Raspberry Rose Chapter Three: Areezah Part 2

Trigger Warnings: This chapter of Raspberry's story features body dysphoria, gender dysphoria, drug and alcohol use, suggestive language, sexual situations involving a fantasy human character of 17 years old, and fantasy-based interpretations of transgender identity and concepts. Nothing in this story is meant to be offensive and the overall message Raspberry means to express is to love and accept yourself, and the world will follow suit. Thank you for reading and, as always, in a cold and dark world, we are each other's warmth and light!

Not caught up yet? Click here for Raspberry Rose Chapter Three: Areezah Part 1!

The moon, Maxiluna, which had just begun to wax from its new state, glinted beautifully between the lush branches of the cedar. It caught my attention only for a moment before I was made plainly aware of the eyes pulling in our direction and the slack jaws beneath them. Grey-Scale ushered me out of the carriage and guided me towards the door of the arbor structure, labeled with an immaculate carving that read The Seedy Cedar. Glow flies of various colors, or what I thought were glow flies initially, were quickly moving pixies with tiny humanoid bodies, gossamer butterfly wings, and drifting luminous dust. As I neared, hundreds of them flitted by and would perch in the branches high above my head, pointing and giggling enamored with me as I was with them. Their light reflected off The Rose Dragon's diamonds and I spun to fluff out the train. Watching, awash in their cascading glitter, and smiling as the gems caught the light that scattered across the faces of the gathering onlookers.

“This way, Ms. Coal,” Grey-Scale called, several steps ahead of me as a large brutish-looking ogre held the door to The Seedy Cedar ajar for us. “We've a show to see!”

He waited for me to take his outstretched hand. Grey-Scale loomed casually beside the greenish-grey skinned ogre that immediately dashed any flights of fancy, replacing them with roiling worry and anxiety. Though they were dressed in dashing Areezian clothing, complete with stark pleated shoulders. Their jaw was crooked and their nose broken in several places, knotty like the trunk of the tree they guarded. They looked lumpy beneath their clothes: oblong and outstretched in strange proportions across a rotund torso and, at their side, an oaken club with nails protruding from it in various bent angles proved to be the less intimidating of their pairing.

I took a couple steps trepidatiously towards them, grasping for Grey-Scale's hand and the safety of his embrace. As I passed by the ogre, their cheeks blushed and- in a surprisingly soft and a feminine voice -they spoke in broken common: “You very pretty like flower!” I smiled at that, finding comfort in the rose-hued red painting across their otherwise ghastly cheeks.

“Thank you, Darling. You're beautiful as well!” Their shy grin bloomed into a proud ear-to-ear smile, revealing their broken teeth, crooked and misshapen as they were, some of which hung haphazardly over chapped lips. A simple kind word melted that rough exterior into sheer bliss, dancing in their glossy onyx eyes, glittering with the darker hues of reflected prismatic lights.

“Me, Gerty. Who you?” She, presumably, had begun to halt the progression of the Cedar's attendees to prolong our interaction and curtly shoved an approaching goliath back into line as he attempted to enter the establishment by stepping around me. With a haughty harumph, he crossed his bulging arms, revealing beneath sleeves torn away from his suit, but made no further move without Gerty's consent.

“Ms. Coal, come on, the show's about to start! Pay Gerty no mind, she's just a bouncer and is completely harmless unless you give her reason not to be.” Grey-Scale reappeared in the doorway, holding a hand for me, but I didn't grab it right away. I looked to Gerty with a curious glance, annoyed once again at his dismissiveness of yet another person I was engaging with. I knew nobody was 'just' anything.“He right, pretty lady, go on. Gerty approves!”The sounds of music and stomping feet roared from within the massive cedar tree and I smiled at my new friend once more, bowing deeply for her before clearing my throat. “I'm Raspberry Rose, Darling. Be sure to watch the show and you, as well as everyone else, will be sure to remember my name.” I blew her a kiss, ignored Grey-Scale's hand, and refused to look him in the eye as I walked past. “Yes Mr. Grey-Scale, I hope Areezian entertainment isn't as disappointing as everything else I've seen from you thus far.” A rumbling scowl rolled from within his throat beneath a half-cocked smile. I suppose he was displeased with my response, but as was I with him so I paid little mind to it; there were much better things to focus on anyways.

The interior was dimly lit and was clearly far grander on the inside than the still impressive exterior would have suggested. The Seedy Cedar was a multi-leveled marvel and it was absolutely stunning. A spiral staircase coiled up the walls: ascending to the ceiling that was almost completely out of view. As it rose upward, the underside of the stairway that hung above the level beneath had recesses bored as small caves which sported dazzling centralized spotlights! Each separate light was of every imaginable color several inches apart in a perfect gradient of the color-spectrum of light! Like a hypnotizing pattern, these caves grew and dulled in luminosity, occasionally flashing to boast the brilliance of their source; pixie’s dancing in satin curtain screens!

Various ledges protruded from the staircase, offering lofty perches that had round tables filled with parties of wildly unique individuals Their joyous looks of absolute revelry and delight were the only things that seemed to be repeated among the otherwise eccentric patrons. Folk of every size, shape, color, and fashion style dotted the various elevations: each of them with perfect a line of sight over the massive circular stage at the center of the hollow tree which appeared to glow by way of magical illumination below the sheer glassy surface.

Floating light sources swam, of their own volition, through the air across the stage as servers weaved past each other, seamlessly as a choreographed routine, holding trays of cups and mugs that glowed and misted mystically from their tops. The entirety of the bar seemed to be alive and a place of absolute delight with music, color, and life celebrated like I had never seen before. Not a single displeased look could be found and I couldn't help but smile and bop along to the raucous flare of melodies flowing through everyone. As moments passed, bleeding into minutes, I wasn't unaware of the steady pattern of eyes being drawn towards me looming near the entrance. Servers would walk near me and almost stumble into each other before ascending the staircase to deliver drinks to tables. As they would, table after table would turn their attention, breaking conversation, to look down on me. I enjoyed the attention, that's what I lived for, but something felt so surreal about being another vibrant color on a palette of multitudes when I was accustomed to being surrounded by grey.

“Are you ready to take our seats in VIP, Ms. Coal?” Grey-Scale's tone was curt as he had rejoined me, though I was too distracted to notice he had even left in the first place. He coolly looped his arms under mine and took several steps to the bar being tended to by a beautiful woman in tight-fitting white leather. Her skin glittered with golden flecks perfectly laid over glowing chocolate brown collarbones and large breasts held together by taut laces. She seemed to be a half-elf, having lightly pointed pierced ears poking through jet-black hair like a midnight storm. Her glossy pouty lips pursed into a tight smile as she looked at me, high cheekbones supporting sharp, intelligent, almond-shaped, silver eyes that cut through me like glass. It was like she was looking through me, scanning and appraising me, but I had seen this game played before by the ladies of Jerrym. I held her gaze as Grey-Scale slid next to me, firmly placing his hand flat on the bar. “Evening Delilah. Two Sizzling Spires, a bottle of Alery wine, and an Attendant Cloud to VIP, my regular booth. . . Please.” Bright white lights emanated from beneath his palm, somewhere under the counter, moving up and down the impressive length of it before turning green and blinking out.

“Well hello to you too, Mr. Grey-Scale,” her voice was low and sultry, raspy with a seductive pur that sent a chill down my spine. Delilah leaned over the bar to the point where her chest was just inches from his hand placed on the bar and she laced her fingers together beneath her chin. “It's always a pleasure to have you in our establishment. Hollow will be absolutely delighted! Your Attendant Cloud will be here in just a second.” She paused for a moment, scanned me up and down again with those striking eyes, clearly a little intimidated by the way her smile slacked, and she turned with a hair flip that nearly brushed against my nose. The scent of lavender perfume caught my senses a little harshly. I almost sneezed on her back but caught it with a sniffle low enough that she wouldn't hear. “Is this one with you?” She grabbed various bottles of liquid and pulled two distinctly mountain shaped glasses from across the back bar with some sort of telekinetic magic. An invisible hand shimmered into view as it neared, sliding them in front of us just in time for her to turn and pour from the three bottles secured in loose dexterous fingers.

“Yes dear, do you not see her next to me?” Grey-Scale scooped up the drink that sizzled and foamed over the top like an erupting volcano just before the contents spilled, slipping his forked tongue along the rim to collect what threatened to roll over its edge. He handed it to me and did the same with the other, not wasting a single drop nor allowing it to touch the bar. “My Palm Account would have been charged three platinum for all that correct? Here's two more for you. Maybe platinum will serve you better than those seemingly useless silvers lodged in your skull.” With those words and tone, I felt even my cheeks sting but she just smiled and refused to look away from me.

There was a sensation of strong wind brushing against my back side and I looked to see a nebulous fluffy white cloud slowly swirling in place behind us. “Ah, our Attendant Cloud, climb on Ms. Coal, we've better company to keep.” Delilah didn't make another sound but snatched up the coins and placed them into her tightly laced bosom, scowling at me as I sipped the drink that sparked against my lips and took an unsure step onto the strange puff of sturdy cotton.

“That was a bit much, don't you think?”

“Not at all, Delilah's a hag. Not a literal one, but her attitude matches. Plus, she waters down her drinks.” Grey-Scale's drink was gone before the cloud lifted off the ground to usher us to our booth. He had already opened the bottle of red glass sloshing with a liquid that smelled strongly of cured spices, which was previously secured in a small bucket of ice in the cloud's center. I had imbibed in other drinks from Alery, a monastic island south of Arhan-Zoul, part of the Taerys archipelago, that produced cinnamon based alcohols of all varieties, but this wine burned my nose even at this distance. He offered it to me as the cloud we stood on floated us through the crowd to a secluded table off to the right of the bar and I shook my head, taking steady sips of my Sizzling Spire.

The prismatic lights danced across the stage and faces of our fellow patrons as we sat: myself contentedly and my companion in peevish annoyance. We drank our drinks without a word as I watched in fascination at the wondrous people milling about the Cedar and Grey-Scale seemed to be deep in thought. Another round of Spires were brought to us by the Attendant Cloud before an ominous calm befell the entire crowd, the lights dimmed, and all the energy of the lively tavern was drawn to a stark stillness.

“What's happening, Mr. Grey-Scale?”

“The show's about to begin. Just watch, this is what we're here for!”

A booming voice erupted from, seemingly, right behind us. The surprise caused me to jump: almost spilling my drink on The Rose Dragon but instead sending what little remained of the beverage crashing against the glass' walls. With a thunderous explosion, a figure appeared hovering above the center stage on a large monochromatic black and white cloud, similar to but much larger than our own Attendant Cloud– which presently sat beside me looking as tired as a magical cloud could from its round trips to quench Grey-Scale's bottomless thirst. The crowd erupted into a cacophony of applause that shook the seat beneath me as the imposing figure spun in place, holding their arms out and striking a pose with a stick of shaped crystalline quartz inches from their mouth.

“Hello and welcome folks of all identities! I am your beloved MC of The Seedy Cedar; Holloooow Graphic! How we all doing tonight?” The crowd continued its deafening cheer and I was star-struck without even knowing this individual, envious of their showmanship and fanfare. Their mere presence pulled attention from every eye within the room and it was clear the show had begun.

“Oh that wasn't nearly loud enough! I want ya'll to break the foundation of the Mantle's Hourglass! I asked, HOW ARE WE ALL DOING TONIGHT?!” The sofa lurched as the ground itself was shaken by the earthquake wrought by the thunderous response this bore. I couldn’t help but add my own scream of anticipation to the thousands that soared through the air around me! “That was much better! Now, I hope ya'll left race, religion, and gender at the door because all we have time for here are good times and good vibes! We have a fabulous show planned for you tonight with performances from three of the premier Drag Hauses of Areezah; Fans, Sparks, and Raaaaaain! So let's make some noise for our first act! Please welcome to the stage- you know them, you tolerate them- Lavender and Periwinkle of the Haus of Fans!”

The eye roll from Grey-Scale almost pushed me off the sofa and onto the sparkling tiled ground. He crossed his arms and pushed his back further against the cushions as he retrieved a package from his breast pocket. “Rose, dear, would you mind drawing the curtains for us? There's nothing to really see from those two that'll be that impressive and this is a perfect business opportunity.” The alcohol had me in a mild daze and I didn't have the wherewithal to question it. Atop the small alcove we found ourselves in was a curved rod with heavy black and red satin curtains tucked to the sides of the walls, glittering silver drawstrings holding them fast so as to not obstruct our view of the elves clumsily bickering across the stage. The curtains were a thick heavy material but moved almost at my mere thought, satisfyingly gliding across the rail to shut out the rest of the club from sight and silenced everything beyond our small room.

“What's this for?”

“My business dealings, Ms. Coal.” He unfurled his fists and laid out several various-sized packages on the table before him. They were all wrapped in similar ashy grey paper and branded with Grey-Scale's dragon head logo I had seen on the coin purse from The Tavern Jerrym. “Lavender and Periwinkle always use the same fan choreography and it's exceedingly dull the first time, let alone the hundredth. So, I figured why not make some coin and actually show you what I plan on doing with the diamond collections from my deal with Jerrym.”

My head was swimming already and I tried to catch a glimpse of what was happening on stage before returning to my seat but grew real bored as I saw the two figures, one lanky and fluid, the other gangly and half as graceful, stumbling across the stage waving fans that matched their hair in color but wildly out of time with the music.

“Hmm, maybe you're right.” I took a seat next to him and eyed the packages suspiciously. I thought he had intended on turning the diamonds into jewelry or spellcrafting components; a nightclub seemed an odd place to sell precious gems. Suddenly, there was a jingle outside the curtain, like a delicate bell chiming from just beneath the rod on the ceiling.

“May I enter, Mr. Grey-Scale?” The voice was raspy, weak, and demur. It felt cautious and hesitant in its questioning, but still eager and longing.

“You know what to do, sell the three small packages and return for the large one as payment.” Faster than I thought possible, the dwarf grabbed the smallest packages and darted back beyond the curtain. Just as quickly as he appeared, the sickly man was gone, quiet as a starving mouse.

“What was that about?”

“It's all part of the plan. The Grey-Scale Corporation works on a sort of recycling of goods and labor. I'll show you, here.” He unwrapped the remaining package, the largest of the four, and as he did, the signature grey paper turned into an unassuming brown parchment, the logo turning into a muddied smear. It was clearly a magic of some kind, but I was more fascinated by what was wrapped at the center of it. Snuggly at rest in his palm, half wrapped in the paper, was a large diamond cut into a beautiful ornate vial. Not the largest diamond I had ever seen, but certainly large enough to make even my eyes widen. It caught the light with such brilliance and magnificence, I was almost entranced by it and the matching stopper that held a sloshing brackish green liquid inside of it.

“You see, Ms. Coal,” Grey-Scale began, placing it back on the table and lacing his fingers behind his head. “Diamonds are extremely durable, and black dragon acid is one of the most corrosive substances in the world. Despite this, the diamond is strong enough to contain the solution you see inside. One of the most successful products of the Grey-Scale Corporations is our Acidic Inhalant. The acid inside is diluted with several plants we locally source and steadily cause minute pock marks to subtly corrode the diamond's interior that, in turn, causes an intoxicating reaction when it meets the air, like so.” He took a deep breath and undid the diamond stopper sealing the liquid inside. As he exhaled, he held the vial to his nose and breathed it in, covering one nostril with the base of his large thumb, then switching to breathe in through the other, before quickly replacing the stopper and holding the breath for an uncomfortably long time.

“Mr. Grey-Scale, are you alright?” He was motionless for some time and his eyes glazed over, still as a corpse. The vial had been placed back on the table, and his head slowly shifted to look at me, his snake-slit pupils expanding to overtake the entirety of his eyes, even beyond the perimeter of his iris. I could hear the performance dying down, the music fading, and a round of half-hearted applause echoing jeering laughter. Grey-Scale blinked a few times as the bell rang once more and Poluskan's grating nervous voice asked for admittance.

“Take it, job well done Poluskan. You know who to sell the empty vial to once it's gone. Now, off with you, Ms. Coal and I don't wish you in our presence any longer, cretin.” Without another word, and only the most minute flit of the curtain, both Poluskan and the strange diamond vial were gone. This left me and my increasingly mysterious companion with the haunting fading applause and a sack of overflowing gold and platinum coins.

“All this from just three small packages?” I was awestruck. No wonder he had amassed so much wealth if this was a regular part of his operation. “What exactly are you selling them?”

“An experience, my dear Rose. The Acidic Inhalant is intoxicating, bottled ecstasy. The fumes deliver you into a state of pure euphoria, detaching you from yourself in an utterly inexplicable manner.” With a chill, I remembered the vial he handed off to the airship captain when we arrived in Areezah. Grey-Scale's face was awash in a state of enraptured elation. It was almost off-putting to see someone so detached, almost as if he were a corpse. The man I had seen exude nothing but confidence was an emotionless invalid, devoid of any sense of self or presence; empty as one of the mannequins in his gallery. He was smiling though, his posture was relaxed, and he just sat there, speaking to me plainly. “I have collectors throughout all of Areezah who purchase emptied vials to re-purpose them for new sales, and the coin our patrons receive for their vials is often used to purchase more of the Inhalant for themselves. It's a wonderful process, really, and the coin flows just like condensation down a window's pane.”

I was digesting what I was just told. I was beyond confused and not quite sure how I felt about Jerrym's diamonds being used as a delivery system. Diamonds, especially ours, were beautiful gems that captured light and demanded respect, but they were being carved into vials for acid. They were being used to ruin the minds of those that partook in it. Did Mayor Lockstead know of this? Would he have even cared for the amount of coin he made off of the deal?

“Mr. Grey-Scale, I-,”

“Alright, folks, wasn't it lovely to see them try their hardest! Now, let's get ready for an icon, a legend, a true performer, a favorite of The Seedy Cedar! Give it up for the hot hot HOT Mikalys Sparks!” The grey-clad Hollow Graphic spun in the air, igniting the crowd in an uncontrollable inferno of excitement just as the lights died down and the crowd hushed to pure silence.

“This is gonna be good. The Haus of Sparks rarely dissappoints, watch closely Rose.” Grey-Scale whispered in my ear and made a gesture towards the Attendant Cloud as he finished off the bottle of Alery wine. It whizzed off to the bar where Delilah would be preparing us another round of Sizzling Spires and sending over another wine bottle, but I was transfixed on the single scarlet light that illuminated a small circle on the center stage. I longed for it myself, the center spot, glowing under the adoration of a crowd. I held my breath, waiting to see Mikalys about to step beneath it.

With a burst of light and sound, the circular stage and the several small staircases that lead up to it were engulfed in vibrant flames roaring with an exuberance that quickly erased any thoughts of the previous performance. Yellow and oranges evolved into radiant crimson licking and lashing upwards like otherworldly tendrils that twirled and danced straight from my wildest dreams! There was no music yet, just gouts of flame singing in harmony with one another. Then a crack of a whip, or maybe a snap of fingers, then another. With each one, voids puffed through the flames only to be refilled by their ravenous presence.

“Mikalys! Mikalys! Mikalys!” The crowd was as hungry as the flames, drawing out the performer. To their delight, he appeared flipping through the flame wall almost entirely nude and unabashed. He was a disgustingly beautiful tiefling man with bright red skin and a long flicking tail that slapped the stage in time to the crowd chanting his name which he matched with rhythmic cracks of a red leather whip. His hair- jet black, reaching half way down his back to graze a matching G-String licking his hips- perfectly revealed every muscular curve of his rippling rolling body.

“I heard you folks wanted a show tonight, and I'm here to please, my scalding embers!” His voice was like honey. As if he wasn't beautiful enough by sight alone, the way his body moved to the sound of his voice, it drew me in and I found myself standing to get a better look. As Mikalys would snap his fingers, toss his hair, break the air with his whip, or clap his long pointed tail on the stage, sparks would fly from the impact. Flame tongues danced alongside his movements and he created all of his own music simply with his performance to which the crowd screamed and danced.

It was utterly dazzling, unlike anything I had ever seen before! He commanded the flames and the crowd almost effortlessly; gyrating, spinning, and grinding against the air with no resistance. His whole display lasted three minutes, but by the end of it, everyone in the crowd was at the edge of their seats, desperate to get as much of an eye full as possible. I had never seen a tiefling in person but, from the stories Nisa would tell me of the Children of the War of Claiming, I had always imagined the fiendish offspring to be monstrous mutants mixed of human and demonic or devilish blood. Mikalys was just captivating, a god among mortals!

“Easy there Rose,” Grey-Scale playfully prodded from behind. “You lean in any closer and that gown may just ignite with the stage.” I could sense the tiniest sense of jealousy in his tone. No response found my lips, I was too busy watching. As Mikalys finished, took a bow, and threw out blown fiery kisses to the whole of The Seedy Cedar, I felt myself reaching out to grab one of the cinders for myself.

“Alright folks, keep your various parts in your pants and cool yourselves off! I know Mikalys is a sizzling fire cracker, but this next performer is a real frigid bitch! Her icy stares and seductive moves are sure to stop your hearts in an instant! Get ready for the Lady of the Night, your reigning Miss Areezah, the Dominatrix Extraordinaire, Miss Januraaaaaaaay Raaaaaaaain!” As fast as my heart was racing from Mikayls' number, it stopped dead in its tracks.

Miss Rain. I heard Missy's voice ringing in my ears as the blood flooded my face, my lungs threatening to burst from the pressure. My head snapped back to look at Grey-Scale who looked just as surprised as I was. That single look in his eye, instantly sobered by what I could only call unwelcome news, was the first time I had ever seen him with a semblance of fear. I knew it was her.

“Rose, I swear, I had no idea she was performing tonight! I even used a Sending to confirm before we came! The last thing I wanted was for the two of you to meet!” He was panicked. Truly and utterly terrified. But why? Grey-Scale thrived in a state of collectedness, but now he was utterly frazzled, fidgeting with his tie and running his palms over his temples and forehead. If this woman, Miss Rain, had him in this state, I was certainly not going to let myself look as pathetic as he did. Looking for an escape, he stood to grab my wrist and make way for the exit but I wrenched it free and forced him back to his seat with a gentle touch; clearly he hadn't regained total control of his senses and he dropped like lumber.

“Oh please, Darling, you think I'm threatened in the slightest? Let me see just what she's capable of before I allow myself to be bothered. Now, sit up and pay attention. It's poor manners to not give a performer your focus.” I was lying through my teeth and gestured for the Attendant Cloud to retrieve my third and fourth Sizzling Spires before turning to take my seat beside a profusely sweating Grey-Scale.

If the crowd was loud for Mikalys, they were positively ravenous for this January Rain. Hands clapped, feet stomped, mouths cheered. It was a scene of bedlam applause to the likes of which I had never seen- though I had longed for -and, suddenly, I didn't feel nearly as much of a star as I had always believed from my pitiful stage in The Tavern Jerrym. This was the level of adoration I craved, I needed. Whatever this woman was I about to do, I promised myself I would do it tenfold!

The music began to slow and distort from a catchy upbeat smattering of sounds to a slow seductive, yet foreboding, melody that hushed the crowd to near silence. A sultry voice cut through the air, melting the applause like a hot knife through butter and my momentary confidence alongside it.

“Hello, collective scum, did you miss me?” A flash of light took the stage and all that was left was a single spot light over a scantily clad woman, the lower lights beneath the stage completely dim except for the pinpricks of contact between it and the ballet points she stood upon. She wore extremely tight black leather straps that barely covered her most intimate parts. Her body was curvaceous, absolutely perfect, buxom, statuesque, and made all that much more dynamic with her heeled boots that defied all plausibility and reason to stand in. They were oddly shaped: distorting the form of her feet to stand at impossible angles, buckled and clasped from her ankles to her knees, laced and strapped all the way up to her mid thigh. She wore a corset around her waist that cinched it to a startlingly tight degree and made it hard for me to breathe even looking at her. Delilah's outfit was classy and refined compared to the way just her nipples were covered by thin straps. Almost every inch of her skin was exposed and most of it was tattooed with what looked like bite marks. More specifically, fangs. January Rain.

“Is- is she a vampire?” I stammered to Grey-Scale, simultaneously terrified and seduced by the vision before me. Her facial features were drastically angled and alarmingly beautiful, like a whimsical fey creature. Even her hair hung over her shoulders in a sleek dynamic bob that moved and swayed as she sashayed her hips with each step. I was awestruck. Nothing I have ever dreamed of appearing as in my wildest fantasies. She looked what I imagined The Mistress, goddess of lust and mother of vampires, would look like in person. It was terrifying, thrilling, exhilarating, and, above all else, demoralizing in the most profound of ways that shook my confidence to rubble.

Looking at Grey-Scale didn't help, whose jaw was locked in a rigid position beneath his head; he was utterly entranced by her movements, as I and the rest of the Cedar was. From the moment the spotlight expanded to cover the entire stage, she scanned the crowd but locked eyes on our alcove. She paid me but a moment's notice, flicking her dazzling ruby red irises over me before staring Grey-Scale down, pinning him in place with the daggers those eyes lobbed. Every positive thought and egotistical aspiration I had of myself was smoke drifting above my head in that moment. She was perfection.

“No Rose, she's not a vampire. . . She's a monster of a whole other league.” He was visibly shaking, trembling as a child in the dark. From what precisely I couldn't tell: be it nervousness, anger, disgust, or maybe a combination of all three. To say the least, he was bothered. Whatever their history, it was enough to make Grey-Scale wither in his seat. In fact, the moment the Attendant Cloud returned with my drink, he sent it off again to retrieve another bottle of the Alery wine. “This is probably Delilah's doing, just look.” He pointed off in the distance in the wake of the cloud to the bar where the half-elvan woman stood, crossed armed under her large breasts, staring us down looking smug and defiant- victorious, even. She snarkily moved around her work space, sending passing glances in our direction as she made the drinks and collected another bottle, standing with an air of frivolous contempt.

“I wouldn't be surprised if she sent word to January the moment we took our seats! I'm positive she wasn't meant to be here tonight.” He was gritting his teeth and I was steadily feeling more and more inferior to this absolute stranger. Was she really that big of a deal to him, to make him squirm like a worm in his pleated suit?

“Don't worry. Mr. Grey-Scale. If that's the case, and both of them are that insecure by my presence, I'll just have to give them reason to be. Right, Darling?” I reached for his clawed hand that was squeezing his knee with such intensity that he was starting to rip the fabric, sending sticky red dripping to the floor. It softened at my touch and he relaxed, albeit slightly, with a worldly sigh reminiscent, once again, of my father's exhausted breaths. We locked eyes briefly and his jaw loosened, brow unfurrowed, and there was a semblance of a smile at my confidence- as misplaced and fabricated as it may have been. “That's better. Now, relax and watch the show, I have to see what my real competition is capable of.”

“You're amazing Rose. After the show and the Cedar clears out the rabble, I'll be sure to introduce you to them all and you can let them have it, my radiant star.” His emphasis on my carried a weight I was too focused to pick up on in that moment, for I was already choreographing my next moves.

A few seconds later, the Attendant Cloud returned with another round of drinks and a small tablet that seemed blank and completely devoid of detail. Grey-Scale leaned in to grab the Sizzling Spire and the bottle, but removed the tablet from the cloud as well before settling back down beside me. “Ahh, we've racked up quite the tab it seems. No worries, I've more than enough in my Palm Account to buy the Cedar outright, plus the coin we made tonight from Poluskan covers this by leaps and bounds. Have you ever used a Palm Scanner, Rose? I know Lockstead didn't have one and it was a little frustrating having to only take a portion of the collections with the coin I had on me.”

“No, what is it?” I said meekly over my shoulder, half invested in the conversation. It was busy work watching January Rain split, twirl, and flip across the stage, defying all rationale by keeping her flesh contained in that barely-there outfit. Before I could actually look at the tablet in further detail, she had spun and tossed her hair in a way that made the entire crowd cheer madly. I tore my eyes away from her to see Grey-Scale removing his hand from the blank slate as golden light sparked across where his scales met it like the bar had between him and Delilah.

“Palm Scanners are linked, through arcane magic, to the banks of the Open Palm in Qarte. Areezah thrives on trade and sometimes carrying coin with you isn't always convenient, especially the sums I find myself wading through. So Palm Accounts and these Scanners are a great way to transfer coin from one person to the next without ever having to physically make the handoff.” He returned the tablet onto the Cloud and slowly looked up to the stage with a bit of hesitation. “Ironically enough, she was the one who told me to invest in such a thing and I, begrudgingly, admit it was a good idea.”

“Why don't you buy the Cedar?” I was doing everything I could to just brush over any more accolades or appreciation being thrown at Ms. Rain as she had hordes of coin collectors crawling across the stage beneath her to retrieve her prizes. She was basking in the limelight and adoration as it was so I didn't want him to ruminate on her much more than necessary.

“What?”

“If you have the coin to afford it, why not just buy it so as to not bother with tabs? Plus, if you're going to be selling your product here, wouldn't it make sense to just own it so you don't have to worry about any unwanted attention from the staff or management? Besides, I like it here. That stage is gorgeous and I'd love to make it my home here in Areezah; she doesn't deserve something so fabulous. I mean, isn’t the black leather dominatrix gag a little tired? Red, now that’s a color that looks good on anything!” He mulled the first part of the hypothetical over, disinterested in my fashion hot takes, slowly stroking the long frills of his beard and paying me mindful glances as he considered it. His smile grew wider and wider as the thought sunk in even more and the music from January's set faded to completion.

“You know what Rose, I will buy it. For you. This place is an incredible investment and with you as the main attraction, it has nowhere to go but up. That'll really stick it to that pain in my ass.” The level of smug satisfaction on his face was matched only by the perplexity I'm sure mine had. He'd really buy me a whole establishment, on a whim, just like that? Even if he had the coin to do such a thing, it seemed like a pretty grand gesture to be born of spite.

His glare drifted to the stage to watch Ms. Rain take her final bow. Her eyes found us with no trouble at all as she righted herself, turned to leave the stage, and allowed the coin collectors to crawl across the stage to gather her tips and tokens one last time. With her slow movements down the steps, I noticed that she had fourteen pierced holes in her back and her outfit- or the straps that could be considered her outfit- were all strung through those rivets and woven tight like corset strings. That must have been horribly unpleasant, but as she swerved her hips through the air and approached us, she looked calm, collected, and hauntingly beautiful.

“Well hello there, child, what finds you in the company of Grey-Scale? Daddy issues?” January sat on our table, spreading her legs to place one bizarrely heeled foot on either side of us. “Was yours not around enough, or maybe too much, if you catch my meaning? Believe me, we've all had issues with our fathers. I can see it in your eyes: they look puffy, like you've cried a lot in your life.” She just kept talking as she took the bottle from Grey-Scale who shakily held it to his lips trying to get as much alcohol in his system as possible. With a massive swig she finished what remained and tossed it behind her where it was caught by a passing Attendant Cloud that spun in surprise and almost collided with a group of passers-by. “You know I ended up leaving the Fey Forest because my father didn't appreciate my talent. And after all, what use did I have for a bunch of forest-dwelling freaks anyways?”

“You're from the Fey Forest? My mother lived there before she moved to Jerrym, maybe you knew her!”

“HA! You're from Jerrym? Maybe you collected the diamonds I keep in my underwear to keep my pussy cool when it’s on fire! What wonderful help you are! Listen, sweetie, you may look like a GIANT ruby, but around here, gold talks more than anything and I'm simply gilded. So don't insult me by insinuating I may know your back-alley dwelling guttersnipe of a mother!”

“The only gold I like, Darling, is rose, and you're simply too yellow and brassy for my taste. So if you'll excuse me.” I stood, lifting her leg to the side to allow my passage and left her with Grey-Scale who, despite being grey in color, looked almost as red as The Rose Dragon.

The crowd had begun to fill the main portion of the club again, joyously dancing to the music and living their lives to the fullest. I eagerly looked at the MC, Hollow Graphic, and their floating cloud, which I spotted several stories above, conversing with a party on an upper level. I coned my hands and whispered into them in the direction of Hollow, speaking with a spell I often used to direct spotlight operators in The Tavern Jerrym. “Excuse me, Hollow, sorry to interrupt, but could you shine a light on me? I'd like to perform. Also, you clearly identify as fabulous and I don't want to make any assumptions, so may I ask your pronouns?”

They looked around bewildered. When they caught sight of me, presumably from the lights reflecting off the gems on my gown, they smiled wide and dashed downwards to meet me face to face. At this proximity, I realized just how large Hollow was; completely blue-grey in skin tone, like the sky after a morning drizzle, with overlapping black and white tattoos of some runic script I couldn't read. I recognized them to be a Goliath, the same giantish heritage as the brute that Gerty pushed aside early. Hollow, however, was impossibly exuberant and bubbly with their speech and overall demeanor.

“Well, hello there, Beautiful! You are absolutely stunning, how is it we haven't met yet? Thank you for inquiring, I am indeed a man, but I know this level of perfection throws people off sometimes. You'd like to perform, you said? Are you sure you want to follow Ms. Rain? She's currently the reigning Miss Areezah, a prestigious title to say the least, and I don't want you to make a fool of yourself- as gorgeous as you are my dear, please take no offense!”

“I appreciate the concern, love, but rest assured, once I'm done with that stage they'll have all forgotten her name, Darling!”

“Wow! I love your confidence! Alright, without a doubt, I can't wait to see what you've got. What can I introduce you as. I'll get the crowd ready for you, post-haste!”

“Raspberry, Raspberry Rose. You won't have trouble remembering it in a moment, I promise you that much.” He said nothing else but smiled at me and held his thumb up with a look of unexpected excitement mixed with intrigue.

Alright Raspberry, time to do what you were born for! This is your chance to make the world at large see you for who you truly are; a star, the Red Zardon!

There was a sudden atmospheric static in the air, a commanding buzzing that overtook the room and Hollow coughed into his crystalline rod. “Aaaaattention ladies, gentlemen, and nongender conforming individuals! We have an extremely surprising performer that even I wasn't expecting! Completely out of nowhere, she's stunning, she's striking, she's spectacular! Please, give it up for the radiant Rrrrrrrraspberrrrrrry Rooooooooooose!”

The crowd was silent aside from a hushed and confused murmuring. Nobody said anything, and I expected at least Grey-Scale to maybe clap or cheer or something. Maybe he was too occupied with Ms. Rain, but that didn't matter to me. It was my chance to shine and I was going to take it. Anghelah's words pulsed through my head and I knew this was my moment. Life is yours for the taking.

I stepped up the stairs, feeling the immense weight of The Rose Dragon melt and become lighter with each step closer to the stage, to the spotlight where I truly found my life becoming clearer and everything else obscuring I was all that mattered. I swallowed the nerves that were fighting for my attention, smiled, and threw my arms out casting my voice over the entirety of the crowd with magic and said, “It's alright if you don't know me yet, my Darlings, you will soon enough!”

Without hesitation, I spun to cast an illusion over myself and the stage, transforming the skirts of the magnificent piece into flying red petals that drifted skyward. My outfit vanished and the crowd audibly gasped and clutched their chests as I was now wearing an exact replica of January's skimpy outfit only in a vibrant, beautiful, immaculate red. Two of the illusory petals flew into my hands and became rose like fans that sparked to life and burned along the edges as crescent flames. With each spin and twirl I took, with every satisfying clack of the fans, the flames danced with me and the crowd grew louder. Each step and wave would fan the sparks outward, away from the stage and up to the various levels of the spiral staircase, casting a reddish glow across beaming faces I could see beyond the veil of smoke across my eyes. When someone would retreat from the cinders, afraid they'd catch flame, the fire vanished in a pink puff and dissipated into a rose petal, cascading back to the stage at my feet.

Faster, I thought to myself, urging my feet to keep up with the claps and cheers and heart in my chest that came to life as I did beneath the lights.

A tornado of illusory tulle, I twirled and laughed as the entire stage disappeared beneath a flower bed of rose petals, wafting their soothing scent through the entirety of the Cedar. I was truly in my element! Coins and tokens of appreciation rained over me, clinking on to the stage like hail as I dodged them and winked in the direction they fell. There was laughter and cheers,cries of exclamation and excitement as I made my debut! The walls of The Seedy Cedar shook from the volume and I could visibly see that the wood sprouted golden vines and verdant roots which reached through the air to get closer; even the club I was performing in admired me just as much as the crowd around did. As I was about to finish with a harrowing leap, I locked eyes with Grey-Scale who was in sheer shock. His gaze observed the vines moving towards me and followed them to simply stare at me in amazement, January looking furious and fuming beside him. I knew I had impressed even her.

As I finished my dance, slamming my body to the stage, softened by the gathered rose petals, I looked at the ceiling of The Seedy Cedar, stories above me, and saw what looked to be Odezz't's glowing yellow eyes looking down directly on me. I blinked hard from my position only to realize it was twin spotlights, illuminating me and the wonder of my performance. In that instant, almost completely naked within the illusion of my magic, The Rose Dragon momentarily disassembled across the stage as the components for the spells I worked into this display. I felt at peace as, finally, I was home.

Want to keep reading? Click here for Raspberry Rose Chapter Four: Wilted Rose Part 1! (Coming Soon)

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