Chapter Text
Volo had to admit, as much as he preferred the normal responsibilities of his day job, it was always a nice change of pace to manage the front of the house.
He lay reclined on Akari’s favorite divan, chin propped up against one hand and a half-drunk cup of sake in the other, letting his eyes roam lazily across the scene in front of him. Only a handful of customers sat across the various tables, mostly regulars. They leaned back on the lavish cushions and indulged themself with cups of fine liquor and a few complimentary delicacies, laughing among themselves. The gentle lilt of shamisen music wafted from somewhere in the background, alongside the ever-present smell of incense.
And of course, throughout all of it drifted his colleagues. An endless stream of pretty things in fine silk and glittering jewelry, bringing both wine to the tables and sweet compliments to their customers. All plying their unique blend of coy glances and whispered exchanges and touches that lingered for just long enough. That careful, practiced orchestration of enticement and allure.
Just as Akari had taught them. She expected only the best from her whores.
He hummed to himself, taking a careful sip from his sake cup. Slow day, he couldn’t help but muse, eyes sweeping about the room again. Not that he particularly objected, of course. Made it easier for him to keep an eye on things. And his colleagues certainly didn’t seem to mind it either, given that he saw at least three of them perched on their customer’s laps to enjoy a bit of one-on-one attention.
There was a part of him that wished he could go out among the customers and join them. He always loved a chance to take up a customer’s lap himself, drape his arms around their neck and purr a few teases into their ear. The way they shivered under him was always so satisfying. As was the look in their eyes as they ran their hands along his body, almost worshipping him with their admiration…
He suppressed a shiver of his own, taking another sip of sake to steady himself. Easy now, he thought, willing the heat inside him to settle. Akari left you in charge. Can’t be getting carried away.
The reminder helped ground him, settling back on the divan to resume watching his colleagues. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to leave him in charge of things, but as always he could not help but wonder about her absence. She had not seen to give him much way in the way of details. Simply told him that she was going to be occupied for a good few hours, and to keep an eye on things for her. I’ve got one of my regulars today. Think you can keep things running smoothly for me?
Of course, Mistress, he had assured her. I’ll make sure there’s nothing you need worry about. You go have your fun.
She had laughed, taking hold of his collar and pulling him down for a kiss. That’s my good Volo.
He breathed a content sigh at the memory. Said collar still lay comfortably around his neck, a slender, elegant thing with a fine metal ring dangling from it. Akari had fastened it on him when he first signed his employment contract. It paired well with the rest of his ensemble, the fine silk yukata and choice bits of jewelry she had so thoughtfully picked out for him that morning. Only the best for her favorite, after all.
Several of the customers around him seemed to agree, based on the hungry stares he was getting. He bit back a smirk, leaning back just a bit to splay himself out on the divan, and then proceeded to ignore them while he returned to his musings. If they were lucky, they’d get to play with him later. Assuming Akari would not be much longer with her mysterious customer.
Once again, he couldn’t help but wonder about that. Akari always kept the details of her clients private, even from him. Most of them did not even call on her services through normal channels. Apparently they were quite protective about their anonymity. Not that Volo blamed them, given what little he did know…
A movement near the very front of the house caught his eye, pulling him out of his thoughts. Volo glanced over as the front doors slid open. At first he could not make out exactly who was beyond it. Just a tall, slender silhouette, draped in something rich and flowing.
Then, the figure stepped in. And the very air of the establishment seemed to shift around them.
Volo’s breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of the stranger for the first time. Oh, if they weren’t utterly gorgeous. Tall and lordly and imperious, with unnaturally pale skin and long hair that fell behind them in a curtain of burnished gold. They wore a simple but luxurious kimono and haori that flowed about them like living shadows, shifting shades of black and gray tinged with hints of red. Dark, impassive grey eyes swept across the establishment, taking it in in silence.
Those eyes finally turned to focus on Akari’s divan. Volo sat up straighter when he felt the weight of that gaze fixate on him. The air once again shifted around them, an added weight to the atmosphere. A certain chill that sent a shiver down his spine.
He swallowed hard. …This one is not human.
The realization left him dizzy, unsure how to respond. It had to be one of Akari’s clients. Even if she never spoke of it openly, everyone at the brothel knew the rumors. The reputation she’d leveraged to secure her establishment, whispers of the unfathomably high circles she ran in. Everyone knew their Mistress was on a level that the rest of them would never dare reach. The kind of truly legendary courtesan whose skills were demanded by nothing less than gods.
And now, one of those very gods was standing before him.
He took several deep breaths, thinking. It had to be a god before him. He couldn’t imagine that they were anything else. But Akari’s clients never simply walked in through the front door, let alone while she was already busy with another regular customer. Did Akari even realize they were coming? If she had she surely would have given Volo warning, right? She trusted him with a lot of things, but she had never let him handle a god on his own…
His instincts told him to remain where he was. Let them make the first move, lest he risk offending them. They were not here for him, after all. A more sensible man would not dare approach a god so brazenly. No one else in the establishment certainly dared to. The few courtesans who seemed to realize the stranger’s true nature were making a point of not looking in their direction.
But the undeniable thrill of curiosity was already racing through his veins, overpowering that thought. And if they really were a god, then he wasn’t about to pass up the chance for a closer look.
Besides, he reasoned, as he set down his sake cup and stood, Akari had always taught him to be very welcoming to the customers.
So he adjusted his yukata, making sure he was perfectly presentable before he moved to approach. “Welcome, esteemed customer,” he said, with the pleasant smile he’d picked up in his merchant days and since perfected under Akari’s tutelage. “What brings you to our fine establishment today?”
The stranger’s eyes swept over him, still silent. Volo kept his perfect smile even as the weight of their presence bore down on him. When they finally spoke, it was in a low, even voice. “And would you be the master of this establishment?”
The faint rasp of their voice made him shiver, tinged with a grittiness as if holding back something far greater than the being before him. Volo barely stopped himself from blinking at them in confusion. Master of the establishment? Him? Surely they would know better if they had come for Akari, right?
He tried to disguise his reaction with a laugh. “Ah, me?” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “No, that would be Mistress Akari. Did you come here looking to speak with her? Because I’m afraid she’s a bit preoccupied at the moment.”
“Preoccupied?”
“Receiving one of her usual clients,” Volo said. “I’ve been tasked with minding the establishment in her stead.”
“Hmmm.” They inclined their head slightly. “So you belong to her, then.”
Their eyes flicked to the collar around his neck. Volo met their look with a smile. “Oh, of course,” he said, lifting a finger to toy with the ring on said collar. “Her favorite, I dare say.”
“Would you, now?”
“I would,” Volo said evenly. After all, I’m the one who shares her bed every night.
They took in his expression for a moment, observing him with an emotion he could not read. “How curious,” he heard them murmur at last. “That you should take such pride in that.”
He arched an eyebrow at them. “Should I not?”
“You are her possession. Some would find that demeaning.”
“Most would,” Volo relented. “I don’t.”
They gave him a look he could not quite place, somewhere between skepticism and amusement. Volo ignored their gaze to glance over his shoulder. “Regardless,” he said, “if you are here for Mistress Akari, I’m afraid she won’t be out for another hour at least. My apologies if you were looking forward to her, ah, services.”
It was their turn to arch one eyebrow. “You presume that is what I am here for?
The words were placid, but with a faint, pointed edge of challenge. Volo allowed a note of contrition to seep into his smile. “If you’ll pardon my forwardness in the assumption. It’s merely that she is the one who receives clients of your… caliber, my lord.”
He hoped it wasn’t too forward. He prayed it wasn’t too forward. Those dark gray eyes seemed even sharper as they narrowed on him. What emotion flickered in them, he could not quite read. It was nothing short of a miracle that he managed to hold their gaze without flinching.
At last, the corner of their mouth seemed to twitch. “...Perceptive,” they murmured. The pressure around them seemed to lessen, the air no longer bearing down as heavily as before. “Very well. This Mistress of yours will be preoccupied for a while, I take it?”
“I’m afraid so.” Volo hesitated, then, upon deciding that he wasn’t at any immediate risk of being smited, decided to take a bit of a gamble. “...But you are welcome to stay and wait for her if you’d like. Perhaps I could even entice you to enjoy a few drinks, maybe a little bit of company…”
He angled his body towards them as he said it, letting his voice drop down to a more sultry rumble. He knew it was a risky game, flirting with a deity. Even if turned out they were just a demi-god, they had likely come for Akari’s services. And a good whore did not move in on his mistress’s clients.
I’m sure she’ll forgive me, he thought. It’ll just be some harmless conversation. Just keeping a customer entertained until she’s able to take them for herself.
He waited for their reaction, breath held. The stranger’s expression shifted much closer to amusement. “Bold,” they said. “What’s your name, little courtesan?”
“Volo, but do feel free to call me whatever you please.” Volo leaned in a bit closer, smiling. “And what will I have the pleasure of calling you?”
It was a long shot. They seemed to consider the question for a moment before nodding. “...Gris shall suffice.”
An alias, then. Volo ignored the flicker of disappointment. He hadn’t actually expected a god to reveal their true name so casually. And being granted permission to use an alias was still a show of courtesy most humans did not get, so he swallowed his disappointment and smiled again, stepping back with a bow. “Well then, Lord Gris,” he said. “Shall we?”
Gris gave him another look of amusement, but allowed Volo to lead them back over to the divan. He waited for them to take a seat first, watching as they sank gracefully down upon it before he settled down to sit beside them. Another thrill ran through him as he realized just how closely they were seated. He could feel the rush of adrenaline every time their arm brushed his. A tangible reminder that the being beside him was something so much more than he was.
He took a breath to compose himself. “Drink?” he asked, gesturing to the bottle of sake and one of the spare cups on the table next to the divan. “I can fetch us some other refreshments as well, if you’d like.”
“Drinks are sufficient.” Gris leaned back, adjusting their position with an almost dismissive air. There was an almost feminine elegance to how they sat, Volo noted, perched with one leg crossed gracefully over the other. “I am not much one for… material urges.”
Volo chose to translate that as gods do not need mortal sustenance. “Oh?” he asked, unable to resist his urge to tease as he picked up the sake bottle and poured them each a cup. “Not one for material urges, and yet you’ve come here to a brothel. Seems a bit of a contradiction, don’t you think?”
A look of amusement flickered over their face. “Perhaps.”
“Then, if you’ll indulge my curiosity, what did bring you here?” Volo offered them their cup of sake, then waited for them to take it – shivering a bit as their hands touched, oh he hadn't realized before what sharp nails they had – before leaning back with his own cup in hand. “Most guests of your stature are drawn in by Mistress Akari’s reputation. But I have a feeling that’s not quite the case for you.”
“And what gave you that impression?”
“Intuition.” He tilted his head towards them. “You asked if I was the master of this establishment. I somehow doubt you would have done that if you were aware of my Mistress beforehand. And I strongly doubt someone like you would stumble across this place and walk in on a mere whim. You must have some other reason for being here, surely.”
“You assume a great deal.” Gris leaned in, their voice dropping to a steady rumble by his ear. “What makes you think you are owed the knowledge of my personal business, little human?”
Their voice echoed deeper than before, the raspiness breaking to let something more inhuman through. Volo shivered and swallowed hard. “Ah… trust me, I’m well aware that I’m not,” he said quickly. “You are not obligated to reveal anything, of course. But surely you cannot fault me for a little curiosity.”
“Hmm.” They leaned back, their voice settling. “Very well. Then I suppose you will have no objections to my own curiosity.”
“Oh, of course not. You may ask anything you wish.”
“Good.” They took another moment to consider him, before turning away. Volo watched as they made a point of ignoring him for a few seconds, lifting their sake cup for a few slow, careful sips. Whatever they thought of the flavor, they did not reveal it in their expression. “Then do tell me. How does a clever little thing like you wind up where you have?”
“Where I have?”
“Yes.” Their gaze flicked to his collar, watching it from over the rim of their cup. “Here at this brothel, working as a courtesan. As your mistress’s kept pet.”
The tone of their words was familiar to him, a conversation he’d had before. Strangers who stared at his collar with either pity or derision. Former co-workers who’d been baffled by his sudden change in profession. Well-meaning customers who’d told him you deserve better than this.
In the past, the sentiment would have made him bristle with irritation. Instead, Volo let out a laugh. “What, is a man not allowed to enjoy an easy life?”
They raised an eyebrow at him. Volo set his drink aside and leaned back. “If you must know,” he said, “I wasn’t always a courtesan. I used to be a merchant, before this. A perfectly reasonable, respectable profession. And one I was arguably quite good at.”
“And yet you wound up here regardless.”
He gave them a crooked smile. “Through a rather fortunate twist of fate, yes,” he said. “I managed to secure a few business connections with Mistress Akari. Procure and deliver some rare goods for her. We struck up a conversation during one of our business transactions, and she mentioned that I would be well-suited for this line of work.”
He still remembered that conversation well. The way Akari had sized him up with thinly-veiled hunger before remarking on how it was a shame he wasn’t using that gorgeous body of his. Ever considered a career change? she’d asked him. You’d do well here. Way better off than anything you’ll get as a merchant. With a face like yours, you could be the most popular whore I’ve ever had.
He’d been… resistant, at first. Given sidelong glances to the collars the other courtesans wore, balked at the mere prospect of signing himself over to such a 'degrading’ profession. Akari had taken one look at his vaguely offended expression and laughed. Nah, you’re right, she said. She’d given him another look, then added, with the barest edge of condescension, you wouldn’t last through a week of my training anyways.
In hindsight, it had been bait. But Volo had been too impulsive to recognize that at the time, had indignantly protested that he could handle anything she threw at him. She’d turned around and proposed they make it a bet. He would try to last a week as her “personal entertainment.” If he couldn’t, she’d let him back out whenever he wanted. But if he could, there was a hefty reward in it for him. The amount she offered as compensation was easily twice what he made in a year.
What, you’re offering me a week off work to have sex with an elite courtesan? he remembered scoffing at her. With no consequences if I back out? And you’re paying me for the privilege? Fine. Deal.
By the end of that week, she’d had him in every way imaginable and he’d almost forgotten that she had a name other than “Mistress.” His head was still swimming with pleasure when she placed an employment contract in front of him. Just sign on the dotted line, she purred, with the smile of a woman already basking in her triumph. And I’ll make sure you keep feeling that good for the rest of your life.
He let out a chuckle at the memory. “I needed a little… convincing,” he said. “But my Mistress is nothing if not persuasive. And she was right, I am much better suited to this life. I certainly enjoy it far more than my former profession.”
“Do you, now?”
“Should I not?” Volo gestured around them. “I spend every day in luxury. I wake up every morning in a warm bed instead of a bedroll beside a campfire. My mistress drapes me in silks and jewelry that I never would have had the means to purchase for myself. I drink fine wine and sit with customers that fall over themselves for my attention, rather than complaining about my wares or accusing me of trying to swindle them. Even when I am expected to service them, I am still rewarded with pleasure. Does that sound like such a bad life to you?”
Gris’s gaze flicked around the brothel, then back to him. “So you are willing to surrender your freedom in exchange for an easy life.”
“Well, I won’t pretend it’s always easy,” Volo admitted. “But everything in life has a cost. There were still plenty of freedoms I had to give up as a merchant. And I would argue that the things I have given up here are more than worth what I gained in return. After all…”
He leaned in, letting his voice drop to a sultry whisper. “I am just about worshipped, these days,” he murmured. He placed a finger against Gris’s chest, a faint smirk pulling at his lips. “Praised and adored at every turn. And I think someone like you knows very well the value of such worship, my lord.”
He trailed his finger down Gris’s chest. Their own mouth finally tugged into a smirk. “...I suppose I cannot argue with that,” they murmured. “Consider my preconceptions suitably corrected, then.”
“Ah, not the docile, mindless little bauble of a courtesan you expected me to be, hmm?” Volo chuckled, still smiling. “I think you’ll find me a good deal more willful than that. Just because I let myself be doted on does not mean I lack for pride.”
“So I’ve noticed.” Gris’s gaze flicked down, to where Volo’s finger was still pressed against their chest. “You are… certainly a brazen one.”
Volo’s smile widened. “I’ve been told it’s one of my best qualities.”
They gave him an amused look. Volo laughed, and then on a whim, allowed his hand to drop a bit further, resting on their thigh. “Besides,” he murmured, “were I not here as a courtesan, I would have missed out on the privilege of your company. I hope you don’t mind me saying that I have always been… fascinated with ones such as yourself.”
“Oh?” Their eyes seemed to spark at that, glimmering with a faint note of interest. “Have you, now?”
“For as long as I can remember.” Volo let his fingers splay over their thigh. “I like to fancy myself a researcher of myths, you see. Used to constantly shirk my merchant duties to go poking around old ruins. Learned an awful lot like that. You wouldn’t imagine how many old scripts I can translate.”
“Can you, now…” they tilted their head in closer. “And do you still go poking around old ruins, clever thing?”
“Not as much these days.” He gave another crooked smile. “But my Mistress is indulgent enough to purchase plenty of rare tomes on the subject for me. She’s always encouraged my little hobbies.”
“And has she ever introduced you to her associates?”
“She’s told me she intends to, eventually.” His smile turned a little bit wistful. “Unfortunately, most of them prefer to maintain their anonymity when they solicit her services. So I have only ever seen her clients from afar and been left to wonder.”
“I see…” there was a certain edge to their smile as they said it. Something coy, prideful, with the faintest note of smug satisfaction. “So I am the first to have the privilege of your company, then.”
Volo felt a shiver go through him. He dipped his head to them, basking in the warm sense of satisfaction in his chest. “I am honored that you would call it a privilege,” he murmured. “Thank you for granting me this chance to entertain you as you wait upon my Mistress.”
They laughed. “I don’t recall ever saying that I was waiting on her.”
Volo looked up, blinking in surprise. Gris smirked and cupped his chin on one hand, tilting his head back. “Yes,” they murmured, studying him with a renewed gleam in their eye. “I do think you’ll do nicely.”
“M-my lord…?”
They laughed again, then set their cup down and stood, Volo stumbling a little as he was suddenly pulled to his feet. He had barely processed what was happening when Gris put their arm around his waist. “I’ve decided,” they said. “I will have you. Show us to a private room, little courtesan.”
Volo stared at them, for a second unable to believe his ears. He realized Gris was still looking at him expectantly, and he spluttered, trying to find his voice. “W-wait, but… my Mistress…”
“I have no interest in your Mistress.”
“But you are requesting me,” Volo said, disbelieving. “My lord, you… you are aware that I’ve never serviced anyone of your, ah, rank before, yes?”
“Of course. That is preferable to me.” They leaned in, voice dropping so they could growl into his ear. “It means that you are solely mine to claim.”
Their hold around him tightened. Volo gripped the front of their kimono and suppressed a shiver. Any delight he might have felt over the prospect was overshadowed by disbelief. A god passing over his Mistress to proposition him specifically, even going so far as to say they wished to claim him… surely it couldn’t be happening. It felt too good to be true.
His mind raced as he tried to rationalize his way through the situation. He had to say yes, right? Surely he was obligated to, he risked offending them if he refused. But he also had an obligation to Akari. He couldn’t just take on a client like Gris without her approval. To say nothing of how she had trusted him to mind the front of house in her absence. He couldn’t disobey her like that, not when he’d always prided himself on being so good for her…
One hand came up to rub his collar nervously. He heard Gris chuckle, and then their hand was on his, pulling it away from his neck. “Don’t you fret,” they murmured to him. “I shall handle your Mistress.”
“But–”
“And she shall have to forgive you, won’t she?” They slipped one finger through the ring of his collar, giving it a playful tug. “You are simply being a good courtesan. Being so very attentive to your customers. Besides…”
They leaned in even closer. “I do not make this offer to just anyone,” they murmured. “You already said that everything in life has a cost. Surely you can pay a few more concessions for the opportunity to lie with a god.”
Volo felt a thrill run through him at the words. He looked up to meet Gris’s eyes, then ducked his gaze again, overwhelmed by the gleam of hunger he saw. All his instincts to be good and obey were being overwritten by the hunger gnawing in his own chest, made even worse by Gris’s arm still around his waist. They were right, of course, knew full well they were dangling a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of him. Who was he to turn down such a generous offer? Especially when every part of him was begging to latch onto it?
I’m sure Akari will understand, he thought, taking a deep breath. And if not, I’ll find a way to make it up to her later.
His mind made up, he steeled himself and met their gaze. “...Would my lord be so gracious as to grant me a few moments?” he murmured. He leaned in, allowing a coy smile to cross his face. “Merely to ensure that my colleagues know to watch the front of the house in my absence. Then I’ll gladly show you to somewhere more private.”
Gris chuckled, loosening their grip on him. “Very well.”
Volo murmured a thank you, then pulled away from their side, hastening over to snag the attention of one of the few courtesans not preoccupied with a customer at that moment. “Mind the front of house for me,” he told them briskly. “I have an important customer to tend to.”
The colleague in question blinked, startled, her gaze going between Volo and Gris. “Uh, are you sure? Mistress Akari said–”
“If she comes back out before I’m done, tell her I’ll accept any consequences,” Volo said. He hesitated, then leaned in, voice dropping a bit lower. “...And if she asks, let her know that this customer is one we cannot risk offending.”
He nodded discreetly towards Gris. The other courtesan blinked again, before realization dawned in her eyes, and she quickly nodded. “R-right. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you,” Volo whispered, and turned to hurry back over to Gris.
Gris was waiting for him, still standing tall and imperious as ever. Volo stepped back into place at their side and took hold of their arm. “Thank you for your patience,” he said, flashing them an eager smile. “Now, shall we take this somewhere more private?”
They chuckled, dipping their head in a nod. “We shall.”
“Then please do follow me,” Volo said, and led them off towards the back.
