Together Ssn 05 Ch. 03 - X-Town

***All sexually active characters are of age, 18 years old at least, and all sexual acts are consensual. Enjoy!***

Bathed in the soft haze of blue and pink neon strip-lighting, Mia Milosevic, 18, sits on the squeaky PVC seating of a booth in a nightclub along with her friends, Daisy May, 24, Cassie Palmer, 24, Francis Beattie, 21, Nellie Naismith, 19, and Tanner Harmon, 18. Bassy beats blast through Mia from the speakers of trance electronica music, as the proprietor of the club, a vividly dressed drag queen with bold hair and striking fashion, brings to the circular, stainless steel table a tray filled with sugary cocktails in jugs surrounded by plastic glasses for them to decant the drinks into.

The proprietor introduces themselves, "I'm your hostess, Owo Uwu. Welcome to Cross Town. I see a fresh face," casting her eye over Mia.

Mia gulps and says, "I've never been anywhere like this. I don't know what to expect."

Owo Uwu enquires, "You mean, a gay bar?"

Mia replies, "I mean, um... a bar."

Owo Uwu cackles for a brief moment, noticing the nervousness of the teen, as she states, "I'm busting your balls, honey. Don't worry. Besides, I don't class this establishment as a gay bar. Such an outdated term. This is an LGBT retreat, welcoming one and all. We get all sorts in here. Whatever you are looking for, you will be sure to find."

Cassie eagerly blurts out to Owo Uwu, "I would love to perform for you. I'm a queen myself."

Owo Uwu looks over Cassie's elegant outfit, hugging tight to her sculpted figure, with plenty of embellishment from frills and wraps of silk scarves draping around her, and she politely judges, "You are the picture of beauty, but drag is more than skin-deep. What is your name?"

Cassie confidently calls out, "Cassieopeia."

Owo Uwu's face is difficult to read, with a stiff poker-face, but offers to Cassie, "I will call you up on stage later, and, you can show Cross Town who Cassieopeia is."

Cassie fawns over Owo Uwu with a giddy excitability, gushing, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. It means so much," unable to settle down.

Owo Uwu smiles as she turns away, saying, "This opportunity only comes once. Give it everything you have," and she struts away, leaving Cassie a hot mess in the company of her friends, receiving from Daisy a glass filled with the cocktail.

Shakily taking the glass, Cassie takes care not to spill her drink as she slowly, but not steadily, brings it to her lips for a sip, saying to Daisy, "Thanks, honey."

Mia is handed a glass of the brightly-coloured liquid by daisy, taking a sip, tasting the sweetness in her mouth overpowering any alcohol she knows is in it. Coupled with the crushed ice, the drink is refreshingly cool, making Mia gulp it down, placing the empty glass on the table to rowdy whoops from the boys.

Daisy warns the enthusiastic teen, "Mia, that's got lots of rum in it. I would slow down if I were you."

The said rum begins to hit Mia, making her feel slightly off-balance even though she is sitting still, responding to her friend's concern, "Fuck, that is really easy to take down. If I'm not careful, I'll end up like Dad." That statement lingers in her mind, tinging her otherwise playful mood with a heavy depression sitting in her chest, with the alcohol whirling around it like water circling a drain, or rather that's how it feels inside.

Daisy assures the teen, "You're nothing like him, but be careful, yeah?"

Mia nods in response to daisy's sentiments, and Nellie pries, "What's the story there, then?"

Gulping down a brewing burp, feeling it dissipate deep down, Mia explains, "There's not much of a story. Dad's a drunk, getting wasted on cheap cider on a daily basis. Mom left years ago with another man because of it, and she left me behind with him. Neither of us know where she is, or what she's doing, or if she's even alive still. Fuck 'em. As long as I don't end up the same, I don't care."

Nellie leans in to hug Mia as he says, "Oh, girl, I wish I didn't ask now. I hope I didn't bring up anything bad for you, or anything?"

Mia replies, "It's fine. You weren't to know."

Francis chimes in with a rallying tone, "We're all family now. Home is where your heart is, and our hearts are all here for each other. I for one have a big heart. Much love."

Nellie jokes, "The only thing you have that's big is your cock. Sticking it in things doesn't mean you make a connection, you know? How are you going to sit there and say what love is?"

Francis answers, "What can I say? My love is physical. I didn't hear your bitching earlier."

Nellie responds, "Bitch, I love your cock. Doesn't mean I love you now, does it?"

Francis winks at Mia, saying, "It kinda does though."

Nellie leans in to Mia to add, "Don't worry about a thing, sweetheart. We got you. We got you."

Mia does feel more at ease though, smiling brightly because of her company. She really does feel a kinship with these people after only a couple of brief days. She's not used to being around the LGBT community, in it's many guises, being raised as a recluse in a recessive household that clings to slipping values of a bygone era, but the teen sees bold and passionate people breaking out of their shells from what is expected and ordinary, and she thinks to herself, "Who can I be if I let myself go?" The idea of being bold, presented to the world on parade, gives pause to the teen. She asks, "Nellie, I realise I don't know about your parents, or life at home for you?"

With a flash of a charming smile, Nellie regales Mia with his reply, "Oh, well, I guess my family are about as normal as one would expect, aspiring to be the same as everybody else; prim, proper, preachy, and desperate to blend in to the pews at the church. Can I get a hallejujah?! I don't fit in there at all. Longing to be angels, to be seen as special in the eyes of the Lord, and yet, anyone special is seen as wrong, conformed to the norm, or pruned from the herd. Why settle for being normal when we can aspire to be more? I am not a disease to be cured, or a beast to be tamed. I am a person. On that, my parents don't understand, and, so, we are parted on our own paths.

"After coming out, and leaving home, I found my people, who understand me. Cassie, the beautiful queen with a heart of gold, forging her own path as Cassieopeia. Finding Cassie found me a place to call home, so long as I can pay my way, so I hold a crappy job to earn my keep. I don't mind pulling my weight. I certainly have plenty of it, hehe.

"Cassie introduced me to Daisy, who is so kind, and gracious, and wise; she is an angel walking amongst us, and we are blessed to be with her. Her home has been a sanctuary to all of us, and her company is a consolation when times get tough, and they do, and having that support from Daisy... Well... It really is a blessing.

"Through Cassie and Daisy, I became acquainted with Francis. He, to me, is like a fairytale prince, and I just allow myself to be swept off my feet all up in that fantasy. He makes me feel like we're the only ones in the world... Ah... So dreamy... With that soft jawline of his, so gentle, and the sweeping waves of his blonde-flecked hair... Ooooooh, so dreamy..."

Waiting for Nellie to continue his story, Mia notices him staring dreamily at Francis, and she asks, "And, um... Tanner?"

Tanner leans into Mia's eyeline as Nellie continues to daydream staring at Francis, and answers for himself, "This sort of happens all the time. He just sort of zones out when Francis is around. I don't mind, though. I get it. Francis and I were a thing growing up, and we still have our moments, sort of inclusive, but Francis and Nellie are sort of exclusive, but... It's complicated. I can't explain it. None of us can explain it. It just happens, and it is what it is."

Trying to process what Tanner just said, Mia says, "Right? Um... I... am none-the-wiser... Thanks, though, Tanner."

Calmer now, Cassie asks Mia, "Have you ever been with anyone?"

Mia snorts at the ridiculousness of that question, but sees the seriousness and interest from the group, immediately feeling very exposed, shyly replying, "No one has ever wanted to be with me. I'm... just ugly, I guess."

Cassie doesn't hesitate for even a single breath as he says, "Honey, you are beautiful, and someone is looking for you. Believe in yourself. Love who you are for you, and, the rest will follow suit."

Mia blushes as she internalises Cassie's words, happening upon an epiphany, expressing, "I appreciate that, Cassie. I just find it hard being me."

Francis chimes in, "We all know all about how that feels like; for all our different reasons, we feel shamed, inadequate, unlovable, until we realise we are perfect the way we were born. We just need to make the world understand that. Find what makes you, you, and work it."

Even knowing that everyone means well, Mia searches inside of herself, but only finding a hollow void. Is she worth anything? Anything at all? Is there anything that defines her? What is her identity? Who is Mia?

Daisy speaks up after following everything, asserting to Mia, "You don't need any answers now. Not everything will be figured out right away. It's a journey, and we can all go on it together. Where we end up is up to you."

Mia is liking how it feels to be with people socially, after being locked away on her own with only a drunken father for company for so long. It doesn't feel familiar at all being here, and it's scary, but it's nice here. Everyone likes me, right? I can find something to believe in myself. They're not making fun of how I look, or how I smell, or how I act, like they all used to at school. I used to stand up for myself. I used to fight back. I just... kept getting beat down... Too much... It hurt... They didn't give up on themselves. Maybe they won't give up on me.

A sensationally sexy brunette in a suit, and equally exciting blonde in a rather revealing dress walk by the booth, and the brunette stops to ask Cassie, "Casanova Palmer?"

Cassie looks shocked as he asks in return, "Angie?"

The brunette looks Cassie over, wistfully recalling, "I thought I recognised you. I would know those cheekbones anywhere. It's been how many years? We were kids when we last saw each other at the castle."

Cassie corrects the brunette, "It's Cassie now, by the way, Angie."

The brunette comments, "Cute! I see. I'm not going by Angie either. It's Pleasant now; Pleasant Reid-Cummings," and she presents the blonde beside her, introducing her, "and this is my wife, Frankie Reid-Cummings."

Frankie, 23, calls out, "Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you. I love how you're dressed, may I say?," commenting on Cassie's crossdressing, continuing to note, "Did you make this yourself? It looks so good!"

Cassie is taken aback by the forwardness of Frankie, but takes it in his stride as he appreciatively answers, "Yeah, honey, I like to try different things for my drag, and the best way to do that is to do it yourself. I'm not very good though. A bit of an amateur, but I work at it, wanting to improve all the time. I'm always learning from everything I do."

Frankie sincerely says, "No, you are very good. Believe in yourself! You are learning, sure, but you are doing it. You don't have to make apologies or excuses to me, or anyone. You're living the dream!"

Cassie blushes, responding with, "Thanks, honey. So nice to hear you say that."

Pleasant, 26, extends a hand to each of Cassie's party around the table, introducing themselves from the nearest to her, all the way to the back and centre where her eyes lock onto the shy, nervousness of the young teen, retracting her hand and asking her, "And, what's your name?"

The nervous young teen reservedly replies, "Mia," eyes watering as she stares back into the strong stare of the tall brunette opposite her, sensing her power as they peer into each other's souls.

Pleasant continues to keep Mia's gaze as Frankie leans to say into her ear, "I like her. It's been a while since I've had someone I can break. Especially with Colette around now, taking so much of our attention. I love her, but I'm dying to dominate again. Colette drives me crazy, you know, and I've been storing that up. It would feel so good to break someone fresh, please?"

Considering her wife's proposal, Pleasant quietly confers with her, "Let's ask if she wants to be taken on. It would be good to have her with us," and smiles as she adds, "Besides, Colette is a Mommy's girl. Be her Daddy," making her wife giggle playfully. Pleasant politely asks Mia, "What do you do for work?"

Mia respectfully answers, "I, um... am at college; online mostly."

Pleasant proposes, "I offer you some extracurricular work to help pay off those debts that you'll have, and it pays handsomely. I'm sure it doesn't need to be said that opportunities like this don't come often. If you are interested, you can try out at our studio, Cummings' Cams. Come by tomorrow during the day, and we can show you the ropes, and see if you have what it takes."

Mia politely says, "Um, thanks."

Daisy quickly enquires of Pleasant, "What kind of work are you offering?"

Pleasant informs everyone openly in reply, "It will be sex work on camera. Either solo, or group play, and we are always looking to expand our clientele with new models. Not just girls, if anyone else here is interested?"

Tanner says, "I reckon I am too blunt for sex work. I don't take any shit."

Francis snorts, "Not half," laughing at what Tanner said.

Pleasant assures Tanner, "We have a respectful community screened by our team of moderators, and, straight-talking shows strength of character, and a thick skin. You may be more suited for camming than you give yourself credit for, if you are interested, of course?"

Tanner asks to confirm, "Cummings' Cams?"

Pleasant nods, "That's right."

Tanner pouts as he thinks for a moment, and gives his answer, "Tomorrow, I will be there."

Frankie snuggles up to Pleasant as she looks down at Tanner to say, "Mmm, it will be good to see you there. You are so sexy! I'm sure you will fit in with the boys," giggling at the thoughts racing through her mind.

Pleasant reminds everyone, "Our offer stands for anyone who wants to try out for a position with us. Search 'Cumming's Cams,' for details," and looks specifically at Mia as she says, "We look forward to seeing you there, but, we understand if you don't show," and she walks away with Frankie, who waves a goodbye to everyone from under Pleasant's wing.

Daisy asks Mia, "You're not considering going, are you?"

Mia shrugs, and admits, "I'm thinking about the money. It's work."

Daisy soberly informs her friend, "Mia, it's selling your body on the internet for all to see. Are you really ready to show the world yourself at your most vulnerable? You've not even enjoyed sex with someone you really love yet. This is not the way to get what you want."

Mia hears her friend's wisdom, but states, "It's my choice, and, it's to try out, like an interview. I don't have to take the job, but I have to put myself out there at some point. How else will I learn to grow as a person if I don't rise to the challenge?"

Daisy rubs the teen's arm, and smiles with a tear in her eye as she tells her, "Whatever you decide, I am behind you, Mia. Just, I wonder if you even have looked at this stuff online?"

Repulsed, Mia hastily replies, "No... Uh, definitely not. I just, uh... do things the old-fashioned way, by myself, with my thoughts, or a magazine."

Daisy curiously asks, "Magazine?"

Mia instantly assures her friend, "Rock magazine. What did you think?"

Daisy smiles, and chuckles, "Mia, you are so innocent; even naive about the ways of the world. You should have a look at what you are getting into. Just so you can see exactly what is being asked of you."

Mia promises, "I will," taking a sip of a freshly refilled glass of the sugary cocktail.

The crackle of static sounds from the speakers around the club, drawing the clubgoers attention to the stage at the rear, backed with a drape backdrop with a neon sign hanging in front of it, reading, 'X-Town,' and behind the mic stand front and centre of the stage stands none other than the proprietor herself, with a bold voice booming from backstage to announce, "And now, for this evening's entertainment, introducing first your first lady of drag, the incomparable, Owo Uwu!"

Applause bursts through the club as a strong spotlight shines so bright that the rest of the club seems to darken, creating an ethereal sense from Owo Uwu's figure, enraptured in her radiance, casting her arms aloft as the opening chords of music plays from the speakers, and she begins to sing, "Gonna kiss you into next week. Gonna plant a party on your cheek. Gonna sweep you of-a your feet. Brush you with a broom into a-your sheets. I'm an animal on-a my knees. Can I growl or purr as you please? Gonna kiss you into next week. Are you ready---- for a party on-a your cheek."

The music fills to become more intense, and Owo Uwu sings on, "Gonna smear you with lipstick. Gonna make a mess all on your... hehe! Gonna make you feel all nice. Eat me up, a treat just for your eyes. Take your fill of me when I'm beneath. You'll find me sweet enough to rot your teeth. I'm a-tell you caution is advised. I make grown men weak between the thighs."

The music settles into a swing groove, as Owo Uwu goes into the next verse, "Gonna pull you with magnetic force. Gonna get energetic on all fours. Gonna rock with you in my arms. Feel emotions but just leave the drams. I'm a real slut when in the mood. Watch those fingers 'cause I'm a bitch too. Gonna be a slave to no-one, you better learn. Or face from me a fire that is sure to burn-- burn-- oooooh let it bur--ur--ur--ur--ur--ur--ur--ur--ooooooh let it burn, yeah-eh."

Owo Uwu readies for a reprisal of the opening verse, "Gonna kiss you into next week. Gonna plant a party on your cheek. Gonna sweep you of-a your feet. Brush you with a broom into a-your sheets. I'm an animal on-a my knees. Can I growl or purr as you please? Gonna kiss you into next week. Are you ready---- Are you ready---- for a party on-a your cheek."

The music finishes perfectly in time with Owo Uwu, giving a perfect punctuation point to the performance, leaving the entire club exploding in applause with their breaths sucked from their lungs and their faces utterly stunned. Owo Uwu softly says into the mic, "Thank you. And, thank you to all for being here tonight. This isn't a show without all of you, so thank you for making this happen," taking a moment to bask in renewed applause, standing with poise as she announces, "And now, I would like to introduce to the stage a brave new soul who will surely dazzle all. Welcome warmly to the stage, Cassieopeia!"

Strutting forth from the gloom of the crowd, parting the cheering masses, Cassieopeia steps onto the stage and into the spotlight, gripping the microphone with a commanding presence as Owo Uwu steps back, applauding the newcomer to her club. Cassieopeia pulls the mic to her mouth, with her back still turned to the audience, commandingly calling, "Let's do this." She is holding the straps of her high-heels in one hand, slinging them over her shoulder as she begins to sing with the music softly starting, "Holding my heels for miles, just so I see your smiles, I've come down to you from so wide so far. Bursting forth from the smoke, be careful not to choke, this veil can hide me no more, no more, no more---"

Leading into a chorus, Cassieopeia sings, "I won't be held down," and spins around to face the crowd as she sings more intensely, "Rising from the clouds, it's in my spirit, I was born to soar-oar--- Shedding off my skin, it's in my nature, and you will hear me roar-oar--- Shining like the sun, I will keep you warm, let's shelter from the stor-orm--- Here above it all, I will take my place, I was born to be a star-ar---"