Paige and Sassy; (Under)Cover Girl

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It's Paige's first night at Alchemy, and she's using this time to get to know her fellow employees and the general working situation. What is Alchemy you ask? Why, it's a nightclub/stripjoint.

...you just figured it out, didn't you?

"We get paid Fridays." The girl leading Paige back to the timeclock said. Her voice was soft and twanged just a bit. She'd introduced herself as Sassy but had admitted after the first day that her real name was Beatrice. Looking at her, only the faint blue flush to her skin and the cobalt cast to her black hair hinted at her mutation, her body dissolving to pure water. "You need to sign your card here but that's just a technicality. They usually have the checks cut by Wednesday. Unless you're one of the special ones. Some of us get cash straight."

Nodding, Paige took a card from her, finding the pen-on-a-string on her own. "Might as well start on the right foot," she tossed out flippantly, giving Beatrice a knowing grin. She signed the card 'Sterling', though the only metal on her currently was the nameplate necklace around her throat, reading the same. It was more difficult to forget your own name if you were seldom asked for it.

"Who're the special ones, then?"

Beatrice flipped her hand, attempting to look nonchalant, "You know, the really valuable ones. Some of the younger kids too or the ones who are afraid someone will find them." Her eyes went wide and her voice went low, "It's not safe, you know. Being a mutant. People will try to hurt you for it. The manager, he's good about letting people stay here if they need a place. Maxie got her apartment broken into a few months ago. She's been here ever since."

"I dare someone to try," Paige growled, tossing her hair over her shoulder; a punk valley-girl, who knew. "I would give them a broken nose, I would. It's so sick. We're people too, right? I mean, it's not like we chose this."

The other girl nodded, "Humans suck. I'm just happy to be here where I'm the one using them, right?" Beatrice smiled uncertainly. "I was so excited when they offered me a job here." She looked at the clock and squeaked, "Shift change, we should hurry. Did they get you a costume or anything yet or are you still borrowing?"

Paige winked at Beatrice playfully, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "I got my own, no worries, babe. It's kind of gross to get into, though; do I have time to run to the toilets and change?"

"Oh, wow, really? So, did you do this before you got hired? I mean, they found my YouTube account and that's why they asked me." She giggled, "I always hoped I'd be discovered, you know?" She looked at Paige with utter hero worship and the hard edge vanished from her features; suddenly she looked no more than 15.

"Well, it was more private viewings, if you know what I mean," Paige replied, grinning lewdly. "This gives me a chance to reach a larger audience. And, you know, not be expected to have so much sex." Rolling her eyes good naturedly, Paige smiled at the younger girl. "We have it real lucky."

Beatrice nodded emphatically and lowered her voice again, looking shifty and sly and still perversely young, "If you still want to, there are some patrons who will pay really good for it. Specially if you use your mutation. And the bouncers are always there to make sure they don't go too far. Rob likes it when you're willing to do it. Just gotta let him or Milena know."

"Maybe if they're cute," Paige answered with a little shrug, wrinkling up her nose as if in concentration. "I want to see how far I can make it without resorting to doing them too, you know? We're hot enough that they should be thankful they even get to look at us."

The other girl giggled, "Come on back. I'll show you where you can change, then we've gotta run. Are you so excited or what? It's your first night up, isn't it?"

"Awesome." Paige followed her, ignoring the fact that it was all too easy to walk in the just the right way so that her hair bounced now. "Yeah, it totally is and I'm super pumped. You'd think that doing this would get like, boring or something, but. I still get that high every time. Some of them might be perverts, but, these guys get us, you know?"

Beatrice gave her a look that was half-worried, half-worshipful. Without even saying a word, it was possible to see her practicing Paige's cavalier attitude. "God, Sterling, you really are perfect for this place. I'm so glad they found you!" She shoved open a heavy door and they ended up in the chaos and perfume of the dressing area. Beatrice smacked a very tall literally black man on the shoulder, "Hey, baby, you ready to give 'em a show? I've got new tricks for you." She tossed her hair, "That's Jenson. He's my partner."

"Rawr. I wanna graduate to getting one of those," Paige remarked, looking over her shoulder at him as they walked past. "Good for you, girl. I'm really glad I'm here too."

"You're replacing Anna, right? She was a big draw. Too bad about her arm." Beatrice didn't actually seem all that sad about it. "You can change there."


Stepping behind what was little more than a curtain, Paige took off her necklace, clothes, shoes and finally, skin, leaving behind a silvery husk. "What happened to her arm?" she asked casually. Everything but her skin was folded neatly and tucked under her arm, the latter scrunched into a ball and stuffed into a small vacuum pack that had been in her back pocket.

Beatrice snorted and stripped getting into her own costume--little more than makeup and latex, "She was stupid. This job is easy if you don't make people upset. But she always was pushing you know? Wanted more money and more time off. I'm not surprised she fell. Karma gets you every time, right?" As Paige stepped out from behind the curtain, Beatrice whistled, "Wow, look at you."

"Stupid bitch," Paige said against the noise of the curtain rustling. That bit of information was something to store away for later, definitely, and going over all the pieces might keep her distracted from what exactly she was doing, ohgod. "What goes around comes around." She gave a little pose before letting herself get a look at her new friend. "You're damn fine yourself, baby. Hello, really fine ass. How y' doing, I'm Sterling," she purred, coming over to smack her playfully.

The younger girl gave a little laugh and boldly reached out to run a finger over the warm metal of Paige's skin, along her side and over the subtle flare of her hip, "I can see why they call you that. God, they're going to love you." She grinned, "Let's go. Jen, we're up!"

Showtime.

(A shout out to the most beautiful creature of all, Silensy, for playing Sassy and coming up with the title. Love.)