Savage Utopia [Peaceful system exploited for combat - LitRPG]

Serene

The smell of alcohol was starting to drive her crazy.

Ever since quitting, it was as though she'd gained a sixth sense for the stuff, able to sniff it out from miles off like a bloodhound. All over the property, people were drinking and dancing and laughing. A few people were passing joints around—just some local skunk weed, but still.

At this point, she'd take just about anything. Anything to make the voices stop. Or, really, the lack of them. Ever since slitting the man's throat, they had been uncharacteristically quiet. Sitting in silent judgment of her. Even Catcher refused to appear. For some reason, that stung her, despite the fact that she'd been the one to push him away, and had made him look like an absolute idiot for believing she was anything more than a stupid whore with blood on her hands.

Of course, that version of him had never existed to begin with. She kept having to remind herself of that. The real Ratcatcher, the one who had died for his convictions, would never have spared her a kind word if he'd known what she was really like—that she was a pretty face with nothing underneath, and really the face was all fake too.

She sat alone in the grass, leaned back against the western wall of the stables, arms wrapped around herself and willing the seconds to pass until she got exhausted enough to fall asleep. This far away from the dishes of smoking insect repellant, the bastards were eating her alive. She hardly noticed.

One-Eye had forbidden the consumption of hard drugs at the party, but of course that didn't stop everyone. She knew there was a group of people smoking opium in a secluded spot behind the farmhouse at the north end of the property, and another crowded inside one of the tents. It would be child's play to worm her way into either group and score some. Just a bit. Just one smoke. One-Eye was probably lying about the whole vow business anyway. Well, clearly it was real in some respect, considering the way it had modified her Illusion skill, but he had to be lying about the severity of reneging on her promise. It would probably just revoke the benefit. That had to be it, right?

Serene groaned, hunched over and hugging her stomach, and wanted to be sick.

"Oh."

She looked up at the voice and found a slim male silhouette standing in the dark near the corner of the building; hesitant.

"Uh, I was just looking for a place to pee. I didn't know there was anybody here—I'll go somewhere else."

It was that kid, Wesley.

"I don't mind," she said, and smacked a mosquito that had just landed on her shoulder. "Knock yourself out."

"I'm not sure if…" He hesitated, then chuckled quietly. "I think I'd be too embarrassed to pee in front of a pretty girl. Uh, but I'm not saying you're just pretty! Or a girl, for that matter. You're beautiful—a beautiful woman. Uh, really beautiful."

"Thanks."

"I'll just be leaving now. Goodnight?"

She frowned at the way he said the last part like it was a question, but eventually shrugged and replied: "Goodnight."

He still lingered, though, a hand on the corner of the building. After a while, he stammered out: "Um… I… thank you. For saving my life."

"Don't worry about it."

"No, really. It… I don't think I could ever be that brave. The way you stood up to him, that…" He looked around like he was worried about someone eavesdropping, then lowered his voice. "...monster. It was really amazing. No one's ever done anything like that for me before."

"He wouldn't really have killed you," Serene remarked flatly. She leaned back against the wall with a sigh. "He was just posturing."

Wesley took a step closer, taking her continued replies as an invitation. "I don't think I believe that."

"Then don't. I know people, though. Way I look at it, ones like him are either bad guys who try to look good, or good guys who try to look bad. He's definitely in the second camp."

"How can you tell?"

"Because I've got a lot of points in Empathy. And Sam would never put up with him if he was a bad guy, so."

"Oh. I guess you might be right. Maybe. Still not sure I buy it, though—no offense." He came closer still, then just stood there like a dope. Waiting for her to tell him to leave, she realized. When she didn't, he went and sat cross-legged beside her.

"Damn, there's a lot of bugs back here," he muttered, already swiping at the air to fight them off. "How do you put up with it?"

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

She glanced over at him, and got to thinking about something to ease the guilt, even if it was just a little.

Hmm. He's just about pathetic enough. He's definitely got the build for it, too.

"Bugs aside, it's kinda nice out here," the young man said, looking up at the bright spill of stars extending across the blackness of the night sky. "Nights like this always make me think of home. I grew up in—"

"Hey," Serene interrupted.

His attention snapped to her. "Hmm? Yeah? Sorry, I was rambling, wasn't I?"

"You said I was beautiful, right?"

He laughed awkwardly. "I mean, that much goes without saying. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable by mentioning it, though—I hope it didn't seem like I was coming onto you or something. I'm sure the last thing you want right now is for some weird guy to bother you while you're trying to be alone, but—"

"I'll pay you to fuck me."

Wesley went quiet. He was like that for a good while. Then: "What?"

"I'll pay you to fuck me," Serene repeated.

"Sorry, I must have misheard you again. One more time?"

"I will pay you money to have sex with me."

"That's…" He cleared his throat. "Wouldn't it be more like the other way around? Not that I'm calling you a prostitute or anything!"

"I am a whore, actually. Used to be, anyway."

"Oh. Well, I didn't mean to make it sound like a bad thing! Only, that just makes me understand this even less. You want to pay me for sex?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I want to have sex."

"I mean, I'd definitely do it for free, you know?"

"I see. How does 100G for an hour sound?"

"But I just said—"

"There are some things I want you to do to me. I'd rather money changed hands, so it's a service and not a favor."

"Uh…"

"Are you good with it?"

"Um… yes?"

Serene sighed at the hesitation in his voice. "It's not a riddle. If you can't tell me yes straight up, without humming and hawing, let's just forget it."

"Yes! I want to do it!" Wesley quickly blurted out. "I was just surprised, that's all. But yes. Please. I'd be happy to have sex with you. More than happy, really. I—"

She leaned over and shut him up by pressing her lips against his, and made extra sure his mouth was occupied by forcing her tongue in and swirling it around his. His whole body stiffened, then he suddenly went soft like pudding and moaned softly as she straddled his legs.

The kiss tasted like ash and disappointment; like all the ones that came before.

* * *

Mongrel

"I-I can't believe it. This never happens to me."

"Sure, gramps. You know, age gets us all in the end."

"Not me! It's not supposed to happen to me!"

Mongrel cradled his limp cock in his hand like a dying kitten, kneeling stiffly at the foot of the bed while trying his best to ignore Annie's little smirk. She was leaned back on her elbows, breasts pooling on her bare chest and dark nipples standing proudly stiff.

"I can't believe it…" Mongrel murmured. He gave his little friend a shake to try and wake him up, but that did no good. A bit of frantic jerking didn't do the trick either. "I don't understand…" He had never failed to get it up for a woman—ever—and he had slept with some real dog-faced sorts over the years. Now here he was, presented with this gorgeous specimen—the woman he loved, damn it!—and nothing. Why? What could possibly be the reason? It was all so unfair…

Annie sighed, and reached up to pat his cheek. "It's okay. Really, it's nothing to be ashamed about." With that, she rolled off the bed. He tried to hold her back, but she slid deftly away from his grasping arm with an amused click of her tongue. "Simmer down before you pop a vessel or something. I'll go fetch us water and ask the Physicians for some pharmaceutical assistance."

"I don't need that shit!" he insisted, following her off the bed as she went to shrug into one of his shirts. Her wonderfully tapered back didn't seem too impressed with his arguments, but he carried on anyway. "Boner pills are for hacks, and I am—"

She slipped out of the room, and he was left standing sheepishly in the open doorway, naked and soft and feeling like a world-class race horse that had just broken a leg and was about to get turned into glue.

"Fuck you," Mongrel hissed at his cock, who didn't even have the nerve to look him in the eye. "Traitor."

Stonewalled by his crestfallen companion, he eventually admitted defeat and flopped back into bed, dragging the sweat-damp covers around his waist and crossing his arms tightly. He glared up into the ceiling, a lone mosquito buzzing in confused circles along the woodwork, and tried to fry it with his mind by virtue of sheer burning spite. It didn't work.

Soon he heard hushed voices down the hall, followed by creaking footsteps, and was grinning expectantly when he saw Will and Sam sneak past his doorway—at least, sneaking as well as a half-cripple and a half-bear could manage.

"You two kids have fun!" he called after them, laughing when he heard Sam let out a small squeak.

"Go to sleep!" Will shouted back, and the footsteps receded until he heard the door to their room close.

Oh, the arrogance of youth! He doesn't even know how lucky he is, the bastard. Mongrel blew a wistful raspberry and let his head fall back onto the pillow. You'd do well to count your boners while you still have them, young pup.