But you have to pay

[pippilongsockings]

the brothel AU meme

If sex work is the world's oldest profession, then the brothel may be among the world's oldest businesses. The scene could be anywhere: the modern world, a riff on Middle Earth, a futuristic space colony. Wherever you go, there will always be a demand for your services... and whether you're a high-class escort to the elite or the jewel of the slums, it's a living.

How to Play

1. Top level with your preference: sex worker, client, or either
2. Pick your prompt/s and set a scene, or just wing it!
3. Tag around!

Prompts

1. old pro
You're a proper professional with an active client base and a reputation for your skills. Can you leverage that experience to your advantage?

2. newbie
You're new to this profession and still finding your footing. Some clients find that charming, and other workers may take you under their wing.

3. demonstration
This is a special job: you're putting on a show for an audience, or maybe you're showing a new worker the ropes.

4. forbidden love
Sex workers know better than to fall for a client, and clients know better than to fall for a sex worker. Perhaps even more fraught is a relationship between two workers. This time, however... you just can't help yourself.

5. SO experience
Your job isn't just about the sex. You provide the entire girl/boyfriend experience: doting words, public appearances, accepting gifts. And yet, it's just a job... right?

6. something extra
Kink, monsters, transformation, and magic, oh my! There's something a little different about the services you offer.

7. getaway
You're ready to break away from this life, whether it's on your own or with someone you've grown close to.

8. wildcard
Anything goes!

[ Get Memes! ]

Comments

Cassian Andor | Rogue One | OTA

[in_this_fight]

Rey | Star Wars | OTA

[thesefirststeps]

Ri!Kusuriuri | Mononoke (2007) | OTA

[meds4sale]

[He's here on work - no not that kind!

...Probably.

His wares are in high demand both for the workers and patrons. All manner salves, curatives, incense, perfumes, cosmetics, and, of course, enhancers are on display. The proprietor will get their cut, of course, he's not allowed to set up shop for free.

And, of course, he's happy to put himself on the menu if the price is right.]

Lan Sizhui | The Untamed | OTA

[notaturnip]

[I am weak for an AU where Sizhui doesn't get found by LWJ but instead has to fend for himself and so Wen Yuan ends up in a brothel]

[lostlotus]

[Now curious myself... AU-ing Sizhui as a brothel name than a cultivation name, and very willing to alter anything you wish! Shen Qiao's canon is very similar but demonic cultivation is replaced by evil cultivation, more of a lawful vs underworld sort of dynamic.]

Shen Qiao wasn't sure anymore if it had been days or months since he'd been dumped on the matron with a suspiciously large and heavy pouch with instructions to 'take care of him'. Injured, poisoned, blinded, just a few fragments of memory, a name, and a large sword to call his own. He was Shen Qiao. He'd been... was... is...? a cultivator. Someone who spent their life studying and growing their spiritual energies and martial skills, though Shen Qiao couldn't quite remember why. It had been enough to spend his time within the brothel to regain his strength and learn how to 'see' once more.

As he wasn't exactly a client but hardly one employed, Shen Qiao had been hesitantly relegated to the status of a very pretty guest who liked playing Go, listening to music or birds in the garden, and getting odd letters or sealed invitations. For all of the distance the brothel staff had tried to place between themselves and this odd person... Shen Qiao was oddly humble and personable, frequently going out of his way to give a kind word to their younger or less appreciated staff, especially one very potential future 'princess' with all the looks, attitude, talents, and charm such a position required. Enough potential that Shen Qiao had quickly learned that his favorite musician had already started 'lessons'.

The tapping of his bamboo staff along the garden path was far more agitated than usual that evening in the side wing he'd been given due to his sponsor's status. Shen Qiao had been summoned away for several hours during the afternoon and he'd even been challenged to a fight so the chi restraining his poison had become strained and his pulse uneven. He wanted to call for Sizhui but... even thinking of the other young man made his heart and chi more unstable than it should have without the poison's influence.

"Get... someone." He finally called breathlessly into what was potentially an empty side garden. The poison was eating him yet again because he'd allowed his chi and emotions to rise above that of a pool of still water.

Jaskier | The Witcher | OTA

[breadpants]

Dick Grayson | Batman/DC Comics | OTA

[justlikeacircus]

7-ish /appears as requested.

[hosannas_of_anguish]

No one would ever be able to catch him when he needed his breaks from his job. The school would likely fire him if they knew, but people had needs. And Jonathan Crane knew what he looked like. Or at least the monster he sees in the mirror every day. A lifetime of bullying made him see something much worse than a tired middle-aged man.

He was never picky when he came here, the matron knows his tastes by now. Which is honestly? Anyone, so long as they were not under 25, did not ask his name or go too hard into the brat territory. Gender didn't matter, nor beauty. He was here for one purpose and one purpose all together.

Left to his own devices in the private room, he had finally removed his hoodie, hair messy after a long day. Sleeves half rolled to his elbows, dressed in a shabby suit. Not anyone's idea of a dreamboat, but no one is here because it is their first choice in life. Of course, Dick would be given the rundown by the Matron before being allowed in the room. A longtime customer, not too picky, just respect the anonymity.

Eskel || The Witcher || books + games but ota

[wolfdogwitcher]

{{A regular customer. Is usually pretty nice, pays very well, though he might need a bath first depending on how recently he came of a job to transfer his hard-earned coin from one trained professional to another. Pref for women but OTA.}}

levi ackerman // attack on titan

[wingbound]

[ those funds aren't gonna raise themselves probably worker, likely the sort who doesn't bother feigning enthusiasm (unless one has managed to win his favor somehow), and charges separately for every extra. speaking of which, you definitely don't want to owe him money... he may or may not be moonlighting as an assassin in the meantime. he'll accept whoever's paying regardless of gender, though he may send them away for other reasons.]

[ he's extremely unlikely to be a patron tbh but if you have a tall blond guy we can talk! ]

[ 24+ for either scenario please. ]

annie january | the boys | f/f

[citizenstarlight]

( preference to be the client, but open to either role )

[eights_and_aces]

[Any particular scenario strike you? I'm not feeling 1 or 2 myself]

denji | csm

[feasts]

[ gotta make the money ]

till | alien stage

[blink]

[ worker probably ]

Dorian Storm | Critical Role | OTA

[makingmyway]

(( A newbie, or can be the son of the brothel owner ))

ash ward | oc | ota

[dawnmarked]

1. old pro
The room is warm. Quiet. Dim light filtering through old linen drapes and the faint burn of sage coiled in a dish near the bed. Everything in here smells like woodsmoke, leather, and skin—softened, but not hidden. There's no performance left in Ash. Not after all this time.

He hears the door open behind him.

Doesn’t turn. Just finishes folding the towel in his hands and sets it aside before rising. Barefoot. Shirtless. Worn leather pants slung low on his hips. His body’s all strength carved from years—not youthful or polished, but capable. Kept. The kind of form someone either finds comfort in or power. Sometimes both.

He finally turns to look at them. Eyes steady. Golden. A wolf’s gaze that never needed to bare teeth to make a point.

"You’re early," Ash says simply. Not surprised. Just observant. His voice is low, like worn river stone—slow, familiar, and grounding. "That mean you’re nervous, or just eager?"

A pause. Then the faintest pull of a smile.

"Doesn’t matter. Come on in. I’ve got time, and you’ve got tension to work out."

6. something extra [ content warning: wild-shaping, beast forms, etc. ]
Some people come here for softness. Some for control. Some just want to forget their name for an hour.

Ash offers all of that—but with something extra.

He hears the door creak open and doesn’t look up right away. He’s seated low near the hearth, shirtless, bare feet resting on stone worn smooth by years of use. The room is warm, fragrant with cedar and clove, and every light source is flickering fire—real flame, no illusion. The kind that casts moving shadows across thick arms, a scarred chest, and the wild shimmer still lingering at the edge of his skin.

When he does look up, it’s slow. Measured. Gold eyes locking with theirs.

“You read the terms,” Ash says, voice low as smoke. “Still came in. That means you’re curious.”

He rises with the ease of something half-beast, half-man, hunger tucked under every movement. The scars on his back shift as he moves—some too deep to be human, some that look like they were earned in another shape entirely. His palm brushes the low table beside him, and the spell-etched runes there pulse once with recognition.

“You want the old instincts,” he murmurs. “The teeth, the weight, the shape under the shape.”

Then he steps closer, tilting his head, voice a promise and a warning all in one:

“I don’t do half-measures, darling. You give me your body, and I’ll show you what it means to be taken by the wild.”

1. WOW took me long enough

[aperturesubject0001]

The woman at the door doesn't exactly startle when Ash turns his regard on her. Her eyes do snap to him at the sound of his voice, drawn away from the way they've been cataloging the room.

(Window. Vent? Cabinet. Anything in here that could be observing them? Nothing she can see at a glance, but she's never been much good at spotting magic without items purpose-made for that--

Calm down. Nobody's watching.)

If one were cataloging her, they might note: average height; well-worn clothes that allow for movement, without too much excess fabric that might get caught on something; dark hair with premature scatters of gray; surprisingly light blue eyes; carries her weight towards the balls of her feet, like she could bolt if she had to.

The question about her nerves gets a slightly affronted look in response. As Ash continues, she digs a notebook out of the back pocket of her pants, folds it open to a page near the front, and crosses the room to show him what's written there.

My name is Chell.
I am mute but can hear you. Please feel free to talk.
Thank you for your assistance.

It looks like this is a page she wrote a while ago. When she's sure he's read it, she turns to a page further into the notebook:

They said you could handle it

Bella O'Rourke | OC | OTA

[mollified]

[ Sex work is (one of) her profession(s). Generally I play her in noir-inspired settings, whether that's early 20th century hardboiled stuff or more modern pulp/noir aesthetics, but I'd be delighted to work out AUs for other settings!

Interested in any of these except 2 and 5, I think. My DMs are open. ]

[medicalling]

[Would you be interested in something like a private demonstration or a show directed at a new visitor to the area that seems to be financially flush and maybe a little unusual if that comes up? He's an old being, but a young fae, and he likes dabbling in mortal realms. I could easily see him having come out of a visit home and feeling curious about a new establishment in a city he hasn't seen in a hundred years or so. I'm happy to play him at any point in time (older and newer). Questions or preferences?]

Decembra Frost| OC || OTA

[wynterssolitude]

[Client that always pays a little extra and leaves her bedmate exhausted]

Gabreel King + OC + OTA

[malecompanion]

[5 is kind of his whole deal, but anything except 2 works. As far as 7/extra goes - he doesn't generally (though I have played him as a were-tiger before) but he definitely doesn't mind a client that's not entirely human]

[wynterssolitude]

[ooc:care to try something with these two again?]

Stella Polyhymnia | oc

[aspolyhymnia]

[she has sold sex as well as the inspiration of her touch. Muses need money too]

Jason Todd | DCU | m/m

[dontcallmejay]

Glam | Helluva Boss | OTA

[klownbitch]

[500000000% the worker in the situation because, duh. Something something the full demon experience, baby, she might not even bite if you ask nicely. Can come in relatively canon flavor of this being part of her deal with Mammon or there's always the option of demon smuggling herself up topside to take advantage of have some fun with humans. Absolutely would not hide the demon thing, though.]

Astarion Ancunín | Baldur's Gate 3 | OTA

[sixfeetofdirt]

[Absolutely the worker here, 2 and 5 might be a stretch but it's all on the table!

Happy with canonmates, crosscanon, modern AUs, whatever. Bring me your garbage. 👀]

[lady_kaivodulin]

{{*drops my wretched little sack of trash right here for weird (maaaaaybe AU?) activities* 6 for vampire shenanigans perhaps, 3 for Eligre and an NPC partner I can 100% write for or we can share, and/or anything you're feeling?}}

Geto Suguru | Jujutsu Kaisen | M/F preferred

[eatingcursesout]

[Either role can apply to him, in all honesty.]

Shalom | Path to Nowhere | OTA, F/F preferred

[witheringhush]

[An incredibly wealthy patron.]

Tessa | Tales of Legendia OC | OTA

[merinesexual]

[Either one of the workers, or a newbie client whose friends are trying to get her laid.]

rhaenyra targaryen | house of the dragon

[onlycake]

Li Xiang (Rover) | Wuthering Waves

[outofmygourd]

[OTA, a client. Possibly a frequent one.]