Throne of Oak, Ash and Thorn (closed for Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

Vivian's form poked out from around the corner of the doorway to her room, a scowl on her face. The girl was really getting on her nerves. No gratitude, not even general politeness was coming from her, only impatience and the expectation of being catered to.

Her mouth opened and then closed, the scowl being replaced by a smirk as she decides to mess with the fae a little. "Oh... a couple months, at least. There are the pictures, the creation, and of course the government takes such a long time to approve it. I hope you like America, Beth..."

With that, she chuckled and withdrew back into the room, hoping that the reply would at least get the girl's heart-rate up. The wall had been hiding most of her body, but she was currently only wearing a lacy black bra that clasped in the front, and a matching thong on her plump ass. She laid out a red tube-top that could be zipped down about halfway, a cute black leather jacket, and a short black skirt onto her bed, intending to wear her thigh-high boots to complete the outfit.

Going to the mirror, she sighed, realizing that she had forgotten to take off her make-up last night, causing it to smear and possibly clog her pores. She opened the drawer on her bedside table to get a make-up wipe; condoms, lube, and other various items were visible before she shut it. The wipe was then used to clean her face before she tossed it in her little trash can. Vivian wore light make-up usually, unless she was going someplace fancy, so it didn't bug her too much.

 

[wanna_be]

If Aelsbeth had been sitting she would have leapt to her feet. "Months?"

Her exclamation is not quite a shriek, but her shock and surprise is evident. "This is simply not acceptable. There must be some way to hasten the process."

She can't imagine being trapped in the mortal realm for months. At best she would eventually be tracked down and murdered by the Unseelie, iron door or no iron door. At worst she will have to live amongst humans, eating their food and breathing their air for an intolerable amount of time. The very thought makes her shudder as Vivian's face disappears around the door again.

Perhaps if she goes with the woman she will be able to speed the process along. She might have failed in her attempt to bewitch the woman, but now that she has her wits about her things should be returned to their natural order. Yes, accompanying Vivian is the best plan, though she will need her strength. The injuries, iron-sickness and then the healing have all drained her.

She pulls the jar of honey from the cupboard, wrapping her long and dainty fingers about the lid. The lid in question refuses to be moved. She tries again, with more effort this time, though this too proves futile. No matter how hard she tries she can't open the screw top of the jar. She tries both ways, and only succeeds in tightening it, if that were possible. Perhaps some strange enchantment has been placed upon it? She raises the jar to the light, to reveal… a jar. No sorcery, no enchantment. Letting out a deep breath of frustration she shoves the jar hard back into the cupboard.

"Well then, if it will take such an interminable time we should leave swiftly, what is taking you so long Miss Vivian?"

 

[Poprockz]

Vivian grinned within the room, putting her clothes on piece by piece. She was pleased that the response she got was every bit as satisfying as she had wanted.

"I'm sorry, buttercup, but that's the quickest we can get it." Now fully dressed, the woman sauntered out of her room, her high-heeled boots clicking on the floor. Her voluptuous form leaned against the wall as she silently watched the fae struggle with her jar of honey. She wondered whether she had wanted some to go with her remaining piece of toast. However, it was highly amusing to watch the thin girl wrestle with it, so she didn't step in.

"I'm ready to go when you are, Beth." Vivian walked up next to her and opened the cupboard, taking the jar of honey out and easily opening it with a pop. She let one of her fingers slide around the inside rim, gathering honey in its wake before bringing it to her lips and slipping her finger into her mouth. Turning away from her, she walked a few paces toward the door before slipping her finger out and licking her lips.

She took out a pair of sunglasses and put them on, flashing the seelie an amused smile before walking over to the hook near the door. The "brass" knuckles were then deposited into a more modern black bag, hanging around her shoulder with her other personal items.

As she stood by the door, she took out her phone and opened her taxi app, sending a request for a driver to take them to Gabe's place. "Let's go."

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth can only glare as Vivian opens the jar with ease, runs a finger around the inside rim, and slides said finger into her mouth. That the human has seen her struggling leaves her furious, though she loses that anger swiftly enough as she realises she now has access to the honey herself. She dips her fingers into it, twisting them as she raises them to prevent the fall of the sweet syrup. Relatively unprocessed, the honey tastes that much sweeter to her for it. Though it is still a poor replacement for the feasts of the seelie.

Sucking on her fingers, she can do little but continue the glare as Vivian steps to the exit, taking the iron knuckles from her pack and dropping them into a hand bag that was slung about her shoulder. Aelsbeth eyes that bag carefully, even from here she could feel the iron, but she doesn't have much choice. This woman is to get her home, and it has already been established how little Aelsbeth knows about the human world.

She glances curiously at the device in the woman's hand. She's seen them before, everyone in the human world seems to have them, though she's not entirely sure exactly what purpose they serve. They're a relatively new phenomenon, she's only seen them on her more recent outings, and there have been few enough of those. She's lucky if she can escape the court every few years.

Once she enters the stair well to the exit it hits her like a… well… like an iron door. Her legs quiver, her head spins and she feels the awful cold seep into her. As it does an irrational panic rises in her throat, just the presence of the iron is like a physical force, a weight that distorts the fabric of reality around it. She struggles to breath properly, to look at anything besides the door, eventually fixing her eyes on the black haired woman's retreating back. It's the most she can do, anything else seems like too much. She stumbles a few feet up the steps, before she has to lean fully against the wall, clawing her way up the stairs as though she's several drinks deep. The iron draws ever closer, its effect growing stronger. A door handle she could have dealt with, even the knuckles were simple enough to deal with now that she had her strength back, but a full door of the stuff. She stops halfway up the stairs, swaying.

 

[Poprockz]

Vivian heard the stumble, but thought little of it until she heard Aelsbeth's movements stopping entirely. Pausing at the top of the staircase, she looked back to see the slight woman looking unsteady on her feet. It made sense if the girl was still recovering from what happened last night. The change in elevation could have messed with her senses, causing dizziness and disorientation. She couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic toward her. After all, spoiled as she may be, she didn't deserve to have the crap beat out of her.

The woman thought for a moment, turned, and opened the door at the top, letting it swing open outwardly. Once that was done, she made her way back down the stairs to the dizzy fae, reaching out and gently tipping her chin up to look at her.

"Don't struggle, or I may drop you."

With that, she scooped the smaller woman up into her arms, cradling her against her soft, warm chest. The action had caused her purse strap to slide, positioning the purse so that it hung around her shoulders and against her own back. She leaned over, her lips almost brushing Aelsbeth's ear as she whispered softly, "focus on me."

They then ascended the stairs, step by step. Vivian held her protectively, making sure not to drop her as she carried her like the princess she truly was. It wasn't difficult considering that she was a strong woman and Aelsbeth was thin and light, like a bird with their hollow bones. Within a minute or two, they passed through the opening and Vivian kicked it shut with her foot before carrying her a couple steps further.

A few of the staff were still there in the now mostly empty club, cleaning up after the night and getting prepared to shut it down. It wasn't uncommon for Vivian to emerge with a new woman or man on her arm, but it was unusual for her to be carrying her lover out in such a way. For this reason, a couple of them looked over curiously, pretending to work as they watched her stride confidently across the floor.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth does as instructed almost without thinking. Curling up in Vivian's arms, her body seems to become almost impossibly small. Tucking her chin in, she rests her head against Vivian's chest, the movement makes her dizzy, but she stays there anyway, soothed by the rise and fall as she breathes. The trip up the stairs seems to be taking forever, and she starts to fidget as she grows closer to the door.

It's not until she is within a few feet of the monolithic block of iron that she starts to panic. Tucking her head further, she appears to almost be trying to burrow into Vivian's chest in her attempts to get away from the iron, her breathing increases as she starts to hyperventilate and her thing fingers tighten about Vivian's forearm. On the edge of irrationality, she is a hair from starting to struggle and claw at Vivian in an attempt to escape when the awful weight of the iron starts to recede. The weight on her chest lifts, and she finds herself able to draw a full breath.

The dizziness recedes, but a discomfort remains at the back of her head, both thanks to the sheer mass of the door, and the iron that unbeknownst to Aelsbeth hangs against Vivian's back. It isn't until they are outside of the club and in the fresh air, or what humans refer to as fresh air, that her mind clear enough for her to make the connection.

Even so she finds it hard to tear herself away from the warm and comforting embrace of Vivian's arms. It takes all of her pride's kicking and screaming in her head to make her sit up in Vivian's arms and start stretching out her legs. She returns to upright with only a slight wobble, steadying herself against Vivian for a moment.

She looks awkward, clearly unsure of what to do in this situation. She racks her brains as to what the monkeys might do. Eventually she turns up something from her experiences in the human realm. The words trip over her tongue, clearly alien to her. "I am… grateful…"

She's not quite sure why she felt the need to thank this woman, she is of a lesser species, a race that has plundered Mother Nature for all her wealth without a second thought for the welfare of other creatures or even themselves. The woman is bound by fae contract to assist her. There is no need to thank her, yet Aelsbeth felt compelled to do so.

Flustered, she turns as a car purrs down the street and pulls up beside the club. "This is our transport?"

 

[Poprockz]

It was almost... cute, the way that the woman clung to her breast like a cat that was afraid of being put into the bathtub. She couldn't help but find herself with a little smile on her face as she set the fae down, the girl still leaning on her for support.

At her expression of thanks, Vivian looked a bit surprised, not expecting any gratitude for her efforts and being under no illusion that the girl thought that she was anything other than a tool. Still, it was nice to be thanked, and she thought to herself that maybe very deep down, Aelsbeth might be a decent person. Smiling and nodding, she replied, "my pleasure, rosebud."

As the car pulled up, Vivian checked her phone app to make sure that this was indeed their ride- one couldn't be too careful nowadays. However, it was truly the taxi she called, so she opened the door for her companion before sliding in herself.

"Where to?" he asked, pulling away from the curb.

"We want 9659 Parkview Place. If you can beat the traffic, I'll give you a generous tip." Vivian said, all business.

The taximan nodded and did his best to get them there fairly quickly, the two of them sitting in the backseat in silence. Vivian wasn't looking forward to this meeting, but she knew that she had to get the ball rolling in regards to getting the girl home. Gabe had made several advances on her already, and this might just be the leverage he needed to get her sprawled underneath him. Checking her purse, she made sure there were at least two condoms in there before watching the city out the window.

Eventually, they pulled up at an apartment building, Vivian giving him the large tip she had promised.

"This is it." Vivian said, glancing at Aelsbeth. "So it's a contact named Gabe we're visiting, so let me do most of the talking, please." She started walking into the building, looking for the elevator.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth looks up at the block of apartments. The building is supremely unattractive in a way only humans can make something. Tall, square, and grey, it offends all of her natural sensibilities. Humans like straight lines far too much, they break up the beautiful, smooth curves that Mother Nature has gifted them. She glares at the squat building as it looms against the sky.

She doesn't respond to Vivian's instruction, it should be the woman's duty to deal with other humans on her behalf. That was, after all, the entire point of the compact. Aelsbeth was sure she could have made her way home without help, but much of what was being done now would clearly have been beneath her. This building did not have the appearance of an official building, even Aelsbeth could see that.

Aelsbeth holds her tongue, but she is fairly sure that what they are doing now is something that involves the seedy underbelly of human society. Although as far as Aelsbeth is concerned all of human society is seedy underbelly. Especially anyone that Vivian knows, anyone with that much iron on hand cannot be trusted. Aelsbeth is glad that the fae contract will keep Vivian on side, she couldn't attempt to double cross her if she wanted to.

A press of a button and a few exchanged words see's the two women admitted to the building. The man they are meeting lives on the third floor it seems. He greets them at the door. Young and skinny, he has long greasy hair and glasses with greasy marks covering the lenses. Once he finishes leering at the both of them he waves them inside. Aelsbeth stiffens, she can virtually feel his gaze from behind as well as she walks past him.

She pauses once inside the apartment, almost swaying again. The smell hits her like a wall. Body odour, unwashed dishes, and just general dirt seems to occupy the whole apartment like a fog. One wall is wallpapered with pictures of half-naked or fully naked women, all in provocative poses. One corner is occupied by a large desk with multiple computer screens, while another is crammed full of lights, cameras, and a white pop up wall.

She catches him leering at her again, but ignores him, until eventually the greasy man turns his attention to Vivian. "Viv… Viv… Viv…"

Even his voice makes Aeslbeth uncomfortable. "Vivian. You know it's not easy for me to rush a passport at such short notice."

Aeslbeth can imagine the man licking his lips as he speaks, and she feels a sudden and sharp urge to slap him. She resists, she has no contract with him, no protection should he decide to turn against her. He's staring at Vivian now, though his eyes rarely go near her face. He looks almost possessive. Certainly he looks hungry, and she feels the urge to establish her own power, her own territory. A faint static charge crackles about her, an ethereal wind shifting her hair ever so slightly. The magic dissipates as he mvoes away, going over to the desk to collect a large camera, the old-fashioned type that still use film. He mutters something about it being harder to spot a fake.

 

[Poprockz]

Vivian too felt his eyes groping every curve of her body, appraising her once again. She had come to him a couple times, needing a couple fake ID's made or documentation falsified. Though his appearance, spell, and demeanor was off-putting, he truly was one of the best at what he did, and he knew it. In previous times, she had been able to get away with simply paying him, seeing as though her needs hadn't been urgent and he had been wanting for cash at the time. Nowadays, he was more established and wasn't in need of monetary means of payment.

He had always dragged his gaze along her breasts, her thighs, her ass- there was no doubt in her mind that he wanted her badly and that he would likely get his wish today.

"Of course I do. That's why I went to you, you know. For you it's not easy, but for anyone else it would be impossible. Plus, your attention to detail is unbeatable." she smiled, her words smooth and intended to charm.

It worked as he chuckled and looked pleased. "Well, I mean you're right. Still. After we're done taking the picture, you and I need to talk about my payment." His eyes raked over her body once more as he grinned, almost unable to contain his excitement. As he situated the camera in front of the white sheet on the wall, he "inconspicuously" adjusted his pants, clearly trying to make his erection more comfortable as it waited for its time to shine.

"So um..." he gestured at Aelsbeth and Vivian spoke up.

"Her name is Beth Marie Smith." Vivian mentioned.

"Yeah, yeah. Beth. Could you step in front of the camera, against the wall?" He eyed her lewdly, biting his lip as he marveled at the beauty's body.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth bites her tongue at the shortening of her name. It will not do to advertise her true heritage. She certainly cannot trust the Unseelie not to have human agents of their own keeping watch for her. Perhaps this passport thing would enable them to track her if she were not discreet about it. Even so, the annoyance is evident on her face, and it takes her some effort to remove it.

The greasy young man screws the camera onto a tripod facing a plain white wall. The lense has a strange, hungry look about it, and Aelsbeth can't help but feel discomforted it's blank stare. She shifts and fidgets until he looks up from the device and stops her. "Need you to stay still for me darlin'."

She stops, but glares at him, her eyes narrowing. He looks up again, exasperated, and clearly mentally adding to the bill he is going to charge Vivian. "And a blank expression, no good if you're scowling like I just killed ya cat."

Forcing a blank expression onto her face, Aelsbeth stares at the camera until Gabe gives a thumbs up and takes the camera off the tripod. He stares at her body for a second, then turns his gaze back to Vivian's breasts. "I can develop these now and you can pay me later, or…" He licks his lips, "We can cover your payment now and I'll develop these and send the whole document out to you by courier."

It's fairly clear which of the answers he is hoping for. Aelsbeth is still oblivious to exactly what payment Vivian has offered, even the sizable bulge in his pants hasn't totally given away what is becoming rapidly more obvious.

The impatience is growing ever more evident on Aelsbeth's face as well, and she looks towards Vivian, sounding more and more like a spoiled child. "How long is this going to take?" She wants to argue with Vivian about it supposedly taking months, but can't show this... creature that Vivian has so clearly lied to her. Already she is planning the piece of her mind that she will give to the brunette.

 

[Poprockz]

She patiently waited as the man took Beth’s picture, noting his exasperation and the glances he would give Vivian. When he gave her the proposal, she shifted on her feet. She knew that the second option would likely get them the passport in a couple days whereas the other would be a week.

Her gaze turned to Beth and she replied, “he and I need to work out the payment elsewhere, and then it should take no more than a couple days, right?” She looked at Gabe pointedly and he nodded eagerly.

“Oh yeah, it’ll be much faster.”

Vivian nodded back and then walked over to Aelsbeth, pulling out a $20 bill and handing it to her. “You can wait in the lobby or head back to the bar. This should get you a ride back, and then you can let my staff know to give you something to eat or drink. Just tell them Vivian said so and that the code word is “seamen.” We’ll be talking for about an hour and a half, likely.” With that, Vivian walked down the hall of the apartment, Gabe trailing behind as though pulled by the sway of her hips.

When the door to his room was shut, he gave her a lewd grin. “So... I think we both know what I want, and I’m not talking about money...”

Vivian shifted, trying not to show how much she didn’t want to be doing this. As it was, she had an excellent poker face. “I know, that’s why I brought a couple condoms. You better get that passport to me fast, though, Gabe or I swear to god I’ll come back here and grind you under my heel.”

“Hm, kinky.” He replied, giggling. “Don’t worry, it’ll be rushed like no other and... I don’t want to use condoms. As soon as I got your call, I went to get tested and came back clean.” He moved to his dresser and took out a document, signed by a Doctor. Vivian could tell it was legit, seeing as it had a real wet signature of someone else. Of course he would go and do something so underhanded and disgusting as to basically force her to go bareback with him.

She hid a grimace and nodded, “alright, then. I guess that’s fine.”

He grinned broadly and whipped off his shirt, then quickly pulled down his pants and boxers, revealing his fully erect member. She leaned over to undo her long boots, but he walked closer and put a hand on hers, his other going to her ass and squeezing. “Actually, I want you to keep your boots on for me... Viv”

 

[wanna_be]

Silently fuming at Vivian's dishonesty, Aelsbeth nonetheless accepted the paper money, holding it as if she didn't truly understand what it was for. She had seen humans exchange money of course, and it wasn't as if the fae did not use their own currency. Still, the thought of there being real value ascribed to a piece of paper was alien to her.

A moment later the door at the end of the hall was closed, leaving Aelsbeth alone. Clutching the money, she stands for a moment, hesitant, before her upbringing kicks back in. She isn't going to wait around here for Vivian and the slimy individual she called Gabe. She leaves loudly, letting the door of the apartment slam behind her.

It isn't until she reaches the ground floor that she realises she isn't entirely sure what Vivian had meant by a ride. Unfortunately the door of the building seems to have locked behind her as she'd exited, leaving her out in the cold and the wet. Fae have an excellent sense of direction, so she can guess where she needs to go, but it took some time in the car. Walking seems unfeasible. She looks around until a car pulls up at the kerb, emblazoned with a logo that matches the one Vivian had brought her here in.

A well-dressed man climbs out, giving her a strange look before heading into the building. Quickly Aelsbeth trots to the side of the car, opening the door and getting in with the kind of confidence only royalty or the extravagantly wealthy can manage. Turning around in surprise, the driver opens his mouth to speak before she raises a finger to her lips.

He looks even more surprised to find that no sound comes out his mouth. His jaw flaps soundlessly for a moment while Aelsbeth stares at him impassively. Finally she speaks, layering her voice with the thick honey of magic. "The place like the ocean, with pirates and dancing." In her haste to escape her would-be assassin's last night she had completely missed the name of the place. Fortunately it seems like the driver knows the place she is talking about, his eyes glazing as he turns back to the wheel.

---

The drive is relatively uneventful, with only one near-death experience. Aelsbeth didn't notice, but the driver would no doubt look back on the night and wonder what exactly the strange blonde woman had dosed him with.

It seems to Aelsbeth, as she enters the club, that tonight's general theme is one of surprise. Almost every member of staff still in the club turns and regards her with confusion. It isn't until she approaches the bar and repeats the code word Vivian had given her that they go back to their work wholeheartedly. Clearly they didn't want to upset their boss.

"What can I get you?"

The bartender has paused in wiping down the surface of the bar and approaches Aelsbeth with the rag thrown over one broad shoulder. His appreciative eye passes over her only once before resting on her face. It does so in a way that makes her feel flattered rather than dirty, as Gabe had managed. Her tone is haughty as she responds. "Something sweet."

It's fortunate perhaps that she doesn't catch the expression on his face as he turns away from her. He returns swiftly with several items, clearly all ingredients for. She ignores him as he begins to prepare the cocktail, her gaze passing over the almost empty club instead until…

A powerful scent twitches her nose, her head snapping back around to fix on the bottle he has just opened. It's thick and sweet, so sweet it's making her mouth water. Raising a hand imperiously, she stops him in the action of pouring. "No, I don't want the rest, just leave that."

"But it’s just agave nect-" Her interruption stops him in his tracks, more from her tone of voice than anything else, though she layers the next command with magic. "A glass, then go away."

There is a lot in the bottle, and Aelsbeth feels the first mouthful go straight to her head. If she's not careful she'll be drunk as a leprechaun in no time at all. Pouring the heavy syrup into the glass the barmen gives her, she sits on the bar stool sipping carefully at the heavily sugared drink until finally Vivian walks through the door.

Much as Aelsbeth wants to storm over, she doesn't. Instead she makes to with her makeshift throne and glares at Vivian until eventually the brunette makes her way over. There is a hiss in her voice, her face is cold and hard as she speaks accusatorially, "You lied to me."

There is a strange scent on the woman that she hasn't quite yet identified, though when she does it won't exactly make this conversation any easier for Vivian.

 

[Poprockz]

Vivian paused outside the club for a moment, straightening her clothes up once more and sighed sullenly. The experience had been all she had expected and more. Needless to say, he had buried his cock in every place he could get his greedy hands on: between her legs and tits, in her ass, in her mouth... There was truly a deep level of depravity in that man that she might have appreciated were he not so unkempt and weaselly.

She reached up and patted her cheeks, taking a deep breath as she donned a cheerful face and strode confidently into her own bar. It was her safe place, her very home and she expected to be able to rest at least for a bit before the passports were delivered in the next day or two. The tall woman noticed Aelsbeth at the bar, and part of her was relieved that she had made it back alright. With how out of touch she was, Vivian was half convinced she would need rescuing.

Striding over, she sees the way the girl is looking at her and wonders what it is this time. Her eyes go to the drink and she raises her eyebrow when she connects the dots and sees that its straight-up syrup.

The hiss from her ward causes her to cross her arms and grin, "What? Lie? Never. It's true that it takes a couple months for the government to get a passport approved. We simply sought out an alternative source." She chuckled and gestured for the bartender to make her a screwdriver.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth is not drunk… or at least not quite yet. Even so, the syrup in the bottle was potent, and the sugar has built a buzz in the back of her skull in the same way alcohol affects humans. This doesn't help when instead of apologising, the woman simply grins at her. Aelsbeth blinks in surprise at the woman's words. She was not expecting to find a human quite so adept at twisting the truth as the fae. Of course with the fae they have developed their skill as they cannot lie. That talent lies solely within the realms of humanity.

Lost for words, the fae princess masks her confusion by sipping at the syrup once again. It's very sweet, and would have been sickly to a human, still, it's the closest she can get to a real drink here in the human world. Eventually she finds her tongue, "You still deceived me. Are all of your kind this underhanded and sly?"

It isn't until Vivian comes closer to the bar though, that things get worse. Aelsbeth's nose wrinkles as the scent hits it. It seems strong, almost pungent. She can smell Gabe there, and sweat, and effort mingled with other bodily fluids. Standing sharply she moves away from the brunette, the disgust evident on her face. For the second time in mere moments she is rendered near speechless.

"You… you…"

Eventually she gathers herself up to her full height, still smaller than the other woman. "You laid with him?"

She's dropped her glass, but ignores the crash and the fragments that now litter the floor. Her voice, shrill in her anger, rings across the room. "First you imprison me. Then you lie to me. Then you take me to visit the most odious man I have ever met who you proceed to rut with like an animal."

Her anger is such that a breeze moves in the room, stirring no one's hair but her own, and a faint golden aura begins to become visible about her. "When will this… passport be ready now?"

 

[Poprockz]

All of the employees look extremely uncomfortable and slightly surprised. She was a bit on the more relaxed side as far as the law was concerned, but she didn't seem like the kind of woman that would keep anyone against their will. The part about her fucking some guy wasn't surprising, but it still made them glance at her, wondering how the woman would react.

Vivian slipped off the barstool and waves the bartender away, despite the fact that he was about to hand her the drink she requested. He quickly made himself busy washing some dishes.

For a moment or two, it was quiet, eerily quiet; her eyes were sharp and seething with anger. She took a deep breath and started.

"Now you listen to me, you little shit. First of all, I saved your goddamn life and let you rest in my apartment. I don't know how the fuck you think you were imprisoned. You could have signed my forms and went the fuck back to whatever gold-plated rock you crawled out from under," she snarled, walking right up to Aeslbeth, her fists balled up and her body tensed.

"Second of all, do you think I liked it? Do you think I liked having that greasy little man groping and fucking me every place under the sun? No. It was fucking disgusting and I hated every minute of it. But you know what? It was the price I had to pay if I wanted YOUR passport sooner rather than later." She poked her finger against the fae's chest, albeit gently, despite wanting to apply more pressure.

"I am so tired of your snobby-ass attitude. You think you're so much better than me? I worked so fucking hard to get where I'm at today. I grew up in a fucking foster home and you don't want to know about the things that happened there. What have you done? You were born in the right place at the right time and probably have just skated by your whole life. Have you even earned where you're at? Have you even done anything to make things better for anyone? I would bet fucking not. You just think about yourself like some spoiled brat." Vivian panted, gritting her teeth and stepping back, part of her worried about what she would do if she continued.

Her tone turned soft and icy. "We'll have them the day after tomorrow." Turning, she strode quickly across the floor and retreated into her apartment, past the iron door. All of the employees had frozen during her little speech, but they all found something to do as they awkwardly tried to stay out of her way.

Once inside her apartment, she marched into her room and slammed the door, locking it and sinking down to the floor. She was so frustrated and felt so dirty- her eyes started to well up, but she shook her head, wiping them away and taking a deep breath as she simply rested her head against the door and closed her eyes.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth attempts to follow Vivian as she retreats into her room but is stymied by the slamming of the heavy iron door. Its cold weight stops her nearly ten feet away, she sways forward, such is the abruptness of her halt. Her face, stiff with cold anger, twists with just a hint of the kind of instinctive fear that tells humans to hide when they hear the howl of a wolf.

Her face is red, and growing redder with anger as every member of staff in the room turns to glare at her. "What are you looking at?"

She stamps her foot, the action sending the aura outwards, a wash of magic flowing over everyone looking and persuading them that there was something more interesting for them to be doing. As expected, where the aura touches the iron door it simply dissipates. In the centre of the dance floor, she finds that her chest is heaving as if from exertion. How dare she speak to her like that. How dare she…

Turning with all the grace a pissed off fae can muster, she strides back to the bar, ignoring the shattered glass on the floor. Reaching over the bar, she pulls another glass from beneath it and pours more of the syrup into it before slamming it back like a shot. The bartender, bound by the terms of the enchantment, ignores her.

The scent of sex still lingers in the air and for the first time Aelsbeth actually runs through the words that Vivian had said to her. Slowly a deep sense of shame begins to steal over her, pouring another drink, she drinks this one more slowly as her head sinks lower towards the bar top. Much as her wounded pride rebels against the thought, perhaps Vivian has a point. If, indeed, she had lain with Gabe in order to get Aelsbeth her passport then her actions would have been bound by Aelsbeth's contract.

That in itself does not make her feel ashamed. No, not only has she effectively bound the woman into those actions, but she has proven her ignorance of the workings of this world once more. She should have realised it was Vivian honouring their compact. She turns and leaves the bar stool, moving swiftly back towards the door before the sudden onrush of the iron sickness reminds her of the material the portal is fashioned from.

"Vivian!"

She has no idea how thick the portal is, and no way of knowing whether Vivian is simply on the other side, or down the stairs in the basement itself. It's also entirely likely that Vivian won't want to talk to her, and she happens to be Aelsbeth's ticket home right now. It's entirely possible, indeed likely, that the Unseelie assassins will come back here looking for her, and even prepared, Aelsbeth isn't sure whether she'd be able to take them on.

"Vivian!"

Casting about her, Aelsbeth searches for something with which to knock on the door. She thoughtfully attempts to lift the bar stool, only to give up swiftly when she realises how heavy they are. There is a bowl full of oranges on the countertop, clearly intended to provide fresh orange juice for drinks. Gathering as many into her arms as she can carry, she crosses the room back towards the door. Once she's as close as she dares she starts throwing the oranges at the iron door. Each one makes a faint, dull thud as it impacts before bouncing away and rolling off into various corners of the room.

 

[Poprockz]

The faint sound of the oranges on the door was heard, but she ignored it as she heard the faint, whiny "Vivian!" coming from outside the basement. She really didn't to see that spoiled little woman at this point, so she decided to take a hot shower to calm herself down. The woman slipped out of her clothes and walked to her bathroom, leaving the door open, turning on the water, and getting in.

It was good to wash Gabe off of her, though she couldn't yet get rid of the physical evidence of their sexual encounter. Love-bites were tactfully placed all over her- her supple ass, her round breasts, her stomach, her back... It was almost like she had wide-spaced polka dots. It was entirely possible that he wanted anyone else she laid with to know that he had thoroughly fucked her.

He had also gripped her hips too hard, leaving small bruises on either side. She didn't necessarily regret it, having needed his assistance to get what she wanted. Still steaming a bit from their spat, she thought to herself that she would sleep with him again if it meant getting rid of the girl sooner.

A round, pink loofah was lathered up in a lavender soap, the white bubbles smelling so nice as she rubbed the loofah against her smooth skin. The soap dripped and slowly slid down her body, running past her thighs as she continued cleaning her skin.

In the meantime up top, a man strode into the clubhouse, a folder of papers and a frown on his face. "Kyle? Kyle! Where is Vivian? She was supposed to meet up with me an hour ago to discuss drink sales!" The man was Jacob, the assistant manager. He was the only one whose thumbprint would also work on the iron door. While he did have a thing for Vivian and continued to try to court her, he was a respectable man who would never sneak into her basement to engage in lewd activities, he was a bit too honorable for that.

An orange rolled past his foot and he watched it in confusion before looking around, "who is throwing oranges?" His brown eyes rested on Aelsbeth and he approached her, a bit of a sour expression on his face.

"Excuse me, miss, but if you keep throwing oranges, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Come to think of it, who are you, and what are you doing here?" He shook his head, "You know what, nevermind. Just please stop." He turned away from her and quickly approached the door, thumbing it open and setting the papers just inside to the right of the stairs before closing it again.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth stops at the sour look the man is giving her. Moving amongst the common folk like this was proving to be far less fun than it used to be. She glares back at him, dropping the last orange she has in her hands in petulant spite. The man was clearly in shape, good looking in an exhausted kind of way, with an open collared shirt and dark jeans. Glaring at him, Aelsbeth watches as he moves towards the iron door.

To her surprise it opens easily for him, and she starts forward instinctively. Unfortunately that brief window of opportunity is gone as soon as it had arrived, and she halts with a look of discomfort as the door clicks closed once more. Not that she would be able to pass the great mass of iron with any great ease anyway. Even from here she can feel its weight on the world.

He turns back to her, the sour expression still on his face as he realises she's moved closer to the door while his back was turned. Backing up as he moves towards her, Aelsbeth begins to layer magic into her glamour. He might be irritated right now, but she'll have him eating out of her hand soon.

She turns away, walking back towards the bar where she sits as seductively as any 50s bar crooner. She doesn't look back at him until he has nearly reached her, but when she does she unleashes the full force of her will against his. He doesn't stand a chance.

His expression softens as he meets her eyes, now impossibly beautiful to him. Her voice is layered with ever-thickening layers of magic, each one stripping away another of his defences. "I'm sorry about that, I was just playing around."

"Well…" Already his tone has softened. "As long as that's all you were doing."

She needs to be careful, there are others here and watching after all, if she convinces him too quickly then she might end up having to try and enchant the whole bar. She has no doubt in her abilities, but that doesn't mean she wants to have to waste her energy on the whole bar.

"Of course, just being silly…" She trails off, letting the question go unspoken as she gently puts a hand on his forearm. "Jacob." He fills in for her, "I'm the assistant manager here."

She nods as though totally engrossed in what he is saying, "So that's why you can open the door?" Every word she speaks lays ever more magic upon his will, testing it, weighing it down. Their conversation continues for perhaps another ten minutes. Aelsbeth could simply override his will, but the action might obliterate his mind. At least this would only be temporary. The fae might be powerful and arrogant, but they prided themselves in their subtlety, leaving a man a vegetable was a sure sign of a lack of skill.

Eventually the magic is layered thickly enough that Jacob's free will is effectively a notion rather than something with actual power. "I really need to get down there and talk to Vivian Jacob, could you open the door for me?"

Jacob's eyes are ever so slightly glazed as he responds. "Well if you really need to talk to her I don't see why not."

Jacob opens the door and Aelsbeth slinks past like a cat, putting the bulk of the man's body between her and the awful mass of iron. Even so, she has to cling to the railing like it's a life preserver on her way down the stairs, at least until she's fair enough away from the door to regain her sense of balance.

She steps into the basement apartment below with more confidence as Jacob let's the door close behind her. He'll come back to his senses in a few hours or so, with only the haziest memories of what exactly had happened.

"You can't just hide from me down here."

 

[Poprockz]

While she didn't hear it open, she heard the iron door slam shut. She put her hand to her face as she realized that she had forgotten all about her meeting with Jacob. he had really wanted to go over drink sales with her, such a boring topic. She must have pushed it out of her mind with everything that had happened lately. He was probably just dropping off some paperwork in that case.

Sighing, she turned off the water and wrapped herself in a fluffy white towel, tucking it so that she didn't have to hold it up. The towel really only just covered her ass and the majority of her breasts. As such, several of her hickies were visible as she stood there in the bathroom and brushed her wet hair.

It was at that moment that she heard Aelsbeth's voice from inside. So Jacob had let her in... Pity. Vivian walked out of the bathroom, her black hair dripping onto the towel, getting a few drops on the floor every now and then. Her green eyes were not kind and regarded the fae as though she was the last person she wanted to see, though she didn't look actively hostile.

"I can do what I want in my own club as long as I get you home. Besides, I'm not hiding, I simply needed some space. If I can get away with getting you home with as little contact as possible, I will consider myself lucky." Vivian turned and walked into her room, not closing the door but moving out of sight.

 

[wanna_be]

Aelsbeth is still a little unsteady on her feet, though now she's far enough away from the iron that she can't blame her loss of balance on that. Instead it seems that she has indeed drunk too much of the syrup, the stuff might not be good, but clearly it's strong. She begins to wish that she had brought it down with her, but is distracted as Vivian exits the bathroom.

The woman is near naked, wrapped in a towel that leaves far too little to the imagination. Perhaps it is the sugar talking, but Aelsbeth finds herself appreciating the woman's body in a way she hadn't before. Inevitably, her eyes are drawn away from the towel to the flawless skin, or nearly flawless skin. It is marred in several places by small red marks, evidence of Gabe's perverted attentions. Aelsbeth can only imagine that the marks continue beneath the towel.

She quirks her head, Fae healing is mostly an instinctive process, so minor blemishes like these would never appear in anyone but the most drained of Fae. Not without a conscious effort to keep the magic away from those spots. Aelsbeth is not, at this point, drained of power, and it seems to her, in her tipsy state, that the least she can do is to remove those reminders for Vivian.

She follows Vivian into the bedroom, not really thinking about the fact that Vivian might have done so for a little privacy. Aelsbeth raises a hand, one finger extended gently. "I can… make those better for you…"

 

[Poprockz]

Turning around from the dresser, she glanced at Aelsbeth's outstretched finger, wondering what she meant. The girl's words almost sounded slurred. Now that she thought about it, her movements seemed just a bit exaggerated as well.

"Are you drunk? What do you mean "make those better for me?" I don't really have the patience to let you cover them up with make-up, no matter how skilled you are. Besides, you seem a bit too tipsy to do a good job at that anyway." Her voice wasn't quite as harsh, softening a bit in a more resigned tone of voice. She turned around and gently turned the fae around and steered her out of the room before closing the door and returning to the dresser.

She removed her towel and laid it on the bed, letting her voluptuous body be free. Looking in one of her mirrors, she frowned for a moment as she noticed a particularly dark hickie on her ass. Vivian wasn't necessarily a shy girl when it came to showing off her body, but she didn't really feel like chatting with her companion right then. The hickies did make her feel a bit self-conscious, and she didn't want the drunk girl going on about them even though she seemed to be trying to be helpful.

Sighing, she opened her dresser and searched for something more comfortable to wear. Maybe a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved dark green turtle-neck dress. The clothes were tossed on the bed as she went to pick a pair of underwear and a bra, her black hair making small drops of water drip down her back.

 

[wanna_be]

Vivian doesn't seem angry, but even so she took hold of Aelsbeth and moved her around, steering her confidently out of the room before the fae could react and shutting the door behind her. That was message enough to Aelsbeth that her help, and company, wasn't wanted. She sighed, before making her slightly unsteady way around the room. It's a surprisingly large space, though still small enough to make her feel a little claustrophobic. Though that particularly sensation may be more because of the iron door rather than the walls closing in. She can sense it's heavy presence at the top of the stairs, enough to discomfort her, but not yet make her ironsick.

The jar of honey tempts her again, but she resists. It's already become fairly obvious to her that she drank rather too much of the syrup in the bar. She pokes through the other cupboards instead, discovering several ingredients that don't seem too processed. The cupboard they are contained in is strangely cold. Carefully she sniffs them, they are mostly fresh, and the eggs beside them are OK as well, if a little cold.

The heavy metal object against the wall is not made of iron, though it has the scent of industry about it. A row of knobs run along the front of it, Aelsbeth turns one, and is surprised when flame springs to life atop the strange metal box. Clearly this is how the human cooks.

Aelsbeth is royal, so rarely, if ever, cooks for herself, but food is one of the many joys of the fae, and so all fae can at least prepare a meal. Aelsbeth's best efforts might be poor fare compared to the meals made by her father's cooks, but she is capable of better than the average human. She begins by thoroughly washing the vegetables, humans use so many chemicals in their food.

She only cuts herself once while chopping the vegetables and the pepper, a golden spark coiling lazily down her arm before targeting and sinking into the wound. There is a faint warmth as the skin zips itself closed, and she chops a little more slowly after that.

Before long she has produced a respectable Spanish omelette. Not that she knew it went by that name in the human world. It's better than the food most humans could prepare. Carefully she divides it into two inequal pieces, leaving the larger section for Vivian, before carrying both to the table on mismatched plates.

She doesn't bother waiting for Vivian, instead starting to eat. Most of the chemical flavour is gone thanks to the wash, though a faint tast lingers. The eggs are better, insulated from the chemicals by their shells. The real food will help her sober up, even if it takes a while.

 

[Poprockz]

Once a pair of underwear and a bra was picked out (black and green) she put on the rest of her outfit and opened the door, looking around for a minute to see where Aelsbeth had gotten off to. She had expected her to storm off, perhaps, or knock over a lamp or two like a spoiled cat. However, she first noticed the savory scent of the omelet before her eyes rested on her.

She saw that there had actually been a portion set aside for her, and she couldn't help but feel a bit grateful. Vivian was hungry, and an omelet sounded perfect right now. The woman walked over, sitting down at the table with her. Her fork was picked up before she cut off a bite and popped it in her mouth.

Holy shit, it was really good. Her surprised eyes went to Aelsbeth as she chewed, savoring how perfectly the vegetables were cooked and how the seasoning was so balanced. It was completely unexpected for the impatient girl to be so good at cooking, and yet here Vivian was, eating a positively scrumptious meal.

"Thanks for letting me have some of the omelet. I'm not sure if I've ever had an omelet that was so tasty." she mentioned, still a bit shocked. Vivian continued eating, loving every bite of it. Silence hung in the air, the woman not really knowing what else to say. Things still weren't back in a positive light, but Vivian had been brought back into neutral territory as far as affection went.

Finishing the omelet, she sighed, setting down her fork and licking her lips.

 

[wanna_be]

It is evident that Vivian has enjoyed the food, if it hadn't been for the clear way that she savours every bite, her deep sigh and the licking of her lips at the end would have been a dead giveaway. Aelsbeth smiles with a certain pride. In this, unlike many other things, she is under no illusions. She is not great chef like her father's cooks, but she knows that she can outcook many humans. If not all, clearly that includes Vivian.

Aelsbeth has enough of a read on the taller woman that she can tell that she still doesn't hold a positive opinion of her, even if it has mellowed a little after the food. Without thinking Aelsbeth simply acts. She reaches out with one hand to fasten it onto Vivian's wrist, securely enough that she can't be easily dislodged with a simple shake. At a thought the magic is released from its wellspring within her, and an avalanche of golden sparks begins to surge down her arm, across the connection between the two of them and onto the brunette.

The sparks cause no pain, flowing across Vivian's skin like tiny golden snakes rather than electricity. At her shoulder they part, moving across her body as if they have one mind. Behind them they leave a faint trail of warmth, enough to let her know that they are real, but not enough to cause any additional pain. Each moves with a mind of it's own, targeting and sinking into spots as if at random. Several sink into each side of her hips. Of course the magic doesn't need to see the minor blemishes of the hickeys to know that they are damage and need healing, it seeks them out and settles there with absolute precision.

The whole thing takes less than thirty seconds, and Aelsbeth releases her grip once she has dispatched enough magic. The immediate effect of the sparks may be invisible, but should Vivian look beneath her clothes, she will see that each and every hickey is gone, and the bruising at her hips is once again replaced by unblemished skin.

There is only a slight hint of smugness in Aelsbeth's voice, "I told you I could make those better for you."

 

[Poprockz]

Vivian looks down at her wrist when she feels the fae latch onto it. It didn't seem to be an aggressive gesture, more like she wanted to say something important to her and didn't want her to leave prematurely. She looked back up at the girl's face for a moment, waiting for what it was. Whatever she had to say, Vivian suspected that it would only make things worse between the two of them, Aelsbeth having only said a handful of things that weren't somewhat rude or irritating.

However, the unexpected happens and she sees the sparks flowing between their arms from Beth. She flinches and braces herself, instinctively thinking it was something that might harm her. When the golden snakes of energy touch her skin though, she feels their warmth; it felt like if a warm smile could be put into a sensation on the skin. If she wasn't so shocked, she would have found it to be extremely pleasant.

She felt them travel all over her body- her ass, her breasts, her back, between her legs... they went everywhere. Vivian did feel a slight soreness being relieved from her hips, and she wondered what was going on. When the little hand detached itself from her arm, she sat there in disbelief.

"What the FUCK was that?" Vivian asked in a shaky voice, not truly expecting an answer. Normally she could have written it off as a trick of the light, but she had actually felt this. Her brain was telling her that this shouldn't be possible, and yet there she was. Vivian wondered if she had gone mad or was hallucinating. Could one feel a hallucination? Had she been drugged? Come to think of it, that may have been the most plausible answer to what was going on. Could one be drugged with an omelet? Honestly, the very question seemed ridiculous, and yet here she was, trying to grasp what had happened.

The woman stood up and backed away from her, heading in the direction of her bedroom.