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Sapphires Odd Encounter Sr Ritsuka 241003

In the dimly lit ambiance of The Nymph's Rest strip club, amid the quiet hum of early clientele and the spectral glow of LED lights, Sapphire, a new dancer, navigates the murky waters of her profession with a blend of allure and practiced detachment. On an ordinary afternoon, tinged with the club's usual concoction of desire and predation, an unexpected encounter unfolds as a group of well-dressed individuals enters, their intentions cloaked beneath the veneer of affluence and casual interest. Among them, a man named Richard soon captures Sapphire's attention, not merely for the promise of financial gain but for the snippets of a chilling conversation overheard; a discussion about a device, named the Shatterstar, supposedly powerful enough to wreak havoc on a catastrophic scale, similar to historical tragedies but with implications far beyond the physical.

Sapphire, while maintaining her professional demeanor, becomes an unintended confidante to plans of potential terror—the group's scheme to utilize the Shatterstar in Paris as a means to reveal an apocalyptic truth. Despite the gravity of their intentions, the moment is seized by Tess, a member of the group, who, through a blend of veiled threats and tantalizing offers, attempts to entwine Sapphire into their dark web. Tess presents Sapphire with a fractured sapphire pendant and a card, suggesting a path to survival amidst foretold destruction. Torn between the allure of escape and the immediacy of her goals within the club, Sapphire chooses to continue her role, guiding Richard towards the VIP section, leaving the night shrouded in ambiguity and the undeniable tension between the immediate desires and the looming shadow of greater machinations. The evening concludes with Sapphire extracting a hefty sum from Richard, a small victory overshadowed by the ominous underpinnings of their meeting and the unresolved question of her involvement with the Sapphire Martyrs' catastrophic plans.
(Sapphire's odd encounter(SRRitsuka):SRRitsuka)

[Wed Oct 2 2024]

In The Nymph's Rest - Dancing Stages
Kept dim, aside from the showcasing LED lights that are set around the stages, the main attraction of the strip club glows with forbidden desire, both sexual and predatory. Everything here has been tinged red, and while the floor is not kept perfectly swept, this part of the club has some attention paid to it. Some lounge seating is available along the southern wall near a small dance floor for the customers, but the primary focus and seating is placed around the stages.

The smell of sweat and lust is thick in the air here - and maybe, just maybe, there's something in it that corrodes at your very soul. So the rumor goes, anyway.

A sign above the northern arch reads: PRIVATE LOUNGES / EXHIBITIONIST ROOMS

It is afternoon, about 65F(18C) degrees, and the sky is covered by dark grey clouds.

(The characters stumble upon a meeting of the Sapphire Martyrs in a hidden part of the town. They are discussing an imminent plan to detonate a magical device that will cause a significant amount of destruction, in line with their larger goal of severing the earthly ties to the other worlds. The characters must decide whether to try to stop them, join them, or find a third option. The Martyrs, despite their deadly intentions, are not inherently hostile and will attempt to reason with the characters, offering them a chance to join their cause. The characters' decisions in this encounter could have far-reaching consequences.)
It is Sapphire's first day, really on the job, but the Nymph's Rest is like many other clubs the blonde has worked at ... men, with hands and eyes, and money to spend. She moves from place to place in the club, sitting either on the lap or next to a man to discuss with them the particulars of a private dance.

Afternoon, still too early for the brunt of the customers to arrive, and that means the establishment is filled with activities that still keep mostly tame. Its the in-between time, before the place becomes far more alive, and dim light casts long, wavering shadows across the floor, while the LED lights provide the only real vibrance, painting the stages in glowing hues of red and pink.

The muted sound of soft music floats through the room, mingling with the low murmur of conversation. Words drift in and out of earshot, but most are swallowed by the ambient noise. The thick scent of perfume, mingling with sweat, hangs mildly in the air, while the shuffle of feet or the faint clinking of glasses can be heard as the staff move between the patrons.

Outside, the weather presses against the windows. The cold of the autumn air is held at bay by the warmth of bodies and the clubs own internal heat.

A group of people enters the establishment, and they move on by to a lounge set away from the others. Five people, by the counting, all well dressed in hugo boss suits. They settle into the quiet murmur of conversation, and one of them, a man, looks up, and over the staff until his eyes settle on Sapphire and her chest, then away. He raises a hand, looking towards the various people of staff.

Money. That's money, and so Sapphire drifts towards the quartet ... smiling all the while as she does, a plastic look on a sculpted face. "Hey, honeys," she says, looking amongst them. "How are you all doing tonight? Fancy buying a thirsty girl a drink?"

As Sapphire drifts closer, the man focuses his gaze onto her, and returns a smile to her, again first looking to her chest before looking her over like an object. "... will .. very beneficial for us if we ... ... device. It could net out the same ........... as ... ....... on Hiroshima ...." The trio are in quiet conversation, only turning to look Sapphire when she stels close enough causing for one of them, an auburn-haired woman, to turn her gaze to the far too distracted man and to frown. "Richard, don't just ooggle her, get us our drink." She scolds the man, whom grins when he looks back to the woman and answers with a very German accent "Of course not, but she is quite pretty." He looks back to Sapphire, the grin lingers as her glances past Sapphire's chest "But of course, my dear Fraulein. Get me what you would like and one for yourself, too. What do you think?"

Sapphire's eyes flicker with a little concern at the man's words, but she's not here to overhear. "Sure, honey," she tells the man. "My name's Sapphire, though," she says, not apparently knowing what 'Fraulein' means. "I'll be ... right back!" she tells him, traipsing off to get a pair of the Nymph's expensive drinks. She returns with one, plopping right in the man's lap to hand it to him. "Cheers!" she says, bubbly.

"Sapphire is a very good name," Richard compliments, giving Sapphire's chest another look before looking back to his companions. "There, I have taken care about all the orders. We should now go back to talk about the Shatterstar." The woman gives Sapphire's back a look before talking again "We must use it soon beca-" But then the distance is too far to hear more.

Returning to the trio, Sapphire of course picks up the last bit of the conversation, and none of them notice her immediately "-in Paris would be a good location. It would be enough to draw everyone's attention to the truth. There is no saving this world." One of the other men proposes. His is a fluent and smooth voice, one born with a golden spoon. But it is Richard now that comes to offer a reply "We could do that. I know a way to speak to the German chancellor Scholz and-" But then Sapphire slides her way in, drinks in hand and he freezes for a moment before letting out a laugh, and tries to place down a hand onto Sapphire's shoulder. "I see you have returned Sapphire. What nice drink did you bring us?" He asks, glancing to the side of her face. "Is it going to be better than our own German beer?" He tries at a joke before reaching for it and taking a sip.

The auburn hair woman frowns and rolls her eyes, mumbling "Should have known this would be difficult, Richard. But if we want to use it and-" She looks, almost intimidatingly at Sapphire "Speed up the process. We need to act soon. The constellation will pass and it will take another ten years before the... opportunity, arises again."

"I think one is a dick sucker," Sapphire tells the quartet, giggling a little. "I like it, personally." She takes a long sip, some whip cream stuck on the upper lip of her puffed-up lips. "Ooh, Paris?" she says, as if overhearing. "I'd love to go to France sometime," she shares with them. "Y'all go to France a lot?"

With Sapphire's question posed, the three of them all give a pointed look to Richard, whom let's out a light laugh that really wouldn't reach his eyes, his gaze struck onto someone' creamed lips just a moment prior. "Oh yes Sapphire. We do travel to a lot of different places. We are business people after all. You certainly are one yourself, in your own special profession. We are planning to head to Paris next."

The auburn haired woman now turns her pointed look to Sapphire. She reaches up to her neck, opens the top button and reveals a golden necklace with a pendant, which she reaches for and slightly holds up. Her gaze examines Sapphire closely. "Girl, does this look familiar to you?" The pendant reveals to be a fractured, tear-shaped blue sapphire. "Look at it closely." Her gaze keeps on Sapphire, looking closely.

With Sapphire's question posed, the three of them all give a pointed look to Richard, whom let's out a light laugh that really wouldn't reach his eyes, his gaze struck onto Sapphire's creamed lips just a moment prior. "Oh yes Sapphire. We do travel to a lot of different places. We are business people after all. You certainly are one yourself, in your own special profession. We are planning to head to Paris next."

The auburn haired woman now turns her pointed look to Sapphire. She reaches up to her neck, opens the top button and reveals a golden necklace with a pendant, which she reaches for and slightly holds up. Her gaze examines Sapphire closely. "Girl, does this look familiar to you?" The pendant reveals to be a fractured, tear-shaped blue sapphire. "Look at it closely." Her gaze keeps on Sapphire, looking closely.

Of course Sapphire looks at it ... why wouldn't she? She leans in, her eyes fixed on the pendant, as she shifts on the man's lap she is sitting on. "Wow," she says. "It's pretty." Never mind that it's fractured: she knows the right thing to say, leaning in close. "Paris must be really nice," she says, more than a little distracted by the pendant as she leans in.

"Fraulein-" It is Richard that tries to start speaking, feeling the move rather, particular, and it gives a reaction in him in all the distracting way that a man might be, and the aumburn haired woman is the one that gives him a very hostile look. 'Shut up' it means before her eyes come to settle on Sapphire again. Her own voice is a little muted, when she asks Sapphire "Girl, what if I was to tell you that everything is going to end in twelve years? Wouldn't you like- to have an escape from the apocalypse? To change your own fate and protect yourself and the ones you love and cherish?"

Mister smooth-voice breathes in through his nose, and looks to the auburn haired woman. "Are you sure, Tess? She doesn't look particularly suited for the job." And for once, the last of the quad speaks in, a man again. His voice is dark. "Just let her handle the girl. Tess knows what she's doing. Richard here shouldn't let himself be distracted so easily, gets less people involved."

"I?" Sapphire says. "Sure, I'd love to go to Paris," she tells the woman, blinking a few times. "The world is going to end?" she says. "What a weird thing to say," she offers with a giggle. There's a little uncomfortableness now in her posture.

Reaching around to her belongings, Tess goes on to take out a card. The card is a simple thing, it shows the fractured tear-shaped sapphire again, printed and a single number right underneath it. She reaches to behind her neck, and loosens the gold necklace, places it on the card and slides it over to Sapphire. "When you are ready, girl." She says, before looking to Richard. "We will talk about it later, Richard. We are quite in a hurry. If we don't have it set up soon, we won't be accomplishing out targets as much as we would like. Are you in need of a private moment with the girl?" Richard blushes, just a little, and laughs with that same blush before he looks to Sapphire, asking "What do you think Sapphire? You are very pretty."

Sapphire leans in to Richard with a smile. "Come on," she says, reaching for his hand as she tucks the card in the tiny purse she carries. "I'll show you where the VIP section is," she says, tugging. "Not that you're already not a VIP in my book." Some shameless flirt, even as she looks back at someone with a questioning look. Wondering, really ... before she banishes it for the opportunity in front of her.

Sapphire leans in to Richard with a smile. "Come on," she says, reaching for his hand as she tucks the card in the tiny purse she carries. "I'll show you where the VIP section is," she says, tugging. "Not that you're already not a VIP in my book." Some shameless flirt, even as she looks back at Tess with a questioning look. Wondering, really ... before she banishes it for the opportunity in front of her.

Both card and necklace with pendant disappear in Sapphire's purse, and Richard lets out a laugh and stands to follow Sapphire into the VIP section, glass with his drink in one hand. The other three look after Richard, and then quietly talk among another. The last one that gives Sapphire a look, whether noticed or not, is Tess.

Noticed? Probably not. Sapphire has her own prey in mind now, really ... Richard, who she is murmuring sweet nothings to as she tugs him into the VIP. After all, she is her own sort of predator, isn't she? ... and Richard is his own sort of prey, the kind with some money the dancer wants to separate from him.

And so, Sapphire does. Maybe they exchange contact information and stay in touch should Richard ever visit Haven again. Maybe, it just ends today, as so many things do. But the details of their private moment and whatever the group spoke about, is for another day. All it ends to, is that Richard does leave quite a bit of money with Sapphire today.