Safe and Sane

Auri was prowling through the club, predatory and careful with each step, heels clicking on the wooden floor. She was still in her work suit, a tailored suit with long wide legs and a fitted jacket over her stomach. She wasn't showing yet. She found Maddie in the lounge, stopping in front of her and smiling, slowly. She offered Maddie a hand up, hair still immaculately pulled back, no tendrils escaping at the bend.

Auri had a newspaper and a glass of milk, curled up in a chair. Her glasses were on top of her head and her shoes were under the chair. She was, unsurprisingly, grumbling, settling in her chair. She had a red marker and was pointedly correcting the New York Times.

Everyone had a hobby.

It was a party. It was a costume party. There was food, there were traditional Halloween games- bobbing for apples, a place to carve jack o' lanterns and way, way too much candy and junk food. A place to dance. There were also a few open play rooms, set up for groups or exhibitionism, but that wasn't the focus of the night.


There were awards for the best costume, for the scariest, the funniest, the most creative, the sexiest.

Maddie showed up at Auri's unannounced.

"Hi! I have a surprise for you. Can you spare a few hours?" She was trying not to look too excited but wasn't doing too well. She was definitely grinning and there may have been a small bounce which she quickly tried to hide.

It was the last day before work started on the second studio space, and, coincidentally, Ryan's birthday. He figured it was as good a time as any for inviting people over to the studio - after all, they'd been away for Brae's birthday, and it would be a good chance for them both to catch up with everyone. And he really wasn't going to let anyone take food or drink (except water) into the studio once the work was completed.

The existing studio room was firmly closed. The reception was cleared and playing host to tables of food and drinks, the lounge was as comfortable as usual, and the space that would be the second studio was lit by a series of lamps angled to reflect off the walls.

The leaves were just starting to change on the trees- it was a beautiful day, really. Crisp, clear, sun shining and just the faintest hint of a chill as summer unfurled into fall. There was soup in the cafe, some chili, in addition to the regular assortment of drinks and snacks.

The lights were up full in the common room. A long table along the wall held a selection of snacks designed to be eaten with your fingers, or fed to someone else. Fairy lights were threaded over the bar, and a selection of vodka cocktails were on offer along with the usual range of drinks and minerals.

There wasn't any particular reason. Just a Friday night as the evenings began to draw in.

It was a little cooler- highs in the low seventies, lows in the hight 40s- so the doors were closed this week and they were doing an assortment of teas. Despite it being newly September, not even Fall properly yet, there were pumpkins scattered throughout the cafe.

Auri handed Maddie the yellow roses, then scooped her up, lifting the other woman off the ground and spinning her around, "Congratulations, gorgeous."


She'd given Maddie the weekend for friends and family, but Monday, she'd found Maddie at the club and was claiming for the night.

The lighting in the room that had been set aside for the purpose of aftercare was low, there were stacks of blankets and pillows, and every seat in the room was designed for two or more people, overstuffed and extremely soft. There was also lots of water, light food, and basic first aid supplies - creams and over the counter pain relievers- available in cabinets on the walls.

Auri wandered into the club after the demo, yawning. She got a cup of coffee, then sat down, stretching out her legs in front of her before addressing the person whom she wasn't quite touching with her toes.

"You must be Gale. Auri Marshall."

The cafe had caved and gotten ice cream. 15 different flavors, cones, cups, and a dozen different toppings in addition to the normal drinks and muffins.

The windows and doors were open, the fans were going, and the music was playing.

Hey sweetheart,
I need sperm by the first- between tomorrow and then is perfect.

Sorry for the late notice, I forgot I hadn't told you.
Love,
Auri

Eve was walking through the club's lounge when she tripped over a wrinkle in the rug and went sprawling, head first. Fortunately she went over and into a chair. Unfortunately it was already occupied. "Oh. Hello." She waved and blushed.

They hadn't set a time so Auri just showed up at the club around 11 and stayed in the lounge with a novel, tapping her high heeled toe on the floor patiently. She was anticipatory but she wasn't going to stress.

Maddie had been thinking and considering ever since the night Auri had taken her to the outdoor bistro. About how she could please her. She finally came up with something that she thought might work, pulled out some stationary and wrote her a letter.

( Letter sent to Auri )

It was a warm, cloudy day. The temperature hit 92 at noon and stayed around 85 into the early evening. There were cold drinks, hot drinks, but also, weirdly, a lot of chocolate.

A lot of chocolate. Chocolate biscuits, Chocolate cookies, cakes, lollypops, candies, dipped pretzels. Good chocolate too.

If asked the baristas rolled their eyes and explained "Over order"

It was a Monday evening.

And there was cake. A lot of cake. Some pizzas. Some music playing in one of the lounges.

It was just a nice, quiet evening.

Auri showed up at Maddie's at about six in a dress with flowers. She knocked on the door, held out the flowers, then told Maddie warmly, "Get ready. You have 10 minutes."

The lounge had a sign on the door and it was closed, at least for now, so no one could stand outside and peer in or listen, but the sign was inviting. There was food, drink, and comfortable places to sit in the very large room.

Jon was the moderator for the meeting and had a name tag designating him as such to his vaguely bemused expression.