Private Dance

by Texan Red Rose

Blake, dragged to a strip club by Sun, becomes entranced by a dancer called Snowflake.

Disclaimer: Based on monotiddy's stripper AU because it speaks to me, okay? NSFW tagged and I'll say it here: it's a fucking strip club and, yes, there is sex, so read at your own risk.

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Blake looked through the window as they pulled into the parking lot, the frown on her lips becoming more severe as she read the neon signs garishly lighting up the outside of the establishment. There were many, many times in her life when she'd felt the keen sting of regret but none compared to this moment.

"Are you going to be grumpy the whole time we're here?"

Instantly, she shot a dirty look at the monkey Faunus beside her, her feline ears laying back and blending into midnight hair. "When I said I would make it up to you for missing your baseball game a few weeks ago, this is not what I meant."

With a fond chuckle, Sun pulled into a space and put the car in park, shutting it off and turning towards her in his seat. "C'mon, Blake, it's not that bad! It's basically just a bar."

"A bar filled with naked women and lechers," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. She'd dressed appropriately for a club- skin tight pants and modest heels, a nice off the shoulder shirt with long sleeves fit for the late autumn weather- because she'd mistakenly thought her best friend would pick a reasonable punishment for accidentally blowing him off. It wasn't her fault that a new deadline hit at the last minute. "I just don't understand the appeal of a strip club. And aren't you leaning more towards the gay side now?"

"Hey, I'm good with all sides of the fence, babe, you know that!" He chuckled, checking his reflection in his rearview before popping open the driver's door. "Just because I've been on a string of dudes recently doesn't mean I'm not still interested in-"

"Please, just don't finish that statement." She massaged the bridge of her nose, already feeling a headache coming on and wishing she could simply will it away. "Regardless if your bisexual butt feels right at home in a place like this, I am straight. There's just no appeal for me here."

"The points I'd give you for the alliteration are instantly taken away for avoiding saying 'ass'; it's not like we're going to church, Blake," Sun said, getting out of the car and leaning against it, one brow raised up expectantly. "Look, if you really want to sit out here in the parking lot, that's fine. I can go in by myself. I'm a big boy."

"The amount of times I'm going to hear women reaffirm that statement is taking whole years off my life, I want you to know that.." Reluctantly, she unbuckled her seatbelt and popped open the passenger door. "How long are we going to stay?"

Running a hand through his shaggy blond hair, the other Faunus sighed. "Give me two hours. That's enough time for one drink and to be completely sober for the drive home, okay?"

Some part of her wanted to just walk away but she had made the mistake of not specifying 'no strip clubs' when she offered to make up for the missed outing. Granted, she'd thought it was implied, but nothing to be done about it now. "Deal."

She left her purse in the glove box, hoping a single drink and the cover charge wouldn't exceed twenty lien. Honestly, she didn't expect much- perhaps she could even get a cola or water rather than something alcoholic- but she could at least sit with Sun and check her e-mails or download a game to her scroll. Anything to distract her from the seedy interior of a strip club, honestly.

As they approached the front doors, a blonde woman in a tight, plain black T shirt with the words SECURITY stamped across the chest in bright yellow glanced their way and pushed off the wall, holding out her hand with a small smirk. "ID, please."

"Oh come off it, you know who I am!" Catching the look she immediately shot him and chuckling nervously, Sun scratched at his chin. "Oh, right, I've never introduced you two, have I? Blake, this is Yang- we used to work for the armored car company together, remember?"

She blinked as her ears perked at the name- one she actually did recognize- and she offered her hand towards the woman. "I thought you quit to join the pro boxing circuit."

"Yeah, but fate had other plans." Yang rotated her right arm, showing off the shiny scar running down the length of her forearm, still in the process of healing. "Wrecked my motorcycle the day before the match. Luckily, this gig pays pretty well and isn't as labor intensive. Most days, anyway." The woman then shook her hand, smile growing a little wider. "Too bad I'm on duty tonight; would love to throw one back with you. Sun's told me all about his best friend and the sort of trouble you two can get up to. Try to behave tonight, though; I'd really hate to throw you out."

"He told you about senior year, didn't he?" Blake shot her best friend a look. They'd sworn to never dredge that bit of their shared history back up again, but given the sudden, intense interest he had in the crown molding, she could guess he hadn't quite held up his end of the bargain. "Why are we still friends?"

"Because you love me." He winked, though his expression smoothed out into something a bit more sincere. "And because you know there's no getting rid of me."

"I dunno, Sunny Boy, I'm pretty sure they have medicine for infections like you nowadays." Yang teased, nodding back towards the door. "But if you two are here for the girls, you'd better head in now. It's almost primetime."

"Can I just stay out here and talk to Yang?" Blake offered, about half sincere with her words. "It'd save me five lien."

"Aw, c'mon, you two don't think I'm actually going to make you pay the cover." The woman laughed, waving one hand in a dismissive gesture. "Nah, Miss Goodwitch gives me a little leeway in that department. Consider this my way of saying sorry I can't hang with you two tonight." She smiled a little wider. "Oh, and tell the twins behind the bar that I've got you first drink. It's the least I can do."

"Man, talk about the VIP treatment!" Sun laughed, grabbing his former coworker's forearm and pulling her into a hug, their off hands clapping the other on the back as they briefly embraced. "Thanks for the solid, Yang."

"No problem. Now go have fun!" She grabbed the door, motioning for them to head inside. "The ladies here are some of the best in the city. Super talented."

With polite nods, Sun and Blake went inside, past a rather nice looking foyer and into the darkened main stage area, music playing just on the edge of discomfort over the speakers as women in varying states of undress milled around, going from table to table until they could sit down and talk to a customer. "I'm going to try very hard to ignore what she might mean by that."

"I dunno, maybe- and here's a thought- she meant exactly what she said?" Sun shrugged, casting a look around and finding an open table, bumping their shoulders together and nodding towards it. "Go grab that one and I'll get our drinks. Since they're free, how about a shot apiece?"

"I'll take a beer," she said, not exactly thrilled at the prospect of being left alone in the middle of a strip club but resigning herself to getting the whole ordeal over with as soon as possible. "I'd rather have something that'll last me, and if we start shots, we won't stop anytime soon."

"Yeah, you got a point." With a chuckle, the monkey Faunus sauntered up to the bar while Blake claimed the table, doing her best to make her ears stand up tall instead of laying back in distaste. While she had to admit the interior of the strip club actually looked much nicer than she'd given credit, she found her gaze couldn't linger in any direction too long without suddenly being obstructed by some half naked woman.

At the same time… she could appreciate the diversity on display. There were humans and Faunus, of all varying skin tones, and she could pick up on a few accents- as close as southern Vale and as far away as Mistral- that didn't seem forced or feigned. Some wore heels but one or two had on flats and the vast majority had very tasteful lingerie in lieu of more modest clothing. That didn't preclude a few from wearing nothing more than pasties over their nipples as they walked around, every step sending breasts jiggling in a very distracting fashion- purely because it looked uncomfortable, of course.

The moment Blake sat at the table, a woman appeared in the chair next to her, an alluring smile on her lips as red eyes raked over her. "Good evening, beautiful."

"I'm not sure what's 'good' about it," she replied in a grumble, perhaps a bit more rude than was entirely acceptable. Considering the setting, the Faunus really shouldn't be surprised or even annoyed about being addressed by some stranger in tan lace that contrasted against her darker skin rather nicely.

"You're talking to me, Sweetie." The corners of the stripper's lips pulled a bit wider as she offered a hand. "I'm the Thief. What's your name?"

"Blake- and should I be concerned about my wallet?" She couldn't help the way her ears laid back, not entirely sure how to best discourage the woman from continuing this vein. It wasn't like the Faunus had come with the intention of, er, paying for any services while at the establishment, so it would be best for the stripper to move on to more receptive customers.

"No, Blake; I'm just here to steal your heart." With a wink, the Thief leaned closer, over the arm of the chair and drawing attention to her cleavage, the way the lacy bra pressed her breasts together in a very flattering way that simply made it hard to ignore.

The Faunus wasn't looking intentionally, of course. "I doubt that. You'll have more luck with my friend."

"Oh?" Red eyes followed her nod, spotting Sun as he made his way over to the table. "Boyfriend or just a friend?"

"Just a friend, and I'm just here for moral support." A mischievous smile came to her lips as an idea occurred, one she opted to follow through with to discourage the monkey Faunus from ever trying something like this again. "He's nervous about being in a place like this for the first time, so I offered to help him overcome it. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Strip clubs not your style?" The woman leaned back, seemingly picking up on what Blake had meant. "Or just not this sort of strip club."

"The latter," she replied, silently reveling in the understanding nod she received. "But, if you'd like to give my friend a warm welcome, his name's Sun."

The stripper smiled wide and stood up just as he reached them. "I'll be sure to let the girls know. See you around."

"Let the girls know what?" Sun raised a brow, setting the beer bottles down on the table and claiming the seat recently vacated.

"That I'm off limits but they can have all the fun with you they want," she said, reaching for her beer. "They're here to earn money, after all, and I have no interest or desire to pay them. They're better off not wasting their time trying to encourage me otherwise."

"You're really trying to take the fun out of this, ya know." He sighed, taking a sip before shaking his head. "Look, Blake, I know this isn't your thing, but maybe it's time for you to get out and date a bit? It's been over a year-"

"Please, do not bring up a serious conversation about my love life in the middle of a strip club." She reached up to rub at her temple, thankful when the volume of the music seemed to drop sharply. When she looked up, she saw the Thief standing by the DJ booth, making a motion back her way. Odd, she thought, that they would be so considerate, but then again this particular establishment had proven her wrong at every turn thus far, so maybe she should just accept that this one didn't fit the mold of what pop culture had conditioned her to expect. "But… I mean, since you brought it up… I've been thinking about signing up for a dating site recently."

"Okay, alright!" A chuckle left his lips as he reached over to nudge her shoulder with a fist. "You've been holding out on me, huh?"

"It just… never seemed like a good time to bring it up," she said, noting the lack of conviction in her voice. Honestly, while the thought had occurred to her several times, Blake hadn't really wanted to go through the tedious process of trying to meet someone again. Between work and her- admittedly, few- social obligations, the idea of a relationship sounded nice on paper but also required some serious work. Plus commitment which, considering the disaster that constituted her last relationship, had her more than a little hesitant. "But it's been on my mind."

"Well, then cheers." He lifted his beer. "To what the future holds."

Rolling her eyes, she clinked their bottles together as the music shifted, dropping down even lower for an announcer to speak over it. The woman had a flowing, smooth voice, that seemed both soothing and sweet while retaining a razor's edge at the same time, dripping with something Blake could only classify as 'sultry' running through every word.

"Good evening, Gentlemen, Ladies, and Distinguished guests, to the primetime show here at The Good Witches Club. Tonight, we have some of our lovely ladies performing their own special routines, and we ask that everyone be mindful of the rules. No touching, no monikers other than the ones given, and no begging- though I know that last one's a bit… hard." Blake suppressed a groan as the various men in the club gave a few hearty chuckles at that. "First up, we have the irresistible Invincible. Club dollars are accepted forms of praise for her performance; drool is not."

"Well, isn't she cheeky." Blake grumbled, looking over to the DJ booth and seeing a woman with dark hair and almond skin, bright golden eyes burning despite the darkening room, a single spotlight appearing overhead. It lit up the stage and the single pole in the center, two other poles in the back corners for perhaps group shows but they were ignored for the time being as the woman who took the stage- tall, lean, with fiery red hair and a charmingly demure smile, despite her state of undress- took the stage.

Mentally, the Faunus checked out, though her best friend seemed entirely invested in the performances. Blake could admit they were good of course; they certainly appeared to have bit of talent, each playing to an individual style- and she probably wouldn't have believe there could be more than one way to spin around the pole yet, here she sat, watching just that. It amused her, to some extent; while everyone else was too busy sliding or tossing dollars onto the stage, the rare patron given the honor of sliding a crisp bill between the lace or a thong or stocking, she could watch the performances for what they were. Each stripper had a differing amount of strength, with some preferring to utilize their upper body while others used lower, some spending more times crawling across the stage while others did acrobatic tricks off the pole, and still others moved with the beat of the music in a masterful fashion.

She had to admit it: she could be impressed by their proficiency. How they tailored their dances to their specific style or sought to fill a niche for the increasingly rowdy crowd- she found herself watching very intently to the way their bodies moved, trying to decipher their level of comfort with the movements. In the end, every stripper who took the stage owned it in some way, regardless if they projected that through their performance.

As she took a long pull from her beer, Blake thought it might be nice to talk to them after the little parade of dances ended. Just to sate her curiosity, of course. Maybe they had some degree of formal training? She'd heard of pole dancing classes being advertised as a means to lose weight but perhaps there were advanced courses for those who wished to pursue the career. It might be worth attending, just to learn the different styles; some of these women might even be willing to demonstrate.

"You okay, Blake?" She blinked, looking toward Sun, who wore the most peculiar expression. He seemed caught between amused and confused, though she really couldn't imagine why.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied with a shrug. "This just isn't my thing."

"Uh huh." He didn't sound entirely convinced, pulling a wad of folded paper bills from his pocket and throwing them onto the table. "So, I know you aren't going to put up your own money, but will you help me spend this?"

A frown tugged at her lips. "Sun, I told you-"

"All I'm asking is for you to walk up to the stage and put a few bills down. Is that really so much to ask?" The monkey Faunus chuckled, poking her shoulder with his tail. "At least then you could say you've done it, ya know?"

"I'm not that eager to get started on a bucket list." Blake gave him a wry grin, ignoring the way he split the wad in two and pushed half towards her. "I'm not doing it."

As the current performer left the stage, the woman from earlier spoke again, her voice just as pleasant as the first time. "Well, my friends, that brings us to our last performer. I know some of you have been holding onto your dollars until now, so let's give a big, warm welcome to the resident Ice Queen- the seductive Snowflake."

The urge to roll her eyes at the themed introduction left almost as soon as it appeared, banished by the woman who took the stage. Every stripper to perform so far was pretty, in conventional ways, and they abided by their respective themes or gimmicks to an extent.

Not this one. This one went all out.

Snow white hair done up in an offset ponytail, with some sort of tiara to hold it in place that looked like a snowflake, and dazzling blue eyes- Blake would like to say those were the most notable features and where her attention had been drawn. But amber eyes traced down, over a bare chest to linger on the snowflake pasties covering her nipples, and then further, across the smooth expanse of a lean stomach to the light blue thong, then down beautifully muscled thighs and to tight calves, the white heels on her feet nearly stilettos though she seemed perfectly capable of striding across the stage in them. The tilt of her chin and the smile on her lips spoke to her confidence- she reveled in the rowdy crowd shouting praises and adulation, bills already flying onto the stage.

Objectively, Blake could admit somewhere in the back of her mind that she wasn't any prettier than the previous women who'd taken the stage, but when their eyes met, she could feel two very different pulls in two very different places. In the moments she stood there, beneath the spotlight, Snowflake knew she had the eyes of every person in the room on her and without a word she demanded that much, took control of the place without uttering so much as a word.

By the time she reached the pole, the Faunus had to force herself to blink, both because of the sting in her eyes and the distinct lack of oxygen in her lungs.

"Yo, Blake, go throw some bills," Sun said, effectively snapping her attention away from the stage just as Snowflake lifted herself up onto the pole, much to the enthusiasm of the crowd.

She probably should've verbalized something rather than returning her focus to the stage. A 'no' or a 'forget it' or a 'pass' but coherent thoughts didn't seem to be in the cards today. On top of that, she couldn't be entirely sure she would object to the idea, except for that fact that when she shifted the smallest amount to get more comfortable- and to stop squeezing her thighs together so hard- those blue eyes pinned her in place even as Snowflake twirled around the pole, her body stretched out horizontal to the ground and seemingly defying all logic and laws of physics. When her feet touched the stage- with two loud clacks of her heels that Blake felt reasonably sure stopped and started her heart again, the erratic beating making it a little difficult to breath.

Like water, Snowflake stalked to the edge of the stage as the tension in the room rose sharply, everyone sitting forward in their seats. Blake probably should've asked what was going on, if the monkey Faunus had any idea what to do, but no words would come, not as long as she couldn't break eye contact. The woman sank down to the stage's edge, dangling her legs over for a moment before pushing off, now down on the floor in between two tables filled with customers holding wads of the club's dollars. Snowflake walked straight past them, hips tilting with every step- a strut, straight towards Blake, and with every step, she could feel just a bit more heat coming to her cheeks.

When the stripper stopped dead in front of her, she had no idea what to do, what to feel, or how to act, and something must've showed. With a soft chuckle, Snowflake leaned forward, and for the first time since she appeared, the pale scar running over her left eye became visible, though Blake almost forgot about it the moment she noticed due to words being spoken in a low tone, as if they were meant for her ears alone, and the feline appendages atop her head swivelled and strained to catch them.

"Don't worry. I'll be gentle."

Blake's mouth popped open as the heat in her face and neck rose even higher, though any manner of response seemed entirely beyond her power to articulate. Luckily, it didn't seem like that was what Snowflake wanted of her, reaching towards the table and grabbing a smaller stack of the dollars, lithe fingers sliding across the paper for a moment before she leaned forward and pulled at the low collar of the Faunus' shirt- not much, just enough to slide a few of the bills between fabric and skin, the itch of them against her chest a far away thought. Another bill, this one folded lengthwise, was held up enough for her to see before being set across her lips, smooth fingers along her jaw directing her to lightly close around the paper to keep it in place.

Then- as if whatever was happening hadn't flustered her enough- Snowflake took another step forward and put a knee on Blake's chair, towering over her for a moment before settling quite comfortably in the Faunus' lap, arms draped over Blake's shoulders as she leaned in close.

"And remember: no touching."

Honestly, she could hardly handle breathing at this point, much less the coordination requires to move her limbs, but she nodded dumbly all the same as the stripper smirked down at her before ducking her head. Lightly- teasingly slowly- Snowflake extracted every bill she'd stuffed into Blake's shirt, using only her mouth, and the Faunus had to sit there trying to process far too much all at once. The warm weight of the woman sitting on her lap, the rasp of the paper as it was pulled from her shirt, the heat of her breath as she 'missed' a few times and skimmed her lips over the skin of her collarbone, and the knowledge in the back of her mind that everyone in the room was watching them- how she managed to remain breathing through it all would forever surprise her.

Until Snowflake got to the last part. For a moment, she straightened up in Blake's lap, peering down at her in plain amusement, and then a hand came to cup the Faunus' jaw, keeping her in place as the woman came down and lightly bit into the bill. Then, her lips covered her teeth, and for a moment their lips touched in the strangest kiss Blake had every shared with anyone, both of them still looking into the other's eyes as their breaths mingled and their noses touched. Something told the Faunus to open her mouth as Snowflake drew back, taking her prize with her.

"You get a dance tonight," Snowflake said, after taking the bill from her mouth and tucking it away in the waistband of her thong. "If you want, of course. Come to the back." Her lips pulled into a smirk, eyes falling half lidded as she slid out of Blake's lap. "When you're ready."

And with that, the woman turned and walked away. Only then did the Faunus register that the spotlight had disappeared, the lighting returning to normal as several strippers began chatting up the tables that hadn't gotten the attention they craved during the primetime shows.

"Hey, Blake? You alright?"

"I'm gay- great. I- I meant I'm great," she said, swallowing now that she noticed her suddenly dry throat, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself. "What- what just happened?"

"Uh, if I was gonna guess, I'd say you just got turned on by a stripper," Sun said, far too much amusement in his voice as he clapped his hands together. "Aw man, I can't wait to tell Neptune! Thanks for making me fifty bucks richer!"

"Wha- what, what are you even talking about?" Her ears flattened out as her brain suddenly kicked back in, catching up with the events of the past several minutes. "Wait, you think- you think I'm turned on right now? Because I'm- I'm definitely not!"

He raised a brow. "Your blush says otherwise."

"I just had a half naked woman in my lap! How else am I supposed to react!?" Shaking her head, Blake ran a hand through her hair, absently rubbing across her chest where the bills had been placed.

"So… you're not going to get the private dance?" Amber eyes shot to him, a refusal resting on the tip of her tongue but refusing to come out. "Because I did ask the bartenders about what Yang meant earlier. They said that Snowflake is super picky; she doesn't work the floor and she rarely does private dances. So, this is kinda a once in a lifetime opportunity for ya."

Blake looked away, rubbing at her neck and feeling the fire coursing across her skin. To some extent, she could at least admit that, even if she didn't quite understand it, Sun wasn't wrong. Somehow, without actually touching her, Snowflake had managed to get her more turned on than she'd been in months, if not years- and that included the last few months of her previous relationship. It wasn't like she hadn't seen anyone attractive during that time, either… and that did warrant further investigation.

"What bet did you make with Neptune?" It seemed like a left field question but it bought her time, time she desperately needed to figure out just what the hell had happened.

"Oh, about a year ago I made a bet with him that you're bi, just like me." He tapped a finger against his temple. "He swore up and down you didn't ping on his gaydar, but my bi-fi is never wrong." Now, she regretted asking, because she couldn't quite handle his smug grin at that moment. The lack of a any reaction regarding him betting on her sexuality, however, seemed to be enough of a flag in and of itself that she could only lament the situation in her head. With a growl, she downed the remainder of her beer and snatched up the remaining stack of bills before she stood. "Hey, where ya going? You're not going to leave me here, are ya?"

"Yes, I am," she said, with every intention of heading towards the exit. However, her curiosity pulled at her again, and she found her first few steps lead not towards the exit but instead the darkened little corridor Snowflake had disappeared down. "I'll be back."

"Good luck!" Sun called out, a bit too loud for her liking as she felt her blush return in full force.

Blake lost some of her confidence as she made her way to the… private rooms, or so the sign above the doorway said, but the knowledge that turning back would mean either sitting at the table with her highly amused friend or trapping herself in a car with him being insufferable spurned her forward. If anything, perhaps this special dance wouldn't catch her off guard and she could walk away perhaps a little embarrassed about the whole ordeal but ultimately unaffected. The stripper just caught her off guard before- something about the way she moved and the look in her eyes, the way her expression read 'mild disinterest' to the casual observer but seemed far more guarded upon closer inspection- and, now that she'd mentally prepared herself, it would just be a few awkward minutes followed by a polite 'thanks' and the secured knowledge that she could make her best friend lose his little bet.

Pushing past the bead curtain, the Faunus stepped into an even more dimly lit area of the strip club, at once thankful and resentful of her heightened vision. She could see the slightly thicker curtains serving as partitions to little alcoves with various seating arrangements, some obviously meant to accommodate groups while others were smaller, more… intimate. Her ears twitched as she picked up on the muttered whispers traded between strippers and customers, barely restrained groans coupled with the rustling of fabric, and Blake quite nearly turned back around and left.

The only thing that stopped her was Snowflake leaning against the back wall with her arms crossed over her chest, the woman raising a brow and smiling at her arrival. "Oh, so you do want your dance?"

"D-did you think I wouldn't?" Mentally, she kicked herself for the stutter, but also couldn't quite help how heavy her tongue suddenly felt. With the spotlight on her, the stripper had seemed ethereal, beautiful and powerful like a Mistrali sculpture come to life, but in this part of the club, her appearance… Blake couldn't take her eyes off the woman, her form standing out against her darkened surroundings.

"I consider all the possibilities," Snowflake replied, beckoning her forward with two fingers while her other hand drew back the curtain on the furthest little alcove. "But seeing as you've opted to take me up on my offer… won't you step inside my office?"

She could still turn around and bolt for the door. Yang would probably keep her company, though the teasing would begin in earnest the moment Sun caught up to her.

After a few weeks, it would be a distant memory brought up whenever she was getting onto him for something or other, the only manner of response he would be able to muster when he inevitably screwed up.

But then… she would never know what, exactly, about this woman had caught her interest. Not interest, of course, because she'd never been very inclined towards women… except for that one time in college… and… well…

Blake's feet carried her forward as she swallowed thickly, wondering even as she moved if she'd just made a mistake. On the one hand, embarrassment and teasing without ever knowing why. On the other… still that, but at least with a little more context to help decipher the mystery.

Stepping into the alcove, a thrill ran up her spine as the stripper followed her closely, the whisper of the thick curtain falling across the door barely audible under the woman's voice. The music, pulsing in the main room, didn't seem to reach quite this far, though she could still catch snatches of the mumbles from the other sections.

The alcove didn't have much. A single, small, circular table in the corner and a chair set just a bit further than the dead center of the room, black light shining down to form a halo in front of the chair.

"Should I… uh…" The words couldn't seem to arrange themselves properly, unfamiliarity with the surroundings and procedures making it difficult to anticipate what she should or shouldn't do.

"Well, first, what's your name?" Her shoulders hunched, the voice coming far closer than she'd anticipated, and just how did someone with such high heels manage to move without making any noise? Idly, she conceded that the lack of shifting fabric probably helped, though it didn't make her feel much better.

"Blake," she replied, turning to look over her shoulder at the stripper, who seemed to be admiring either her hair or… something a bit lower. "Yours?"

"Snowflake." Blue eyes snapped up, meeting her gaze and flashing with something like steel. "Don't tell me you forgot already."

For a moment, the Faunus thought about defending the question, but then reality set in and she managed to cough awkwardly into her fist. "I'm… having trouble thinking, I suppose."

"Well, now… I believe I can help with that." A hand pressed against the small of her back and lightly pushed her forward. "Take a seat."

On unsteady legs, she complied with the direction, settling into the single chair without a word. In one hand, she still held the club money, which she would probably need to relinquish at some point. Coming out and asking how much the dance would cost seemed crass while keeping hold of the paper came off as a tad awkward and she couldn't be sure which would be worse, given the situation.

Therefore, rather than trusting her voice, Blake held up the paper and tilted her head to the side, asking the question without a word passing her lips.

"Oh, so you really haven't been here before, hmmm?" Snowflake chuckled, a soft, low sound that seemed only a little condescending despite the words. "And here I thought I'd somehow missed you all this time. Lucky me, I suppose." The woman stepped forward, the halo of light falling over her shoulders, the contrast between shadows and purple tinted light forcing the Faunus to draw in a sharp breath. With nimble fingers, she plucked the paper from Blake's lax grip and set it on the table, returning to standing just before her while smirking. "Now, anything you'd like to tell me before we begin?"

"You're beautiful." The words burst from her lips without bothering to check in with her brain. Thankfully, they were absolutely true regardless.

The woman gave out a soft chuckle- hardly audible due to its brevity- and leaned forward, upper arms pressing her breasts together. "Well, aren't you sweet." She tilted her head and lowered her voice, prompting feline ears to strain forward as a new song started up in the main room. "I suppose that means I can do whatever I want, hmmm?" Hesitantly, Blake nodded, nerves flaring at the unimaginable possibilities- because she'd certainly never entertained the outcomes of a trip to a strip club before tonight, especially not in such vivid detail- but something about the way Snowflake reached out and cupped her jaw lightly set her at ease. "Don't worry. We'll start off slow."

Without another word, the woman straightened up and spread her legs about shoulder width apart, hands reaching towards the sky as the muscles of her torso pulled taut. Blake watched, amber eyes quickly flicking over her form before being directed to the stripper's hands, which started at her own shoulders and started smoothing down. Lithe fingers travelled over her own chest to her breasts, lightly cupping one in each hand and lifting them up, squeezing gently and then a bit harder. Amber eyes couldn't be torn away, noting the way the flesh dimpled under the pressure, how the snowflakes covering her nipples warped as the skin they were attached to moved. The Faunus expected her to go down further but she lingered, brushing along the tender underside and lifting up again before letting them fall.

The sharp point of her own teeth dug into her bottom lip as Blake did everything in her power to keep her moan in check. Her own breasts were sensitive, too, and she rather enjoyed when someone took the time to give them proper attention. Hands balled into fists on her thighs in an effort to keep herself from mimicking the actions but she continued watching, breath catching in her throat when short, manicured nails dug beneath the edge of one pastie.

"Should I take these off?" She could see Snowflake's smirk at the edges of her vision but couldn't quite tear her attention away. "Well?"

"Sh-should you?" The Faunus' ears started to lay back, either in embarrassment at her lack of experience in this particular field or to drown out the sound of her own heart beating erratically in her chest, she couldn't say. Though… probably the former.

"Would you like to see them, Blake?" Snowflake took a step closer and began lifting up, separating the material from her skin with a practiced sort of ease that- for some reason- made her mouth water. "It's a simple yes or no."

"Y-yes. Please?" She had four ears and still could hardly believe her own voice. Did she really want to see another woman's breasts? In the back of her mind, she could hear Sun complaining- you have a pair of your own, ya know- but all thoughts of her best friend evaporated as one pastie disappeared in a quick, fluid motion, revealing a pink nipple that began to stand out prominently against the lighter areola as the relatively cool air in the club hit the newly revealed skin.

A fingernail slid beneath the other but didn't pull it off immediately. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" A blush rose in her cheeks even as the second pastie disappeared, leaving the woman entirely naked save for the heels and thong, and Blake's hands clenched atop her thighs. The urge to touch- to mimic the motions the woman had just made herself ran through her, almost terrifyingly strong.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a little pent up, Blake." Snowflake took a step forward, running her hands across her abdomen, dipping low to run along her belly and sneak fingertips beneath the elastic of her underwear before retreating, and suddenly the Faunus wanted to know if she could be persuaded to remove that article as well. "Perhaps I should… lend my assistance."

Alarm bells went off in the back of her head as her gaze snapped up, hands raising off her lap to weakly ward off any impending contact, but Blake found herself wondering… well, would that be so bad? It wasn't like she hadn't had sex before; she'd had committed relationships and quick flings before. Just because her last relationship ended on a sour note didn't mean she had to have hang ups now, right?

However, the debate was solved for her when a finger wagged in her face, blue eyes shining with a bit of arrogant mirth. "Ah ah, remember the rules. No touching. Can you handle that?" The answer was probably 'no' but she didn't exactly want to admit that either. Her silence did her no good, though. "I suppose we shouldn't take chances, now, should we?" Two hands cupped the Faunus' face, thumbs brushing across heated cheeks as the stripper cooed. "Sit on your hands for me."

"What?" She blinked, ears standing up atop her head.

"I can't quite trust you to keep them to yourself and I would hate to end our little dance early, wouldn't you?" Something gleamed in the woman's eyes, lips drawing into a smile. "Put your hands under your thighs and sit on them. Or, if you'd prefer, I can take a step back-"

"No!" Blake had the presence of mind to be at least a little embarrassed about the volume of her reply as well as how quickly she'd given it but busied herself with complying as a distraction. "L-like that?"

"My, you are such a sweetheart." Snowflake leaned closer, setting the words against the Faunus' lips without actually touching, a maddening display of restraint that she found difficult to replicate. "Now, be good for me. I promise you'll enjoy it."

The woman neither requested a reply nor expected one, it seemed, immediately turning around and sitting on Blake's left thigh, straddling her leg and leaning back. Snowflake's right hand effortlessly slid into raven locks, directing the Faunus' gaze to look down and over the woman's shoulder. It… well, certainly served as a unique perspective, allowing her time to note how every breath made her breasts move, how her thighs parted and allowed for a striking contrast between pale skin and black pants, how a little shift of her hips had firm buttocks grinding into Blake. The movements came at a pace much slower than the pulsing music, doubly so than the pounding in her chest as she tried to process the whole situation. Her ears laid back as fingernails raked against her scalp without pulling her hair- and what clever fingers, to seek out that sweet spot where feline ear met skull and press just so to coax a breathless moan from her lips.

This… counted as new on many different levels. The warmth of someone- a very nearly naked someone- sitting on her lap, the weight of the smaller body against hers, the unique angle to appreciate supple skin and pert breasts, fingers other than hers massaging her scalp and ear, and while she might've… had some experiences with past romantic and sexual encounters, she couldn't recall a single instance where she'd been the taller of the two. It hadn't become obvious until she'd sat down- allowing her to note the lack of bend to her back that would be necessary to allow Blake the peek over her shoulder- but the woman was at least a few inches shorter, despite walking on the stage and even in the room like she instantly had control of everyone in it.

Yet, for all the things that should be sending her normally anxious nerves into overdrive, she couldn't help but set all those sensations behind the pulse beating heavily in her ears and she could tell her breathing had become heavier as the stripper continued to grind into her. The friction itself did nothing but her imagination apparently saw fit to assist, trying to mentally remove the fabric of her pants from the equation, because it had been far too long since she'd felt the heat of another's skin against her own.

"Has anyone ever told you that you turn the most gorgeous shade of red when you're turned on?" The words, set against her human ear, forced her eyes wide open, and she hadn't even noticed when they'd drifted shut. "Because, I must say, I believe it's just become my new favorite color." She tried to stutter out a reply- what that response might be, she couldn't honestly be sure- but Blake's tongue and voice didn't seem to work properly anymore, especially as the hand buried in her hair directed her head down, lightly dragging her lips against the stripper's shoulder. "I suppose I could… bend a few rules as a reward. You should know not many people end up impressing me."

Taking a few deep breaths- and trying not to lick the taste of vanilla from her lips even as the scent of the woman's body wash or lotion invaded her nose- she managed to string together enough words to call it a sentence. "I-I'm not turned on."

Her name was Blake Belladonna and she currently made her home firmly in the state of denial, trying to avoid the muscles just below her belly jumping in response to the words, as if her own body wouldn't allow her to lie.

Snowflake merely chuckled. "Oh, then I'm not doing my job, now am I? I suppose I'll need to use some… advanced techniques if that's the case."

Part of her wanted to pale at the idea that the woman could pull something from an unseen bag of tricks to turn her further into putty but the overwhelming majority eagerly awaited what else would come.

Fluidly, the woman rose from her lap, disentangling her hand from Blake's hair and turning, sliding one knee to the outside of her thigh before the other came up to match on the other side. Now straddling the Faunus' lap, the stripper rose up onto her knees, towering over her for a moment.

She didn't know where to look. Up and into blue eyes sparkling with amusement and something else? Ahead and at the breasts mere inches from her lips that made her mouth water with the idea of taking the puckered flesh of a nipple into her mouth? Or down to see what else she might've missed the first time the woman straddled her and inspect the thong preserving the last bit of the woman's modesty?

Ultimately, she settled on the former, because something about the eye contact had her squirming in her seat, hands beginning to hurt from the force of keeping them trapped beneath her own thighs.

"You do have beautiful eyes." The stripper mused, drawing a finger along the side of her face and across her cheek, resting on Blake's lips. "But are your lips soft, I wonder. Keep your mouth closed; no tasting, understood?"

"Yes, Snowflake," she said, her voice weak with want as another twinge below her belly erased any doubt as to her state of arousal.

"Beautiful and well mannered. You certainly aren't a regular." Again, a hand buried itself in her hair and directed her, planting Blake's face in the woman's chest. The smell of vanilla made her nose tingle and her mouth water, the smooth skin of her breasts rubbing against the Faunus' cheeks, the idea that a turn of the head would give her more access- she couldn't help but whimper and press her thighs together, desperate for some sort of contact against her crotch. "What would you do to me, if I let you have the chance?"

Blake let out a groan, not even sure if she possessed the verbal skills required to answer that question at present. But when her head was pulled back, allowing her to blink dazedly up at the woman in her lap, something came out. Once again, it didn't bother checking in with her brain before leaving her lips, and she had to actually listen to the words to catch them at all.

"Take you to dinner."

Snowflake blinked at her for a moment. "You mean… eat your dinner off me?"

"N-no. Just. Dinner. Movie?" She worked as an actual, paid editor in chief for a publication, and right now, the very concept of language escaped her entirely. Sentences, verbs, words- all meaningless.

A chuckle of disbelief passed through glossed lips as the stripper shook her head. "Either you're dense or sweet. It's remarkably difficult to distinguish between the two, to be frank." The she leaned down, pressing a kiss to Blake's cheek. "I suppose I can give you the benefit of the doubt and go for the latter." Ears twitching, trying to catch the undercurrent to the woman's words, Blake blinked up at the woman as she drew back, looking the Faunus up and down. Then those slender digits slipped beneath her collar once more, pulling at it slightly, pushing it down her shoulders. Not enough to be indecent- though she supposed the very concept of decency varied wildly while within the walls of a strip club- but enough to put Faunus' collarbone on display as well as the points of her shoulders. "I suppose you deserve something of a reward for being so sweet."

Blake looked up, ears perking- because what, exactly, did the word 'reward' mean in this context, how different was it from the suggestions her mind seemed keen on presenting- and her breath caught in her throat as the woman leaned down, slipping an arm around her waist while the other held her shoulder. One hand played with her hair while the other splayed across her ribs, held her tenderly, like a lover would, and she found herself entranced by dazzling blue eyes again, following Snowflake's motions as she moved even closer. Once again, her head was tilted, this time away, her eyes unfocusing as she lost sight of the woman's eyes and directed to look off to the side, but then she had to close them as a pair of lips gently landed high on her cheek, almost at the corner of her eye.

A kiss.

It took a minute to process but there really existed no other way to describe it. She'd just gotten a kiss- actually, a few of them, as Snowflake work her way towards the Faunus' lower ear- and it brought a whimper to her lips as she squirmed. With her collarbone exposed and the arm around her waist, she could feel so much more of the woman than before, skin against skin, and she could still feel the weight in her lap with every shift. Her hands had gone numb from sitting on them for so long but she couldn't complain, ears laying back and her heart racing as lips worked down to her jaw and then to her earlobe.

The flash of teeth, nipping lightly, made her jump and a moan burst from her chest.

"Oh, so that's a sweet spot," Snowflake said with a chuckle, giving her a moment to breath heavily and try to speak, though only squeaks and whimpers left the Faunus' mouth. "I suppose there's really only one thing to do."

"Ah!" Her eyes shot open as the woman began lavishing attention on her earlobe, using lips and teeth and then a tongue to trace the shell of her ear and she quite nearly thrashed at that. Blake quite nearly pulled her hands out to grab the hips lightly grinding against hers, just for something to hold onto as her eyes rolled up and her ears flicked, some part of her wanting nothing more than to lean further into the mouth against her. It felt so good, making her heart pound as every part of her body felt like it was on fire, back arching as she tried to- to- something, honestly, she didn't know what, she just wanted more, craved it like hunger or thirst.

"You really like that." The words, set against her lower ear, held the edges of a smile and Blake suddenly found it very difficult to swallow. "Now I'm curious. I suppose I'll have to test it out."

"Wh- wha-" She blinked, trying to get herself under control only for the woman to shift higher. This put the Faunus' face back in Snowflake's chest, the smooth skin of the woman's breasts sliding against her cheeks, and she had the thought to close her mouth for a split second before all rational thought disappeared altogether.

Lightly, teeth closed around the tip of her feline ear, sending an electric shock down her spine as she jerked forward and into the woman's body. Her mouth opened as a moan spilled forth, muffled by the supple flesh suddenly there, and her thighs nearly left the chair, freeing her hands in the process. Only by the barest of margins did she manage to keep from reaching up or bucking the woman off her lap- or both of them off the chair entirely.

"Oh." The single syllable, breathed into her sensitive upper ear, quite nearly stopped her heart then and there. "That was cute."

Shivers sparked by the words trailed down her spine, pulling another panting moan from Blake, and she instinctively began massaging the skin in her mouth- no teeth, no tongue, just working her lips against the swell of the woman's breasts, making small movements to the left and right so neither felt neglected.

"Well, aren't you the reciprocative type." Another nip at the tip of her ear. "Don't leave a mark. I am still on the clock, you know."

Blake couldn't help but let out a whine at the encouragement, taking in a stuttering breath that tasted of vanilla, her unattended ear twitching and straining while the other remained still, to be an easy target as teeth grazed the sensitive flesh again. When fingers wove through midnight strands and scratched at the base, the Faunus once again found herself fighting against the impulse to reach out, to touch, to hold, something-

And then Snowflake pulled away slightly, looking down at her, blue eyes darker than before yet still sparkling in the low light. Her hands drew away and Blake whined in protest, ears laying back to express her displeasure with the change that her voice could not, but the woman seemed amused by her plight.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Blake?" Again, her hands started on her own shoulders before drifting down her chest, fingertips grazing lightly along the parts where the Faunus had ran her lips before cupping her breasts, finger and thumb coming together to pinch her nipples and lightly tug on them. "Well? Does it feel good?"

"Yes," she replied, the word breathed out with what little oxygen she'd managed to pull into her lungs.

Snowflake hummed, teasing the peaks of her breasts until they were hard, standing out and making her mouth water. "That's not quite the answer I'm looking for." Panic lanced through her- had she caused offense, had she upset her, had she- but the woman gave her no time to run through the possibilities, a devilish smile curling her lips. "I suppose I'll have to try something different."

As Blake tried to force her brain, voice, and mouth to work together long enough for her to construct a single sentence, the woman in her lap shifted, the warmth leaving her for a moment as her legs, folded on either side of the Faunus' thighs, moved. She thought, for a brief and terrifying moment, that Snowflake was about to leave the little alcove- and a little voice seemed to remember that they were in merely a little space sectioned off by a curtain in the back of a club and not in their own little universe, which she'd honestly forgotten at some point- but instead she almost crouched atop the chair before settling herself on Blake's lap again.

"Look at me," Snowflake said, drawing amber eyes to her face. "You'll let me know if you start feeling any discomfort, won't you, Blake?" She nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. "Good. Just trust me."

Her hands came up to cup the Faunus' face. Then, she extended both legs into the air, the glittering heels catching the shine of black light for a brief moment before Snowflake shifted to rest the meaty part of her toned calves on Blake's shoulders.

"You're flexible," she said- and some part of her had the presence of mind to be furious that, of all the things she could've assembled into a coherent sentence, that ended up being what she could articulate. Her bared shoulders burned with the smooth skin resting against them, and then the woman's lithe legs pressed closer, ankles crossing behind Blake's head.

"You don't know the half of it," Snowflake replied with a smirk before leaning back.

Suddenly, she was looking down the insides of sculpted thighs, the lazy triangle made by light blue fabric obscuring the woman's core, then the toned plane of her abdomen, with her breasts being pulled by gravity down, soft mounds with their still hardened peaks on either side of the pale column of her throat and underside of the woman's jaw and it just- something in her brain short circuited. The control of her body to maintain her balance, the subtle shifting of muscle beneath her skin, watching how every breath shifted her lithe form, an intoxicating picture that Blake drank in shamelessly.

Seized by a strange compulsion- and seeing as she wasn't… discouraged before- the Faunus turned her head, rubbing her cheek along the inside of one thigh before pressing her lips to the skin, massaging the skin lightly in a facsimile of an earnest kiss and relishing the way muscles jumped beneath her limited ministrations. Legs pressed against the side of her head and she echoed the sentiment, trying to press her own thighs together to no effect; she wanted something, anything, delicious friction, and she wasn't above shoving her own hand into her pants at this point to get it.

Fingers played at the hem of her pant legs, and the implication of the barrier being removed pulled another moan from her lips, somehow prompting teasing words from the woman lying atop her. "Are you enjoying yourself, Blake?"

"Fuck, yes," she said, the words slipping out in a hiss as she leaned her head back for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts into some semblance of coherency.

"Does it feel good?" Snowflake's voice had the strangest quality to it, like she was reveling in the need in the Faunus' voice.

Because, wow, did she need right then, in a way she couldn't articulate but could definitely make happen with the use of her hands. Or the woman's hands, or, really, she felt like she could just rub her pants the wrong way and come undone.

"Yes, yes, yes, so good."

"Now that's more like it." She managed to look back down the length of the woman's body as Snowflake moved a hand down her own body, across her stomach to tease at the band of the thong. "Would you like a peek?"

"Please!" The word left her lips before the question processed, only the basic understanding that any sort of affirmative answer would reward her with some undefinable 'more' that she desperately wanted.

The woman's fingers moved, nails across the fabric to rub between her legs, drifting to one side and pulling aside the elastic to show the woman's core.

And, well… Blake hadn't seen many vaginas in her time, but she'd seen a few. Enough to not be surprised at the folds topped with a hooded clit and very short, fine hair on the mons, and instead her tongue darted out to lick her lips, neck craning forward. She couldn't reach, of course, but she tried, and that prompted Snowflake to sit up the hand formerly offering a peek at her core going up to push at Blake's forehead, fingers threading into raven locks.

"Well, isn't someone eager." The woman leaned forward with a chuckle, nearly folded in half on Blake's lap since her legs remained on the Faunus' shoulders, and the tease about her flexibility came to mind, forcing her to swallow thickly. "Is there something you'd like to do, Blake? Perhaps a… 'thank you' you'd like to give? Not in so many words, of course."

Her ears perked. She'd never done that but the whole night was filled with 'never before' so she might as well add another to the list, right? And maybe- maybe- she might be able to do something with the desire and lust pounding through her. Blake nodded, biting her lips as her blush intensified.

"Perfect." Snowflake smiled, removing her legs from atop her shoulders and getting out of the chair, making a motion for the floor. "Lay down for me, won't you? On your back, of course. Unless you'd prefer to kneel."

With all the grace of a boneless sack comprised half of raging libido and half of stupefied awe, she eagerly complied with the first order, her shaky legs not exactly deserving of the trust required to support her own body weight at present. Idly, she wondered if it was entirely sanitary to be lying on the floor of a strip club, but any complaints or concerns she might've had were erased when Snowflake walked around to stand just above her head, looking down at her with that same commanding expression from when she took the stage. Again, her voice died and the ability to do anything aside comprehend spoken words eluded her as she awaited the next set of instructions.

"Put your arms out to the side," the woman said and she readily complied, whimpering when Snowflake knelt down, one knee on either side of her head. Then she lowered herself, until her body weight rested on Blake with her knees out wide, covered core close enough for the Faunus to reach if she craned her neck. "Now remember: no touching. Keep those hands to the side." She slipped a hand between them, moving aside the cloth of her thong once more. "But you can taste all you want. No marks."

Blake needed no further prompting. What she lacked in experience she could more than make up for in other ways, enthusiasm a crutch she would happily lean on until she could figure out exactly what she was doing. Then again, considering the soft, stifled moan that met her ears when her tongue clumsily ran through the woman's folds, perhaps it was less a crutch and more a boon. She licked and lapped lightly, eagerness tempered by unfamiliarity, and when she drew her tongue back into her mouth, she could keenly taste Snowflake's arousal, a strong musky flavor that clung to the back of her throat.

It did surprise her, slightly, that she didn't taste of vanilla.

Fingers slid across her stomach, hitching up her shirt by just the briefest amounts, enough for fingertips to trace lightly across the waistband of her pants. The Faunus instantly felt the urge to continue fill her, lifting up her head to continue her ministrations. The found the stiffened nub of the woman's clit- and mentally lamented how anyone else could possibly miss it- and wrapped her lips around it, flicking it with her tongue and sucking lightly. That seemed enough to coax a startled gasp from the woman, an exhalation just barely meeting Blake's ears as they flicked between straining for any sort of moan or praise and laying back against her skull as she focused on her task.

"Oh, yes. Just- just like that." Rather than going beneath the waistband, fingers trailed along the zipper, nails digging it as a stifled moan escaped the woman's lips. "Fuck."

Blake's hands twitched, almost curling into fists but not, because she actually couldn't spare the energy. Her legs moved, kicking and jerking as a hand worked its way closer to her crotch. She craved the satisfaction, needed it more than words could say, so she poured all the energy she might otherwise use for speech into lavishing as much sweet attention on the woman's sex as she could, taking a break to run through her slit and dip into her entrance.

She wanted to use her hands. She wanted to see what she was doing but her eyes refused to open after sliding shut, allowing her to lose herself to the sounds. She wished they were in a bed because the floor wasn't the most comfortable thing. She wanted a lot of things right then and all seemed out of reach.

Except Snowflake's moans and gasps, quietly encouraging her. They probably couldn't be heard outside the little alcove, covered by the music and conversation, but Blake's entire world ended after about three feet in any direction.

Then the woman shifted, sending a brief lance of panic sprouting in the Faunus' chest, and she redoubled her efforts in a bid to keep her there, keep the weight and heat pressing against her. Her reward came in the form of a drawn out moan, which sounded much clearer than before- Snowflake had turned, as if to look back at her.

"Just like that," she said, with a choked little gasp at the end as Blake's tongue ran around her clit again. "Blake, yes, keep- keep going."

Her neck started to hurt from the strain of curling up to follow the erratic movements of the woman's hips but she couldn't be deterred, not with the gentle encouragement prompting her to continue. Gradually, she found a rhythm that Snowflake seemed to like, considering the pitch of her moans and hitching in her breath, the way her breasts would press into Blake's stomach on the deep inhales.

"Right there!" Snowflake was close, little jumps in her muscles betraying her impending orgasm. Just a little bit more.

Then, a bit suddenly, the woman moved forward, pulling her just out of range for Blake's current position. She tried chasing after her, wanting to finish Snowflake off and revel in the sounds she made after, but something happened. The woman pressed her mouth to the crotch of the Faunus' pants and blew, hot air making it past the thick fabric and hitting her sex, somehow providing just the right amount of stimulation to push Blake straight off the edge. She hadn't even realized how tightly she'd been wound around the woman's finger, ready to explode with a hair pin trigger, until she found herself convulsing with a moan bursting from her lips, almost immediately silenced as Snowflake sat back on her face.

Through the onslaught of her orgasm, she did her best to see that she wasn't alone in the blissful completion, working her tongue and lips faster as she assaulted the woman's clit, until she finally came undone with a shuddering moan that Blake relished, answering back with a sound of her own that remained muffled by Snowflake's skin.

They rode out the tail end of their climaxes, one far more literally than the other, before the woman lifted up, returning to her feet and fixing her thong back into place.

"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting you to be that good," Snowflake said, with the barest of blushes spread across her cheeks, hardly visible in the low light, and only a little hint that she was having difficulties catching her breath. "I believe you're rather… satisfied with your dance?"

"Y-yeah." She croaked out, the heavy tang clinging to her tongue making it a tad difficult to speak. With a little coo, the woman slipped out of the alcove, leaving Blake panting hard with a flushed face and lying on the floor.

Blinking a few times to try and clear her vision, the Faunus' mind finally caught up with her actions. She'd just had sex with a stripper in the back of a strip club. Granted, it was the best sex of her life, bar none, but the fact remained that it would likely be a one off. After all, she would be reluctant to come back to the place, for fear of harassing the woman at work, and the idea of asking for her number seemed… well, unlikely. If she invited only certain patrons back for this 'special dance' of hers, this… probably happened often enough that Blake wasn't particularly special.

"Here." Amber eyes looked up, towards the curtain, and followed Snowflake as she knelt down with a bottle of water in one hand. "On the house."

"Thank you," she said, accepting it and sitting up enough to swallow a few mouthfuls.

"You can stay here as long as you like to recover; this one is mine, exclusively." The woman walked over to the table, picking up the stack of club dollars and bringing them over to the Faunus. "Here, you wouldn't want to forget these."

"How much for a dance?" The words left her mouth in a hurry, something resembling a plan already forming in her mind. It didn't qualify as 'good' by any stretch of the imagination, but it might make things… a little better, at least.

Snowflake's expression- though still pleasant- dropped just the barest amount, a distant coldness coming to her eyes. "Standard is thirty. I can recommend someone, if you'd like."

"How much do you charge?"

"There won't be a round two-"

"I'm not asking for that," she said, trying to keep from buckling under the unimpressed and guarded gaze being sent her way. "Dances take time. How much of your time can I buy?"

The woman sighed, glancing down at the bills in her hand. "Twenty minutes. What do you expect me to do for twenty minutes?"

"Well, considering I really don't think I can move right now…" Blake leaned back, lying on the floor and looking up at the ceiling. "Just… lay here with me? And talk?"

From the corner of her eye, she could see Snowflake staring at her for a moment before dropping the bills unceremoniously on the Faunus' chest and leaving the alcove, the whisper of the curtain enough sign that she could allow her expression to fall.

Well, it was worth a shot.

Reaching up, she drug a hand down her face and sighed heavily, collecting up the club money and setting it aside. Her legs still felt too weak to bear her body weight and now she had a heaviness in her chest.

"At least I tried," she said, the words puffed out on a sigh as her eyes closed.

"Tried what?" They snapped open as she arched her back, confirming with her eyes what her ears heard- Snowflake slipping past the curtain. From somewhere, she'd retrieved a thin robe, powder blue with white trim, a sash tied around her waist.

"I like your robe." Although they didn't answer the question posed- and, quite frankly, Blake wasn't exactly certain what she wished to accomplish, except to know more about the woman who'd captivated her entirely with nothing more than a look- the words strung themselves together easier than any other response that came to mind.

"Thank you. It gets rather chilly in here when you aren't moving around." Carefully, the woman lowered herself to the ground, then laid back beside Blake. "What did you want to talk about?"

"What's your name?" Turning her head to the side, the Faunus watched as her temporary companion stared up at the ceiling.

"Snowflake," she replied, a slight curl to her lips. "I thought you'd remember at least that much."

A little chuckle burst forth. "Fair. I should've expected that."

"You should've."

"Is this what you do?" Realizing how the question might sound, she hurried to clarify. "I mean- pick someone in the crowd, offer them a taste of heaven, and then what? Go back out and do it again?"

"It depends," she said, a little wistfulness in her voice. "Sometimes, I offer a dance to no one and leave after my show while others I stay and go out a few more times." A pause as the woman shifted. "It depends on how many people I see in the audience who are uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?" Her brows furrowed slightly.

"You don't know how many closeted gay men get dragged to places like these." Her tone shifted, somber with a touch of pity. "Or straight women trying to be supportive. I've built a reputation here; whoever I take back to this little alcove is guaranteed to have their mind blown. The vast majority of the time, however, I just give them a bit of a respite. We talk, have a drink, commiserate the frustration of being caught between our personal feelings and what's expected of us." She offered a little shrug. "Honestly, I think it's rather therapeutic. And when they rejoin their friends, no one is any the wiser. Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd throws more and more money at me, thinking it'll somehow earn my attention, nevermind that the almost everyone I choose never even come near the stage." A little laugh passed her lips, slightly bitter. "I guess when everything's on display, people forget how to really use their eyes."

"Or they just willfully ignore reality," Blake said, turning to look back at the ceiling, and only now did she notice the little pinpricks of light that faded between colors on a rotating spectrum. "I mean, that's the whole premise of a place like this, right? To feel wanted, if not for your body then for your money?"

A thoughtful hum met her ears. "You do have a point."

"So, um… that… part, about the 'vast majority'-"

"Oh, lesbians and other like minded women come here, too. Sometimes in groups, sometimes by themselves, and if I see one I like… well, what's the harm?"

"Can't that be a little, I dunno… reckless?"

"What part of me being a stripper screams 'safe' to you, Blake?" She sighed. "I suppose it's a risk I'm willing to take for a little fun. Isn't that the point of living?"

Rolling onto her side facing the woman, the Faunus canted her ears forward and tilted her head. "You don't sound particularly convinced of the answer you're implying you already know."

"What are you, a shrink?" The question came off as a tad condescending, maybe to cover the defensiveness flashing in her eyes.

"No, actually, I'm a journalist," she said, a little pride infecting her tone. "I write for the Beacon Beat."

"Wait… you're Blake Belladonna, aren't you?" Blue eyes flashed her way, a smile curling the woman's lips. "I read your op-ed on the West Side Community Center. You're very passionate about exposing unfair practices directed at Faunus operated establishments."

"Nice deflection." Blake waited a moment. "Do you like working here?"

"Why are you so interested in asking questions right now?" Snowflake sounded only a little vexed, curiosity lingering just beneath the surface. "Am I your next big story?"

"Well, I would like to know a little bit about the first woman I've ever had sex with, thank you," she replied, heat creeping into her cheeks. The word choice was deliberate, as a means of catching the woman's attention and bringing her guard down just a little, and it worked.

Almost immediately, the woman turned her head, eyes wide. "I was your first?"

"You mean you couldn't tell?"

"Obviously not!" Snowflake rubbed at her temple with a muttered curse. "I surmised you're a baby gay but I thought you'd at least seen a naked woman before."

"Which I have."

"In a sexual context?"

"… well, no." She bit her lip. "I… had a friend in college I fooled around with… a couple of friends… but it was more, um, manual?"

"And that is the extent of your sexual experience?" She could positively hear the raised eyebrow in the question, as if the words themselves didn't express enough disbelief.

"I've been with guys before," Blake replied, clearing her throat and keeping her ears cocked towards the woman. "Until I walked into this club, I thought I was straight." When no response came, she turned her head back and saw the look on Snowflake's face. "What?"

"Really? Coming here was your 'I'm gay' moment?"

"Well… if we're being completely honest… seeing you was." The words came out haltingly- not out of embarrassment though. It felt more like anxiety, the idea that admitting such would change the woman's opinion of her in some negative way, and she spared a thought to how much she cared about that before continuing. "Anyway, I feel kinda bad now. Sun- the guy who brought me here- I gave him a hard time about the whole thing."

"Yet, you came anyway," Snowflake said. "Boyfriend?"

"Best friend." Her face scrunched up as a memory came to mind. "We dated once in high school but it was like dating my brother."

"Thankfully, I can't relate." For a moment, silence descended upon them, content to watch the shifting lights overhead. Finally, the woman spoke, her voice soft. "I apologize for coming on so strong. If I'd thought for a moment you were… new to the whole experience, I wouldn't have gone so far."

"It's fine," she replied, and the amount of sincerity in her voice surprised even her. "I learned a lot about myself tonight. And I could've stopped you at any time."

"This is true." She paused, long enough for Blake to look over and see her searching the ceiling with unseeing eyes. "Tell me: if I'd let you touch me during my dance, would you have tried?"

"Yes." With as hard as she'd had to work not to, that should be fairly obvious.

"And what if I let you now?" Snowflake turned her head. "Would you want to?"

"Yes." She rolled onto her side, facing the woman. "I would."

For a moment, she didn't move, and then she mirrored the Faunus' position, offering a little shrug. "Very well, then. You may."

Amber eyes traced Snowflake's form up and down before she spoke. "Roll over. Please."

It seemed, briefly, as if she wouldn't comply, something akin to fear flashing in her eyes. But then she did as requested, offering her back to Blake. Shuffling across the floor, the Faunus reached out and lightly draped an arm around Snowflake's waist, her chest brushing up against the woman's back slightly as they both settled. Using her other arm as a sort of pillow, Blake allowed her eyes to fall shut.

"I give you the opportunity to touch me and your response is to start cuddling." A bitter chuckle came from the woman's lips. "I find it terribly sad how surprised I am."

"No one else has tried?" She muttered, honestly a little tired from her earlier orgasm and just the overall drain of the day, of griping and complaining only to find herself trying to embed the memory in her mind. "Really?"

"No," Snowflake replied. "It's like you said- people here are only wanted for their money or their body, neither of which are offered for such an… innocent request." She took a deep breath. "Honestly, it's been… quite a long time since anyone's held me like this."

"You don't have a girlfriend?" Although there were other options, they didn't seem applicable, but perhaps Blake wasn't the best judge of that considering her own revelation. "Boyfriend? Datemate?"

"No. I'm rather used to being alone." The woman paused and she half expected the topic to change. "It's just my sister and I now. She's spent the past several years in the military so we're still… adjusting to being family again."

"Older or younger?"

"Older, by four years." A few beats of silence. "Honestly, her departure gave me the courage to seek my own freedom. It may not seem like much to you but this is… as close to heaven as I'm likely to get."

"You can't know that," she said, arm reflexively tightening around the woman's waist. "There's plenty that could happen. You never really know what tomorrow holds."

"Don't tell me you're the religious sort and think you can 'save' me." Snowflake chuckled but didn't remove herself from the embrace. "I've chosen to sit at this sinner's table of my own volition and I seek no redemption, so I'm afraid you're out of luck."

"I'm not trying to 'save' you; you wouldn't need my help even if you were in need of saving." The Faunus sighed, breathing in deeply and once again catching the whiff of vanilla wafting from the woman's shoulders. "I'm just… saying that you shouldn't resign yourself if you're unhappy. Even if it's an uphill battle and a thankless job, it's up to each of us to fight for a better tomorrow. Whether we think we're deserving of it or not."

"Oh, so first I got the baby gay, then the inquisitive reporter, and now I've got the passionate cause chaser- tell me, Blake, how many faces do you wear?"

"Only the one; it just possesses many facets."

"Lucky you. Some of us only have the one- a flat mask of paper stronger than diamonds."

"Some, but not you," she said, their quiet conversation lulling her into a rather pleasant rest. "I've seen the cold, business only side, the devious temptress side, the vulnerable-"

"I am not vulnerable." The heated objection came out quickly but lacked any strong conviction, almost as if the words were reflexive and nothing more.

"Everyone's vulnerable; we're mortals, with wants and desires, hope and dreams, fears and flaws-"

"Great, now you're a poet."

"My point is…" She drawled, a soft yawn breaking through the words before she could continue. "You can be strong and vulnerable at the same time. You're a person and every person is filled with conflictions. It's not one or the other; you can be both."

"If you say so," Snowflake replied before they lapsed into silence and, for a moment, Blake thought she might fall asleep, curled up on the floor of a strip club.

But then her ears caught the tapping of heels- and not the sort that looked like they might break the wearer's ankle in exchange for aesthetic, either- that stopped just outside the little alcove.

"Snow, your sister's here," a woman said in a clipped, no nonsense tone that quickly snapped both of them out of their reverie.

"Thank you, Miss Goodwitch." Snowflake got up, fixing her robe and her hair. "That would be my sister. I didn't even realize the time."

Blake followed suit, brushing at her pants and straightening out her shirt. Thankfully, she felt at least a little more solid on her feet now, though there remained a sticky situation between her legs. Something she could attend to after scurrying to the bathroom, though that practical thought didn't stop the blush rising in her cheeks. Bending down, she snatched up the club dollars and offered them to the woman; she couldn't be sure but she felt reasonably convinced they'd spent more than twenty minutes curled up on the floor.

For a moment, blue eyes looked at the flimsy bills before she pushed them away. "Everyone comes here to be wanted for their body or for their money, on this much we've agreed." She reached up and brushed fingers lightly against Blake's lips. "For you, it's your silver tongue, and you're welcomed to take that however you wish."

"But-"

"No no, I insist." Snowflake turned away, pulling open the curtain. "And I want to make something very clear." She turned back, the corners of her lips turning down. "Don't come back, Blake."

Her ears perked, eyes widening at the abrupt shift in tone. "What? Why?"

"Because you're the type of person who believes in love and I'm not." She smiled then, though it could hardly be called such and seemed more sad than anything. "Enjoy the remainder of your evening and I wish you well."

With that, the woman left, and Blake just stood there for a solid minute, trying to articulate the strange weight that had appeared in her chest. Slowly, her ears drooped the same as her shoulders until the words fully registered.

Well. As much as she hated to admit it… what was she really expecting?

Awkwardly, she ran a hand through her hair and straightened out her shirt one more time before leaving, walking past the little curtained off alcoves and into the main room. The music seemed so garishly loud now but she managed to ignore it, setting her sights on the bathroom and intent on reaching it when a tail wrapped around her arm.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Sun chuckled, a devilish smile on his lips. "You're gone for over an hour and you don't even say hey to the guy who brought you here?"

"I need to go to the bathroom," she said. "I'll be right back."

"Hey, whoa, seriously, you okay?" He ducked his head trying to catch her eye and she couldn't help but curl her lips into a small grin.

"Yeah. Just… a little bummed out."

With a nod, he released her. "I'll be at the table. Don't keep me waiting too long or I'll worry."

"I'm just going to get cleaned up." Blake moved past him, mechanically heading to the bathroom and making herself more presentable. She fixed her hair in the mirror just before leaving the small haven and gave her reflection a once over. Although she certainly didn't feel it, she looked just as she had upon entering the establishment. When she sat at the table again, her best friend curled his tail around her chair and drug it closer. "You've been working out again."

"It has its uses, aside from making me look beefy," he replied with a ghost of a smirk that disappeared in the next moment. "You wanna talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about?" She noted a cup of water on the table and, after a glance at her best friend confirming it was safe, grabbed it and started drinking. On the back of her tongue, she could still taste Snowflake, and it made her wince as she set the glass down, unsure if she'd ever be able to make it go away.

A shoulder bumped against hers as Sun frowned. "You fell for her, huh?"

"… maybe?" Blake shook her head, a sigh slipping past her lips as she ran her hand through her hair again. "It's stupid."

"Nah, it's really not." He nodded towards the stage. "Thing about stripclubs is they take away all the awkward parts of a relationship- maybe a little chitchat here and there, but it's mostly a mutual attraction, though towards different things."

"Body and money."

"Exactly." A finger tapped against the table. "That's how places like this stay open. It's a fantasy, yeah, but it's a nice one, so people buy into it." He paused. "I mean, is there any moment you felt it was one hundred percent genuine?"

She bit her lip, reflecting. "Honestly? Yeah… yeah, there was." Slowly, she leaned forward until her forehead rested on the table. "But then she told me to never come back."

"She did?" A noise left her mouth, vaguely affirmative. "Well that changes things. C'mon."

He grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the seat and guiding her towards the door, offering a smile and a wave to the few strippers who tried enticing them to stay. When they stepped out into the brisk night air, Blake shivered, suddenly aware of how warm she'd been ever since Snowflake's dance. She really hadn't noticed it at the time but it brought a blush back to her cheeks all the same.

"Hey, Yang, buddy, got a favor to ask," Sun said, leaving Blake alone long enough to throw an arm around the woman's shoulders. "Think you can hear me out?"

"Shoot," she replied, a little smirk on her lips.

"Blake over here has a crush on Snowflake-"

"Sun!" Although she really should've seen it coming, her head snapped towards him as she narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, come on, everyone gets a crush on Snowflake to start." Yang laughed, shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest. "Hell, half the people who come here are still thirsty for her."

"And how many does she tell to never come back?"

Brows furrowed as the woman looked between them. "Uh… none, far as I know… and that doesn't sound like her. I mean, getting people to come back is how she makes her money." She paused, giving Blake a suspicious once over. "Did you cross a line?"

She should probably be offended at the implication but, honestly, Yang was the bouncer and probably had her job in mind, so she just spread her hands in a placating gesture. "I don't think so?"

"Look, I'm not asking you to talk her into one way or the other." He patted the woman's shoulder. "Just hit us up if she changes her mind, yeah?"

Yang seemed to mull the idea over for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Gimme your number, Blake, just so I'm not using Sun as a middleman the whole time."

"Is this really necessary?" Even as she words left her mouth, she accepted Yang's scroll to input her contact details, sending a text just so she could save the number into her own device and not blow off any notifications if they came. "There."

"Any message you want me to pass along?" One blonde brow raised in askance and she should've just shook her head and turned towards Sun's car, thoroughly done with the rollercoaster of a night.

"I hope she's doing alright." Blake shrugged, ears flicking back as her blush returned. "And I was serious about dinner."

The bouncer nodded slowly, tucking her scroll into her pocket and sighing. "You know there's a pretty big chance you're going to get hurt, right?" She shrugged. "Snowflake's nice, once ya get to know her, but she's… guarded. Locked down tighter than an Atlesian fort and twice as deadly if she gets the notion."

She nodded, accepting the advice about as well as she did from anyone else. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

"Not the type to play it safe?" Yang chuckled, missing the way Sun rolled his eyes.

"More like the type to repeatedly make the same mistake and expect different results," she said with a self deprecating chuckle. "But maybe it'll go differently this time."

"Well, you are going after a woman this time," Sun said, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "So, maybe that'll change some things."

"Maybe."

---

Author's Note: I've been asked to continue this in multiple veins, which I'll probably do... at some point.