Unleashed

Chapter Two: Temptation

"Don't even think about it." Groaning, you let your head fall back against the wall with a thump. "You've got things to do. Tonight is a study night, not a play night." You try to remind yourself.

But he's kinda cute, in a gruff, badboy way. You shake your head, trying to dispell the thoughts of just what it would feel like to have Mutt's impressive height looming over you whilst you were tied down... or bent over, or on my knees, or...

"Damnit, me. This is the sort of shit that makes people have to re-take a semester." Running a hand through your hair, you eye your bag reluctantly. See. This is why I don't usually do weeknights. I'm so weak. Stuffing your books into your bag, you make quick work of the last remaining granola bar. If he's half as good as his attitude and that smirk suggests, I'm gonna need to keep my energy up.

You sling your bag over one shoulder, taking a moment to run your hands through your hair in the small mirror beside the bank of lockers. Eh. Not like I can do anything more without wasting time. Making sure to grab a hairband from your bag, you quickly pull it around your wrist. You take a moment to lament your lack of boots; you'd usually wear something a little more... leather and platform-y at least, along with bringing at least one pair of fuck-me heels in your bag just in case. Somehow, between your last one-night stand and making it to your car the next morning, you had managed to lose one of your back-up heels. Those were my favourites, too...

Slipping through the side door, you make your way along one of the staff corridors towards the entrance. Built to help security make their way around quickly in cases of emergency, you are far from the first member of staff to use it to get around while trying to avoid certain patrons.

"Hey [y/n]. I didn't know you were on today." You smile as the newest member of the ground of house staff - Abi? Ami? - greets you with a smile.

"Just covering for someone. D'you mind if I get one of the yellow bands? I thought I might stick around for a bit." She smiles at you knowingly.

"Got your eye on someone cute, eh? No probs." She passes across one of the glowing yellow bands. Since introducing them, things had been running a lot more smoothly in Sweet Release. The basics more or less followed the same principles as the house traffic light safeword system: green (open and looking); yellow (negotiating or open for discussions); red (taken, not interested in new approaches, or already in a scene).

They had introduced a couple of extra colours to help smooth out the edges, with purple (in an existing dynamic that is open for additional players) proving one of the most popular, along with blue (just visiting, unlimited bar access but not allowed to book or enter private play spaces). For the less open-minded, black (humans only, not interested in monsters) or grey (monsters only, not interested in humans) stickers could be added to the bands.

The only ones who aren't required to wear a glow band are House staff, who each instead have a soft gold fabric band displayed somewhere prominently on their outfits, or the occasional regular whose dynamic and ownership claim by themselves are clear enough (though with the number of vanity collars, they were beginning to let fewer and fewer patrons in with just a leash or brand to set them apart).

"Wish me luck." You smile, waving at her over your shoulder as you head into the club through the main doors this time. As you clip your glow band into place, you pull the simple gold plated bands from your wrist. You had completely forgotten you had worn them to class today. Shit. So much for the 'no jewellery at work' rule. Slipping them into your bag, you make your way through the bar first. Scanning the room, you smile at your replacement, noting the presence of a couple in the corner - a bird monster in a rather lovely PCV dress, and her human partner in an equally stunning rubber number. No sign of Mutt.