Keres was already sitting comfortably in the room. One of his women leaned against his chest, the other half-sitting on his lap.
Fèi Míng's tea attendant, Grace, moved quietly between them, pouring tea with steady hands. She set a cup in front of Fèi Míng, then served the others before lowering herself beside him.
Keres inclined his head, smiling as he leaned in close. "You know," he drawled. It was clear that this young man was drunk. "You show up with a cat, and suddenly your face is everywhere. Posters, boards. Like, I was soooo worried they already got you. What happened?"
"I… was out on one of my 'hobbies'," Fèi Míng replied.
Laughing, Keres' shoulders shook tremendously. "Figures."
Fèi Míng glanced down. His ginger kitten lay flat on the floor, belly exposed, limbs loose. He was breathing slowly. "Do you have cat food?"
Keres followed his gaze, then looked pleased. "Anouk, sweetheart."
The woman beside him perked up.
"Go get kitten formula. And wet cat food," he added, waving a hand.
Anouk giggled, slipped out from under his arm, and left the room.
Fèi Míng lifted the tea. "You still haven't gone to the Citadel zone?"
Keres shrugged. "The tickets were crazy expensive. Haven't made enough yet." He grinned. "So why rush? Might as well enjoy what's here! Am I right or am I right!"
He turned, pulled the woman beside him closer, and kissed her. His mouth pressed against hers, tongue sliding in as he held her there while her hands gripped his sleeves.
When he pulled back, her breath came fast, with her lips slightly parted.
"Violet," Keres introduced her, clearly entertained. "My girlfriend."
The door opened again. Anouk returned and placed the food on the floor.
The kitten woke up in a bolt. He let out a sharp 'meow", lunged forward, and buried its face in the dish. The milk splashed as the wet food smeared his small whiskers.
He ate fast, finishing up everything within two minutes, then staggered back, turned once, and collapsed onto its side, already asleep.
Fèi Míng watched him. He took a sip of tea. A slow tiny smile etched on his lips
Keres glanced at him. "Sooo. You ever done 'it' before?"
"Done what?"
"Sex," Keres blurted. "No internet's worth a damn. People get bored, all that crazy stuff. And it all leads to something more… physical."
Fèi Míng thought of heat, the bodies pressed too close, the inconvenience of it, and the absurd timing it always came with. It was unpleasant and faintly amusing.
"Yes," he said. "I have."
Keres's grin widened. "Then stay. Watch me. I want to see what your face does when things get fun. You always have this blank 'bleh' face. I wanna see more. Have fun!" He lifted up his cup of tea in the air, the liquid sloshing around.
Fèi Míng stood, brushing his robe smooth. "I'd rather not."
Keres laughed softly. "That's cute." His eyes sharpened. "But no. You don't really get to leave."
Leaning in closer, he tried touching Fèi Ming's face, but withdrew. "The Krats, Hawks, and one very annoyed god announced a weird prophecy not long ago… aren't you a perfect ragebaiter, Fateless?"
'god? Prophecy?' Fèi Míng thought.
"I am not," he replied. "You can… find another person to film your sex. I won't be joining in. I'll leave for another room."
As he turned to leave, his body stopped. 'Weird.' When he tried to move again, a sharp pain traveled all the way from his limbs to his brain.
STINGGGG.
None of his muscles could move. 'Ah. I shouldn't have let my guard down around him.'
"You should've figured it out. My given name isn't also for show… Neither are these."
He stood, crossed the space, tugged Fèi Míng's ear, then tapped his nose with a finger. "Boop."
"One poke," Keres continued, smiling wide, "and you sit. One poke, and you watch. You can join too, if you want. I'm generous."
'This fucking unhinged bastard', Fèi Míng thought. If his pins made someone lose control of their body actions and movement, succumbing to only what he directed or ordered…
'Keres is a Sovereign Path owner.'