Undersea Gardens

“What are we doing?” Garland complained.

“Following a lead.” Mithra said frankly.

“Okay… but why do I have to wear this?” Garland gulped, motioning down towards the lacy lingerie that covered his nipples, caged cock and his thighs and arms but very little else. He got stares from the moment they left Mithra’s apartment, starting with the two Gnoll girls who hooted and cheered him on from beside their own door. Outside there was constant staring and even a few pictures being taken. Garland hid his face behind his palm, even though his far more distinguishing traits, his two tails were swaying behind him.

“Because I like it.” Mithra said simply. You don’t gotta worry about what someone else thinks, bad or good, because you’re my bitch. Remember?”

“Yeah…” Garland slumped.

“Kek. Relax. Basically just going to a club and then returning to see what’s up. So, you won't be in that stuff for long.”

“Yeah, it’s not like we’re gonna get caught out and you’ll be in that junk the whole time and nothin’ else.” Shedu commented

“Don’t say that! Why would we be caught out?”

“I dunno?” The girl shrugged.

“Maybe somethin’ weird’ll happen?”

“Shut up.” Mithra growled.

“We’re close.”

“Well… what is this place, anyway? If it’s a club maybe I won't be that out of place, at least.”

“Undersea Gardens.” Mithra said simply.

“Undersea Gardens?” Garland looked at her.

“What?”

“I wasn’t just asking about the name…”

“Ah, that’s rough, then.” Mithra smirked.

“Guess we’ll just have to see.

The group made it to the pier and as Garland was looking around he realised they had already gone too far to be going to any club.

“Hey, did we take a wrong turn?”

“Nah. It’s there, look.” Mithra pointed at a long barge that sat low in the water of the pier. It was connected by a ramp.

“That… is a such a small boat. It’s not even a yacht.” He complained.

Mithra and Shedu both stared at him for a moment. Mithra shook her head and continued towards the ramp. As they walked down Garland in particular felt unsteady on the heels he had to wear. Ramps were hard and faintly moving ramps were even more awkward. He looked ahead and noted that the ramp was actually descending into the hull of the shape.

“Wait, what? What is-” slowly he heard the music and saw the lights. The ramp fully descended until they were well underwater into a far wider club area beneath the unassuming barge. There were many people of all species dancing in the dry club as seafolk music blared. Loud, bassey music that would carry even underwater. All around the edges of the club were windows into submerged aquariums with many different seafolk dancers. Walking past one, garland could see coins coating the floor where people had treated it like a fountain and just tossed in coins.

“Coins? Isn’t that usually-”

“Well, think about it.” Mithra explained.

“Anything else gets wet. You put the coins in the slot and they rain down.”

Shedu’s eyes widened. “Oh, I get it! It’s like that game where the coins are pushing forward….” She pressed her face up against the glass and looked for where the coins would be pushed excitedly, her tail wagging.

“Where’re the coins gettin’ pushed?”

“Not even close.” Mithra remarked.

“Also-”

“No touching the glass!” A big shark man shouted. The suited gentleman with thick sunglasses picked Shedu up and put her down on the other side of him.

“There won’t be another warning, got it?” He said sternly.

“Kay.” Shedu nodded. As he turned his back she stuck her tongue out at him and looked about to get up close to the glass again. Mithra pulled her into a lock with one arm around Shedu’s neck and began dragging the girl along.

“Ach… ech… ‘elp.” She waved her arms as she was dragged.

“Stop fucking around! We got shit to do here.”

“Sure…” Garland finally noticed the stares he was getting. He gritted his teeth, cheeks flushing.

Even in a place like this I feel out of place. Ugh… People must think I look so stupid. I’m a man! Not a freaking twink… Still, why the hell is this soft fabric fitting and feeling like a dream on my skin? I guess it’s designed like that? Maybe I could try more, just in more reasonable designs. How much of mom’s money do I have le- No! Cut it out! I’m a man and men don’t wear lingerie! Nobody wants to see this shit except a perv like Mithra. He cringed, then, as he was trailing behind he heard he heard.

“Lookin’ good!”

“What?” Garland turned and saw a tall girl with mat grey skin and silver hair grinning at him. She was wearing low rise pants and a very simple, tight top that covered her chest under her neck… and nothing else. There was prominent underboob. Her belly was toned and her figure was enough to get Garland to stop for more than a second. She was moving in tune to the music, a gold chain around her neck jingling.

“I said you’re lookin’ good! Pullin’ it off.” She shouted over the music at him. She danced closer, draped an arm over his shoulder and motioned with her thumb as she suggested.

“Hey let’s go to the back!”

“Uhh…” Garland looked around for Mithra.

“Hm? What is it? It’s loud in here so you gotta speak up!”

“I-I’m here with somebody!” Garland shouted.

The girl flashed teeth. “That’s cool! Are you with somebody or are you ‘with’ somebody?” She lifted a brow as Garland made a face and looked down awkwardly. He gulped and gave a little shrug. Her eyes widened and her arm tightened around him.

“Oh-hoho. You’re are somethin’ else! Alright, I’m takin’ you to the back. Wont take no for an answer.”

“W-wait!” Garland shouted as he was picked up. He was carried on the girl’s shoulder past a few more aquariums. There were naked seafolk women pressing their breasts up against the glass. Apparently the rule did not extend in both directions. In one section surrounded by a great many patrons there was an interestingly designed aquarium where the bottom lead into a decorated fountain in front. Garland caught that as a man inserted a large bill the voluptuous seafolk woman with a sea-anemone for a hair swam down and popped up into the fountain. She pulled the man in and began dancing over top of him as he stared up, his suit and hair all wet.

“Nobody comes here if they don’t wanna get wet.” She winked.

“That’s our motto. Unofficial… but I like to think it is!”

A ways away Shedu picked the right point to tug on Mithra’s jacket to point out Garland being taken away. The gnoll clenched her teeth and uttered.

“Shit! That fucker!”

“Which one?” Shedu asked, cocking her head to one side.

“Both!” Mithra began rushing over, only to be stopped by the large shark bouncer in the suit. She towered two feet over her and held out a comm with her picture on it.

“Mithra?” He asked.

“Yeah!?”

“You got a chance to leave. Now. Before something bad happens.”

She cracked her knuckles. “Funny… I’m thinking the same thing with you.”

He put the comm down and tensed up. “With respect for Nadine we aren’t gonna do anything to you, but you gotta leave! You’re on our turf!”

She cackled at him. “Since when’s that ever mattered!?”

“You been living under a rock or are you just stupid?”

Mithra stopped. “What?”

“Hah!? You don’t know? Fucking…” The Shark man bared his teeth at her.

“We’re at war! Your dad blew up one of our ports a few hours ago! I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and let you go before something bad happens.”

“Hours ago? Before the loop… fuck!” She growled.

“This is so fucked! I’m not leaving without my bitch!” Mithra warned.

“I’m just letting you know.”

“Then I guess we’re at an impasse.” The shark closed in on her.

“Huh!?” Mithra boiled over.

Meanwhile, Garland was carried into the back room and thrown down into a comfy chair. The room looked relatively nice with leopard stripe wallpaper and art of different undersea cities on the wall, lit by small lamps pointing down at them from the ceiling. There were a few couches, and a coffee table and a fridge and a little kitchen. The Shark plopped down across from him.

“What are you doing? Why’d you kidnap me?”

Her brows lifted. “Huh? Oh, I thought you were bein’ trafficked or somethin’ so I got you outta there.”

“I’m…” He had to think about it for a little.

“Not.” He decided.

“You had to think about that for a long time, huh?” She leaned over and extended her hand. Shallow webs between her fingers. She clenched his hand with a crushing grip before releasing him.

“Name’s Nadine, by the way.”

“I dunno. I’m not being… It’s nothing like that. Though, I was **** to wear this stuff outside.”

She blinked. “Oh shit. For real? You want some spare clothes?”

“No thank you.” He sat a bit uncomfortably on the couch.

“I have to wear it.”

“It sucks if you gotta wear something you hate. Sorry.”

“Well…”

She leaned back and opened her mouth to speak, pausing as the door swung open. A very wet merfolk dancer with a large blue head-dress and frilled blue ears walked in, dripping on the floor. She was dressed up like a princess, purple dress clinging to her blue and silver skin. She had scales running all up her side and clawed fingers and toes. She walked, showing her rear as she passed the couch. Garland blushed as he noticed her plump butt eating the thong she was wearing. The back of her dress was completely open. The girl went to the fridge, grabbed a bottle and chugged something from it before walking over to plop down next to Garland. She threw an arm around the back of the couch. For the first time, Garland noticed the fact that the couch was covered in plastic. Nadine continued as the girl just sat there.

“Anyway, like I was about to say; maybe you don’t hate it so much.”

“Maybe.” Garland blushed.

“Maybe you… don’t mind it, but you’re thinkin’ ‘shit, what’ll people think if they see me in this shit.’ or somethin’.”

He looked up. “I mean… yeah! That’s exactly what it is.”

Nadine looked up in thought. As she was thinking she nodded to the girl that non-chalantly sat down.

“How you goin’, T?”

“Goin’.” She said shortly, eying Garland up and down. She craned her head forward.

“Cute.”

He gulped. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

He was happy for a moment, then bristled a bit and stated. “Well, look, I don’t freaking like all this stuff! I don’t wanna be someone’s bitch, or dress up doll, but-”

Nadine made a rolling motion with her hand. “But you like the feel of it. The attention’s nice too, huh? But you wanna be the one that decides you wear it. When and why and all that. That’s fine. Who’s gonna stop you?”

“Probably the one that he’s the bitch of, right?” T chimed in.

“I guess. Why can’t you just say ‘fuck you’ to that person and strike out on your own. Money problems?”

Garland chuckled awkwardly. “N-no. Not at all.”

“You got money?” T smiled wryly, leaning closer to him. She rested a hand on his leg, causing him to tense up a little as her face leaned closer and closer.

“Y-yeah! I got money. I get lots of money…” He stared down at the floor.

“But it’s all from my parents. I- I don’t have anything that belongs to me.”

“Oooh. Shit!” Nadine clapped her hands and pointed at T.

T nodded and pointed back. “You thinking what I’m thinking, Nadine?”

“Think so.” Nadine smiled and said thoughtfully.

“You’ve been livin’ like someone’s bitch your whole life. You just didn’t know it till you were made one openly. To get all that independence you want you gotta earn it, right? That means makin’ your own dosh.”

“My own?”

“Yeah!” T nodded.

“Are you gonna be your own…” She squinted, then noticed the cage.

“-man, or are you gonna be constantly living off someone else’s mercy?”

Nadine grinned wide and rubbed her thumb and forefinger together. “And if you’re gonna be livin’ off someone else, I’ll tell ya why it should be me! T, get the cards.”

“The- I’m sorry?” Garland stared blankly as T sat up and wagged her rear as she was on her knees, leaning over the back of the couch, reaching for something. She eventually found a pile of white cards, stood up and walked behind Nadine.

“Strength!” Nadine said, flexing.

“Ten.” T said, flipping to 10 in the cards from 0.

“Agility!”

“Ten.” T nodded, waving the card above Nadine’s head.

“Physique!”

“Ten.” T walked to the other side, leaving the Card in place over Nadine’s head.

“Those are all the-”

“Intelligence.” T added, flipping back and forth between 5 and 4 before deciding on five.

Nadine looked up, brow furrowing. “H-hey… Gimme that!” She swiped the card away. T raised her hands and stepped back. Her ears twitched and, while keeping her calm expression she bent down to touch her toes as the door behind her came off its hinges and stuck in the wall near Garland’s head.

“You fuckin hoe!” Mithra shouted angrilly.

“How DARE you steal my bitch, Nadine!”

“Steal? How’d I steal?” The shark asked curiously.

“Also, hi Mithra.” She waved.

“Don’t ‘Hi Mithra’ me!” The gnoll charged towards the couch. Nadine jumped off of it as Mithra kicked right through the centre, sending shards flying all around a nervous Garland. He was just trying to hold still, confused at which side to take in the argument.

“You plucked him right from under my nose!”

“If he’s that he’s to steal then I shouldn’t be at fault!” Nadine argued, rushing over to sling Garland over her shoulder again. She bared sharp teeth as she stared down Mitha. The two seemed to be in a standoff. Garland’s two tails waved independently as he slumped over the shoulder, intensely confused by what was transpiring.

“If you don’t give him back I’m gonna put a hole in your boat!”

“You can put a hole in my boat, or…”

“Or what?” Mithra’s eyes narrowed behind her purple bangs. Her teeth clenched. She reacted left as Nadine’s eyes darted left, but cursed as the shark dodged right with the fox, wheeling past and rushing through the door.

“Get back here!” She screamed, running past ****, beaten bouncers and dented walls. They ran through the club to another back door, up several sets of stairs and onto the upper deck of the barge, all with Mithra hot on their heels.

“Dammit, Garland, do somethin!”

“I’m staying out of this for now. Wake me up when it’s over.” He remarked.

“Heheha! I can run all d-” Nadine slipped on the deck. Garland went flying over the side as Trita and Shedu made their way up the stairs. Nadine’s face went white as she held her head in her hands.

“Oh no!”

“Oh no!” Mithra repeated.

“Woah~” Shedu uttered in wide-eyed amazement.

T squinted, watching closely. Garland felt himself in mid air, then saw the ground. He sighed, twisted his body using his tail, did a few flips to get himself in the right orientation and landed on the shaky dock, on both feet with his arms out in a gymnast pose.

“Hah…” He turned around and looked up.

“Ta-da?”

“Holy shit!” Nadine’s jaw dropped. T was holding up a 10 card and pointing to it.

Mithra blushed, her mouth falling open. “That-” She smiled, then turned her head to hide it. She was, in fact, very impressed and proud and a bit wooed by the display of agility. His grace was a big part of what drew her to him.

“Big deal.” She masked her emotions clumsily.

“W-who cares if he’s… a fuckin’... cool gymnast or some shit.”

“Hmm?” Nadine and T smirked at one another.

“Charisma…” Whispered while pointing to Mithra, then to a 2 card. Nadine nodded approvingly.

“Yeah.”

As everyone settled down Shedu leaned on the reeling, pouted a bit and narrowed her eyes on Garland, then on Mithra. She made a face, lips curling down subtly as she intoned.

“Tch…” As attention fell on her again she regained her dopey demeanour and shouted.

“Woah! That was so cool!”

***

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