<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/rAxxh91.png)</div><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><strong>Date / Time:</strong> Monday 26th, Early Afternoon</div><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Lady Anna (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=334101.msg15907314#msg15907314)<br/><strong>Wearing:</strong>Black Casual Dress, fuzzy slippers. (https://img.ltwebstatic.com/images3_pi/2021/01/27/16117260753c525258ef3df104b18d521265546842_thumbnail_600x.webp)<br/><strong>Location:</strong>The Night Daze<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Dimitrius, Duke [NPC]<br/><strong>Mentions:</strong>Cassie<br/><strong>Warnings:</strong>None<br/><br/><hr/><br/><br/><em>The Night Daze</em>stood out in Delinquent Town as a building that, unlike its humbler peers, was just a little too much. Perhaps it was the size of the brothel that dwarfed some of its sister buildings, with the third floor added at a later date as an ambitious extension to the popular palace of pleasure. Perhaps it was the presentation; with its domed, theatre-like entrance with multiple doors, and slightly faded posters advertising some of the performances done on the first floor. Perhaps the white-stone building had nothing to do with what made the Night Daze so successful, and it was the aura that surrounded it that made it stand out so much. The vague promise of something delightful, no matter what you were seeking...<br/><br/>In the early afternoon, the white-stone pleasure palace seemed ever-so-slightly dormant, despite all evidence to the contrary. A single bouncer was waiting on the door, ushering people away who might ask for entrance without an appointment, and occasionally nodding at people as they left the building after an evening – and morning - spent in sin. Past the bouncer was the entrance; a red-carpeted entrance hall with a few more splashy pictures of beautiful men and women who called the Brothel home. Some depicted beautiful busty women in cocktail dresses, holding a microphone stand with coquettishly curved fingers around a stand near their mouth. Others depicted handsome chiselled men performing acts of theatrical gymnastics. Many of these signs - advertisements of the individual specimens to come  - filled the entrance hall's walls, leading into the bottom floor's large gala hall; a tile-floor symposium, with dozens of tables and pods and a bar to the side all set up surrounding a large stage. The beating heart of the Night Daze was its stage, where the most talented of its denizens would perform to tantalise and whet the appetite of its hungry fan-base.<br/><br/>How appropriate then, that this is where Lady Anna herself was in the afternoon.<br/><br/>The White-haired matriarch was sat on the edge of the stage, legs dangling over the side as she read through a battered leather ledger. The Maven was jotting down notes as she waited for her early morning appointment, updating her little notebook with many different excerpts of interest. To most, it was an innocent enough moment. The busty beauty who made a home of the brothel was seemingly just taking a few notes, and nothing more. To the few in the know – such as her incoming associate, and the man she was waiting for today – it was as dangerous a sight as a soldier holding a sword. Anffwad had long since learned to weaponise information, and even if its effects were not as flashy as the swing of a sword, or as obvious, that made it no less devastating a weapon to wield.<br/><br/>Learning about the intent to erect strict checkpoints at the exits to Delinquent Town for the festival next week, for example, was a thing that could be used to great effect by the right person.<br/><br/>The heightened security made sense, but knowing would allow her esteemed guest the chance to prepare countermeasures as he needed, and reassure the local traders of the delay beforehand. It would help alehouses know to stock up ahead of time, as opposed to being able to get more supplies on the day. It would help people from feeling offended or outraged on the day, and keep tensions low. No doubt the clever man could come up with even more uses for the information if he so desired.<br/><br/>Anffwad sighed a little, a slight deflation letting her shoulders loosen up as she reached a tanned hand up to brush a lock of white hair from her face. Scarlet eyes pierced through the room and looked at the few of her family who were up and about, relaxing and chatting with each other. It always had the beauty on stage smile when she saw her little gathered family. It was a patchwork thing: Tossed aside people who had nowhere to go, mostly, but that didn't make it any less beautiful. Flawed diamonds still gleamed in the light, and little clan was a gem in the rough for sure.<br/><br/>One of the bouncers approached Anffwad on the stage, a muscular man with armoured purple spines and a horn at the centre of his head. The matriarch straightened her pose up a little as he approached, not wanting to appear anything less than the composed manipulator and the undisputed mistress of the Night Daze. It wasn't like most of these people hadn't seen her in some form of nudity, after all, but appearances mattered. The head of this misfit family was a vain thing after all.<br/><br/>“<strong>Sorry t' disturb you boss.</strong>” The Nidoking said, his voice a deep gravelly timber.<br/><br/>“Nothing to say sorry for Duke. Everything okay?” Lady Anna replied, her lips curling into a soft smile for the bouncer. Duke was generally seen as the unofficial head of security for the Night Daze. He was large, imposing, and – despite his rather unfortunately phallic crown – a genuine sweetheart.<br/><br/>“<strong>Naw, everything is good. Just wanted you t'know that your appointment is due. When he arrives should I send him here?</strong>” Duke said, already ready to start rounding up the various pretty men and women from the main area.<br/><br/>“Please do, and don't disturb anyone who's practising. If I wanted this meeting to be private, I'd invite the mayor into my chambers.” Anna said, soft smile still on her face as she closed the ledger and pushed herself up onto the stage proper. Her well-proportioned rump filled out the dark dress well, and as she stood at her full height on the stage she lifted her arms to stretch out her entire body. Tension filled her joints as she tried to ease out some of the stress.<br/><br/>“<strong>Nothin' says it won't end up there, eh boss?</strong>” Duke said, chuckling to himself. He had known Anna for a few years now, so knew where boundaries lay.<br/><br/>“As if. Dimitrius may be handsome, but I don't mix business and pleasure so casually. Plus his assistant would be mad at me if I stole him away for an afternoon, no doubt. No need for kitten to get out her claws...” Anffwad's smile finally broke into a full on smirk, laughter getting the better of her. Duke waved at the Matriarch, chuckling himself, although perhaps not getting the joke quite as much as his chuckle would let on. "Go find Duchess. You two can have the evening off. I heard her say she wanted to go and get a new collar?" She smirked, and it took a moment before the lightbulb moment caught onto the Nidoking's face. With a wink, he gave the boss a thumbs up and departed.<br/><br/>With the bodyguard gone, Anna stood on the stage, back to the entrance of the hall. She was waiting for Dimitrius now, staring up at what she ought to adjust on the stage before the week's events went underway. The lighting rig could use an update, although that was a hefty expense; and Jesse's performance could really benefit from a new rig, since she was working on that ribbon dance...<br/><br/>...and just like that, the Business woman was distracted by her thoughts of cost-management, benefit analysis, and all the vagueries that came with running a successful, high-end brothel.<br/><br/>Not that she'd ever admit it directly to him – for fear of inflating his ego - but she was almost looking forward to the distractions that the Mayor would offer her.