Erastus 23

  “What, exactly, are you hoping to get out of this?” Cog asked, settling into one of the waiting room chairs.

  Cog was irritated with Emrys, but that didn’t excuse a ck of professionalism. Captain Bck’s list was somehow both comprehensive and unclear. She id out time blocks seemingly at random for different sex acts, interspersed with break time and meals. She even had a damn menu built into it.

  “Whatever do you mean?” The catfolk girl in question asked, ears flicking with irritation. “I intend to learn the art of lovemaking.”

  “To what end?” Cog persisted. “If it’s to impress a boyfriend, I can assure you that he’d prefer to educate you himself. You want to use this information for something, and that will radically alter my approach.”

  Captain Bck’s face settled into a perfectly neutral expression, as was common for many Amurrun. Ironically the ones with feline faces tended to be easier for a novice to read. It was intuitive that one should look beyond the human-like face for information when they were overtly bestial. Cog could see at a gnce that Pepper was tense, as her ears were very stiff.

  “I wish to understand how to bring a man pleasure so that he will like me.” She admitted, “I have a pretty face and pleasing body, and many men think with their nethers. If I can offer and bring pleasure, I should be able to bend them to my will, no?”

  “Ah. Yes, I can help you with that.” Cog said, cleanly ripping the packet of papers in two with no more difficulty than he would a sheet of rice paper. “This schedule, however, won’t.”

  Pepper’s eyes narrowed as her ears fttened against her head. Cog met her gaze with steady confidence.

  “If you’re asking for a teacher in the art of seduction, I can manage it.” He said, “I won’t be doing so by fucking your brains out for eight hours, and anyone who would take that approach would be taking advantage of you. Maniputing people with sex isn’t my specialty, but I’m familiar with the process.”

  Cog wasn’t particurly good at manipution, not compared to many of his friends, and he hadn’t slept all night. Emrys had dropped a lit fuse in his p and ordered him to turn it into a pile of money. Telling the truth seemed like the best approach.

  “Mister Cogward, I’m quite sure that I covered the core concepts in my schedule.” She said coldly. “Forepy, seduction…”

  “They had an hour each, yes, despite being more than 80% of what you need.” Cog cut her off. “You don’t know what you need to know, it seems. I know a few people who can assist me with this. It’ll be a team effort to educate you on the subject, but I think we can manage it in the time frame you requested. We can even stop for breaks and meals at the times you specified if it’s really that important, but if you want something worth half of the money you are offering? You’re going to need to trust me.”

  Captain Bck stared at him, ears flicking, for several long moments. In all likelihood she was turning his words over in her mind, looking for any fws in his logic. She didn’t seem to find any.

  “Very well. I’ll expect a new schedule to be given to me when we next meet.” She huffed. “There were margins for a reason. You could have added annotations instead of wasting paper; I used a proper ruler- Oh never mind.”

  “I’d have needed to rewrite the whole thing anyway. Here tomorrow, an hour past first light?” Cog suggested. “I’ll give you a proposal. Since you’re paying, I’ll even let you make amendments if something upsets you. Within reason, of course. It’s more or less non-negotiable that I’ll be bringing in at least one additional person so you can have a practice partner. I’m not opposed to getting involved, but I want to keep a clear head as much as possible.”

  ??????????

  “She insisted on a man teaching her?” Sosima asked, fbbergasted, “And she was focused on the physical aspect? That poor girl.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Cog agreed, stifling a yawn. “I’d really appreciate it if you came with me tomorrow, or at least helped me figure out the itinerary. I’ll be leaving at dawn.”

  “I suppose it’s for the best she’s a captain.” Sosima said with a sniff. “I’m sure Emrys would have been happy to pick up another stray.”

  “She’s effectively Shackles nobility, Sosima.” Cog pointed out. “You can hardly call her a stray. More likely she’s sheltered. I get the impression she might be a virgin, actually.”

  “So you intend to have Emrys deflower another virgin affiliated with Plugg?” Sandara asked, butting in. “That went great st time he tried it.”

  “Indeed.” Sosima said, pcing one fingernail upon her lips thoughtfully, “it may forge a bond of sorts, but on the other hand it might pose undo risk. People don’t like it if they realize they are being maniputed.”

  Cog agreed that putting Emrys together with Pepper might be risky, but he didn’t think they had much choice now that they were committed. He couldn’t do it, not while serving as an objective teacher. Who else could serve as a training partner for Captain Bck? Jape?

  ??????????

  “Gross.” Winsome said, turning back to her desk with a flip of her pale blue hair. With a single word, Pepper’s elven roommate summed up her feelings both for the pn and casual sex in general.

  https://postimg.cc/PpqY7HsT

  Pepper smoothed out her shift, slitted in the back to allow her fluffy tail to extend behind her. She’d been hoping for slightly more engagement from her ship wizard when she expined the pnned investment. She hadn’t expected enthusiasm, but at least a little professional curiosity would have been nice. It wasn’t as if she was suggesting mandatory lessons for the whole crew.

  “It is not.” She fumed, her tail shing. “It’s an additional tool I can use. What of the Baron we are supposed to deal with? Perhaps I’ll be able to persuade him if I can get close enough in private.”

  “Or, or,” Winsome suggested, holding up a finger without looking up, “if you literally catch him with his pants down, you just kill him. Like the job description says. I don’t know why you’re making this complicated, Pepper. You don’t actually need to let anyone touch you. It’s gross.”

  Pepper flushed, her cheeks hot enough to cook eggs. Winsome was correct, of course. She wanted a new weapon, but she also just wanted to demystify sex. Most of her friends from back home were married, frequently to men twice their ages, and Pepper had yet to have even a serious boyfriend. She’d been holding out for a love match, but it’s surprisingly difficult to find a good man while sailing and virtually impossible while closely monitored by a retired pirate lord. To have her would-be tutor point out her utter inadequacy in this field had been positively mortifying.

  She was Pepper Bck, damn it. She was never at a loss, never out of her depth, and never cking the right tool for a job. She ground her teeth together, vowing that by dusk she would be a master courtesan. Men would beg to share her bed, and if they did so once they’d beg to be allowed back.

  Even better, maybe once she blew off some steam she’d stop fantasizing about sleeping with everyone on her crew. It was unbecoming of a captain. Unprofessional. Damn it, she knew for a fact that Winsome didn’t have any interest in women and precious little in men, but the dreams just kept coming. She was even more mortified when she found herself thinking of Caruthers; his wife was dead, but he was clearly still faithful to her. She did not want to tarnish anyone’s honor.

  ??????????

  “Improvisation should be kept to a minimum, while appearing entirely spontaneous.” Sosima counseled, offering Pepper a cup of tea. “You need to know what you want, what you are willing to give, and the timeframe you are working with, all in advance.”

  Cog sat back, watching as Sosima worked. Cog had elected to segment the lessons, managing Captain Bck’s embarrassment by having different styles of teaching take pce in different rooms. Here in the tea room, Sosima instructed her on theory.

  “Timeframe as in a few minutes versus several hours?” Pepper asked.

  “Yes and no. A proper seduction can potentially st years.” Sosima said. “Really, there are many factors that influence the timeframe. The value of the prize you desire, for example. If you only intend to distract, a low cut dress and a smile should be able to capture your prey’s attention for several minutes. If you want to get him alone, that may take a few hours if he’s wary. If you want to take his fortune through legal means, you’ll likely need to work on him for months or years, during which he will likely expect you to fulfill at least a few promises.”

  “Are these generally applicable estimates?” Pepper asked, scribbling in a notepad.

  “As, no.” Sosima said with a tight smile. “I suspect that Crimson here would take far longer to manipute with a pretty face than the average wastrel nobleman or nepotistic officer. You must choose targets carefully. I recall, back when I lived in Kintargo, a girl who spent years attempting to snare a certain man. He would have propelled her instantly into high nobility. As it turned out, he was so resistant to her attempts because he was far too busy cavorting with his footman. A regrettable but common practice among men engaged in the opera.”

  “Oh dear, what happened?” Pepper asked, her ears bent forward to listen.

  “She was so distressed that she publicized the information out of spite.” Sosima shared, shaking her head, “It was quite a scandal, ruining his marriage prospects, and he crushed her in retaliation. She could have engaged in some judicious bckmail, but she’d allowed herself to grow far too attached. It’s an easy mistake to make, but one of the most dangerous.”

  “To fall in love?” Pepper asked, skeptical.

  “Yes. The worst part is that almost everyone does it eventually.” Sosima said conically. “Hopefully with someone that is both attainable and good for them. Personally, I’m arguably lucky I only met Emrys after having been abroad for decades. He rather swept me off my feet, but I don’t have much waiting for me back in Cheliax to weigh against him.”

  “He swept you off your feet rather quickly, from what I hear.” Pepper said, tentatively.

  “I do hope Sebastien isn’t too bitter.” Sosima said, brazenly filing her nails. “That is something else you must consider. The likelihood of an antagonistic future, should your pn succeed.”

  Cog checked the hourgss. He didn’t want this conversation to go too far.

  “Alright girls.” He said, “finish your tea, it’s time for practical applications again.”

  ??????????

  Pepper left Sosima behind somewhat reluctantly. The beautiful Tiefling woman smelled of salt and faint cinnamon, and was fascinating to talk to. Pepper loved talking to experts; whether they accommodated her ignorance or made her feel like a dunce, she almost always came out of such a conversation with a roadmap for further learning. She hadn’t even realized how much strategy went into seduction, even though it really should have been obvious. Violence, dialogue, business… they all required meticulous pnning; why wouldn’t sex be just the same?

  Of course, Mister Cogward was equally vital to what she intended to learn. He expined sex clinically, which she appreciated more than she expected to. His deep voice was very attractive, and when he touched her his hands were gentle. She could have gotten very, very distracted if he’d tried.

  “You can probably take advantage of the fact that you have different erogenous zones than most humanoids.” He expined. “Your nipples and thighs are much less sensitive than most humans, for example. However, if someone knows a bit more about Amurrun physiology they may stroke you here.”

  Pepper felt a gentle tingling sensation as Cog ran his fingers along the back of her neck. She remembered his earlier lesson, and did not lean into it. The purr that began in her throat was squelched before it could become audible.

  “If the guy doesn’t know, you can let him do things that would be far more distracting to a human or elf, and feign more pleasure than you’re actually feeling.” Cog expined. “There’s another spot that you may have noticed is extremely sensitive to touch. I’ve told Emrys about it, and I’ll need you to do your best to maintain composure when he surprises you. You need to master your reactions. Furthermore, that also applies to your ears. Are you aware of how much you’re shouting your feelings?”

  ??????????

  Cog watched through the alchemically treated gss. Pepper believed that Emrys was briefing him after every round, but that would have been extremely inefficient. Many of the rooms at the temple had these false walls, allowing for enhanced security with the illusion of a one-on-one environment.

  Emrys and Pepper were dancing, rolepying a common location for seduction: a party. She needed to act as if she were in public, so maintaining her composure was vital. She was doing fairly well this time; Cog could only catch about half of their words, but she hadn’t missed a step as of yet. She seemed to enjoy these scenarios quite a lot.

  “She’s pyacting.” Sosima whispered, joining him at the window. “I’ve seen the type.”

  “Hmm?” Cog asked, “what do you mean?”

  “I doubt she’s had much experience with men.” Sosima expined. “I believe you said her father was some kind of warlord? I believe it. That is a girl with an overprotective father if I’ve ever seen one.”

  “She ran off on him, apparently.” Cog shared. “Svartur Bck has a small bounty posted for information about her whereabouts. That's probably why she’s in a backwater like this.”

  “So she immediately pays a hundred gold for a day in which she seems most invested while gossiping and pretending to go on a series of dates.” Sosima said with a smile. “Practically a child. Do you think she’s ready for full physical contact yet? Are you sure she’s had her first kiss?”

  “I asked about kissing obliquely, and she’s mostly been restricted to retively chaste kissing. Honestly I’m having some fun at her expense.” Cog said, “getting her worked up. A girl like her isn’t going to be going into any kind of encounter completely cold.”

  He heard a moaned “oh!” through the wall.

  “Ah, he went for the base of the tail.” He said with a wicked smile. “Let’s see how she recovers.”

  ??????????

  “One of the advantages of a smaller ship is that I don’t need to worry much about personnel.” Pepper expined, swaying through the waltz. “It’s just me and a few friends I can trust. I’ve brought on a few extra people, but a crew of four was quite sufficient.”

  “I can see the appeal,” Emrys agreed, keeping perfect time with the music box, “I might have chosen something smaller if I’d bought my ship. Finding enough people to crew it is half the reason we are in Goatshead.”

  Pepper didn’t know why Nendra had chosen to keep this man a secret, but she had a few theories. He seemed to be something of a rake, for one thing. She was still in the process of breaking Ricarlo out of his ridiculous caricature, but he’d been quite the fount of information about Captain M’Dair. If Emrys couldn’t resist a pretty face, no wonder Nendra refused to introduce him to polite society. Pepper wasn’t even the prettiest girl in her book club.

  Though girded with such knowledge, Pepper couldn’t help but find him charming. He had an easy confidence about him, multitasking with effortless grace. It was rare that he took his eyes off her face while pouring tea, taking her hand, moving furniture, or any number of simir tasks. It was hard to keep Caulky’s dark looks in mind when he spoke fondly of his multiple lovers. Was it really so bad to be attached to more than one person, if you could give them all sufficient attention? Pepper wondered if he had a schedule for them.

  “I was exceptionally fortunate.” Pepper admitted with a smile. “Mine fell directly into my p, perhaps as a gift from Besmara. Sometimes the Chelish keep shrunken ships in bottles to serve as a kind of emergency backup. One washed ashore near Port Peril and somehow I was the first to find it.”

  As they danced, Emrys teased her. He kissed the sensitive backs of her hands, found excuses to brush against her neck. She wondered if Cog knew she would be conflicted? Loyalty to her new friend and old acquaintance certainly helped her focus. It almost seemed as if she was being trained in how to resist seduction, rather than how to do the deed herself.

  “That would have been nice!” Emrys ughed, “I had quite a few close calls on the way to getting mine. For a while, I worried that I might need to figure out some way to build one from scratch. I’m sure Plugg would have preferred that.”

  “I’m sure he would have.” Pepper answered diplomatically. “He’s rather put out with you for leaving his service so abruptly.”

  “I couldn’t grow under him.” Emrys expined, “there was already too much bad blood. Better to part ways, but I’m not here to talk about Plugg.”

  They spun together, the next step of the dance, stepping close to one another as they slowed. Emrys’s long arm slid down, and his hand deliberately pressed against her lower back. It felt pleasant, but as they kept dancing his fingers crept lower, exploring the area. Pepper felt her cheeks flush, her breath catching as she tried to keep dancing.

  No. I’m losing focus. Maybe if I distract him, he’ll stop. I don’t really want him to stop, but if I let this keep going I’m sure it would upset Caulky, and likely Nendra as well. Damn him, why must he be off limits?

  In the haze of arousal, Pepper seized upon the fact that her lips were somewhat less sensitive to pleasure than a human’s. She leaned forward and kissed Emrys, pulling him down a few inches. She didn’t really know what to do with her mouth during a kiss, so she wasn’t anywhere near as distracting as she told herself she should have been.

  Emrys’s damnable, wonderful skill at multitasking allowed him to keep on toying with the sensitive area just above her tail even as he rose to the task of kissing her. His tongue flicked out to taste her lips, even running against her teeth as she gasped in pleasure. His off hand, which had been pced inoffensively between her shoulder bdes, crept up to her neck to pull her into the kiss.

  Pressure and heat built in her nether regions. She found herself pressing in ever closer to him, the dance entirely forgotten. It was ecstasy, and she didn’t want it to stop. He continued, merciless, until she felt her entire body quake at once with pleasure. A moan escaped her lips, and her legs felt like they were made from rope.

  As the pleasure ebbed, just slightly, crity returned as well.

  “I… I think I’m done with this lesson.” Pepper choked out. “It’s gone quite far enough.”

  “If you’d like.” Emrys said, frowning with clear disappointment, “I thought things were going quite well. Didn’t you want to go all the way today?”

  “Not with you.” Pepper insisted, only half directed at Emrys. “Now that I know more of you, I won’t do that to my friends. Caulky and Nendra both deserve better than that.”

  She wanted more, by all the gods she wanted more, but she would not be that kind of woman. Not for her first time. Not knowingly.

  “Nendra, at least, has made it abundantly clear that she has no issue with me sleeping with other women.” He said, with a surprisingly bitter edge. “If anything, she insists.”

  Pepper could not help but believe him.

  “Even so, there are conflicts that I’d prefer be resolved before I commit to anything more intimate with you.” Pepper said. “More than one, judging by your tone.”

  “Why did you agree to practice with me, then?” Emrys asked. “This was always at least partially the point of these scenes. You trying to seduce me, me trying to throw you off.”

  “I told myself that the pn was for only Cog to touch me unclothed.” Pepper answered, blushing. “I should have been more clear with you.”

  “Maybe.” He said, sighing. “You’re the one paying, though. You set the rules. Can’t say I’m not disappointed.”

  “If it helps, I’m disappointed as well.” Pepper admitted. “Perhaps another time? You’re very skilled with your hands, and despite what Sebastien says, I don’t think you’re half as bad as he thinks. Jakes spoke quite highly of you.”

  “Jakes?” He asked, shock clear on his face.

  “Yes. Jakes Magpie, my helmsman.” She answered, “overly impulsive and unfortunately resistant to bathing, but the man knows ships and knows a little bit about everything.”

  She wrinkled her nose as she thought of Jakes’s body odor. Few things repulsed her like a ck of proper grooming. A shame; he was visually appealing enough, she supposed.

  “I’ll need to buy him a drink before you leave.” Emrys said, “I’m gd he’s well.”

  “You don’t have to hurry.” Pepper assured him. “He refused to serve on the same ship as Sebastien. Something about an attempt on his life. We intend to part ways sooner rather than ter, so I’m hoping to come pick Jakes back up along with a few more recruits after this job in Sargava. If you poach him, I can’t stop you.”

  It was truly a shame to turn off such a promising sailor, but Plugg was practically family. Even when family is acting unacceptably, one must make allowances for them. There were limits. Harsh limits, in fact. If Sebastien made any move against a member of her crew, he’d find the limits of her tolerance very quickly. Of course, she couldn’t bme Jakes for not being comforted by the threat of retribution. He seemed to think Sebastien was quite irrational.

  “Good to know.” Emrys said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “So will you be going, or should I?”

  Pepper noted that Emrys’s trousers looked rather tight. She felt guilty about that. On the one hand, leading him on had been the entire point. On the other hand, she had gone much further than intended. She csped her hands together, firmly.

  “Time’s up,” Cog called through the door, waiting only a few moments before opening. “Pepper, you were pnning on cooking us lunch, right? Head down the hallway, third door on your left. There’s an auxiliary kitchen there. Emrys and I can discuss your performance here.”

  Pepper fled, grateful for the opportunity. Flight was undignified, but if one had an excuse? Just so.

  ??????????

  In the next room over, Sosima smiled. Pepper had been able to master herself eventually. Sosima knew how hard it was to resist Emrys, so she was proud of her temporary student. Even better, she’d left Sosima’s man in a state of need. Pepper would need to practice more on her own time, but if she could weaponize that, it would be a potent tool. Housecats were among the most treasured servants in Cheliax for many reasons, but their pleasing aesthetics were high on that list.

  Offer to teach her more. She could dabble.

  For the moment, however, Sosima had work of her own to do. She sashayed into the sitting room with Emrys, passing Cog on the way out. A self satisfied smile tugged at her lips.

  “She’s cute, isn’t she?” Sosima asked, circling behind Emrys and trailing her fingers along his graceful neck. “I can tell you liked her.”

  I could protect him from death.

  Oh do shut up. I’ve fed your ego today already. They’ll be trained by the end of the month if they are sharp. Leave me to my own desires.

  “Yeah.” He answered. “Shame Nendra is managing to cock block me from halfway across the Shackles. I guess I’m just being greedy, though.”

  “Oh? That’s not so bad.” Sosima purred into his ear, pushing his silky hair out of the way. “I do hear that greed is something of a virtue among pirate captains.”

  Sosima circled around in front of Emrys’s chair, tracing his delicate jawline as she did. She knelt before him, briefly breaking eye contact to appreciate the tent in his trousers. She pced her palms on his knees, pushing them apart to make room.

  “I do hope, however, that you don’t forget the treasures you already possess.” She said, tugging his waistband down.

  She fished out his penis, rubbing it up and down with her deceptively delicate hands. It was already as firm and straight as an iron poker. It was truly a shame she had other demands upon her time.

  “If you don’t mind, I’ll take you in my mouth.” She said, “You’re almost ready to burst, and I’d hate to leave a mess.”

  ??????????

  Layer of a thousand women (Syl, Caulky, Sosima, Sandara, Pepper) 5

  Have sex with 1/2/5/10/20/50/100/200/500/1000 sexual partners

  Perk Gained:

  2nd level Spell known (Disrobe)

  Disrobe

  Transmutation

  Range: close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

  Target: one creature

  Duration: Instantaneous

  Saving Throw: Reflex Partial (see text)

  Spell Resistance: yes

  The target’s clothing is magically rendered insubstantial and weightless, flying off in random directions. The items are scattered into random squares within 5 feet of the target. Clothing is defined as any item which covers a substantial portion of the body, including armor, shoes, and hats, but not small jewelry like rings or items carried in the hands like weapons.

  The target receives no saving throw to preserve nonmagical clothing, as the clothing is fully incorporeal. A target wearing magical clothing is entitled to a reflex save to snatch the semi-corporeal items before they go flying, keeping the magical items in pce with no ill effect.