Andante
This wasn't a job that many people would claim to be proud of, and one many unfortunate souls never even wanted. For Ahri though, it fit like hand in glove.
There were certain advantages that helped her with this, of course. Her slender, alluring figure provoked ideas and fantasies in others in a way that few could hope to match. Her Vastayan only further accentuated this: it seemed foxes had a sly, cunning appeal to them.
Her greatest advantage though was the magic she could wield. Seeing another's thoughts; their memories; their
desires
- when you know what someone wants as well as they do you can always leave them with an experience they'll never want to forget.
It was with these assets that she found herself in the employment of the
Deviance
. A guest house by name, along with a lot of loopholes and legal wizardry. The pretense quickly wore thin, but in the end no one came carrying torches and pitchforks, or worse, an official order to close the place down. According to the owner, the special business was tolerated due to lowering the overall crime rate and providing a tidy sum of tax revenue. Though one couldn't help but wonder if those making the decisions hadn't partaken in their
services
themselves.
Most of that hardly mattered to Ahri. This was a place she was able to experience powerful emotions: both her own, and of those who sought her out. A place to temper abilities she still hadn't fully conquered her fear of. So far, no one had any inkling of her true nature. The owner, the other
service
providers; even the waiting staff were all friendly enough. There was hardly any shortage of demand for her unique company either. She didn't know for certain if she was the most requested of the workers or the one who made the most money. Such things only bred envy and resentment among them, so specific numbers were kept under wraps.
The room Ahri was given served as both a living quarters and her place of work. Not her only place of work, mind you: there were a number of
suites
that featured the ambience and the tools to match the taste of almost any client. She had chosen a room with red patterned walls on the third floor; the extravagantly large bed came as standard. As did the chests, drawers and other nooks and crannies that could store and hide the tools and toys of the trade. The only other room was the bathroom: a place of more modest size that mostly served as a place to clean up afterward. The walls, doors and even the windows were thick and sturdy; any sound that started in the room would stay within. Sometimes that was more necessary than others.
Ahri sat quietly on the soft sheets of the bed, she wore only a half-open gown of blue silk to protect her limited modesty. Awaiting the next client. Flipping the small card that was
supposed
to explain this mystery person to her. Getting herself into the appropriate mood proved more difficult with the uncertainty plaguing her.
She knew very little about the incoming client in question, and what she did know struck some distant memory: hers, or one she
appropriated
? It was difficult to tell sometimes. In any case, the name on the card sounded distantly familiar.
Miss Buvelle. That was all it said. That it was a woman came as no great surprise. Ahri already dealt with her share of those. It was the second name that struck something. Thinking about it did no good though; no specific memories came to mind. It was at the tenth idle spin of the card that Ahri noticed writing at the back. Before she could even read a word, a knock came at the door. She scrambled the card into an open pocket and went to open the door.
Damnit, she was normally more prepared than this. She didn't even know what this woman looked like, or what kind of mood she would need to set. Alluring? Domineering? The answer may have been on the back side of the card, but there was no way of checking right now. Inviting was the best she could come up with. Ahri pulled the door open.
What awaited her was a young woman stacked in vibrant blue. Hair, dress, even her soft, kind eyes. That was when Ahri could even get a look. The poor thing looked lost, as though she may have knocked at the wrong door.
"Miss Buvelle?" Ahri asked. No words to answer her, only a slightly unsure nod. "Come in, please.
I've been waiting
."
As she allowed her new client to pass by, something finally clicked in her head. A memory of some kind. A concert in a rich, verdant field. The evening sun. Music that transcended mere words. Amidst it all, a woman in blue, playing each note with a quiet yet sincere passion. Spreading those feelings among the crowd.
It really was her. The Maven of the Strings, in the flesh. Here , in her room. Soliciting her services. Was she dreaming? Probably not. No matter the client, it was important to stay in the moment. Focus on what they want. It was Ahri's time to put on a performance, much as she wanted to partake in one of those concerts from the corner of her mind. Her own kind of sublime duet.
Ahri secured the door with one hand while slipping the small card out of her pocket with the other. With one final click, the job was done and she could zone in on the words. This was-
What was this
? Just a bunch of mostly random words. They seemed to be- feelings? Experiences? It didn't seem to make sense. Who was this even for? Great, now she had even less idea of what she was in for. She would just have to make the best of this. Not every client was comfortable revealing their desires ahead of time. Ahri had never been set up with a client that would violate any of her specific ground rules, either. Surely that wouldn't change.
Sticking the card away again, Ahri made her way back into the room where her client sat waiting on the end of the bed. The other woman made neither a sound nor movement until Ahri came up to sit besides her.
"What can I offer you this evening?" Ahri asked. Best get this part dealt with before setting any particular tone.
Instead of answering, Ahri's client handed her a stack of small cards. One with an identical pattern to the one hidden away in her pocket. She took the first one and started to read:
-
My name is Sona. You may already know this. It is good to finally meet you.
