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Act Five (Ch. 97) - Girl Poison; or, Contractual Obligation

Act Five (Ch. 97) - Girl Poison; or, Contractual Obligation

It took barely a second for the bathroom door to set into motion, swinging outward slowly but surely as it was opened. Holding the handle was, of course, Lucretia - her purple-black bob still damp and hanging low, devoid of the usual bounce and volume. Freed of the majority of her makeup, she somehow looked more naked than if she had been missing an outfit - her eyeliner and mascara, however, seemed completely intact.

Zofia was huddled behind her, notably close though with eyes and face downcast. She looked up from the tiled floor to glance at the women laid atop the bed - and, seeing the remnants of heat, of damp, of lust, she quickly averted her gaze once again. Her cheeks bloomed with a rose red, though, and she didn't shrink back like Esper James would have otherwise anticipated.

What she did do, as it were, was put her arms about one of Lulu's own - huddling close, pressing to the other woman for comfort and stability. Lulu allowed it without even blinking, no glance of acknowledgement in Zofia's direction or any sound at all to imply awareness. The best Zofi would get was a slight shift in the field agent's stance, body inched a bit closer to the second-living enthusiast. That seemed to be more than enough for Zofi, though - she huddled closer to her comrade, face lifting with the newfound strength of proximity.

Both women were dressed, surprisingly; Lucretia had donned a maid's uniform that had been among the bathroom paraphernalia, and Zofia had simply wriggled her way back into her own habit. There was, EJ thought to herself as she eyed up the bedroom and its inhabitants, something almost pornographic about all of this. Three women who had just indulged in the sins of the flesh, now laying atop their own mess while sweat wicked away in aphrodisiac-tinged air... and then, in come the maid and a wandering nun. There was a sick little flicker in the pilot light of Esper James's chest as she admitted to herself that it was a video she'd likely watch.

Lucretia had worn a trepidatious smirk when she first opened the door - now, of course, it blossomed into the wide smile of a hunting hound that had caught scent of juicy prey. She said nothing, but her violet eyes flitted from one bed-bound form to the other, silently indulging in the sheer gratuity of what lay before her. Her irises flickered in that telltale way, no longer afraid of comms being traced by the convent's supervision. Eventually, however, she broke the silence.

"Well, hahaha... You ladies look winded. Have fun~? Enjoy yourselves?" She gave a brief pause, ideally room for interjection - but when there was no immediate response, she barreled forth with more teasing. "You three gave Zofi and I quite the backdrop for our bath, eheheh... No, no, don't be shy; don't worry about it. I've seen enough in my life to know what it's like, you know?"

She let her eyes linger upon EJ's own, offering her a playful, mischievous wink. Esper James, meanwhile, was trying to piece together whatever implications Lucretia was actually getting at with such a statement; coming up with naught but blanks, the ghoul simply giggled and winked back.

Purity, meanwhile, shook free a breathy, haughty spate of laughter. Her whole body shook as she allowed herself some rare mirth, its owner propping herself up on an elbow to look to Lucretia and Zofi. "Oh? God, I don't smoke but I feel like I need a fucking cigarette."

She used her other hand to pantomime taking a drag off a cigarette, puffing the imaginary smoke into Esper James's face. She turned back to Lulu, barely able to suppress her smile for the sake of the bit.

"Was it as good for you as it was for me, babe?"

With that, three of the five women fell about themselves with raucous cackling. Esthrielle, worn down as she was, also managed to snicker a bit - Zofi, too, at least cracked a smile. Any awkwardness that may have held them in sway was melting like the ice caps, and in short order, it had completely ceded its grip over the lot of them. Lucretia stepped into the bedroom proper, gently coaxing Zofi along as well; the two ladies went to the foot of the bed, each taking a seat (despite Zofia's hesitation to do so).

Lulu wasn't anything close to ashamed of the situation - a fact made undeniably clear from the way she let her eyes roam over the performance's full cast, from head to toe to everything in between. There was a lascivious licking of the lips, before she put a hand out to rest upon EJ's left thigh, not minding nor avoiding the borrowed slickness that adorned it.

"So, girlies... Living, ghouls, and augmented fools. These seem our living arrangements for... the foreseeable future, really, yeah? So Zofi and I had some ground rules we'd like to discuss. No, no, don't - don't get up, don't get uncomfy. You'll like them, we're sure; don't let us ruin your afterglow." She winked again at Esper James, before lifting her hand from the blonde's thigh and using it to push her back onto the bed. She didn't even get a chance to do so to Purity - the pinkette was happy to comply, laying back with her hands behind her head as a makeshift pillow.

"So, first." Lulu drew in a deep breath; she was still smiling, however, which set the others back at ease. She and her Polish pal shared a look, and then, the Wayward socialite began again. "First off, this? Sex? We don't care. Maybe it's the air - toxin sensors have been blaring ever since we walked in, but I figured I wouldn't mention anything because Purity seems fine - but... Well..."

She turned once more to Zofia, offering her a chance to pitch in. The timid woman nodded, swallowing hard before taking center stage. "Lulu and I... We never really bought the full 'nun' shtick. All the sexual p-purity and abstinence stuff... we came from pretty liberated lives, you know? Sex isn't a scary, or taboo, thing."

It was only a moment after Zofia finished her sentence that Lucretia hopped back in once more, having been chomping at the bit to do so.

"Furthermore on that? We don't care about when, and where, and how, and whatever. So long as, like... Y'know, you don't get anything in our hair, haha!" Once again, gumdrops on a piano's keys - light and sweet and twinkling. However, this time, the piano was played for the benefit of a cabaret: full of subtle seduction and sensual tones, laying just below the surface. "So. If you three are cool with it, we're cool with it; we're gonna be living in a fucking brothel that pumps aphrodisiac into the air, for a while. Better to be pretty normal about shit like this."

That made a degree of sense, Esper James figured - if they were all doped up on aphrodisiac 24/7, and were perpetually surrounded by sex and sexuality, a little bump-and-grind would begin to feel mundane. She wasn't sure how it'd work in practice, but... well, it was good to know that it wasn't going to be an awkward event of sending Lulu and Zofi to the bathroom any time she or her lovers wanted a little physical love.

Purity's grin only widened at this supposed ground rule, though she didn't dare laugh - for her, this was an interesting, enticing new factor to their cohabitation. Velvet lips parted to offer up a response - the only verbal one that the former nuns would receive. "Okay... Yeah, works for me. I've always thought it might be fun to have a proper audience - not through a screen or video camera, but in the same space. Next ground rule?"

This seemed to be exactly what Lucretia wanted to hear, given the way the corners of her eyes crinkled, expression now flavored with a distinct devilish nature. "Okay! So! Rule two: we're gonna need some stuff, yeah? I'm sure you know how to get your hands on most of it - and the stuff you can't get yourself, Khetnep can surely get for us, right?"

The questioning tone of that last bit was more a formality than a genuine inquiry. She paused, waiting for any objection - and when there was none, she continued.

"First? Nutrient pills. I don't mind a carnivorous diet - we can get a lot out of whatever we eat, and our bodies need less than fully organic ones - but it'll set our minds at ease. Secondly? Real clothes. Don't get me wrong, I kinda love the energy of bopping around dressed as a fuck-maid all day every day, but... well, sometimes I like pants, you know?" Reasonable requests so far, though Esper James wasn't the one who was being asked to approve.

Purity nodded, echoing EJ's thoughts. Daily multivitamins were fucking ubiquitous in Vitus, as it were, and clothes weren't hard to find either. Now, however, Purity was waiting for the second foot to drop - there was something much more intense coming, she was sure. Oh, how correct she was.

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"Next," continued Lulu, "I'd like some drugs. I don't really care what kind - but drugs, and alcohol, and maybe even smokes. My lungs and throat and oral cavity are full-replacement to make Vitus living easier, and they're fucking expensive. I can still get something out of substance abuse, but I'm not really at risk of overdose, or cancer, or any of that nasty shit. So, why not taste what life has to offer?"

This one made Esper James's eyes pop - she turned quickly to Purity to see if the shocked sentiment was shared, but was further surprised to see the pink-haired princess nodding along. Purity snickered, raising a hand to make a devil horns gesture. "Fu-u-uck yeah, sis. No, I feel that completely - besides, I think a little blow might help the days go by, lift our spirits. Not a lot we can smoke in here, but I can take you out to the alleyway to light up if you find you like it. We can all go as a group, like we're on vacation!"

What an interpretation that was, eh? That this should be considered anything even close to a vacation was... Well, actually... Huh. The more Esper James considered it, from the silken sheets she was resting upon to the expenses-paid nature to the oncoming inundation of indulgence, it... It kinda was like a vacation. A vacation where assassins were looking to catch you and kill or kidnap you, yeah, but that was still a vacation.

Hell, it was the closest thing EJ had had to a proper vacation in thirty years. She'd take it, and she'd believe it wholeheartedly, even if she had to fucking force herself to think of it that way. A vacation with her girlfriends, and her girl friends, and all her needs met and essentials taken care of... That would be nice, right? It had to be nice. She'd gaslight herself into believing it was nice if she damn well had to.

Lucretia continued as Purity's words set in. Apparently, the Wayward woman was far from finished with her demands. They had been easy enough so far, at least - but they were ramping up, right? Right.

"Next? EJ needs to drink blood, right? To keep herself from getting feral and weird? And, she drinks from you two... to get it humanely, and without the temptation of actually outright eating anyone." As Lucretia laid out these truths, the last one sent a chill sliver into the meat of EJ's grey matter. It reminded her, starkly and without invitation, of a dream she'd had - the dream in the abattoir, the one with the unknown flesh and the pink haired human-not-human, and the words she had felt but never heard.

Earlier, Lucretia had said something about 'not wanting to ruin their afterglow', and while she had actively avoided it? This little dagger of jagged ice was enough to yuck EJ's yums considerably. She'd never told Purity about the dream, of course - Purity probably thought of the time EJ had bitten her shoulder, prompted by Judas's cat appearing. Esper James began to feel herself sinking down a notably dark and dismal hole, but held herself back - she took a deep breath, shut her eyes to focus, and drove away that line of introspection. Now was not the time.

"So. Zofia is... Well, heheh, she's interested in getting a chance to watch, you know? Maybe help out... Maybe even let EJ drink a bit out of her, yeah? Hell, might be a little fucked up, but even I've still got some real blood left. That gives me a really fun idea, but... Well, I'll save it for another night. Anyways - thoughts about EJ's diet expanding a smidge?" Lucretia winked at Purity this time, not even looking to EJ for approval.

Purity nodded casually, then using her free hand to gesture to the still-face-down Esthrielle. "I mean, I'm fine with it... but Est's EJ's girlfriend, too, and I won't say yes if she doesn't. This is either unanimous or no dice."

There was silence, then, as all in attendance waited for Esthrielle to offer her thoughts. Esper James briefly considered saving herself from indignation, piping up her own opinion in spite of it having not been asked for - and yet, when she thought of drinking from Lucretia or Zofia? Well, she couldn't exactly say they were wrong in assuming she'd agree.

Est grumbled, both arms going out from her sides to push herself into a crescent shape, torso bent at the waist to arc upwards. "Hmeh. Hmm? Why - ohhh, ohhh. I get it. Some people might see it as a sex thing... A-And, uh... It... It is pretty intimate, having another person drink from you like a running tap..."

Esthrielle allowed herself a rare blush as she turned to address the others, looking now as though she'd awoken from a wet dream.

"Uhh... y-yeah. Yeah, I think that would be fine. I trust you all not to be weird about it - and even if you want to get weird about it, I wouldn't mind working something out. S'like you said, Lulu - we're in a veritable sex castle where they pump horny drugs in through the vents and pleasure by the pound. If we're on vacation, might as well have some fun, right?"

She offered the best smile she could, through her slowly-fading exhaustion. Her answer was good, though - good in that it appeased the nuns, and in that it set Esper James's heart at ease once more. She didn't exactly have any plans to get any sort of way with Lucretia or Zofia - hell, they seemed more interested in one another than in EJ and her lovers - but it was good to set the precedent. Good to set up boundaries.

Everyone seemed happy with that answer. Now, however, Lucretia looked once more to Zofi - a gentle nudge indicated that it was the ghoul wannabe's turn to speak. Zofi cleared her throat, steeling herself for something, and then began. "Alright. Final request. This one is important, though. We... Eugh, how do I say it aloud... We..."

She swallowed hard, then forced the words up and out even though they were reluctant to come. "We want something to do. Something, anything. A game system with games. A personal computer. The streaming service here... will be great, but, we want something more active. And it doesn't have to be those. Frankly, we'd... W-We'd both really love it if you could find a way for Khetnep to get us jobs. We'd both make excellent bouncers - Lulu would be a great dancer too..."

As she trailed away, her eyes couldn't help themselves but give Lucretia a once-over. In response, the black-and-purple beauty blew her admirer a kiss - much to the shock of the latter lady, but not to her dismay. Zofi began to stammer as she fought with her own tongue to produce a response or an excuse; however, it wasn't important to anyone else that she actually offer one up.

Purity's eyebrows raised at the ending bit, the bit about a job from Khetnep. Her smile faded to contemplative placidity; after a few tense moments interspersed with nervous babbling, she found a fitting return to Zofia's serve. "Yeah, I think that'll be doable. I can put in a good word with Khetnep if you two really want... Y'know, I'm really starting to feel like you two didn't really emphasize enough the kind of women you were before becoming Knights. But, hey, I'm not judging - if anything, it makes you more fun and exciting."

This was exactly what the Waywards were hoping to hear, with the bonus seasoning that Purity thought their air of mystery was exciting. However, Purity had more to say - and her tone turned towards concern, all stern steel core and sharpened edges.

"But. I oughta' warn you two. Khetnep? She's... She's not a woman to fuck around with. She and her goons hijacked a freighter and used it to sail from the South all the way to the West, just so they could be second-living and avoid the PADE. The crew? She ate them, to celebrate her newfound chance at second-life." Purity let her words sink in for a moment, only then offering a bit of a rise to the fallen mood. "At least, so she says."

"But, she's run this little empire of hers for almost seventy years, and she eats up the blood, sweat, tears, and fresh meat of Vitus like a voracious predator. I've seen girls and boys alike put through the wringer in this building alone, much less her other... 'business ventures'. Sometimes, she does it just for fun." Purity was serious as a heart attack, fixing Lulu with a gaze of frigid solemnity; the gaze drifted to Zofi after a few seconds, but the brunette averted her eyes.

"Don't let her fuck you over. Read every contract thrice. Always second-guess what she might have you do. I don't wanna see you two turning tricks on a dirty mattress in some dingy backroom just because you felt like you had to contribute, okay? Khetnep knows me - she trusts me, and she likes me. I can get us through this alone, if it comes down to it." Purity adjusted her position to sit up fully now, arms crossed below her breasts to give them a shelf to rest upon.

EJ wondered, silently, if anyone else thought the room had suddenly become a little chilly. Regardless of the potentially metaphysical chill, however, Lucretia nodded her affirmation with all the confidence and surety of a professional gambler. "We thank you for the warning - but still, we wanna help out, however we can. And who knows? Maybe I'd like turning tricks on a dirty mattress - only if there's a camera and a tripod too, of course." A final wink, cast Purity's way - and the buxom beauty let a smile crack her stoic face, her head shaking back and forth.

"Okay, slut. I'll keep that in mind."