A few months before the fateful night that Buck met Adagio, things were considerably more quiet. Buck was inching his way toward a depressive episode, but he didn't quite know it. At the moment, he was simply getting by while carrying the weight of working in food service purgatory.

But all rough weeks have to let up at some point and allow a worker to sit back and relax. At the end of the day, Buck was a man of simple pleasures.

Like, a lot of them.

He liked his cartoons, his movies, his video games, he liked adding to his porn collection, he liked his books and he liked his roleplay.

Any one of his varied hobbies served as a fine enough distraction from the drudgery of his everyday life, but he could only ever afford to invest in one of them per every few months. The cheapest of these options by far was literature, because the library was within walking distance, so he dedicated the twilight hours of his Saturdays to reading.

Canterlot actually had a number of libraries to peruse, and Buck had sworn at least once that he'd tour them with a special lady if he ever found one, but the Dusty Pages Memorial Library was the closest and most preferred.

It was a brick building that was clearly a huge warehouse in a previous life, but was now a beautiful testament to the wonders of community funding. There were two levels that seemed to go on for half a city block, and a whole wing of the building dedicated to study rooms that one could rent out or just sit in if they were vacant. In harsher times, this had been a safe haven for Buck to get away from the cold of the city streets, and now, it was a similar retreat from the grind of the working week.

Buck wordlessly closed the door to his usual study room, a glass window his only remaining connection to the library at large.

There were two big leather arm chairs flanking a squat coffee table, some pillows stacked in a neat pile in the corner, and even a wide window sill with a cushion of its own that Buck liked to refer to as the 'fainting couch'.

Buck placed his stack of books to sample on the table, then reclined in his preferred chair. With a thick paperback in hand, he closed his eyes and let the stresses of the week slide off his back.

This was his temple; to Buck it was like lounging in a warm bath of the mind, and it would be perfect if he could introduce some lo-fi and scented candles, but he respected the space far too much for that. Buck opened his book and waited.

The door clicked near silently.

Quiet footsteps dragged across the carpet, and then the coffee table creaked under the weight of a book stack far more prodigious than Buck's sampling. A figure landed on the fainting couch, onto a back pillow that never moved.

A neck cracked, then a set of fingers, and Buck cracked his own fingers in salute.

It was their code. Talking would be allowed today.

Pages rustled in both laps, and the evening began.

"Another Anne Rice, then?" Buck said. "Aren't you tired of that old pervert and her squad of ninja lawyers?"

"I should think you'd enjoy the work of someone that adores writing about your home so much." Said a stuffy, feminine voice.

"I have, I have. They sort of run together, though. Imagine walking with her in the French Quarter; an old lady that stops to examine every screen door and window like an architect version of J.R.R. Tolkien. Your coffee would get cold before you made it down a block."

"Hm."

"Which one is it, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The Witching Hour."

"Again?"

"Again."

"How many times do you need to read a story about a woman cucking her man with the smoke monster from Lost before you get bored?"

"It's engrossing. Or it would be if you weren't determined to make the process of reading it into a chore."

"Sure, if you say so. Poor guy."

"You're being a nuisance."

"Aren't you used to that by now, my dear?" Buck smirked. He spied a smile in return.

"I see you've put your hands on the only Neal Stephenson book that people talk about outside of the Google office."

"Yeah, I'm giving Snow Crash another try."

"That book is the Maximum Ride of the Cyberpunk genre."

"Come on, it predicted the the nature of the internet."

"No, it predicted the nature of VR chat."

"Tomato, potato, darling. Tomato, potato."

"It's pulpy."

"It's fun. The only reason I bounced off it was because I get a giggle every time I read the name 'Hiro Protagonist'."

"My lord, don't you think that book is a little too baroque for you?"

"Says the woman reading the Witching Hour."

"Says the man who makes fun of the Silmarillion at every opportunity."

"I only make fun of books that I've read, unlike someone I happen to know. I'm not afraid of fine and granular details; I just don't like it when they pull away from the moving plot. Imagine if every scene in your favorite movie opened on an unbroken, thirty minute shot of the environment around your characters, and then showed a wiki article about the, I don't know, the masons and crafters that built the town the story starts in. You'd be bored to tears."

"Did you come here to make fun of my choice in half-week literature?"

"I came here to read, Moon Dancer."

Buck looked over his stooped glasses at his guest.

She was a petite woman with cream colored skin. Her hair was the color of crushed raspberries, shot through with streaks of dark and pale purple. Her bangs were kept out of her round face by a messy hair bobble, and she had a pair of beaten up horn rimmed glasses in front of her grape colored eyes. Those glasses, Buck reasoned, were held together by old tape and sheer force of will.

She was wearing what she always wore on these get-togethers; a thick and formless sweater that was maybe more rug than breathable fabric, a mauve skirt and a pair of pink knee socks. A scandalous bit of chubby, sumptuous absolute territory peeked out from between those last two features, which Buck made a habit of ignoring to the best of his ability.

She preferred to keep her shoes off when she lounged in here, and so Buck kept his off in solidarity.

At the moment, she was glaring straight back at Buck with an expression that spoke of a million pedantic arguments.

"Then maybe you should read the room. You'll never win my hand if you don't stop insulting my literature." Moon Dancer smiled, and her thick red eyebrows relaxed.

"You had your chance at the cotillion, you." Buck chuckled.

This was their ritual. It was a sort of light roleplay; they would trade pithy jabs at one another during chapter breaks or what have you, and in this way they would discuss their tastes. Every once in a while, the way they regarded one another would change; some weeks they were criminals comparing the books they had stolen, other times they were worst enemies trying to one up each other with difficult reads. This week they were jilted lovers from some sort of historical drama, sneering at each other across the dinner table, having long forgotten the feeling that their marriage was in any way functional.

It was fun. They weren't exactly friends; as a matter of fact, Moon Dancer insisted that their rendezvous were best kept to a structured minimum, but together they formed an insulated bubble of escapism that each were loathe to abandon.

"There's been some mutterings around the clucking hens that like to congregate downtown. They say I should run from you with my arms flailing, because you hide some sort of terrible secret." Moondancer said.

"You can tell them for the last time that yes, I am a vampire and no, I'm not looking for any thralls. Oh, how they go on."

"Hm, perhaps if you ever walked among them in the daylight, they might change their tune."

"Oh yes, let me go prancing about their ranks pretending to be anything besides a creature of the night. That will go well."

"They say you're a dastard and a charmer with a dark and salacious past that is outside my understanding."

"They ought to hold their tongues until they have pockets deep enough to hold something other than cheap gossip."

"Aren't we touchy this evening?"

"Only because my dearest is smarming at me about a past she knows nothing about."

"Of course, you're right. Who am I to meddle in the affairs of a night walker?"

"Enough." Buck said it firmly. "That's not who I am anymore."

"But you have so much to teach..."

"I said that's enough, Moondancer. Whoever you're talking to, it's none of their business what I've done, and it's none of yours."

"...sorry."

They both got back to their reading, and nothing else was said for that session.

The next week, Moondancer didn't show up, and Buck wondered if he had been too harsh, but the week after that, he heard the door click, a tall stack of books shaded his own modest pile, and after a tense few seconds, Moondancer cracked her fingers.

"Good of you to join me again after your trip out to the countryside. I worried that I might have abraded our rapport beyond compare." Buck said.

"For worse or ill, my dear, I could scarcely stay away. Without you, who would be left to sneer at me over their glasses?" Moondancer said. "And who would scare away your other suitresses, lest you find someone else's taste to mock?"

"And betray the great and snarky devotion you've shown me? Never, love, never."

"And here I thought you'd prefer a submissive."

"They are an acquired taste."

"Hmph. And how is Mr. Stephenson treating you?"

"Fair, I suppose." Buck looked at the bookmark in Snow Crash, which had crawled to about the center of the paperback by now. "Progress in the narrative has been stunted by my busy schedule of faking enthusiasm for drooling dullards."

"Truly your wit is wasted in that bakery. Or perhaps you're simply slowing down in your old age?"

"Said the crone to the old bard."

"Would you not be a wizard?"

"Of course not. Wizards are virgins; this is known."

"Ah yes, and you're as opposite to a virgin as a bard can be, so I'm told. You're a bit of a legend in some circles, did you know?"

"I'm aware." Buck snapped.

He saw Moon Dancer take a long glance at him from the corner of his eye.

"Would that you might share your wisdom with a humble spinster, you may be handsomely rewarded."

"And what would that reward be?"

"My respect, admiration and gratitude."

"Is that it?"

"Is a tutor's fee more to your liking?"

"A fee? From my beloved?"

"...A favor?"

"A favor for a friend?"

"We're not friends."

"Sold. Let's start right now. Question one; why the fuck do you want to learn this, Moon Dancer?" Buck said, looking up from his book, his character discarded in an instant.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because, I'm worried you're going to go and do somethin' stupid. What're you trying to get out of this?"

"I'm looking for a change of pace. Normal roleplay isn't enough, and I'm...I want to find out what I'm capable of."

"So start an OnlyFans! Class over." Buck said, standing up.

"That's too impersonal. I want to touch. I have this fantasy..."

"Of being kidnapped?"

"No, of-"

"Of being arrested?"

"Of being an escort for hire!" Moon Dancer said.

"You wanna tie people up and whip them?"

"No...I was thinking something more sensual and, um, niche. I have a character."

"Of course you have a character." Buck said, hand on his forehead.

"I was asking around for a proper tutor, and somebody online sent me a video."

"No..."

"I didn't want to click it, because I recognized you in the thumbnail."

"No no nooo..."

"The title was 'Bachelorette Party.'"

"GOD DAM--MMMPH!" Moon Dancer pounced from the fainting couch and covered Buck's mouth with both hands.

"SHHHHH! These booths aren't completely soundproof! Keep it down!" Moon Dancer whispered.

"I'm not teachin' you that. I can't teach you that! I guess I could, if you got your hands on the right equipment."

"That won't be a problem for me."

"'course not. You've been thinkin' about it for a while, haven't you?" Buck said. He sat grumpily back onto his seat.

"I mean, you were a machine back there." Moon Dancer blushed.

"Not the damn video! I mean askin' me to, what, teach you how to be a service dom?"

"Yes...I, well, I hoped maybe you'd be willing to help me break into the business."

"No one wants to be a sex worker, Moon Dancer."

"I want to try." Moon Dancer said. Buck looked up and saw raw determination in her eyes.

"...fine. I guess this is my Saturday now. Where do you want to meet and talk about this?"

"Is here not good?"

Buck raised his eyebrow.

"Anybody could be listening by the door. Not exactly soundproofed, right? You're talking about working in a legal grey area, Moon Dancer, and that's only the first risk. Do you really want someone to walk by and hear you talkin' about pegging, or whatever?"

"...right. I guess...we can do it at my place."

"Where's your place?"

"Oh, uh...you can't miss it." Moon Dancer said, showing Buck her phone.

"You gotta be fisting me right now."

The east end of Canterlot was mostly a mystery to Buck. It was the part of town that was too expensive to be ghetto and too close to the real business of the town to be suburban. Suburbs was for the south side. Here, it was a whole lot of expensive-looking houses and niche stores for people with a lot of free time and deep pockets. The Saturday after agreeing to be Moon Dancer's thot tutor, Buck found himself standing in front of one such store. He checked his phone, looked at the sign, then checked his phone again.

"Cauldron Bubble's Sanctum of Sorcery. This better not be a prank." Buck said.

The store in question would have fit in extremely well as an item shop in a mid 90's jrpg.

It was a two-story gothic style house, that had a big glass display window on one side of the door. The sign above it was hand-carved and painted, and the entire aesthetic belied the Tolkien-esque taste of its owner.

Buck passed through the door and heard a jingle. The space was dimly lit due to the drawn curtains, and everywhere Buck looked he saw paraphernalia from the mystical parts of world cultures.

A dream catcher here, a replica sarcophagus there, a greek sundial with geographically inappropriate nordic runes carved into it, tarot decks in a bunch of different varieties, bottles and jars containing a dizzying array of materials with funny names and dragons. Just, fucking dragon statues scattered all around the space, everywhere Buck looked he saw a dragon.

So many different cultures lacking so many different contexts gave Buck the impression that the owner was a middle-aged metropolitan woman who had studied abroad once and came back with a backpack full of crystals.

"Hello? Anybody workin' here?" Buck said.

As if on cue, a cloud of purple, sparkling smoke erupted into the center of the shop.

"You summoned meee!?" Said a feminine voice through the haze. Buck's only response was to cough around what he guessed was a lung-full of glitter.

"Oh, sorry! I left the windows shut!" The voice said, and then Buck heard the clacks of windows, the waving of a fan, and then he could finally see again.

She was a woman that looked like she was just about to scratch at the status of "senior". Her skin was a dark orchid sort of color, and her pale pink hair went down nearly to her back. She had various crystalline ornaments of clashing aesthetics in her hair, a pair of small round glasses on her face and a plain white apron over a tasseled hippie dress. She was also wielding a staff that looked too expensive for a normal cosplay; a gnarled oaken affair with a crystal clutched at the top.

"Welcome to my outlet of the occult! I am Cauldron Bubbles; arcanist extraordinaire, and this is my humble magic shop! Here you may find answers to life's greatest mysteries, wards against the forces of evil, and the components necessary for spellcasting, all at a competitive fee!"

"Uh, is that staff from Dragonlance?"

"But if those aren't to your liking, we've recently expanded our selection to incorporate tools of japery, jocularity and tomfoolery for the aspiring jester!" Cauldron Bubbles went on. She stepped over to a tall shelf populated by crystals of various colors, and pulled it aside to reveal a wall of whoopie cushions, fake vomit, squirting flowers and other pranks.

"Wait, hold up, I'm not-" Buck began.

"Ah, I see! If your proclivities are of a more salacious nature, may I recommend our Erotic section, which may provide you with more fitting tools!" Said Cauldron Bubbles. She pushed on the prank section wall, which swung in like a door, revealing a velvet curtain, which was pulled open to reveal gags, plugs, bindings, ropes, and a veritable arsenal of phallic-shaped objects.

"...well, that's actually a decent selection. Look, lady, I was wondering if you could help me?"

"Ah, ah ah!" Cauldron Bubble tsked and pointed at a sign hanging behind the register that read; 'Sorry. Questions answered for paying customers only.'"

"Okay, but I'm not a customer."

"Well then! It's fair to say our business is concluded, isn't it?" Cauldron Bubbles stepped behind her counter, sat on a stool and abruptly began flipping through a novel. Buck squinted.

"...is that The Prestige by Christopher Priest?"

"Don't make me tap the sign, sweetheart." Said Cauldron Bubbles.

"...that was always Trixie's favorite back in school...hey wait, I know you! You're Trixie's weird aunt!"

"Oh joy, my reputation precedes me! Are you interested in making a purchase?"

"No, actually, I'm here on--" Buck's sentiment was cut off by the staff tapping loudly against the wooden sign.

"Fuck, fine, alright let me...let me have those Call of Cthulhu dice you've got there on the counter!" Buck said.

"Ah, a fan of the Mr. Lovecraft's are we?" Cauldron Bubbles said, ringing Buck's pocket change.

"Nah, that dude was scared of air conditioners. Also racist. But the mythos is a fun rabbit hole." Buck said, slapping some dollars on the table. "Games rad, too."

"Did you have a question?" Cauldron Bubbles said. Buck opened his mouth, just as a door opened next to the counter.

"Hey...I just wanted to come down and ask if my guest ever arrived? I don't want him to get the wrong idea, and-oh." Moondancer said.

She had metamorphized into a cozy sleeveless pyjama top and a frilly little skirt. They were jet black with a reddish trim and revealed to Buck some small details about her form that he'd never guessed at. Moon Dancer's body, no longer obscured by a thick sweater, was curvy and pear-shaped.

"Oh? Oh, sweetie, is this your date!?"

"It's not a date! He's just a tutor! Buck, come on up, don't mind the landlady. She's been sampling for the new display we're putting up in here." Moon Dancer gestured at a velvet curtain covering a chest-high something or other next to a window.

"What's that?"

"Behold! Our newest selection!" Said Cauldron Bubbles, suddenly standing next to the curtain. She pulled it off with a flourish, revealing a variety of recreational edibles that were 'certain to reveal the path to the astral plane' according to the sign. "We have gummies, powders, baked goods and tinctures!"

"And at a modest price. Truly the gift for the mage who has everything." Moon Dancer finished.

"Huh. Well, uh, I guess the sampling went well?"

"Oooh my yes! Now, you two run along upstairs! I don't want to hold off your cute little study date!"

"Not a date." Buck said.

"We're not teenagers; I'm almost thirty!" Moon Dancer said.

"Then I don't need to tell you to use protection! Now shoo!"

"She's got a point."

"Shut up, Buck!" Moon Dancer said, ushering him up the stairs.

"Oh, and Moon Dancer, sweetie, your package arrived! The one from your friend in Virginia? I left it by your door!"

As it turned out, the back of the magic shop was a loft style apartment. Buck was led up a set of stairs and into a room that was larger than his entire living space. Moon Dancer's name was on the door.

What Buck bore witness to was a magnificent diorama of a woman who had been through many quiet phases from her teen years on, accumulating chochkeys and collectibles from a great swathe of fandoms and fashion movements, but could not bear to part with even a single bauble. The shelves and stacks of book dominating the western wall showed a timeline of media obsessions going back to a bit before Buck's own childhood. There was a clearly antique wooden desk in the center of the home library. Everything that Buck saw in this space was things he would have described in his tweenish years as 'some girl-ass-girl stuff' but would now mostly refer to as a vertical slice of cool nerd shit with a striking emphasis on the dark and gothic and very frequently british.

It's not as though the space was messy or crowded; everything looked like it was in its proper place, and there was plenty of room to walk and turn and probably dance to soft music in the light of the city at night filtering through the wide southern window like some sort of sexy, stocking wearing witch whose patron demon is fucking hot topic. That was the trip that Buck took as he stepped into Moon Dancer's bedroom. He zoned out, then looked at Moon Dancer, who seemed halfway between bemusement and annoyance as she placed a package on her bed.

"This place looks like the SuperWhoLock fandom barfed all over the walls." Buck said.

"I'd find that insulting if I didn't know how bad your taste is." Moon Dancer said.

"Hah! Got 'em!" Buck laughed. "No, but for real, why are you trying to do this?" Moon Dancer sat on her four-poster bed and took a moment to stare out the wide window. The sheets were dark and covered with heavy metal album-looking runes.

"It's a part of me that I never get to play with...I just want to see how far I can take it." Moon Dancer said. Her back was to Buck as she opened a sealed delivery box with what he guessed was a letter opener but looked a hell of a lot like a sacrificial dagger from some pulp story.

Buck took a seat on the floor next to the bed and looked up at Moon Dancer. There was a crinkling of paper and then Moon Dancer gasped quietly and shut the box, then placed it on her nightstand.

"Is that some part of your costume?"

"...you could say that." Moon Dancer said, sitting on the bed.

"You're gonna wanna take notes." Buck said. Moon Dancer, apparently a psychic, had already laid some learning tools out on her bed, and after shuffling into a comfortable position atop a small mountain of pillows, she opened the pad, pen at the ready.

So, Buck launched into a long-winded diatribe of the least sexy parts of getting paid for sex, hoping to whatever gods were listening that Moon Dancer would get bored with it and then drop the whole deal. At first, it seemed like the strategy was working, with Moon Dancer dutifully taking notes with an impeccably lethargic expression, but as he went on, she shifted to staring at him like he was a proper teacher. It took Buck three sessions to get to the bit about the law, and by then he was sure that he must have been a hypnotist, because by now Moon Dancer was actively sitting next to him on the floor next to the bed to show her notes in progress.

"The most important thing is location. You need to study the bylaws of your area so you can figure out if what you're doing is legal in the first place. No, you don't need to look it up. I can tell you that when it comes to Canterlot, for the specific purpose of personal prostitution with regards to BDSM culture, roleplay or escorting services, it's legal. So there's the good news. Bad news is that you're not allowed to publicly advertise or solicit, and I can tell you that sites like Craigslist aren't gonna let you advertise there. So you've got to stick to places online that'll--"

"Excuse me? What does this all have to do with being an escort?"

"Everything! You need to know how to get your name out there legally, and that's hard. I had videos, but you're starting with word of mouth, and that's a lot harder."

"I'm sorry, did you say videos? As in plural?" Moon Dancer said.

"The Bay was decidedly unkind to me, madame." Buck stumbled into their little coded roleplay.

"I'm sorry to hear you worked under poor circumstances, my lord. Is this topic too sensitive?"

"Not at all, madame, not at all. I'm not proud of much, but I am proud of some of those sessions."

"Are any of them as...impressive as the bachelorette party?"

"Well, that one was special. I came away from it with the nickname 'Bachelor Buck'. It was a whole weekend, and if I'm bein' honest, I was...well, let's just say I was experiencing some impairments to my inhibitions at the time, and leave it at that. The point is, I came out of it with a niche, but a new reputation that skewed everything else.

"Okay..." Moon Dancer did some scribbling. "What else?"

Buck prodded at the old scar in his mind. What else was important?

"You need to set some hard limits on what you are and aren't willing to do. You can't exactly specialize with this stuff; if you want clients, they have to know what's on the table, and if you're trying to make money, you need to leave a lot on that table." Buck said. A grim look crossed Moon Dancer's face.

"I'm not trying to sleep with the whole city..."

"Well, that's another point. What're you trying to do in the sack? What's your preference?"

"..."

"Moon Dancer, come on, are you seriously getting embarrassed now?"

"I want to escort, as in, I want to play a role for my client, even in public."

"Okay, that's fine. What else?"

"I want to soft dom..." Moon Dancer said, covering her mouth and twirling a lock of her hair.

"You just said that in the most sub way possible."

"That's why I need help!"

"Okay, okay, let's back up. If you want to go professional--"

"No, no, this is just a little hobby thing!"

"Okay, then maybe just shoot for one client and then figure out what they want specifically. In the meantime, you can develop your persona.'

"Excellent! When do we get to that part?"

"After we talk about safety! Now, what're you packing when you walk into your workspace?"

Moon Dancer stood up then, towering over Buck.

And then, before Buck could say anything, Moon Dancer lifted her pyjama shirt over her head. Her naked breasts dropped free; a pair of plump orange-sized handfuls with tiny nipples.

"Will these suffice, my lord?" Moon Dancer said.

Buck, who had been experiencing a long and not unpleasant dry spell since he quit the business, suddenly felt himself grow hard. He smiled, shut his eyes.

"Not remotely what I was talkin' about." Buck exhaled.

Buck heard a squeak and a frantic rustling of silk, and then Moon Dancer was apologizing, over and over.

"I'm so, so, sorry, I think I got my signals mixed, I didn't mean to imply--I-I wasn't trying to uh, well, I'm sorry!"

"Moon Dancer-"

"You came here to help, and I didn't mean to make you think I was, it just seemed like the mood was-"

"The mood?"

"I guess I'm just inexperienced." Moon Dancer said, finally.

"Are you serious? I know you used to clam slam with Twiggy Sparkle back before she moved to Capitol Hill, don't even front!!" Buck said. Moon Dancer turned red.

"Well, boys are different, okay!? I haven't really done boys! I guess I thought you were signalling me, and--"

"Signalling? That's...okay. Sit." Buck said.

Moon Dancer sat on the floor.

"...good enough. Listen. Consent is the most important bit of all. Knowing what is and isn't okay, making sure you understand your client's limits and how and when to initiate...it's the axis that this whole thing spins on."

"Are you still lecturing me?"

"Once you and your client have decided on your specific rules and what's expected, that's when you can set your session time. Then you can start doing flourishes like that."

"You're still lecturing me."

"And that move was more like a "tame me" sort of thing. It's still submissive, but a bit more devious. You said you were trying to soft dom, right? That means you're the one that makes the demands and the moves. Less reactive, more proactive, you get me? Bold." Buck said. Moon Dancer sighed.

"...Understood. Would you mind if I tried an exercise?"

"Sure." Buck smiled. His breath had slowed and he'd managed to keep his focus on being helpful instead of being horny. He was proud of that. He didn't want Moon Dancer to get the wrong idea.

"It's incredible, the complacency of the powerful." Moon Dancer said, smirking. "You stand and you lecture from a place of practiced ignorance, underestimating those around you."

"A little Marten-esque." Buck said. Moon Dancer rolled her eyes, then she leaned over onto all fours.

"Have you forgotten, my lord, that I've been watching you? In your impassioned grumblings, I've sat at your side, and all your smirking, mumbling admissions of attraction, I've placed in my pocket." Moon Dancer growled, slowly crawling forward. "You can play coy, but I've seen you. You've met me, blow for blow on the battlefield of literary critique, and you've smiled and stepped and danced until you enchanted me...and now, here you are, sitting in my very chambers, and you haven't yet thrust your wit into the situation. What are you waiting for, my lord? A wax seal on an invitation?"

And now, she was in his lap, one hand tilting Buck's chin up to meet her dark purple eyes, and her thumb at the corner of his mouth.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Buck said, beaming. "That's fantastic! So, you're goin' for a "sorcerer's apprentice' deal with that? That's rad. So the pitch is you're gonna hang off their arm and act the proper lady, but you'll be salacious and maybe even demanding. Maybe you slide a little "tame me" in there, right, but I think if you're soft domming, you wanna get in this zone right here." Buck said, gesturing at the cute, chubby book nerd sitting on his dick.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, that was excellent. You ought'a lean into that. Hot as all hell; poetic even. You're gonna do well with your clients if this is the kind of energy you're bringin'."

"Oh, well, that's a relief." Moon Dancer said. Buck noticed then that she was blushing.

"You can, uh...you can get off my lap now."

"...Right! Right!" Moon Dancer got up and sat on her bed, pulled the covers over her and scribbled some notes.

"So, we've gone through most of the need to knows. Tell me about your character."

"Well, she's a succubus."

"Classic."

"I'd like white skin, and black and red hair, and-"

"No, no, no, I don't mean the look. I mean the character. What's the the gimmick?"

"I would like my signature to be...well, you said 'tame me'. A rebellious type that encourages the client to get physical, or maybe a pure maiden type that reveals herself as a sex fiend in private."

"Why not both? If the theme is succubus, then you're all about seduction, right?"

"I guess that's a good point."

"Yeah. Well, now the only thing left is for you to practice." Buck said, getting up. "I'm gonna guess you know how to practice lines and poses, or whatever. If you really wanna get extra, you can develop a character voice."

"I think I can do that. Buck?" Moon Dancer said. Buck rolled his neck and stretched.

"Yeah?"

"Are you leaving?"

"Yeah. Fun as this's been, I'd like to get back to actually reading on Saturday."

"Right, I've been getting behind as well."

"Then I'll see you in the usual place?"

"You will."

"Alrighty, then. Be careful, alright? Remember to be clear about your rules with your prospective clients, establish your safe word, and be armed, just in case. This is really about you experimenting, so treat it like that. Try some new stuff, and if you need more advice, I can give it." Buck said. Moon Dancer had put the writing implements away, and now she was hiding under her black sheets. She looked like she was grappling with something in her head.

"Buck?" His hand was on the doorknob.

"Yeah, Moon Dancer?"

"I'd like a demonstration."

"A demonstration?"

"...for posterity? I want to see a...a pro in action."

"Moon Dancer, there's videos."

"I'll pay you!"

"I don't do that stuff anymore, alright?"

"...I know we aren't really friends, or anything, and I can be sort of...difficult, but I'm feeling really vulnerable right now, and I would really appreciate it if you'd walk me through this. Can you please, just for a minute, forget that I'm me, and treat me like a client? Please? Just this once?"

"Where's all this comin' from? I thought I was a nuisance to you?" Buck said.

"...you're honestly the closest thing I have to a real friend in this town, and I'm sorry if this is sudden, but I've been sort of...obsessing over you just recently."

"Yeah?" Buck shut the door, then sat on the edge of the bed. Moon Dancer was hiding; the only thing above the covers was her head, and she was looking away.

"I may have gotten it in my head that you were this...byronic sort of entity that had a scarred past and was aching for the companionship of a shy and inexperienced kohai. And maybe I fantasized about it, and decided to try and get you to show me how to confront those fantasies. And maybe I do really want to try escorting, but at the same time, maybe I just have an itch that needs scratching, and you're the only person I trust not to judge me." Moon Dancer said.

"That's...pretty meta, but I'm flattered. Are you trying to ask me out? Is that what's happening, or do you just want to pay me to soft dom you?"

"Oh, no, no, it's not a date! I don't want to date you; I just have this fixation, and I'd...I'd honestly rather we just sort of make it businesslike so we don't have to have any awkward conversations about it!"

"Yeah?"

"I like you better as this enigmatic english teacher looking guy that wears black tank tops to the library and reads pulp fiction and talks about literary devices in my earshot. We don't need to be friends. I like...I like this space we have. It's unique."

"...I gotcha. Okay. Uh...wow. Again, very flattering. I didn't think a girl like you would notice a schlub on my level. Thanks, I guess?"

"My lord, if I may be so bold, it's monumentally stupid that you don't think you're handsome. Girls like Bachelor Buck."

"Well...Bachelor Buck doesn't like being Bachelor Buck. He'd like to be more than that."

"I understand..." Moon Dancer said, despair hanging off her words.

"But I've been goin' through it lately, and I wouldn't mind handling you just this once. We'll call it the pleasurable side of business. A demonstration, like you said." Buck smiled. He patted at the blankets until he felt Moon Dancer's calf, then gently laid his hand on it.

"Thank you, Buck. You're very sweet."

"Here's what we're gonna do. It's late now, okay? But I'm gonna come again next week, and if you still want to, we'll do a scenario. Tell me what you want now, and I can deliver.

"Soft dom. Anal."

"Woah, really?"

"Really."

"You'll want to do an enema, then, and--"

"Yes, I know. I...want you to call me 'Darling'. I like it when you call me that. I want you to act aloof, and then let me tempt you, and dominate me. Is all that okay?"

"Sure. Safe word?"

"Velvet."

"Okay. Then, I'll see you next week for the session. Again, no foul if you back out. I won't treat you any different."

"Wait! At least let me pay you back with something." Moon Dancer said, nervously.

"...you think you could get me a discount on the weed selection down there?"

"Buck, I can get you a discount on everything down there."

"That'll do, then."

"Thank you, Buck."

"Good night, Moon Dancer."

This was a weird one, for Buck. He'd had a whole week to fixate and let this session be the target of his anxiety. There were a lot of ways this could go wrong, the least of which was Moon Dancer telling other people about it, and suddenly Buck's name would get put through the wringer again. He had a mostly steady job, and he didn't need to jeopardize it for a fling. That said, Moon Dancer was earnestly asking for help, and she was actually very pretty and he was horny.

As Buck stepped through the entrance to Cauldron Bubbles' Sanctum of Sorcery, he was nearly knocked over by a retreating figure in a purple beanie that sat on a frame taller than his own. They were holding a jingling plastic bag with the stores' logo, which was something like Lisa Frank's idea of the planet Saturn. He didn't get a good look at the face, but they had long, dark purple hair with a light blue streak and legs for days.

"Buck, sweetheart? Are you here to see Moon Dancer again?" Said Cauldron Bubbles, who after a few weeks had managed to turn her bombastic customer service persona off just for Buck.

"Yes ma'am."

"I'd like to thank you. I know she's very unique, but I worry for her, and I'm glad she's made a friend in this horrible city. She's not my child, but I do try to look after her, you understand?"

"Well, you don't gotta worry about me."

"You won't hurt her, will you Buck?"

"Absolutely not." Buck smiled.

"Are you willing to work on commission, some time? For me?"

"Absolutely not." Buck repeated, and then he was up the stairs.

Buck elected to wear a pair of brown slacks, a cream-colored shirt with brown stripes, and suspenders to complete the 'english professor' vibe that Moon Dancer had complemented. It turned out to be very appropriate, as when he stepped into his client's room he found that the curtains had been drawn and the space was bathed in flickering candle glow. Those candles filled the room with a smell like a craft store frequenter's idea of seduction.

From the nightstand, Buck could hear the beginnings of a playlist that probably had the words 'dark' and 'fantasy' and possibly even 'sensual' in the title. It sounded like the tutorial of a jrpg, but one of those darker ones from the PS1 era. Next to the singing phone was a short bottle of oil-based lube, a box of condoms, and some tissue paper. Everything they would need. There was also a little jewelry box, which Buck wasn't so sure about.

Buck could see the curve of Moon Dancer's hip underneath the dark covers. She was turned away, but the sound of a page being turned told him that this was intentional.

Buck closed the door quietly. He steadied his breathing and remembered the rules. Don't hurt her. Don't judge.

Moon Dancer cracked her finger joints.

Begin scene.

"This study smells of sandalwood and sage. Have you been practicing the dark arts behind my back again?" Buck said.

The womanly shape in the bed gave no answer.

"I asked you a question, darling." Buck said. He stepped slowly to the desk across the room, then sat and produced his copy of Snow Crash. His back was to Moon Dancer.

"Why, no, my lord. Not after you explicitly instructed me not to!' Moon Dancer spoke in a voice that was light and airy compared to what he was used to.

"I should hope not. You and I are both aware that rules are meant to be bent, but you wouldn't let temptation get the better of you. Isn't that so, darling?"

"...yes, my lord. I've just been here, studying by candlelight and meditating on your wisdom."

"I see. And have you come to any epiphany worth mentioning?"

"Yes, my lord. I should think I've come up with a technique that you will relish."

"Well, I look forward to seeing it in class proper. No need for me to tutor you. If that's all there is, you're free to go." Buck made a show of licking his thumb, then turning the page.

"I..! I would like to stay here in your study for a bit longer, my lord." Buck heard a rustling of the sheets, and then Moon Dancer's voice got closer.

"Nonsense. For what reason do you tarry here, darling?"

"It's just that the night grows so cold and dark. But here in the lamplight, there is a gentle warmth..." Moon Dancer's voice was by his ear. Her hands fell lightly on his shoulders and slid down his arms at a sensual pace.

"And it is just cool enough to stay in bed. Dark enough to find a sweet dream beneath the covers."

"A dream, you say?"

"I've been dreaming, my lord." Moon Dancer nudged Buck's hands away from the open book with barely a caress. "It's a pleasant dream, my lord." Moon Dancer sighed in his ear.

"I see...well, the night does grow old. I think I may retire to my bed, if it's all the same to you. When the morrow comes, we can speak more of your dreams." Buck said. He clapped the book closed.

"Will you need help getting undressed, my lord?"

"For the last time, I'm not a feeble old man. I can very well undress myself."

"...Understood. I'll turn away." Moon Dancer said, and Buck heard her muffled steps cross the room.

Buck then took care to strip slowly, letting each article of clothing drop to the floor until he was in only his undershirt and boxers. There was the thinnest of giggles as he bent over to collect his costume, then folded each piece on the desk chair. When he turned, he didn't see Moon Dancer.

"...well. It's nice to have a dedicated student. If only she would dampen her proclivities, she'd be near my contemporary." Buck said it light and pompous and ignored a snicker coming from the bed. Buck removed his glasses and got under the covers, facing toward the room as opposed to the wall. It was a spacious queen of a bed, delightfully cushy and smelling faintly of lavender.

Buck would have killed for a space like this. He knew that Moon Dancer worked the library and seemed to work downstairs in this building, but he couldn't guess her pay. Must have been substantial, Buck thought, but then his train of thought was cut off by a small hand on his back.

"Hm? Darling, we've talked about this. We can't share a bed; it's simply unethical. What will people say?"

"'What a lucky girl she is~'" Moon Dancer purred.

"I meant the men."

"What a goodly and dutiful girl she is~" Moon Dancer's hand trailed up and down Buck's back, and when he turned over, he found her dark purple pools staring into him with an almost innocent smile beneath them.

"Darling, it's not as if I'm blind. I just don't think this should continue."

"It need not continue for more than one night, my lord. Let us ease our burdens together. Please...let me be your pleasant dream." Moon Dancer reached up to touch Buck's cheek. She was blushing deep, and Buck could feel the nervous shiver running through her.

"...If it's to be so, let us never speak of it again, my faithful student." Buck said.

"Not a single soul need know, my lord...mmph?" Moon Dancer sighed. Buck put a thumb to her puffy lips as they drew closer.

"Enough talk." Buck said, with finality. Moon Dancer parted her lips around Buck's thumb and let out a tiny sigh. A rosy blush had come to her round cheeks. Their lips met, and Moon Dancer's eagerness broke through the scene.

Small kisses smacked against Buck's lips at a quick and greedy pace, her hands trailing along Buck's chest until he pinned them over her head.

"Naughty thing. How long have you been thinking about this night, darling?" Buck whispered, then kissed along Moon Dancer's neck.

"I've spent a thousand eternities staring at you over a book, my lord." Moon Dancer moaned. Buck's free hand slid under her shirt, caressing the smooth skin beneath. She gasped as Buck cupped her breast.

"And so it falls to me to exorcise your demons. Is that why you've come to my bed?" Buck growled. Moon Dancer's soft breasts dropped free as Buck pulled her top up.

"Mnnn! My lord...!" Moans of pleasure came fluttering from Moon Dancer's lips as Buck nibbled and flicked her nipple with his tongue. His free hand slid down her side and squeezed one plump cheek. Under his spread legs, Moon Dancer's knees squeezed together.

"Lust is bubbling up from inside you, darling. Why did you wait so long to come to me?" Buck bit down on Moon Dancer's nipple just hard enough to earn a squeal.

"I...I feared that my form would turn you away."

"This form, right here?" Buck chuckled. His lips dragged away from Moon Dancer's teat and instead began to kiss along her pot belly. He nibbled and moaned and let her wrists go just so he could squeeze her ass with both hands. Moon Dancer squirmed under Buck's attention, her chest shaking as she got caught between a giggle and a moan.

Mm-mmy-my lord! That is...that is most uncouth!" She managed. Buck savored the supple belly fat that he was nibbling on. His list of fetishes was a broad spectrum, but a hesitant waif with a chubby form was definitely on it somewhere. The rough groping of her ass combined with the suckling of her belly seemed to be a deadly combination for Moon Dancer, who covered her mouth to stifle a shaky groan.

"You want to see uncouth?" Buck said. Moon Dancer found herself flipped onto her stomach, and as Buck yanked her bottoms down, she grabbed at the waistband and held it at the end of her thighs.

"Please, my lord! I can't bear further embarrassment..." She pleaded, looking at Buck over her shoulder. There was a quiet desperation in her eyes.

"Embarrassment? Over this work of art?" Buck said.

Moon Dancer's ass was two gorgeously round mounds of cream-colored flesh, shifting under every one of Buck's touches, caresses, and light slaps.

*SLAP*

Buck brought a firm hand down and watched the posterior jiggle. It was nearly mesmerizing. Buck thought to himself that he could do that all day.

"Ah...I see why they call you Moon Dancer." Buck chuckled.

"Wha...how dare you!?" Moon Dancer squealed as Buck slapped the other cheek.

"Just a joke, darling..." Buck's hands moved as if in a trance.

Buck fondled her with methodical gentility, running his palms over Moon Dancer's incredibly soft cheeks until they had been worked up to a cherry red blush.

"My oh my, and what do we have here, darling?" Buck parted Moon Dancer's cheeks, revealing at last a puckering, wanting hole. She had been warming herself up, apparently, because there was an obvious gap on display that brought a smile to Buck's face.

"...you've been preparing yourself? Were you so sure I would give into your wiles?" Buck said. He reached over and spread a dollop of lube on his thumb, then let another drop onto Moon Dancer's pucker. This stuff was cold, and so Buck wasn't surprised when Moon Dancer cringed.

"I...have been...'preparing'...for some time!" Moon Dancer hissed.

"Well, my faithful student...you've always been ahead of your class."

Buck's thumb slid easily in, and while he had been determined to take it slow, he found that he could easily fit two fingers in, then three, all the while savoring Moon Dancer's moans while he worked the lube in.

"Ah! Mnn...am I ready, my lord?"

"I'll be gentle, darling." Buck shimmied out of his boxers, making sure to tease and prod at Moon Dancer as he reached over to the bed stand for a condom. Buck pressed his jacketed cock against Moon Dancer's crack and rubbed it back and forth, applying lube to his shaft. All the while, he watched Moon Dancer shift and grumble impatiently beneath him.

"I don't want you to be gentle, my lord! I need it now!"

"Ah, this is my fault. I haven't been attentive enough..." Buck said. He lined his tip up with Moon Dancer's winking opening.

"My lord, please..." Moon Dancer whined.

"Well, you know what they say. 'Spare the rod...'" Buck pressed against the hot opening.

"Ahh..."

"'Spoil the child.'" Buck said. The head of his cock popped inside. Moon Dancer gasped and Buck stroked her ass in a placating manner. "Breathe...breathe, darling."

Moon Dancer grasped the sheets and tried to steady her breathing. With each exhale, Buck pressed in a bit deeper. There was a little hiss from Moon Dancer, and a few careful adjustments in positioning, then Moon Dancer gave out a shuddering groan as Buck hilted fully inside her.

"You feel enormous, my lord..." Moon Dancer said, through gritted teeth.

"That's very flattering, darling. I take it you feel nice and full?" Buck said, grinding gently against her.

"Mmmm...! Mhm, mhm..." Moon Dancer hummed and nodded. Buck wiped his hands with a bit of tissue paper, then planted a hand next to Moon Dancer's head. The other came under her chin and pulled until her eyes arched back to look into Buck's.

"Is this what you wanted, my faithful student? To shiver and groan beneath me as I have my way? Is this the demon you spoke of?" Buck said.

"Mmhmm..." Moon Dancer smiled up at Buck as if she were lost in a wet dream. Buck kissed her forehead.

"You will tell me if I hurt you?" Buck said, stroking her chin. Buck slid in and out with ease. Moon Dancer's squeezing and the feel of her plush ass under his hand made it hard to resist starting hard and greedy.

"Mmmhmmm...." Moon Dancer shut her eyes and bucked her hips upward.

Buck tried to start slow, but Moon Dancer's rolling ass was insistent. She squeezed him with her hot walls and mewled until he got up to speed. Moon Dancer moaned loudly as Buck treated her to hard, long strokes. He was glad for the condom lowering his sensitivity because by the way Moon Dancer's asshole was clamping down on him, he wouldn't have lasted long otherwise.

Buck lowered leaned down to whisper in Moon Dancer's ear.

"I can scarcely hold myself back...! Tell me you want more, darling!"

"Give me more, my lord! I'm so close!"

Buck grabbed the bang tail that Moon Dancer kept at the top of her head and pulled on it until the both of them were on their knees. Moon Dancer tightened up as Buck began pounding her in earnest, grabbing onto the headboard with one hand and covering her screams with the other.

Now the headboard was banging lightly against the wall. Buck held Moon Dancer's hip steady as he slammed his hips into her over and over again, trying to maintain a steady and vicious pace. Moon Dancer, for her part, had her eyes screwed shut and seemed focused on not screaming her head off while her ass made lewd suckling sounds around Buck's driving shaft.

"Harder...! Harder!" Moon Dancer squealed, and so Buck grabbed her belly with both hands and pounded her with everything he had. She was a tough nut to crack, but Buck was not about to be outdone. One of his hands slid down her stomach to reach into her half-on pyjama pants and toy with her clitoris.

"Wait!" Moon Dancer said.

What Buck pulled out was a surprise. He couldn't see it past Moon Dancers chubby, beautiful form, but he could feel it. His thrusting slowed down to a grind as he ran his fingers along it. It was a cock, and from the distance, his fingers had to go to find the head, it was one that humbled his own in terms of size.

"Ah." Buck said.

"I'm sorry..." Moon Dancer sniffled.

"Is this what you've been worried about?" Buck said. "Darling, men and women alike would pay hand over fist for this body type..." Buck slid his hands down the shaft and squeezed at the base.

"We can stop if you're uncomfortable." Moon Dancer said. Her voice had dropped into a whimper.

"Oh, please. You're my client, right now." Buck said. He drove his hips forward, and as Moon Dancer moaned, he stuck his fingers into her mouth. Moon Dancer, though surprised, moaned and let Buck wet his fingers on her tongue. "I'm here to take care of you, darling, and flexibility is your most important skill in this business."

Buck's fingers came away soaked in Moon Dancer's spit. Her breath hitched as he slid them around her shaft, giving her a few gentle pumps. Buck's other arm slid up around Moon Dancer's neck, his hand grabbing her shoulder.

"Now...tell me, darling, have you ever cum like this before?" Buck growled.

And then. as if nothing had happened, Buck started pounding Moon Dancer's ass again. This time, however, he matched his relentless thrusting with wild, frantic pumps of Moon Dancer's cock.

"Ohhh fuck, oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh FUCK!" Moon Dancer screamed.

It didn't take long, Buck's thrusts becoming frantic as he pushed against his own limits.

Moon Dancer let out an unintelligible squeal and squirted all over the headboard in a knee-shaking, shoulder-quaking orgasm. Buck mercilessly pounded her straight through it, rolling his thumb over the top of her cock head as she discharged.

"Oh fuck, no more, master, no more!" Moon Dancer said.

"What was that!?" Buck said, slapping her ass, not slowing down one bit.

"Velvet! Velvet!" Moon Dancer said.

"Good girl." Buck slowed his pace, then came to a stop. Moon Dancer flopped down onto her stomach, panting and shivering. Buck stroked her hair and gently parted her cheeks. "I'm pullin' out, alright? Relax..."

Moon Dancer's thumb in the air was her only response. She hissed as Buck slid out of her as gently as possible.

"You okay?" Buck said. "Are you alright with being touched? Do you need to be cuddled?" Buck said.

"...some water would be nice. I screamed my head off back there." Moon Dancer said.

"Alright. I'll go fill that glass on your desk in the sink, and I'll be right back."

When Buck returned, Moon Dancer was under her covers, sitting up against the headboard, looking a little lost.

"I take it you cleaned the chowder off the scoreboard, huh?" Buck said, placing the glass on the nightstand.

Moon Dancer nearly did a spit take and half laughed/half coughed.

"What?" Buck said. "Did'ja forget its me?"

"How do you just turn it off like that?" Moon Dancer said, recovering.

"Oh, well, I mean, it's a job, isn't it? You're playing a role for a little bit. It's like how I play a role when I work the counter at Sugar Cube Corner, but it shuts off the second I clock out." Buck said. He took a seat on the bed next to Moon Dancer, making sure to give her some space. "It helps to think of it not as you doing the work, but a character doing the work. Trust me. But anyway, now's a good time to talk about after care. So, first of all, you ought to have water right next to the bed with the rest of your supplies, just rule of thumb, and you should use the bathroom before and after sex. If you went for the back door, it's important to go in gently and come out just as gently, and wash yourself afterwards. Once the session is over, you need to check up on the client. Don't touch without permission, make sure they enjoyed themselves, offer tissues or maybe even a towel if things got a little messy. What matters is that your client is comfortable through the whole experience, and-"

"Are you not going to address it?"

"Address what?"

"The fact that I have a penis, Buck!" Moon Dancer exploded, gesturing at her crotch.

"Huh?"

"I thought you would be shocked! Or repulsed!"

"Oh, honey. If you think that's the strangest thing I've seen during a session, you're out of your damn mind." Buck deadpanned.*

Moon Dancer stared at him blankly.

"Here's the thing about that, though. You need to communicate that feature--and it is a feature--to your clients before you go to the session. That's critical; no one wants to be surprised by something like that when they're in the sack, and some guys will even react violently, which reminds me to remind you that you really gotta arm yourself for this gig, because it can get nasty, and not in a good way."

"You are unbelievable." Moon Dancer laughed. It was a wide and genuine smile; something he was not used to seeing on that face.

"You did good, by the way. I mean, as a sub; you're a natural at that."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I'll be honest; if tonight was about me, I would've given you a break...and then gotten right back in there. All night, easily."

"Oh..." Moon Dancer blushed again. Her eyes searched the covers for some kind of insight.

"You might struggle to dom properly, but it all boils down to practice."

"Well, I don't know about that. I've got a pretty strong character, I think."

"Oh yeah? Is my 'faithful student' ready to graduate already?"

"Perhaps...would you care for a demo?"

"Yeah, sure. Hit me with your best shot."

Moon Dancer smirked and stepped out from under the covers, picking up the little jewelry box on the nightstand. She crossed the room bare-assed and opened her curtains just a bit, letting a bit of moonlight filter in.

"So you know I'm friends with Twilight Sparkle..." Moon Dancer said. The look on her face made Buck wonder if she was going to kill him and enjoy every moment of it, which all in all was a good zone for a dom to be in.

"Yep. I'm sure she told you about me. We go way back." Buck said.

"...not really? But, no matter. Twilight has been helping me with this project as well, and while it cost a pretty penny, the results speak for themselves." Moon Dancer said, opening the box.

Inside was a ring with a black band and a tiny ruby shaped like a cartoon skull.

"Oh, fuck me. This is gonna be some magic bullshit, isn't it?" Buck said.

"It turns out I have a bit of a knack for it, and Twilight wanted to help."

Moon Dancer smiled and put the ring on. Buck expected a dramatic sailor scout transformation sequence, but what happened instead was a sudden darkening of the room. The candles snuffed immediately, leaving the moonbeam as the only source of light. Then Buck blinked and suddenly Moon Dancer was at the edge of the bed, but something had changed.

Or rather, everything had changed. The candles flickered back to life, revealing that Moon Dancer's skin had gone from cream to alabaster. Her hair had shortened into blood red bob with a bang framing one side of her face and a black streak through it. Her eyes had gone ruby as well, with pitch-colored liner around the edges.

There was a pair of stubby bat wings fluttering at her back, and her cock had seemingly lengthened and turned black as coal.

Buck was at a loss for words as Moon Dancer crawled onto the bed. He backed up to the wall slowly, shrinking down as Moon Dancer loomed over him. Now it was she that tilted Buck's chin upward.

"I call her Lilith, but 'Mistress' will do." She said.

"Fucking phenomenal." Buck said.

"Perhaps you'd like a proper demonstration from me?" Moon Dancer said, and immediately drew close enough to kiss.

"Thaaaat's....okay, look. While getting pounded in the ass by a succubus is definitely on my list, I ain't prepped for that, so it's gonna be a no from me."

"I thought you were supposed to be straight?"

"Well, you're a girl, aint'cha!?"

"Yes." Moon Dancer said, sitting back.

"Man, oh man..." Buck said, scratching his head.

"What's the matter now?"

The weight of possibility settled into Buck's lap. Introducing magic to this field was an innovation he had never thought of, and it had the potential to be revolutionary and extremely dangerous. It also had the potential to make Moon Dancer stinkin' rich. Buck took a moment, then steadied himself.

"You're gonna knock'em dead out there. As long as you're honest about what you're offering, you'll attract the right people and repulse the wrong ones."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. Just be careful, alright? Magic has a way of fucking everything up, so keep it close to your chest, huh?" Buck rose from the bed, satisfied. Moon Dancer was silent as he got dressed, but as he headed for the door, she spoke up again.

"Wait, Buck! I know what I said before, but we could...maybe we could be a team? You're uh...you're obviously a veteran at this, and I'm fresh and new! We could get into it together! You know, um...professionally."

"Oh man...listen, Moon Dancer. That sounds sweet and all, but I put 'the industry' behind me. It all sounds so glamorous until you're in it. You can keep the escorting and the magic. I think I'll hang on to the quiet life I've got now."

"I understand..."

"But hey. I'll see you at the library, right?"

"You will. One night of passion isn't enough to turn me away from dumping on your literary taste, Buck."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Buck laughed. And with that, he was out.

Moon Dancer would indeed show up to the study room on the following Saturday, but she didn't have anything to say. Several more Saturdays would pass in this companionable silence until Moon Dancer finally cracked her fingers and turned the page. An obvious question hung in the air.

"...How'd it go?"

"...I already have a client, and they are...very enthusiastic about my particular approach to soft domming."

"Gooood...my apprentice...let the lust flow through you...!" Buck croaked.

"Oh, shut up. Is that another Pratchett in your hands? You've grown terribly predictable, my lord bard."

"You're reading 'Interview With A Vampire' for the literal 13th time."

"I suppose some things never change."

"Well, I wouldn't say that."

"Ah yes, my lord. I heard through the grapevine that a certain bard recently made an appearance at Donut Joe's with a certified super villain on his arm."

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Buck groaned, covering his face with one hand.

"Didn't you tell me that you were going to 'hang on to your quiet life'?"

"I don't want to talk about that. Things've been weird, to say the very least."

"Weirder than the tutelage of your 'faithful student'?"

"Would you believe me if I said yes?"

"You attract the strangest women, my lord."

"I guess that's why you keep showin' up here." Buck deadpanned. "Speaking of, I gotta get goin'."

"So soon?"

"Well, the sun's goin' down, and I apparently got plans for this Saturday night."

"You don't sound very excited."

"Terrified, actually. She's going to be there."

"But you're still going."

"It's complicated."

"Would you mind if I offered you some good advice, my lord?"

"You're gonna. I dunno why you'd even ask." Buck smiled.

"I've miraculously learned a thing or two from you through our meetings, and I feel I should pass this lesson back to you; 'As long as you're honest about what you're offering, you'll attract the right people and repulse the wrong ones.'"

"Did I say that? That sounds a lil' too profound for me." Buck said. Moon Dancer rolled her eyes.

"Yes, my lord, you did say that. But I'd like to add something else."

"Go on." Buck said. Moon dancer smiled and closed her book.

"The right people will find you, even if you hide away. So don't worry so much." Moon Dancer produced a familiar ruby skull ring from her pocket and slipped it on. The room went dark, and when it lit back up, both Moon Dancer and her small tower of books was gone.

Buck got up and stepped halfway out the door, looking around. He saw Moon Dancer rushing away with her stack of books wobbling about.

"What a fucking nerd." Buck laughed.

Author's Note

*More side stories not coming soon, but very possible.

Song Review: We interrupt your regularly scheduled smut to bring you a little prequel story. I Love The Night by Blue Oyster Cult is a song about a man meeting a vampire after being fresh off a breakup. What does it mean to be courted by a creature of the dark? I think even the most sensible person would fall to the charms of a nightwalker, given the right circumstances. The song plays over this chapter, not from Buck's perspective, but from Moon Dancer's. She sees Buck as his reputation and tries to find a piece of that mystique for herself.