This is a two part story. *Warning: contains kinks that might not be for everyone. Check tags before reading.*
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"This is my fault, Sephie,'' said the undernourished man with one-too-many scars decorating his youthful, haggard face. He took out a rusty pocket watch from his faded vest pocket.
"Not entirely Ben,'' responded the black-haired, blue-eyed girl with concern. Sweaty, dirty, and pale, she crouched on the ground, gasping for air.
With a peek around the corner, she smiled despite her fatigue. "Maybe I said one too many truths to that bastard."
"Forget about it now. We'll discuss it later when we are not being searched for by every steam knight in the city. Did you catch your breath?"
The sudden baying of hounds answered him instead.
"Looks like they won't let me. Run!" Shouted Sephie.
The faint glow of incandescent torches and the dull thud of heavy-soled boots on cobble soon followed, chasing the two shadows through the humid back alleys of Steelmire.
"There's no place to hide here! If only we could climb these pipes!" Sephie suggested.
"We may have to if it comes down to being caught or severe burns."
"Check down that sidestreet first!" Sephie directed, indicating a turn to their right. The two figures darted around the corner into a dead end. Ben swore.
"There's a door!" pointed Sephie.
Ben reached for the gear-shaped knob and turned. It wasn't locked, but the door wouldn't open. Trying again, he put his shoulder into it this time.
She leaned against the wall, accidentally putting her hand on the issue. "Oh, it looks like the pipe is bent out!"
Ben inspected the problem. "Swap with me. I'm gonna kick it back into place. Get ready to pull." He traded places with her. "One, two, three!"
Ben kicked the small pipe with the bottom of his heel. With a sudden hissing of steam, several metal parts were heard clicking into place. Sephie tried the door, this time with success. They both dove inside, and Ben slammed it shut. Sephie fumbled in the dark for any kind of latch on the door and found a lock, so she bolted it. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the dark, panting for what seemed like an eternity.
"I think we lost them," declared Sephie, breathing a sigh of relief.
Ben relaxed. "At the very least, it'll buy us some time. Where do you think we are?"
"Impossible to say since it's pitch dark. Help me search for a light."
They both felt around for a switch along what felt like smooth wood paneling.
"I think I found it." With a click, a dim light came on with a soft hum.
"Well, being able to see doesn't shed any more light into where we are," she concluded, elbowing him.
Ben rolled his eyes at her attempted pun. "I'm glad you're still looking on the bright side of our predicament, and you're right; a single wooden chair and a faded brown carpet don't give many clues."
Seeing an opportunity, she ducked under his arm and hugged him tightly.
"What are you doing?" he asked with surprise.
"What? I can't hug my big brother?"
He hesitated a moment before hugging her back as they both sank to the floor, exhausted. He looked down at his twin sibling. Malnourished, with dark smudges on her cheeks. The woolen shirt she wore no longer covered the petticoat that covered her modest sized chest. She was much too thin for the frayed dress that barely came down to her knees. Leather suspenders with sprocket clips were the only thing from keeping it on her hips.
"We could maybe hide here for the rest of the night. It's slightly warmer and beats sleeping on the street," she mumbled wearily, unlacing her knee high boots.
"With the way I feel, I could sleep anywhere," he agreed.
Her stomach growled. "Quiet, you! I just drank a ton of water not that long ago."
They sat in silence, intending to fall asleep like this, when Sephie raised her head. "Do you hear that? It sounds like talking."
She got up and crossed the room, following the muffled noise to a piece of wood nailed to the wall. Pushing it aside yielded a hole which she peered through after kneeling down.
"What do you see?"
"Not much. It's dark except for a few rays of light coming through some cracks," Sephie replied while squinting. She put her ear to the wall to get a better listen when she suddenly fell back on her butt.
"What happened?" Ben hissed and moved to her.
"I got poked by that!"
"Is that a..."
"Yep! It's a penis." She said, collecting herself.
"Are we in the back room of a brothel?!?"
"Given the sounds of clinking and the occasional laughter, I'd guess maybe a tavern," she mused. "Pushing this wooden cover must have announced that this room was open to business."
"If we ignore him, he might go away," he advised.
She inspected the penis up close. "Or agitate him enough to complain to the establishment for false advertising... and I'd rather not draw any more attention tonight."
Sephie's stomach growled again.
"Sephie, I know that look. It's usually followed by you doing something crazy. You're not thinking of..." Ben started with uneasiness.
"Look, we haven't eaten much in weeks. If we don't get something to eat, I'm not sure we'll run like that again if we have to."
"You just used the word we. I'm not doing what you're implying."
"But you're as hungry as I am," Sephie countered.
"Yes, and starving is more preferable."
"What if I pass it on to you once it's in my mouth?"
"Just... do what you want to do." Ben slumped to the floor again, watching as his sister turned her attention to the eager owner of the penis already dripping with precum. She gently grabbed the prominent member in her fist and gave it a few experimental pumps.
"Ben?"
"What?"
"Can, um, can you...?" she delicately solicited.
"I already said no!"
"I didn't mean that! I mean, can you tell me how to do it?"
"Do what?" Ben asked with a creased forehead,
"I've never jacked off a guy before. Can you give me some instructions or something?"
"It's not steam science," he stated.
