Welldark B1 Ch. 08

It wasn't the number that got us some attention, it was the quality. Esther and Aclysia, as I would never stop appreciating, were drop-dead gorgeous. Symmetrical and attractive facial features, wonderful hair, and luscious curves. Aside from that, all three of us were at least minorly famous. There was some sort of university newsletter that had reported on the happenings of the introduction ceremony. It was doubtful a lot of people read it, but some was enough to get the rumour mill going.

All of that aside, Aclysia was likely somewhat known by the townsfolk, purely because of her heritage. She was essentially a part of Welldark's royalty.

The crowds around us thinned out the further we got away from the city centre. After about forty minutes of walking, our only company was the occasional soft gale. The wind carried with it the smell of sweet flowers and fresh grass. Once more, Welldark's suburban nature came to please me in its simultaneously compact and spaced out design. The small, colourful decorations that individualized the gothic buildings of purple, grey and black, often harmonized with the petals that grew from the green lawn and brown dirt of the well-kept gardens.

Birds, mostly of the small variety, sat on fences, hid in the hedges, rested in the trees or bathed in the little pools people provided for them. They chirped their lovely songs, a pleasant replacement for the sounds of cars or centipede demons that bigger cities used.

It was no wonder many people who graduated Welldark chose to return there when they were done adventuring. I had to assume that not everyone who wanted to settle here was allowed to. Otherwise, Welldark would have needed to grow bigger to accommodate. That, in turn, would have made it less pleasant to live in.

"We are about to arrive," Aclysia informed us and accelerated her steps, turning the corner on her own. My left side felt lonely immediately, but it had to happen at some point. Esther and I followed hastily, our steps echoing on the grey pavement.

The shop Aclysia stopped in front of almost seemed like it didn't want to get noticed. It was a simple, square extension to a house. Essentially, it was a larger garage with a door and a window instead of a gate. Said window was likely one-way, as I could only use its black surface to check my reflection and to read the name of the shop. Written in golden letters, it said 'White Weave'.

When we walked in, the warmth of the day was immediately replaced by the pleasant cool of a climatized store. A hint of peppermint played around my nose and soft classical music replaced the chirping of birds. An electric bell announced our arrival. I heard movement in the back, but had enough time to inspect our surroundings.

What was inside the shop lay in stark contrast to the simplicity of the outside. The floor was a burgundy red carpet of sublime cleanliness. Every piece of furniture in the room was expertly crafted from mahogany. Shelves covered most of the walls, holding many types and colours of fabric and yarn. A small number of mannequins wore exemplary dresses of great beauty, both of simple and intricate designs. Only one wore a suit.

Esther stepped up to the mannequins and inspected the craftsmanship, while I walked to the central table and took a look around for anything else that might be interesting. There wasn't much. However, I did get to confirm my suspicion that the window was one-way.

"Ah, Sia, dear, I was wondering who it would be!" an enthusiastic voice rang out and I turned toward the other end of the room. Leaving the door behind her open, a blonde woman entered. She was a human, it appeared, since I could make out nothing that would point to any other origins.

Her lean form was clad in a white dress, whose gem-beset surface sparkled as she moved. On her slightly wrinkly face, she wore a broad smile. That changed for a few moments, while she bowed down and gave Aclysia two quick kisses on either cheek. She was a giant of a woman, with arms that displayed some muscle, but very long and slender fingers. A successful fusion between an amazon and a noble lady, that's how I would have described her. The earrings she wore had the same blue colour as her eyes.

"Who did you bring here today?" she asked, checking out me and Esther. Her left hand was already raised in a greeting wave, showing the black circle that wrapped around her ring finger, numerous lines crossing through it. It marked her as a member of an Anomalia, although I didn't know which one and I was too far away to count the lines and find out about her relative power. I only saw that there were relatively few.

"May I introduce," Aclysia gestured towards us. "Karitas Desia and Lady Esther." I winced a little bit at the mention of my last name. I really didn't like it. "This is my anolia, Sybille Taurus."

Anolia was a term used to describe the different women in a father's Anomalia who weren't a child's mother (the male equivalent was anolit). In other words, although the last name made this blindingly obvious, Sybille was a member of Taurus' Anomalia and one of the women who had raised Aclysia.

"An honour," I said, bowing my head respectfully. Esther simply mimicked the motion, not feeling the need to echo what I had said.

"Oh, now that's a surprise," Sybille said, snickering a little bit to herself. "I do wonder what Dere will think about that..." I guessed that Dere was a nickname for Derilea, Aclysia's actual mother. "...Anyway, I'm gonna assume you're here to get dressed up for the ball tomorrow?"

"Yes," Esther confirmed in her soft accent.

"Alright, do you have the coupons with you?" The question came mostly expected and of course we did. Well, Esther did. She had put both mine and hers into her bag this morning so I wouldn't have to carry around my own bag when I took the train into the city. The alternative was to turn it into a crumpled mess in my pocket.

While she handed them over, I had a small question. "Do you really need that money, being one of the headmaster's women and all that?"

"I need to buy the replacement materials," the blonde responded, while going over the two, highly decorated pieces of paper. After being certain that they were real, she placed them on the counter where the register also stood. "If I asked Arus for everything, I would feel hurt in my pride. That aside, that's exactly what these coupons are for, so it's better to use them than waste that pretty paper Dere so carefully decorated."

That made enough sense, so I just nodded.

"Now," having stored away the coupons, Sybille walked up to me. "Let's start with you. Men are usually quicker to finish up with. I assume you want a regular suit?"

"Make it bright green and covered in lucky charms," I joked and Sybille punched me on the shoulder with a friendly laugh.

"At least cute little Aclysia picked someone with humour! Never thought I would see the day. When she was thirteen, she kept insisting that jokes were-"

"Honoured anolia!" Aclysia interjected, already blushing. "I would be much obliged if you were to not mention my shameful years."

"What, did you have a rebellious phase?" I asked, too intrigued to let that pass by. There was nothing greater in the world than to tease people one was interested or in love with. It may only have been interest at this moment, but getting anecdotes prepared ahead of time was wise. That way, I could lovingly annoy her more effectively.

"Quite the contrary, she had a very obedient phase. Like all of Derilea's daughters. Very diligent and serve-happy genes. Do recommend keeping at least one around and happy," Sybille winked. "I have a bet running whether she also inherited Dere's fetishes, so if she's into sucking you off, give me a call."

"HONOURED ANOLIA!" Aclysia shouted and stomped on the floor in a very atypical fashion. Her paleness had been replaced with a shade of red. Her hairline was suddenly exceedingly visible. "I demand you cease immediately!"

"Can I have your number? You know, just to learn more?" I requested openly. "What's the stance on spanking?"

"...Not even a blush of red, my Lord, you are quite the open pervert," Sybille commented on my reactions. "I'll think about the number as for the spanking...," she winked at Aclysia, "In the interest of Sia's maidenly nerves, I won't tell you more though."

"Guess I'll just find out for myself," I declared with a grin. Next to me, Esther softly shook her head and, across the table, Aclysia stared at her feet. Letting the emotions simmer down, I decided to get back to the topic at hand. "Anyway, yes, a simple suit will do. Black or dark blue, I don't particularly care for or against either."

"Mhm, difficult... black would contrast with your hair nicely, blue harmonize with the eyes...," Sybille's tone shifted into more appropriate business talk, now that she was eyeing me like a designer would. "I could do both by modifying the jacket... no, that'd be a bit busy for a man's outfit. Given that you wear your hair this long, black will have a better effect. Normal suit pants?" I nodded. "Mhm... ah, yes, that will do then. Come with me please." She suddenly turned around and waltzed towards the door she had come from.

"I'll be back in a bit, I suppose," I said and casually waved at my dates. The back was one relatively spacious hall, separated into numerous work areas by curtains that could be pulled into place however wanted, thanks to railings under the ceiling. Where the front room was the orderly store, this was the chaotic work room. Equipment and half-done projects hung and stood around everywhere. Sybille directed me towards one corner with a stool and quickly took my measurements. Then she vanished for a full minute.

When she reappeared, she presented me with a jacket to try on. It fit perfectly, so that was a great start. Next, she came back with a pair of pants, which also fit perfectly already. It seemed she was an industrious woman that kept most sizes in stock.

"Tie?" she asked, once both of those were sorted out.

"I'd rather not," I answered honestly. As a hand to hand fighter, I found ties absolutely horrible. They were useless articles of clothing that only looked moderately good (not even that, in my opinion) and gave potential enemies something easy to grab.

"Alright... if you had said yes, I would have given you a white shirt with a blue tie. If you aren't wearing one, we're just going with a blue shirt," Sybille decided, stepped out of the curtain room I had to myself and left me standing there. In only my underpants and shirt, I may add. Sybille had just watched me change into different things. I felt no lechery from her, she was purely professional about this. The only sizing up I felt was analysis.

Once she returned with a sky-blue shirt, I had to reduce what little I was wearing to just the underpants. I did that too without hesitation. "Oh yeah, you'll be a good partner for little Sia," Sybille decided, probably in response to my abs. "In case this needs saying, if you make her cry, you will have a bad time."

"It doesn't and I won't -- not with any malicious purpose, at least," I promised, while sliding into the assorted outfit. All three pieces combined, I stepped in front of a large mirror to inspect myself.

The suit fit on all levels. Rolling my shoulders and stretching my arms, I found no restriction in my movement whatsoever. In a worst-case scenario, I could fight in it, which I deemed rather important for any set of clothes.

When it came to being stylish, it was simple and effective. As Sybille had said, the smooth black of the jacket and pants contrasted well with my white hair. The underlying blue shirt, on the other hand, had almost the same colour as my eyes. The bright colour took some of the harshness from the black. It made me seem sleek and mysterious, with only a hint of the gothic darkness that enveloped Welldark. I very much liked it.

"Despite being three pieces, male outfits are always easier," Sybille sighed. "The uniformity makes things a whole lot easier. Women often like it fancier."

"Well, I'll be happy to see what you make for Esther," I said with a smile. In the spirit of making things go smoother, I also told her something before it could become an issue, "She won't change if someone else is in the room. Things will go quicker if you step out."

"Is that so?" Sybille cocked her head as she digested that little tidbit. "I'll keep it in mind. Now change back and get out of here." She simultaneously gave me hurried gestures and friendly winks. "It'll be a lot more pleasing if you only see each other dressed up tomorrow."

She had a point there.

____________________________________________

"Wow, you look like you actually belong in that suit," Arlethia poked fun at me, while she stirred the milk she had on the stove. "Fancy thing, wasted on you."

"I tend to agree," I said flippantly, rolling the firm fabric of the jacket's chest segmented between my fingers. "And I should still get more like this one. What are you doing anyway?"

"Hot chocolate," Willt responded for her, reading at the table. "You want some too?"

"I don't want to challenge my luck," I denied with a dramatic wave. "If the world feels I was too happy recently, it might just decide that I ruin this suit by covering myself in that hot chocolate," I looked at the clock. "And it's not like I have even close to the time necessary to wash this thing."

The rest of the date had been a breeze of pleasant emotions. Clothes had been bought, ice cream had been eaten and banter had been had. It ended when Esther and I had gone to work. We got through our shifts and took a train home, after the appropriate time had been spent serving tables. That was about 16 hours ago. Now it was Sunday afternoon. Much of the day, I had already spent with the lady of my desires. Only about thirty minutes ago, had we decided to get ready for this ball.

Now, I was busy waiting in the kitchen. That Arlethia and Willt were there was pure chance. Admittedly, a high chance, given the time of day and our status as housemates. "How are you two doing anyway?" I asked. "Do you miss having me around all the time?"

"We still see you every day," Arlethia gestured in my direction with her thin tail, since her hands were occupied adding cocoa to the milk. "Which is grounds for a formal complaint with the school!"

"You do remember you're living in the house the school provided me with, right? Do tell me you remember this? Do you?" I pestered her with questions, especially since she didn't respond immediately.

"At least I have enough control over my finances to afford hot chocolate!" The succubus tried to pivot.

I decided to oblige, "You wouldn't have that problem if you just worked."

"Actually," Will chimed in, "I'll start doing that next week." I turned to him to hear him out. Developments in my friends' lives were developments in my life. "Got an answer from the university library earlier. The post for assistant demon communicator was open, so I put in an application. I'll be helping professors with setting up rituals before classes sometimes during the week. Pays pretty well."

"Also trains my Willt in being a good warlock," Arlethia's tail swayed happily as she got to boast about her boyfriend. "Succubi love capable warlocks. That'll get that demon harem rolling for sure."

"You ha-" I was about to poke fun at his monotone taste in women, when my eyes got stuck on the legs that strut into the room. "-mena hamena hamena," I babbled instead, while Esther showed herself completely.

High heels clacked with every step she took and every step also revealed a wonderful amount of leg. Her skirt was long and straight, slit open at the sides exactly to reveal her smooth skin. Every bit of the dress was perfectly tailored to her curves, making it stick tightly to her hips, waist and bosom, accentuating the curves of her hourglass figure. The majority of the dress was of a golden amber, with black decorations covering the rim of her skirt, travelling up the slit and her sides, to finally end at her shoulders.

The front of the dress had a V-cut. The resulting cleavage, juicy and deep, was framed by strands of gold that slung over her shoulders and covered her back completely. It was a very specific design, allowing her to hide whatever she didn't want people to see while also giving deep insight into her ample breasts.

This was the first time I saw as much as half of these wonderfully squishy melons. For all the times I had touched them, I had never seen Esther with even a single button open. Now that cleavage was right there and, in the name of the Father, was it a firm display. There was some sagging, yes, but only as much as was natural.

That sight alone made this whole evening worth the effort. I had finally gotten as much as a glance at those bags filled with the hopes and dreams of my erotic future. I wanted to see more and feel more, much more, but the taste was a good start.

With some difficulty, I looked up and found Esther smiling widely, I could even see her pearly white teeth between those full, red lips. Her hair had gotten some additional combing and she wore it in a high ponytail today. It didn't make much of a difference, particularly because she was still wearing her tricorne, but I noticed.

"You... I mean... uhm," I had trouble picking my words, which was a rare experience for me. No matter how often I mentally punched my brain, it refused to properly restart. My nerves were hindering each other, like grinding gears. 'Hamena hamena hamena,' was the only sound my mind produced. Occasionally, a single reasonably constructed sentence surfaced, 'Make her your Queen already, you incompetent flirt!'

"Your suit is fitting you well, attractive Karitas," Esther responded to my stammering with a compliment. That did finally initiate the reboot. However, I did make the mistake of speaking before it was done.

"Thanks, you too." I said This served to make me the target of everyone's laughter for the next five seconds. Arlethia was the first to burst into loud laughter at my awkwardness and the last to stop.

"You're a giant dork," the red succubus declared.

"Yes, but I am a giant dork with that wonderful lady over there as my date!" I retorted, my tongue back under my control. Standing up, I took the three steps over to where Esther had stopped, and was currently giggling. I extended my hand and made a proper buttler's bow. "If I may be of service to you tonight, milady."

"You may, my Karitas," she responded and placed her hand in mine. Without further ado, we headed for the door. "I wish you an enjoyable evening," my main date said towards the friends I left in my (lent) mansion.

"You too, try to survive Karitas' prolonged awkwardness," Arlethia waved after us.

"And softly stomp on his foot if he starts babbling on about philosophy nonsense," Willt added, visibly more comfortable around Esther by now.

"I will be mindful of the option," Esther responded, while we headed out.

The articles of footwear we had on, her black high heels and my polished leather shoes, touched the floor outside the house for the first time. This was the high-society life. Not practical and certainly not for me, but I was willing to wear the clothes for the evening. "You move pretty well in high heels," I said. They weren't particularly high, six centimetres at worst, but I had known girls that couldn't handle any shoes of that variety, purely because of the shape of the heel.

"I had some training in the past," Esther responded and squeezed my hand. "It may occur that I misstep regardless, in such a case I rely on you to catch me."

"I'll be paying the greatest of attention to you, Esther," I promised.

"I believe you," her genuine smile was pure beauty. "And that doesn't strike me as odd anymore."