[Reserved for Satyr]
Zeph hadn't seen Rodrigo in nearly a month, so when the text had come in (come out 2nite?) he'd responded with an enthusiastic triple cluster of thumbs-up emoji almost immediately. His plans had been so tenuous and convoluted that he was still barely sure what he was supposed to be doing. Some kind of art show opening with Lindsey (she'd tried to explain the Impressionistic significance of the work, but really she was just trying to fuck the artist, an enigmatic hunk who went by "V"), and then a "party that wasn't a party", whatever that meant, with the Andys. His fingers flashed across the screen of his phone, cancelling all of it. He was flaky enough that no one who knew him remotely well expected or asked for an explanation, so the process was pretty painless.
Rodrigo was one of his first friends at Watson. He was year older than the nymph, with a body worthy of sculpture, chiseled features, and perfect latte colored skin. They shared a ballet class, and Zeph had followed him around like a puppy for nearly a week before they finally hung out alone. Things hadn't worked out- Rodrigo liked things a lot rougher than Zeph was capable of. They'd bonded though, and in the ensuing months became very close. They'd even ended up performing together for their ballet final, and the erotically charged piece had earned them perfect marks and gotten both of them laid afterward.
Rodrigo had started seeing someone a couple months back. It was a stormy relationship, but that was par for the course for the hot-blooded Latino. He thrived on drama, and it seemed like his new beau was delivering in spades. When reports on their latest squabbles dwindled and then stopped altogether, Zeph had thought nothing of it. Rodrigo was the sort of person to fall off the map when he got serious with someone. This time, though, he'd spun completely off the globe. Mutual friends asked if he'd heard anything- Rodrigo had been missing classes, disappearing for days at a time. Zeph's attempts to reach out were left on read. He'd finally run into him at Piston on Jock Strap Night, and Rodrigo had been super out of it, to the point that even Zeph noticed. He met the boyfriend there too - Caleb. He was hot in a scary way, which was exactly Rodrigo's type, so the disappearing act sort of made sense. The three of them had ended up in the "dark room" at the same time and Zeph had been a little in awe watching them fuck. It was brutal, but afterward, Caleb was a total sweetheart. Zeph could tell he genuinely cared about Rodrigo, and his concerns were at ease.
almost there. "Shit," Zeph swore aloud when the text came through and scrambled out of bed. He'd gotten distracted watching videos of competitive Tetris play on Youtube. It had just sort of popped up in his suggestions (he was a huge fan of Minecraft play-throughs), and now he was running late. Rodrigo had told him to "dress slutty", so he pulled on his favorite rust-red jock, a pair of ripped black jeans, a tight Team Instinct tank top, and black converse. He'd never really heard much about Venture, the place they were headed, other than the fact that things could get pretty wild.
Rodrigo showed up, looking like sex incarnate in blue jeans, a backward baseball cap, and a snug Henley with the unmistakable outline of a harness obvious beneath it. They caught up and pregamed on vodka Red Bulls (Zeph only tolerated unspeakably sweet alcoholic drinks) and weed before staggering their way to the bus stop, laughing at in-jokes they hadn't exercised in months.
The bus ride was uneventful. Caleb was apparently going to meet them there later. When Zeph pressed for details, Rodrigo had smiled boyishly and filled him in. They were thinking about taking a really big step, apparently, and things had been going really well. Zeph had leaned his head against his friend's sculpted shoulder while he spoke, glowing with vicarious, encouraging happiness.
"Zeph, things might get kind of intense tonight. Just find me and Caleb if anything goes bad, 'kay?" Zeph had rolled his eyes, but Rodrigo pressed the point until he'd agreed.
It was around ten-thirty when they got into the line, which was already several bodies deep. It was a Tuesday, so it wasn't exactly hopping. Something in Rodrigo's body language changed as they joined the others awaiting entrance. He stood a little taller, and his gaze got sort of cold. It was like he was trying out for a modeling gig or something. Zeph straightened as well and tried to look similarly cool, but he wasn't sure he was pulling it off. The two of them didn't quite fit in. Zeph elbowed Rodrigo in the side and whispered out of the corner of his mouth: "Dude, you didn't tell me it was goth night."
That earned him a dirty look from a woman who looked like she'd been born in the back room of a Hot Topic. Zeph smiled sheepishly in reply.
It took a few minutes for them to make it to the bouncers. Two of them were standard issue Gregor Cleganes in black tee-shirts, but third was a buff Asian guy who Zeph couldn't take his eyes off of. He caught the nymph staring and smirked before returning to his solemn vigil. One of the big guys eyed Zeph like was messy handwriting. "He's cool, Powell. He's with me." Rodrigo was doing something weird with his voice, like he was trying to sound more masc or something. Powell continued to look dubious until the Asian guy whispered something to him. Grunting assent, he let them through. Zeph spared one last longing look over his shoulder and was rewarded with a wink and a devious smile from his newest crush.
"Do you know that guy?" he whispered to Rodrigo.
"Jason? Kinda. You are so fucking obvious, Lasagna. You're lucky you're cute." Rodrigo grinned wolfishly and led him in.
Zeph was trying to remember if this place had dancing. The lounge are seemed cool and all, but he got a little stir crazy just sitting and drinking. Was that a movie theater? It looked like a movie theater, and a little too fancy to just be the porn kind that some sex clubs had. This didn't look like a sex club. It didn't look particularly wild either. The room was aesthetically pleasing, and the patrons that matched. People were scattered around, taking the term lounge very literally, fairly draped across the chairs and couches. He was wide-eyed as he surveyed his new surroundings, at least until Rodrigo gave him a whack on the back of his head. "Cool it, chico tonto. You look like a fucking tourist." He sounded a little annoyed. Zeph pouted and followed him to the bar.
Rodrigo frowned apologetically. "Sorry, it's just I know people here. Caleb's friends." He forged a smile, then reached up to ruffle Zeph's hair. "Let me buy you a drink." Zeph ordered another vodka Red Bull, but Rodrigo ordered some kind of special. The bartender seemed to know him, and they exchanged a bit of small talk before the two headed to some vacant seats.
"Seems like you're here a lot, yeah?"
Rodrigo nodded. "Caleb likes it here. I do too." He shrugged. Zeph launched into every question he had about Venture, and Rodrigo did his best to satisfy him. In the middle of the interrogation, a man drew up to them. Rodrigo looked up at him and offered a tight smile. "Vance. Can I help you?" Zeph got the sense that Rodrigo was not Vance's biggest fan. He looked the man over. Like everyone else here, he was hot. Pale, with blond hair and patrician features. His eyes were like blue chips of ice. His attire was wack though. Some kind of elaborate leather jacket that almost looked like it belonged in an Assassin's Creed game, and combat boots. He smiled hungrily at Zeph.
"Who's your friend?" His eyes never left Zeph. Zeph blinked up at him, slowly, and took a sip from his drink while Rodrigo replied.
"Zeph. He's not on the menu." Rodrigo's voice had acquired just the slightest edge. Zeph blinked again. That was kind of a weird thing to say, after all, and honestly, even if he was dressed like a Level 1 Night Elf, Zeph was verging on the level of drunk where he called literally everyone "Daddy".
"A pity." Vance turned his icy gaze on Rodrigo. "Naomi wishes a word. Your friend should wait here." The words were delivered in a tone of command Zeph had only ever heard from his actual father, and he decided that he was probably glad Rodrigo had 86'd him.
Rodrigo glanced to Zeph, and Zeph nodded slowly. "Yeah, go for it, I'll be fine." Who was Naomi? Why was Rodrigo being summoned? Was it some kind of crime-thing? That could explain his friend's absence. As Rodrigo stood and disappeared into one of the rooms that branched off the lounge, flanked by Vance, Zeph's mind ran through a half-dozen possibilities. He came to no solid conclusion and abandoned the mystery in favor of people-watching. Apparently they'd arrived just in time, because the place was gradually starting to fill up.