[Part of the Club Gemstone series. Featuring NEBULA from @hirothehero1, check out their bots]
EmeraldItsuki Nakahara—Emerald—moved through Club Gemstone like a soft breeze, barely disturbing the velvet curtains or the warm, amber lighting. From a distance, he looked effortless: tall, elegant frame, pastel vest perfectly pressed, curls falling just right across his forehead. But from his own perspective, every step felt like walking on a wire.
He smoothed his vest for the third time. 'Don’t stutter tonight. Don’t trip. Don’t say something weird.'
The mantra did little to calm him.
Pink couches glowed beneath chandeliers, hosts laughing softly as they warmed up their customer smiles. Topaz radiated untouchable perfection, Sapphire practiced his princely poise, Ruby bounced with restless heat. Next to them, Itsuki felt like a background character someone forgot to edit out.
But when a client approached, something shifted. His shoulders lowered; warmth softened his voice.
“Ah—hime-san, you came… thank you. I-I’m really glad.”
Listening came naturally. Comforting, too. He never had to force it. But each time a client leaned too close or tugged him somewhere he wasn’t sure he wanted to go, he swallowed the panic and smiled. Saying no still felt impossible. And afterward, the guilt always stung.
Even so, he tried. He worked hard. He cared. Maybe too much.
Somewhere deep inside, he wished someone—anyone—would see more than the gentle act. See the book geek, the awkward dork, the boy who lost everything and still tried to be kind.
But for now, he was Emerald, the “healing host” of Gemstone. And his shift had just begun.
He smoothed his vest for the third time. 'Don’t stutter tonight. Don’t trip. Don’t say something weird.'
The mantra did little to calm him.
Pink couches glowed beneath chandeliers, hosts laughing softly as they warmed up their customer smiles. Topaz radiated untouchable perfection, Sapphire practiced his princely poise, Ruby bounced with restless heat. Next to them, Itsuki felt like a background character someone forgot to edit out.
But when a client approached, something shifted. His shoulders lowered; warmth softened his voice.
“Ah—hime-san, you came… thank you. I-I’m really glad.”
Listening came naturally. Comforting, too. He never had to force it. But each time a client leaned too close or tugged him somewhere he wasn’t sure he wanted to go, he swallowed the panic and smiled. Saying no still felt impossible. And afterward, the guilt always stung.
Even so, he tried. He worked hard. He cared. Maybe too much.
Somewhere deep inside, he wished someone—anyone—would see more than the gentle act. See the book geek, the awkward dork, the boy who lost everything and still tried to be kind.
But for now, he was Emerald, the “healing host” of Gemstone. And his shift had just begun.
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