Watching

Elain's heart fluttered in her chest as she and Lucien waited in line.

They were in the foothills surrounding Velaris at the Ankora Opera- the most prestigious theater in the city. It was named for an ancient High Lord's wife, and great marble statues of her likeness looked down from either side of the main entrance.

The mighty building rose five storeys tall and was capped with a golden dome that magnified so much as a whisper spoken from the right part of the stage. According to the musicians of Velaris it had the most perfect acoustic design in all of Prythian- if not the entire world. Sound flowed through the audience, making them not merely spectators at the shows, but visitors peeking in on another world.

Fae in various levels of finery surrounded Elain and Lucien, all waiting with tickets in hand. The more hardcore attendees of the Ankora discussed the history of various artistic or musical directors at the opera- which produced the finest sets, what class of dancers had the greatest talent, or which leading soprano had the more impressive range.

Elain half-listened as she and Lucien moved towards the door one step at a time. She fidgeted with the ticket in her hand, excited and nervous at the same time.

"Tickets please," a black-suited attendant stood before the grand doors. Elain and Lucien handed theirs over together and the male inspected them before waving the couple through.

Lucien held out his arm for Elain to take hold of as they entered the main lobby. There were fae in exquisite gowns milling about, waiting until the show was closer to beginning before taking their seats. A few fae took note of the couple, some casual friends who waved in acknowledgement.

Instead of being drawn in by the chatter, Lucien led Elain through the lobby and up a grand staircase. Ahead of them the doors to floor-level seating were open wide to admit guests. On the left and right sides of the hall were two marble staircases that wound all the way up to the various balconies and private boxes.

Thick red carpets cushioned their footfall as they walked not towards the staircases, but rather the coat check. Lucien took Elain's ticket and held it out to an attendant, who took note of something the one at the entrance did not know to look for- an imperfection in the embossed border of the card. Little more than a notch. He whipped a finger over the gold lettering- raised, not lowered.

The fae nodded and scribbled something down, then waved the pair through a side door to the room itself.

A low counter ran beside the attendant with the main space open so that fae could remove coats or cloaks without worrying about being jostled in the main hall. The male nodded to the back of the room- a corner out of sight from the door or the hall-facing window of his booth. Once Elain and Lucien reached the corner, he flipped a switch and the wood panel slid aside, "Your claim number will be thirty-eight."

The door clicked shut behind them an instant later.

It was dark in the hidden passage, but clean and wide enough for Elain and Lucien to walk side by side. Her black cloak whispered against the scarlet carpeting, and he had to be careful not to bump his arm against the polished stone walls. There were breaks in the walls every few feet, and cuts out of the carpeting to facilitate something moving along a track.

Lucien led Elain ahead further and further, until they came to another wooden wall that blocked their path. They stopped close to the wall and waited.

"Watch your skirt, Lady," a voice whispered from behind.

Elain glanced back and pulled her cloak tighter, until it was clear of the cutout in the carpeting. A moment later a mahogany panel slid shut behind them, trapping the two in a space only a few feet deep.

"You have privacy now," the voice said. Elain had noticed long ago the tiny vent at floor level. As far as she'd surmised, it was only large enough for whoever worked below to see if the track was clear without allowing a view of those who stood in the space.

"Excited?" Lucien asked as they waited in the near-darkness.

A soft grin tugged at Elain's lips, "Of course." It was by no means their first time, but the thrill never wore off.

From ahead, Lucien heard the fast scraping of wood. He waited while it crawled towards them, until the wall before them was pulled aside to reveal another small, empty space. They stepped forward and the wall closed behind once more.

Bit by bit, minute by minute, they shuffled forward as the walls allowed. Sometimes there was hardly any wait at all, and sometimes it took a few minutes. The longer the wait, the brighter Elain's smile- new people unsure about how to proceed or shy about where they were going.

She'd been the same on their first visit.

Eventually the wall opened to reveal not another small space, but a large, open room lined with twenty-five doors in total spanning both sides, each neatly numbered in silver from 26-50. A golden basket upon a pedestal sat along the wall beside the passage. Once Elain and Lucien entered the room- and the wall behind them slid into place- a key slid down a chute in the stone and dropped into the basket.

Lucien picked up the key and examined it, "As promised, thirty-eight."

Elain led the way to the door and began removing her cloak as Lucien slid the key into the lock of their assigned closet. She hung her cloak up without hesitation and removed the emerald-green dress she'd hidden beneath it while Lucien swapped his golden eye for a glass one. Few knew he had a second option for eyes, and he was content to leave it that way.

Beneath Elain's dress was a basic black shift that fell to her knees. Lucien had long black pants, and on a whim removed the undershirt he'd worn- leaving himself bare-chested. "It was too stuffy last time," he explained as he wrapped it around the hanger he'd put the rest of his clothing on.

"It was. I hope they figured out a way to fix that this time," she fished around in her cloak's pockets before producing two scraps of black silk- twin masks. Small holes allowed them to see once the masks were tied in place, but they obscured the area around their eyes and the upper half of their faces.

The pair kicked their shoes off into the closet before locking the door. Lucien slid the key into the pocket of his pants and allowed Elain to hook his arm once more. This time they went to a black panel at the far end of the room. It slid aside, and the pair walked forward through two sections before they were stopped by another wooden wall. The path closed behind them.

"I hope there are good seats available still," Elain said as they waited.

"I'm sure there are plenty. We haven't had a bad view yet. Do you want to sit at the front or back this time?"

"Middle."

"A red booth?" he raised an eyebrow to confirm. They'd already discussed it, but he always gave her a chance to change her mind.

She bit her lip and considered it before nodding, "Red. Is that okay?"

"Fine by me."

They moved forward section by section until the couple stood on the landing of a black staircase. An attendant in a white wooden mask that obscured their entire face- save for a slit to see through- waved their hand across a display of mannequin heads outfitted with silk masks in varying colors, materials, and with different degrees of coverage. Neat labels proclaimed the meaning of each mask:

Black for couples who did not wish to be disturbed.

Red for someone willing to be shared with a female.

Green for someone willing to be shared with a male.

Purple for someone willing to take another partner of any gender.

"We will use our own," Lucien tapped his black mask. He and Elain discussed the matter at great length- neither had any desire to use another color. They exclusively wore the black.

The attendant bowed his head again and waved them towards the spiral staircase.

They went down beyond even the basements of the theater, until they came to a rich carpeted landing and another black door in the wall. This one did not pull aside, but swung inward, revealing a long marble-tiled hallway.

From the far end they could hear the din of idle conversation from dozens of fae. A red curtain blocked them from sight as they approached.

"What size table would you like?" A small female attendant in the same mask as the male above stood beside the curtain.

"Table for two, and we'd like one of the red, if they're still available" Lucien said.

"They are. Preference on location?"

Elain answered, "Near the middle."

The attendant bowed and pulled aside the curtain.

They were in a large, clean room with amphitheater seating that surrounded a simple, well-lit dias. Thick curtains hung from the rafters above, wholly surrounding tables of various parties of fae. All were black, but a few had tags tacked to the outside with passwords written upon them- a way for groups arriving at different times to still be seated together.

The attendant led them through a small maze of seating options before stopping before a candle-lit table with twin chairs close together on the back side. A circle of red lace covered the entire top of the table and a waist-high stone wall (capped in red marble) curved behind the chairs, affording some privacy, "Does this meet with your approval?"

Elain and Lucien eyed the stage- fairly close, but they wouldn't be illuminated by the light spilling from it. She read his face before nodding, "It's fine."

"Here are your menus, a waiter will be around in a few moments," the attendant waited until Elain and Lucien were seated before handing them two leather-bound booklets. "Please wait until after the show begins to use the restrooms out of respect for entering parties."

She snapped her fingers and from above a black cloth curtain slid down to hide their table from view.

"Do you want to order any food?" Lucien set his hand on the table and waited while Elain intertwined her fingers with his.

"The chocolate-strawberry fondue? I know, it's cliche, but remember last time?"

Lucien thought a moment, then let out a low whistle, "Yeah, they did look good. I think you spent as much time staring at those strawberries as watching the show. Sounds fine to me- let's try it."

"What are you drinking this time?" he was pouring over the alcohol list, continuing his mission to try something new every time. They came every few months, and so far he'd made a dent in the wine list but not much else.

"A mixed drink this time? I don't know, I keep eyeing that blue one but the atmosphere just feels right for wine."

"What if I get the blue one and you can have a taste?" she wasn't much of a drinker- usually Elain just made Lucien pay a 'sip tax' and she was fine for the night- but on red-table nights she needed a little help.

"Deal."

Two by two, fae entered the room over the next several minutes. It took time to fill the space- why Elain and Lucien rarely arrived early. Each step in the entrance process relied on the one before them emptying. Every time Elain and Lucien stepped forward between the public cloak room and the table it was a sign another couple had advanced.

Everything was done to ensure the utmost privacy of the guests. There were even two entrances to the underground theater- fed by the two ground-floor coat rooms.

"Permission to enter?" a male voice asked.

"Granted," Lucien called.

Their waiter felt around for the seam in the black curtain before stepping into their area. He too was fully masked, "Would you like any food or drink?"

Lucien glanced at the menu again, "We're going to do the chocolate and strawberry fondue and to drink I'll have the Day Court Seventeen Legacy red-" he pointed to Elain.

"The Midnight Kiss, please."

"I will put those orders in right away," the waiter noted their orders. "You are sitting at a red table, that means you are willing to perform for a maximum of twenty minutes in tonight's show. Do you consent to this?"

"I do," Lucien said.

"And the Lady?" when Elain only nodded the waiter tried again, "You must give verbal confirmation."

"Of course- sorry- I consent."

He pulled a case of tongue-depressors from his pocket and removed two of them, "We require confirmation of sober consent."

Lucien and Elain each took one and licked one end. They turned a bright blue that could be seen even in the dim light within the curtain. If either were drugged or drunk upon entry, the color would change to green and they would both be removed immediately.

Another case was produced to collect the used test strips as trash. No other table's strips were inside- another part of their privacy regulations.

"You are wearing black masks, which means you cannot approach other guests and they likewise are not allowed to approach you. If you would like to change this at any time you may summon me and so long as no other patrons are on the staircase you will be allowed back up to the mask-seller. He will turn his back as you change your masks- you are guaranteed full anonymity at every step of your journey here."

Lucien and Elain nodded along. They were given the rules at every 'show', but didn't mind the repetition. It was nice to know the facility was safe and secure.

"Performance order is assigned at random and each number is called only twice before we move on. If you miss your number for whatever reason, you will be given a second chance to perform later in the evening. Emergency exits and general restrooms are located on both the north and south ends- in the unlikely event of an emergency you will be given street clothes, shoes, and a cloak to cover yourselves with. Your key number?"

"Thirty-eight," Lucien said.

The waiter wrote it down, "Key thirty-eight ties to passes distributed by Vendor A. Again, though an emergency is highly unlikely, if one does occur your possessions will be transferred to your vendor at the first opportunity. Present the key to claim your belongings. Now, for your performance tonight do you have a setup preference? We offer a pedestal, chair, or I can bring a menu of restraining devices."

Elain and Lucien glanced to one another. Lucien shrugged and Elain frowned, considering, "Pedestal?"

"Sure," Lucien said. "We did the chair last time."

The waiter took note before bowing, "One final reminder- anyone wearing a white mask like thus-" he gestured to his own, "- is there to help facilitate your night. We are not permitted to touch you in any way and cannot be touched. Penalty for breaking this rule is- again- immediate expulsion. An expulsion from the club will result in a minimum ban of two decades. Alcohol and drug abuses are penalized on a per-case basis."

"Understood, we always behave ourselves," Lucien promised. The club was high-end, not some back-alley dive. Tickets weren't too expensive, but they were only offered to those whose behavior the vendors could personally guarantee.

Elain and Lucien received their tickets from Anwynn, the androgynous owner of Velaris' premier lingerie and erotics store. One day when they were browsing near the back of the toy section, Lucien noticed one of the free fetish-guides was pulled slightly out. It mentioned facilities like the one they were in. Later he would learn that Anwynn had placed the booklet there intentionally for him to find, thinking it might be the sort of place he and Elain enjoyed.

Months after he'd taken the booklet to read with Elain, Lucien slid it onto the counter at Anwynn's shop. They'd taken him and Elain to a back room to explain how the facility operated and the privacy guarantees in place. Another few months passed before the couple dared approach Anwynn for tickets.

Now all they had to do was slide the coin onto the counter, and they would be handed their passes to the "opera".

The couple sat in silence as their waiter left to prepare their order. A harpist began warming up in the musician's box at the very back of the room. They always employed a small group of musicians to provide ambient noise- nothing loud enough to drown out the sound from the stage, but enough to set the mood.

"I hope we don't get anything lower than fourth," Elain said after a while. She hated performing earlier. "What is your maximum?"

"Just not last. The mood is weird last- everyone's trying to get a higher placement in the exit line and no one's really paying attention to the show."

Elain nodded, "What's your bet for first?"

Lucien listened to the sounds of the tables around them as he considered it. More idle chatter than heavy breathing, but there were a few soft moans from the front left, "I'm going to bet they go on their first call."

"Me too. I prefer when they start strong, no hand-wringing shyness."

"We sat at the red tables three times before you got over your hand-wringing shyness, and even then it was on the second-chance calling."

Lucien admittedly was in complete agreement with Elain's backing down from each of those performances. She merely saved him from being the one to officially chicken out.

"If we're first then we'll just have to set a very high bar," Elain pinched her lover's cheek.

"Permission to enter?" their waiter returned in short order.

"Granted," Elain called.

This time someone- probably another waiter- pulled aside the curtain. He'd set his tray on a wooden stand just outside, and from it ferried in a glass of red wine and a tall flute of cloudy silver-blue liquor that shimmered and swirled. On the heels of that came a plate piled high with beautiful red strawberries with the stems removed, two dining forks, and a long porcelain dish consisting of three bowls of molten chocolate (dark, milk, and white chocolate) with a candle beneath each to provide constant heat. One ring on either end was large enough to fit the berries through and was enchanted to harden the chocolate instantly.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"This is fine for now," Lucien said.

"Very good. Your performance number is four- is that alright?"

Elain grinned, "Perfect."

"I will come to remind you before the third performance to give you an opportunity to ready yourself. If you need anything before then, simply blow out the candle on your table and I will return," he bowed again before leaving.

"We got fourth," Elain did a little dance as she picked up her fork to spear a strawberry.

"Ah- take your tax while you can still taste," Lucien raised his glass of wine to her. She took a quick sip, then dunked the strawberry in dark chocolate.

Elain slid the strawberry through the loop on her end of the setup to harden the liquid into a shell. She took a bite and moaned at the flavor, "They're perfect."

When Lucien speared a strawberry it was Elain's turn to interrupt, "Ah- you take your tax while you can still taste."

"Oh yes," he took her drink and sampled it, then made a face. "You'll enjoy it, but it's too sweet for me. Thank you for your sacrifice."

She laughed, "My sacrifice? You're so dramatic." Elain watched as Lucien dunked the strawberry into each type of chocolate, hardening it between coats. When he took a large bite she raised an eyebrow, "And the drink is too sweet for you?"

"The dark chocolate mellows this out."

Elain rolled her eyes and took a sip of the offending drink. A crust of blue sugar topped the rim, but even though the venue had their own sultry take on it, the drink was still at its core a champagne cocktail. She found it more sour than sweet.

A few more musicians joined the harp player warming up while the din of chatter grew and the final guests arrived. They had to wait for everyone to get the same rule breakdown from their waiters, and to remove anyone who failed the sobriety test. You could drink to light inebriation once you were seated (they cut off anyone getting too tipsy), but legally you had to be of a sound and clear head upon entrance.

A low drum began to beat and the room fell silent quickly. Hands clapped and at once every curtain in the room rose- revealing a full house. Instinctively all eyes scanned for what red tables could be seen on either side of the dias- hungry guests wanting to know who would be setting the mood of the evening.

Elain glanced around the room- the quantity of red tables changed in accordance with the performance above. There were a few groups, but most of the night's acts would be duos- with a healthy mix of same and mixed sex couples.

She'd never had any personal interest in being with another female, but she certainly enjoyed watching.

"Welcome patrons," a female in a long black dress and white mask stood upon the dias. She was playing the role of the facilitator for the night, "The opera this evening has an estimated run time of three hours and twenty minutes, including intermission. As always our show is timed to match. Performers, when you hear this sound-" a high, clear bell rang from above, "-know you have five minutes remaining. This-" the fae-lights on stage flashed, "-means you have one minute."

Lucien silently mouthed along as she continued her instructions, "Ten seconds after the lights go out you and your ticketed partner will be winnowed to the recovery room where you may clean up and gather yourself. We have a few performers tonight who registered to use restraining devices-" a cheer went up from a handful of tables- both performers and spectators. "The restraining and freeing procedures, unless specified as part of your act, will not count against your time. For our solo performers-" another cheer, "-your partner will be responsible for binding and freeing you."

She clapped her hands once more, "First performers, raise your candle if you wish to accept your slot." They scanned the crowd, looking for the requested sign. After a moment a cheer went up from the far side of the room- a black-masked male and smaller purple-masked female, both in similar clothes to Elain and Lucien.

Elain leaned forward to watch as they stepped onto the stage. The female was shy- but no more so than Elain herself would have been if she and Lucien had been given the first slot. Her male led her to the edge of the dias and gave her a deep, claiming kiss before pulling the straps of her slip aside. It fell to the floor in a pool of black silk- the female was wholly bare beneath.

There were no loud cheers this time- the crowd had a good sense of when to simply clap.

A round section of the stage rose from the rest and Elain smiled. The rotating platform meant either the chair or restraints. Two attendants carried the former out and quickly set about bolting it into place. The male spoke to the female hostess a moment before leading his partner to the contraption.

"Our performer invites audience participation of any gender. Regardless of table color, those in red, green, or purple masks may join in, but you will not be permitted into the recovery room. As always, we respect the boundaries set by both performer and partner- no penetration of any kind- oral, digital, or phallic- of the performer's mouth or rear, and participating males are encouraged to climax inside as many times as they wish. They request participants finish up and leave at the five minute bell."

While the announcement was made the musicians began playing a slow, deep tune. The chair was nothing like the ones around the table- instead it was a seat with arms and legs on separate mechanisms that could be adjusted and locked where the user desired. Only a very thin bench at the back provided the traditional support, leaving the female's freshly-shaved entrance on full display.

Lucien reached over and began to slide Elain's slip up slowly as the female helped her partner tie silk restraints around her ankles, binding her to the chair. He was finishing up the wrists when the first couple members of the audience- a male and a female- approached the corner of the stage. They waited, the male stroking himself, as the performer's arms were moved out from her sides and locked into place. An attendant confirmed with the couple before assisting with doing the same to her legs.

The circular portion of the stage began to rotate and Elain reached over to touch Lucien's bare chest. Neither took their eyes off the female as her partner stepped behind her and casually draped his arms over hers. He ran his fingertips along her torso and nodded to the other male, inviting him to approach.

Elain slid her hand down Lucien's front and into the band of his pants as the female trembled in both anticipation and fear. The male hesitated- but this time it was the female who beckoned him as best she could with her arms bound.

He stepped between her legs and Lucien found the edge of Elain's slip. She ran a finger along the length of his member, opening her palm in anticipation. The whole room seemed to hold their breath as the music swirled- expertly matching the pace of what was happening on stage.

At the first nudge of the male's cock against her entrance, Lucien split Elain's folds with a finger. When he slid in and she cried out in pleasure, Elain wrapped her hand firmly around her partner's manhood.

The shy female on stage arched her back and her male licked his lips as he watched her folds split around the other male. The stage rotated just fast enough to provide everyone ample view as he began to thrust into her. Her male wore a black mask- meaning he was limited in what he could do during the performance, but he reached up to squeeze her breast.

Another male stepped into line behind the still-waiting female.

Elain rolled her hips as Lucien slipped a finger inside her and began to gently stirr. Neither would let the other climax, but they could tease and arouse one another until it was their turn. A pleasant tingling began to build where his fingers met her body. Elain's heart raced and her ears filled with the high gasps of the female to the exclusion of even the music playing behind them.

The male seized and cried out as he spilled himself inside her. The woman's back arched and her toes curled in pleasure. Her own male's gaze was heavily lidded as the participant staggered back, taking a few drips of seed with him. The female came up to immediately fill his vacancy.

She dropped to her knees and sucked the knot at the apex of the other female's thighs. The bound female cried out again and pulled against her bonds, trying desperately to grind herself against the other one's face.

Elain's mouth watered as she stroked just the head of Lucien's cock. He breathed against the intense sensations and willed himself to wait. Elain was making it difficult, so he returned the favor. She gasped as a second finger slid into her.

The female didn't remain long on stage. The bound one was shaking in her male's grasp as she came, and the visiting female took that as the end of her turn. Before her climax had ended another male was already in place, shoving his length into her sensitive core.

Her screams of pleasure almost sent Elain over the edge. She grabbed Lucien's hand with her free one and stopped him from moving. Not yet. She couldn't come yet. He likewise stilled her hand on his member. Both needed a chance to fight back the sharper edge of desire.

The male spilled himself inside the female before glancing back at the corner of the stage. No other males had stepped up yet- not unusual for the first performance of the night. He grinned and slammed back into the female, making her arch her back and whimper against the feeling in her hypersensitive core. The male looked to her as his thrusts grew slower, more gentle. She nodded that she was alright and he returned to his harder pace.

So, this one liked being treated as a toy.

Another male stood up and came to the front to give her what she wanted.

The female came again, shortly after the male released a second load into her body. The chair was rotated to just the right position as he pulled out- Elain and Lucien both moaned at the creamy white mess between her legs. The female hardly remembered to breathe in anticipation of the male who stepped up next- he was larger than either of his predecessors.

On the chair, the female nodded and licked her lips as the male approached. She struggled against her bonds, shaking. Lucien could see her mouth moving as she panted the words over and over again, " Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me ." Her hips rolled as if she were already fucking him.

The others took her roughly, this one slid in slowly to defy her command. Her screams as he filled her were glorious, and Lucien heard more than a few similar cries around them as males and females climaxed under either their own hands or their partner's. The male performer on stage moaned and licked his lips. He still held his female's torso and seemed to be shoving her down onto the cock harder and faster.

The large male reached between her legs and started to play with her knot as he planted his feet and pounded her hard enough to bruise. Her partner's eyes were nearly manic as she began to thrash. Her fingers and toes splayed, shaking violently as her back arched and she came one more time.

At the peak of her climax her eyes rolled up into her head.

Elain ground herself against Lucien's hand, no longer caring if she could hold out until their turn. The penetrating male didn't relent, not even when her limbs went loose and her head rolled to the side. He kept thrusting with everything he had.

Small sounds began escaping her lips in time with the pounding male as the female revived. Her head shifted from side to side as she tried to remember where she was, why her body felt the way it did. Elain knew that delicious fog well- Lucien brought it out in her on special occasions.

The five-minute bell jingled above and her male, caught as he was in his lust, said something to the other. He nodded and closed his eyes. His panting became deep grunts until, with a snarl of effort, he began to seize. He staggered back until just the tip of his member was in her and stroked the rest furiously, drawing every last drop he was capable of giving.

He fell back away from her entirely after a moment, dazed by the ferocity of his act. No one stepped up to take his place- but that wasn't what her partner had in mind anyways. He walked around her quickly and fell onto his knees between her legs. Without a moment's hesitation be began to lick away the seed of the other males. He stroked himself through the fabric of his pants, but made no move to take them off and have his own turn.

The male who filled her last watched him for a while with a grin on his face before staggering back to his dark table. His partner- also male- greeted him with a fierce kiss before sliding down out of his chair to provide an oral cleaning as well.

Elain was wet and ready as they watched the male on stage clean his female as thoroughly as possible. At one point her eyes half opened and she watched him with a faint smile. The lights flashed- one minute left. She certainly wouldn't climax again, but her male raced the clock as his tongue probed deeper, seeking as much creamy seed as he could find.

The stage went dark, there were a few applause before the thunderclap that announced someone had winnowed. A few people clapped, but for the most part hands were busy doing other things.

Throughout the room there was a collective sigh of appreciation and a few murmurs as people discussed the performance. Elain shivered happily and grinned at Lucien. His returning smile was molten- he suddenly wished they'd chosen the chair as well.

"Thank you to all who participated," the facilitator remained on the floor in front of the dias as assistants quickly cleaned and sanitized the performance area. The circle slid back down as they re-set, "Second performers, raise your candle if you wish to accept your slot."

"We'll go later!" the breathy call came from the male participant whose partner was still firmly planted beneath his legs.

The facilitator bowed, "Third performers, raise your candle if you wish to accept your slot."

Two females sitting on the far side of the stage giggled as they held up their candle. Both wore black masks- no audience participation. The second of the females- a blonde with her wavy hair tied back- carried a silk bag. Attendants brought forth a long stone table- the pedestal.

The first female- a dark skinned, dark haired slip of a fae- stripped entirely before laying on the pedestal. She draped her legs over either side, opening herself wholly.

Her partner pulled a belted device from the pouch she carried. A false cock fit into a metal ring covered in straps. The back end the cock curved upward in two prongs- one tear-drop shaped. The blonde female removed her slip, leaving only a black bra in place. She stepped through the straps of the device holding her false cock and brought it up to slide into her.

One prong split her entrance while she lined up the tear-drop with her rear. She was gaping slightly and the sheen of lubricating oils was unmistakable- apparently they'd done some preparation in their booth. The prong slid in with only minor resistance and the blonde smiled happily as she tightened the rest of the straps, securing the device against her body.

The dark-haired female swirled her fingers around her own knot as she waited for her lover to approach. The blonde smiled and whispered something as she crawled onto the pedestal and began kissing her way up the female's body.

"You will have your opportunity to perform next," their waiter reappeared. "Do you have any changes you would like to make at this time?"

"Do you want the chair instead?" Lucien asked Elain. She shook her head and craned her neck around the waiter to see the blonde female's black cock vanish into the dark-haired one. "I think we're happy with the pedestal, thank you."

The male nodded and disappeared once more.

On stage, the blonde straddled one of her partner's legs as she began to grind against her. The black cock would be stirring inside her lover while the female's thigh rocked against the ends inserted into the blonde, bringing both equal pleasure.

The drums played as the pair moaned. Their performance wouldn't be as unbridled as the first- they simply wanted to be watched.

Elain moaned as Lucien's fingers slid back into her and began to swirl lightly. He watched the females on stage with rapt attention, even as he leaned over to whisper to Elain, "Do you want me to make you squirt?"

"Yes," she moaned. Watching the females on stage was fire to her blood. Their bodies were supple and curved, a perfect fit. In her youth, as she reached the age where curiosity and desire mix, Elain had a friend over for a night. It was one of the last night's Elain would spend in her bed before the family was sent into poverty, but that also made it one of her last good memories of that life.

Though they had no false cock, her gentle friend straddled her hips much as the two women on stage were doing now and ground their knots together. Elain's knees were weak and her breathing hard as she watched the dark-haired female reach up to take her lover's breast in hand. Elain found herself squeezing her own, half-lost in the memory of that delicious night of experimentation.

She had no romantic inclination towards her own sex, but had they not fallen into poverty and been cast out by their old friends, Elain knew she would have spent many more nights with the young woman.

Lucien watched Elain more than the performance on stage as she absentmindedly stroked him. Her face was flush and the rapt attention with which she watched the show was more arousing than the display itself. There was a story behind the way her teeth scraped over her bottom lip, a tale to be told as she rolled her hips gently into his touch while her free hand rolled a peaked nipple.

He monitored her body carefully, never letting Elain get too close to the edge. She gasped softly as the females on stage reached their climax. They had five minutes more for their display, but the blonde kissed her lover thoroughly before raising a hand to the facilitator and nodding. They vanished along with the pedestal in a burst of black mist.

"Are you ready?" Lucien whispered into Elain's ear as he pulled his fingers from her. He licked her scent from them.

She pulled her slip up and off- choosing to leave it in their booth instead of having it winnowed along with the stage contents. She wore Anwynn's most sinful lingerie design- a swath of crimson lace braced just beneath her breasts, holding them proudly without covering more than was absolutely necessary. A matching garter belt covered her hips, but left her crotch and rear on full display.

She'd opted to leave her heeled shoes in the closet upstairs, but her legs didn't need any help from them.

The facilitator stepped onto the stage, "Fourth performers, raise your candle if you wish to accept your slot."

Lucien raised the candle and took Elain's hand. There were some appreciative gasps as he walked her through the booths and towards the stage. The disappointment that flickered on the faces of males and females alike as they saw her black mask only heightened their enjoyment of the moment.

As a fresh pedestal was brought to the stage (the previous one would be cleaned during their performance), Lucien noticed the male and female from the first performance returning to their seat. The female wore her slip once more and walked slowly with the help of her male. He was nuzzling her with a proud smile on his face.

A few followed his gaze and began to applaud the returning pair. Those without the hands to spare stomped their feet or pounded on the table.

The female curtseyed, wincing slightly at the motion. There were four small bouquets of flowers waiting at their table- a traditional thanks from those in the audience who'd participated. The large male who'd taken the last turn raised a glass of wine to toast her.

When the pedestal was in place, Lucien led Elain to the heart of the stage. It wouldn't be easy to make out faces in the bright light, but Elain could feel the eyes that stroked her body.

Fear and excitement sent a thrill through her core. She let Lucien step aside to remove his pants.

He was the one to lay on the table, and she climbed between his legs to stroke his length. Elain knew she was talented with her mouth, and she intended to make sure the room knew it too. She started along the bottom side of his cock, tracing the flesh with only the tip of her tongue. When she reached his cockhead, she scraped her teeth along the aching, sensitive flesh just hard enough to draw a hiss from Lucien's mouth.

She worked it from each side- running her head along the edge of his member while looking out into the darkness, finding the most eager face in the crowd. Elain chose males and females alike and stared deep into their eyes, letting them fantasize that she was between their legs.

When she took his full length into her mouth without gagging there were a few scattered claps from the audience. Lucien was impressive in his endowments, and it took real talent to be able to accommodate him so far. Her nose pressed against the base of his abdomen before she leaned back with a soft gasp for air.

He was salty and sweet from tip to base- largely thanks to her stroking as they watched the earlier performers. Elain mixed slight bobs of her head with more deep dives as Lucien clenched his hands around the edge of the pedestal and thrust up into her mouth. He didn't give her long to play with his cock- they only had twenty minutes after all. Elain could spend that long just tasting him.

As soon as he was ready he grabbed her chin and pulled her up. Elain smiled and turned to straddle his hips with her front pointing away from him. The sudden murmuring of female voices echoed around them as she parted her folds and placed his cockhead in her. They weren't reacting to her body, but rather her jewelry. A glittering opal dangled from silver chains that slid through piercings on either side of her folds.

Lucien grinned- Anwynn was the only one in Velaris licensed to do such an intimate piercing, and they were sure to have plenty of new business by the end of the week. The jewelry didn't hide anything as Elain lowered herself onto Lucien's cock, it just added a flair of elegance.

He offered hands to help brace her as Elain leaned back, letting his length press against the front wall of her core. She gasped as he palmed a breast and began to roll his hips. At that angle he ground against a patch of ridged tissue- the inner end of her knot. Elain arched her back against his chest and let out a low, deep cry.

Slow, measured thrusts made Elain writhe in his hands, but she wasn't looking up at the ceiling. She'd locked eyes with a particularly shy and innocent female who was undoubtedly new (judging from the fact that she hadn't left her cloak in the robing room).

Every time Lucien thrust into her and Elain cried out it was for that female- showing her how good Lucien was and how thoroughly he could lavish his attention. Elain waited until she was wholly under her spell before turning her head away, looking to a male sitting on the other side of the dias.

Now it was Lucien who cried out as Elain tightened her core around his cock. She watched the male as she began rotating her hips in time with his thrusts, stirring Lucien inside her and making it harder for him to fight back his own release. She'd wanted the female to know how good Lucien made her feel, now she wanted the male to fantasize about her cries being for him- and to hear Lucien's own gasps as if they were his own.

He started to stand but his partner quickly grabbed his arm. Elain laughed as she heard a hastily whispered, "Black mask."

She wanted them to fuck her with their eyes and with their thoughts, she wanted them to lose control in their desire for her- and she wanted them to know that Lucien and Lucien alone was allowed to give her what she wanted.

Lucien's hand found its way between her legs as he picked up pace. Elain locked eyes with another male and performed for him, drawing him in as much as possible before moving on. She watched two males slip their fingers into one female as she stroked them both, all three entranced by the couple's display.

Fingers swirling between her legs slowly pressed into her. Cock and hand worked in tandem as Lucien bit her shoulder and filled her even more. He started moving faster- all while staring into the hazel eyes of a purple-masked female sitting nearby. Lucien bit his lip and thrust harder. He grinned when he noticed the female pick up her own pace to match his.

Elain's cries grew more frequent, and he felt her body begin to tense. He drove his fingers into the inner ridges of skin and stroked it with his fingers as Elain's body began to shake. His hand became a blur between her legs, the chain flipped up against her mound as droplets of moisture began to fly.

There were excited whispers as fae leaned in for a better view. The bell rang above them, but that didn't dampen the excitement at all. Elain planted her feet on the pedestal and raised her hips. She pushed herself harder and harder against his hand and chose her final victims for this particular phase of the performance- a pair of red-masked females.

Elain locked eyes with them and nodded as she bit her lip. The nod was for Lucien behind her- a sign to give it everything he had. He pulled at her entrance and focused more on hand than cock. Elain watched the females, fighting her orgasm back until one- panting with her own pleasure- mouthed, ' Come .'

She obeyed.

Elain screamed as she gushed around Lucien's cock and hand. A burst of delicious moisture sprayed across the stage as she squirted. Several cheers went up at the wave. Lucien didn't stop his attention though, he kept up the punishing pace, making it hard to tell where one orgasm ended and the next began. The second flood was smaller, but still clearly visible to all who watched.

Lucien pulled Elain from his cock and from the pedestal. He bent her over it with the corner pressing into her knot and took her hard and fast from behind. She was weak, but she did what she could to clench her core around him and gave her male the pressure he needed to spill himself in her.

As heat filled her womb, Lucien collapsed onto Elain's back with a happy sigh, his cock still nestled inside her as it twitched and softened.

A few males and females approached the stage carefully- making it clear they had no intention of stepping on it. They simply dipped a crust of bread in the moisture from Elain's climax before popping it in their mouths. It was an odd tradition of the veterans in attendance- one neither Lucien nor Elain had ever participated in- but she smiled at the ones who dared it. Many were the same fae she'd held eye contact with.

She nodded once to the female who gave her permission to climax as the female dipped her crust of bread and slowly ate it.

The lights dimmed and the pair braced. A clap of thunder and rush of air blasted them. When the darkness cleared they were still braced against the pedestal- and Lucien's pants were in the corner, but they stood alone in a large, clean bathing room.

"Good job," Lucien kissed Elain's neck and pulled her up off the pedestal. Once they'd staggered back it vanished to wherever the props were cleaned. Two toilets, two sinks, and a hand-sprayer sat along a tiled wall, while thick carpets and a low reclining couch (draped in a fresh linen sheet) offered simple respite for the weary performers.

Lucien carried Elain to the hand-sprayer and rinsed her release from her lower body. Her hair he'd been careful to keep out of the climax when he spun her face-first onto the pedestal. She liked to leave the opera with the same hairstyle as when she arrived, in case those friends from earlier noticed the difference.

"You were wonderful," she sighed happily. Once she was clean she staggered over to a pile of fresh blue towels and dried her stomach and hips. The garter would dry on its own. She was still sweaty and flushed, but the show was only beginning. Now that they'd completed their performance they were free to watch and enjoy as thoroughly as they wished.

Elain fell onto the reclining couch and waited while Lucien cleaned himself. Once his pants were back on he came to sit beside her. She curled up against his side.

"Do you want to go home?" he asked as she closed her eyes.

"I'm fine, I'm just catching my breath," she nuzzled into him until he lifted an arm and draped it over her shoulders. "Maybe order me a coffee?"

"Whatever you want."

Lucien held his lover until a knock at the door told them it was time to vacate the room. They stood and moved to the exit. Three attendants waited to thoroughly clean the space and replace both the towels and the blanket covering the recliner.

The recovery room was marked with a red door across from the black doors of the restrooms. Another attendant stood outside to make sure no one tried entering where they were not supposed to. They bowed their head and waved the couple down the hall towards a black curtain- the edge of the theater.

Whoever performed after them had already been removed from the stage, and a collared male stood obediently beside his mistress as various restraints were moved into place. Several people clapped to welcome Elain and Lucien back into the room. Elain's jewelry was difficult to see when she walked, but several fae craned their necks to try and catch a glimpse of it again.

At their table, several bundles of flowers were waiting for the pair. Elain laughed and Lucien smiled. Evidently they succeeded in making people feel like they were part of the show. Elain didn't bother putting her slip back on, she liked the way people across the room kept staring between her legs as Lucien's fingers toyed with her entrance once more, rolling the stone so that it flickered in what little light reached them.

By the time the final group of the night performed the strawberries were gone and Elain was half-asleep in Lucien's arms. She never found it in her to climax again, but she'd taken him in her mouth as a blindfolded female was enjoyed by the audience. She swallowed every last drop of his release, rinsed her mouth with the last of her cocktail, and slid onto his lap.

When the performance ended and the curtains dropped Lucien helped Elain to dress.

It was time for the long walk back up into the cloak room (where a page slipped beneath the door of each closet detailed talking points about the opera in case anyone asked), and then the two-by-two exodus into the theater itself.

Lucien kissed Elain's forehead in the privacy of their curtained table. He felt dark and deliciously depraved when everyone was watching, but as soon as they were out of sight he returned to himself a bit. Elain leaned back against Lucien's chest and smiled up at him.

"When's the next show?"