served to leave me a little drained, it seemed.
Emie seemed surprised to see me. "Problem with the gruel?" he asked.
"Um, no," I said. "It was delicious. I was wondering where I might find Titiana?"
"You want me to take you to her office?" asked Emie, raising his eyebrows. Hailey, who was sitting at the table and just beginning to eat dinner, giggled.
"Er. Yes. I have to ask for something.
"Well," said Emie. "Alright. It's this way." He exited through a side door that I hadn't noticed before, and I followed him into a dimly-lit hallway. He rapped curtly on the door for me, and then escaped back to the kitchen.
Titiana's voice echoed from within. "Yes?"
"Um, I was wondering if I might … borrow some paper," I said.
The door opened, and Titiana stood menacingly over me, looking down her thin pointed nose. "Borrow?" she repeated, raising her eyebrows (which I was quite certain had been drawn on). "As in, you intend to return it to me later?"
"Er, no," I replied. "I, ah … need to write a letter to my parents. You know, so they know what's happened to me and can, ah … come get me."
Titiana continued to glare down at me. "I see," she said finally. "Paper is not cheap, you know."
"Er, no, I'm aware of that, but …" I trailed off. She seemed to be thinking of something.
"You'll have to do something for me," she announced after a moment. "And also, wash the sheets."
"Alright," I said warily.
"Tomorrow, I shall inform you of your task. When you have completed it," she sniffed, "I shall give you paper."
She slammed the door, and there was nothing I could do but wander wearily back into the kitchen, wondering about the nature of this task . I supposed I could always refuse and acquire paper some other way, but then, I didn't want to end up on the street. Really, it was only fair that I did laundry in exchange for room and board. Was paper really that expensive, though? Perhaps it was just some menial task that she meant. But somehow, I didn't think so.
The girl who had first taken me in—Aria was her name—and a few others were now sitting at the table, eating the gruel that Emie had prepared. Aria looked tired, and her dress had fallen off of her slender shoulders. She brightened up when she saw me, though.
"Hello, Marcus!" she said cheerily. "You look beat. Fancy a ride?"
It took me a moment to figure out what she meant by that, but then I blushed. "Um. No thank you."
Something seemed to click behind her eyes. "Ohh," she whispered, "You like men, don't you?"
I blushed deeper, and the other girls giggled. "Of course he does, Aria," one twittered at her. "Didn't you notice right away?"
Then Aria turned to me and sighed, quite obviously looking me over. "If you change your mind, though, Marcus … " She winked. "You can let me know."
"Um. Thanks," I managed to gasp out, and then fled the room as one of them called out something about a male prostitute.
Hailey was on the stairs chatting with a customer. The moment I passed, however, she turned her full attention to me.
"What did you want from Titiana?" she asked seriously.
"Oh, er, nothing," I said. "I just needed something. She said I have to … do her a favour tomorrow. Any idea what that might mean?"
Hailey looked thoughtful for a moment, and then shook her head and turned back to her customer, who I thought had been leering at me while I spoke to Hailey. I shook my head to clear it and headed up the stairs.
Draeden was back. He was sitting at the foot of my bed and neglected to move when I flopped down onto it. "Your friend Dante is a cad," he informed me.
"He's not my friend," I replied darkly. "What did you find out?"
"That he is quite rich," said Draeden. "For some reason, this seems to endear him to women."
"I don't want to know," I grimaced.
"No," Draeden agreed, "you don't. So I won't tell you. But just know that I had to see it. I feel I should renounce my rights as a Sex Fairy." He shuddered.
"I thought you were a Seduction Fairy," I
Emie seemed surprised to see me. "Problem with the gruel?" he asked.
"Um, no," I said. "It was delicious. I was wondering where I might find Titiana?"
"You want me to take you to her office?" asked Emie, raising his eyebrows. Hailey, who was sitting at the table and just beginning to eat dinner, giggled.
"Er. Yes. I have to ask for something.
"Well," said Emie. "Alright. It's this way." He exited through a side door that I hadn't noticed before, and I followed him into a dimly-lit hallway. He rapped curtly on the door for me, and then escaped back to the kitchen.
Titiana's voice echoed from within. "Yes?"
"Um, I was wondering if I might … borrow some paper," I said.
The door opened, and Titiana stood menacingly over me, looking down her thin pointed nose. "Borrow?" she repeated, raising her eyebrows (which I was quite certain had been drawn on). "As in, you intend to return it to me later?"
"Er, no," I replied. "I, ah … need to write a letter to my parents. You know, so they know what's happened to me and can, ah … come get me."
Titiana continued to glare down at me. "I see," she said finally. "Paper is not cheap, you know."
"Er, no, I'm aware of that, but …" I trailed off. She seemed to be thinking of something.
"You'll have to do something for me," she announced after a moment. "And also, wash the sheets."
"Alright," I said warily.
"Tomorrow, I shall inform you of your task. When you have completed it," she sniffed, "I shall give you paper."
She slammed the door, and there was nothing I could do but wander wearily back into the kitchen, wondering about the nature of this task . I supposed I could always refuse and acquire paper some other way, but then, I didn't want to end up on the street. Really, it was only fair that I did laundry in exchange for room and board. Was paper really that expensive, though? Perhaps it was just some menial task that she meant. But somehow, I didn't think so.
The girl who had first taken me in—Aria was her name—and a few others were now sitting at the table, eating the gruel that Emie had prepared. Aria looked tired, and her dress had fallen off of her slender shoulders. She brightened up when she saw me, though.
"Hello, Marcus!" she said cheerily. "You look beat. Fancy a ride?"
It took me a moment to figure out what she meant by that, but then I blushed. "Um. No thank you."
Something seemed to click behind her eyes. "Ohh," she whispered, "You like men, don't you?"
I blushed deeper, and the other girls giggled. "Of course he does, Aria," one twittered at her. "Didn't you notice right away?"
Then Aria turned to me and sighed, quite obviously looking me over. "If you change your mind, though, Marcus … " She winked. "You can let me know."
"Um. Thanks," I managed to gasp out, and then fled the room as one of them called out something about a male prostitute.
Hailey was on the stairs chatting with a customer. The moment I passed, however, she turned her full attention to me.
"What did you want from Titiana?" she asked seriously.
"Oh, er, nothing," I said. "I just needed something. She said I have to … do her a favour tomorrow. Any idea what that might mean?"
Hailey looked thoughtful for a moment, and then shook her head and turned back to her customer, who I thought had been leering at me while I spoke to Hailey. I shook my head to clear it and headed up the stairs.
Draeden was back. He was sitting at the foot of my bed and neglected to move when I flopped down onto it. "Your friend Dante is a cad," he informed me.
"He's not my friend," I replied darkly. "What did you find out?"
"That he is quite rich," said Draeden. "For some reason, this seems to endear him to women."
"I don't want to know," I grimaced.
"No," Draeden agreed, "you don't. So I won't tell you. But just know that I had to see it. I feel I should renounce my rights as a Sex Fairy." He shuddered.
"I thought you were a Seduction Fairy," I
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