DEMON. // [rewritten, repurposed]

Confused.

ESTER DEBUG WASN'T fond of her job as a sex worker at first, but it'd paid well enough. After running away from the clutches of her religious parents at the age of seventeen, it seemed like the best (and only) option for her at the time, and so it stuck to the present day, three years later. Over that period, she'd grown to love herself much more than she ever did growing up. Her encounters with her customers gave her new levels of understanding and being able to relieve others was a confidence booster too.

There were a few drawbacks, though. Every morning she woke up to the ache of her muscles and the catty quarrels of her roommates.

The morning started with the annoying chirps of the birds outside that insisted on painting a picture of contentment. The smell of foreign cologne, despite her efforts, still lingered vaguely throughout the space of her room. Ester creaked one eye open, her pupils shrinking to a miserable dot amid a viridescent iris. With a groan, she rolled around in bed restlessly before sitting up, already somewhat resenting the day ahead. She wasn't exactly a morning person.

There was chatter outside her door. Ester eyed her room door with distaste. Conversations lingered nearby, ones about her, and it was within earshot to the point where Ester was sure the other girls were purposely egging her on. Succubitches.

"Why does Kiki allow her to sleep this late? It's already eight."

"She's a diva," another chuckled like it was obvious.

Ester quietly slid out of her bed and opened her door abruptly. There, as expected, stood Salando and Kelsey. The former of the two had her shoulder-length, frizzy dark hair up in that tedious high ponytail she never seemed to get tired of wearing. The latter's average bob cut was in an unkempt frenzy; dirty blonde strands had been sticking out in all the wrong places. The two young women were still sporting pajamas- Ester wouldn't bat an eyelash if she found out they'd just woken up themselves. She scowled.

"Listen, I've said this a couple times," Ester hissed, "But you guys can either wake me up or shut the fuck up. I'm this close to swinging a foot at your faces."

Kelsey smiled brightly, ignoring the hostility that radiated off Ester. "Morning!"

Salando grinned and headed downstairs with Kelsey following. "Remember to tidy your space, Essie!"

"Cunts," Ester muttered under her breath, stepping out into the hallway and into the nearby bathroom. Reaching for the soap and turning on the faucet, Ester gingerly scrubbed away at her face, clearing the minimal dirt that'd accumulated on her brown skin overnight. She dried her now clean face with a towel before staring distastefully at her reflection. Letting out a huff, she hastily picked up a wide-tooth comb, proceeding to (painfully) detangle the inky shoulder-length curls of her hair. She gritted her teeth together and hissed at the sting the process brought.

After what felt like ages, she'd tamed her coily locks, her arm muscles aching.

On her way back to her room, she peeled off her silk pajama top, discarding it in the nearby laundry basket.

A shout of frustration emitted from below and Ester tiredly peered over the railings to pry into whatever drama had been going on for the day.

"Look at her!" A redhead yelled, her gravelly voice strained with exasperation as she pointed at another woman. "Look at the look on her face! That bitch knows what she did!"

Ester cocked a brow and leaned onto the railing, ignoring the feeling of the cold metal against her bare chest. She hummed in curiosity, far too invested now.

The other young woman involved only lifted an arched brow before stifling a laugh, and bright blue strands of her hair fell over her shoulders as she hunched over in amusement.