WinterWhereof
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7.104 - Emporium I
🕑 Added 2025-04-25 20:00:32 +0000 UTCNatalie walked through the shopping district of the City of Eros with growing anticipation. She'd been wondering what sorts of treasures might be found in the Emporium for close to two weeks now. Every citygoer wondered what was inside the most exclusive of shops, when the basic ones sold epics.
But she moderated her expectations. The Palace Basement Vault was even more exclusive than the Emporium, so compared to her last haul, she likely wouldn't be finding anything mind-blowing. Not something as good as a morph-weapon that progressed up to level fifteen and a potion that instantly leveled people up.
That said, she would have options inside the Emporium. She would get to peruse its wares and pick which she liked. The Vault had spat out rewards with zero input on her part. Not that she was complaining. She would be the most entitled delver in existence if she was unhappy with their Vault haul, regardless of its extensive requirements.
The Emporium was sequestered on a far side of the shopping district, a prominent building, though hidden away. It was all elegant marble, a miniature version of the Palace.
She'd come in her delving outfit for no reason besides an abundance of caution, which meant her breastplate, her necklace, her loincloth, and a pair of boots.
She'd wavered back and forth between wearing panties; she hadn't thus far because of [Stylish]. The risque nature of having only a flimsy loincloth protecting her provided no small boost to her stats, since all four of her teammates appreciated the view; she had caught them stealing looks. Hopefully they assumed it was a requirement of the loincloth itself, rather than thinking her an exhibitionist. The topic had never explicitly come up.
Seeing how she wouldn't have any teammates inside the Emporium, though, maybe panties were appropriate. Nevertheless, she didn't wear them; she set out as if she were heading into the Ruins. Her only company should be automatons, anyway. The odds another citygoer was inside the Emporium at the same time as her were essentially zero.
She walked up to the two oversized wooden doors while fishing out a key from her pouch. Sliding the heavy, intricate piece of metal into the only keyhole and turning, she waited with bated breath.
The key yanked inward, disappearing into the lock. Natalie blinked at her empty hand. A second later, the door shuddered. With ponderous deliberation, the huge slab of wood creaked open just enough to let her into the Emporium.
She glanced over her shoulder, hesitating. It seemed awfully easy to sneak someone in. Could she have taken Vanetta with her? But no; she dismissed the idea. No doubt, the city would send those metal suits of armor after anyone foolish enough to trespass.
She stepped in.
An ornate foyer with high ceilings supported by polished marble pillars met her. Soft golden light streamed from crystal chandeliers, reflecting off the glossy white-and-gold tiled floor. A wide archway led deeper into the building, flanked by display cases showcasing glittering artifacts—one a floating sapphire orb, the other a jeweled bronze crown. Plush red carpets lined the walkways, and the air carried a scent of incense. Even more than the Palace itself, the room exuded wealth.
She felt outrageously out of place. The feeling didn't have time to linger, though. A woman—an automaton—was walking toward her. Natalie's brief survey of the space ended, her eyes drawn to the movement.
She started in surprise.
Automatons, as a whole, were androgynous, sometimes feminine or masculine but only subtly so. Each one was different, even if their personalities followed a strict trend: cheerful and happy to serve.
The automaton servicing the Emporium, however, was not slightly feminine. Five-foot-seven, roughly, she had an impressive bust, a skinny waist, and wide hips that could easily be described as 'child-bearing'. More importantly: she had nipples.
Automatons didn't have nipples. While their shapes varied, they never had genitalia. Which, okay, this one didn't either: between her legs, there was nothing but smooth metal. Natalie jerked her eyes upward, feeling—irrationally, or maybe rationally?—bad for checking. She kept her eyes firmly on the automaton's, despite the clear light-blue nipples on her silver breasts.
Arriving, she bowed deeply at her waist, both hands clasped at her sides. "Mistress," she said. "I'll be your guide for today, if you'll have me."
"Uh," Natalie said. "S-Sure?"
What would happen if she said no, she didn't want her? It was an idle thought, though she did wonder.
The automaton straightened out, her already amiable expression brightening further at her acceptance.
Was it inappropriate to ask an automaton why she had nipples? That felt like something that would be inappropriate to ask.
"Welcome to the Emporium," the automaton said, gesturing grandly at the foyer. "I'll be your guide and host for today. Please, tell me if there's anything you need. I'm entirely at your disposal, Mistress."
If those words had been said in anything except the bright innocence of an automaton, Natalie would have been certain they were an innuendo. Especially considering where they were.
And yet this was an automaton with nipples, so … was it an innuendo?
Maybe she was getting too hung up on that.
"Right," Natalie said. "Thanks for having me."
Some people wouldn't feel the need to hold a conversation with an automaton. Whether they were 'real people' was a debated topic. Natalie honestly didn't know herself, but she'd always treated them as if they were—they acted like people, so she wasn't going to treat them as objects, even if their origin and nature were questionable.
And speaking of their origin and nature. What were they? Maybe it was because of her encounter with Cheri—and previous encounters with Malice—but she was more curious than ever. To most people, automatons were simply a strange extension of the dungeon. They only existed near them, after all, acting as helpers in direct functions related to delving, like as attendants at the Exchange.
But what were they really? Monsters were formed from the repurposed souls of delvers who died in the dungeon. Were automatons something similar?
Should she ask? She wanted to, but the automaton was barreling forward before she could.
"It's entirely my pleasure," she emphasized. "Please, follow me. Let's get you situated, and then we can talk about how your visit will work."
Comments
Cynical Pasta
A decent bit above zero
panickedbattledroid
What are the odds Nat will end up doing something sexual with this automaton
