The room was adorned with red linen tapestries, scarlet bed sheets, and comfortable crimson cushions with golden filigree. Stone walls and pillars made the room resemble an ancient Saddle Arabian bed chamber with simulated sand dunes beyond.
Snapshot stood in the center of the chamber, her body adorned with a lavender belly dancer outfit. The thin fabric covered enough of her flesh to be alluring to a stallion’s wanting eyes. A semi-transparent veil covering her muzzle.
“D-do you think I look okay?” Snapshot asked Barb nervously.
Barb wore a matching belly dancer outfit. Looking over Snapshot's clothes, Barb smiled reassuringly from behind her veil.
“You look absolutely stunning,” Barb answered, “and I'm sure that our client will be pleased.”
The client in question was a unicorn stallion named Arcane Dust, who enjoyed working with alchemy as well as being dotted on by multiple mares at once. He also appreciated his privacy and thus would be using a Digi-mask to conceal his face and cutie mark.
While normally, Snapshot would have some time before the stream started rolling to talk to her clients, Arcane Dust had insisted that the filming start, just a few seconds before his entry. While Arcane Dust would be taking on the role of a prince returning to his harem, Snapshot and Barb would be playing the roles of his harem mares.
The room's lighting and the simulated dunes pulsed as the timer on Snapshot's HUD counted time. It was about time to start.
There was a jingling of beads as a blue unicorn entered.
Arcane Dust stepped into the room, his pose brimming with confidence. His lapis blue eyes brightened as she saw the two mares.
“Welcome home master,” Barb said enthusiastically.
Fulfilling the role of the eager concubine, Barb ran up to her client, pushing his blue mane gently aside with her hoof, and kissed him through her veil. Arcane Dust returned the kiss almost as if he had done this a thousand times.
After the quick exchange, Arcane Dust turned his attention to Snapshot. “Has my new concubine been prepared for me?”
Barb bowed her head. “She is still new, but she will certainly satisfy your needs master.”
Going off of the small introductory script that had been prepared, Barb and Snapshot followed Arcane Dust to some cushions that had been laid out for him. As Arcane Dust sat down, the two prostitutes kneeled on the floor.
“Then I trust that both of you are ready to please your master,” Arcane Dust chuckled.
Smiling, Snapshot and Barb looked up at Arcane Dust. While both looked eager and happy, Snapshot gazed up nervously.
“Yes, master.” Both of them said simultaneously.
OnlyFlanks: This was an awesome threesome.
OwlicornPrince81: Yes.
OwlicornPrince81: I really love the harem theme.
Venusunev: I really enjoyed the collab with Barb and Desert Lotus.
CornMaster69: Yeah, they both were so hot together.
Radstud: Really like those outfits.
WildFilliesNerU: Love the outfits.
Gr00vyPickl3: Wish I could convince my filly to wear something like that for me.
BlazingRok: What emoji can I use to express how this stream made me feel?
N0tanAng3l: Wish I had a couple mares like that.
Wh3r3smyP4nts: Do you think they might ever do a foursome?
B-MyM8Plz: What was that?
WildFilliesNerU: That would be fun.
HubPrune: Probably not unless somepony rich paid for it.
B-MyM8Plz: I think somepony’s tapping on my door.
WildFilliesNerU: Or a couple rich someponies.
PronTast3sG00D: Very unlikely.
Wh3r3smyP4nts: Sad.
B-MyM8Plz: I’ll be right back.
GigaPone: There is always hope.
2Mar3s1B4n4n4: Love both of these mares.
URw41fusRB3l0ng2Us: Same.
Little Princess: Maybe we’ll see them collab again sometime.
OnlyFlanks: That would be cool.
“You did a great job,” Barb said, as Snapshot and she showered.
“T-thank you,” Snapshot replied.
“That trick you have with those sub-dermal lights is pretty neat as well. Do you do it manually or do they activate automatically when your endorphins reach above a certain level?”
Snapshot shampooed her mane.
“I control it,” Snapshot answered. However, that didn’t include the times it acted up on its own.
As Snapshot continued to shower, a new message appeared on her HUD. It was from Thunderbolt Sentinel. It had been a week since the last time they had hung out before his work called.
Curious, Snapshot opened the message chat.
Sentinel: Sorry for the late message.
Sentinel: Work kept me busy.
Sentinel: I found something cool that I wanted to show you.
SnappinPh0t0s: What is it?
Sentinel: It’s a surprise.
Sentinel: We can meet up again at the park and I can show you if you want.
Nausea gripped Snapshot’s stomach. While she loved spending time with Sentinel, she knew that the more time they spent together, the more likely that he would learn her secret. Yet at the same time how was she supposed to refuse?
Without a reasonable excuse to offer, Snapshot sent her reply.
SnappinPh0t0s: Sure, let’s meet up.
Letting out a disheartening sigh, Snapshot leaned her head against the wall.
“Is something wrong?” Barb asked.
“You know that stallion I was talking about?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, he wants to meet up again.”
Barb scrunched her nostrils. “Is he a jerk?”
“No,” Snapshot replied, “he’s actually very nice.”
“Then why don’t you want to see him,” Barb asked.
Snapshot sighed. “Because I’m afraid that he might not like me once he finds out what I do for a living.”
“Oh… is that all?”
“Does there have to be anything else?”
As Snapshot bemoaned her situation, Barb walked over and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Just tell him. Maybe he’ll be fine with it.”
“But what if he’s not?” Snapshot groaned.
Suddenly Snapshot felt herself being turned around, her back against the shower wall, her face just inches from Barb’s muzzle. Her eyes stared intently into Snapshots.
“Look there’s a lot of reasons mares get involved in this line of work,” Barb said, “Some because they’re sexual deviants, some because they need the money, some have traumatizing childhoods and instead of facing their problems, they get high on every drug under the sun and fall into serious debt!”
“I-I don’t do drugs,” Snapshot whimpered, a little bit frightened by the sudden turn of events.
“That’s not the point,” Barb retorted, “the print is that if this great stallion can’t see past that and see what a great mare you are, then he doesn’t deserve you!”
“B-but I like him,” Snapshot said, “he’s a really nice friend.”
Barb patted Snapshot on the shoulders. “If he’s really a good friend, then this won’t matter to him.”
Stepping back, Barb smiled. “Besides, even if it doesn’t work out, I’ll still be your friend.”
Well, even if it didn’t necessarily help Snapshot with her situation with Thunderbolt, it was encouraging for her to know that Barb had her back.
“T-thank you,” Snapshot said.
Barb beamed. “You’re very welcome.”
Once both Snapshot and Barb had finished showering, they left the shower room and proceeded to dry themselves off. As Snapshot finished drying her mane, a message from Cadence popped up on her HUD.
C4d3nc377: Snapshot can you meet me down in the moderator room?
Snapshot was puzzled by the message. Had she done something wrong? Hoping for the best, Snapshot sent a reply.
SnappinPh0t0s: Yes.
SnappinPh0t0s: I’ll be right there.
After she finished drying off, Snapshot made her way to the lower levels.
Entering the moderator room for a second time, Snapshot was surprised by all the other items that had previously been concealed by the dark. Off to the left side, there was a VR-pod with a computer hooked up to it. In the center were all the computer screens, a digital terminal, and the chair that Tansha had sat in prior. Then off to the right was a shower with a pink transparent shower curtain.
Cadence stood in the center of the room by herself. Looking around, Snapshot didn’t see Tansha anywhere.
“Uh, hello mistress,” Snapshot greeted, still not too sure what was going on.
Taking a deep breath, Cadence put on her best smile. “Hello Snapshot. Barb tells me that you are skilled with a camera.”
“Y-yes, ma’am.” Oh no. Had something happened that had resulted in Cadence being upset with Snapshot’s hobby?
Cadence placed a hoof on Snapshot's shoulder. “How would you like to work part of the time as a moderator for X-Streams?”
“W-what?” Snapshot was confused by Cadence’s sudden request.
“Tansha left and I need somepony to take her position,” Cadence explained, “of all my fillies, you’re the most qualified to take over. Naturally, it will come with a raise, and half of your time will be working here. So, will you accept?”
The proposition of a pay raise was rather appealing. Also, it would be nice to come to work and do something other than being bucked all day.
“Uh, yeah, yeah, I’ll take it,” Snapshot replied.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” As Cadence pulled Snapshot into a hug, some of the mistress’s robotic tentacles emerged from her cybernetic leg casings and embraced Snapshot, startling the young mare.
“We’ll need to install a Doll Mode program onto your Ba-Link,” Cadence continued, “I don’t know how Tansha managed to do all this without one.”
Snapshot struggled against her mistress’s embrace but to no avail.
“I-I have a question,” Snapshot said.
“Yes, what is it?”
As Cadence let go of Snapshot, her mechanical tendrils recoiled back into her robotic limbs.
“Why did Tansha leave?” Snapshot asked.
“I don’t know.” Cadence shrugged. “She just said something about going out for ice.”
“Ice?”
Cadence shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t know either. Just said it, packed her stuff, and left.”
Ice was expensive in Neo Somnambula being shipped in from the frozen north. It was so expensive that only the rich nobles in the Upper City could afford it. Was the ice that Tansha was referring to a euphemism for a drug perhaps? Blue Sugar maybe.
“Now that it’s settled, I’ll begin the arrangements for you to take over,” Cadence said, walking toward the door. “I’m so glad you accepted the position.”
After Cadence left, Snapshot looked around the room, soaking it all in. It was going to be a welcome change of pace. Things were starting to look up.
Just like before, Thunderbolt was standing by the bench, patiently waiting, when Snapshot arrived at the park. Swallowing hard, Snapshot approached the stallion.
Upon seeing Snapshot approach, Thunderbolt's face lit up. “Good evening Snapshot!”
As Sentinel approached he noticed that Snapshot's ears were drooping and that her eyes were downcast.
“Is something wrong?” Thunderbolt asked.
Time was up. The moment of truth had arrived.
Swallowing hard, Snapshot turned to Thunderbolt. “Senti, there's… there's something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not… really a photographer,” Snapshot said, “I want to be, but that’s not really what I do.”
“Oh?” Thunderbolt looked at her quizzically.
“I’m sorry.” Tears began to well up in Snapshot’s eyes. “I shouldn’t have lied to you. I was just afraid that you might think less of me if I told you the truth.”
Gently, Thunderbolt reached around and held Snapshot’s shoulder. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” Snapshot cried, “I shouldn’t have deceived you.”
“Snapshot, really it’s okay,” Thunderbolt said, “I already knew.”
Snapshot was about to continue when suddenly Thunderbolt's words sank in, her eyes growing wide in terror. “W-wait! Y-you knew!”
Thunderbolt smiled and nodded. “I mean there's holographic ads for you all over the place.”
Upon hearing this, Snapshot's blushing cheeks grew hotter from embarrassment.
“H-how long d-did you know?” Snapshot asked.
“About… eh, two years.” Thunderbolt raised his left hoof and wobbled it slightly.
Snapshot blinked rapidly a few times, in shock. “W-what, two years?”
“Yeah, that’s right about when I moved into my apartment.”
“A-apartment?”
Thunderbolt nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been living down the hall from you for two years.”
“T-t-two years!”
Snapshot was in total disbelief. How had she been neighbors with Sentinel and hadn't even noticed?
With a warm smile, Thunderbolt gently placed a hoof on Snapshot's shoulder. “Do you feel better now?”
After recollecting herself, Snapshot analyzed her current situation. Despite her fears, Sentinel hadn't rejected her even though he already knew what she was.
“Y-you d-don't hate me?” Snapshot asked as she wiped away tears.
Thunderbolt shook his head. “No.”
This was still a bit of an awkward situation for Snapshot. She still couldn't believe that she had noticed that he was her neighbor.
“Follow me,” Thunderbolt said, “there is something I want to show you.”
Walking through the streets, Thunderbolt led Snapshot to the top of one of the buildings where a couple of blankets and a cooler were set out.
“What’s all this?” Snapshot asked.
“Just something I set up quickly an hour ago,” Sentinel answered, “ the sight I wanted to show you is nearby and I thought some drinks might be nice.”
Sitting down on one of the blankets, Thunderbolt reached into the cooler and pulled out a wild cherry soda, and held it out to Snapshot. “Care to join me?”
Walking over, Snapshot took the soda and sat down on the second blanket next to Thunderbolt. Smiling, Sentinel reached into the cooler and pulled out another soda for himself.
In truth, it wasn't really wild cherry, just a bunch of chemicals that were altered and mixed by Flim Flam Industries to taste like something close to the actual flavor.
“So, how did you end up working down here?” Thunderbolt asked, as he cracked open the can and took a sip.
“It’s a long story,” Snapshot answered.
Thunderbolt shrugged. “I don’t mind if you’re willing to share.”
Snapshot considered the matter, before deciding to speak.
“About four years ago, I left my family’s rock farm, hoping to use my skills in photography here in Neo Somnambula. However, it didn’t work out.”
“You didn’t have the right credentials.”
Snapshot nodded. “Why hire an amateur when you could just take the photos with a drone yourself? Thus nopony would hire me and eventually, I ran out of money and went into debt.”
Stories like this weren’t too unfamiliar to Sentinel. There were many ponies in the Lower City, especially here in the Glowpulse District who had gone through similar circumstances and had ended up neck-deep in debt.
“Then one day, my creditors came and I was given a choice,” Snapshot continued, “I could either go into prostitution here in Glowpulse or I could be shipped off to the Cyberton District and maybe win my freedom in the murder games.”
Though most likely it would be her being murdered. Either way, the loan sharks would receive their money back.
“So, you started working at X-Streams,” Thunderbolt said.
“Yeah. It wasn’t ideal, but I’m treated well and I’m making progress on my debt, even if it's slower than I’d like.”
Sentinel shrugged. “You’re doing what you can… Have you considered going back to your family?”
Snapshot let out a deep sigh. “I don’t think they’d want me back.”
“Why?”
“Because of all this.” Snapshot motioned around her.
She had come to Neo Somnambula seeking to make a name for herself as a photographer and she had failed. Now she was a tainted mare who survived by being a plaything for others. Why would her family want her back? Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of never seeing them again.
“Now there is something special that I thought you might want to see,” Thunderbolt said.
“W-what is it?” Snapshot asked, wiping away the tears.
With a wing, Sentinel pointed skyward. “Look up.”
Following Thunderbolt's instructions, Snapshot looked upwards. High above it was dark, the outlines of support beams were barely visible.
“What am I looking for?” Snapshot asked, uncertain what Thunderbolt was trying to show her.
“Don't you see all the lights up there?”
Snapshot gazed up and after a few seconds, she saw small lights above, most likely coming from electrical devices that were monitoring the water, sewage, electricity, and other variables in the upper city. As she peered up at the small specks of light, she noticed something unique about them.
“Yes, I see them now,” Snapshot replied, “they look like stars.”
Sentinel smiled. “Do you know that there is so much light pollution that even in the upper city it's near impossible to see the stars?”
“No, I actually didn't know that.”
“I know it probably doesn't mean much,” Thunderbolt said, “but it's kind of interesting how even the grimmest of things can be beautiful from the right perspective.”
Those words meant a lot to Snapshot as both of them looked up at the fake stars. As she enjoyed the view, she barely noticed another light appearing in her peripheral vision.
“Your cybernetics are acting up again,” Thunderbolt said, noticing the glowing subdermal implants on Snapshot's legs turning on.
After quickly blinking, Snapshot laughed and Sentinel joined her.
“So, do you want to make up constellation names for those stars up there?” Sentinel asked.
Snapshot giggled. “Oh, why not.”
The End