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Hyori had been studying for... A while. She didn't have a clock. She hadn't seen one in the room. She hadn't even seen one in the living room. She climbed on her desk chair to look outside through the window. The sun wasn't setting yet. Given the time of the year, it might be between four and seven in the afternoon. Guessing the time by looking at the sky wouldn't be effective. She climbed off of the chair and exited the room. Bliss was back to lounging on the couch and Muse was probably back inside her room. The television was turned on at some commercial spot. Hyori walked near the couch and peered at the other girl.
"Do we have a clock in the apartment?" She asked.
"I don't think so." Answered Bliss with a thoughtful expression. "We use our phones to read the time. I've never looked for a clock since I've been here." She said with a more relaxed tone while showing her screen to Hyori. The latter read twenty minutes past seven in the afternoon.
Hyori was turning around when Bliss stopped her.
"Wait." Bliss halted her again. "Are you doing anything special at the moment? I want to show you the bathroom."
Hyori wasn't going to study anymore. Also, she sensed the other girl wanted to show her more than the bathing commodities.
"Thank you for showing me the bathroom. I'll follow you."
Bliss snickered while climbing out of the sofa.
"Let's gather our toiletries and meet in front of the bathroom." Suggested Bliss.
The two girls walked into their respective rooms with Bliss leading. For a brief moment, the scent of cotton filtered in the hall. Hyori walked inside her room. She opened the drawer to retrieve a towel, her toiletries purse and a silky yukata. As she disposed of the items on her bed, she decided to undress in her room and put the towel on. She didn't know if there were shelves in the bathroom and planned to get dressed again in her room. Afterwards, she ousted her bedroom draped in her towel that reached her knees and her hair secured in a head towel.
Bliss exited her room a minute or so later and slid the gliding door open. The bathing room had sky-blue tiles on the floor and white ones on the walls. The ceiling was illuminated with bright ceiling lights on each corner. On one side, there were twin walk-in showers with benches inside. On the other side, there was an indoor sauna. The two areas were parted with a long bench in the middle before a double sink vanity with separate toilets on each side.
"You can leave your laundry inside the baskets under the sinks. The hotel staff collects them in the morning when delivering breakfast, mostly on Monday. The clothes are washed with the staff uniforms and handed back to us on dinner delivery the same day."
As she said so, the taller one put her toiletries purse onto the bench and invited Hyori to do so as well. Once the purses were put away, she walked into one shower and Hyori walked into the next. There were towel hooks on the inner sides of the doors.
Hyori took a cold shower while Bliss took a lukewarm one. The taller one welcomed the water making her hair stick to her face. On the other side, the younger calibrated the water flow on the lowest setting to prevent wetting her crown.
"You might want to put a shower cap on your wishlist." Said Bliss.
"Do we address wishlists to Orochimi?" Asked Hyori.
"To our visitors." Bliss's smile could be heard in her voice. "Mostly to our regulars. We get paid but we can also receive gifts. We might as well get the most out of it."
They were getting paid. Hyori assumed it was the only way to get things in the pension.
"How do we get visitors?" Inquired Hyori.
"The hotel has tablets in the rooms and suites for room service. Orochimi will arrange a file in a service section that some hotel customers can consult. We receive notifications on our phones when a visitor has booked us. We are paid per hour."
"It means I will need a phone." Concluded Hyori.
"I'm sure Orochimi has it all figured." Said Bliss with finality.
After a minute of silence, Hyori asked again.
"How do we get paid?" She asked.
She remembered the conversation she had with her Mother in the nursing room. She had an idea of the means but needed a spoken confirmation. She wanted someone to put adequate words on what was going on inside the hotel's rooms. She was in the pension to learn how to 'harvest desire'. The idea made her feel nauseous.
"I'm sure you already have an idea." Replied Bliss.
The taller one turned her shower off.
"You need to relax. Come with me." She said as she opened her shower door.
Bliss sat on the shower bench while Hyori closed the door behind her. The taller one patted the space beside her, inviting the younger one to sit. Hyori did as suggested.
"Don't be so stiff. Can I touch you?" Muttered Bliss.
"Is it part of training?" Asked Hyori with a murmur.
"Let's call it preliminaries."
"You can." Said Hyori after a few seconds.
Bliss gently tickled the younger girl.
"Can you guess why I was named Bliss?" She asked again with a teasing voice.
"I think..." Hyori's words died in her mouth as a sigh escaped her.
"Can you feel it?" Purred Bliss in the crook of Hyori's neck.
Hyori was huffing and puffing, out of breath. She was indeed feeling the bliss travelling from her core to her heart. Suddenly, a spasm curled her toes and a cry resonated. She couldn't feel her trembling legs for a few seconds.
"My quirk is called 'Feels'. My fingertips can heighten sensations."
Regaining her spirits, Hyori didn't realise she was held in Bliss's arms with dilated eyes. She had never felt such a strong sensation. The experience had seemingly drained her but she felt more alive than ever.
After the shower, Bliss followed Hyori inside her bedroom. Since she had shown her abilities, it was the other's turn. Inside the bare bedroom, she noticed the flute on the desk. The younger one was wearing her sleeping Yukata dress when the older one asked.
"Is music part of your quirk?" Bliss asked.
"I can use it with my quirk." Replied Hyori.
"Can you play something? I want to try your quirk. Take it as a skill assessment test." Bliss said the last sentence with a playful smirk.
"If you wish so."
Hyori retrieved her Shakuhachi flute, sat on her bed beside the girl and breathed out. She wanted to create a soft atmosphere. She chose a melody that reminded her of the water flowing in a river, a steady current with birds chirping. The first notes caught Bliss's attention. Gently she had pulled the blanket on her and gradually made it heavier.
Bliss was experiencing a lucid dream her intrusive thoughts and concerns weren't privy to. The haze had muffled her sense of equilibrium. She was floating in space and the music was swirling around her. Then, her touch had been altered. She couldn't feel anything besides the warm blanket wrapping around her mind. She felt cosy.
Hyori's fingers were dancing on the length of the instrument, producing lyrical sounds that were laced with the intent of her quirk. Gradually, she went lower and quieter until the end of the play. Gently, Bliss regained her senses and a feeling of serenity lingered in her mind and body. She noticed she was lying on the bed instead of sitting.
"I understand why you have been named Haze. I don't know what you did, I feel like I was getting drunk without alcohol. It was even better than alcohol."
Bliss looked at Hyori like she was looking at her for the first time. That girl's quirk could mess with the mind in the long run, with repeated use. The older one assumed Haze's popularity would rapidly soar.
"That trick will sell. I'm sure you will meet the standards." Bliss said.
Hyori remembered her conversation in Orochomi's office.
"What are the requirements?" She asked.
"You need at least four visitors per week. It's easier when you have regulars. They pay a monthly subscription to have you at least once a period. It helps add in the numbers."
Hyori considered the answers she received while Bliss was looking around.
"Your room is bare. Don't you have personal items?" She asked.
"I only have clothes, toiletries and musical instruments."
"Do you sing? Does it factor with your quirk?"
"Yes. It does."
"Can you show me?"
Hyori hadn't sung for anyone in weeks. Not since her birthday. She settled for a lullaby in a low register and had sung intending to daze the other girl. It lasted for ten seconds before Hyori stopped.
"That was... How long have you been training?"
"I've been practising for eleven years. An elderly woman in my previous home loved to hear me sing."
"I understand... Do you have other uses for your quirk?" Bliss moved to sit closer to Hyori. She had been getting closer with each episode of haze. Their shoulders were now touching.
"I can let it hover in your mind if you want." Hyori answered with a murmur.
"I do." Answered the taller girl with a murmur of her own.
The experience was nice and the taller one wanted to push it further. She wanted to see if the girl could hold despite stimulation. She reasoned getting the girl used to being touched could only help her adjust to hosting. She suggested they cover themselves and shut the light. Once side by side under the covers, Bliss caressed her fingers on the girl's buttons. The younger's velvety voice expressed her contentment with delicate sounds.
"You need to keep your quirk active despite the stimulation." Said Bliss.
Then, she removed her fingers and positioned herself between Haze's feet. The girl noticeably tensed underneath.
"Relax. It will feel good." Assured the older one.
She fondled the hips under her and massaged the flower open. This time, she dived her quirked index. As she massaged the muscles, she added a second finger and then a third. The viscous sweat was making the glides easy until a vicious contraction sucked them and the girl spasmed.
"It's not over yet." Said Bliss with amusement in her voice. "Keep your quirk active until I'm done."
Pushing the girl's knees into the mattress, she asked her to keep her knees in place while their petals kissed in a gooey mess. The movement was easy on the flexible violet. The dazing quirk was making the experience better than it had ever been to the copper. It wasn't mind-blowing like her blissful abilities. Rather, it was numbing her mind to anything that wasn't ecstatic. She had already been appeased by the daze and was now feeling like nothing existed outside of the two of them.
When she arrived at her limit, Bliss collapsed on her roommate and swiftly fell into a slumber. She only woke up in the dead of the night and made her way into her bedroom after having her dinner. As much as it frustrated her, the new hire's abilities were fit for hosting. The younger one's timid character would fare better with a single person than a group like herself could. It only made sense she would be positioned in the companion niche.
Hyori woke up in the morning feeling elated. She had had the best sleep in weeks. Her body felt lightweight as she did some stretches on the floor. She exited her room to take a morning shower. The hotel's soap smelled like musk. The scent wasn't overpowering. It was probably made to magnify whatever perfume the user would spray on themselves. The body lotion had the same scent. The cream was cold and refreshing on her skin. There was also a shampoo and conditioner. Her last shampoo was two days ago. She could wait a few days until she had another one.
After her shower, she sat on the bathroom bench to groom her hair. She undid her towel wrap and let her hair fall on the bench. She rummaged through her toiletries purse and retrieved her hair spray to put some on her hands. While rubbing her hands together, she realised she had forgotten to part her hair. She swiped her hands on her lengths before rummaging again while looking for two hair ties. Once she put the two items on the bench beside her, she sprayed her hands and massaged her scalp. She rubbed circles on her head's skin before gently hand-brushing her hair from the ends towards the roots for a couple of minutes. Satisfied, she put her sections in twin ballet buns.
Hyori walked back inside her room and her reflection caught her eyes. She walked towards her closet. Her hair was nicely groomed and she felt clean. Then, her stomach grumbled. She went to bed right after her shower the previous day. Thinking about her shower with Bliss made her feel giddy. She also remembered they received the midday hotel's leftovers for dinner. She walked out of her bedroom to look into the fridge. A plate might be waiting for her.
A plate was indeed waiting for her. The dinner had been a seafood platter with smoked prawns, a stuffed crab, baked oysters and a smoked fish dip. As she ate, she mused over the irony of enjoying a gourmet platter in a nearly empty basement with no money on herself.
Hyori closed the platter after her meal and went back inside her room. She had played different songs with her two instruments but wasn't keen on singing at the moment. Doing so unprompted felt strange and embarrassing.
She looked through the window again to guess the hour of the day. Having no clue of the time was unnerving. She hadn't been in her bedroom for long before the doorbell rang. She promptly stood up and walked out of her bedroom to open the door. A hotel worker pushed a platter rack trolley into the dining area. He greeted her with a bow and unloaded three plates onto the table. He loaded her dinner plate on the rack trolley and exited the apartment.
Muse exited her room right when the worker was leaving. She was wearing a meshed sleeping gown.
"Morning, early bird." She greeted Hyori while marching towards the bathroom.
"Good Morning, Muse." Greeted Hyori.
Hyori had her 'breakfast'... Probably half an hour ago. Still, she was curious and opened one platter. There was a warm cup with milk inside, a brioche bun and a cup of dried fruits. After a few minutes, the cat girl exited the bathroom and sat on the dining table. She opened a similar plate. The only difference was the dried serving she had. Hyori had tropical fruits and Muse had dried berries with nuts.
"Have a nice meal." Said Muse before eating her breakfast.
Hyori remembered that the morning milk was mandatory. Therefore, she sat to drink it while it was warm. The texture was creamier and sweeter than what she was used to. The beverage was also heavier.
"Is anything wrong?" Asked Muse who noticed Hyori was slowly drinking her milk with effort.
"It's creamy and heavy. I'm not sure I like it." Answered Hyori.
"Have you ever had cow milk? You look like you come from a traditional home." Inquired Muse.
"I haven't. I'm used to soy milk. I sometimes had cashew milk."
Their conversation was interrupted by Bliss entering the living room.
"Hello." She greeted the other girls while taking a seat at the dining table.
She was greeted in return with "Hello." and "Good morning, Bliss."
"Haze doesn't like milk!" Exclaimed Muse.
"Really?" Asked Bliss with a surprised gaze on Hyori.
"I don't drink cow milk. I have soy milk in the morning and sometimes cashew milk."
"I'm afraid you have to. Unless-" Bliss was interrupted by grumblings in Hyori's stomach.
The youngest doubled over with a painful expression. She stood and speed-walked into the bathroom. She needed to use the toilet. After throwing up, she felt better and returned to the living room. She walked towards the fountain to drink some water.
"You asked for ice cream cake yesterday." Said a confused Bliss.
"The ones I had were made with almond or coconut milk."
"Fancy." Answered Bliss. "Maybe Orochimi will make an exception."
"I will text her." Said Muse while standing up from her seat.
The cat girl disappeared inside her room and walked back into the dining area while typing on her phone. She sat and put her phone on the table to finish her breakfast.
Hyori wasn't hungry at all after the milk fiasco.
"Can I keep the dried fruits for later?" She asked.
"You can leave your plate in the fridge if you want to keep it until the next meal." Answered Bliss.
Hyori stood up and put the plate away. She was in the mood for a short nap and beelined for her bedroom. She left the other girls talking to each other in the living room. Their manager's reply came fast to notify them that the new hire would be put on lactase pills.
"It seems like there won't be any exception." Announced Muse while showing her screen to her roommate.
"It's probably for the best. Her body needs some improvements."
The shapeshifter adorned a dubious look when she asked. "Where?"
"On her lower body. It's not obvious under Yukata dresses but she's top-heavy. She needs more mass on her lower body to balance."
Inside Orochimi's office, a small touchscreen phone had been delivered by the standardist. The snake lady needed to register it into her overwatching system. That way, she would be able to track the girl and record her activities. Once the phone was secured, she downloaded the hosting application and registered the girl's data. Her host name and useful abilities. All that was left was to add pictures, especially a profile picture. The visual effect was important to tease the visitors's attention.
But before taking pictures, she needed to groom the girl. Upon receiving measurements the previous day, she decided to order shaping dresses. They would help her figure until the milk's effects started to show. Those would be delivered in a few days but she couldn't wait for so long.
The snake lady was about to exit her office when she received a call. The number was registered under 'Detnerat's secretary'. She promptly answered the call and was greeted by the high-pitched voice of Mister Miyashita.
"Hello again, Miss Orochimi. I'm calling on short notice to let you know my boss plans to attend Kamakura's Firework Festival. The decision had just been made and we thought it would be a good occasion to audition your new hire. I didn't see any booking date before the middle of the month and her profile is empty. Is something the matter?"
"No, everything is fine. She will debut next week but she's already within the establishment. Her profile has been completed and only the pictures are missing."
"Well, we can't book if we don't have an idea of who will meet the boss. He's a visual person and these details matter to him."
"Does he have certain preferences?"
"He would rather have someone who exists. The absence of pictures and the fact she's not immediately available are weird, to say the least."
"I understand. Since your boss is already coming, I can arrange an exceptional meeting this afternoon but she won't host for the night."
"My boss won't make it there before seven in the evening. Will he be able to test her abilities?"
"Yes, it will be possible. Eight in the evening is good but she's not hosting yet."
"That's something I'll let you explain to him."
The man hung up and the manager exited her office. In the administrative area's lobby, she tasked Haru to deliver to her office a shapewear and a velvet Yukata from the storage room. The man noted the measurements on a sticky note before she left. The manager headed towards the basement apartment to retrieve the girl from her bedroom. In the living room, she greeted Bliss who had opened the main door for her. She used the opportunity to receive feedback from her most experienced host.
"Did you forget to give me your appreciation of the newbie?"
"I did, yes. Her quirk wavers a bit when she's stimulated but I guess practice will make her perfect. The main issue is the way she tenses. I think Muse would help her better than I."
The manager was pleased with what she heard. She still had a few days before the girl's debut. That should be enough time for Muse to get her ready.
"I see. I'll let her know. But before anything, I need to groom Haze for her profile picture."
The snake lady walked down the hall towards the girl's bedroom and knocked at the door. The tenant opened faster than the previous day. She returned inside her bedroom to put on sandals and retrieve her umbrella before following the woman upstairs, towards the beauty centre.
Hyori was pleasantly surprised. She rushed to retrieve a pair of flat shoes she left on one of the lowest shelves of her closet. She picked up her pass card from her desk's counter and followed Orochimi who was already in the living room. She put on her shoes right before exiting the apartment behind Orochimi.
The snake lady and the young girl walked into the underground hall before reaching a 'staff only' lift. They boarded and exited on the ground level, behind the hotel's reception desk. The desk was at least twice the size of the office area's reception desk. The hotel lobby was equally luminous and evenly decorated but way bigger.
Pools and the sea could be seen through the giant windows and open entrance. Orochimi walked with Hyori out of the reception lobby. They marched out of the building on the path between the outside restaurant area and the pools. Palm trees bordered the lot. The sea was magnificent behind them.
They arrived in front of a secondary building. It was a single-storey somewhat hidden behind trees. The path leading to its entrance door was covered. Orohimi opened the door and held it for Hyori.
"Welcome to the beauty centre of the hotel." Said Orochimi.
The floor was carpeted and the inside looked like a cottage. It looked like a cottage with a roughly ten-foot-high ceiling. They walked towards another reception desk. This one was wooden and rather modest compared to the office area's reception. A thin woman with a long ponytail was on the desk, sitting in front of a computer.
"Good afternoon, Miss Orochimi."
"Good afternoon." She replied. "There must be a reservation for Haze."
"Indeed." Said the receptionist after checking on the computer. "The hairdresser number 3 will see her in a few minutes."
"Very well." Said Orochimi before marching towards the left side of the building.
They walked down a hall with hair salons on one side and massage salons on the other. There were couches in the hall and they sat on one. After a few minutes, a middle-aged woman exited the hair salon without paying them a look. A petite woman sporting a slick square bob gestured for them to enter. Orochimi stood with Hyori tailing her. There was a seat in front of a U-shaped vanity cabinet. Three mirrors offered a good view of the work in progress. Orochimi sat on a loveseat near the entrance and the hairstylist invited Hyori to sit in front of the vanity cabinet. She inspected the girl's hair.
"The hair is well kept. It will be a nice foundation for a wig. I can see a curl pattern. Your cut hair will be sensibly curlier."
Hyori whipped her head towards the hairstylist, looking between Orochimi and the woman. The latter was gathering her tools.
"It will be easier if you are disguised on the clock. You wouldn't want your visitors to recognise you outside."
Hyori had to admit she had a point. Still, she never cut her hair to reduce length. It was only for maintenance.
"Don't worry." Said the hairdresser. "My quirk lets me manipulate fibres. I'm the Best Jeanist of coiffure. I will give you a nice cut and turn your hair into a wig right before your eyes. I can reattach it strand-by-strand in the future. It will be long and costly, but possible."
"Make her wig dark." Added Orochimi. "Violet hair isn't common. Darkhair is."
The manager's words crushed all hope of reattaching the hair again. The dyeing process would damage the coloured tresses and reverting them to their original colour would only add to the damage, if it were even possible in the first place. Hyori would have to grow her hair all over from the start. Maybe not from the start since she wouldn't receive a buzz cut but it would set her years back, unless the beauty salon had a magic hair growth method. It was unlikely since the hairdresser would have mentioned it. After the hairdresser was done with Hyori, she was sporting a short crown of violet curl and her forehead was on display. It reminded her of her toddler self's pictures. The hairstylist had coloured her wig black and applied some colouring mascara on her eyebrows.
"It would be better if your eyebrows match your hair. Here." Stated the woman when handing her the tube. "It's a colouring mascara for eyebrows."
The girl took the stick and stood from the beauty parlour chair. Trying the wig on, she inspected her look in the mirror. The hair strands were shining and seemed even more moisturised than when they used to be attached to her head. It was still her but with dark hair. Orochimi was satisfied. Hyori noticed their hair and complexion were now matching. The woman had sharp facial features and thin lips, but they could pass as relatives.
"Come one. It's time to smoothen you."
Hyori was carrying her hair in a bag when she exited the room with Orochimi. Another woman was waiting on the sofa they had been on in the hall.
"Today is the city's Firework Festival. The beauty centre has more clients than during regular days." Explained Orochimi. "The hotel also has a surge of customers from Tokyo. Including your first visitor."
Hyori was surprised that she was already hosting visitors. She didn't know the process of hosting and the idea of being alone with a man made her uneasy. She couldn't wait for her stay in the pension to be over but starting counting the days right now would drive her crazy. She hoped the little preparation she received meant she wouldn't have to get intimate with her visitor.
They stopped at the reception desk. The woman from earlier announced that the esthetician number one would receive her in ten minutes. They walked into the hall on the right with esthetician salons on one side and barber salons on the other. Hyori vaguely wondered if her visitor was in the barber salon or had been there that day. The lady inside had waxed the little hair she had outside of her face. She put the hair into a sanitised pocket and exited the room. She came back a dozen minutes later to resume her work on the girl and applied peeling on her client's body and face before taking it off. The procedure had been uncomfortable even if the esthetician assured she performed a superficial peeling.
She then applied a smoothing cream on Hyori's body with single-use cotton pads. Hyori didn't know whether it was the cream's effect, but her skin had never been this soft. Maybe it was the combined treatment and cream's effect. Once the esthetician finished her work, she handed Hyori a lavender-scented oil with a gardenia perfume.
"It's your signature scent." Announced the esthetician. "The mix is rather bold on a feminine body and would leave a strong impression. I won't make you pay for the first dose."
The wooden fragrance of lavender was softened by the sweetness of gardenia flowers. The concoction made a catching perfume since lavender was dominantly used in men's musky perfumes while gardenia scents created a serene and homely atmosphere.
The duo walked back inside the hotel but headed towards the administrative area instead of the basement apartment. The manager walked into her office with the girl tailing her. She handed the soon-to-be host a touchscreen phone. The device was noticeably smaller than the ones the others had. Hyori deduced she was meant to 'earn' a better one by herself.
"You turn it up by pressing the button on this side." Orochimi instructed.
Hyori did as she was told to. The touch screen lit up and a red velvet background welcomed her. The instructions read to slide the screen upwards. She did and another instruction popped out to urge her to scan her fingertip. She repeatedly scanned her thumbs from different angles before a home screen was on display.
"Enter the Red Velvet application and type your hostname." Instructed the manager.
She did as ordered. A pop-up asked for her identification. She taped 'Haze' and the application asked for a verification. She had the option to use her fingerprint and did so. Once her fingerprint was scanned, the application asked for a picture.
"Let me take your picture." Commanded Orochimi.
Hyori handed her the phone and Orochimi took a close-up picture. Her face was taking up almost all the space. The white walls were barely visible behind her hair. The application processed the picture and her 'profile' page opened. A notification stated she had a visitor in room 302, at eight in the evening and for ten minutes. The clock on the top bar of the phone read half past seven. She assumed not much could happen in just ten minutes. She was relieved since the memory of what happened in her previous home still haunted her. She didn't feel yet at home in the pension but it was far from the advanced-aged man and that was good enough for her.
"There must be a map on the application. It will show the way to the room. Tap on the reservation. Here, on the menu panel." Orochimi pointed at a drawer-like icon.
Hyori tapped on it and then on 'Reservations'. The list of her bookings was empty save for one slot. The room number and time were displayed. She tapped on the reservation and it showed more details. Her visitor wanted to be called 'Supreme Leader' and there was no picture or indication of a real name. In notes, he requested for 'stress relief'. Hyori thought she could do that for him and hoped he wouldn't ask for more.
"Let's dress you for hosting." Orochimi commanded while retrieving a bag from under her desk.
She exited the office and the girl trailed behind her. This time, they headed into the basement apartment. The manager ushered her towards her bedroom and emptied the bag on the bed. There was a cranberry-red velvet corset dress with polished black ballerina shoes inside, along with two small boxes. The girl read 'black iris lenses' and 'shade lenses' on the boxes.
"I brought you lenses to alter your eye colour on duty. The shaded ones should protect your eyes outside."
The teen was grateful when she thanked the woman. She wasn't planning on lingering around the sun but the added protection was a good idea. She felt genuinely happy the manager considered her condition and gifted her lenses. She was urged into the shower to put them on. There, she washed her hands and rinsed the lenses before putting them on. They were single-use contacts and she had enough for a month. Hyori suspected she would have to purchase the next ones. The results were satisfying even if her eyes looked too defined or drawn to be natural.
Heading back into the bedroom, the girl put the dress on. Her abdomen felt constricted and the way it lifted her chest was disturbing. The teen wasn't used to having her cleavage on display like it currently was. She bent her head forward and lifted her shoulders while inspecting the results in the mirror, attempting to downplay her cleavage. The shapewear did make her look different than she usually did and the sight was unsettling her. It was too much.
"Stand straight. And don't be late." Instructed the snake lady before rushing out of the bedroom, probably into her office or somewhere she was needed.
The girl sat on her bed. Looking at the phone's box on the desk's counter, she didn't have time to read her phone's manual and retain substantial information. Getting into the reservation room was urgent. Her phone had blacked out. She tapped on the screen and a fingerprint icon appeared on the bottom side of the screen. The clock was reading twenty-six to seven in the afternoon. She pressed the button on the side but it didn't unlock the phone. She put one of her thumbs on the fingerprint icon and it unlocked the phone on the Red Velvet application. She locked her phone again and nervously waited for an hour to pass, checking every five minutes.
An hour later, she opened the menu panel and selected the reservations section. She taped on the upcoming reservation. A 'directions' button was located at the bottom. She tapped on it and a map with a highlighted path showed. She assumed the pin icon was herself. She got up from the bed and retrieved her Kokyu case before walking out of her room. Hyori followed the path in the underground hall to the lift she previously boarded with Orochimi. A scale from '-1' to '3' was located on one side of the map. The '3' square was underlined. Knowing she was underground, the room was on the third floor. Hyori pressed '3' on the lift. The doors closed and opened again with a dinging sound.
Her eyes flew to the upper bar where she read twenty-two minutes to eight. She was early. Way too early. Looking around, she noticed the grey wooden floor parting white walls. Hung lights illuminated the windowless hall. Two doors were aligned in the hall, one on each side facing the lift. The number 302 was on her right. She still had twenty minutes to kill before she could enter. What could she do? She couldn't wait in the hall. That would leave a poor impression if her visitor saw her. She boarded the lift and went back into the underground apartment. She had enough time to pamper herself a bit more.
Little did she know, her manager was having a conversation with a stubborn man on the other side of the door. The latter didn't want to hear anything about an official debut and insisted on keeping the host for the night if he wished to.
"I still need to make a few calls before clocking off for the night so let's hurry. Do you have the host? Yes or no?"
"I do but she's not yet mentally ready to host."
"I'm not a fan of hardcore."
"I have a specific process to get her ready. She'll entertain you better afterwards."
"I won't wait any longer for what could be another misfit. It's tonight or never."
The snake lady considered the option before giving in. She supposed she could still prepare Haze during the following days before her debut. She agreed to prolong the booking's duration and left.
Back in her room, Hyori rummaged through her toiletries purse. She applied the scented oil behind her ears and under her armpits. The garment's charm indeed broke when she undressed. It didn't matter since she wouldn't undress. She put her second skin back on and was tempted to put on some makeup. Orochimi would have certainly told her to do so if it were needed. But maybe, she assumed Hyori would anyway. She rummaged through her purse again, looking for the rosy balm that made her lips look like candy. She applied some on her lips and looked into the mirror.
Then, her phone made a bell song. She lifted the device from her bed and unlocked it. The Red Velvet application 'RV' icon was apparent on the upper bar. Hyori touched the bar that unravelled slightly, revealing some text, before rolling close. She tapped the bar again and the same happened. The application was displayed on the home screen and she opened it, hoping the text would appear. The reservation slot was displayed directly on her profile page. It was now eight hours instead of ten minutes. What happened to the previous ten minutes? Was it an error? Could it be a bug?
A clock icon was located beside the room number with the digit '9' in the circle. Her eyes drifted towards the upper bar that read nine minutes until eight in the afternoon. She picked up the Kokyu violin case she had left in the drawers and walked out of her bedroom to exit the apartment. In the hall, Muse and Bliss were also exiting their rooms. At least, Hyori assumed the brown beast dressed in a blue tuxedo who was exiting a bedroom was the shapeshifter in disguise. The two girls noticed the way Hyori was groomed and exchanged a look. The youngest felt self-conscious under their gaze.
They closed their rooms with a smile and walked down the hall. Hyori walked behind them while they exited the apartment. Once in the elevator, the '3' button was already highlighted, alongside the '2'. Muse exited on the second floor, leaving Bliss and Hyori in the lift. The lift opened with a ringing sound seconds later and Bliss flashed her a smile before walking towards the number 301. The taller one opened the door with her card and entered without knocking. Hyori walked towards the number 302. She read four to eight in the afternoon.
She then noticed she was holding her phone in her hand. Entering like that wouldn't be polite. She slid the small phone into her Kokyu violin case before unlocking the room and entering. Inside room 302, curtains were drawn across the right wall. The other walls and the ceiling were solid white. The floor was covered in light wooden tiles. She was standing before a living room in which a salon was sitting on a dark grey carpet. The salon's sofa and seats were covered in light grey fabrics and stood on wooden legs.
The ceiling lights were lit up and her eyes fell on the dining area beside the salon. A bouquet of white roses, daisies and a white lily on the side was put on a glass table. A navy blue suit jacket was hanging on one chair. The room smelt clean and fresh and everything looked brand new. A few paintings representing seascapes and turquoise waters adorned the walls.
A man sounded agitated and spoke with an unnerved voice. The sound was coming from the half-closed bedroom further in the suite. It was probably her visitor. Should she walk inside the bedroom? She doubted it would be polite. He was probably having an important conversation over the phone unless he was conversing alone.
Doubting she was privy to the exchange since her guest wasn't in the living room, she waited by the door. It wasn't long before the call was over and a tall middle-aged man exited the bedroom. His most noticeable traits were a receding hairline and a hawk nose. His black irises fell on her and she greeted him with a standing bow.
"Good evening, Supreme Leader." Said Hyori with the same tone she would use every time the Empress Dowager summoned her.
When she straightened her posture, she noticed his gaze travelling up and down her dress. He seemed interested since she could establish a fuzzy connection.
"Good evening, Haze." He replied in a cheerful voice.
The man seemed to have mood swings. She assumed it was the reason she would get paid. He marched into the living room and sat on the sofa.
"You can arrange your music set in the bedroom. Let's have a chat first."
The bedroom had a small salon area where two seats were facing each other with a round low table in between. Curtains were drawn across two intersecting walls and the remaining one was covered with a dark grey carpet. A California-sized bed had its head backed against the carpeted wall. Hyori did as instructed and put her instrument on the table. While she was closing the empty case, she heard footsteps and a rolling sound in the living room. A hotel worker had brought a room service trolley and was now exiting the suite. She ousted the bedroom.
"I would like a glass of infused water." He said.
Hyori walked to the trolley. A cold water carafe had grapefruit slices floating inside. She poured the content into a glass and brought it to the salon's low table onto a platter. She put the platter in front of the man. The latter urged her to sit beside him. He drank half of the glass content while she was lowering herself beside him. Then, he put the glass on the low platter and wrapped an arm around her midsection before leaning on the seat back. The gesture brought her into a leaning position as well.
"You were personally recommended to me by the service's manager." He said. "I've made them aware of my stress issues a while ago. And just yesterday, they called to introduce their new hire. Show me your trick."
"As you wish, Supreme Leader."
Hyori had enough access to his mind to daze him right as she spoke. The man was a ball of stress. She had never encountered such stress levels. There seemed to be a beast inside his mind. She couldn't tame it and had to lull it into the haze. She hummed softly while tracing circles on the hand resting on her side with her opposite hand. The beast leaned into her touch and she let the blanket of her haze fall on it. The man made a satisfied sound.
"Let's get into the bedroom. I want to hear you play."
Hyori followed his lead inside the suite's bedroom. The man sat on the bed to undo his tie and leaned on the pillows.
"Don't play something too soft. I don't want to sleep right away."
"As you wish, Supreme Leader."
Hyori walked towards the light switches to cut off the ceiling lights and let on the dim bedside lights. She wanted the man to sleep right away but doubted she should do it against his will. Resigned, she walked towards the bedroom salon area to lift her instrument and sit down. She straightened her posture while putting on her finger pads. Once ready, she started to slowly dance her fingers and bow on the chords. The man was pleased with the melody she was playing as his heartbeat and breathing were even. After six minutes, the melody ended with the last note echoing into the bedroom.
"Come here." The man said.
The girl put her instrument into its case in an attempt to gain all the time she could, even if it was mere seconds. She irrationally hoped the little amount of time would get her ready for what was about to happen or prevent it from happening altogether. She was aware a miracle won't happen tonight. Nothing will prevent her guest from having his way with her. She was at his mercy in the hotel room and didn't have any other choice but to obey. She slipped out of her flat shoes and stood from the chair. With measured steps, she advanced towards the fate she feared.
After a few steps, Hyori climbed on the bed where the man was removing his clothes. The mere sound of his rustling fabric was sending her on edge. She could sense his blood rush towards his core like the Emperor a little over a week ago. He rummaged through the closest bedside and retrieved a small bottle with a rubber skin he warped around his blade.
"Come sit on my lap." He commanded and she obeyed.
He held her in his arms. She felt his blade underneath her while he inhaled the crook of her neck and his hands uncovered her skin. After a few breaths, she heard the sound of a cap being opened and then closed. Wet fingers caressed her petals and the cold touch gradually turned warm. A surprised breath escaped through her lips when she felt the phantom of a similar sensation Bliss had induced in her core. Then, he rolled them on the side until he covered her. He was heavy and significantly taller than her. She wondered if her quirk felt as compressing when the subject was unwilling.
The phantom of the Emperor haunted the edge of the bed while her visitor was exhausting himself above her. The latter was breathing in one of her ears and whispering what sounded like gibberish in her ears. Her skin felt insensitive and distant as if she were sedated. The whispers in her ears felt electrifying and taunted her reflexes to push the contact away. Yet, she remained even more still than when Aoi and Sora held her down. She distantly heard loud breathing and clapping as the earth shook. With her eyes closed, she focused on the connection between her visitor and herself. The thread of her daze was the only thing she could accurately feel at the moment. Then, the earthquake stopped and some lead fell beside her. She could finally breathe again and her blurry vision focused on the decorated ceiling.
"Good night." Said the visitor after a minute.
Hyori put his mind to sleep and held him through the night.
Hyori felt her guest's mind bubbling awake under the cover of her daze. His biological clock was signalling him to wake up for the day. She looked at the bedside clock and read four in the morning. She realised she hadn't moved from the spot he put her. She had spent the night stunned and holding onto her quirk. She let go of the man's mind and he rolled awake. He took a few seconds to recollect himself. He was content with the night he spent and just by the amount of relief his body expressed, she sensed he hadn't woken up in such a good mood in a long time.
He walked into the bathroom without caring about his nudity in front of her. She wasn't on the clock anymore. Her booking period had been from eight in the afternoon to four in the morning when she checked last time. At first, it was for ten minutes but it somehow became eight hours when she returned to her bedroom after trying the route. Maybe it changed again.
Being alone in the bedroom made her more aware of her surroundings and movements. Her head was clearer when she walked towards her case and unlocked her phone. The booking period had ended at four in the morning. She put on her discarded dress and left before the man exited the bathroom. Her hands had been clutching the Kokyu violin case on her way into the basement apartment. She decided to take a shower before climbing into her bed. Her bedroom was dark despite the rising summer sun. Once in the safety of her bed, tears rained from her eyes.
She felt dumb for crying. She should have expected things to happen that way the moment she was told to host. Somehow, she clung to the faint hope the inevitable wasn't going to happen. The same way she had hoped the Emperor wouldn't do anything despite his growing presence during her musical practice sessions. The suppressed emotions of the previous hours were now overflowing as her breath was shaking. She suppressed her coughing and lamentations with the bed cover. After minutes, her tired mind fell into a dreamless slumber. The absence of nightmares had been the silver lining of her day.
Four grounds above, the occupant of room 302 had exited the bathroom after hearing the main door close. Draped in a towel, he had scanned the suite and noticed the host had left. The bedside clock was reading six minutes past four in the morning. The summer sun was already rising. Thinking the night had been too short for his liking, he ordered an early morning breakfast before resuming his shower.
He would leave at five and arrive at the office a little before seven in the morning. He might as well use the corporate gym to run before starting his day. Then, he remembered his work day would have already started before seven since he left early the previous day. His assistant had probably stacked reports in his email box and on his desk. He would review them during the commute back to Tokyo and start working before he even reached the office.
The previous night had been satisfying and he still felt serene after enjoying the best sleep he had in ages. It might even have been the best sleep of his life. Resetting his stress levels felt good, even if he felt weaker than before the host worked her magic on him. The last bit didn't matter since he would have enough stress to absorb at work. In a matter of days, he would be back to uncomfortable levels of stress that working out couldn't alleviate.
After his shower, he retrieved his discarded clothes and put them away in the appropriate compartment of his suitcase. Then, he picked his change of clothes and dressed, making sure everything fell in order before carefully removing his jacket and hanging it in the closet. He was still brushing his hair when the room service delivered twice the serving of a regular breakfast. Benedict eggs, sliced ham and two cups of fruit salads. He texted his driver before rummaging through his luggage for a pill of his iron and zinc supplements and sat at the dining table. He served himself a cup of water and put the effervescent pill inside before drinking.
Not fond of sweets in general, he left the cups and dressed for his day after breakfast. In the guest's parking, his driver was waiting for him. The drive back to Tokyo had been comfortable inside the spacious and sound-insulated car. The summer sun illuminated the inside through the panoramic roof and typing on the laptop keyboard resonated. As expected, notes and reports had been waiting in the executive's inbox since seven in the afternoon on the previous day.
After checking his agenda for any meeting, the middle-aged man ranked his tasks according to their relevance and urgency. He sent an email to his assistant with a list of the urgent and irrelevant matters. He would focus on the relevant emergencies in the morning, planning the relevant but non-urgent tasks for later.
Mister Miyashita clocked in a dozen minutes after he arrived at his office, at a quarter past seven in the morning. The assistant that took care of the red tape was also his closest coworker and he must admit having grown used to the walking teddy bear. The man might be slim but his mongoose head gave him a benevolent allure. His face didn't display his assertive, and somewhat opinionated, character.
The assistant entered their shared office and greeted him with a bow before beelining for his desk. Having the chimaera working in a hearing distance smoothed their interactions and let him listen to all of his assistant phone calls on-duty. It was mutual but there wasn't much intel his assistant could hoard against him. The executive was reviewing confidential documentation that couldn't have been scanned for his visit to the Aichi factory construction site in the afternoon. He waited for his assistant to sit before addressing him.
"I mailed you a list of tasks I want you to complete before I visit the construction site. I'll need the new safety chart copies transcribed from the last committee. I'll sign them before leaving for the afternoon. I'll be back right after the visit. Also, could you book me another session with the host from yesterday? A full night. It's not urgent but I would like to have an appointment by the end of the month."
"It's noted." Replied the assistant. "I guess this one addressed the issue. I'll check your agenda for the upcoming weeks and book it right away."
"She did. I extended the session once there. The manager fussed a bit before giving in. I'm glad I encountered her before the afternoon's visit. I would have needed way more than running to get rid of the accumulated stress."
The assistant was about to pick up his desk phone before remembering the manager had sent a mail with a booking link. Weighing his options, he decided to use the link and save himself the time to wait to be put through. Searching his mailing box, he opened the mail containing the booking link. He mused over how any regular employee would be in trouble for using the company equipment for personal business. A few clicks later, the mongoose chimaera arrived on the web application he was looking for.
The host services were labelled as health assistance and the wording felt cynical. He was about to select the Wednesday after next week when the profile picture caught his eye. There hadn't been any profile pictures last time. Unlike the previous host, this one could barely be called a woman. There was no way she could have graduated yet. Could she be a dropout? She seemed awfully young with her shy smile. Did his boss really spend the night with her? Maybe she just looked young.
The assistant proceeded with the booking and somehow, the sympathy he had for the young-looking host evaporated as soon as he saw the fare for the whole night. He doubted the girl received all the money but the session was nearing the average monthly salary nationwide. Her activities would have grossed his trimestrial income in just a week. The ordeal felt indecent and he was tempted to ask for a raise. If his boss was willing to pay this much for a vixen, why not for him who was actually making his life easier at work?
"Is anything the matter? I haven't received the payment request." Asked said boss.
The question shook the assistant from his reverie.
"Everything is alright, you should receive the notification soon." Replied the mongoose chimaera after his navigator filled in the card numbers and he clicked on 'Pay'.
A second later, the middle-aged man received the notification on his phone and validated the transaction.
"I picked the last Wednesday of the month." Added the mongoose chimaera.
"Nice. Right before the monthly catch-up." Replied his boss before joking. "At least my stress levels would be evened beforehand."
The assistant had observed his boss, trying to see some kind of hesitation but it never happened. He closed the tab after sending the receipt to his boss's phone and decided that knowing what wealthy people did with their money wasn't healthy at all. Thankfully, his boss's personal card requested validation for online payments. As much as he trusted his integrity, he couldn't affirm he wouldn't ever waver and make a purchase his employer would never notice, not having a horde of accountants scanning every line of his personal account.
Later at midday, the new security chart was printed and the assistant brought the copies to his boss's desk. The executive diagonally read the documents before signing. Looking at his watch, he had an hour left before leaving for the factory site. He opted to head into the gym facility and run for half an hour with occasional sprints. That should leave him enough time for a shower and a quick lunch before he switches his administrative role for his operational role and focuses on complex tasks.
He needed to appreciate for himself the needs and challenges of the manufacturers and designers. Designing and building tools suited for Meta abilities required more human investment than regular machinery since the panel of specific needs was at least ten times more diverse. Finding baseline specs had been a time-consuming process that required computing data from diverse sources and adjusting way too many times to scale manufacturing.
So far, the challenge of the past couple of decades has been juggling between subcontractors to adjust Detnerat's supplies. The process wasn't ground-breaking and had been honed for at least a decade by the heroic support industry. The novelty was the size of the subcontractors working on multiple parts of varying products, and maybe patenting the elements along with the crafting technologies. Hundreds of suppliers had developed specific tools and elements, funded by his company.
Their subcontractors were mainly located in populated countries that greatly benefited from the spread of meta abilities. Thanks to their large population, their domestic manufacturers had benefited from large sample sizes and had been able to settle factories dedicated to given mutations. This time of micro-adjusting was coming to an end. They had finally acquired enough data and reduced the specs variables to a handful their new materials and tools could craft around for more than eighty per cent of the national meta-population.
It was time to start the complex task of absorbing their suppliers to finally establish the first large-scale factory for products adapted to meta-abilities. The feat had been possible thanks to a short-list of his subcontractors's most promising resources who were eager to 'upgrade', and some personal connection mediating in his favour with the Prefecture's authorities. The new factory in Aichi was finally emerging from the grounds, larger and more elaborate than the current assembly factory in Chiba. The publicity should boost their security franchise selling tools and intelligence.
He suspected foreign tech companies were developing the same kind of factories in their domestic markets and the next logical step would be to partner with them, at least until Detnerat could subdue them. Success in the competitive Japanese market despite its intricate regulations would give credit to his company when it expands in the neighbouring South Asian and Latin American markets.
While the executive was planning his company's future, Hyori was still laying under her bed covers. She hadn't left her room since her early morning shower after hosting. Her roommates had noticed she didn't have breakfast and supposed she must have been tired. Muse went into her bedroom and Bliss lounged in front of the television screen until the lunch delivery brought them back to the dining area. Upon sitting, Muse enquired about the absent host.
"Do you think something happened to her? Is she really in her bedroom?"
"I think she's there. She simply wasn't ready to host yet."
"Is she aware of the requirements? It's far from being over yet she acts like this."
"She is. And don't act like you were enthusiastic at first."
Muse raised her eyes before countering.
"I wasn't enthusiastic but I didn't lock myself inside my bedroom." Then, she added with a serious tone. "Do you think she'll get used to it?"
"She'll eventually have to. And you should also help her since you are women's favourites. Didn't Orochimi tell you so?"
"She did but my trick is too good to be free. And I thought Haze would be used to hosting after yesterday." Countered the shapeshifter.
"Can you have us in your bedroom this afternoon? I'll pay you back with my own trick." Bided Bliss.
The tallest one knew how much the shapeshifter enjoyed her quirked fingers.
"Fine." Replied Muse before starting to eat lunch.
"Thank you." Replied the tallest. "I'll check on her. She has to eat something and drink her milk."
With that, the pension's most experienced host entered the hall and walked until she reached the youngest's bedroom door.