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One For Each Outstretched Hand IV: Her Unsung Debut

Nebula had disguised herself a bit before leaving the Pantheon, on Phaedra's orders. There had been a cloak on a rack in the Pantheon's lower floor, near the door; hers, now. A length of cloth was wrapped around her head, obscuring the jewel in her eye socket. I wouldn't want anyone to get ideas, Phaedra had said. You're mine and I am yours, dear kitten. Her tail had been pulled up, tucked uncomfortably in the waistband of the loose sweatpants she'd taken from Toki's laundry pile. Thus prepared, the goddess had given her leave to go.

The One Step Travel Agency was exactly where Toki had said it would be; it had been abandoned by its original owners but still seemed to be in use. A family was camped out in one of the formerly opulent waiting rooms, making beds on the leather chairs and guarding the precious water fountain within a small maze of broken glass. Their sentry gave Nebula a suspicious look, but she merely gave the woman a nod and kept going. Nobody objected to her passage, though she saw several others here and there. Apparently there was an unwritten truce here, a tacit agreement to preserve the portal system for general use.

The room labeled 'ACHAI CITY' was home to a greasy man who had set up a tent of sorts near the portal mechanism, he grunted at Nebula as she entered. "G'wan through iffen ya want; touch the cogs and my wrench'll be in yer skull. Ya ken?"

"I'm not looking for trouble," the Aoide mumbled, drawing her cloak closer around her.

The man gestured at the sizzling void of the portal with one filthy hand. "G'wan through, 'en."

Nebula nodded and took a few steps forward. Static teased at her hair, pulling it in long strands from the cloak's hood, beckoning towards the portal's depths. She paused.

Come along, kitten - our destiny lies on the other side. Go on, Phaedra coaxed.

She swallowed, then gathered her courage and stepped through. The portal swept over her like ice and an electric shock both, and her eyelids opened wide as she felt for a moment like she was falling - and then she was stumbling out into another room, similar, yet so very different.

The room at the other end gleamed. Every surface was mirror-bright, and colorful posters covered the wall. Nebula focused on one of them and immediately blushed bright red under her fur. Do bodies... bend that way... naturally!?

They can, Phaedra purred, instantly interested; amusement radiated from the goddess. Perfect.

Someone chuckled, and Nebula whirled, her eyes wide - but it was only a woman at the door, a deer-bodied centaur with long, whiplike ears that flicked back and forth constantly. She was wearing very little, like Ixa, but the context of the lascivious posters around her made her lack of clothing seem far more scandalous. "First time in the big city, traveler?"

Nebula nodded, relieved that it wasn't some kind of ambush. "Y-yes..."

"Welcome to Achai's Ruby, dear." The deer-taur held out one delicate hand, her nails red and perfectly manicured. Nebula felt terribly boring and hopelessly unsophisticated next to her. "How can I direct you?"

"Direct me...?"

"What, or who, did you come here to do?" The deer-taur smiled, and gestured at the posters. "The Ruby offers many delights to her visitors."

We're looking for work, kitten, Phaedra said immediately, though there was an undercurrent of revulsion at the very thought. Speak my words, but don't bother prefacing them with my name. Claim them for your own as you will my power.

Nebula paused, listened, then nodded slightly; the deer-taur arched one delicate eyebrow at her. "Miss?"

"I'm looking for a position, actually," Nebula said, repeating Phaedra's words and aware that the goddess was subtly influencing her inflection. A quizzical look came over the deer-taur's face at the sudden shift in tone. "Somewhere sophisticated and classy, somewhere that takes care of its employees. Nothing back-alley, you understand?"

"You and every other whore that comes to the city," the deer-taur said, giving Nebula a dismissive gesture, abruptly far less interested and genial. "Everyone aims for the Palace and ends up in the gutter in the Outskirts, with some disease or other."

Nebula's tail tried to lash automatically at the word 'whore', but the binding kept it in place. Hush, kitten - she knows nothing, and we can pay her back for her insult later, Phaedra said, soothingly, and sent along an image of the deer-taur crumpled in a gutter herself, with her entrails sliding into the street. She is a tool; use her. Continue...

"I'm not looking for a place in the Palace," Nebula said, and Phaedra put a dismissive twist into her voice. "Just somewhere safe, comfortable, where I can make a living and develop connections. I have plans."

"Plans? Why plan? We'll all be dead in a few years anyway." The deer-taur shook her head. "Suit yourself." She held out one hand and tapped at one of the posters. "Nirvana Six. Don't blame me if they throw you out on your a**."

"Thank you," Nebula purred, and padded delicately out of the room; once she was out of range, the pleasant look on her face fell into a scowl. b***h.

We have a plan, kitten - and they're all fools. If they're dead in a few years, it will be by the hand of a Lord who will never strike us, Phaedra laughed. The treasures of a whole city for our own - wouldn't that be splendid, my dear?

Ye... The thought trailed off as Nebula rounded the corner and came out into the reception area of the portal agency. Her jaw dropped for a moment, though Phaedra quickly coaxed it back into place.

Stretched out before the massive plate-glass windows was a scene like nothing the Aoide had ever seen before in her short life. The city center of Achai, the Ruby, was laid out before them, tall buildings glittering with lights against the darkness, blazing defiance into the ashen sky. The streets were full of people and traffic, and even as Nebula stood there stunned, several people came in off the street and passed her as they headed for the portal rooms. Even now...

Even now, Phaedra confirmed, and the goddess' giddy delight made Nebula wobble on her feet for a moment, it was so dizzying. Mortals will always find a way to maintain their excess. How exquisite - eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die! Ha! Her laugher rang rich and sweet in Nebula's mind. Now, kitten... this place is waiting for us to join the dance. Next time we enter this city, it will stop entirely to watch your every move.

Nebula tried to think of anything that could stop the frantic activity before her, this place that only increased its pace when the stars began to fall and the world crumbled to bits around it, and lost herself in sheer wonder at the magnitude of Phaedra's promise.

Yes, dearest kitten. Just like that.

One For Each Outstretched Hand V: A Thousand Red Eyes

Showtime, kitten.

Nebula gave her reflection one last look. The motel's tiny bathroom had squeaky pipes and buzzy fluorescent lights that did nothing for her complexion, but the small shower was enough to make sure her fur and hair were clean without having to resort to a tongue-bath. She had no idea what time it was.

Twilight falls outside. Night is the apex in a place like this - darkness for light to burn against, and darkness to hide secrets and obscure sins. Phaedra laughed, mockingly. Mortals will scream their debauchery from every window and yet step shyly into their dens, so afraid to actually do what they crave. Turn your head, she added, and Nebula obeyed. She could feel the goddess examining their shared reflection, too.

Phaedra's gem sparkled lightly in its socket, the color accented by a fine length of golden chain worn diadem-like around Nebula's brow, with small jewels set at the temples - all scavenged from Destruction's gift. The full jeweled hairnet had been deemed too ostentatious for today's purpose, as had the golden dress. They will have seen plenty of sloppy sexuality and gibbering desperation. What we need is your sheer innocence alongside the sophistication I can give you... the combination will be irresistible, the goddess had assured her. Instead of the slinky golden gown, Phaedra had opted for a simple off-white shift, lightly trimmed with lace - originally designed to go under one of Nebula's maid outfits.

The face in the mirror was certainly rather pretty, Nebula had to admit, and Phaedra purred her approval. They'd done well with the limited resources they had available. Scents and baubles and pretty things are all well and good, kitten, but they cannot make an ugly creature become suddenly beautiful. They are tools, and we shall fare as well without them for now. Yes. Now...

Nebula replaced the eyepatch over her right 'eye' and gathered her cloak around her, putting the hood up before shouldering her backpack again. She closed the door behind her, padded down the stairs and dropped the key in the drop box with a clatter before taking a deep breath to try and steady her nerves.

Let's go, kitten.

She let the breath out, slowly, and went.

Night was indeed falling on Achai, and the major street a block away from the motel was ablaze with lights, many of them red. Traffic of many kinds zoomed back and forth on the road, and every so often the breeze carried music along with it. Nebula hesitated before stepping into the steady stream of people on the sidewalk, all jostling, chatting, and laughing almost too loudly. The buildings were elaborately decorated, and lines were forming in front of every well-guarded entrance.

Perched on the opposite corner as Nebula moved down the street was a building with stately lines - it looked much less gaudy than some of the places they'd passed. Classy, as Phaedra had requested. The name 'Nirvana Six' was written in elegant letters on an arched awning over the double doors, which were flanked by a rather large pair of centaurs. That entrance had its own line of well-dressed people standing under the light of the red lamps, held into their queue by velvet ropes.

Perfect, Phaedra purred as Nebula stopped walking; the still-moving crowd bumped and elbowed her as they passed.

Nebula threw a questioning, skeptical thought at the goddess, then stumbled a bit as someone shoved her to one side. And you want me to work there?! What could I possibly do? How are we even going to get in?

She felt Phaedra studying the situation, shifting around in her mind. We ask, she said, finally, though there was a sour note in her voice.

You... you're not sure yourself, are you? A lump rose in Nebula's throat, and for a moment, she was afraid-

There are many ways, Phaedra interrupted, and Nebula's fear vanished with suspicious speed. But this is the easiest, for now. Unless you'd rather go back to the Pantheon and sit around doing nothing, in defiance of my Emperor's orders?

Nebula twitched. N-no... Her tail lashed, and hit something behind her; she pulled it tight against the back of her legs.

Then we go, Phaedra ordered, peeved.

The catgirl sighed, and shook her head, then waited until there was a gap in the traffic and darted across the street. The line of people waiting at the entrance looked at her, then turned away almost in unison. She was beneath their notice, and Nebula felt her hackles rise, the reaction both her own and Phaedra's.

But she had to do what she had to do. Following the goddess' prompting, Nebula took a deep breath, then sidled up to one of the burly centaurs. The massive creature arched one eyebrow and looked down at her like a human might look at a bug, or a god at a feeble mortal creature.

Queenly... I'm going to be a goddess... Nebula reached out for her touchstone and found Phaedra there, ready for their performance. "I'm seeking employment and your establishment was highly recommended," she said, trying to sound casual, almost bored. "Where might I go to speak with someone regarding that?"

There was a snicker from someone in line; with Phaedra's help and a massive effort, Nebula kept her face pleasant and her ears straight up, though her tail twitched under her cloak. The centaur snorted. "You?"

"Yes," Nebula said, as calmly as she could.

The centaur rolled his eyes. "Down tha side way, door with tha blue light," he said. Nebula could see his thoughts almost as clearly as Phaedra's - not my problem, get her outta here, let them handle it, throw her away.

"Thank you," the Aoide purred, and turned away with a delicate movement; as soon as she was out of view of the line and the bouncers, her ears went back flat against her hair.

They laughed at me!

Remember it, and mete out punishment accordingly - but now is not the time for that. Patience, my kitten. You have done well, but this next performance is our most crucial. Nebula felt the goddess moving inside her, poking and prodding at her host's body and psyche with calculated efficiency. The responses were slight, but the Aoide felt herself shift her posture in accordance with Phaedra's demands. Fears and doubts were herded ruthlessly away, allowing her to focus on the task at hand.

The door with the blue light over it was in front of her now. Nebula tried to bite her lip in an instinctive nervous reaction, but Phaedra headed the impulse off at the pass. Stop that - blood is only attractive in certain situations, and this is not one of them, the goddess scolded. Nebula stood still a moment longer, breathing deeply, until at last Phaedra settled with a faint mental huff. Well, kitten?

A doubt tried to rear up; Phaedra swatted it away with a snarl, and fed her host some of the thrill of the chase, the well-laid plan ready to implement - the things she would have been feeling more intensely herself, if she hadn't had to tediously micromanage the girl's responses.

Nebula nodded, slowly, and put one paw on the doorstep. Let's go.

One For Each Outstretched Hand VII: One Moment Alone

After... checking the truth of what Nebula had said... they'd led her to a windowless room somewhere within the building, a few floors up; it had two beds in it, and an attached bathroom. The bed opposite 'hers' clearly belonged to someone else, and the unknown person's belongings and other personal effects took over that half of the room.

Nebula's half was empty except for furniture. There were some dim pleasantries exchanged before her escort left her. The Aoide crept over to sit gingerly on the edge of 'her' bed, still feeling numb, dazed. This was so far outside the realm of her experience that she could barely understand it.

Oh, stop moping, kitten, Phaedra said, with an exasperated mental sigh. You did just fine until the end, and my own strength was sufficient to bring us through - and now we're exactly where we wanted to be.

"Where you wanted to be," Nebula mumbled, out loud. She swung her feet idly back and forth.

This was part of the plan since the moment we left the Pantheon. Be more observant, Phaedra chided her, with a faint chime of laughter. If you were saving yourself for that dragon of yours, that's a lost cause - he's not going to ******** you, kitten.

Nebula sat bolt upright, her face red-hot under her fur. I was not!! Truthfully, she'd never really thought about... that. Not in any context, with anyone.

Phaedra picked up on that, too. Then why do you care? Everything is a commodity, dear kitten. If something you don't think about is the key to something great and valuable, why not use it to suit your own ends? You must be fearless, ruthless, bold! Like me, the goddess added, with a purr.

Nebula leaned forward and buried her face in her hands, feeling the surface of the gem cold and slightly damp against one palm. She felt humiliated, burning up and frozen solid all at once, but the city outside was wild and beyond her capacity to understand. Beyond her capacity to survive.

You don't need to run away from anything. Listen to me, Phaedra said, sharply, and Nebula's eyes widened slightly. The sensation was rather as if the goddess had taken her by the shoulders and shaken her, hard. You. Are. Being. Foolish. Remember how it feels to master - well, right now you are being subservient. You are allowing yourself to be cowed and dominated! Do you enjoy it? Do you like how it feels?

"No!" Nebula snarled aloud, dropping her hands to the bedspread and clenching her fists into the fabric, feeling it give after a moment as her claws tore through. "I don't!"

Then let me- The Aoide felt the beginnings of the goddess' meddlings, and she swatted at her, fearful. Phaedra recoiled, then snarled herself. This is highly unbecoming, kitten.

"I... I need a moment! To think! To be! Please! Just leave me alone!" Nebula waved one hand wildly at nothing at all, flailing. "Leave me alone! Just for now!"

There was a pause, a moment when things could have tilted in any direction, and then the goddess sighed mentally and withdrew with a whisper. Later then, kitten. Later.

Nebula rolled onto her side and curled up, hugging her knees to her chest, breathing in the unfamiliar smell of bedlinens that did not belong to her.

Only a moment... to catch... my breath...

Only... a...

... moment ...

One For Each Outstretched Hand XI: The Empty Ones

Nebula and Epi chatted for a good hour and a half, dancing the delicate social dance of introduction, of beginning acquaintance. It was... not something the Aoide had ever truly done before, trying to make friends. Or not make friends, as Epi reminded her every so often, though after a while the vague protests took on a more cheerful tone, as if it was becoming a joke. A special joke, between them.

Yet under it all was Phaedra, the goddess whispering observations and analyzing everything. There were two layers of thought in Nebula's mind - one her own, genuine curiosity and questions, surprise at reaching out to another and finding warmth there in response . The second was clinical, calculating, assessing everything. Judgment, knowledge, assumption and confirmation.

How can you live like that? Nebula thought, astonished, after Phaedra made a particularly snide observation about Epi's sexual preferences.

How can you live any other way? the goddess replied, with a laugh that ended in puzzlement. This is how you master the world, kitten. Oh, you may have warmth on the surface, but beneath it all you must always remember to measure, to store things away for your use later.

Nebula's tail twitched back and forth, once, and Epi stretched from her position on the bed - they'd moved to both sit on the Olisikit's bed at some point, to continue their chat more comfortably. "Something wrong?"

"N-no," Nebula said, quickly. "Nothing."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." Epi got up and stretched again, then slipped her feet into her shoes. "Did anyone think to show you the common area?"

"No..."

"Feh. Typical - dumping it all on me. They're lucky I'm such a nice girl." Epi shook her head. "Well, come on, then. Hurry up. I'm nice, but I'm not particularly patient."

Nebula scrambled off the bed and flailed around for her own shoes. "Where are we going?"

"The common area - it's where there's food at all hours, and this and that... there's not much bitchery here, either. Everyone's on their best behavior, and you'd better be, too. The matrons can smell passive-agressiveness a mile away, so don't be trying that either." Epi arched one blue eyebrow. "Capiche?"

"C... cawhat?"

"It means 'do you understand'."

"Er. Yeah, I do... sorry," Nebula apologized.

"Don't worry about that - there's so much more you can panic about besides not understanding my slang," Epi said, with a sigh. "I'm sure the head matron, Charlot, will want to talk to you. Do you have your stage name yet?"

"My what?"

Honestly, and Epi echoed the goddess' thought, unknowing. "Honestly. What did they show you before you came up here?"

"The... the doctor..." Nebula looked down and blushed again, under her fur.

"Mmhm. We're a busy place. The only reason I've been here with you for so long is that they expect me to show you around because they're too damn busy for it. How sweet, no?" Epi snapped her fingers. "Come on. Let's go."

Nebula trailed Epi down the hall, peering around as she went - when she'd been led up here, she'd been too shocked by... well, everything... to do much looking around. The surroundings were pleasant, well-lit, but somewhat austere and not particularly homey. It was rather like a hotel, with every door identical and silence everywhere she went. "How many people live here...?"

"About forty. The building could hold three times that many. We're spread thin, like I said." Epi paused at one door, then pushed it open to reveal a stairwell within. "There's about fifteen dancers... ten bouncers. The rest are matrons, management, waitresses, overseers, chefs..."

"What about the Mindless?"

"They don't count," Epi spat. "They sleep below. When told. If told. I don't care to know how many there are." She whirled and walked down the stairs, and Nebula followed, taken aback by the other woman's violent reaction. At the bottom, Epi shoved open another door; the sound of conversation and dishes clinking floated through, the first real sign of other beings besides Epi that Nebula had seen the whole time. "And here we are."

The common room was large and spartan, and looked much like any cafeteria - maybe a bit fancier, but not much. A few of those within greeted Epi with nods and waves, and gave Nebula curious but reserved looks.

Wait, Phaedra said suddenly, as Epi walked over to chat with a pair of human women. One moment...

What? Nebula wanted to follow her new... acquaintance... but the goddess was holding her back. What is it?!

Over by the kitchens. Go. Nebula stumbled forward, then turned in the direction the goddess indicated. Epi didn't seem to notice as the Aoide walked away, over towards where trays of food were displayed for the taking. But the food wasn't what was on the goddess' mind either, it seemed. There... that man. Look at him. Look, Phaedra hissed, her focus narrowing to such intensity that it threatened to give her host a headache.

Obedient, she looked.

There was a man, pale-skinned and with no hair on his head whatsoever, collecting up dirty dishes from a tray-on-wheels at the end of the food tables. He reached over and over into the bin, taking out one thing and putting it into a dumbwaiter in the wall. It seemed normal for a moment, but the longer Nebula watched, the more a strange sense of wrongness began to creep through her thoughts.

He was moving everything in beat-perfect time, she realized, after another long moment. Not a pause, not a shift, nothing. His eyes were glazed over, with no spark of comprehension whatsoever in them, no sense of focus or that there was even anything in that body capable of thought.

Nebula swallowed, hard. M-mindless...

He reached into the bin, and came out with his hand stained crimson, and Nebula clapped both hands over her mouth. He'd grabbed a knife by the blade... but he didn't stop moving, didn't react, didn't respond in any way to the pain it had to be causing him, to the blood cascading from the massive wounds in his fingers.

The knife fell into the dumbwaiter with a clink, and a moment later there was a wet splat, and when the man reached back into the bin, he was bleeding even more and he had fewer fingers than he had before and-

Nebula turned and fled, running for the garbage can, getting there just in time to dry heave into it. After a moment, she felt a hand grab her shoulder, hard, and whirled to see Epi there, her face grim.

"Satisfied?"

Nebula gave her a numb, helpless look.

"Eat if you can. If not - well. You were curious. Now you're not." Epi shook her head, then turned and walked away.

The Aoide trembled, her tail fluffing out, bottlebrush. Phaedra...

Hollowed out, the goddess snarled, and Nebula realized that Phaedra was angry. Wildly, torrentially angry. She'd been so shocked by the Mindless that she hadn't even noticed.

What...?

That man, that... what did she name it, 'Mindless'... it has the touch, the sign of my instrument all over it. My scarab. MY SCARAB. Phaedra snarled, and Nebula's own face twitched into a momentary rictus of anger. How dare... someone... how dare they defile it so, so crass, so crude...

Your... the thing Lord Harmodius...?

Yes, Phaedra spat, and Nebula's tail lashed behind her, unbidden. How dare they put it to such a purpose...

I know! It's horrible! Nebula latched mentally on to the goddess, relieved that there was some mercy in her, then fell silent as she continued.

So tactless, so without elegance... they're doing it entirely wrong. Motor functions should be more intact... impulse and reflex, all gone, no, no. It's wrong. Entirely wrong! Phaedra dismissed all Nebula's protests with a mental flick. Such misuse. So very tacky, kitten.

I...

Nebula bent over the garbage can and heaved again.

Stop that. It's foul, Phaedra added.

One For Each Outstretched Hand XIII: Something Fearless In Your Eyes

"Jewel!"

Someone was calling her. Nebula rolled over in bed, pulling the blanket around herself more tightly, and tried to ignore it.

"Jewel-" The word broke off into an exasperated sigh. A moment later the blanket was yanked away, and Nebula squawked as the abrupt upheaval nearly rolled her into the wall. She sat up blearily, and gave her tormentor a baleful stare.

"What."

Epi dropped the blanket onto the floor and put her hands on her hips. "You have got to work on waking up more gracefully, girl - and you'd better do it fast. Charlot wants you. She's got someone on the line who's very interested in cutting you a deal."

That got Phaedra's attention, and the goddess shoved adrenaline into Nebula's system so quickly that it made the Aoide's hands tremble for a moment. This could be it, kitten, she said, and Nebula was dimly aware of a swirl of wild mental activity surrounding the goddess as she reviewed her plans. Get up and get moving. Now!

"Oog..." Nebula wobbled for a moment, then yelped again as Epi grabbed her by both shoulders and shook her.

"Snap out of it!"

"I'm up! Stop it!" Nebula protested, aimed at both Epi and Phaedra. She got to her feet and shook her head to try and clear away the mental fuzz. Phaedra wasn't really helping; her rapid thoughts were clouding Nebula's own. "Where do I need to go? What do I do?"

"You come with me. You ready? No. No, you're not. Honestly," Epi sighed, and dragged Nebula to her side of their room. "The client won't be able to see you, but you should look presentable. Here." She shoved a hairbrush into Nebula's hand. "Brush." Nebula did so, moving blearily as she watched Epi tear through her closet, throwing clothes everywhere with wild abandon. "Not that one... no... ugh, why do I even still own this... ah. This'll work." The olisikit came up with a simple, Egyptian-cut white dress. "Put that on."

Nebula obeyed, too bleary and overwhelmed by events to really protest. After the dress was on, Epi swarmed around her, tucking her hair up into a bun, straightening the dress here and there, until at last she was satisfied.

"There. Good?" Another shove put Nebula in front of the mirror.

Good, Phaedra said, approvingly, pausing enough in her planning to take a look.

"Yeah... thanks." Nebula blinked at her own reflection. She did look nice; the contrast between her black fur and the white dress was striking, yet simple enough in itself to not be too much. "Now what?"

"Now we go see Charlot. Ten minutes... ooh, if they hung up..." Epi shook her head. "It's from the Palace, Jewel."

"The Palace..." Nebula's mouth went dry, even as Phaedra thrilled with sudden exaltation inside her mind. "What's going to happen?"

Epi tugged her out of the room and began walking them both briskly down the corridor. "The steward or whoever is going to make an offer on you. Not sure what kind - might be a one-night stand, might be a longer commitment. If you want to accept it, which you'd better if you want Charlot to have anything to do with you, you can set your price depending on what they want... if they accept it, then it's settled." She stopped suddenly, and Nebula realized they were in front of the head matron's door. "The Palace makes me nervous, but... I can't stand in your way. Most everyone here dreams of this kind of chance. Go get 'em, Jewel."

With that, the olisikit put one hand on the door and shoved it open.

"Ah, there you are - come in, come in, quickly," Charlot hissed, beckoning at Nebula. The Aoide stepped through the doorway, then glanced back at Epi in time to see a quick wave of encouragement before the door closed between them.

"Epi said there's someone..." Nebula began, hesitantly.

Charlot cut her off. "The head steward from the Palace. Apparently he's had a man in watching you the past few nights. He's on hold right now..." The older woman peered at the phone, then nodded. "Yes, still there, fortunately for you." She gave Nebula a peeved look, then shook her head. "One moment."

Nebula sat down, nervously, as Charlot pressed a button on the phone. She could feel Phaedra's sharp focus inside her mind; the goddess was done with her plans, ready to dance. Her thoughts carried a grim intensity. Phaedra...?

This is the most important part, the goddess shot back. Listen to my every word, and obey me without question.

The Aoide resisted the urge to bit her lip and instead nodded.

Charlot hit another button on the phone, then leaned forward. "Sir? My sincerest apologies for the delay. Jewel is here now."

"Ah, excellent." A man's voice issued from the speakerphone, his tone pleasant and cultured. "It's a pleasure to speak with you, young lady."

Nebula hesitated, then winced as both Charlot and Phaedra signaled wildly for her to speak. "The pleasure is all mine, sir," she said, following the goddess' lead as Phaedra fed words into her mind.

"We're quite busy here, so I'll cut to the chase - the Master of the Palace is most interested in you. I'd like to offer you a position as a courtesan and companion within the Palace itself. One week to start as trial, and after that if the arrangement suits both the Master and yourself... we'll draw up a formal contract."

Charlot said something under her breath that Nebula didn't catch before Phaedra prodded her insistently once more. "I'm honored by your Master's generosity, sir."

"There will be room, board, a daily stipend of course... standard terms. Madame Charlot knows the details, so I won't waste my time or yours explaining to you now. And how much will it take to bring you into our service for that initial week?"

Nebula took a deep breath. This was all happening too quickly for her. "Um..."

"One moment, sir - I'd like to speak with Madame Charlot, if I may." It took her a moment to realize that Phaedra had spoken aloud, using her mouth and her own voice. Nebula's tail puffed up a little bit, underneath the folds of her dress.

What are you doing?

Investigating. Hush.

"Of course," the man on the phone said, and Charlot leaned in again.

"I'm sure this will be quick, sir. One moment." The matron pressed a button on the phone, then gave Nebula a sharp look. "What? Make it fast."

"What's the highest single-week fee that's ever been paid to a courtesan in such a position?" Phaedra asked smoothly, still using Nebula's normal tone of voice.

Nebula and Charlot both blinked at that, surprised. "Well, er... from here..." Charlot began.

"Not just from here. From anywhere."

Charlot's eyes narrowed. "I believe four million, but that was for the virgin daughter of an Emperor, and she was highly trained in the erotic arts from the age of-"

"Thank you," Phaedra interrupted. Before Nebula was fully aware of what was happening, she found herself leaning forward, reaching for the 'talk' button on the phone even as Charlot gave her a shocked look. "Sir?"

"Yes?" the man replied, at once.

"Five million," Phaedra said, sweetly. Charlot made a vague, strangled sound, and the bottom dropped out of Nebula's stomach.

What are you doing?!?

Winning, Phaedra hissed in fierce glee.

There was a long pause from the phone. Charlot was still staring at her.

Then the man on the other end of the line cleared his throat. "We accept. Can you be ready to leave this evening? Say, in four hours from now?"

Phaedra radiated a pure joy that was very nearly orgasmic, and a shock of warmth ran down Nebula's spine before the goddess withdrew, laughing wildly in her triumph, leaving the Aoide to blink dumbly at the expectant phone. "Um. Y-yes, yes sir," she managed, her tail lashing back and forth in unconscious response to the goddess' emotions. It was difficult to concentrate on what was happening outside of her own mind.

"Excellent. We'll transfer the funds and send a car for you. And it's a pleasure to do business with you, Madame Charlot."

That snapped the matron out of her stupor, and she leaned down to the phone after giving Nebula one more incredulous look. "Always, sir! Yes! Always!"

"In four hours then, Jewel. My regards to your beauties, Madame... good day."

The click of the phone hanging up sounded loudly through the room, and the dial tone buzzed harshly at them for a moment until Charlot hit the button to hang up on their end. "Of all the - what were you thinking - I can't believe- oh, god." The matron rubbed at her temples with both hands. "If you'd blown that chance for the sake of greed-"

"I'm sorry," Nebula whispered, her voice barely audible.

"But you didn't. Somehow. Somehow." Now that the initial shock was over, there was a familiar hungry gleam in the matron's eyes. Phaedra chuckled again, the sound low and wild in Nebula's mind. "Well then. Congratulations, I suppose."

"T-thank you." Nebula stood up, wobbling a bit. "I... four hours?"

"Yes. You'd better get packed. Be ready - no more lateness, you understand. Five million..." Charlot shook her head again. "You'd best make it worth the Master's while."

"Of course..." Nebula swallowed, hard, wondering what that would entail. A cold shiver of nervousness had taken up residence in the pit of her stomach. "Of... of course."

And so it begins, Phaedra laughed, ecstatic, oblivious to her host's emotions.

Glory, glory, glory.

One For Each Outstretched Hand XV: To Be Aware

Everything had blurred again.

The car had been waiting outside, an elegant black limousine driven by a friendly chauffeur. He'd shaken her hand, opened the doors for her, treated her like a princess. Epi had hugged her. Said goodbye. There might have been tears in her eyes. Nebula wasn't sure. Zoot hadn't hugged her, but he'd smiled and asked her to sing again for him someday. The suitcase had gone in the trunk. The chauffeur had beckoned her in to the leather-upholstered interior. Closed the door behind her.

The windows were tinted. Epi and Zoot probably couldn't see her wave as the limousine pulled away from the curb. Nebula pressed her nose to the window and watched as the now-familiar shape of Nebula Six receded behind her, and lights and buildings she didn't recognize moved past.

Her eyes stung.

Don't cry, you'll muss your makeup, Phaedra said, absently. The goddess' attention was on the limousine itself. What a marvelous machine... so opulent, so luxurious. I will have to have one, someday. See how the people on the streets turn and watch! Phaedra chuckled. Even mortals can gain this. How much more will we obtain as holy goddess?

Nebula didn't answer. It seemed safest.

Epi had shown her a map of Achai's Ruby once. The Palace of Eighty-Seven Divine Pleasures was located in what had once been a park in the most wealthy area of the city. It had sprung up seemingly overnight, with news that the crime lords that ruled Achai now had attracted a generous benefactor and caretaker. Someone who would make Achai prosper.

And it had.

The mysterious Master of the Palace dominated Achai from the shadows, it seemed. And now he had called for her.

All the knowledge that permits this Master to make this city what it is will come to your ears as well, kitten. Nobody knows more than a mistress, Phaedra said, with a flicker of predatory glee. But ah... see. We approach!

In front of them, through the one-way privacy window and then the windshield, the blaze of city lights had been replaced by trees. True, they were a little straggly, but they looked far better than any other trees she'd seen in this Age. She wondered for a moment how many people went thirsty so that the Palace could have its gardens.

Numbers. Immaterial.

There were gates, vast, made of iron curled into beautiful shapes; vines, flowers, women. Phaedra purred her approval as the gates opened to admit the limousine, and the car slid into the driveway beneath a row of trimmed trees. All around them was vast open space, green, growing, lit here and there with orbs of magic. She couldn't tell how far they rambled.

Then the car turned, and Nebula caught her breath. The Palace itself was before them, done in high Mughal style, with delicate arches and domes of gold, made of white stone. Elegant cypresses stretched long and dark against the walls.

Ah, now this... this is taste, Phaedra purred with delight. My Lord Destruction could learn from this Master, I daresay; the lava is a bit gauche, really.

The car slowed to a stop in front of a delicately ornamented door, and a moment later the car door opened. The chauffeur offered her a hand, and she took it and stepped out with a nod of thanks. All around her the air smelled of green growing things, and the scent of flowers wafted past her.

It was like paradise.

"Do you like it?" the chauffeur asked, opening the Palace door for her.

"It's beautiful," Nebula said, amazed. She'd never seen anything like this; it seemed to eclipse the glory of the gods themselves.

"I'm quite glad," the man said, and the door closed behind them. "I will walk you to your destination."

Their footsteps echoed against high arches; here and there was birdsong, and the delicate notes of windchimes, the soft fall of fountains. It was an effort to not stop and just look at everything at once.

Nebula...

What? Nebula paused for a moment, mid-step, then kept going. The chauffeur was behind her.

Something's not right here. There was a sudden sharpness to the goddess' thoughts, and the hair on the back of Nebula's neck stood up, unbidden. His... his shadow!

Nebula looked down.

The chauffeur's shadow stretched next to hers on the white marble floor, but... there was something wrong about it now. Something strange. It seemed to be growing longer, thinner-

Nebula whirled.

The man who had opened the door was still there, but only for an instant before the last vestige of his face faded away, leaving behind a long, lean body a good seven feet tall, wearing elegant ornaments of gold and jewels, and a silk loincloth around his waist. His skin was very dark, his hair long and bronze, and his eyes...

Nebula stumbled backwards and fell to the floor, her own eyes wide, her eyelids gaping fruitlessly around the gem in her right eye.

Get up! Run! Phaedra barked, but though adrenaline flooded Nebula's body, she found she couldn't move. She could only tremble as the... the thing curved its long body over her, its face expressionless. It leaned down and reached out one impossibly long finger, tipped in a pointed green nail, to nearly touch the surface of the jewel.

Then it smiled, horribly, its teeth startlingly pointy, brilliant white against the darkness of its skin.

"Hello, Phaedra."

One For Each Outstretched Hand XVII: Gilded Cage

The menagerie was beautiful, just like the rest of the Palace - set in a pavilion with open archways so that the breeze could go through, shielded by billowing sheer curtains. Potted plants stretched their leaves between the cages, and animals rustled and made their sounds from within their homes. Some of the cages were set into the marble floor. Others hung like birdcages from the ceiling, dangling on great chains.

The hanging cage in which Nebula had been placed swayed slightly with her movements. The Aoide was curled into a fetal position, rocking back and forth like a terrified child, her one eye staring straight ahead. She was trapped, lost, trapped, lost. She'd woken in this place and screamed until her voice was raw. The sun had risen; time had passed. Then it had set again.

Trapped. Lost. Trapped. Lost-

Stop it, Phaedra said, sharply, and Nebula jumped. It was the first thing the goddess had said since they'd awoken here in the cage. Enough of such nonsense.

"I'm scared, I want to go home, I want-" Nebula mewled, then flinched again as Phaedra gave her a hard mental slap, her eye widening.

Stop. I have... perhaps erred in judgment, the goddess admitted, with a curl of anger. But when one fails, one does not crumble right there... one moves on. We are not trapped, we are not lost.

"W-what can... what can we possibly..." Nebula crawled over to the side of the cage and wrapped her fingers around the cold bars.

There is always a way out of every cage. And I have an advantage now... though it comes with a price. Jatasura, damn him, thinks that I am far more foolish than I actually am... which I was. I was foolish. I let myself be lulled, deceived, blinded by the element I embody and master. No more. Her tone was grim. No more.

Nebula took a deep breath. "W-who..." She shook her head, then switched to merely thinking at the goddess; her voice sounded strangled, swallowed up by the space of the menagerie and drowned under the sounds of the animals caged around her. Who is he? Jatasura?

A rakshasa, a type of Ageless Immortal - the ones lesser than gods but more than mortals, whom Time does not touch. Before the Fading, he was one of my pupils. He was bright, clever. Too clever, it seems... Nebula's grip on the bars tightened in unconscious reaction to the goddess' anger. Rakshasas are masters of illusion. He has my scarab - he must be using it to create the Mindless. Phaedra bristled again at that.

And... what can we... what can we do?

Take things as they come. Measure, think, and act. The goddess seemed to be talking as much to herself as to her host. This cage - is it stable? Sturdy? Any rust, holes, openings?

Nebula let go of the bars and got up, pacing around the cage. It didn't take long. It seems to be... I can't fit through the bars... no weak points, no nothing.

Damn Jatasura... well. There's a way out of everything... he may think he has bested me, but he is wrong. I will throw his bones before Destruction's throne as holy offering, and break the marrow for His feast.

Nebula shivered. How?

... Stop asking, the goddess replied, agitated.

The Aoide sighed, then curled up in the middle of the cage.

Trapped. Lost. Trapped. Lost. Trapped. Lost...

I told you to stop that!!

One For Each Outstretched Hand XIX: In the Center

As Nebula slept, Phaedra continued to pace, though she restricted her wanderings to within her host's mind alone. The goddess was hoarding their shared strength now.

At last, there was a plan that she could keep for more than five minutes.

Nebula had led her to it, inadvertently brought clarity out of her blinding anger; Jatasura had revealed his weakness without being aware of it. Precisely why one should never monologue, Phaedra thought to herself grimly, spreading her plan out around her, inspecting it with care. And another error: he should not have given me this much time. The rankest idiot could come up with a workable plan with all these long hours at his disposal.

She had been cocky, careless, too easily blinded. Jatasura was right on that count. Worse, he'd scared Nebula, encouraged the girl to again think of her as enemy rather than ally and mentor.

It would not happen again. None of it.

Phaedra allowed herself a mental smile as she looked at the strands of thought laying bright around her. Dear Jatasura. If you are alone... then you are spread very thin indeed. He who trusts no one must do everything himself... and Achai is so very big and busy, isn't it? There's no way you can concentrate on everything all the time. You are no god, whatever you may hope to style yourself. And this Palace is so very large...

She was not beaten yet. But there was one thing, one critical thread that was missing... just one thing, yet her plan could not come together without it.

How were they going to get out of this cage?

Once I am free... then, oh yes, then there will be a reckoning. I do not need to manipulate others to get what I want. I am a goddess, one of Destruction's Seven, and I shall stand on my own...

Once I am free...

Phaedra opened Nebula's eye and peered out at the bars with irritation. Damn the Aoide's frail body! There was no lock she could see, not even any door she could see... it all had the stink of magic around it. Jatasura had ever been a master of spells and illusion.

Spells... illusion...

Nebula's eye narrowed, and Phaedra slowly stood the body up, wobbling and stiff. The effort was immense, and it was certainly not conserving energy, but this was important.

Slowly, slowly, Phaedra made her way around the cage, running her host's hands over every bar, feeling everywhere, concentrating her attention on the Aoide's sense of touch. No, no, no, no, no...

Then, suddenly, there was something different, high above her head - very nearly at the limits of Nebula's reach, but not quite. A seam in an apparently seamless bar - and then something odd, the edge of something that her sight told her was not there. She felt around the edges quickly, trying to ascertain what the object was.

A weak smile spread across Nebula's face.

A lock. Lord Destruction be praised, it's a lock... and locks can be picked.

But not now. Not tonight. Phaedra guided their shared body back to curl upon the distasteful oversized pet bed again, but a faint echo of her own purr made the Aoide's sides twitch lightly.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, Jatasura.

With that most pleasant thought in mind, the goddess allowed herself to drift off to sleep.