I stood in front of the aboveground entrance to the Steel Palace. I got a nice view of the Chijyo skyline, which was just starting to dim. Of course, I couldn't see the moon at all due to the smog, but the light was noticeably darker.
“Are you enjoying the view, Master? My information banks tell me that humans enjoy looking out at distant objects, if only for the sake of doing the action itself.”
I shook my head. Not so much enjoying the view as I am enjoying my clothes. I think it’s been a full month since I’ve worn anything ‘normal.’
After eating lunch and deciding on the club, ‘Chain Link,’ the girls returned to Akahime’s room to get ready, while Gotoshi took me aside to his personal ‘closet.’
Even though his closet was bigger than my dorm room back in college… “Don’t lie to yourself, Master. Despite you indicating feelings of jealousy towards Emperor Gotoshi, my scanners indicate that you enjoyed exploring the closet.”
Shut up. I commanded the AI, but I couldn’t deny that it was correct. After having spent more time than I would have liked to admit in a full, skin tight bodysuit, wearing a normal set of black dress pants, a black vest with the imperial insignia sewn into the inside of it, and a pale purple dress shirt felt like heaven.
Despite Gotoshi’s attempts at seeing my face, I kept my mask on, and adorned a pair of aviators to complete the look. Several of the maids had gawked at me as I headed from Gotoshi’s room to the elevator, a sign that I had done a good job, and that my fashion sense worked in Ethia at least.
“Well, doesn’t someone look good.” I turned behind me and saw the three girls, two princesses and one imperial scion. Reya was wearing some black ripped jeans, black heels, a sky blue loose-fitting tank top, and an assortment of jewelry on her. “Wow, you clean up better than I thought you would. It was definitely the Emperor’s doing, wasn’t it?” She flashed a perfect smile at me, brushing her brown hair out of her face, and staring at me with her purple eyes.
I ignored the youngest Metron daughter’s comment and turned my gaze towards Lucina. I had to hand it to the woman, she knew how to really tug at my sadistic side. The thing that drew my gaze first was the collar around her pale neck. It was a dark blue, and I could see the sheen of well cared for leather. The way her lustrous black hair draped around it, as well as how it framed her face left me practically speechless. Of course, the rest of her body left nothing to be desired. Her torso was wrapped in a bondage harness, one that connected to her collar and she wore over a v-neck corset, accentuating her already impressive bust. She wore black latex pants that handles her other curves quite well, and stopped just before her ankles. On her feet were a gorgeous pair of combat boots that capped off the look of subservience.
“Please, leer at her a little more. I don’t think she felt you assaulting her with your gaze at all.” Akahime jokingly said from behind Lucina, but that drew a small blush onto the otherwise stone-faced princess.
Fucking focus. I forced myself to look away from Lucina’s alluring body, and turned my attention to the last member of our group for the evening: Akahime Hoshizora. She was wearing a matching outfit with Lucina. The differences being the colors and the overall look of her body. Whereas Lucina had an hourglass body type, Akahime had more of a pear shaped one. That wasn’t to say that she had small breasts, because she didn’t, she just had more in the back than in the front. Her collar was crimson red, and her harness matched over a black corset. Her pants were red leather, and she wore black pumps in her outfit.
I gave her a once over and turned my head to face Lucina. “Lucina, you didn’t actually…” The Metronian princess avoided my eyes but did not lose her poker face, and Akahime stepped in front of her with a grin. Why do fetishists always attract more fetishists?
“Wouldn’t you be the cause of that in the first place, Master? Had you not been so in need of sexual relief after you left the palace, you would never have attracted the attention of Lucina Metron.”
I didn’t say I hated the attention, Judgment, it’s just the fact that I think my bed will have a plus one tonight, and I’m not sure if I can handle that much libido on my own.
“Not even going to comment on my outfit? You sure do play hard to get, Mr. Cole.” Akahime pouted, though whether it was real or an elaborate play was up to chance at this point.
I expected a retort from Judgment, but to my pleasure, I found that there was silence in my head as the palanquin from before landed on the roof of the Steel Palace. Akito the chauffeur parked on the rooftop landing pad and began to get out of the car.
“Thank you once again for using my service, Sir.” He bowed to me, and then, upon standing back up and realizing he was in front of the soon-to-be-Empress, his face paled.
First looking at me and the women around me, Akito made a quick connection. “L-L-L-Lady Hoshizora! I am honored to be in charge of your transportation tonight!” He bowed deep and respectfully, earning him a smile with the imperial.
Akahime laughed at the man, and returned the bow. “The pleasure is mine. I just hope I can count on you to get us back home in one piece.”
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Akito’s chest swelled up with pride, and he bowed deeply once more. “As long as it is your wish, my Lady. Where will you all be going tonight?”
“We’ll be going to Chain Link. How fast can you get us there?” I said, speaking up instead of Akahime. Instead of being upset, however, Akito gave me a look filled with reverence.
“Thirty minutes, Sir!” He replied, a grin on his face.
Akahime seemed pretty stunned herself. “That is pretty quick. I assume it’s done legally?”
“Of course! Just old street smarts from when I was a- uh, on second thought, just take it that it’s from my childhood.”
I nodded, not too interested in Akito’s backstory to ask more questions. “Great, let’s get a move on then.” Akito nodded at my order and opened the back doors of the palanquin for us.
I let Reya slide in first, followed by Lucina, and was about to let Akahime go before she shoved me from behind, causing me to land in Lucina’s lap. I took my face out of the startled princess’s thighs, and turned around to glare at Akahime, who was smiling at me.
“We’re set to go!” She called towards Akito, a grin still on her face.
“Yes, my Lady.” Akito grinned, and soon we were taking off. I might have still been pouting if Lucina wasn’t draped over my right arm, and Akahime took my left, her right hand resting on my thigh.
“Scan complete Master. You were correct.”
About what?
“A scan of Akahime Hoshizora’s actions indicate that there is an 89% chance that she is trying to get you into a situation to perform intercourse.”
---
“Well, I guess I should’ve guessed by the name, but…” As soon as we stepped out of the palanquin, Akito said he would wait in the chauffeur's area, a small building with refreshments and entertainment for the drivers of the nobility.
As I had just found out, Lucina had just taken me to a BDSM Club. “Well, that explains the way you two are dressed, at least. Reya, you came along willingly?”
The princess fidgeted and shrunk under my gaze. “I was kind of curious. The only person I knew that was into this sort of thing before was my sister, and I thought she was a weirdo. But then you showed up, and now Aka… Akahime Nee-san seems interested as well.”
I nodded. “While I appreciate you being gung-ho, this doesn’t make us closer in terms of our earlier conversation.” Her cheeks puffed and she stormed off into the foyer of the club.
I turned to the two women behind me, and Lucina shrugged. “She’ll be fine. My sister is nothing if not resourceful.”
“Come on, let’s get in there. It’s been so long since I actually enjoyed myself!” Akahime took my hand, a look which earned me a raised eyebrow from Lucina, and dragged me through a curtain and into the club.
NO INTEREST, IN EXCELLENCE, IMPERFECT IS BEAUTIFUL!
The first thing that caught my senses was the loud, yet melodic music resounding throughout the room. There were several cages, bars, polls, and even stocks which surrounded a massive dance floor, and looking around, each station was occupied by at least two or three people just going to town on each other.
Another look over the room revealed the dress code to be either leather, lace, latex, or extremely formal. Sighing in relief that I hadn’t managed to make a spectacle out of myself as I’m sure Reya would, I only had a moment to think before Akahime pulled me down to the dance floor.
“Let’s dance! If you impress me, you’ll get a reward!” Akahime shouted over the music, and Lucina followed behind, already starting to tap her feet, bob her head, and gyrate to the music.
Lying bitch. We both know she wants it. I don’t know why she’s pretending I need to impress her.
“Because she is the Empress-to-be, and she does, in fact, require you to impress the people around her in order for you to be socially accepted as someone of a higher class. Now dance. Each second you don’t will decrease your probability of fornicating by 1.3%, and this research is imperative to the Judgment System as a whole.”
What research? I followed Akahime further into the dance floor.
“I need to optimize the visual representation of the AI to match your preferred body type, of course.”
I sighed, but the sound, as well as the emotion associated with it, was gone as I lost myself in the music.
FLASH, FLASH, FLASH, THE SPARK OF ATTRACTION!
SUSPICIOUS TOUCH, I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF ME, OH BABY!
I was lost in the euphoria of just letting go, and having a moment where the world didn’t matter. A moment that was all mine. Or at least, it was until Lucina stepped in front of me, and we started dancing together. Soon, Akahime came in from the side, and the three of us had the center of the dance floor all to ourselves.
DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, SHE’S A KALEIDOSCOPE!
FLASH LIGHT BABY! FLASH LIGHT BABY, BABY!
OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! CLIMAX!
I’M DROWNING IN EUPHORIA!
The clapping around us barely reached my ears as I steadied my breathing. I looked up to find Lucina doing the same, while Akahime watched with a glint in her eye.
“You’re an impressive dancer. Where did you learn?”
“Self-taught.” I muttered as we walked off the dance floor. “Dancing is just moving your body to the rhythm. When people think they’re impressed by complicated dance moves, they’re just confusing it with how impressed they are at a dancer’s timing and precision with matching the music.”
Akahime wore a wry smile and took my hand for the third time that night. “I can’t say I dislike someone with a brain, and better yet, a vocabulary. Come with me and Lucina. I know a place where the three of us can… rest. Uninterrupted, and with plenty of tools, of course.”
What was she- I nearly slapped myself. I had gotten so fixated on dancing that I had forgotten what Akahime was trying to do, and that it was on me to handle the coming strain without the numbness of antidepressants.
“God damn it.”
Lucina cocked her head. “Joshua, what’s a god?”