Guests of the Mapleseed Ch. 03

Orion paced back and forth in the entrance chamber, an anxiety he didn't fully understand bubbling from within. Pink and gold light filtered from the crescent-shaped windows above, and nearby against the door leaned the bouncer, Mitzi, idly filing her nails. He tried not to look at her taut, toned physique, even if her red leotard hugged it like she wanted him to stare.

He let out a frustrated sigh and turned to pace the other direction. They'd told him that Sapnettle had already gone off with Penny and Divette to 'get cleaned up', leaving him to wait alone while the chance to catch Celia no doubt slipped between his fingers. That witch's priorities were utter madness.

He rose from his seat and stalked over to the reception desk, where the strange woman in blue sat.

He tapped against the counter to get her attention. The woman turned her large blue sunglasses on him, one perfect eyebrow arching. "Yes?"

Her voice was crystal-clear, melodic, perfectly calm and in control. The sunglasses glittered, reflecting the pink-and-gold lights back at him.

"I." Orion licked his lips, but his mouth suddenly felt dry. "I, um... I..."

"Well, speak up." She tilted her head slightly. "Is there something you wanted, sir?"

Orion wiped his mouth self-consciously. "I... I was just wondering what kind of a... place this is."

"Ah. Were you." Her fingers played with the inkpen at her desk, twirling it between them, pretty blue nails clicking against its metal surface. Her voice went soft, almost too soft to hear. "And would you like me to explain?"

Orion's fingers tugged anxiously at his belt. He leaned in to hear her better. "Yes?"

Perfect, pouty azure-blue lips curved upwards in a smile.

The woman's hand shot forward--blue nails sparkling in the light--and took him by the chin.

Orion froze. His heart raced, and briefly, he let her pull him forward. She drew him closer until he was leaning over the desk, not even a foot away from her. Her tinted glasses gleamed, dazzling him as those luscious lips moved slowly, sensuously. "Yes, what?"

Orion stared at her, wide-eyed.

He heard stiletto heels clicking rapidly down the hallway.

"I'm back!" Penny cooed, prancing up and hooking her arm in his. "Sorry I took so long, sweetie!"

"N-No problem." Orion couldn't look away from the Woman In Blue, not until Penny had wrenched him away fully and led him a few paces off.

He glanced at Penny. Her nose was twitching like a rabbit's, and her eyes were on the woman. She almost looked as unnerved as he felt.

She seemed to notice his stare. Her hazel eyes rose to meet his, and she gave a big smile. "We should find you someplace to sit down!" She bounced on her tiptoes, heels clicking against the floor. Clak-clak-clak.

"I'm fine." Orion felt a little clear-headed now, and he dimly wondered why he would have felt any other way before. "I just want to get on with the..." He looked around, scowling. "... arrest. Where is Sapnettle, anyways?"

"Oh~! She wanted to take some extra time to relax. She said you could go on without her!"

"She said that?"

"Uh-huh!" She put a finger to pouting lips. "She also indicated, kind of, um, nonverbally, that she wanted to spend more time... enjoying Divette's hospitality."

"... ah." Orion felt his concern burn away into frustration. Of course she did. "Well, then, I suppose I had better get on with the search. Where is Celia?"

"Oh, she's probably in one of our private suites." Penny clasped her hands behind her back by her tail, and Orion tried not to notice how this pushed her chest out. "That's where our special guests go. Unfortunately, though, we can't open them up to just anybody~!"

"But I--"

"So we'll start searching them ourselves," she said quickly, soothingly, reaching up and running her hand down his shoulder to grip his arm with both hands. "Relax. It's okay. We'll find her for you. Gosh, could you imagine the scandal if some silly bunnygirls didn't do everything in their power to help something as important as a guardsman's inspection?" Her lashes fluttered.

"Constable's," he muttered.

"Hm?" She tilted her head adorably to the side, and he tried not to admire how lovely her lips were when she pouted like that.

"I'm a constable. Not a guardsman." He shifted. "We're appointed by the town. We just help resolve arguments and investigate problems, and then we lead the village in enforcing them if we must." He patted the sword at his side. "We don't usually go armed. This is a special case, owing to... what Celia has stolen."

He hadn't called himself a guardsman in many years. It had been an even longer time since he'd seen any pride in the title.

"Ooh." The bumpkin bunny blinked big, beautiful hazel eyes. "So that thing she's stolen, it's super valuable?"

"Try 'super' dangerous. If she isn't containing it properly--" He looked around, digging his fingernails into his belt. "I need to get down into the special suites."

Her eyes sparkled. "Maybe once you've earned it," she chirped. "If you want to play some games."

"I didn't come here to--" Orion felt anger bubbling underneath and tried to control himself. Penny was just an innocent bunnygirl doing her best to help him. He couldn't blame her for this.

"Oh, of course!" She pressed up against him, and her heat caught him by surprise. There was a pretty flush to her cleavage, delicately dappled with freckles, that seemed almost designed to lure the eye inward. "But it's just not up to me, Orion, sweetie! If it was up to me, we'd already have you down there and hard at work. But the Mapleseed has rules." She batted her eyelashes up at him. "And it's best we follow them. Is that... okay?"

Orion hesitated. Penny was pouting, her lower lip quivering. He wanted to stand strong, but... well, it wasn't as if it was her call, was it? It was up to the inn. She was just an employee. As a constable, he had a duty to respect local community rules, even if that meant...

"But this is important," he managed weakly, even though he could feel his heart melting the longer he stared at those plump, pouty lips.

"And we'll take care of it," she said, pressing closer. Her sweet, enticing sweetpea scent pressed in around him, and her full breasts squished slightly up against his chest. "We'll take care of everything. All you have to do is wait here and let us bring her up here for you~!"

Orion swallowed. He still felt doubts, but they felt softer, less important, harder to hold onto the longer he listened to Penny speak.

"Okay," he said at last, after what was probably far too short a hesitation. "Fine. I'll wait here. But I... I won't sit down." He never knew if Celia was about to come running for the exit, after all.

"Oh, okay, then, sir!" Penny giggled. "Perhaps you'd prefer to join me in the games parlor?"

His jaw set. "Now, see here--just because I'm willing to abide by your rules doesn't mean--"

"Oh, I just mean because it's so much closer to the special suites!" Penny's slender fingers slid down his arm to give his hand a gentle squeeze.

"It... it is?" Orion bit his lip. He could feel his resolve quavering like the last leaf in the Everfall Forest.

The way her eyes lit up, it was as if she smelled blood in the water. "It's on the way!" Her head bobbed eagerly. "You'll be much closer to getting inside if you're in the gaming parlor, even if you don't play."

"I... fine. Fine." He felt her subtly steering him towards one of the curtains, and he reluctantly allowed it. "Thank you," he added reluctantly.

"Of course!" Penny beamed as she led him past the curtain.

The rush of lights beyond nearly blinded him.

There had only been two windows in the lobby, and they had been narrow--more for decoration than lighting. This chamber, though, was lined with stained glass windows, gleaming hearts of pink and gold streaming along the walls. Something about their color seemed off to him, but he couldn't concentrate long on it. Or anything, really. His gaze was lost in what they illuminated.

The chamber was massive, of a size more fitting for a Rose Valley ballroom than some inn's common room. A pair of bunnygirls tended bar nearby them, giggling as one showed off some sort of perfume bottle to the other. Several tables occupied the main area of the hall, each apparently bearing its own unique game.

Comfy-looking couches lined the walls, situated directly under the pink-light windows. A grand stage, currently unoccupied, rose up on the left side of the chamber

And every table was staffed by an unspeakably beautiful bunnygirl. Two bunnygirls shared a poker table nearby, though they seemed rather... occupied with each other at the moment. Penny coughed loudly, and then they pulled apart with sticky smacks and beamed at him. Further off, a shortstack with floppy white ears and glowing pink hair sat on top of her own table, right next to her colorful valentine-hued roulette wheel. An especially buxom bunnygirl leaned over her blackjack table, though with her back to him, all he could see was her twitching fluffy black bunny tail and luscious curves.

They weren't just manning the tables, either. One of the couches appeared to be currently occupied by a bunnygirl and her partner--a wolfboy who seemed to be rather enjoying having her in his lap, judging by that dazed look in his eye. Noticing them, the bunnygirl turned, smiled coyly, and took her plaything by the hand to lead into a side room.

Their scent was everywhere. So many scents, all somehow complementing each other, drowning, overwhelming... and beneath it all a deep, intoxicating musk. Orion breathed it in deep, trying to place where that scent came from, but this only made his head spin worse. He kept his breaths shallower after that.

Even with all this decadence, all this sensual temptation, it was hard to concentrate on any of them. That wasn't just because Penny was still hanging on his arm with a knowing smile, clearly enjoying his rapt wonder.

Something else was drawing his eye.

Seven... monoliths occupied the front of the hall, each the size of two grown men. They were carved of a dark substance he'd initially mistook for stone before realizing what it was. It was ancient material, that strange, versatile substance from the Old Days some said had been forged from spirits deep beneath the earth.

Images were painted across the monoliths--the machines, he realized, noticing how they clicked and whirred faintly. These images depicted beautiful women, cooing temptresses, wanton succubi reaching to pull down their dresses, to cup their tits, to caress their hips as they swayed toward the viewer, pouting their cartoonishly pillowy lips and leaning in for fate-sealing kisses...

He looked away quickly. They were... lewd, was what mattered. Very gaudy. Tasteless. Inappropriate.

At the fronts of the monoliths were set three large wheels, providing rows of mismatched lewd drawings. A warm light glowed from these images, drawing the eye to their elegant curves, their shining eyes. A lever jutted out from the side next to a prominent coinslot.

"What is this place?" he whispered.

He heard Penny giggle. She swept around him, hands clasped behind her back, leaning towards him with bright, eager eyes. With her ample curves and beautiful pink lips, she would have fit right in on one of the machines.

"Welcome," she cooed, "to the Mapleseed Casino." Her lashes fluttered, and as she bounced in place, it took all his willpower to keep his eyes on hers. "Care to try your luck~?"