Weird is Normal

The following is written in 3rd Person POV…

Last night at the Gold Room…

*Ding*

The bell of the Gold Room sounds as new patrons enter the pub.

“Good evening, Sam.” Mercy greets Sam, the bartender.

“Good evening, Head Mistress.” Sam greets back. “I see you have brought newcomers with you tonight…” Sam observes, as Mercy’s group enters behind her. “And a seemingly frequent visitor now, as well.” Sam says, upon seeing Paige.

“Good evening, Sam.” Paige greets him.

“Good evening, Miss.” Sam greets back, a complete one-eighty in terms of attitude when Paige first met him.

“Their bartender's name is ‘Sam’?” Hal jokingly asks under his breath, and Lizzie seems to be the only one who understands why Hal finds that funny.

“Unlike my namesake, I do not know everybody’s name.” Sam replies haughtily, apparently having heard Hal’s question.

“Nor are you glad we came, I’m sure.” Hal comments.

“Quite.” Sam confirms.

“The older couple with me are Hal Bundy and Celeste Pritchett, members of a West Coast branch, Sam. They deserve your hospitality.” Mercy informs Sam.

“Ease up on the ‘older’ there.” Celeste half-jokingly tells Mercy.

“My apologies, Master Bundy and Mistress Pritchett. I am at your service.” Sam immediately shifts his demeanor, and bows towards Hal and Celeste. “Care for a drink before partaking in tonight’s festivities?” Sam asks casually.

“No thank you, Sam. Mostly here for the festivities.” Hal replies.

“What are the festivities?” Tricia excitedly asks. “And also… where exactly would there be festivities?” Tricia adds, seeing that her group are the only patrons of the pub.

“Wonderland’s festivities are best seen in person. As for where it is… it’s just behind the Red Door, Tricia.” Mercy informs her.

“Oh~, it’s like a speakeasy?” Tricia asks. “Wait. No. Why would there be a speakeasy hiding inside a pub? That’s a bit redundant.” Tricia thinks to herself out loud.

“It’s less speakeasy…” Celeste tries to explain, but Mercy makes the most of Celeste’s unintended set-up.

“And more ‘moan loudly’.” Mercy jokes, and the warning alarms in Lizzie’s mind go off immediately.

“So I’m guessing right here is Kansas?” Lizzie asks the rest of the group.

“What’s ‘Kansas’? What does that mean?” Celeste asks.

“I just mean it as the place where normal stays, and weird doesn’t begin.” Lizzie explains. “Like Wizard of Oz.” Lizzie adds, and Celeste and Tricia are dumbfounded.

“The metaphor they’ve been using was Alice in Wonderland!” Celeste comments.

“I know that!” Lizzie shouts, taking offense like she mistook one for the other. “But Kansas is Kansas. It’s just slang from when I was in school. It just means a safe space for normies when the weird people start doing the weird stuff.” Lizzie explains, and Celeste apologizes upon realizing what she meant.

“As for the answer to your earlier question — Yes, Lizzie. If you wish to not find out how deep the rabbit hole goes, or if you wish to not go down the yellow brick road, whichever metaphor you prefer… you can stay here.” Mercy tells her, and Lizzie doesn’t think twice and hops up on a bar stool and makes herself comfortable.

“One Old Fashioned, please.” Lizzie orders. Sam looks at Mercy first, who gives him a nod, before he starts preparing Lizzie’s drink.

“Also, what’s available in terms of entrees?” Lizzie asks Sam.

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us, Lizzie? It’s gonna be a lot more fun if I share the experience with someone who’s a first-timer too.” Tricia attempts to have Lizzie join them inside the Red Rum one last time.

“Positive.” Lizzie answers without even looking towards Tricia, the latter openly showing disappointment that she couldn’t coax Lizzie to join.

“Well then, shall we?” Mercy asks, and the group gives her a nod in agreement.

“After you…” Mercy tells the group, opening the Red Door for them by using a key she got from her blazer pocket.

“Cheers, Sam.” Hal tells Sam, waving goodbye to the bartender before entering the path towards the Red Rum.

“Married With Children, Master Bundy.” Sam wryly replies.

“I hope you’re ready for what you’re getting into, Tricia.” Paige tells Tricia, the latter looking back at Lizzie at the bar one last time before heading deeper into the path towards the Red Rum.

“Oh, one more thing Sam.” Mercy suddenly addresses Sam before entering the Red Rum.

“Yes, Mistress?” Sam asks.

“Our guest should be charged if she intends to eat and run.” Mercy tells Sam, making Lizzie almost spit out her drink.

“Understood, Mistress. I’ll be her tornado.” Sam replies.

“How much are we charging for an Old Fashioned again?” Mercy continues to tease Lizzie.

“Three hundred, I believe.” Sam replies.

“THREE HUNDRED!? FOR THIS ONE COCKTAIL!?” Lizzie shouts in horror.

“If our guest intends to enjoy our establishment for free, she should come find me inside to settle her tab.” Mercy tells Sam, but gives Lizzie a teasing wink. The look of disgusted betrayal on Lizzie’s face is unmistakable.

“I’ll see you later, Lizzie.” Mercy says, before closing the Red Door behind her.

…

“That was cruel.” Paige tells Mercy, seemingly the only one left in the path, as the others have already entered.

“It was only a bit of teasing.” Mercy replies, clearly not taking the prank on Lizzie seriously.

“What happened to ‘consent is crucial’?” Paige calls Mercy out.

“I wasn’t forcing her. I merely presented an easier alternative to settle her bill if she’s short on funds.” Mercy argues.

“But you tricked her into thinking her meal would be free to even get her here.” Paige continues to call out Mercy.

“And it will be free if she follows my instructions… Or if she’s smart enough to figure out that she can make a call to either Mistress Hoffman or Chef Nguyen and her bill will be settled just as quickly.

“Lizzie doesn’t know that!” Paige tells Mercy.

“That is up to Lizzie to figure out. If she truly isn’t curious as to what’s behind the red door, she’ll find a way to stay out of it. But, I’m willing to bet that there’s a sliver of curiosity there.” Mercy replies with a smirk.

“You’re the devil, aren’t you?” Paige rhetorically asks Mercy.

“I’m far from it, Paige. I’m merely a White Rabbit.” Mercy answers, before flipping the curtain to finally reveal the Red Rum and going inside.

Paige enters after Mercy, and quickly stands next to Tricia to check up on her reaction. Paige sees Tricia just looking around in wonder, like a kid seeing their first toy store at Christmas. Tricia’s clearly taking in all the lights and sounds of the club… as well the unique fashion of some of the people inside.

“What… is this place?” Tricia asks.

“It’s a private place where similar minded people get to… act on their desires.” Mercy answers Tricia.

“It’s a sex club, Tricia.” Celeste more bluntly answers Tricia, getting a mean look from Mercy. “What? What’s the point of beating around the bush?” Celeste asks Mercy defensively.

“Agreed.” Tricia comments. “We’re peers. So you guys shouldn’t baby me.” Tricia adds, and the devilish smile on Mercy’s lips noticeably widens—to the point that Paige has to give her a warning look.

“And Paige,” Tricia says to grab Paige’s attention. “Thanks for being upfront about being a babysitter… and actually looking out for me.” Tricia says with a friendly smile.

“Of course. I told you, I have your back.” Paige tells her, and Tricia gives her an appreciative smile.

“Okay, so a few questions.” Tricia prefaces. “One, since it’s a sex club, is that all you do here? Sex? If not, what else can you do? Two, why is there a stage? Will there be a live band later? Three, who are the ones who are dressed really scantily? Are they waiters? Strippers?... Are they prostitutes?” Tricia asks, whispering her last question as if she didn’t want to be a snitch on any illegal activity.

“So let me answer that in order. No, you don’t have to have sex. What you can do is… lots of stuff? It’s really up to you what you want to do. The stage can be for live bands and DJ sets, but most of the time they’re used for sex shows. And the ones that are in scantily clad uniforms are service personnel… and they provide… service. If you catch my drift.” Celeste answers.

“Here. Allow me to show you.” Mercy says, before clapping her hands, and a group of unoccupied service personnel rush to report to her. The group that rushed towards Mercy is diverse. Both men and women, with a plethora of body types, but all of them look like they deserve to be on the front cover of a fashion magazine.

“Bark for your mistress.” Mercy orders them, and they all give their own version of barks in unison. Some woofs, some arf-arfs, some ruffs, and they don’t stop until Mercy claps her hands again. Celeste, weirdly, couldn’t help but giggle; getting curious looks from Tricia and Paige.

“Oh. Sorry. I just remember Viv being an asshole and meowing when our Red Rum’s Head Mistress did the exact same show of authority.” Celeste recounts.

“I-I don’t know what to do with this information.” Tricia admits.

“You can just forget about it and we can go home with Lizzie.” Paige suggests.

“So it’s like… Simon says?” Tricia asks Mercy, ignoring Paige’s suggestion.

“It can be whatever you want it to be.” Mercy answers. “You can be the follower, or you can be Simon. You can be the master, or you can be the dog. Whichever you choose is up to your preference.” Mercy expounds.

“I-I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” Tricia answers. I’ve been taking orders my whole life so maybe that’d be more familiar for me? Do I have to bark though?” Tricia starts asking.

“No, don’t bark.” Hal answers Tricia before Mercy could pounce on her naivety. “I get what you mean about familiarity, but since this place does allow you to turn your fantasies into reality, why not consider being Simon and play around with having that power dynamic a bit?” Hal advises.

“I… I don’t think I’d be comfortable doing—stuff—with someone I don’t know.” Tricia admits.

“Then if I can make a suggestion,” Mercy then jumps in. “Admittedly, it’s always more difficult when your first time trying out something like this is with someone unfamiliar.” Mercy tells Tricia.

“How about you try it with Paige?”