Crimson Nights Ch. 01

Note: For more details on this story's world, check out "Selia". The term "futa" or "futanari" refers to a true hermaphrodite, usually more feminine than anything else.

Note for my followers: Don't worry, the finale of High School Futa will be here sooner rather than later! As for what I'll be working on, I'll be doing Selia, this, and ReStart for a little bit then mix things up.

E N J O Y!!

--

Every year, just as winter turns into spring, the city of Aerum takes a day to celebrate the fact. The come-and-go of the storms, the humid and cold weather is given a festive farewell in many different parties, spread out across the city. The poorer members of society have their own dances in the Bronze District, located southeast by the Southern Gate, while the middle-class and upper-class families get together at the north. The latter of these parties were referred to as the Flower Trails.

Newspapers every year never failed to deliver on detailing a massive amount of scandalous happenings every time the Flower Trails were held. From witches accidentally transforming tourists into pigs, to political leaders being caught doing random foreign drugs off the backs of handsome male dancers.

With the Intercontinental Railroad seeing more use than ever, meaning more tourists in town than normal, this year's Flower Trails promised to be an event for the eyes as much as the soul.

In one unassuming home located in the very center of the city, a young blonde applied a modest amount of passion-red lipstick as she got ready. Thankfully, Carliah had received her first invitation to one of these today.

"Honey, are you done?" Her husband asked behind her. Her blue eyes found his brown ones in the mirror.

"Not yet." She quickly replied. She checked her thin eyebrows and then made sure no blemishes were visible on her skin as her husband sighed behind her.

"Who are you putting on so much makeup for?" He asked. "I like your face the way it is, you don't need that."

"It makes me feel sexy." Carliah shrugged.

"I think you're sexy without that."

"I mean sexy in general, like, to everyone." She responded as she pushed her breasts together, trying to gauge how nicely her figure looked in the skintight sapphire sheath dress she'd bought for tonight. "Is there something wrong with wanting to look hot?"

"When it isn't for me, yeah." John, her husband of four years now, replied while Carliah rolled her eyes.

Most of the time, Carliah could grin and bear the fact that she had married John for the sake of feeding her family, and John could tolerate having married her for appearances, as being an unmarried man in Aerum at age forty had harmed his social standing for a while now. However, on nights like these Carliah had to grit her teeth particularly hard.

As a child, nothing had ever been promised to her. Food, shelter, everything that other citizens of Aerum took for granted had been a struggle in the Bronze District. So, four years ago at age twenty-five, when a rich man presented her with a marriage contract that would let her feed her sickly sister and keep her retired mom and dad in good health, she took it.

Neither of them was particularly fond of the other, but for some reason, John still found time to be needy. Carliah didn't understand this attitude. It wasn't like John's money was the only thing being offered up for this deal.

After all, Carliah was painfully aware of the fact that she hadn't been fucked well in a little over six years. Meanwhile, John not only got to have sex with her (protected, of course, she wasn't about to have a child with him, yet anyway), but he frequently visited that Black Rose whorehouse next to the Railroad. Carliah didn't have the same option.

Well, she could take a trip there herself but... She hadn't been with another woman. If it ever happened, she didn't want it to be the result of a session with a prostitute.

She didn't understand why she couldn't be allowed to have these small moments of happiness. So, despite his insisting, she kept the makeup on and passed him by as a carriage arrived outside their home.

"Hey," he walked up to her suddenly, grabbing her by the arm. "Don't forget the fact that you are my wife and you will behave as I want you to." Carliah pulled her arm free but stayed silent. "I don't pay you every month to have a whore on my hands that won't even listen."

She bit back her insult and nodded. Sure, they needed each other, but one of them still had more power than the other. If she mouthed off, she risked ruining her ticket out of the damp, dirty streets where she grew up in. So, she simply sat in the wooden cart while her husband told the driver where to go.

A few cars passed them by and briefly, Carliah wondered if she married the wrong rich older man. Those thoughts were safely repressed though as the horses at the front started to move.

The signs of the coming spring were all there in the sky. While John took this time to inspect a newspaper and check whether his name had made it to the front page, Carliah looked up at the stars. The sky was a colorful mix of black, dark pink, and blue. Streaks of raw magic were blazing a path in the atmosphere.

Carliah breathed deeply and slumped.

"Whatever." She thought as she let the previous argument go. "This bullshit is a small price to pay to help my family out."

Passing by the Caribelle Academy, the Golden Theatre, and other such wonders of Aerum, eventually they arrived at a skyscraper. Carliah saw how most of the floors had the lights off, with the exception of those near the top. That was the site of the party they were headed for.

"Alright, here's how it goes." John started as Carliah hopped off the carriage herself, nearly breaking her sleek blue heels on the concrete. "We walk in together, we greet some of my coworkers and then you can fuck off and do whatever you want to."

"Lucky me," Carliah mumbled.

"Do you understand?" John asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Then come on."

Carliah wondered if he even cared about the festivities themselves. Despite the man next to her, she was certainly excited to be here. The Flower Trails were both secretive and the talk of the town. Her imagination was producing all sorts of images, things she could potentially witness tonight. Was he doing the same? Maybe he'd been to so many of these that he no longer cared.

They stepped into the lobby of the building, where several employees greeted them on their way to the front desk. There, they registered their names and were quickly directed to the elevator to the left. Carliah and John stepped in and the machine slowly lifted them stories up, while Carliah's heart started to pound against her chest.

She'd underestimated just how excited she was for this.

"Come on, Car." She told herself. "It's not going to be anything life-changing."

When they reached the roof, the elevator doors opened. A chill instantly touched their bodies and Carliah's eyes widened as she instinctively walked out with her jaw dragging on the floor. The music was the first thing she noticed. Bombastic saxophones, flutes, and violins coupled with steady drum beats were being produced at the back of the roof. There was a large pool to the right where half-naked men and women were laughing while they drank. A makeshift bar to the left supplied the partygoers with any alcohol they needed while at the center, a crowd chatted with each other.

Instantly, someone said:

"John!" Carliah's husband withdrew from her side and spread his arms, hugging some random old man that walked up to them. "I haven't seen you in one of these in a while. How have you been?"

They started talking and Carliah zoned out. She carefully inspected more of the roof. The edges of the roof were protected by safety rails. To the back, a few sorcerers were doing tricks, turning smoke from pipes into various animals. Some famous singer was performing on a small stage in front of a crowd of about twenty people, the instruments from earlier were all part of her band. She was wearing jeans nothing up top but a bra.

All in all, there was far less debauchery than Carliah had expected, but it all seemed fairly extravagant. Then again, it was only 10:00 pm. Back in the Bronze District, right around now was when things started to pick up.

A dark-skinned man walked up to John and laughed heartily at something he said that Carliah didn't hear.

"...liah." She kept looking around. "Carliah!"

"Come say hi."

"Oh, sorry." She regained her bearings and stepped forwards. Two middle-aged couples were smiling politely at her. The men involved scanned her body and one of them whistled.

"She's certainly a prize." Carliah blushed with a smile, taking a step back to continue inspecting the area. It was nice to know she hadn't lost her looks yet. "You've been holding out on us, huh John?"

"Took some time to get to know each other is all," John replied with a fake-nice tone.

"I'm glad you finally found someone though, maybe now you'll lay off the rookies a little."

"Nah, someone's got to break them in." They all laughed and Carliah saw that the same crowd that had been chatting before had now started to dance in front of the stage.

John gave her a subtle glance and she took it to mean that, at least for the next several hours, she was free. So, she quickly walked over to the crowd. The others there were dressed similarly to her, but some wore golden necklaces and bracelets. Their hair, both the women's and the men's, looked silky, kept in pristine condition by the rarest of oils, and those new shampoos that had just come in.

Carliah really felt like she'd married the wrong rich man right about now.

Regardless, as the song playing picked up, Carliah gently started shifting in place. As she got a feel for the beat, she began to swing her hips slowly. A few eyes noticed her and she sent a smirk back their way. Naturally, the crowd started to open up to allow her in.

For a few, well appreciated moments, she forgot all about John and her marriage. All she was now, was a twenty-eight-year-old having fun. So, within the range of what her dress would allow her to do without ripping it or accidentally giving anyone a show, she spun, she shook her chest, she stepped up and back, losing herself in the music.

A few of the others took notice and one man, spurred on by the girl he was with, went to dance with her. She accepted with a grin and the man laid his hand on her lower back and she placed one up at his left shoulder as they moved in sync. After a few seconds, the man retreated and another one took his place. The same thing happened, with Carliah starting to feel more and more like herself again.

Back at the Bronze District, she'd been an uncontrollable flame at the few parties she attended. That girl was long gone, surely, but it felt nice to get a glimpse of her at this moment.

Then, that last man was replaced by a woman! She sauntered up to Carliah with a confident expression and Carliah felt herself grow excited. The woman mirrored what Carliah did, and the two-paced around each other, all the while Carliah couldn't suppress a grin.

Then, sadly, the current song ended.

The crowd applauded the famous singer and the woman went back to her male friend. Carliah breathed a little, trying to calm down. She was feeling heated, in a good way. The singer said something to one of the musicians and the next song quickly began.

It was considerably slower but still energetic. Carliah started shifting in place again when someone walked up to her. A pale hand was extended in her direction, asking her to put her own on it.

When Carliah looked up, she nearly gasped. Blood-red irises, hair as black as night, skin almost sickly pale. Her body was skinnier than Carliah's but firm. Her eyes were mischievous, her face slender and elegant. The right side of her hair was tucked behind her ear, showing off one golden earring. Maybe from a distance, her face would have seemed expressionless, but up close she could see the hint of a smirk.

She stood there like that for a moment, and the woman said:

"... Well?"

"Oh!" Carliah laughed awkwardly and let the other woman take her hand.

In an instant, the woman pulled her close, and her arms snaked behind her, resting her hands on her lower back causing shivers to spread throughout Carliah's body. Carliah naturally placed hers on the woman's shoulders. Then, the pale woman took the lead and all Carliah could do was follow. The crowd spread a little to give them space and Carliah found herself taking long steps to keep up with the woman's moves. The pale woman moved almost a little too fast for her, but she managed to stay in step.

All the while, she was so close. Carliah's vision was taken up by two points of focus that never strayed from her. Those crimson eyes. She'd never seen eyes of that color before, they were entrancing. Carliah failed to follow on a step and one of the woman's legs ended up between hers, with her lips dangerously close to Carliah's own and her heart beating faster than it had in years.

The woman visibly smirked this time and then, as quickly as it had started, the song stopped.

She retreated, backing away from Carliah, but their eyes stayed connected for as long as they could before she disappeared into the crowd and Carliah was left standing there alone.

"Who was that?" Carliah wondered as she caught her breath.

Well, there was something Carliah certainly would be thinking about later.

The songs kept coming but Carliah's dancing was slower as that moment repeated in her mind. Every couple of seconds, she swore the woman was in front of her, or behind her, or beside her but she was never there. It was like she'd disappeared.

A few sorcerers threw some fireballs in the sky and they exploded, forming fireworks that Carliah was simply too distracted to appreciate.

She needed a drink. She stomped over to the bar and sat down.

"Do you have Blue Vein?" She asked.

"Of course." A green liquid was poured into a glass cup and passed in her direction. "Two royals."

"That's cheap," Carliah noted with an arched brow.

"Flower Trails discount." The bartender shrugged.

"This isn't gonna help keep you people out of the newspaper," Carliah noted with a smile as she took a shot.

"Aren't you one of them?" He asked in return and Carliah remembered that she was, in fact, here. This wasn't a fever dream, this wasn't a hallucination. She was currently in one of those famous Flower Trails.

"Right." She replied as she finished drinking and moved to head back to the crowd as another song started but she stopped. The crowd had thinned. "Huh?" She looked around.

John was still talking to his coworkers near the right corner of the roof, the pool had emptied out by now and the sorcerers had also gone somewhere else.

"How long did I drink for? Couldn't have been more than a few minutes, right?" She asked herself.

The crowd that was dancing, which had been around forty people, was now a little over thirty.

"Where did everyone..." She remembered then that the floors below were also being used. "Oh!" She grinned. Maybe there was more to these parties than she'd seen. So, without telling John, she made her way to the elevator and pressed the button for the floor just beneath theirs.

A few seconds later, she was stepping out into a hall where a few different doors held unseen rooms in front of her, but one of them was slightly open. She walked over to it and opened the door up.

Her jaw hit the floor with the dramatic weight of a nuclear bomb.

It was an orgy. A full-on orgy. Men and women, bunched up together in a series of beds, all of them naked and fucking. The face Carliah made can only be described as the face one would make if someone were to walk up to an old lady on the street and slap them.

That said, just like the previously described hypothetical, she wouldn't be able to tear her eyes away from that and she wasn't able to tear her eyes away from this.

It wasn't just a bunch of rich straight people either. To the right, two men were 69'ing and to the left, two women were making out, fingering each other.

In just a few seconds, Carliah had seen more sex than she had in her whole life.

She was about to back away and let them proceed, but then her eyes caught one last figure. At the center of the room, there was one woman sandwiched between another girl and a man behind her.

It was the pale lady from before. And, it seemed she shared a little bit more with that man than Carliah had expected, as the girl was kneeling in front of her licking on what looked like an actual penis.

The woman's eyes closed at first, must have sensed someone staring because soon she looked over at Carliah.

Their eyes met once again. Carliah's heart was so loud in her chest, she wondered if anyone nearby could hear it.

And that was more than she could take. She shut the door quietly and sprinted back to the elevator. The entire way up, the longest thirty seconds of her life, all she could think about were those eyes.

Not the massive amount of bodies coalescing, just those eyes.

When the elevator doors opened, the breeze felt much colder than before.

Carliah rubbed her temples and paced back to the bar.

"I'm going to need another drink."

"Coming right up." The bartender let out a small laugh and Carliah crossed her arms and rested her head there. Before she could properly relax though, someone tapped her shoulder.

It was John.

"Hey, listen, I'm heading to a friend's house."

"Oh, let me finish up here."

"No, no, you're uh, not invited."

Carliah blinked.

"Your wife is not invited?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's... You know," John said with a slightly annoyed tone, urging her to understand, "that kind of thing."

"I'm honestly amazed your balls are big enough to tell your wife you're going to fuck someone else to her face, where are those balls when we fuck? I've never seen them."

"Whatever, just letting you know," John said before walking away.

A shot glass was waiting for her when she turned back around.

"Thanks." She dropped two royals on the marble surface and sighed. She only managed to take one sip before someone interrupted her.

She turned, fully expecting to find John there and then curse him out. Instead, a pair of crimson eyes watched her audibly gasp and sputter.

"Y-You!"

"Me." The woman laughed something that sounded like pouring wine. "I figured I'd get to know the lady that stumbled upon my little party."

"Your party?" Carliah noted.

"Yes, in fact, the Flower Trails are usually something I organize."

"Wow." Carliah silenced the voice in the back of her mind telling her the woman could be spewing out lies. "That's amazing."

"I didn't mean to brag, just inform." Casually, the pale woman took a sip from the same glass Carliah had been drinking from. "So, what's your name?"

"Carliah." She replied.

"Oh? Very pretty. Strong."

"Nah, I can't lift for the life of me," Carliah replied shyly.

"There are many ways to be strong. I happen to master a few of them."

Carliah nearly said, "yeah, I know," recalling the view.

"So... What's your name?" Carliah asked.

"Rose."

"Bullshit." Carliah quickly quipped. The woman burst out laughing.

"A bit on the nose, huh?" She responded.

"Yeah, with those eyes? That's way too perfect."

"Well, my actual name is Vivian."

Carliah hummed. "Yeah, that sounds like someone who spends their weekends topping couples."

"Something on your mind?" Vivian asked.

"Huh?"

"You seemed pensive."

"No, no, I was just... I'm kind of tipsy, I spaced out."

"Ah. Well, how about you space out with me over there." Vivian pointed at the crowd. There were still people dancing, albeit less.