After an exhausting day the only thing she wanted to do was to retire to the comfort of the attic and warm herself by the fire. It wasn't the easiest life, dealing in goods and services that would be frowned upon in proper company, but when it came to those who came knocking it wasn't proper company they were after. One benefit to the job, and there weren't many, was getting around and hearing tales. No one really paid any mind to a plain little scullery girl delivering baskets of bread to various individuals who weren't exactly interested in the news of the day. The delivery girl who was a scullery maid by outward trade, would not really turn heads in any context. Her hair, black as the starless sky, was in a constant bit of disarray, her face was rather rounded in the cheeks and coming to an awkward point along the jaw, and when she wasn't trapped behind a crooked pair of glasses she was trapped in patchy clothing often covered in flour or other strange powders and stains. It wasn't by choice that she slaved away, making home deliveries and cleaning up after older sorts; her family needed the help and the money as their business was in danger of failing. With her brother off drowning in a sea of loose morals and looser women and her sister currently imprisoned for falsifying her qualifications in order to join the armed forces, it fell to the poor scullery girl who desperately wanted to live for herself.
"A parcel came for you." The shrill voice of her mother pierced her ears as she returned from her final delivery of the day, this one to a rather important member of the nobility who wanted more than just a loaf of sourdough. This particular client had been a preferred customer if only because he provided the delivery girl with the most information of all. He had rather a fondness for loose lips and when he wasn't having his way with a different woman even eve sometimes he even enjoyed gossiping a fair bit. He paid well, but the tragedy of the secondary occupation was that she couldn't exactly charge outrageous prices given that she was delivering bread so at most she only saw a few paltry pennies extra as compensation. The rest went to her family, leaving her with barely enough to enjoy a drink.
"Did you hear me, girl? You've got a parcel. Have you a suitor you've not told us about? For our sake I hope he has some money." Her mother continued, bringing the baker's girl out of her little stupor. A parcel? That seemed strange, the post had come and gone hours before. "Go on, then. It's in your room. And don't dawdle, you've the dishes to do."
Up the rickety ladder to the attic that was her room, a cramped space with barely enough spot to lay out a blanket and pillow. Unassuming on the best of days, there was a generously wrapped package sitting in the middle of her bed, with a note signed anonymously. The note was what she read first. There, scribbled hastily, was a simple message: Wear this. Don't make me wait. You know where. Inside the package was a choker necklace of ornate gold but the pièce de résistance was a shining sapphire in the center. That would have been incredible on its own, but inside the package was also a piece of clothing. And while it resembled the clothes a nightwalker might have worn, with its leggings cut so short it left little to the imagination, it was made of material far better than any common lady of the night would ever likely be able to afford.
She had never been given such a gift but she didn't think twice before agreeing to the words on the attached card. Had she a mirror she might have observed herself in the form fitting clothing, but instead she did as she had done many times before and opened the window to step out onto the rickety roof of her house. She couldn't exactly go out the front door what with her parents there and their need for questions. Crossing to the neighboring roof and climbing down the trellis was old hat at this point. So much of what she was doing, and had been, seemed wrong. Her parents would say as much. Her friends, had she any. Her favored customer had whispered warnings. But if this was so wrong, why did it always feel so right?
An abandoned house stood at the edge of the street, so abandoned because the previous tenants were evicted due to tax reasons. The price on the house was such that no one could truly afford it, and given that the ones who owned the property were quite wealthy, it seemed unlikely that anyone would be purchasing it. It was furnished, though, and well kept for despite its status as abandoned it saw use fairly often. And it was into this house that the pauper slipped, footsteps gliding on air up the steps to the overhead chambers where the master of the house would have likely slept.
"You're late. You know I hate to wait when I want something." A sharp voice cut through the relative silence of the house, speaking as soon as the pauper shut the door behind her, making the poor girl jump. No matter how many times she heard the voice, it still made the baker's daughter quiver. "Turn around. Slowly. Don't talk." The voiced purred out a command, its tone sharp and authoritative, but edged with sweetness. The pauper did so obey, slowly turning 'round, the hem of the shortened skirt lifting up to provide the briefest glimpses at what lay underneath, and as she rounded to forward the reasoning for her obeying became all the more clear.
Sitting on the bed, in a state of undress that hovered between nude and without a top, was a figure of both beauty and grace, of youth and maturity, a sterling example of what it meant to be a proper lady, albeit one who took pleasures where they came. Her hair was as beautifully dark as an obsidian gem, with lips full and shining red, skin so soft and spotless that even touching it seemed like it would be a grave offense, and hanging on a chair off in the back she could see the finery that had been stripped away, neatly put in place. Standing there, staring at a vision so blessed, put much into context for the pauper. She didn't meet those standards of beauty; she wasn't a looker, even wearing the revealing clothing she felt inferior and her shaky, nervous thighs which were a sight less slender than the elegant woman in the bed, were a testament to her complex. This wasn't the first time the baker's daughter had seen this woman so, but every time it took her breath away and stole words right from her throat.
After all, who else in the town could say they had seen the Queen in all her royal splendor?
"Sorry, my lady, it was hard to sneak aw-" the Pauper's voice was shaky and soft, not out of fear but out of a different feeling that was welling up in the core of her being. Seeing the Queen so was like hearing the sweetest, most perfect piece of music or taking a bite of the most delicious food ever conceived.
"I told you not to talk. There must be dough in your ears. We need to work on your listening. And your timing. Take it off. All of it. Don't make me wait." The Queen decreed and the Pauper obeyed, taking note of the way the Queen watched with attentive eye and smirking lip.
The Pauper still couldn't believe that she was here and had been for weeks now, ever since a wayward delivery had the Pauper accidentally step in front of the royal carriage. She had assumed she would be given jailing or at least a fine, but instead the Queen gave her a ride back to the bakery - but not before trailing a finger along the Pauper's face because there was 'A bit of sugar' that the Queen then made the Pauper lick off. From that moment, their fates had been sealed. Not a night went by when the Pauper didn't think of the Queen, as if it had been some kind of dream. She had almost started thinking it had been, until a tall, imposing figure known only as Guard knocked on the door of the bakery for a special delivery. It wasn't bread the Queen was interested in, but something soft, fluffy, and warm all the same.
Nights went by with the Pauper wondering what this meant, and nights went by with the Queen calling upon her. Never had the Pauper drummed up the courage to ask why, as if asking it would ruin everything. Her parents couldn't know. The Queen could do as she pleased and it seemed all she wanted to do was the Pauper.
"Good girl." The Queen beckoned her lover with a finger, and soon enough the finger was a hand slapping something soft and round as both punishment and reward. The reward was the sound her favored person made with each healthy slap. "You know, you should just live with me. That way I wouldn't have to wait for you. I could have you whenever I wanted. And..." The Queen's speech was interrupted by the Queen drawing her Pauper into a kiss. Their hands locked together and they fell back onto the bed, enjoying the company of one another as the kiss lingered. "...I always want you."
This was it. The Pauper knew that if she didn't ask she would regret it and if she did at least she would know. She had feelings for the Queen, feelings she had never known and feelings she was warned about. But she didn't care. Nothing in this life had made her feel the way the Queen had. And she had to know if they were shared. Moreover, there was something she had to know.
"Why me?"
A fair question that wasn't answered with words but a laugh. A sweet giggle that was punctuated by a hand stroking the Pauper's hair, curling strands of it around a regal, slender finger.
"Isn't it obvious? Because I l-"
Kit was surrounded, on all side, by all stars. It was a weird experience. Honestly? She wasn’t sure she belonged here! Kit had taken a seat in what was basically the lion’s den. On her right? Hailey Green, with some random Korean looking girl tucked under her arm. On her right? Ophelia, the most attractive girl in the whole school (even Kit had to admit that — sure, she was into Selena, but Ophelia was something). On the other side of her, was Cassie Clark. She was pretty, but she was also pretty funny! Kit was a big fan of Cassie at the moment, they’d had a good time the night before!
Speaking of the night before… Where was Marshall?! Marshall seemed necessary for this situation! Maybe he was just late… She’d see him soon enough, no worries on that front! That left… Jamie! Whoa, Jamie looked like he’d been busted in the face. Kit made a mental note to ask about that… She loved fights. Karate movie fights, real fights on YouTube, wrestling on TV, fighting games. Fighting was dope! There was only one person left: Selena Sterling. The one. Kit’s heart… well, at least she used to be… since talking to Marshall, Kit was curious if Selena was the girl for her! Maybe she wasn’t. So, Kit was observing, and she was doing a pretty damn good job of not staring.
True would be proud.
But maybe the main reason Kit wasn’t paying attention was because she was nose deep in her phone. She was watching a recent Vanilla Sunrise video! Apparently she got a wicked sick drop. Good for her. Kit had one headphone in and the other was dangling at her side as she stared at her phone. “Oh, wicked sick. I wish I had an Axe of the Crimson Lotus,” Kit said in discontent, shaking her head.
Hana was being rude. She had, for the moment, been rather absorbed in the story on her laptop that she had forgotten that she was among others. Quickly she had to shut the thing or risk being seen as just rude. The story could wait, even as it was getting to the good parts. She was nervous, though. The genre was...quite different. VanillaSunrise dealt in boys love fiction but this was...different. Different, but pulled from life as all good art did. This was yet another new experience and as it turned out the new experiences didn’t end at Hailey’s house. As Hana had quickly found out, they carried on to school itself. She was now among a group of people she’d only ever seen in passing. More than that, though, she was among a group of popular students, while Hailey Green had her arm around Hana like Hana was a trophy. She wasn’t sure she was worthy of the distinction but complaining was not in her repertoire. Given the events of the previous night, Hana certainly felt like a winner. If Hana was a trophy, then Hailey was Hana’s prize. These were Hailey’s friends and by association they were Hana’s friends now too. Was that how it worked?
Hana wasn’t quite sure what to say. She wasn’t exactly well versed in popular topics and at the moment all she was doing was smiling (because of Hailey’s presence) and gently massaging her wrists. She did happen to hear something that got her attention. “Do you play that game?” Hana asked to the phone video watcher, unaware just whose video they were watching. “Oh..uh…” Hana realized she was speaking up now and decided that maybe she could introduce herself. In an official capacity.
“I’m...uh...I’m Hana. Hana Park. I think you’ll be seeing me around now.” She was bad at this, but at least she didn’t stumble.
Cassie was, needless to say, shook. Here she was, minding her own business with Ophie, when Hailey comes and sits down with some random girl with bruises on her wrist and a choker. Bruises! And a choker! Cassie knew the marks of kinky sex when she saw them. If she had to guess, she’d say that choker was covering up more than a few hickeys. Or scratches. Who knew how kinky Hailey could be? What Cassie didn’t know, was what to make of it. She, like most of the BHHS student body, was pretty sure that Hailey would cook and eat any sexual partners she might have, but clearly she didn’t. Or at least not all of them. So was this girl Hailey’s girlfriend? Sex slave? Both? She was a bit too smart to ask, so instead, she settled on introducing herself. “I’m Cassie!” the brunette said, bubbly as ever. The least she could do is make sure the girl didn’t feel like a zoo animal.
Then, it was Ophelia’s turn. Much like Cassie, Ophelia was rather stunned that Hailey, of all people, had brought someone to the party! It made it even better that she had the choker on. Was this a girlfriend? A pet? A toy for Hailey to play with and throw away when she was bored?! So many questions, and no easy way to get an answer! Luckily, Ophelia had a plan to get to that, and she had her beloved Cassie here to assist. No Marshall, though. He seemed to be having a terrible time, based on his text messages. Ophelia would tackle that horse later, instead she’d deal with this. She turned a huge smile onto Hana, as bubbly as ever, and purred out, “Hana, hmmm? I’m Ophelia. You must be the new cheerleader, right? I’m the captain! It’s nice to meet you.”
Well, this certainly was an interesting turn of events. The same Hailey Green-Locke that had just told Selena that she was resigning as queen and going on vacation yesterday… was now entering homeroom with a female drug dealer romantically doting on her arm. Was the young Green having a mental break? Sel couldn’t really blame her if she was. That being said, she looked… happy. The happiest Hailey had looked in, well, ever, as far as Sel could remember. Ever the proper girl that her mommy and daddy raised her to be, Selena extended an extremely well-manicured hand, bedecked with sparkling diamond rings and bracelets, towards Hana. “Pleased to meet you, Hana. I’m Selena Sterling, one of Hailey’s cousins, and also a member of the cheer squad. We look forward to having you.” The pearly white smile that she flashed looked nothing other than completely genuine.
So, these were some of her newly minted cheerleading partners. Hana would be sure to keep that in mind, considering she had effectively been placed on the team because of nepotism the last thing she wanted was to make them resent her just because of that. If they were committed to taking her in, she was committed to performing with them and learning the routines. Hana paused a moment at Selena’s hand, not because she didn't’ want to shake it, but because it would make her wrists all the more visible. It would have been rude not too, however, so Hana took Selena’s hand in her own with a simple shake, quick to pull back and resume massaging her wrists.
“I’ll do my best. I might need some practice, but don’t worry, I can handle it. Nice to meet you all.”
“Sorry, but we’re all thinking it, what’s up with the bruises?” Cassie blurted out, looking over at Hana. Sometimes, Cassie had a problem controlling her filter, especially in times like this, where the elephant in the room was practically trumpeting. She just had to ask. I hope I’m wrong and she’s just some sort of ace trapeze artist who got her wrists stuck in a swing or something. That would be so much better than hearing that Hailey is some kinky sex dragon Cassie thought, bracing herself for the answer Hana was about to give.
Hailey had a smirk on her lips from when Hana had to reach her hands out, to when Cassie asked the question. Hailey had known that someone would, it was just a matter of who, as far as she was concerned. With it done, Hailey leaned down to Hana’s voice and said in a soft, breathlessly sultry whisper, “Tell them the truth.“ Now to sit back and watch the fun! Hailey liked this much more than she’d thought she would.
Hana didn’t want to answer the question, but it was likely clear enough given how upon being asked, her face flashed red and her eyes glanced downward, as if they were looking for answers that weren’t there. She even looked towards Hailey, thinking that maybe her girlfriend would be able to use her clout and change the subject. The exact opposite happened and Hana squirmed — and visibly so — in her seat after the whisper. An awkward situation was now getting more awkward as it felt like the entire table was hanging on her next words.
“The...bruises?” Hana was stalling. Her voice didn’t have the pleasantries of her introduction, but the awkward titters of someone trying to think on the fly. “The...bruises.” She looked again to Hailey but knew only that if asked Hailey would likely just repeat the instructions. “I...was...I mean...I...They’re from...h...H...Hai….handcuffs.” She said it, after much verbal deliberation. It didn’t get any easier. “H...Hailey...had me wear them...all night. After we..um...had a...night….together.” In the most vague manner possible, Hana had given the honest answer.
Cassie nodded, the discomfort clear on her face as she tried to feign nonchalance. “Well that sounds...fun,” she offered, before letting the table fall into an awkward silence. Hailey had brought an outsider to their group, something most of them wouldn’t dare. They held power because they made the other students believe they held power. Hailey reaching down and plucking Hana Park, drug dealer extraordinaire out of the masses and elevating her to their status with a snap of her fingers? That was unprecedented. And yet no one dared to speak up against it. Welcome to hell, Hana Park. Enjoy your stay.
Meanwhile, Jamie had spent the majority of this awkward introduction elsewhere. Marshall had seen AJ kiss him. And he’d kissed AJ back. There wasn’t much he could do about that one. Currently, it seemed like he and Marshall were very much, not meant to be. He did come to attention to give Hana a curt nod, and once again when she mentioned her and Hailey’s night. Oh. Wow. he thought, examining Hana before noticing the freshman girl who was seated at their table. Kat? Kit? Kate? He couldn’t quite remember much about her, other than that she was Ophelia and Cassie’s little pet. She was staring at him, from across the table, so, figuring the day couldn’t get worse at this point, he cocked an eyebrow at her. “Can I help you?” he asked, slightly curious, slightly annoyed.
Kit looked over at Hana, speaking quickly. “I play that game… sometimes! Not a lot. More on that in a second, I’m burning with the intense desire to ask this guy a question.” She pointed at Jamie, in a completely rude and almost accusatory manner. Kit wasn’t good at interacting with people! But she’d learn. She placed her phone down carefully, and then SLAP! her hands came crashing down onto the table, before she blurted out her question, “Did you get in a fight? Did you beat the other guy up?”
Kit squinted at Jamie and looked him over, before she shook her head. “Nah, I bet you didn’t. Cuz you don’t look like much of a fighter. If I had to guess, I bet you got fuuuuuucked up.” Kit said, and a stifled laugh came from Hailey, who quickly recomposed herself, leaning slightly against Hana before the queen spoke up.
“I like her, Ophelia, Cassie. Well done. Please, Jamie, enlighten us. Did you get, ahem, fucked up?” Hailey asked, turning her attention over to Jamie, with her normal cold smile upon her lips. This was the kind of thing she enjoyed!
Jamie was of the mindset that first impressions were not a good basis to judge someone on. That said, after his first impression of Kit, he hated her. He probably would’ve gotten snarky too, if Hailey hadn’t gotten into it. Hailey wasn’t the type to fuck with, everyone knew that. He wasn’t trying to end up like Jennifer Hart for God sakes. “Hate to disappoint, but no fight. My sister threw me a book and it hit me right in the eye. Softball players am I right?” he lied. This wasn’t the place to reveal his spat with Owen. Especially since Trix wanted it kept secret.
Kit was not satisfied. That much was obvious from the way she squinted at Jamie, but… She was a kid. On this day, Jamie Callaghan was saved by the short attention span of a freshman. The young girl shrugged her shoulders, and her attention was turned to Hana. Hana wanted to talk about video games. Jamie wanted to lie about being in fights. Do the math. “So, anyway, about the game! I play sometimes, but really I just like to watch this girl’s content. One time, I was featured in this fail compilation, y’know? Only, it was just me bodying this other player and her raging on the other end. She sucks at fighting games, so I just slapped her around for like ten minutes. I don’t think she’s played one since then! And really? That makes me feel bad, because fighting games own. Soooo, I watch all her content so I can feel like I make it up to her? Her name is Vanilla Sunrise. Pretty good at strategy games and MMOs, not very good at fighting games. Absolute butthole, to be honest.”
Hailey giggled again, and Kit wondered if she should have stopped talking, but rather than stop… she just kept going. “So, anyway, I watch her stuff sometimes. She’s funny and has a smooth voice. This video is her most recent, she just got a new legendary drop from Final Fantasy 14, which I only play because of her videos. Square Enix should sponsor her.”
Hana didn’t appreciate the tone from across the table… Cassie was the name? Perhaps Hana was reading into it a bit incorrectly, but the way the brunette seemed to dismiss Hana’s response with a roll of the eyes felt incredibly judgmental; Hana would know, she was exceptionally good at being judgy. She had half a mind to speak up, to remind Cassie that yes it was fun, and that Hana exploring herself consensually with another was nothing to shy away from. Even if speaking about such matters in front of others still made Hana visibly nervous, which might well have been why Hailey had Hana do it in the first place.
Hana’s consideration on speaking up ended as her attention was grabbed by the young video watcher. She tried not to do a double take when she mentioned ‘Vanilla Sunrise’ but Hana’s face was rather expressive — as Hailey well knew — and her attempt to not freak out was undone by her eyes blinking very quickly and Hana clearing her throat. Should she tell the girl? Would that be gauche? Vanilla Sunrise was her online handle, and her videos were noted mostly for her tanking guides for dungeons and raids. The other videos on her channel were mostly just one-off experiences with other games, or her secondary series, which was detailing her climb in a strategy game from intentionally placing in a low rank at the start of a season. Her channel also had a link to her blog, which was where her fanfiction was hosted.
“I’ve...heard of her, yeah.” Hana decided to try and play it cool. Her anonymity was great and she wasn’t exactly trying to be some kind of internet gaming celebrity. “I hear that Square Enix featured her on their ‘Player of the Month’ feature last year. She was probably really excited.” Hana was not very good at being subtle.
Selena had been distracted from the conversation, as she had caught sight of her brother in homeroom. So… he had made to school this morning after all. When she had woken up to get ready for school, she had of course made her way to Sean’s room to wake up her sleep-addicted brother… only to find his bed empty. If she was being honest, it broke her heart. Sean was finally home, but he felt more distant than ever. Sel was pulled from her melancholy by her best friend’s voice. “Katie threw a book at you?” she asked quietly in disbelief. Something was up, he was lying, and she could tell. There was a story to be teased out there later. Selena’s attention was now on the conversation at present, which was lead mostly by the small blonde girl that they had accepted into the squad yesterday. Good god, did she ever shut up? Sel all but rolled her eyes and instead chose to focus on Hana, Hailey’s apparent new play thing. “So, when did you and Hailey meet, Hana?”
Hailey spoke up before Hana had a chance, choosing to take this one for herself. “She was coming by the estate for my brother. I assumed she was a prostitute.” At this, Ophelia almost spat her tea out, but Hailey continued without missing a beat, “After finding out she wasn’t, I asked her to come get tea and a pastry with me instead. She agreed. I took her to the bakery, and we enjoyed a pleasant date together. Afterward, I sent her home to send me pictures of herself in her softball uniform and less than that.” Once again, Ophelia almost did a spit take. “Then, I was in the mood. So I sent a car to fetch her. She came over, we had sex and she slept in handcuffs. We woke up, and discussed it more formally, and now we’re dating. I like her very much, and I would ask that the rest of you like her just as much. And, Ophelia, Cassie, make sure that it doesn’t take much longer before she has her cheerleading outfit.”
Selena blinked slowly in response. Well, that certainly was a long winded, detailed explanation, of something that she really didn’t need to know the details of. “Ahh, I see.” She daintily cleared her throat. “I’m sure Ophelia has already placed the orders for the new uniforms. She’s always on her game.”
If it was possible to die from embarrassment, Hana was about to find out. While what Hailey had said wasn’t wrong, Hana would probably have started and stopped the story at ‘making a delivery for Hailey’s brother’. The way Hailey spoke, however, Hana was almost convinced that was the point, to see Hana squirming and going the color of a tomato. Was it too late to curl up into a ball and roll away? She would have to settle for burying her head in the nearest hole: in this case that was Hailey’s arm. It didn’t exactly hide Hana’s face as the more personal matters of their whirlwind night, but it helped. “Hailey,” Hana was whispering, though it was likely her voice was heard by more than just the intended audience. “You didn’t have to tell them that. They’re gonna think I’m...weird.”
Of all the possibilities, weird seemed the least likely to be what the others thought of Hana Park.
Hailey looked at her girlfriend and smiled plainly, lifting Hana out of the comfort of her arm and holding her so that Hailey and Hana’s eyes had contact, and Hailey spoke to Hana as if she were the only girl in the world. “But, Hana, you are weird. You’re weird, and I love you because of it. It doesn’t matter what they or anyone else thinks.”
The others around the table all but fell away in that instance. Hana only had eyes on Hailey, and the embarrassing blush lightened into a gaze of genuine affection. It hadn’t mattered what was said before about their meeting, what mattered was what had just been said. Hana’s heartbeat was rising but more than that she was in awe of how casually and sincerely Hailey could drop a word like love, especially in front of other people. The sentiment wasn’t just a one sided matter, but Hana didn’t respond with similar words, but a simple action. It didn’t matter that they were in public and that Hana was still very much in that awkward phase of not really knowing how to be a good girlfriend, in that moment it was just the two of them, and that was what had Hana being comfortable enough to respond to Hailey’s words with a kiss. It was hardly fancy, but it was enough to show the affection Hana had, enough so that the normally reserved (around others, anyway) former softball player was willing to do so in public.
“You said you loved me…” Hana would be thinking of those words for the rest of the day. “That’s definitely going in the story.”
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