Solo Scarlet Associations

[Alric Lysane]

8th Fall 521 AV – Ruby’s Scarlet Sanctum Alric had managed to find some vestiges of luck this season and had somehow managed to find employment as guard, or bouncer largely, for one of the finest establishments in the whole of Sunberth. Not normally one to worry about the way he looked he found himself feeling slightly out of place as he stood by the large doorway into the Scarlet Sanctum in his drab clothing. The associates that were plying their wares on the exterior of the building were nice enough to him, given that he was there for them really, though he had seen more than one set of rolled eyes and had to overlook more than a few cutting remarks Ruby seemed okay with both situations, for now at least. He had been told that after his first set of wages he was expected to upgrade his wardrobe so as to be more in keeping with the establishment. That was, of course, should he last that long. The last one that he was replacing had been terminated by a dagger to the gut by a rather upset patron. The patron didn’t fare much better afterwards but Alric had taken the warning very seriously. He kept his eyes open and watched those that approached the door with a level of suspicion. “Evening lads,” one of the more nicely dressed men said as he approached them, “some beauties out tonight eh? Don’t remember seeing you before though” he finished, looking at Alric. “New lad, first season. Don’t worry he’ll look the part next season sir” “Ah, we all started somewhere. More fun for you then…” “Alric” “Alric! Yes…first season is always the most fun I’ve been told. Got to have that first lay sometime and here’s the place to do it” he said, waiting for the inevitable red to burn Alric’s cheeks, though he remained silent. “Hah! A stoic one! Might just survive after all Garth” the man laughed and went through the doors. Alric made no attempt to stop him, the man clearly knew Garth – his partner on the doors – and besides which his tight outfit had left little in the way of places to conceal anything dangerous. His eyes scanned at crowds and didn’t see any apparent dangers, there was much laughter and revelry but nothing sinister to his eyes. Garth seemed to agree though they both stood up a little taller as a rough looking sort, ragged clothes and clearly stumbling around, made his way to the door. “No no old timer, not tonight” Alric said gently, holding up his hands palm forwards. “Whaddyu-yu mean? Man’s got needs!” “And those needs are sleep and something awful to eat in the morning. No entry to those who either can’t pay or-“ “I can pay! Look look!” “Can’t pay or can’t get in without being able to walk in a straight line,” he said, putting his arm around the man as if they were old friends and turning him around, away from the door, “you know the rules. You are a frequent visitor yes? Yes you look like quite the seasoned veteran” “I knows all the girls!” “And I’m sure they know you. Now what do you think they’d want for an old friend eh? You falling over in there, and getting in trouble? No…no tonight is for sleeping yes?” There was a few more chimes of back and forth but it remained reasonably warm in conversation and at the end he had sent the man on his way. Returning to Garth he raised an eyebrow.

[Alric Lysane]

“Tell me again why we couldn’t have rinsed him for all he was worth? He wasn’t a danger” “No he wasn’t but no exceptions. Gets messy with exceptions. You let him in it might be fine, let the group behind him with the same state but younger and more angry…well it’s caused…issues” “Issues?” “Issues” That about summed Garth up he had found so far, he was short and to the point with his words, unless you got him talking to the women, and very short when it came to dealing out violence. He had heard whispers that he had survived so long because he had killed so many people. He wasn’t sure why Ruby kept him around if he annihilated so many customers but it wasn’t his place to question and he didn’t want to tempt he man to lose his temper. He hadn’t seen it just yet but he could sense it close to the surface. He had also heard whispers about him despite the fact that he had only been there 8 days. People did wonder what he did when he wasn’t at the Sanctum, he had told everyone very little and planned to keep it that way. Most seemed to live in the Sanctum itself and he was a strange anomaly in that he had his own shack – for what it was worth. The girls, some of them at least, had apparently decided it was their right to tease it out of him, though that might have been Garth mocking him for not being the ladies man he professed to be himself. I do know that they like the fact I don’t immediately kick the shyke out of anyone who isn’t welcome. Can’t say as I would disagree with them. What’s the point in needless strength? Much better to save it up for when it’s actually needed, that way no one who visits knows what I can do he thought to himself as they allowed another group in, checking them for weapons and confiscating a dagger or two that would be returned when they left – if they left and remembered to ask for it of course. “You sell them don’t you?” “Don’t know what you mean Alric, we’re a reputable establishment” “Reputable? That…associate over there is somehow hugging that man’s face with…well it’s quite impressive to see in the street” “Exactly, skilled work that. Pay good miza for it” “Play dumb all you like, I know there must be a fortune of stuff that…goes missing…here” “Talk like that is unseemly for a new recruit. I’d advise to not ask until you’ve been around a while otherwise Ruby might…overhear” Alric’s lips twisted in a wry smile and he let the matter drop. Garth was right of course, though he stopped not because he was afraid of Ruby. No, no one was afraid of her per se, she was far too attractive, and gold tongued for that. No, he just needed the gold and she was providing it. The fact that he got to see attractive women, even if they did do some quite outlandish things so far, was an added benefit for the job.

[Alric Lysane]

“Alric,” came the soft, light tone of one of the girls, turning he saw it was Yolanda, “quiet night. Jessie and I were thinking that we could…get to know you better. We are so…curious about you. Showing up out of nowhere, a handsome man like you not being seen before, very hard to believe. Are you from far away?” “There’s nothing interesting about me,” he said, clearing his throat and trying not to look too uncomfortable as she traced her fingers across his chest, “and thank you for the offer. You are both quite…gifted bu-“ “Oh you saw our work? That’s delightful! What did you think?” she asked, her hand going lower until he gently, but firmly pulled it away, which only caused her to smile and seem more encouraged. “I think that any paying customer would count themselves lucky that they could very well die happily like that” “How about if given for free?” she asked as she and a few others started to laugh and look at him as if he were prey, a fact he did not relish. He stayed silent at that, looking at care for a while, realising that there was no winning this particular conversation and that that had likely been the point from the beginning. When she found he had no rejoinder there were giggles, as well as chuckles from Garth, before the ladies dispersed themselves, seeking out new prey. He was silent from a while, his heart pounding and his stance hiding the inevitable of a practised touch’s advances. Garth said nothing but he had a grin plastered across his face. A few more groups were let in, a few lone stragglers, nothing else was confiscated and the merriment continued loudly within. “You did well you know, didn’t expect that” “She ate me alive” “Yes, but you said no even so. Lost count of the number of new one’s who’ve fallen for that particular trio tryst. Never employed in the Commons again. Ruby’s test. Guess you passed or she’d be out here already” “She was watching?” he hissed in almost a whisper, looking around. “No doubt, she spent a long time getting this place where she likes it. Not about to risk it for your scrawny, ragged self now” “How many tests are there exactly?” “That’s for you to find out…shyke…here comes trouble. I’ll handle this one” Garth stepped out to meet a group of four men and one woman who he stopped far from the door by taking up a strong stance. Alric watched carefully and he knew that stance, Garth expected trouble and clearly he wanted to send a strong image to try to pre-empt whatever it was he feared. They were all waving their arms, their voices starting to raise so that even over the music Alric could hear them. He stepped down the stairs and moved closer, though not so close as to spark anything by seeming threatening. Instead he circled through the crowd, trying to blend and slipping an arm around on the girls who didn’t say a word and seemed to know what he was doing – clearly then this was not the first time this group had visited.

[Alric Lysane]

Just as he got around to one of the sides one of the men swung for Garth and got a club to the side of the head for his troubles, dropping but causing the rest of the group to start. Alric cursed and entered into the fray, stepping in and delivering a cross to one of the men who had ganged up on Garth. He got a kick for his troubles, but it wasn’t hard enough to damage, just send him back a step or two. They tried to follow up with a kick, but he caught the leg after absorbing the impact, one of his legs hooking behind the remaining ankle and dragging back to bring them to the floor. He stamped down three times before the man stopped thrashing and cursing. It was then that the woman got involved, umping in with a howl to half-punch and half-claw at him. He was so taken aback that he got slapped a few times before he managed to start deflecting. He waited for a good moment and knocked her arms away, his other hand pressing into her chest to shove her back hard enough for her to fall over, then roll back to her feet. He turned to Garth who had got another man down and was dealing with the last one standing. As Alric turned back around the woman jumped at him and tried to grab a hold of him. He stepped back and her feet hit the floor but the nails drew red scratches up his arm. “What is wrong with you people” he asked as his anger rose and she tried to attack him again. He blocked, jabbed her in the face, blocked again and the grabbed her wrist with his left hand to leave her open to a proper cross to the jaw that finally made her fall backwards and to the ground. He turned and saw Garth was in trouble, on the floor and kicking upwards. Alric stepped behind the man attacking him and wrapped his forearm around his neck, squeezing hard. It gave Garth enough time tog et to his feet and deliver a few gut punches before Alrics choke caused unconsciousness. “What…the…shyke..was that Garth?” he panted, sweat beading across his skin and his breath ragged as he gulped down air. “Troublemakers. That was their last chance. You keep them on the floor, kick them a few times if you need to. I’m getting Ruby” Alric sighed at the non-explanation and instead set about dragging them all into a rough pile as the crowd cheered drunkenly at their victory, though the associates offered warmer smiles. In his view they damned well should given that if they hadn’t taken the hits then they would have instead. After a few chimes Ruby swept out, put together as carefully and luxuriously as ever and just as gorgeous. She walked down to look at the bodies with some distaste. She also looked over the associates carefully, nodding eventually as she saw that they were okay – they were her prize employees after all.

[Alric Lysane]

“Garth tells me you did well…Alric. Well done, could do with more like you. Keep it up and you might get a…reward” she said, her smile breaking like sunlight and all he could do was nod dumbly. “As for these…people. Take them inside, we should have a little…chat” she clapped her hands and more men stepped out to grab the fallen and drag them into the depths of the Scarlet Sanctum. No doubt they would never be seen again, at least not in a living or happy state. “Why did you refuse Yolanda and Jessie? They are some of my best girls. Man would beg for that kind of night” she asked suddenly, looking at him thoughtfully. “I try not to mix business and pleasure. Doesn’t end to end well?” “No? But it can be so fun,” she sighed sensually, fanning herself purposefully to expose the plunging neckline of her dress, “don’t you like fun?” “My kind of fun might be different to theirs” he said quietly, trying not to burn red and catch alight to leave naught but ash afterwards. “Is that so? Very interesting…perhaps you can show me your type of fun…one day” And with that Ruby was gone, returning to her palace of luxury and comfort. The music had never stopped and the girls had not ceased to ply their wares. In fact many of them entered with Ruby, customers in hand and all smiles and touches for their prey. ALric realised he hadn’t been breathing for a while and suddenly gasped in a deep breath, or three. Garth burst out laughing and Alric scowled for a while as they returned to their posts by the door, nursing their wounds. “Did I pass that test?” he asked sourly after a while. “You’ll find out if you’re still breathing by the end of the night,” came his amused response and then after a while, “thanks by the way. He could hit pretty hard” “It’s my job” “I suppose so, I suppose so. Don’t have many friends do you lad?” “Don’t know what you mean” he responded with the same line Garth had used earlier. The man barked a laugh and then they were back to refusing or accepting entry, a bottle of wine given to them to help numb the bruises, and nothing but the night and them between it and the musical, perfumed warmth of the Scarlet Sanctum.

[Alric Lysane]

Your Grades Alric Lysane Skills Interrogation - 1 Observation – 3 Persuasion - 1 Socialization – 3 Weapon: Unarmed - 1 Lores Garth: Dark Storied Bouncer Ruby Demoya: Glorious Beauty Ruby Demoya: Likes Testing People Ruby Demoya: Sanctum Owner Scarlet Sanctum: Excellent Views Scarlet Sanctum Rules: No Exceptions Scralet Sanctum: Talented Associates Sunberth: Ruby’s Scarlet Sanctum Unarmed: Rear Naked Choke Yolanda & Jessie: Sanctum Associates