hand seemed to slowly glide down and cup a full side curve of her right breast, pressing the fabric against herself. There was a hinted texture of a bra, not that she needed to wear one, her bones and different physical make up compensated for all support. Again, it was just something she did to fit in with the humans around her. Before it could look like she was teasing the girl, her hand dropped and fell back to the side of her hip.

“You...misplaced your manners?” Mariko finished her sentence for her with an incredulous tone. “That’s all well and fine with me. At least you called me by name in public, rather than the other things you might have heard others call me. I wouldn’t mind if you called me such things, but I would think you owe me that much after all of the conversations we’ve had and the states you’ve seen me. Sure, we could talk elsewhere, I’m open to any ideas you might have. I just got off...class, and I could stand a distraction after that lengthy lecture. I mean, you must have an idea of fun around here. If you don’t, you know that I do, but you don’t seem to share in the same taste...or maybe you do?” She grinned widely at the girl, quite playful in her tone.

darjeeling · Dec 9, 2014

Aurelia’s attention was almost drawn to the flicker of a green tail behind Mariko’s currently taller form, but she had finally managed to drag her eyes from the hand that rested atop the bakemono’s ample bosom, not to mention away from the bosom itself, so the redhead was unwilling to risk looking elsewhere. Mariko looked at her playfully, it seemed, her voice implying as much as her response was riddled with cheek and lacked not in any amount of teasing. Aurelia caught her tongue as it was just about to agree on the other’s statement of her own uniqueness, finding that she might feel foolish after. Her mouth felt dry as her gaze lowered out of its own accord at the movement just below, the material of her tight clothing almost molding even further with the sensuous swell of her companion’s breast. Aurelia heard the barest hint of a noise akin to someone being choked; noting not mere moments later that it had exuded from her own throat. Impossibly, her cheeks burned all the more brighter.

“I misplaced something, that’s for sure.” Aurelia could not help but mutter beneath her breath, tugging the scarf up higher as if to hide her face. Her voice was thankfully muffled by said bright blue cotton wrap which, in retrospect, looked out of place though it was not dissimilar to her state so she thought it rather fitting. At Mariko’s words, she at least had the wherewithal to look moderately offended. “I wouldn’t call you anything else,” she protested. The bakemono had been subject to a great myriad of nicknames, ranging from insults hissed out in the heat of the moment, to the woman’s species and even just monster, which the redhead knew she had thought of Mariko as from time to time though she would never say it aloud. At the implication of the other’s more than plentiful provocative states, Aurelia cleared her throat free of the sudden lump that had appeared along with the memories of such positions. However, she could not contain the surge of excitement that tingled down her spine when Mariko graciously accepted her offer to move the conversation to a less public place.

“Do you drink coffee?” Aurelia asked, as usual ignoring the bakemono’s hints. “I know of a small café that serves the best drinks, but only if you like the taste of coffee or tea. They aren’t ones to make good smoothies.” A small grimace played on her lips as she recalled the last time she had ordered a mango blended smoothie from them. To say that it was adequate was a stretch and Aurelia didn’t like the idea of subjecting Mariko to that. She lifted her fingers and lowered them as she began to list off other possibilities. “We could go to the arcade at the mall if you like games, or if you’re hungry we could just go to the food court there.” The redhead tilted her head and frowned at the two lowered fingers, realizing that her options had been depleted relatively quickly. “I… don’t really go out much.” Aurelia gestured for the bakemono to follow her, at least away from the corner and from prying eyes. She half considered inviting Mariko back to her apartment as a joke, but she knew that the reptilian woman would probably take it seriously.

Her lower lip was drawn between her teeth slightly as she shifted herself to the side of the pavement, her hand brushing against the stone wall by her side, unpainted nails clicking methodically. “Or we could just… go to the park and talk…” Aurelia wasn’t sure of the steps that came after inviting a busty, sexy monster girl out on what was essentially a date (even if Mariko probably didn’t see it as such). Her lack of tact irritated her and it was obvious by the way her eyes glared at a trunk of a thin, small tree. What annoyed her further was the thought that Hunter had been more successful than her, though men rarely needed words when it came to Mariko. Aurelia turned and shrugged nonchalantly, though she did manage to maintain eye contact with the monster’s own golden gaze, “Your choice?” There was nothing worse than offering to do something Mariko didn’t want to, after all, and it seemed as if the bakemono had a very firm idea of what she wanted… even if the redhead refused to give it any thought.

DeliciousLust · Dec 10, 2014

Mariko could easily notice that her little tactic worked to fluster Aurelia further, as it seemed that she did have an eye for her breasts, if not her body. It was a little funny to the bakemono, seeing as the girl was usually so platonic and composed when she had come around to ask her questions in her den of sin. Even further, Mariko less proper in those times and often wasn’t fully dressed as she was now. There was the temptation of teasing the girl further. As shameless as she was, it was something she could nearly do all day if she was so inclined. There were many thing she could do, stopping short of getting naked. Even then, she might think of a few excuses where she could do so within reason in the real and mundane world. The red that was hinting on her face made her almost want to reach out and stroke her cheek, as if to feel whether or not there was literal fire under that skin, just waiting for be let out. Still, that would be something she could investigate later. Perhaps she could consider Aurelia akin to a ripening fruit and had to wait for the right moment to indulge. It seemed clear the girl didn't want to indulge in her desires so readily, despite being given multiple invitations in her den. She hasn't forgotten, she still would appreciate her as a partner, of sorts.

Funny thing, when it came to various names that were not ‘Mariko’, she had a strange rule and perference for them. When it came to nicknames, she didn’t mind such names or references to her species when she indulging herself to bodily pleasures or others were doing so in her stead. Those words were filled with passion, and directed to her only because she was able to coax those emotions out of her subjects by desire. She didn’t mind them, and sometimes welcomed being called something monstrous or a simple 'slut'. However, when those words were these in the normal setting such as this one, they had a burning hate in them. It was hardly something she could reciprocate in control or amusement. Those were truly insulting Then again, Aurelia was an accepted presence and she was more open in her permission. It was a delight that she did choose to respect, despite being given a choice. “That’s just fine with me, know me as Mariko then...” She said in acceptance on the matter.

“I do drink coffee, then the occasion calls for it.” She nodded, though that mischievous and lewd grin seemed to easily find its way to her lips again. “I typically take mind with a lot of cream and sugar...mmm” She said, letting out a small purr at the back of her throat in a breathless sultry voice. In all seriousness though, she did take her coffee with a lot of cream and sugar, nothing sexually implicit about her habit. Mariko was likely to be a coffee snob’s nightmare, even though she enjoyed the taste of coffee, it was more palatable for her when it was smoother in texture and sweet. This at least didn’t make her took picky about coffee, so long it wasn’t watered down to the point where she may as well be drinking a milkshake or chocolate milk. Coffee seemed simple though and something that could be done in conjunction with any of the other activities she rambled of. For whatever reason, Aurelia seemed rather eager to spend time with the monster, something that pleased Mariko at the very least. They haven't done anything together other than talk, it was time to change that. Even that thing they were doing wasn't sex.

“Games are fine with me took, I do like games some occasion...” Without warning or saying anything else, she made her way beside Aurelia and hooked one her arms around hers, so that they could be walking together. It would be nice to have the girl not scratch on stone, the sound of it was a little annoying to Mariko. She did a slow lick of her lips in thought as she glanced off for a moment. “You did mention cock once...or was that peacock? That sort of reminds me of a tattoo idea, though I was thinking of getting something naughty pierced too. It might be too soon without an appointment, but a get together might be reason enough. We could always look into that after or before coffee maybe?”

darjeeling · Dec 10, 2014

The subject of a nickname had Aurelia’s mind tipping over to uncharted territories that bordered pet names. Shortening of a name usually worked well enough. Mari, Riko, Mako… her strange thoughts continued to pull apart the bakemono’s name only to mash various letters back together to create different words. Most of them sounded incredibly silly to her and the ones that didn’t sounded too personal. In fact, the entire idea of calling Mariko anything but was too personal. She barely knew the woman beyond the surface of skin and flesh. It didn’t even occur to her to ponder further on the matter, with Mariko’s acceptance of Aurelia’s decision, she was more than happy to leave it at that. Not everybody needed a nickname and there was nothing worse than forcing one to light. Riko my ass, Aurelia scolded internally, unintentionally dredging up a rather feral looking scowl which instantly dissipated and replaced by a blank stare at Mariko’s throaty purring. A reptile she might be in aesthetic, the woman acted much more like a seductive feline waiting to pounce. Or maybe it was just to Aurelia, who read far too many comics as it was. She decided it would be better to keep that thought quiet and reverted to her usual state of ignorant.

“I usually don’t like my coffee with much... I don't really like coffee at all,” she said, somewhat amused that someone like Mariko would prefer sweet over bitter. Not that Aurelia actively tried to assume things about the woman whom, despite answering many of her questions already, she really knew nothing about. More so when Mariko also surprised her by stating her enjoyment of some games, and Aurelia was quite curious, almost asking if these games the bakemono liked involved clothing or a lack thereof, though found the inquiry to be somewhat obnoxious even in her own mind. She swallowed the question quickly. Video games were more her style along with the occasional card game – though the latter usually required the physical presence of more than a single person and Aurelia was somewhat lacking in that department. If she could split herself in half… well, it was likely the two halves would dislike each other in an instant and vanish into separate rooms. “We’ll go to the mall then,” Aurelia said, reaching a decision at last as she lowered her hand to her side.

If Mariko had not heard the unattractive sound prior to any physical contact, the bakemono surely would have heard the intensely sharp inhale Aurelia had to perform in order to remain perfectly still. She held her breath for a good five seconds as if adjusting to the sudden touch and pull on her clothed arm, the warmth made immediately apparent to the human who was suddenly very, very, very aware of the distance between them and of how little there seemed to be of it. Of course, she could not pull or tug away, nor did she feel like doing as much. Her first attempt at speaking ended only in a short squeak, the second attempt faring much better as she cleared her throat before trying again. “Peacock,” Aurelia said, quite relieved that she had not stammered nor bitten her own tongue off. A feat worthy of congratulations, she reasoned. In fact, she should have stopped there, but for some reason that followed the same logic of her ostensible attraction towards Mariko, she felt the urge to continue. “Getting something that vulgar on tattooed on your body wouldn’t suit you. You might think some people would say it did, but the ones you have now are too tasteful to be accompanied by… that.” Aurelia looked to the side, wondering if she might try to accidentally slip, fall and knock herself out. “I don’t know of any good parlors,” she muttered then, “butIwouldbehappytoaccompanyyou.” The words flowed not with the grace of a crystal-clear river, but smashed and rocked against every object imaginable, stumbling and fumbling until Aurelia could take no more.

She tugged, rather forcibly, at the bakemono’s arm and seemed to all but drag her companion towards the general direction of the shopping centre. Aurelia remembered that there was a café there too, a place that offered only above average coffee and below average tea. Thankfully the place was close enough that her legs only ached once per minute before they were striding through the parking lot and towards the glass sliding doors. The redhead considered removing her arm but feared that it might leave Mariko with the wrong impression – the thought almost made her snort. If Mariko hadn’t been dissuaded by her prior lack of overt interest then the monster girl surely wasn’t about to read too deeply into Aurelia moving away. Yet even with that in mind, said redhead was still unable to do as much and simply decided to leave the physical contact business to Mariko who was most definitely the more experienced between the two. It didn’t stop Aurelia from gesturing at the food-court which looked to be half full. “At least now we have a variety of options.” At last she smiled; it had been a while since she had visited this place, probably within the last eight months she had only come to the mall a grand total of once but she found she could still remember the layout as if it had been only yesterday. “Coffee, tea, juice, maybe food if you’re hungry.”

DeliciousLust · Dec 11, 2014

Even though they settled on simply referring her as her full and proper name, that wasn’t to say that it was a contract that couldn’t be amended in the future, if Aurelia was actually so inclined. It seemed to get much from the girl when it comes to doing things outside of the society norm politeness, so she wasn’t sure if it was going to be something that would come up in the future. However, when it came to Aurelia, Mariko has some plans in the work to give her a particular nickname. She wasn’t too sure at the moment, shortening names didn’t seem original enough and expected. If anything, she considered fixating on perhaps her red hair or her behaviour. Maybe "Scarlet" or "Shy Girl". Seeing as she took a strange note whenever her usualness was highlighted, Mariko had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be a liberty that she would be partaking any time soon. They would have to know each other for a certain time first. Then again, Aurelia saw her potentially more than she saw some friends for a whole season. Given that they weren’t exactly in the right venue to do more than talk and Aurelia seemed focused more on business than pleasure. It was part of why Mariko’s teasing was relentless on the girl, trying to coax her to become otherwise. Then again, maybe their time together was supposed to be a pleasure of sorts? She did peculiar things for fun and that weren't sex related.

“Strange, you look like a coffee girl to me.” She said vaguely on the matter about coffee. There was nothing teasing or suggestive about it. Even her mild temperament, she thought that Aurelia would be a girl who favoured a drink that was bitter, but likely drank no more than a single cup a day. That little assumption about her made her realize that she didn’t know much about Aurelia really. Her time at the den was mostly to satisfy her fixation on Mariko and that pleasure was never quite returned, outside of small answers. Candy wrappers, she said was her hobby? It made her wonder why she didn’t consider collecting candy instead. That sounded more interesting...if someone had to find something interesting in the world of collecting trivial things. Yes, she thought the hobby was rather trivial, but wouldn’t say it. Everyone had their hobbies. She smiled brightly when Aurelia made a decision amidst her murmurs and indecisions.

“Hm?” She said with a lazy glance of her eye, looking at the girl who seemed to suddenly squeak at her. What other strange noises was the girl capable of? Surely Mariko had an idea how to encourage more of them, but for another time and in another setting. She giggled at the mention of the peacock again and waved off her hand. “Oh, I wouldn’t really get one of a peacock, but it’s a rather nice idea to get the ball rolling on another tattoo. It’s a little flashy, considering the animal, and a male one too. If anything, I’m considering getting a piercing. It’s likely to be a piercing on my vajayjay. I’m thinking about a clitoral hood piercing, having that bar of metal resting on top of my clit...I got one before, but I didn’t take too care and it healed over. My metabolism and all that, it’s annoying when it works. I know of a few parlours, only a few are willing to work on a bakemono like me. What would seal the deal is if you were to get something too. Not the same thing, of course, unless you wanted it. Maybe you could consider getting like an...owl, or something.” She grinned at the girl who was leading the way, returning the favour of suggesting some vague bird as a tattoo. It seemed to suit her, somewhat.

As with any public place, there were a good percentage of people who gave Mariko various looks. It was hard to forget that she was something of a foreigner in a world of humans and would continue to be one for some time. There were a combination of opinions though, some of them appreciated her form, while others considered her an eyesore. It was a different world when she wasn’t catering sexual favours with everyone there. She was less in control, more like a passenger on a ride, rather than the director of a disreputable sex den. Her gaze slowly swept the food-court and shrugged. “I’m feeling like light fare at the moment. Which is good, since they probably charge an arm and a leg for a carnivore diet around here. I could go for some of that coffee you mentioned earlier. Quiet spot, right? Is that place you spoke of around here? It’s not as fun to talk around here when I have to yell just to get my voice heard. I’m guessing you want me to talk, not just look sexy. We never really got a chance to truly talk.”

darjeeling · Dec 14, 2014

Aurelia shrugged at Mariko. “It’s… useful. Staying up, waking up… coffee has its uses.” She would never admit it, but on some occasions when she knew she was to walk her way to the Scarlet Crossing to visit the bakemono, she would down three cups of strong coffee to keep herself awake. She also enjoyed some types of coffee liqueur but though she could truthfully say that she had never gotten drunk before any of her visits. She found Mariko to be potent enough to intoxicate the redhead to the point of awkward stupidity. Of course, that was also something else she would be hard-pressed in saying aloud. The phrasing of the other’s assumption did give her pause however. You look like a coffee girl, Aurelia repeated in her thoughts. What else, she wondered but not for the first time, did she look like to the exotic monster who dwelt in a lust-filled den beneath the ground, surrounded and worshiped by men and women alike? It seemed almost surreal that Mariko would take interest in her, and it was a fact that she dared not to question as if the bakemono would suddenly see the error in her ways, turn tail and vanish, leaving nothing more but that fleeting scent Aurelia had come to memorize.

“It might suit you,” she repeated, seemingly caring not for the gender of the animal in question nor about for the peacock’s supposed overtly bright coloration. Aurelia wanted to explain herself: Mariko was surrounded by males much of the time either way, the tails would represent them and the bird itself with its vibrant, azure blue feathers would be the reptilian girl herself. But she thought that might be too much on her part, not to mention it would imply much of which the redhead did not want any part of. As she drew herself from her reverie, she realized that the topic had moved on without her so she hurried to catch up, though upon doing so, stumbled and blushed once again at Mariko’s audacious verbiage. Aurelia was finding it difficult to reply, the somewhat vague images doing wonders on her skin as she struggled to take hold of a sentence that sounded even remotely educated. “That sounds a little painful.” She finally said, blinking and turning away. Even when her monster companion suggested that she get one as well, Aurelia was well on her way to winning a staring competition against the window of an office building in front of her.

“I’ve thought about getting one in the past.” She replied, finally blinking when she felt the sting of tears emerge. “Not an owl,” the grin was lost on her but Aurelia did smile. “Maybe a woodpecker?” She didn’t know what possessed her to mention that, but found, strangely enough, that she did not regret it as a light laugh escaped her. The idea of sauntering into a tattoo parlour with a bakemono wrapped around her arm was oddly amusing – at the same time, it filled the human girl with a sense of pride, even if it was all imagination and proposition. Mariko wasn’t a trophy, of that she knew, but it was normal to want to let the whole world know that something so special belonged to them… even if Aurelia really owned as much as a pair of socks and a signed vintage CD. Suddenly feeling rather foolish for even entertaining the thought, she shook her head. “But I don’t really like birds.” She finished off, sounding a little dourer than she had a second ago. It wouldn’t be hard to hear it; Aurelia only hoped that the scarf she was currently putting a lot of faith in was doing its job in muffling her voice enough. Mariko was intensely perceptive, something she was rather amazed at though not at all shocked. It was just another little thing that made Aurelia want to down another cup of coffee.

It had taken a good five minutes for Aurelia to feel discomforted by the stares, but was made slightly better by the fact that they weren’t really being thrown at her, only at her general direction. It was strange to think that and at the same time, she offered Mariko a look of apology before realizing that she didn’t need to. The bakemono was used to this, as much as Aurelia was, yet Mariko looked to be handling it far better than the redhead ever could. She felt the shrug shift against the fabric of her shirt, only heightening her awareness of how close the other was to her. A thought hit her quickly and just as unrelated. “Do you eat human meat?” She blurted out, realizing yet again that it could have been misinterpreted. “I mean human prepared meat. Beef, chicken… cooked? Raw?” She was fumbling now, as one with shaky hands might with a candle and lighter, except she was certain she had lit herself on fire. As the bakemono continued, Aurelia was setting her own sentences in order, except they tumbled out in a mess and mass of vowels and sounds. “There’s a kebab place around here, they skewer the meat. I don’t think they sell raw stuff, unless you like fish. They don’t sell coffee there though, but I think there’s a place over there…” She was tugging the girl forward, eying any tables that might be available and far away enough from the general drone of conversation. Spying one, she surged onwards without pause like a girl on a mission. “I think this is quiet enough. You can talk enough if you want. I mean, I want you to talk. I mean, if you want…”

Aurelia finally pulled away from the bakemono and plopped herself into a plastic chair before burying her face in her hands. Gods, why was she so awkward!? And stupid. Definitely stupid. “I’m sorry.” She sighed, rubbing her palms across her cheeks. “What I meant was… I’d really like to talk to you. As you are.” The redhead loosened her scarf and smiled, her unpainted lips curving in a genuine look of appreciation for the other’s company as she gestured for the other to take the seat opposite her. The table was situated relatively close to the back of the food-court, near the wall and somewhat out of the general eye of the walkway and lining of shops. “The kebabs are really nice here.”

DeliciousLust · Dec 15, 2014

Perhaps it would have amused Mariko to know that Aurelia’s anxious movements might have been attributed by those three cup of coffee she had prior going to the Scarlet Crossing. Aurelia seemed like somebody who did everything specific sets and moderation, never quite deviating from her routine or programmed behaviour. It was perhaps all the more fascinating that this supposed methodical introvert seemed too fascinated by her person, character, race or even hobbies. She knew all for certain that it was Hunter who was responsible for bringing her to the wretched den of lusts and debauchery. He was only the gateway in the equation, all of the following occasions was completely her doing. Mariko didn't have direct control over her, but seemed like something that was meant to be by happenstance. It was as if the tide had brought Aurelia before her again and again. Despite meeting in public, she didn’t see their little occasion together as any different. There might have been more propriety required from the monster, maybe. The fates might have a strange way of pulling the two together and Mariko was rather intent to see how far she could push the fates to get what she wanted from the girl. If it was meant to be, right?

“Mm.” She merely said regarding the bird, almost dismissing the idea already from her thoughts as she brushed a length of sleek black hair behind her ear. The peacock’s blue feathers and array of colours seem hardly complimentary on her green skin, when she thought twice on it. It would hardly suit her to have that creature permanently marked on her. Having a bird on a reptilian bakemono seemed almost out of place. Then again, all she needed to do was look at the elaborate tattoo on her chest to know that she wasn’t exactly the wisest when it came to subjecting her body to particular fancies. How that might double in meaning when it came to sex with stranger completely slipped her sense of irony on the matter. She was hardly shy with her choice of words, knowing full well what she was and did to take such verbiage as a casual part of her vocabulary. Needless to say, she didn’t spend too much time with proper company who found such words offending. High class settings were never truly her thing. One hand went between her thighs and slowly traced a claw over where the seams of her tight jeans met, roughly around the same area where her treasured womanhood might have been found. It wasn’t done in suggestion, merely as a muse as she thought back to the previous occasion she had such a thing done. “Nah, it wasn’t too painful. If anything, I tend to heal pretty fast when it comes to piercings. I think it would rather hot if anything. Then again, all genital piercings have something hot about them. Maybe it goes back to that time where I fucked a guy that was like pierced all along his...well, you get the idea.” She stopped short of rambling on, thinking that Aurelia fully got the idea without her going into detail, and Mariko could have gone more into detail. It would be lousy if the girl combusted into fire.

“Let’s just forget about birds,” said the reptilian woman, ready to move on from the matter. The tears that seemed to threaten to show in Aurelia’s eyes easily caught her attention but she didn’t pester her too much about it. She just might have an issue with birds and Mariko found the notion too silly to dwell on by now. Yes, actually more silly than having a tattoo of her ex above your breasts. On the upside, it still looked badass and very few people caught on to its true meaning. She wasn’t sure if she could say the same thing about a peacock...or even a woodpecker for that matter. For now, there was coffee to be had and Mariko was more than glad to be taken to somewhere to talk in relative peace, away from these stares that seem to be directed at her.

Aurelia’s next quite almost seemed to come out as a sledge hammer, even if it was potential badly constructed and badly strung together to make something that seemed almost most offensive. She slowly turned to look at her, casting a look of disbelief through her glasses that seemed to almost give her pause. Then again, she must have been asked that question at least once a year, and she made her quota now. When most people asked that question, they actually meant human meat, as if bakemono still publicly did such a thing. It was quaint, but somewhat offensive at the same time. She chortled out load when she quickly corrected herself, not quite sure if it was a last minute save or her original intention among the fumbling of words she seemed to spew out without control around her presence. Disregarding that moment, she answered her question casually. “I eat beef, chicken, pork and the like well enough. Any sort of meat is fine with me actually. Eating it raw won’t get me sick, but I rather eat it cooked. Especially considering there’s all the little added flavours you get out of it. I’m not much of a cook though, but I appreciate cooking.”

When they arrived to their destination, Mariko settled down to the spot across from her. Her tail lazily rested through the hole of the plastic chair, going completely still in the first while since their little date together. For a moment, it almost seemed like Aurelia was ready to burst out into tears from her actions. Burying your face in your hands could only mean so few number of things. It annoyed Mariko, but concerned her at the same time. She would hate it if Aurelia was really mustering herself to spend time with Mariko as if it was some debt she owned. Now that she thought about it, it could have been a distinctive possibility. When the girl finally found the strength to speak again, it did assuage her concerns somewhat. Her attention was fully on Aurelia, rather than on the shops and restaurants around them. “Ah. I get it then. Well, I am talking and I am what I am, so you don’t have to worry about that at all. That is, if you don’t like what I am, then we might have issue. I'm not too hungry right now, but I could still go for that coffee with extra cream and sugar. That’ll hit a good spot in my body without getting me naked.”

darjeeling · Dec 18, 2014

“I… I see.” It wasn’t too large a leap, was it? To think that bakemono, or monsters in general ate meat raw. Surely their digestive systems were a little different, as were the sharp, pointed teeth that denoted a largely carnivorous diet. Of course, that wasn’t to say that cooked was out of the question, but usually eating things raw meant it didn’t taste quite as good, not to mention the unwelcome diseases like salmonella. Aurelia knew someone who had gotten food poisoning – the result had not been pretty… nor did it leave a particularly flavorsome bouquet. But having said and done that, Aurelia knew that it had been rude of her to presume. What made it worse was the look she had no choice but to take and the accompanying chuckle that was no doubt more out of politeness than actual entertainment. “That’s good,” Aurelia continued, not really knowing what she was saying good to. She hoped Mariko wouldn’t think too much into it. “Good food is hard to come by.” Far from a foodie, the redhead still had some pride when it came to what she put in her mouth, but she wasn’t about to mention that.

Aurelia glanced at her palms sheepishly as Mariko spoke, knowing full well that it was rude to avoid eye contact but she simply couldn’t at this point in time. Instead, her golden gaze swept over the slight lines, misjudging the sweeping curve of the life one as it merged seamlessly into a tilting, falling ‘m’ shaped map. Her other palm held a more prominent shape, but she had no time to consider it as Mariko mentioned something about an issue. Her head snapped up before shaking from side to side. “I…” Aurelia’s tongue locked itself at the bottom of her mouth, and probably for her own good as she silently considered what was about to be the most clichéd response in the history of responses. Or at least as far as what she had said up until now, this one took the cake. “… I like you as you are.” The redhead finished lamely, but Aurelia had already reached the limit as to how bright her face could go. She was somewhat relieved that her cheeks hadn’t been sloughed off, but the thought made her somewhat sick so she quickly banished it away.

As quickly as she had slinked into her seat, Aurelia stood up with a loud exclamation. This wasn’t a café; this was a food-court! Nobody was going to come serve them and they would have passed out from dehydration before anyone noticed. It was a severe reaction to what was a rather minimal problem but Aurelia looked aghast anyway. The plastic chair scraped against sticky tiles as she hurriedly explained, “I’ll get our drinks! Please don’t go anywhere!” Her fingers ploughed through her pockets, the jingle of coins wrapped in snug blankets of loose change music to her ears as she stopped, briefly for a split second, before inclining her head and dashing away. Maybe it was rude to leave Mariko alone at their little corner-of-nothing. Maybe it was the fact that suddenly imagining the bakemono naked, by said bakemono’s encouragement of course, had been too much for Aurelia to bear and she could really use that cup of coffee.

Five minutes passed before she was able to weave back through the thin crowd, hefting two steaming cups. The first she set down in front of Mariko, “Extra cream and sugar, right?” The other she put in front of her own seat and placed a crinkling, plastic box down too which contained six neatly rounded pieces of chicken sushi. Aurelia muttered a sigh as she sat down and drew her coffee towards her as if it was her lifeline. “It’s not as crowded as I’d thought,” she commented. It just looked that way from the amount of eyes in their direction but the redhead found that when she was alone, the looks had dissipated. It had been a queer feeling to be sure but the quickness in which she had retrieved their drinks and her light meal meant that she had no room to complain. “You sure you aren’t hungry?”

DeliciousLust · Dec 18, 2014

It almost seemed like Aurelia murmured a half-completed thought and Mariko wasn’t completely sure to make of the sound at first. The clichéd words almost felt like it was something out of her imagination, considering how lamely and shyly it was spoken out by Aurelia. When she finally could process what was said, she perked up with raised brows. “Oh, good.” She said proudly at that, as if it satisfied a bit of curiosity that was bugging her. “If you do indeed like me how I am, then you should have no problem with me. Seeing at how quiet and reserved you are, I could hardly tell. For a moment, I could have sworn that you were rather scared of me. That wouldn’t explain the bravery I’ve witnessed from you in the last few weeks however...” That eluded to all those times where she decided to return to her little den of sin under the club. Even with all of the company there effectively in Mariko’s control, it wasn’t a place that was inviting nor friendly, especially when someone was going to only talk and not partake in the pleasures there. Her eyes continued to peer at the girl curiously though, as if wishing that she could further elaborate on her meaning, instead of squeaking out small murmurs.

When Aurelia suddenly bolted up from her seat and decided to quickly fetch some coffee for the both of them, Mariko didn’t seem to do anything to stop her. Her gaze followed her hands into her pockets, hearing the confirmation of money in her possession. “Mm.” She nodded once in agreement. Mariko had little idea how well off the girl actually was and didn’t want her going broke just to cater to her. It was only a cup of coffee, but she barely had an idea what that was worth to someone who collected candy wrappers. She had an inkling enough to know that it wasn’t an expensive or refined of hobby, at least. When the girl speed off, Mariko crossed her legs and pulled out her phone to check her messages. There were still a few glances given to her direction, despite them sitting in a corner. If they so much looked at their direction, they would easily spot the green skinned reptilian bakemono sitting by herself. Mariko didn’t pay too much attention merely checking for left messages of requests for her services. There were a few she could attend to, though the demand was high enough that she could taking her pick if she wanted. Unlike her little den, there was some profit to be made in her company, though it wasn’t always about money for her. It was more about what sounded more fun.

She looked up when she felt the girl return and saw her coming with two cups of coffee as prescribed. Her phone slipped back into her pocket and she grinned at the cup of coffee that was placed in front of her. Aurelia could probably catch her tail swaying lazily behind her. “Good, you actually remembered. It would have been a hassle to go back. Thank you.” She placed her fingers around the cup and took a small sip from it, nodding in approval a few times. It was perhaps a little on the bitter side, but that was perhaps on fault with the server, rather than Aurelia. She couldn’t be sure, as she took three creams and three sugars. It was just a pain that all cups weren’t created equally.

“Nah.” She said dismissively with a wave of her clawed hand. “I had a bit to eat before you caught me at the campus. Speaking of hunger though, I am a little hungry for something else...” The playful smirk that slowly sank into her lips eluded that it was certainly something sexually suggestive. Before Aurelia could stammer a response or show any signs of embarrassment. Mariko glanced off and watched a small crowd of people go up the escalator to where a majority of the shops were located. “Actually, I thought about doing something out here. I mean, we’re in a mall right? We should be doing more mall things than just sitting around here for coffee. There’s a few shops around here, I could stand to look for a new outfit. Or we could head to the lingerie store. It’s a pain when panties and stockings get ripped sometimes. You know? And there’s always the adult intimates store, where I could get fed in another way...There's no shame in pleasure for one.”

darjeeling · Dec 23, 2014

“Not scared, just apprehensive.” Aurelia replied. In a way, the past few weeks had been mostly surreal. Though she recalled her conversations with the pleasure-seeking bakemono, she could never really remember journeying there and back. It was as if she had thrown back one too many pills and had let her body go on auto-pilot. The only problem with that reasoning being that she didn’t take pills in the first place so really, Aurelia had nothing to blame. “I’ve never met someone like you.” She shrugged. Not something, but someone. Mariko was on a whole new level and now she knew why Hunter had been so… for the lack of a better word, hooked. It wasn’t just the fact that her companion had a tail and sharp teeth and eyes like hers; it was another world and if there was one aspect that would be surprising about Aurelia, it was that she liked new things.

Aurelia burnt her tongue on the first sip of her coffee, then on the second as Mariko replied to her in a manner that would have most men falling over their feet to reply to. She was much cleverer than that, the redhead thought to herself somewhat grumpily as she nursed the muscle by scraping her teeth against it, as if she could rub the numbness away. It appeared that her companion was far from interested in any reaction Aurelia had to offer and the human followed the monster’s gaze towards the escalator. Even if the mall was small by current mall standards, it was still one of the only places that offered a place to eat and shop without having to leave your chosen mode of transportation in some seedy parking lot. Though Aurelia also knew that the majority of people in their town slash small city preferred to walk simply because seedy parking lots happened to be in abundance.

She scratched at her styrafoam cup absently as she tried to recall what sort of shops they had here, though it was to her great chagrin that all she could really remember was how disappointed she had been at their comic and gaming stores. They could stand to learn from their competitors, though the mall provided more security than the back alley shops. “Lingerie?” Aurelia heard herself repeating, snapping back to attention mere seconds after. She didn’t trust herself to reply as the memories of Mariko clad in lacy undergarments zoomed wickedly through her mind. She took another hurried gulp of her coffee; her tongue was already too far gone and she needed it. Maybe she was a little addicted to caffeine but nothing else she found tasted so gross yet so good. Alcohol was a close second though she highly doubted it was socially acceptable to stagger around with a bottle of Jack Daniels in tow.

“Uhh…” Aurelia burbled over the lip of her drink. “I thiiiink there’s a lingerie store… somewhere.” Not that she would know. She was the type of person to hurry past windows showcasing scantily clad mannequins and once upon a time when she had friends of the fairer sex, stand outside idly and look at everything except the store whilst waiting for them to finish up their shopping. She wasn’t quite sure if this mall held one in its stomach but there was really no harm in looking. After all, that had been a couple of years ago and Aurelia was (moderately) confident that she had matured (enough) to at least look the motionless dolls in the eye. She drained the last of her coffee before standing and motioning for Mariko to do the same and gestured to the escalator. “Ready when you are.”

The Scarlet Crossing (DeliciousLust & darjeeling)

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