Thread: They Can't Feel Like We Do (PsionicCuttlefish & Micbunny)

It was a night like any other in the Firelight district of the Lower Menthis Plateau ward. Casinos, taverns, bordellos, and other attractions spilled noise and laughter out onto the streets of Sharn's only somewhat-reputable red light district. Aside from the various forms of illegal entertainment, petty crime was relatively suppressed here, in sharp contrast to Dragoneyes and Sharn's Welcome elsewhere in the City of Towers. A visitor here could tell that people were having a good time in fairly relaxed safety. Firelight was even home to the bordello Savia's, an opulent affair that boasted to receive clientele from all the way up to Upper Central Plateau and even the floating Skyway above the city, the highest of Sharn's high society. The Crimson Lotus was no Savia's, but it was nonetheless still well-known as a classy establishment for sophisticated companionship. The escorts employed here were refined, educated, cultured, and very tight-knit. Unlike many of the other brothels in Firelight, the Crimson Lotus did not have a policy of racial discrimination, but the workers were well taken care of and took care of each other. Individually the employees were allowed to refuse a client for any reason, and with how much they treated each other like family, it incentivized would-be clients to be on their best behavior, lest they find that no escorts were available. Clients walked in, and either stayed the night or left with a partner, all routine. It was a night like any other. Until Cavalier stepped through the doors. He was a fairly tall individual, and dressed in colorful, expensive clothes. The fabric of the leggings was puffy with red-and-purple checker patterns, accentuated by gold-colored trim. The shirt was loose and flowing, with wavy stripe patterns also of red and purple, with a decorative white-and-gold vest over top. Blue velvet gloves covered his hands. A well-crafted saber was belted to his hip. And lastly, a yellow-feather-plumed blue cavalier hat was perched on his head. All in all, he was dressed as fabulously as half of the Crimson Lotus' usual clients, nothing unusual or standing out in particular. Except for the fact that underneath the clothing was not flesh, but wood, metal, and bundled cords of plant fiber. The warforged turned heads from other clients and occupied escorts as he strode through the reception area of the Crimson Lotus. He walked up to an open countertop, with a portly gnome sitting at the desk behind it, who was giving Cavalier a rather confused look. ...Can I...help you, warforged? Do you need directions? The gnome said slowly. In all the years the Crimson Lotus had been in operation, a warforged had never entered the building. A warforged wearing clothing was even more bizarre. Directions? Not at all, good fellow. I am Cavalier, and I wish to purchase the services of one of this house's companions for the evening, specifically of the female persuasion. The warforged said, throwing several more oddities out aside from the request itself he spoke with a well-inflected, smoothly nuanced voice, unlike most warforged with usually-monotonous tones and clipped words, and his wooden jaw--fused with the rest of his wooden cranium--actually flexed and stretched, unlike the rigid metal jaws on hinges of most warforged. In fact, Cavalier was missing the usual stone, metal, and wood exterior plating of nearly all warforged, or any kind of plating in general, which was what was allowing him to wear fitting clothes in the first place the fiber-bundles that made up his 'muscles', visible at his neck, were bare and held together with only thin bands of flexible metal. ...Ah. The gnome receptionist uttered simply, rather at a loss for words. The receptionists at the other desks couldn't help but also glance in Cavalier's direction, slightly distracted from the clients they were handling. The gnome ruminated on the very weird situation before him, but eventually nodded. ...I see. If you will wait here, I shall...go check the availability of our escorts... Certainly. I shall wait. Cavalier said with a small, respectful bow, as the receptionist slid out of his chair and walked his jolly weight further into the building, heading for the main lounge. Heads looked up as Sebbin stepped into the lounge. Hey, girls? You're not gonna believe this, but, uh...there's a warforged out front who wants to hire one of you. Any volunteers? The gossiping menagerie of call-girls and a few gigolos working for the Crimson Lotus had been making their usual smalltalk, and continued to converse when Sebbin appeared, but now everything abruptly skidded to a halt. All eyes stared disbelievingly at Sebbin. You...you're serious? One of the human prostitutes--Maggie--eventually uttered out, earning a nod from Sebbin. ...What in Olladra's name? She muttered. But...that doesn't... why? Another woman, a changeling named Jee currently in the form of an elf, asked. What is even the point? Warforged don't have the parts ... She pointed out, to which Sebbin only helplessly shrugged. ...Maybe it wants to have someone to talk to? Plenty of people come to us for that... Hah! I doubt that. The halfling Kayla piped up. I mean, have any of you ever really met a warforged? I have. Kayla made a sour face. Worst. Conversationalists. Ever . They're not called war -forged for nothing, you know. And they don't even eat , right? I remember hearing that from somewhere. It can't want to be taking you out for a candle-lit dinner ... Kayla said with the most emphatic voice yet, and many of her coworkers were nodding along with her. I mean...I keep an open mind myself. Jezebel, another human, said. You all know I've been taking that hobgoblin lately who's becoming a regular, Gushaak? You wouldn't expect a hobgoblin to be polite, but he is , and he's great in the bed. But...a warforged ? Physically or emotionally, they can't even feel like we do! A few more voiced agreeing sentiments of the pointlessness of escorting a warforged, everyone looking and nodding at each other all the way. It looked like no one was going to stand up and take this client... Last edited Jun 6, 2020