Fan Fiction ❯ Bisexual Bordello ❯ Chapter 4

Yukiko walked quickly through the dark, snowy streets.  She hoped to find some kind of shelter from the ever-increasing snowfall, but it seemed everywhere she turned she found one of those abhorrent signs - "No Otherkind".  She paused in front of a diner to stare into its lit interior and draw some of the warmth from the glass of the window.  Her eyes traveled over the large sign that bore a silhouetted faerie with a bold red circle and slash over it to the people - humans - eating happily inside.  She leaned her forehead against the glass window, closed her eyes, and sighed.

Just then, the door of the diner banged open and a burly man with a five-o'clock shadow stormed out onto the front step.  He brandished a large, wooden mallet in her direction as he shouted at her.  "Hey you!" he yelled.  "Get out of here!  I just cleaned that window this afternoon!"

Yukiko, startled, laid her large ears back against her head and fled.  Once she was well out of sight of the diner, she slowed, and then stopped to take stock of her situation.  She found that she was standing underneath a tall street lamp on the corner of a dark and narrow set of streets.  There weren't any lights on in the surrounding buildings, and no traffic drove past.  She absently lifted her foot and pried some ice from between her toes while she looked around.

Yukiko sighed and leaned against the street lamp.  She'd been walking the streets of the town for three days looking for work, but at every stop she found that she was either unqualified or the business didn't hire Otherkind.

A sudden gust of wind blew down the street.  Yukiko pulled her rough woolen cloak closer around her body and ducked her face out of the wind.  A scraping sound caught her attention and she looked up to see a large piece of paper tumbling down the snowy street.  She picked it up curiously and looked at it.

It was a glitzy advertisement for an establishment that called itself a "men's club".  A cute cat-like girl and a cute human girl were on the center of the poster, posing scantily-clad on a glittery stage.  Small white text at the bottom said that they were hiring girls of all kinds.  She was just about to roll up the advertisement and tuck it in her cloak for follow-up when bright headlights suddenly flooded the corner where she was standing.  She squinted through the glare and saw a black and white vehicle making its way slowly down the street.

The car pulled up next to her and dimmed its lights.  In the yellow light of the street lamp Yukiko could see some type of badge with an eagle on the side of the car, and a row of red and blue lights on the top.  The front passenger window rolled down and a man in a dark blue uniform leaned over from the driver's seat.

"Are you lost, Miss?" the man asked.  "It's a bit late to be walking by yourself."

Yukiko took a step back from the car.  "I'm...I'm all right," she said.  Her ears leaned back slightly.  "I'm just walking through."  She could hear her older brother's warning about strange men in cars echoing in her head.  She wasn't quite sure what this man in uniform was about, but he seemed inordinately interested in her presence.

The man smiled reassuringly and ducked back into the driver's seat.  After a moment, the driver's door opened and he stepped out of the car.  He circled around the front of it and stepped onto the sidewalk next to her.  "It's ok," he said.  "I'm a police officer; I just don't want to see you get hurt - these streets aren't always safe to walk at night."

Yukiko laid her ears back against her head.  Had the man at the diner called the police on her?  She didn't think she'd done any damage to his window.  "I'm sorry," she said.  Her voice quavered slightly.  "I didn't mean to dirty that store's window.  I just wanted to rest by it for a minute."  She pulled her cloak more tightly around herself.

The officer smiled at her again, but inwardly he sighed.  "Great," he thought.  "She's been chased off by one of the local assholes, so now she's going to be afraid of the police too."  

"It's ok," he said again.  "You're not in trouble for anything.  In fact, the business owners around here know better than to waste our time with a complaint like that."   He glanced over her and noticed the flyer that was clenched in her hand.  "What have you got there?" he asked.

Yukiko looked down quickly at the flyer in her hand.  "Oh!" she exclaimed.  "I found this paper in the street.  I came into the city looking for work, and it says there's a job available.  But if this belongs to someone I'll be glad to return it."  She quickly held out the flyer to the police officer.

The officer took the flyer and glanced over it, and then he looked back up at Yukiko.  "Eh, it's just some garbage that was tossed out in the street," he said.  "If you're looking into this kind of work, though, I know a much better place than Old Bob's.  I'd hate to see a young thing like you get stuck working for that dick."

"Do you have the address?" Yukiko asked slowly.  "I'm not that familiar with this town."

The officer jerked his head toward his squad car.  "Hop in," he said.  "I'll take you over there, it's on my route."  He opened the back door of the car.  "If nothing else, it'll give you a warm place to rest your feet for a couple hours while you fill out a job application."

Yukiko hesitated.  Her feet were starting to get cold, she realized.  She had heard that police officers were there to protect people, and no one had ever said anything about them hurting Otherkind. "Ok," she said.  She got into the back of the car.

The officer closed the door behind her and then climbed back into the driver's side.  He opened the window separating the front from the back and glanced at her in the rearview mirror.  "We'll be there in about ten minutes," he said.  "Go ahead and sit back for a bit - I need to fill out a report quick for our office paper trail."  

Yukiko just nodded.  He slid the window closed again and turned back to the front of the car.  He made some notes on a form attached to his clipboard then pulled away from the curb.  After a moment, he picked up his in-dash phone and dialed the number for the Academy of Social Grace and Service.  He listened to the girl who cheerily answered the phone and then smiled.  "Thank you, but I'm on business tonight," he replied.  "Is Miss Laurasia in?  I need to speak with her."  

After a moment, Aphrodite got on the phone.  "Good evening, Miss Laurasia," he said.  "This is Officer Mitchell.  I just picked up a girl walking along 3rd street, and she may be interested in a job at your establishment."  He paused.  "Can't tell her age for sure," he said.  "She's Otherkind of some sort or another - looks kind of like a fox.  Red hair, bit of white on her face, big red ears.  She's wearing a big, ratty cloak of some kind so I can't see what the rest of her looks like.  Bare feet, as far as I can tell - insanity in this weather, but she doesn't look like she can afford shoes."  He paused again.  "Yeah, she was looking at a flyer for Old Bob's place when I found her," he replied.  He listened for a moment and then laughed.  "I had a feeling you would say that.  I should be there in about five or six minutes."

He hung up the phone and then glanced at the girl in his rearview mirror again.  The sound proof glass between the two halves of the car must have worked, even with her large ears - she stared obliviously out the window, totally unaware that he'd been talking about her.  

After a few moments, he pulled up outside the Academy.  He parked the car in the driveway and stepped out; Aphrodite was waiting at the front of the drive.

"Good evening, Officer Mitchell," she greeted.

"Evening, Miss Laurasia," he replied.  "She's in the back; kinda the quiet type, real shy of people.  Not sure why she was looking to work at Old Bob's, but I suppose it's not my place to ask."  He walked back and opened the rear passenger door.  Aphrodite followed him and leaned down to look in the back of the vehicle.

Yukiko stared out with wide eyes at the two of them.  She crept slowly toward the open door.  "Hello," she said quietly.

"Hello, Dear," Aphrodite said.  "Officer Mitchell said you're looking for work.  Why don't you come inside and we'll see what we can do for you?"  She smiled pleasantly at the girl.

"Ok," Yukiko said.  She climbed out of the car and pulled her cloak more tightly around her, then followed Aphrodite and the police officer to the front door of the Academy.

Officer Mitchell turned to the two.  "Well, I'll leave her here with you, then, Miss Laurasia," he said.  "I need to get back to my patrol.  Let me know if you need anything."

Aphrodite nodded and waved to him as he climbed back into his car and drove away.  She turned to the huddled girl next to her.  "Come on in, Dear," she said.  "You're positively covered in snow - you must have been walking for hours tonight."  She led the way into the building and back to her private office.  She opened a door on the far wall and revealed a sparkling bathroom.  "Why don't you get yourself a hot bath and then get dried off?  You'll feel better, and it'll keep you from getting a cold."

Yukiko looked into the bathroom and hesitated.  "Are...are you sure?" she asked.  "I wouldn't want to trouble you..."

"It's no trouble at all," Aphrodite said sincerely.  She escorted Yukiko into the bathroom.  "I can take your cloak and have it cleaned and dried while you bathe," she offered.  

Yukiko started to unfasten her cloak, then stopped suddenly.  "Um," she began.  "I'm afraid I don't know proper etiquette for this situation...Mother says that we're not to be without clothing around humans, because it's offensive to them, but I have nothing other than this cloak to wear."

Aphrodite smiled.  "It's not a problem at all," she said.  "The Academy is a bit different than most places; I won't mind seeing you without clothing at all.  In fact, it'll help me size up your qualifications for work here."  

"Ok," Yukiko replied.  She nodded and then unfastened her cloak.  

Aphrodite had expected the girl to be pretty by her face and the size of her frame, but she was a bit startled at just how lovely the girl was underneath the bulky cloak.  Her slight frame accommodated round, full curves in her breast and hips, and a hint of red and white fur gave a smooth, gentle appearance to her body.  Aphrodite was able to see a very full, red tail behind the girl.

Yukiko handed the cloak to Aphrodite, and then turned to draw her bath.  A spark of excitement jumped in Aphrodite's eyes as she realized the young woman didn't have one very full tail but rather nine separate tails connected to the base of her spine.  At times the nine of them moved independently, and when she made a conscious effort, such as when she swept her tails over the edge of the bathtub to step in, all nine of them moved in unison.

"Beautiful and rare," Aphrodite thought.  "Why is this girl walking the streets by herself?"  She smiled as Yukiko settled herself into the large, round bathtub.  "The cabinet above the tub's faucet has all of the soap and shampoo you'll need," she said.  "I'll take your cloak for cleaning and send some temporary clothes in here for you," she said.  "If you need anything, just press the button on the wall above the sink to call me."

"Thank you," Yukiko said gratefully.  "This is all wonderful.  I really appreciate it."

Aphrodite waved to the girl and closed the door to the bathroom quietly as she left.

Yukiko reclined back in the bath and submerged herself almost to the tip of her nose.  She let the soothing warm water soak her thoroughly, and then sat back up.  She blinked and wiped the water out of her eyes, then opened the soap cabinet.

Colorful plastic bottles were arranged neatly along the shelves inside.  Yukiko found the shampoo bottle among them and twisted off the cap.  Her sensitive nose caught the scent of rose and mint drifting up on the steam from the bath.  She sat up on the edge of the bathtub and carefully poured a sparing amount of the thick soap onto her palm then replaced the cap on the bottle.  She worked the shampoo into a thick lather with her hands, then carefully scrubbed the lather across her whole body, including her tails.  Once she was completely soaped, she sat back into the water and meticulously rinsed the lather out.  

She hadn't realized how much dirt had accumulated in her fur while she'd been walking until she looked at the now-grey bath water.  She stepped out of the tub and let the water out, then glanced around the bathroom for a towel or cloth.  She found a dry wash cloth sitting on the sink, and wiped down the tub.  Then she stood and looked around for something to dry herself with.  

There didn't seem to be any large bath towels in the bathroom.  As she looked along the sink, she saw a button that said "dryer".  Curious, she pressed it and was startled to feel warm air begin to lightly blow through the previously unnoticed holes in the floor.  A bench slid out from the wall, and when she sat down on it, Yukiko discovered that warm air also blew across her back from the enclosure where the bench had been.  She leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm air as it dried her off.  Yukiko opened her eyes at the sound of the bathroom door opening.  

Aphrodite peeked into the room, then smiled at Yukiko.  "I thought I heard the dryer running," she said.  "Here're the clothes I brought for you; they should fit okay, a lot of my girls are about your size."  She handed clothes of a shimmering white fabric to the young fox girl.

Yukiko stood and carefully unfolded the garment.  She discovered that it was a long, elegantly cut dress, embroidered down the front with Oriental design.  The skirt was flowing and was cut in the back to accommodate a tail.  "It's beautiful!" Yukiko said.  She put the dress on and fastened the collar, then turned to look at her reflection in the mirror above the sink.  She almost didn't recognize her reflection - the stylish clothes were so foreign to her she started a bit at her appearance.

"Why don't we step out into my office?" Aphrodite suggested.  "I've arranged with my staff to be sure we're not disturbed while we talk."  She led the way back into her spacious office.

Aphrodite gestured to a chair in front of her desk, then sat down in her own chair and crossed her legs.  "I must admit," she said, "I'm curious as to why a lovely young lady like yourself is walking the streets in this weather."

Yukiko sat down and folded her hands in her lap.  "Well," she began, "I came into the city looking for work before the snow started.  Things have been kind of tight at home this winter, and we're not sure our winter supplies will hold up for the duration.  My mother is not able to travel well because of her age, and my older brother is the only other one we have at home.  Since we need him at home to take care of Mother and see after our farm, I decided to be the one to go into town for work."

"I take it you have not been very successful," Aphrodite said.

"I hadn't realized how difficult it is to find work," Yukiko replied.  "At home, there is always something to do, and a lot of it is work that anyone could do.  But it seems that most jobs in the city require one to attend formal school; I have not, my family taught me everything I know."

Aphrodite nodded.  "Unfortunately, that's the way businesses are run, even for menial jobs these days," she said.  "However, my Academy is one of the few places left that don't require formal education.  She paused.  "Before we go much further, I would like to be sure you understand what type of work we do here.  Officer Mitchell said that you had picked up an advertisement for Bob's Gentlemen's Club?"

"Yes, that's right," Yukiko replied.  "I found it in the street while I was walking.  His advertisement suggested that he hires Otherkind as well as humans."

"Indeed," Aphrodite said thinly.  "However, that's about the only thing his advertisements are accurate about.  I think you'd find that the only thing glamorous about his establishment is the photographs, and the men who patronize the club aren't exactly gentlemen."

"I suspect that there must be prostitution involved with the job," Yukiko said doubtfully.  "Mother has always spoken badly of such places, and prostitution is one of the few things she has a bias against.  However, surviving the winter is more important than saving a bit of face in the eyes of the public - from what I can tell, the majority of them would just as soon see my family starve anyway."  There was a hint of bitterness in her voice at the last bit.  "Brother warned me that Otherkind had a hard time in the city, but I guess I didn't expect so many places to forbid us from even entering."

Aphrodite leaned across the desk and took her hand.  "Well, that's one of the things you can rest assured about here," she said.  "I do not allow that kind of prejudice in either my clients or my employees.  Everyone here is interviewed by me personally, and I only select the best."  She let go of Yukiko's hand and sat back.  "Our main business is, of course, prostitution," she continued.  "However, we would not be able to keep the title "Academy of Social Grace and Service" if that were all anyone here did.  This is also very much an academy - the men and women who work here are also taught the finer aspects of social manners, so that they can work as domestic servants, escorts, performers or many other special-event tasks.   Those skills are not prerequisites for work here - they can be taught from scratch, if necessary.”

"And everything is...safe?" Yukiko asked.  "My people are immune to many human diseases, but I am not big or strong enough even among my own kind to protect myself well against physical threats."

"One hundred percent safe," Aphrodite replied affirmatively.  "We have the highest standards for sanitation and disease prevention in the world here, and I keep a sizable security staff that can handle anyone who walks through our front doors.  In addition, the doors in the academy never lock; they don't even have locks on them.  Those of us who live and work here respect each other's privacy, and it makes it easier to intervene if a situation arises or to use viable escape routes in the event of a storm or fire."

Yukiko seemed a bit more reassured and sat up straighter in her chair.  "Do you have any other requirements?" she asked.  "I'm not very experienced in a lot of things, including prostitution, but I'm willing to learn."

Aphrodite winked at the girl.  "That's our number one requirement," she said.  "If you're open to new ideas and willing to learn them, you should get along fine.  Specifically, you have to be willing to have sex with both men and women - I've found that it's easier with people who are born bisexual, but it can be taught to people who are willing to experiment, or are willing to put aside their preferences for the duration of their employment."

"Is that even possible?  To have sex with the same sex as oneself?" Yukiko asked suddenly.  Then she blushed.  "Well, I suppose it must be," she said.  "I guess I've just never really thought about it."

Aphrodite laughed heartily.  "My dear," she said, "you are adorable.  Do you have a certain date you'd like to start working?  I think we can set you up here - even if you're not looking for long-term work, I think you'll add a delightful element to the Academy."

"I can start any time," Yukiko replied.  "But I'm afraid I don't have a good way to keep in contact - I don't have a place to stay here in the city, and my mother refused to put a phone in at home.  She's kind of old-fashioned, and says they're an unnecessary distraction."

"That's fine," Aphrodite said.  "The men and women I employ live here in the Academy, and I've always been of the position that there's no better time than the present to start something."  She stood.  "Please, follow me - I'll find someone to give you the quick tour and outline how things work here, and I'll get you set up with a room tonight.  We can do the more in-depth tour in the morning, after you've rested up."  She paused at the door.  "Oh, that's right - we also need to get you a name.  Everyone here has an assumed name, for their privacy and protection."  She turned to look fully at Yukiko, who was standing a few feet away.  Aphrodite looked the girl up and down as she mused about her name.  Usually they had something identifying about them that would be an easy name, but the obvious ones for this girl were TOO obvious.  She glanced at the nine tails arrayed in a relaxed manner behind Yukiko's back.  It was interesting how they arranged themselves behind her when she wasn't paying attention, Aphrodite thought.  They spread out almost like the rays of a - "Star," Aphrodite said out loud.  

"Err, what do you mean?" Yukiko asked.

"I'm sorry," Aphrodite said.  "I think out loud sometimes.  But I think that'll be a nice name for you - Star."

"Really?" Yukiko asked.  She looked herself over, not quite sure where Aphrodite had gotten the name.  "Okay."

Aphrodite led the way down the hall.  "From here on out, introduce yourself as Star when you meet people.  It'll help you get used to using the name before you have to start working with clients.  No one here will think it's strange - they all have names I chose as well."

Star nodded.  She followed Aphrodite out into the main entranceway.  Now that she wasn't quite so nervous, she was better able to take in the lavish decoration of the mansion.  She was a bit awed by the size and splendor around her - it was more than she'd ever seen in her life, all in just one room.  

Eagle was perched on the desk in the front, one leg dangling over the edge of the desk, the other drawn up next to his body.  He balanced a newspaper on his knee as he read it.

"Working hard, or hardly working, Eagle?" Aphrodite asked.

Eagle grinned.  "You betcha," he replied.  He looked up and noticed Star.  He quickly folded up the newspaper and jumped down off the desk.  "What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Eagle, this is Star," Aphrodite introduced.  "She's going to be working here as of tonight.  I just need to get some of the red tape taken care of, then I'll have you give her the quick tour."

Eagle reached out and gave Star's hand a firm shake.  "Good to meet you," he said.  "It'll be nice having another housemate - the more the merrier."  He smiled at her and moved away from the desk so that she could sit down.

Aphrodite circled around behind the desk and handed a portable screen to her.  A digital pen was attached to the side of the screen.  "All of our paper work is computerized," Aphrodite said.  "It saves on paper, and we also save cost that way.  Just touch your choices with the pen for the multiple choice questions, or write on the blanks for the others."  She typed a bit of information into the computer on her desk.  "And, while you're doing that, I'll pull up your records for age and health verification.  I'll just need your retina scan."  She turned the monitor to face Star.

Star was able to see the eyepiece attached to the edge of the monitor.  She looked into the eye piece for a moment while the computer did the retina scan, then sat back and returned to the application form on the tablet.

"Health records look good," Aphrodite said.  "I see they recorded your age with dental records - you were born before the Shift?"

Star nodded.  "A little more than a year before," she replied.  "I was a baby when the Shift occurred."

"Great!" Aphrodite said.  "That means you're just old enough for work here too."  She smiled.  "Our laws require all employees to be at least 18, even if they're not human and their own people allow such activities younger.  It makes things easier for the law enforcement."  She typed a few lines of text into the computer as Star finished filling out the application. "Everything seems to check out well," she said.  She called Eagle over from his post by the door.  "Eagle, why don't you give Star the brief tour?  I'll have Caribbean take over watch duty for you."

"No problem!" Eagle replied.  He held out his elbow toward Star.  "Star, was it?  Come with me, I'll show you around."  He smiled warmly at the fox girl.

Star cautiously took his arm, then smiled up at him.  "Okay," she replied.  She followed him out of the main hall.