A Blossom of Flames

The sewing shop was in a quiet side street, a dignified store with carefully arranged fabrics in the window. As Valentina entered, a small brass bell rang above the door.

A friendly-looking woman with blonde hair tied into a convenient knot behind her head looked up from her work. "Ah, you must be Valentina." She smiled warmly. "I am Gretta. Madame Dolorosa told me you were coming."

Valentina nodded nervously. "Yes, I..."

"Don't worry," Gretta rose from the beautiful sewing work she was doing and motioned for Valentina to follow. "Everything here is well thought out. If anyone ever asks about you, you're one of my seamstresses working in the back right now." She winked. "See – not even a lie! You really are in the back area... Just a bit further back than most people think."

Her quiet humor helped Valentina to relax. "Thank you for doing this for me."

"Ah, welcome to the community," Gretta led her through the workshop, where several young women were working on their sewing. They all greeted her in a friendly manner, as if Valentina's presence was the most natural thing in the world. "We look out for each other, don't we, girls?"

At the end of the workshop, Gretta pushed aside a heavy bale of cloth, revealing a well-hidden door. "This way."

"That really is a very clever arrangement," Vyxara remarked approvingly. "She's nice and knows exactly how to put new arrivals at ease."

The corridor behind the door was narrow, but clean and well-lit. It led them in a gentle curve to the left, where another door was waiting.

"Madame Dolorosa is already expecting you," said Gretta. "Don't worry – there's always a bit of a nervous flutter on the first evening, but you'll see, it gets easier."

Madame Dolorosa was already waiting for her in the Violet Delights dressing room. The tall woman was wearing a dark purple silk dress that shimmered in the light of the Essence lamps.

"Welcome, my dear." She handed Valentina one of the ornate necklaces. "You remember how it works?"

Valentina nodded and carefully put the necklace on. The metal was warm from the Essence patterns woven into it. She focused on the largest of the purple stones and began to weave the activation pattern.

The familiar tingling sensation ran through her as the illusion manifested itself. In the large dressing mirror, she saw the beautiful blonde with the bright blue eyes again.

"This will be your base illusion," Madame Dolorosa explained. "Lily, the young merchant's daughter from Clairmontine. A secure identity to protect you."

She led Valentina to an elegant dressing table. "From this base, we can then fulfill the customer's special wishes. Of course, it's safer if you don't have to switch between your true form and the desired illusion."

Two more young women entered the room, both presumably also transformed by illusion artifacts. One had long red hair and introduced herself as "Rose", the other was a petite brunette called "Violet".

"Our more experienced girls," said Madame Dolorosa. "They will help you find your way around."

"The first evening is always exciting," Rose said with a warm smile. "But don't worry – we've chosen a very friendly regular guest for you."

Violet nodded. "Master Wildrich is a gentleman. Somewhat... particular preferences, perhaps, but completely harmless."

"They prepare you carefully," Vyxara commented. "Very professional."

Madame Dolorosa held out another strand of hair to Valentina – golden blonde like the first, but of a different shade. "Master Wildrich has... special wishes regarding the identity of his courtesan."

Valentina took the strand and placed it in the corresponding compartment of the pendant.

"He wants you to play his daughter," said Madame Dolorosa calmly. "Call him Father, play a little coy. Just a little role play."

Valentina shifted her weight on her feet and raised an eyebrow. "His... daughter? But she's..."

"Oh, how amusing," Vyxara giggled. "The humans and their little perversions. A real doozy right at the start."

Madame Dolorosa seemed to sense her concerns. "She's an adult of course, otherwise we would have already sent him away. He is a respected older merchant, wealthy and cultured. He would never really get too close to his daughter, of course. The role-playing... well, he's just fulfilling a little fantasy. We don't want to judge."

Valentina nodded slowly and concentrated on the transformation. The transformation was subtle – her features became softer, with her eyes a little closer together, the lips fuller. The merchant's daughter seemed to be a few years older than Valentina.

Valentina nodded slowly and concentrated on the transformation. The transformation was subtle – her features became softer, with her eyes a little closer together, the lips fuller.

"Perfect," praised Madame Dolorosa. "The spitting image."

Shortly after, Valentina was shown into one of the elegantly furnished rooms on the upper floor. Master Wildrich was already waiting for her – a corpulent older man in expensive but tasteful clothes. His eyes lit up when he saw her.

"Melinda!" he called warmly. "My wonderful daughter!"

Valentina forced herself to smile shyly and lowered her eyes. "Father..."

He spread out his arms and Valentina reluctantly approached him, letting him pull her into an embrace. His belly was soft and warm against her body, his perfume pungently sweet.

"You look so adorable, my darling," he murmured, stroking her hair.

Valentina felt a strange tingling sensation at the intimacy of his touch, but she forced herself to calm down.

"You seem surprisingly composed," Vyxara remarked thoughtfully. "I was expecting more... shame."

"It's just a role," Valentina thought back. "Like I'm someone completely different."

Master Wildrich led her to the bed and Valentina obediently sat down on the edge. Her eyes fell on the small tent in his pants – he was obviously already extremely excited.

"You're distancing yourself," Vyxara replied. "You're almost watching yourself from the outside."

"Is that wrong?" Valentina asked in her thoughts.

"No, little Weaver," Vyxara reassured her, "It's a form of keeping control. You're doing it just right.

"Tell me about your day, my darling," said Master Wildrich and took a seat next to her. His hand rested on her thigh, his fingers played with the hem of her skirt.

Valentina cleared her throat and began to tell a fictitious story about a day as a merchant's daughter. She described her shopping at the market, chatting with friends, sewing on her embroidery hoop.

Master Wildrich listened attentively, his hand slowly moved up her thigh, pushing her skirt higher. Valentina felt the touch, but simply continued to speak, unimpressed.

When she had finished, Master Wildrich smiled warmly. "A wonderful story, my dear daughter. You are so talented at storytelling."

His hand now gripped her bottom and kneaded it with relish. Valentina felt a pulling sensation in her abdomen.

"Father..." she murmured, acting coy, just as he wanted.

"Shhh," Master Wildrich said, placing a finger on her lips. "Let your father take care of you, my darling."

Valentina opened her mouth to answer him and he took the opportunity to slide his finger between her lips. She instinctively closed her lips around it and sucked gently.

Master Wildrich groaned. "Such a good girl..."

"I don't understand," Valentina thought with a hint of disgust as she sucked his finger. "How can a father see his daughter like that?"

"For some people, the boundaries between love and desire are blurred," Vyxara replied thoughtfully. "But you're thinking of your own father, aren't you?"

"Yes," Valentina admitted. "He would never... That's why I find it a bit disturbing what Wildrich wants. I know it's just role-playing, but it's the perversion of something sacred."

He pulled his finger out of her mouth and unlaced her dress. She helped him mechanically, letting the silk slide off her shoulders, while he pulled her undergarment down and bared her breasts.

"He's not really looking for his daughter," Vyxara mused. "He's looking for something else – perhaps innocence, perhaps control. The role of daughter is just a vehicle.

"What do you mean?" asked Valentina, confused.

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"Take a closer look, little Weaver. He's not playing the loving father – he's playing someone who's playing the loving father."

"Oh Martyr, you are so beautiful," he murmured reverently and cupped one of her breasts with his large hand. Valentina felt the tugging in her abdomen again as his fingers stroked her nipple.

"An illusion within an illusion. Maybe we're all just what we pretend to be," Valentina thought back.

"Oh, now you're getting philosophical. It surprises you yourself, doesn't it?" Vyxara asked gently. "How easy it all comes to you?"

Master Wildrich leaned forward and took her nipple in his mouth, sucking on it like a baby on its mother's breast. Valentina suppressed a shudder and forced herself to hold still.

"Maybe I've always been like this," Valentina replied in her thoughts. "I just didn't know it."

"Maybe," the demon purred.

His hand slipped between her legs and Valentina felt his fingers rubbing uncomfortably against her pearl, which made her flinch briefly.

Master Wildrich did not notice her hesitation. "So wet, my darling," he murmured. "You want it too, don't you?" His fingers penetrated her and she felt the uncomfortable stretching of her muscles.

"Say it, Melinda," Master Wildrich demanded. "Tell your father you want him."

She quickly hurried to say the words to keep his fantasy alive: "I... I want you, father..."

Master Wildrich sighed contentedly and began to thrust his fingers rhythmically into her. Slowly she became a little wet.

Satisfied, he withdrew his fingers and began to undress. Valentina watched as his belly and blotchy skin emerged. His manhood popped out, small and rosy, but stiff with arousal.

"Do you know what the saddest thing is?" Valentina thought to Vyxara. "He probably really thinks he loves his daughter."

"Humans are amazingly good at deceiving themselves," Vyxara said thoughtfully.

"Isn't that dangerous? This self-deception?" Valentina looked up at Master Wildrich as he gazed greedily down at her in the form of his daughter.

He knelt in front of her and she willingly spread her legs for him, albeit with a hint of hesitation. She was Melinda now, she told herself, not Valentina.

"Oh, you are right, it's very dangerous," the demon confirmed. "But here, in this house of illusions, he can live out his fantasies without harming anyone. Perhaps that is... useful.

"You mean better here than..." Valentina left the thought unfinished.

He lay on top of her, his considerable weight pressing her deep into the mattress. Valentina felt his manhood at her opening and breathed out softly as he penetrated her while her heels rested on his ass.

"That's exactly what I mean, little Weaver. The world is rarely as simple as the Illuminator sees it." Vyxara mused as Valentina was penetrated.

Master Wildrich began to move rhythmically, his hips thrusting against hers. Valentina felt surprisingly emotionless – it certainly wasn't exactly nice, but she didn't feel overly disgusted either, she just felt... neutral.

Valentina waited patiently while Master Wildrich moved inside her, but time passed agonizingly slowly and he simply did not come. Sighing in thought, she complained to Vyxara. "He really is taking forever. Is there no way to speed this up?"

"Of course there's a trick, little Weaver," Vyxara laughed. "You just have to use your pelvic floor muscles."

"My pelvic floor muscles?" Valentina thought, confused.

"Yes, little Weaver," Vyxara replied. "The ones you use when you hold it in while on the loo. You have to squeeze them together. That increases the pressure on his manhood. Just try it, you'll hear it if you succeed."

Valentina was skeptical, but she decided to give it a try. Concentrating, she began to tense her pelvic floor muscles while Master Wildrich continued to thrust inside her.

To her surprise, she noticed how Master Wildrich immediately groaned lustfully and suddenly thrust faster and harder. "Oh, Melinda," he moaned. "You feel so good."

Valentina smiled to herself. "That really worked," she thought in amazement.

"You should know by now that my advice is always valuable," said Vyxara, sounding almost a little indignant, but then purred lasciviously into Valentina's thoughts again immediately afterwards. "I've consumed the memories of a famous courtesan who lived two thousand years ago. She could contract and relax these muscles in undulating movements. A very effective method to bring men to the peak quickly. They went crazy for her. If you train a little, you can learn to do that too."

Valentina was grudgingly impressed by Vyxara's knowledge and had to admit that a method to speed up less pleasant encounters sounded appealing.

"I'm not saying no to that, Vyxara," she thought, "but for now, I'd better concentrate on finally pushing the one on top of me over the cliff."

And that was what she did. She concentrated on her role as Melinda, whispered in his ear what he wanted to hear and let Master Wildrich take her while she continued to use her pelvic floor muscles to bring him to climax faster.

His breathing was now panting and irregular, his belly rubbed over her abdomen and Valentina felt him getting harder and harder inside her, getting closer to his goal.

"Melinda... my dear daughter..." moaned Master Wildrich. "I'm coming..."

Valentina closed her eyes as she felt the warm squirt of his semen inside her. He thrust a few more times, then went limp and slumped heavily on top of her.

Master Wildrich lay on top of her like that for a while, panting and covered in sweat, then he rolled off her and pulled up his pants.

"Was it nice for you, my darling?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, father, it was wonderful," she said in a kind tone.

Master Wildrich leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Melinda," he murmured.

Valentina let it happen and gave him a feigned smile. "I love you too, father..."

He got up and left the room, leaving her alone in the large bed.

"I think you're right," Valentina thought as Master Wildrich's semen leaked out of her, leaving a damp stain on the sheet. "He doesn't really want his daughter. He wants the idea of it – the power, the control, the submission."

"Precisely observed," Vyxara purred. "You're getting more and more perceptive. Humans create complicated fantasies to disguise simple desires. He could achieve the same with almost any role."

"But he chooses this one of all things," Valentina thought with a touch of bitterness.

"Because it's forbidden," the demon replied. "It's the taboo that makes it appealing to him. Men are sometimes very... one-dimensional in their lechery."

~

After she had washed up and returned to the salon, she was still surprised at how easy it had been for her. She had simply played her part. Granted, if she hadn't been able to talk to Vyxara and had been alone in her head, she might have found it to be more difficult.

"You did well," Vyxara said gently. "You fulfilled a harmless dream for a lonely man. And earned a tidy sum on the side."

Valentina looked at herself in the mirror, still in her base illusion as blonde Lily. To her own surprise, she felt no shame, just a strange mixture of relief and... yes, even a little pride. She had done it. She had overcome her trepidation and found a way to get it over with.

"That was just the beginning," she thought.

"Yes," Vyxara confirmed. "But a promising start. You're a quick learner, little Weaver. As always."

Later that night, as Valentina walked through the snow-covered streets back to the university, she organized her experiences in her mind.

"It was... really different from what I expected," she thought.

"What did you expect?" Vyxara asked curiously.

"I don't know. Actually the same things you expected. More... despair? More shame?" Valentina turned into a quiet side alley. "Instead, it almost felt like a play. Admittedly a pretty weird play."

"The illusion artifacts make a big difference," Vyxara agreed. "They create distance. Protection. You never really have to be yourself."

"And the other girls..." Valentina thought of Rose and Violet, of their warm welcome, their practical advice. "They were so... normal."

"What did you expect? Desperate streetwalkers?" Vyxara's mental laughter sounded warm. "This is a very special establishment, little Weaver. Madame Dolorosa chooses her employees carefully. They may even be students, like you."

The Emberwardens at the university gate only searched her superficially – they were tired and inattentive at this late hour. Valentina had nothing suspicious on her anyway.

Once in her cold attic room, she lit the small lamp and sat down on her narrow bed. The events of the evening already seemed like a strange dream.

"I wonder what the Illuminator is looking for there, what fantasy he's fulfilling" she muttered.

"We'll find out," Vyxara assured him. "Give yourself time to settle in. Build up your confidence. The other girls will tell you what they know soon enough."

Valentina nodded wearily. She had found a way to not only solve a good part of her problems, but maybe even find out more about Eastwald's intentions. It wasn't a way she necessarily liked, but it was a way that might work.

"Thursday again," she thought as she lay down to sleep.

"Get some rest, little Weaver ," Vyxara purred softly. "And don't think about it so much. The next few days belong to your studies."

Nodding and yawning, Valentina extinguished the light.