Lost In The Quarters
Been a while since Mai called me to come to the Neon Quarters. I’ve been in contact with her ever since the last time and seeing her again dressed in a designer jacket and qipao and thigh high boots made me question if she’s still the same.
“What?”
“Did you get a boobjob?”
“Excuse me? It’s all natural. I just wasn’t wearing baggy clothes!”
Other than the iron strapped inside her shoulder holster. She’s also carrying a machete behind her back. The augment lines on her were decorated to look like tattoos actually.
“A ten petal Mai?”
“Oh, very astute. It looks fine, right?”
“It suits you.”
“Thanks!”
The neon quarters remain the same. Pachinko parlors making a ruckus and the catcalls of the men and women who are trying to invite customers to their brothel. Bright with colorful lights invading your senses. It’s a money trap.
“No need to hold on to me. You’re already a Sworn Kurogane, no?”
“Eh, just let me, okay?”
It does make a good repellent. No one approached us as we made our way through Kurogane's turf. The reason I was called here is because a co-workers on their bar and is still drunk.
When we arrived at the place where she was staying, Eta was still barely dressed and was lounging on the king-sized bed with four girls. They look expensive and pretty. Most of them are high-class girls you’d expect to cost a lot. My wallet hurt just looking at their modeled bodies. I gotta admit, Eta’s got some good taste. They seemed to be connected neurally as well.
“Hey… I didn’t want any more girls and a boy. Oh, it’s you, Akun.”
“Kei told me to pick you up.”
“Why? It’s my day off. It’s money.”
“Yeah, I know. But you’re going to go bankrupt at this point. Our friends here were kind enough to warn us.”
Eta takes a swing of her drink and glares.
“Fuck off, okay?”
“I don’t really mind what you do with your money. But can you at least tell Kei off? I’m not your babysitter and you’re an adult. She’s worried about you.”
“Is she?”
I caught the bottle coming my way. The girls on her side were calm and collected. Customers with attitude aren’t rare in establishments like this. As long as there’s no death or excessive violence, I doubt the management would react.
“Please don’t lash out at me. I’m just the messenger.”
I put the bottle down.
“Then you know my message. I’m fine. I’ll get back to work. Just let me have this, okay?”
Mai handed me the bill. Just looking at it made my heart ache.
“Do you even have enough money to pay all of this?”
“I have savings.”
How do you even stop someone doing this out of her own choices? I can’t exactly argue about her life choices and what right do I have? It’s confusing to me what I should do when we aren’t exactly that close. Yes, we do work together, but not so close. I also understand why she’s acting like this and honestly if I had enough cash to spend. I might try what she’s doing.
“Look, just don’t try to lose all your money, okay?”
“Just fuck off, Akun.”
“Fine.”
I left the room. Mai looked at the door and sat on the padded bench.
“Well, you were persuasive enough.”
“I assume you have heard?”
“Who doesn’t? She lost a former lover and wanted to get drunk and have fun to forget it all. Not unusual in these quarters and many tend to lose their wits for it. Honestly, she’s pretty standard, but still controlled.”
She’s losing the money from the girls. But the list of items she’s buying is quite cheap and she’s spending more on the pleasure of a fivesome. Honestly, it’s just impressive how she’s with five girls like that. Mad respect for her.
“You’re jealous? I can give you a discount if you want to?”
“Not really.”
“Hmm, you sure? Ah, I’m not even sure if you’re pent up or something. What do you even do?”
“Sleep and eat?”
“Wow. Kinda sad, Sir. I think you need to get some.”
“At these prices? Nah, I’d rather not.”
“Odd. Really? Surely, we’ll find a girl who can be a good match for you.”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Okay. I’m not forcing you.”
She stopped rather quickly.
“Thought you’d sell me more.”
“Nah. I don’t want to. It’s hard to sell stuff to your friends. Are we friends?”
“Depends on you. Are we?”
“I think we are. I mean it might be nothing to you. But buying the smoking pipe was a fortune to me. I lucked out and now I run and earn money through other means.”
“Good for you.”
“Oh, it is. So yeah, that’s why I had to do this favor.”
“Thanks for calling us by the way. We appreciate it.”
“Kurogane’s now aligned with the Seven Swords. We’d rather join your association than partner up with the Ji Ceng.”
“No love for them, huh?”
“They are a bunch of nitwits. Besides, they aren’t really loved by people here. Bunch of bloody bastards are anti-fun. Listen, when you come to this place, you should at least have the dignity to let your paying customers have fun. It’s their choice after all and there’s no need to blackmail them into being loyal.”
“Do they sell their tapes?”
“Some do. If you’re an idiot who knew nothing of the Quarters. They’d try to squeeze you dry. At least we try to be decent and have some actual loyal customers.”
She’s selling the Kurogane propaganda well. But I know the Kurogane ain’t exactly that decent as far as I know. They do some of those practices, but at least they know to keep it clean and silent unlike the Ji Ceng who are known for it. I’m guessing she’s still not that high on the ladder and hasn’t done those kinds of runs.
***
I spent an unhealthy time inside the establishment chatting. I was practically Eta’s doorman as she had fun by herself. Mai brought drinks and her company wasn’t unwelcomed. It’s a pleasure palace so there’s a lot of noise. Moans and groans from clients and employees who are taking their time off.
It made me somewhat sentimental. I worked on a Bordello before. We had fourteen ladies who are always at work. I was their debt-slave so I did most of the chores for them. They spent night after night having coitus the only thing they wanted to do was bathe in the sun, drink, and use the time to entertain themselves.
It disillusioned me with their work and honestly all I can feel now after working at that bordello was sympathy for the ladies who are probably using substances to keep themselves awake. When you surround yourself with ladies like that, you tend to get desensitized about those kinds of things. I don’t think I’ve been neutered, but it’s not so dreamy and prized to me. I had my hopes and dreams first, but professionals like them know how to break your delusion and are rather preachy about their way of life. Honestly, I think most of them were femme fatales who knew men are easily agreeable at the midst of pleasure and even the thugs who visited the bordello regularly had their own plays.
Honestly, I would have probably stayed on the bordello if one of the girls didn’t mess up and tried to sell a blackmail to the highest bidder. It was the talk of the city once.
“Wait, you actually worked in Cloudice?”
“Did once.”
“Damn son. What Candice did was messed up. Lord, no wonder you don’t want to do it. Heard they were queens at what they do.”
“They were. But they were top professionals who did their job flawlessly and efficiently. They can wring a man dry if they want to.”
They were kinda proud of what they do and were too good at their jobs. The pay on the bordello was so high you know? I believe it’s because of them I was able to pay a lot of my debt. They were generous and knew how to please people physically and financially.
I kinda missed them. Too bad they moved on after Candice and got into Upper Changye and some just moved to a Haven after everything that happened.
“So who was your fav?”
“Definitely Melia. She’s just the kindest out there.”
Everyone had an attitude and even if it was somewhat just her professional demeanor. I did like Melia’s way of interacting with the clients and her professionalism. Not to mention she was the kind of mistress who’d made girls swoon for her and was the ladies favorite. Also helped that she was the same age when she started on the bordello. She was a natural.
“Ah, the Missus of Pain.”
“You do know her, huh.”
“Of course. She has many fans now. I heard she’s singing now instead of the usual.”
Mai raises a brow and then joins her hand together.
“You don’t happen to have her contact number?”
“I wish I still had. I didn’t really think about it. I was numbed and was on automatic during my work there. Hells, I got so sick of the red lights by the time the bordello closed.”
“A shame. I see. You were wrung dry?”
The shamelessness on her face was quite something to behold.
“I took care of their panty liners and emptied out the trash bins of the room. Mai, I’m sure you understand or know what I’m throwing out.”
“Oof, very nasty. No wonder you don’t even care. You sure have been through a lot.”
“Not by choice, mind you. When you decide to enter debt-slavery. You’ll have no choice but to learn and adapt as best as you can.”
No one’s going to teach you. No one’s going to spend their precious time watching over some debt-slave. I had to learn by myself and thrive. Honestly, it wasn’t so bad. I had direction and purpose and I didn’t have to take responsibility for where I was and where. I was treated like a dog sometimes, but I had purpose and a goal. This shiny goal I keep on my dreams which motivated me more than anything else.
I was ordered and instructed. I didn’t have to think and just worked until all what was bothering me during those days were nothing more than an annoyance I have to shrug off and think about after I paid my dues.
I went silent. Mai left me to my own silence and waited for me while browsing through her socials. It was around late at night when Eta walked out of the room a bit sobered up. The coffee on my hand was warm.
“You done, Miss Hottie?”
“You’re still here?”
I showed her Kei’s text that came with a compensation. Eta snorted at the text and then pocketed her hands. She looked at Mai sipping coffee and then at my suit and coat.
“Didn’t have fun?”
“Hard to try when I can hear you moaning. Damn, Eta. You sure know how to enjoy yourself.”
“Got a problem with that?”
“Fuck no. Live your life. It’s not my money, and not my life. You’re a grown woman and I’m no keeper of yours. But please don’t be a dumbass with your expenses and maintenance.”
“Sounds preachy to me.”
“Maybe. Well, are you done? I’d like to go home now.”
“You could have done that a long time ago, creep.”
“Sorry, I got paid to watch over my co-worker.”
Eta kneaded her face and scowled.
“Let’s just go, okay? I think I’m done here. See you around, Mai.”
“Come again!”
I glared at Mai before she laughed and left for the other door. I followed Eta back to the main street. She was sporting a hangover and I could smell some strong chemicals on her.
“Quite the party.”
“Yeah. Had to relieve myself.”
“Hope you saved up your augs.”
“I’m not that dumb. Fucking Kei had to send someone to babysit me.”
“Not really. You still did what you wanted.”
“For someone who got paid you didn’t do shit.”
“It’s rude to ruin someone’s fun.”
Besides, it’s not so bad spending time in the quarters doing nothing at all. I could have gone to some bar or something instead of enduring the moans, but I didn’t really have any cash left on me after I bought Riki’s sword.
Eta got to have fun and I was paid to do nothing at all. It was a win-win for me since I didn’t risk my life for the day.
Lost In The Quarters
Been a while since Mai called me to come to the Neon Quarters. I’ve been in contact with her ever since the last time and seeing her again dressed in a designer jacket and qipao and thigh high boots made me question if she’s still the same.
“What?”
“Did you get a boobjob?”
“Excuse me? It’s all natural. I just wasn’t wearing baggy clothes!”
Other than the iron strapped inside her shoulder holster. She’s also carrying a machete behind her back. The augment lines on her were decorated to look like tattoos actually.
“A ten petal Mai?”
“Oh, very astute. It looks fine, right?”
“It suits you.”
“Thanks!”
The neon quarters remain the same. Pachinko parlors making a ruckus and the catcalls of the men and women who are trying to invite customers to their brothel. Bright with colorful lights invading your senses. It’s a money trap.
“No need to hold on to me. You’re already a Sworn Kurogane, no?”
“Eh, just let me, okay?”
It does make a good repellent. No one approached us as we made our way through Kurogane's turf. The reason I was called here is because a co-workers on their bar and is still drunk.
When we arrived at the place where she was staying, Eta was still barely dressed and was lounging on the king-sized bed with four girls. They look expensive and pretty. Most of them are high-class girls you’d expect to cost a lot. My wallet hurt just looking at their modeled bodies. I gotta admit, Eta’s got some good taste. They seemed to be connected neurally as well.
“Hey… I didn’t want any more girls and a boy. Oh, it’s you, Akun.”
“Kei told me to pick you up.”
“Why? It’s my day off. It’s money.”
“Yeah, I know. But you’re going to go bankrupt at this point. Our friends here were kind enough to warn us.”
Eta takes a swing of her drink and glares.
“Fuck off, okay?”
“I don’t really mind what you do with your money. But can you at least tell Kei off? I’m not your babysitter and you’re an adult. She’s worried about you.”
“Is she?”
I caught the bottle coming my way. The girls on her side were calm and collected. Customers with attitude aren’t rare in establishments like this. As long as there’s no death or excessive violence, I doubt the management would react.
“Please don’t lash out at me. I’m just the messenger.”
I put the bottle down.
“Then you know my message. I’m fine. I’ll get back to work. Just let me have this, okay?”
Mai handed me the bill. Just looking at it made my heart ache.
“Do you even have enough money to pay all of this?”
“I have savings.”
How do you even stop someone doing this out of her own choices? I can’t exactly argue about her life choices and what right do I have? It’s confusing to me what I should do when we aren’t exactly that close. Yes, we do work together, but not so close. I also understand why she’s acting like this and honestly if I had enough cash to spend. I might try what she’s doing.
“Look, just don’t try to lose all your money, okay?”
“Just fuck off, Akun.”
“Fine.”
I left the room. Mai looked at the door and sat on the padded bench.
“Well, you were persuasive enough.”
“I assume you have heard?”
“Who doesn’t? She lost a former lover and wanted to get drunk and have fun to forget it all. Not unusual in these quarters and many tend to lose their wits for it. Honestly, she’s pretty standard, but still controlled.”
She’s losing the money from the girls. But the list of items she’s buying is quite cheap and she’s spending more on the pleasure of a fivesome. Honestly, it’s just impressive how she’s with five girls like that. Mad respect for her.
“You’re jealous? I can give you a discount if you want to?”
“Not really.”
“Hmm, you sure? Ah, I’m not even sure if you’re pent up or something. What do you even do?”
“Sleep and eat?”
“Wow. Kinda sad, Sir. I think you need to get some.”
“At these prices? Nah, I’d rather not.”
“Odd. Really? Surely, we’ll find a girl who can be a good match for you.”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Okay. I’m not forcing you.”
She stopped rather quickly.
“Thought you’d sell me more.”
“Nah. I don’t want to. It’s hard to sell stuff to your friends. Are we friends?”
“Depends on you. Are we?”
“I think we are. I mean it might be nothing to you. But buying the smoking pipe was a fortune to me. I lucked out and now I run and earn money through other means.”
“Good for you.”
“Oh, it is. So yeah, that’s why I had to do this favor.”
“Thanks for calling us by the way. We appreciate it.”
“Kurogane’s now aligned with the Seven Swords. We’d rather join your association than partner up with the Ji Ceng.”
“No love for them, huh?”
“They are a bunch of nitwits. Besides, they aren’t really loved by people here. Bunch of bloody bastards are anti-fun. Listen, when you come to this place, you should at least have the dignity to let your paying customers have fun. It’s their choice after all and there’s no need to blackmail them into being loyal.”
“Do they sell their tapes?”
“Some do. If you’re an idiot who knew nothing of the Quarters. They’d try to squeeze you dry. At least we try to be decent and have some actual loyal customers.”
She’s selling the Kurogane propaganda well. But I know the Kurogane ain’t exactly that decent as far as I know. They do some of those practices, but at least they know to keep it clean and silent unlike the Ji Ceng who are known for it. I’m guessing she’s still not that high on the ladder and hasn’t done those kinds of runs.
***
I spent an unhealthy time inside the establishment chatting. I was practically Eta’s doorman as she had fun by herself. Mai brought drinks and her company wasn’t unwelcomed. It’s a pleasure palace so there’s a lot of noise. Moans and groans from clients and employees who are taking their time off.
It made me somewhat sentimental. I worked on a Bordello before. We had fourteen ladies who are always at work. I was their debt-slave so I did most of the chores for them. They spent night after night having coitus the only thing they wanted to do was bathe in the sun, drink, and use the time to entertain themselves.
It disillusioned me with their work and honestly all I can feel now after working at that bordello was sympathy for the ladies who are probably using substances to keep themselves awake. When you surround yourself with ladies like that, you tend to get desensitized about those kinds of things. I don’t think I’ve been neutered, but it’s not so dreamy and prized to me. I had my hopes and dreams first, but professionals like them know how to break your delusion and are rather preachy about their way of life. Honestly, I think most of them were femme fatales who knew men are easily agreeable at the midst of pleasure and even the thugs who visited the bordello regularly had their own plays.
Honestly, I would have probably stayed on the bordello if one of the girls didn’t mess up and tried to sell a blackmail to the highest bidder. It was the talk of the city once.
“Wait, you actually worked in Cloudice?”
“Did once.”
“Damn son. What Candice did was messed up. Lord, no wonder you don’t want to do it. Heard they were queens at what they do.”
“They were. But they were top professionals who did their job flawlessly and efficiently. They can wring a man dry if they want to.”
They were kinda proud of what they do and were too good at their jobs. The pay on the bordello was so high you know? I believe it’s because of them I was able to pay a lot of my debt. They were generous and knew how to please people physically and financially.
I kinda missed them. Too bad they moved on after Candice and got into Upper Changye and some just moved to a Haven after everything that happened.
“So who was your fav?”
“Definitely Melia. She’s just the kindest out there.”
Everyone had an attitude and even if it was somewhat just her professional demeanor. I did like Melia’s way of interacting with the clients and her professionalism. Not to mention she was the kind of mistress who’d made girls swoon for her and was the ladies favorite. Also helped that she was the same age when she started on the bordello. She was a natural.
“Ah, the Missus of Pain.”
“You do know her, huh.”
“Of course. She has many fans now. I heard she’s singing now instead of the usual.”
Mai raises a brow and then joins her hand together.
“You don’t happen to have her contact number?”
“I wish I still had. I didn’t really think about it. I was numbed and was on automatic during my work there. Hells, I got so sick of the red lights by the time the bordello closed.”
“A shame. I see. You were wrung dry?”
The shamelessness on her face was quite something to behold.
“I took care of their panty liners and emptied out the trash bins of the room. Mai, I’m sure you understand or know what I’m throwing out.”
“Oof, very nasty. No wonder you don’t even care. You sure have been through a lot.”
“Not by choice, mind you. When you decide to enter debt-slavery. You’ll have no choice but to learn and adapt as best as you can.”
No one’s going to teach you. No one’s going to spend their precious time watching over some debt-slave. I had to learn by myself and thrive. Honestly, it wasn’t so bad. I had direction and purpose and I didn’t have to take responsibility for where I was and where. I was treated like a dog sometimes, but I had purpose and a goal. This shiny goal I keep on my dreams which motivated me more than anything else.
I was ordered and instructed. I didn’t have to think and just worked until all what was bothering me during those days were nothing more than an annoyance I have to shrug off and think about after I paid my dues.
I went silent. Mai left me to my own silence and waited for me while browsing through her socials. It was around late at night when Eta walked out of the room a bit sobered up. The coffee on my hand was warm.
“You done, Miss Hottie?”
“You’re still here?”
I showed her Kei’s text that came with a compensation. Eta snorted at the text and then pocketed her hands. She looked at Mai sipping coffee and then at my suit and coat.
“Didn’t have fun?”
“Hard to try when I can hear you moaning. Damn, Eta. You sure know how to enjoy yourself.”
“Got a problem with that?”
“Fuck no. Live your life. It’s not my money, and not my life. You’re a grown woman and I’m no keeper of yours. But please don’t be a dumbass with your expenses and maintenance.”
“Sounds preachy to me.”
“Maybe. Well, are you done? I’d like to go home now.”
“You could have done that a long time ago, creep.”
“Sorry, I got paid to watch over my co-worker.”
Eta kneaded her face and scowled.
“Let’s just go, okay? I think I’m done here. See you around, Mai.”
“Come again!”
I glared at Mai before she laughed and left for the other door. I followed Eta back to the main street. She was sporting a hangover and I could smell some strong chemicals on her.
“Quite the party.”
“Yeah. Had to relieve myself.”
“Hope you saved up your augs.”
“I’m not that dumb. Fucking Kei had to send someone to babysit me.”
“Not really. You still did what you wanted.”
“For someone who got paid you didn’t do shit.”
“It’s rude to ruin someone’s fun.”
Besides, it’s not so bad spending time in the quarters doing nothing at all. I could have gone to some bar or something instead of enduring the moans, but I didn’t really have any cash left on me after I bought Riki’s sword.
Eta got to have fun and I was paid to do nothing at all. It was a win-win for me since I didn’t risk my life for the day.
