Chapter 7
Prostitutes.
A loud moan manged to escape through the orange doors. Lightning stifled a groan, it didn't take her more than a few seconds to figure out what was going on behind the doors, and Lightning knew better than to disrupt it. She sighed, knocking on the door lightly, a part of her hoping no one would hear it
A subdued scream filled Lightning's ears, she'd much rather hear a scream of pain than a scream of.. pleasure. False pleasure, she noted. The door suddenly flung open, a man panting eyed Lightning, straitening his tie upon recognizing her.
"Lightning..." He coughed, "Ya 'ere on business?"
"Why else would I be here?" Lightning rolled her eyes, already irritated by the man before her.
The man laughed nervously, running a hand through his brown hair. "Well come in." He gestured to the inside of his condo. "I'll be in my office, Lightning." He said finally, entering his condo and rushing to his office not wanting to deal with Lightning anymore than he had to.
Lightning stepped in, shutting the door behind her. Lightning sighed, watching a woman adjust her clothing, sitting on the couch. She smiled at Lightning.
"Light." She cooed.
"Jihl." Lightning responded, placing the packaged on the coffee table between them.
Jihl stood up, smiling seductively, she didn't bother to adjust her messy blond hair, she only continued to silently call Lightning over.
Lightning groaned, knowing exactly what Jihl was scheming. She breathed out, eyeing Jihl over sharply.
"What'd he pay?" Lightning said plainly, she walked around the glass coffee table, her eyes now on the package sitting on it.
"Much more than the average man makes a year." The blonde said solemnly.
"Not for the package." Lightning looked at Jihl again, staring into her olive eyes. "For you."
"Less than I'm worth for sure." Jihl stated, walking up to Lightning. "I miss you." She said, tracing her finger along Lightning's arm. "You've been lonely."
Lightning attention was back on the package. "Such as I deserve," she replied.
"For one day we can pretend," Jihl started, lifting Lightning's chin to face her. "Don't you miss the normal days?"
"The normal days?" Lightning almost spat, "When were our lives normal?"
Jihl smiled, pressing a soft kiss to Lightning's cheek. "How about when we were innocent? Young? Clueless?" She purred, her breathe tickling Lightning's neck.
"I can't pretend if you smell like Rygdea." Lightning said brashly, pushing herself away from Jihl. "Those times are over." Lightning continued, "You have to sell yourself out like a whore Jihl, I can't pretend we're 'normal' anymore."
"You said 'like a whore'," Jihl smiled, "no one's ever told me I'm 'like a whore'" She laughed quietly, and Lightning sympathized. That could have been her or even Serah if Marl hadn't taken note of Lightning's potential. Though most days she hated her father, she was thankful he had enough influence with Marl to give Lightning a chance at a better job than... this.
Lightning sighed, if only Marl had taken in Jihl's abilities and not her looks. Ever since the two were young, Jihl had always been scheming, planing, and executing the best of pranks. She wouldn't deny that Jihl was beautiful either, she was, but right now the woman standing in front of Lightning, quietly begging for money, was not the bright, talented Jihl that Lightning had grown up with. Nor was she the beautiful girl that Lightning had shared her first kiss with, she was a broken, desperate, and sinful women.
"Jihl," Lightning started, "I'm sorry." Lightning shook her head, trying to shake away the tears that started to form on her eyes. She hated seeing an Jihl like this, it was a painful reminder of how fast the two had grown up, how much of their lives was robbed from them.
Jhil sighed, dropping her body onto the sofa. "Then you're just as useless as Rygdea... I-I don't understand why, Light. I never seem to make enough!" The blond growled.
Lightning stood there, taking in Jihl's slumped, defiled body. "And we never will." She managed to say bitterly, before turning on her heel to meet the man in his office.
"Rygdea," Lightning said, taking a seat in the leather chair being offered to her.
"Lightnin'." The man smiled, spinning in his own leather chair in front of her.
Lightning gripped the suitcase on the table between them.
"All the money in here?" She mumbled
"Yeah." He said, halting his spinning to face her. "The package on the table?"
"Yeah." Lightning nodded, they'd gone through this many times, and although Lightning hated to admit it, they trusted each-other, something that was rare in this business.
"Hey Lightnin'," He started and Lighting payed attention, something that was rare for her to do. Rygdea was a nice man, and as Lightning had decided years ago, he was deserving of her attention. He never used the contents in the bag for his own selfish needs, he fed it off to others, but not with complete vice in mind. Rygdea was part of a medical research team, one that so happens to use drugs in it's medicine. It works and it advances medical research, but it's illegal. And at the end of the day, the law's what decides what's right and wrong.
Lightning nodded, urging Rygdea to continue.
"I..err...w-what are ya thoughts on love?" Rygdea fidgeted with the papers on his desk.
Lightning bit her lip in an attempt to stifle an arising laugh. "W-why?" She coughed.
"I like..." He looked around nervously, as if worried someone might be around to hear his confession. Still not completely comfortable, he leaned in whispering the rest of his declaration to Lightning. "I like Jihl." He leaned back and sighed at Lightning's confused face.
"Jihl? Jihl Nabaat? The woman in your living room?" Lightning almost laughed in his face, "Why do you need to know my view on love for that?" Lightning leaned back in her seat, her face showing no sign of the musings going on in her head.
Why had he asked her such a thing? It must be because he felt close enough to her but still. People rarely asked Lightning's opinions, and she didn't mind. Whatever Lightning thought, it was never what people wanted to hear.
"Just.. I want someone to bounce ideas off of... to.. talk to... Lightnin' I know we're not friends or anything like that..but you know Jihl better than anyone else.. so I thought.." He said shyly, half-expecting to get a laugh as a response. But instead, Lightning strained herself and cleared her throat.
Lightning knew there was no harm in explaining where she stood in her views of romance, although she couldn't comprehend why Rygdea wanted her opinion.
"It's just a piece of human desire. It's a false sense of togetherness offered by someone you are sexually attracted to," She started, "We are human, we are full of vice. We only crave other people because we feel alone. And when we find someone we suddenly feel less alone, but it's just a false feeling. You think you're 'in love' with this person, that you're not alone in this world. That all your needs have been satisfying, but then you realize... that you're even lonelier than you were before. That this person, your lover, makes you vulnerable and weak and you're dependant on this person and in the end you're alone." She inhaled, looking over Rygdea's expression, it was unreadable but she could tell he was in deep thought. "It doesn't exist. 'love' is just an idea.. a concept...I don't believe in it."
"Woah," Rygdea gasped, "Who screwed you over?"
Lightning sighed, "I'd say I'm just mature enough to realize these things.. but you'd argue."
Rygdea nodded, "That seems kinda pessimistic to me...but it was still interesting to hear. So, love and lust are the same thing to you, Lightnin'?"
Lightning nodded folding her arms, Rygdea ran a hand through his hair, smiling nervously.
"What does Jihl think about love?" He said finally.
"She doesn't." Lightning responded flatly, her eyes finding something outside through the window to the side of his desk, to be more interesting than Rygdea's flushed face.
"She doesn't think about love..?" He asked, leaning inward.
Lightning nodded slowly, "She doesn't know what it is." Lightning remembers that there once was a moment that felt like love, a fleeting moment when they were together. Then they learned of the truth and Jihl had morphed into a different person and Lightning didn't blame her. But she became heartless, and the happiness that Lightning once felt when she was with Jihl quickly left.
Rygdea inhaled, as if he had come to finally realize something. "You know... I pay her large sums of money.. just to see her.. I-I don't want the sex."
Lightning snapped her head back to Rygdea, urging him to continue talking.
"A few days ago.. I paid her my whole week's pay... just to talk but you know... she didn't want to.. talk.." Rygdea shook his head at the memory of it and Lightning nodded, a week's pay of Rygdea's was a lot, but she knew that more than half that money went to Marl and she couldn't help but to let her stomach sink in pity for Jihl.
Rygdea sunk in his seat, his face falling into his cupped hands. "I don't know what to do."
Lightning suddenly found herself smiling, "Tell you love her," She chuckled, "She'll love that."
"Lightnin'.." He sighed, "I'm being serious."
"Okay..." Lightning stood up, grabbing the suitcase. "You should get her out of.. this business. Right now all she knows is sex." Lightning added, making her way to the office door.
"Ligtnin'" he called out after her, "Thank you."
"Sorry I'm so late.." Fang jogged up to Vanille holding two plastic bags tightly.
Vanille nodded, encouraging Fang to walk along back to their dorm with her.
"What'd ya get?" Vanille asked, peering over Fang to look in the bags.
Fang tugged the bags away from Vanille who frowned in response before going back to her regular position.
"It's a surprise darlin'," Fang said, smiling cheekily, her nose pointed boldly into the night sky.
Vanille pouted, "You brought it with my money.. I demand to know what you got."
Fang laughed, "It doesn't matter who paid for it.. it's a surprise."
"Actually it does matter, " Vanille interjected, "What if you bought 2000 gil wine again?"
Fang laughed again, "I didn't spend too much."
Vanille sighed, admitting defeat to herself, she decided not to press further.
"Hey," Fang started, nudging Vanille, "You still didn't answer my question, who bought you those glasses?"
Vanille bit her lip, "uh.. no one really.. I had money saved u-"
"Lies!" Fang shouted playfully, "I check your account every day, you've had no new money going in there!"
"I.. wait you check my account?"
"Gotta know if there's some extra cash you've got that I can blow on 2000 gil wine."
Vanille giggled, "Well why don't we discuss your spending habits instead?"
"Not getting away with dodging the topic this time, sunshine!" Fang smirked, nudging Vanille again, "Tell me."
Vanille sighed, she hadn't told anyone Lightning bought her new glasses. In fact, she felt like no one would believe her. She felt as thought they'd laugh in her face, telling her she was lying and only saying it for attention and some part of her told her it'd hurt Lightning's reputation as well. She knew it was surreal, that fact someone like Lightning bought someone like herself something at all was hard enough to believe, she didn't want to complicate it.
But she also didn't want to lie, and some part of her wanted to brag about it, but she pushed that part of her into the corner of her mind.
"I.. you can't tell anyone, okay?" Vanille stopped walking and looked Fang earnestly in the eyes.
Fang raised an eyebrow, "What did the president send you a free pair in the mail or something? Did you obtain your glasses with drug money? Oh god, don't tell me you went into prostitution just for a new pair of glasses."
"oh gosh, Fang," Vanille's eyes widened, "no."
Fang smiled, "There can't be anything worse than that so go on.. tell me."
Vanille sighed, opening her month regretfully.
"Lightning! Sarah, it was Lightning! Can you believe that?" Fang half-shouted, half-laughed at their laptop screen which displayed Sarah's shocked face.
Vanille groaned, the fact she believed that Fang would keep the buyer of her glasses a secret baffled her.
"My sister?" Serah said in disbelief, her sister barely even bought things for her, now she was buying things for someone she barely knows? Serah wondered if Lightning had a twin somewhere no one knew about.
"Yep!" Fang's smile widening upon seeing a flustered Vanille frown beside her.
"Can we just drop this..?" Vanille begged with her eyes.
Serah nodded, smiling happily at the two girls on her laptop screen. Fang agreed to drop the topic after a chuckle.
"So.." Fang started., "How are things with Snow?"
Serah rolled her eyes, "Terrible! We have to have these trysts in like, creepy alleyways! I don't mind much, I'm happy to see Snow and all just.."
"You want a better location." Vanille finished her sentence, earning a nod and a smile from Serah. Fang simply smirked, amazed at how well the two knew each other.
"He won't take me to his house or anyth-"
"Woah girl!" Fang blurted, "Slow down! Lose your virginity and Lightning's bound to kill him!"
Serah flushed, shaking her head in embarrassment. "Not like that Fang! I don't want to do anything! He's just so.. guarded.."
The two pulsairans laughed in sync.
"Like Lightning.." Vanille chirped without thinking.
"Yes like Lightning.." Serah agreed, raising an eyebrow at Vanille. She found it strange Vanille would always mention Lightning, she was always eager to talk about the mysterious Farron or learn more about her. Serah had concluded that Vanille had become attracted to her, and though Serah found it annoying that two of her closest friends were infatuated with her sister, she found the idea of Vanille being attracted to Lightning so absurd. Vanille was sweet, caring, and Serah was sure that Lightning was not her type. And if anything, Serah concluded that Fang was a much better match for Vanille, they knew each other so well. Serah watched as the two in front of her bickered. A smile reached the younger girl's lips, and they're already like a married couple.
"You have the hots for Lightning! You have the hots!" Fang jeered.
"No one says 'hots' anymore Fang!" Vanille retorted, her face flushing a deep red.
"So you DO like Lightning!"
"I-"
"am not denying it!"
"n-"
"Nobody compares to Lightning!"
"F-"
"Fang you're attractive but not nearly as attractive as Lightning!"
Vanille groaned, "Stop putting words in my mouth!"
Serah giggled and Fang threw her head back in laughter.
Vanille groaned again, what did I do to deserve this?
Lightning's muscles cried out, she had a rough run and her body wasn't pleased. And as if the world conspired against her, she found her self walking through the red-light district, her second least favourite district. The red light from the window brothels not calming her whirling stomach.
Bam.
Lightning turns her head to find a girl accidentally hit the glass in front of her, the surrounding people laugh at her. It was clear she lacked experience, it was clear she was.. young. Lightning sighed, her stomach sinking again. To think that was Jihl at one point, slamming up against the glass in the window brothel. Just thinking about that sent Lightning over the edge.
She sped up, leaving behind the music and perfume smells. She sees a figure dart towards into the bushes and sighs, she really wasn't up for a fight now.
She moves towards the bush, raising an eyebrow as she hears the bush (or rather the person inside) whimper in fear.
"Come out," Lightning talks to the shaking bush, "I'm not gonna hurt you."
The bush groans and a tall figure emerges from it.
"Snow?"
and that was me attempting a cliff hanger OTL
Thank you to mooncanvas (well actually more like a quadruple thank you and an extra one for being such a great person) HollowPanda (you're still amazing), Scraggles (and thank you for calling the filler fluff because as one might infer from my dark writings.. I really can't write fluff), and Lightarcana (pfft- daily updates, you tryin' to kill me?)
I thought I'd introduce two new characters this chapter Jihl and Rygdea (whom I still call rug-dia like rug and dia.. the healing spell from persona..no?)
I also visited the red-light district in Amsterdam it's amazing but sad once you realize some girls don't want to be there, it makes your stomach sick. So anyway, there's the inspiration for this chapter
now the story just goes down-hill from here..
