Game Over

by MaveriKat

In a world where videogame productions are more of an emphasis on production and the stars are very real people, how do they handle life in the limelight? In general? Or more importantly, the rise and fall of popularity? Two foxes on either end of the spectrum will meet and find out from one another. Rated M for Drug Abuse, Violence, Adult Language, and Adult Situations.

3. Two to Tango

Disclaimer: The "Star Fox" videogame series is owned by Nintendo and Platinum Games. The "Sly Cooper" videogame series is owned by Sony, Sucker-Punch Productions, and Sanzaru Games. There are also many other videogame properties but rest assured, I credit their creators and developers for the wonderful IP's that inspired this story. Said story itself is a fan-based non-profit work of fiction written strictly for entertainment purposes only. Please support the official releases.

Game Over

By MaveriKat & Nanya

Beta Read By Ego Dominus & Innortal

Chapter 3: Two to Tango

Stepping out of the VIP room, Carmelita couldn't keep the smirk off her face. She'd done it... she milked Strife for quite the amount of gil. She'd used her feminine and literal foxy wiles to get paid... and HOW! What surprised the vixen was that the aspect of having done such didn't bother her! She'd been rather sheepish in the beginning with the man that was–arguably–the face of Square-Enix but now that she found a groove? Shoot! She was ready to test the waters again and get another customer! Heck, she might even get up on stage and give these men a taste of what she could do–she knew how to shake those hips after all. She would make them all desire her so badly that when they got a chance to get near her, BAM! She was going to work them up to the point that these men just emptied their wallets for her!

Never going to worry about my financial troubles again, she thought with a chuckle as she walked down the hallway and back into the main room, a sway of her hips as she moved to stay balanced atop her heels; as well as hopefully catch the eye of anyone who happened to see her as she stepped out back into the main chamber of the club. She first needed a chance to put away her hard-earned cash and freshen up so she could be ready for more customers. The Hispanic vulpine doubted she would convey the right image of animal magnetism if she got up on stage all sweaty and covered in bills like some whore.

So walking up the small set of stairs by the back of the main stage–and hoping she didn't draw attention from the ginger beauty currently performing–the vixen stepped through the curtains and entered the back room that way. Yes, there was a proper entrance for it to the left of the stage itself but going through the curtain was just plain quicker when returning from the right. As it was, the blue-tressed fur entered the backstage area once more, the large prop and maintenance area serving double-duty as a group dressing room so the ladies could get ready for the evening or help each other for that matter with applying wigs, make-up, and changing into costumes... especially when it concerned getting into costumes! From what Carmelita had seen already stored there, some of those outfits were intricately-detailed pieces of art that seemed to exist solely for the sake of being overly complex and required handlers all their own to get someone ready for a night as club entertainment.

Almost made the furry woman glad she hadn't thrown out her box of crap from Sly's.

The vulpine looked about to see where she could set up. In the back were eight sets of vanity mirrors lined with light-bulbs atop of dressers with chairs for the ladies. They were rather chic sets done in a design that was reminiscent of the vanities from the 1920's and 30s'. Carmelita couldn't help but like the rather vintage charm to them, along with the beautiful detailing among the deep espresso wood. Obviously Lara's hand at work there, the Hispanic vixen thought with a grin. Even if this place was nothing but a glorified strip club, the woman still liked to add touches of British civility and sophistication where she could. If you don't feel like trash, you won't act like it. Now which should I—OH!

The Latina woman's train of thought was derailed as she realized she wasn't alone in the dressing room. Having been at the club before opening, the vulpine woman with navy blue tresses had been able to prepare herself for her first night in peace and quiet. Now however, there was a pair of ladies back there with her! The first to catch her attention was a dusky-skinned woman with short brunette hair fashioned into a peekaboo-style of bangs over the left side of her face, obscuring one of her green-flecked brown eyes. She was very athletically-built, muscular without sacrificing too much femininity and adorned with a rather interesting tribal tattoo around her left bicep that reminded the vixen of a claw pattern done up in an Aboriginal style. Said woman, however, didn't notice Carmelita's presence at all, too focused fussing over a pair of camouflage-patterned pasties she was having trouble getting to stick.

While Carmelita was unsure as to if this woman was a former videogame actress or not, there was no doubt concerning the other woman sitting down at another of the vanities. She was rather curvaceous, pale-skinned beauty with long, soft-violet colored hair who was dressed in an outfit that practically screamed sex. A sleeveless red leather bustier-like corset adorned with white feathers around the shoulder-straps and a small heart cut out of the midriff, blue nylons emblazoned with bat patterns and matching red leather boots. She was also adorned with a pair of red bat-like wings not only from her back between her shoulders but from the sides of her head as well. The Hispanic fur knew of only one woman who matched this appearance. "Morrigan Aensland?" the vixen called out in curiosity.

The purple-tressed woman who'd been applying eye-liner paused for a moment. "Oh for the love of..." she huffed. "How many times do I have to tell you people!" she snapped as she turned her chair about from her vanity and towards the room. "For the last fucking time, it's—oh..." she suddenly trailed off, the woman blinking her eyes as she stared at the vulpine standing there. "You're the new girl Miss Croft hired, aren't you, Miss Fox... right?" at the fur's nod, the succubus beauty rolled her crimson eyes. "Darn. I wish I caught you beforehand so we could get properly introduced. I just hate being mistaken for my sister..." then under her breath, she muttered, "That self-centered, irresponsible, lazy, self-indulgent, one-note twat..."

That made the Hispanic vixen blink her eyes once, twice, thrice. "...Sister?" she queried, the gears in her head turning as she processed that information. It had been about twenty years now but there was the appearance of a sister for the succubus slut back during the last proper Darkstalkers game that Capcom released. Her brown eyes going wide in shock, all the foxy woman could query was, "Lilith?"

"Yes, Lilith," the purple-tressed beauty of infernal origin replied.

The vixen was in an utter state of shock at that one. Capcom may have been multi-platform company but they had done a lot of work for Sony if not outright gave the company preferential treatment, so she was familiar with the goings-on and the staff to a degree. But to see Lilith like this? "Buh-but how? The last time I saw you... you were..." she trailed off, finding difficulty in gathering her thoughts and embarrassment in trying to find the right words. This had been quite a surprise and she really felt off her game.

"A what? A loli?" the succubus offered with a mischievous smirk. "Oh Foxy... the last time any of us other than Felicia and my stupid sister got any work was back in Darkstalkers 3. And that was over twenty years ago!" She rolled her eyes and put her hand on her hips. "You think that I wouldn't grow up in that time? Especially since I was bonded to that slut this whole time!?"

Although she was embarrassed to have it described like that, Carmelita nodded her head slowly in understanding. Crass an explanation as it was, that did make sense but... "What about all those crossover games? Surely you and the others were able to earn some form of income."

"Which ones?" the crimson-winged beauty queried. "Are you talking about all those cameos in the games like Pocket Fighter? Project X-Zone? Those Disgaea crossovers? The various Capcom Versus titles?"

"Yes." Carmelita said flatly, which in turn only got a laugh from the succubus.

"Fair enough," the violet-tressed beauty replied. "But the ones who came out on top were, once again my sister and Felicia. I admit that I was Marvel Versus Capcom 2, but only as a cameo to merge with Morrigan and a few of her victory fanfare poses." She sighed heavily, shaking her head. She could admit to herself that she at least still had it better than Jon. That poor werewolf was practically forgotten by Capcom when they weren't trying specifically to destroy his career. Then again, the company is practically shutting down these days, she thought with annoyance. It was a real shame that SNK wasn't doing too well either, she and a few others could have probably slipped over there and gotten into the King of Fighters games under assumed names.

Mulling over that for a moment, the shorter fur frowned. "So... what you're telling me is because Capcom has pretty much been worthless to you as an employer, you've decided to do your own thing and work here?" the vixen asked, making sure she had this right. It was rather trippy to see the petite succubus all grown up into what her species sake was... a sexual predator. "So they treat you well here?"

"Of course!" she chirruped happily. "When I was still younger-looking, Lara was kind enough to talk Richard into giving me a job as a dishwasher in the back so I could support myself..." her features crinkled as she remembered those days. "My hands were always so pruned by the time we finished, even with the layers of gloves I wore. Still..." she sighed wistfully. "The fact they'd give what was essentially a kid a job at all was very appreciated. That bitch of a sister does nothing for me." She snorted. "Fuck her; she may be blood but Lara and Richard have been more like family than she ever was!"

The dusky-skinned woman chuckled. "Hey there, Foxy! Don't mind all'a that little sheila's grand-standing. She's got a chip on her shoulder the size of New Zealand. She should be grateful; no one else that works here gets two pay-checks."

"Well that's because I also have a special job," the violet-tressed succubus huffed in annoyance. "I can still take a form more along the lines of a Lolita fetish when necessary to help them evict creeps who are getting too drunk or grabby with the girls. Seeing what looks like a child on their lap all of a sudden scares them sober and makes them run like hell!"

Blinking her eyes once, twice, the Hispanic fur could only query, "Seriously? They would put you through that?" Such didn't seem all that legal to her or in-character for what she knew of Lara for that matter. "Can't they just evict someone who's causing trouble? I mean, they have all these bouncers for crying out loud!"

"Yes they do," Lilith agreed. "But sometimes there are bad creeps who come in to hang low and evade law enforcement. Calling in the police would cause for a REAL problem if word got out that they use the Game Over. Instead, they send me in and call Chris Hansen."

Carmelita stared.

"We have him on speed dial," Lilith happily chirruped.

The Latina spitfire considered that for a moment. "Do I want to know?"

"Not really," Lilith replied as she shook her head. Opening her eyes, those crimson orbs settled on the vixen's frame. "So, first day on the job, huh? How's it been treating you?" from the amount of bills sticking out form the furry woman's thong, she was willing to bet it was off to a good start at the very least.

"Um... good, I guess," the vixen with navy blue tresses replied, sounding slightly unsure of herself as she needed to take a moment to think. "I came back here to clean up as it were. I was with a client who was very, very generous. Kept me in the back for nearly an hour... and tipped the whole damn time," she gave a shake of her hips, making the layered gil notes flutter.

"Cloud," both Lilith and the muscular brunette replied as one.

Nodding her head in response to that, Carmelita replied, "Yes. Mr. Strife was quite taken to see me. Couldn't keep his hands off of me as I straddled and caressed... his..." the flush of her embarrassment was visible through her cheeks. "Dios omnipotente... I can't believe I'm telling you two all of this." Never in her wildest dreams did the Latina vulpine think she would become so open about such things.

Smirking, the red-winged succubus told her foxy co-worker, "It's the club. The place really facilitates one's freedom of expression. You'd be surprised how many of the sweetest, kindest, innocent and purest ladies who first came here ended up being some of the club's raunchiest star attractions. They just became wild and amorous with the freedom they were afforded here."

The furry woman's eyes widened. "Really?" she whispered in awe. "Like who?"

Both Lilith and the woman with the Australian accent looked at each other for a moment. Turning their attention back to the vulpine dancer, they spoke as one, simultaneously offering the answer of, "Malon."

The furry woman blinked her eyes, taking a moment to try and place the name. It was only seconds before her eyes suddenly widened. "Wait... the girl from the Lon Lon Ranch? You mean THAT Malon!?"

"O~oooooh yes..." the brunette woman replied. "That farm-girl... holy crap!" she shook her head. "I never met her until I began working here but let me tell you, that woman is a goddamn wildfire of a stripper. Takes to dancing like a fish to water; ain't no shame on that one!"

Snorting, the succubus then verbally poked at the other woman teasingly, "Like you're one to talk, Sam!"

The deeply tanned woman turned about, glaring at the sexual demon. "Hey! It's not my fault no one took me seriously as a videogame star! I gotta strut my stuff to get some respect around here," she huffed before looking back down at her breasts, noticing her camouflage-patterned adornments were sliding off to expose her nipples once more. "God-fucking-damn it! Why do these pasties keep slipping!?"

The pale-skinned beauty rolled her eyes at her fellow stripper's complaint. "I keep telling you why, Sam. You have to apply more adhesive as needed," the violet-tressed succubus chided. "If you don't store them away properly when you're finished with them, then the things are just going to dry out! You need to seal those babies up in some sort of container when you're done for the night, not just toss them into a drawer and wait for next time!"

Grumbling irritably, the woman known as Sam replied, "Well some of us don't think like that. Some of us work with all we're given because we don't think there's anything else. We've spent so long trying to make the best of so little." She began to grit her teeth. "Like what those fuckers at Epic Games did. Only gave me the last game of a franchise to build up any rep and then those tossers at Microsoft gave me the fuckin' boot when they bought 'em outright!"

Wanting to end the bickering between the two, the furry woman tried to put things into perspective for the others. "At least we don't have Tim Shaefer as our boss." Carmelita grimaced, getting a sympathy wince from Sam and Lilith. Sure, Shaefer had brilliant ideas and put out some weird yet greatly innovative games but the way he treated everyone around him was just... despicable!

A shiver went up Lilith's spine at the thought. She would have rather have been stuck with a job as Jedah's sex slave than work for Tim! And considering the fucked up shit that Jedah was into, that was saying something.

After a moment of suppressing her shudder, Sam replied, "Yep... so much better working for our fellow videogame stars, even if they're retired ones." A small chuckle reverberated in her chest. "Still though, I can't help but feel cheated... you know? I did damn well with my role and what do I get? A, 'show's over, everyone vacate the premises'." She huffed. "Fuck those bludgering clackers anyway! Who fuckin' needs Gears of War, am I right?"

Nodding her head in agreement, all Lilith could say was, "I couldn't agree more, my angry Aussie. Personally, I never saw the appeal of First-Person Shooters anyway, especially those without a Third-Person Mode. I can only imagine all the filming you guys have to do with cameras strapped to your heads."

"A right pain in the ass it was," Sam huffed.

However, before the girls could continue talking, there was a tapping at the door that existed along what would have been the far left of the stage; the opposite end of the dressing room from where Carmelita had entered from when she used the curtains. "Ladies," a male voice spoke up as the door opened, and the founder of the Game Over walked in. "Samantha! Heads-up now; you're needed on stage in two minutes. Got it?"

"Right on, boss! Right!" she called back to the man as she pushed back and stood up from the vanity she was using. "Fuckin' A... a pox on these things," she huffed as she pulled off the nipple covers she had wanted to use and tossed them aside. Turning her attention back to the succubus, she asked, "Oi! Lili! You got any pasties I can borrow?"

Rolling her crimson eyes, the sexual demoness reminded her, "Sorry but no. I'm a succubus, remember? All of my clothes are just magical constructs I can bring into existence on a whim as needed thanks to my familiars. Once the clothing leaves my body, it ceases to exist."

"Of all the... right, right..." she took a deep breath, shaking her head in annoyance. Coming to a decision, she suddenly shouted, "Fuck it; topless it is then!" The muscular woman then turned about and looked at the vulpine lady one more time. "Before I go allow me say; welcome to the Game Over. Sorry I haven't had a chance to really greet you. The name's Samantha Byrne. People around here know me as, 'Duchashka' or 'The Duchess'."

"Or simply, 'Sam'," Lilith insisted. "We need to keep her Aussie ass humble somehow."

Seeing the woman clench her right hand into a fist, the curvaceous vixen adorned with navy blue tresses interrupted with, "Well, my name is Carmelita. Carmelita Montoya Fox. It is nice to meet you, Sam." She held out her hand in greeting.

Smirking, the taller woman knelt down slightly and grasped it, shaking hands with the shorter, furrier woman. "Hey, you know you're an all right gal. A lot friendlier than the infernal jailbait over here," she smirked as she heard Lilith huff. "Tell you what, you get through tonight and we'll toss back a few ambers afterwards; my treat."

The club founder and co-owner merely huffed as all this touchy-feely crap continued. "Yeah, yeah! Now get going, Sam. Time's wasting!" Duke shook his head as the woman stepped through the curtain before turning about to look down at the Latina vixen. "And you! Get yourself cleaned up. The customers don't mind the ladies a little sweaty, but too much turns 'em off, get it? You can borrow some deodorant too if you need it."

"Yes, Sir! Thank you, Sir!" Carmelita chirruped before saluting her boss. She then lowered her stance as the man headed back out into the club, closing the door behind him as he did so. With him gone, the fur then gazed about the room, looking at all the vanities. "So which one should I use..." she trailed off, not sure where she would be stationed.

Smiling, Lilith reached over and gently pat the seat next to her, opposite the one that Sam had been using. "Here. Lara brought your clothes in earlier and placed them at this once. She told me to keep an eye out for the new girl." Watching as the vixen came over, she allowed the fur to settle herself down on the chair first before continuing. "You know, you should feel honored. I can't think of any other time besides me that Miss Croft ever forced the issue."

Blinking her eyes, Carmelita paused in pulling gil notes from her thong. "What issue?"

"The hiring one," the purple-tressed infernal beauty replied. She looked over her shoulder, making sure her male boss had left before turning her attention back to the shorter woman. "She's been stealthily spreading the word to the dancers as she catches us alone. She knows that Duke really doesn't want to hire anyone right now; the entire month of January is slow as molasses and having another proverbial mouth to feed will cut into the bottom line. So if you need help to make the best of tonight to stay on, just ask."

The vixen nodded her head slowly in understanding. That was really nice of Lara to do for her. "Okay..." she said slowly, needing a moment to take that bit of news in. Inhaling deeply, the foxy woman then exhaled slowly. Feeling calmer, she continued, "Well, if that's the case, I can admit that I do have a couple of questions."

"Shoot," Lilith answered.

"I noticed that the customers pay the club to spend time with us in back rooms," she said in all seriousness. "But what about tipping; up front on stage or in the back with the VIP area?" she then held up a wad of the gil that Cloud had paid her for emphasis.

"Keep it together back here at your vanity for the night." She motioned to one of the drawers which the vixen noted were adorned with a dollar sign. "At the end of the night... or early morning, really... Duke is going to come back and tabulate your earnings. The club then sequesters a forty percent cut of what you made in tips."

That bit of truth made Carmelita wince. Ugh. Yet another deep bite into her earnings. "Do I at least get to keep the rest?"

"Of course!" she chirruped merrily. "And don't worry, Miss Fox. You'll make more here than you think," the crimson-winged succubus promised her. "It's why the club's take is so steep. This is a legitimate business and the boss-man needs to file taxes so you won't have to. So to prove you're working, you're also going to be getting a portion of the money the boss takes returned in the form of a bi-weekly paycheck so the Feds can keep track. Because of that, you can then file a W2 form at the end of the year to possibly get more back!"

The furry woman blinked her eyes once, twice, thrice. "I see..." she said slowly, admitting she felt some relief... and now further embarrassment. Good God, the fact she was an exotic dancer was going to end up on her tax returns? Shaking her head, the woman continued to pull all the money out of her clothing. Once she had it all collected, she opened the money drawer on her vanity, before stuffing it in. Slapping it closed, she murmured, "Now I just need a towel..."

Lilith held one out for her. "Here."

That startled the vixen. There certainly had NOT been one there before. "How...?"

"Succubus magic," the violet-tressed multi-winged beauty replied with a cheeky grin.

Taking the pale blue towel in hand and noticing it was the same color and pattern of her nylon leggings, the Latina vulpine looked back up at the succubus. "...These are bats, aren't they?"

At the woman's hesitance, Lilith rolled her eyes. 'They prefer the term, 'magical familiars who help me get naked and covered up' thank you very much."

Looking over the blue bath towel one more time, the foxy fur finally relented. She used it to gently wipe herself down, to pull the sweat from her fur so she could properly freshen up for a return the main room. Yet, as she cleaned herself, the vixen couldn't help but question, "And here I thought you said these things couldn't leave your body."

Smirking most mischievously, the succubus told her co-worker, "Silly vixy... I may be a sex demoness but I'm still a demon at heart. Lying is just par the course for my kind, really." She winked knowingly, somehow making a little cutesy spark effect of stars and hearts come off from violet lashes making contact.

Despite herself, Carmelita chuckled a bit. "And I take it such was another stab at, as you put it, 'keeping Sam humble'?"

"Bingo," the violet-tressed stripper of infernal origins replied. "I must say, you're quite on the ball here; very intelligent. What were you before this in your games? Some kind of scientist?"

Continuing to rub the bat-patterned blue towel over her, the Hispanic fox replied, "Detective, actually. It was graduating college and getting my law degree that made the gentlemen at Sucker-Punch Studios think I could play a convincing Interpol Officer."

"Ah, I see..." the voluptuous infernal beauty muttered as she considered that. Lilith then tilted her head to the side, her hair bobbing from the motion. "By the way, didn't you have one more question to ask? You did say you had a couple."

Nodding her head, the Hispanic vixen replied, "Sí. I do." She reached out and handed the towel back to the succubus who accepted; the article disrupting into her tiny crimson bat familiars once more before rejoining with her. "I was curious... just what pray-tell is the best way one can earn money around here?" she asked honestly. "I need to make sure I can meet the boss' deadline. He wants me to make four digits in one night if I'm to keep this job. So far, I've made three in less than an hour in gil... but at this rate, I'll be lucky to make it to that goal before closing." She took a deep breath. "I don't know about you, but I find that it IS tiring work." Especially so when the customers knew how to really work her up in return, as Cloud had been able to.

"And how," Lilith agreed. "Glad to see you don't think this is all just fun and games, too many ladies try to sign up with that mindset." The succubus then considered the Latina's inquiry for a moment before she finally answered, "Still, if you want an idea of how to tackle this, I can tell you what I learned from personal experience. I find that when it comes to raking in the green you can be creative all you want, it just comes down to finding someone who appreciates it. Someone like Cloud Strife is definitely one of the better customers but there are others who come here, real douchebags–like that Sonic jerk–who make you work you tail off for a couple of bucks. Oh no, if you want to make the kind of money you need to keep this job ASAP, you better hope one of the, 'sugar daddies' comes in."

Blinking her eyes once, twice, thrice, the vulpine woman could only question, "Sugar daddies?"

A small smile played on the taller woman's features. "Yeah, it's a nickname we have for the guys who come in and just toss money around as if they were breathing air; the major successes in our industry," the pale-skinned succubus replied. "Someone like John-117 the Master Chief, Solid Snake, Nathan Drake, or—"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"IT'S-A ME! MARIO!" the Italian stereotype chimed merrily as he stepped up to the podium. He grinned wide, looking up at the man who was on entrance duty; a tall and very muscular blond decked out in the club's standard attire for its bouncers. A black t-shirt that had the club's logo printed on it, a pair of denim jeans with a utility belt around the waist for tools of the trade, and while he couldn't see behind the podium, the man was wearing the required black shoes of some sort–leather boots in his case. However, to differentiate himself further, this bouncer was adorned with all sorts of facial piercings. A pair of lip rings on the left side of his bottom lips, nose-ring in his left nostrils, a half dozen earrings spread over both ear-lobes and a small chain banging from either, stud piercings on each blond eyebrow and a pair of devil horns on his forehead. "Ah, if it isn't-a Volt! Tell'a me, man! Are Kou or Sion workin' with you tonight?"

Looking down at the shorter Italian, the tall and muscular man sighed. "No. Tonight is Kou's night off... and Sion's spending court-mandated time with his bastard kid Sora. Whole lot of crock if you ask me; damn kid's more successful than his bleedin' father ever was thanks to all those Disney deals and endorsements."

To that bit of news, it was Link whom shook his head. If there was a company that could make most game characters want to jump ship, it was Disney. The sheer amount of money all those movie and cartoon stars brought in was insane. Of course, the Big-D was also one of the most evil corporations out there. And not just because they supposedly sucked the life out of everything they touched, but also how they refused to give up anything.

On the other hand, their greedy ways did help Nintendo keep all of its characters under contract, which was mostly nice.

"Oh, dat's too bad. Really sucks having to pay child support when really, it should be de other way around," Mario murmured in understanding. "Now then, you gonna let us in? Dis is a most special occasion!" he reached around Fox with his right arm and pulled him close, making the Papetoonian vulpine gasp out in surprise. "My paisano McCloud here? He's-a back in de big leagues, baby! And what better way to celebrate than hookers and blow!?"

His pierced eyebrows furrowing in annoyance, the tall and muscular bouncer stared down at the Italian who was much, MUCH shorter in comparison. "Damn it, Mario. You know we don't do any of that shit here. Game Over is a legitimate business venture of an adult nature." Even as he said that, he hoped the Italian didn't realize they were short-staffed when it came to security tonight. The dynamic angry warrior duo of Clark and Ralph also put in for their vacation time; it was just two bouncers tonight. And when there were so little if them to keep the peace, that was when the customers got rowdy... particularly the trouble-makers.

"Yeah, I know..." the mustachioed man replied. "So failing dat, we're gonna stare at some titties, get some drinks, spread de wealth, and hopefully invite one of these lovely ladies to come home with us at de end of de night." He pat his hand firmly down on Fox's shoulder as he kept him close. "Our boy needs to get'a LAID!"

"Damn it, Mario! Quit acting like this is my first time already," the vulpine pilot cursed in utter embarrassment, his face becoming flush through his... right before the blush became a whole other sort in origin as he could see one of the girls up on the stage from where they stood. Wow! Did that freckled redheaded cutie EVER have a rack!

Volt rolled his eyes at the antics of the two smaller videogame stars. He didn't know much about the fur but when it came to the mustached prick, he was already getting a bad feeling about this. Still, at least if they did something stupid with or without one of the girls off-grounds, then at least it wasn't the club's problem. "Fine. You know the drill, plumber. Twenty-five dollar entry fee and one mandatory drink purchase per person."

Nodding his head, the Italian in Hawaiian shirt released his hold of the more conservatively dressed vulpine so he could reach into his wallet. He pulled out a hand filled with shiny gold and counted it out before raising the cash up to the man. "There. Seventeen gold coins. Keep'a de change, you filthy animal."

Snorting, the bouncer adorned with horn piercings put fifteen of the coins into the cash box within the podium and pocketed the last two. "Fine, just get going."

And with that, the trio walked further into the club, gazing around the place, overall admiring the atmosphere. Interestingly enough, it was the blond Hylian among them who had the wandering eye. Place looks better than I remember it, the Hero of Hyrule thought with a bit of awe. It really does look—

"Hello, boys," a female voice greeted with a sultry purr, causing Link's train of thought to go careening off the spirit tracks violently as he heard that somehow familiar voice speak up. "Any of you care for a private... showing?"

The leather-clad game star turned his gaze to the source, practically trembling. As much as he thought his eyes were deceiving, he knew that face... that voice. "Mah-Malon?" Link gulped. This couldn't be the same girl he worked with in the Ocarina of Time, could it? Sure, that was years ago and people do change, but she was...

"Wowza mia!" Mario gaped, staring at Malon, who was quite different from the proverbial farmer's daughter she had once been. Her long sylvan ears were now adorned with several silver piercings and feet in cuffed boots that went half-way up her calves were now four-inch heel variants which were accented a thick leather thigh band; a garter adorned with a silver decoration of the Legend of Zelda series' Tri-Force sigil. However, the changes that really stood out were in place of the lovely dress, she now wore brown short-shorts which didn't really cover up... well... anything! They were left unbuttoned and open in the front, showing off a top of her red pubic hair which was shaved into the sigil of the Tri-Force for crying out loud! Along with that was a pair of pink panties, which they only knew because they seemed to be a high-cut thong with the waistband raising up higher than the shorts rose, it made for an enticing, arousing sight. And of course, there was her three sizes too small and nearly see-through white tank top covering her breasts, which had to be at least an I-Cup in size and areolas the width of a baseball!

Once they were done taking in the sight of the incredibly sexy ginger Hylian, it was the Papetoonian vulpine of the gawking trio who managed to voice his thoughts first. "...How are you able to walk?" Fox had to ask. "Your back must be killing you."

Turning to his buddy with an incredulous stare, all Mario could query was, "She offers a private showing and you want to know about her back!?" Honestly, it was like trying to lead a horse to water with this one!

A grin split across her face and she couldn't help but giggle at the fur's honest response. "Oh, you have no~Oooo idea..." the freckled elven beauty replied. "But the best part is that what you see here? It's all natural." She then ran her fingers up and down her sides for emphasis.

"...I don't believe it," the pointy-eared blond muttered in shock, simply gawking at the redhead in awe. No way. There was just no way in hell those things were completely natural! She had to have implants to be that big! That was a polygon count that went BEYOND 128 Bits!

"Believe it," the redheaded sylvan beauty cooed with pride. "Probably thanks all that Lon-Lon Milk I had while growing up. It does a body good after all," she added before she raised both her arms up and arched backwards a bit, making sure to thrust her chest out towards the Nintendo Alumni. "A shame I didn't get to work on more projects with you, Link. Still, getting to come back for the Oracle games and even reprise Marin's role for the Link's Awakening remake was a load of fun." She smirked, holding the pose, allowing her nipples to press straight against the material of her white tank-top which had become slightly sheer from the sweat she had worked up while dancing. "And I hope we can work together again."

The blond hero just stared at his fellow Hylian as she thrust out her chest, his jaw raising up and down in wordless shock as he took stock of the woman before him...his eyes drinking in the sight of curvaceous and expansive swaths of freckled fair skin that would have made any man sing in praise of Hyrule... or at least for the desire to take the High Road in Scotland.

After a moment of just staring at what the woman had to offer, all the mustached Italian could say was, "Holy shit, Link... I think'a you chose de wrong one."

"Shut up!" the leather-clad sylvan male hissed at his longtime friend and co-worker. Oh, he hoped to Naryu, Farore, and Din that no one else he knew was around. If Zelda got word of him fraternizing with Malon like this...

The woman giggled and lowered her arms, causing the bull pendant of her neckerchief to bounce within the valley of her cleavage. "Relax, Link. You know I love you too much to try and screw up your marriage." Though, talking Zelda into agreeing to a three-way? Yeah, Malon would be all over that one.

Although he was obviously relieved to hear that, it was also clear as day to anyone that he was uncomfortable with all this. "Yeah, but you know Zelda..." he murmured, trailing off. He really did love his wife but for the life of him, he found he really had to fight to maintain eye contact with his fellow Hylian.

To that pathetic excuse, Malon merely rolled her eyes. "Really?" she asked, a slight hint of annoyance to her voice. "After hearing about that bombshell of a Twili you worked with in Twilight Princess, not to mention Ruto, Lana, and Cia? All of which you never took advantage of in the slightest? You would think she'd be secure in your relationship by now, right?"

Taking a deep breath, the pointy-eared male replied, "I know Malon, I know..." he murmured sadly. "And believe me, Midna was also QUITE forward about wanting a... erm... a threesome with Zelda and I..." he began to blush a bit. "Trust me, it did not go over well. She's very protective when it comes to, 'us'... that is, me and her, you know?" he offered in explanation, trying not to hurt and old friend's feelings.

Sighing, the ginger Hylian nodded her head in understanding. "Yeah, I know. Still, knowing how you feel about your marriage, it's a surprise you came out here again. Last I knew you had stopped by once for... what, some Bachelor Party?"

Nodding his head, the man brought his left hand up behind his head, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Yeah. I don't get out to places like this often, if at all. The only reason I came the last time was because Cloud was the one who'd been invited to his pal's party and he chose me as his plus-one to bring with him."

It was then another voice interrupted with a chime of, "Which, by the way, you're welcome."

The group slowly turned towards the source of said interruption, finding it to be said blond as he sat at one of the tables. His gloved hand firmly gripped a drinking glass while a redhead was entertaining him. With her hair in a set of ponytails atop her head and clad in only a red thong, gold nipple tassels, pink knee-high socks and shiny black schoolgirl shoes, the woman was atop said table, shaking her ass practically in the man's face as he tried to enjoy his drink.

Needless to say, it was the plumber who reacted mostly energetically upon seeing the Final Fantasy star. "Oh, holy shit! Cloud! Good to see you!" Mario chimed as he made his way over to the leather-clad man's table. "How you, doin', you spiky-haired sonnuvabitch who jumped from de Nintendo 64 to a fucking glorified Super NES add-on because cartridges weren't-a good enough for your fancy, schmacy FMV bullshit?"

Needless to say, with the barrage of insults that suddenly went flying, the vulpine male of the group winced. Oh fuck, there it went already... they had only just arrived and Mario was making waves with the other customers! Damn, they're going to kick us out for sure. Hopefully I can at least get that drink before they toss us to the curb.

Cloud mere snorted at the shorter man's heated accusations. "Please," he said with a clear tone of annoyance. "That system would have needed over a dozen cartridges plus a memory expansion to handle my game. Besides, I had no control over that. Why do you think Enix eventually bought Squaresoft out a few years later? They had no clue what they were doing and it took the people behind the damned Slime memes in Japan to keep us from sinking."

"...Point..." Mario grumbled as he finally relented. As much as he hated to admit it, that full motion video bullshit had been pretty impressive, even if it aged about as well as a glass of milk in June. At least the N64 never had to deal with load times, he thought before continuing aloud, "So, anyone good on tonight?"

Fox released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, just relieved that Cloud Strife could be the bigger man about things and remain civil. So with that proverbial Bob-Omb diffused, the Papetoonian vulpine turned his attention from the spiky-haired blond in black leather watching a booty-shaking redhead... to the pointy-eared blond in black leather talking with a buxom redhead. "Hey, Link?" he queried.

"And then I..." the Hylian trailed off as he heard his name called. His eyes turning to see it was Fox, he then told his fellow Legend of Zelda series alumni, "Er, one moment, Malon." He turned from the voluptuous farm-girl and to the vulpine in full. Leaning over so he was closer to the furry pilot, he asked, "What is it, good buddy?"

"I'm going to hit the bar. Did you want to come with?" he offered to his friend. "Part of the entry fee was the requirement to get a drink."

Considering that for a moment, the sylvan male replied, "Sure, man." Straightening himself back up, the Hero of Hyrule tilted his head to the left, looking at the former farm-girl who was blessed with the impressive, 'tracts of land'. "You want to join us, Malon? It'll be my treat."

The woman smiled sadly. "Oh, I would love to, but unless I'm making money the boss-man gets all pissy." She shook her head. "Though, if you want a turn in one of the VIP rooms..." she winked at him. "And don't worry! I promise you Link, no sex. Just looking and maybe some fondling, but mostly looking."

The blond Hylian blushed immensely at what the redheaded beauty offered. "Er... well I..." he stumbled over his words, feeling very self-conscious. "Actually if you wouldn't mind helping my friend Fox here, I would be glad to—"

"What de fuckin' fairy boy means to say," Mario spoke-up, butting into their conversation. "Is dat he'd be glad to!" He then took Malon's hands and cupped them together before taking his Giant Wallet out his Bermuda shorts' pocket and emptying fifty gold coins into her palms. "There we go! Dat will cover an hour, easy! Now take'a his pointy-eared, lily ass to de back and make a fairy MAN out of him!"

The Hylian rancher and famer-turned-exotic dancer rapidly looked back and forth between the Italian and the gold in her hands, doing a rather impressive impression of a bobble doll. Finally, a huge grin split across her features before she handed the gold back to the plumber. "Please make sure Miss Croft gets this..." and with that said, she grabbed hold of the blond male.

"H-HEY!" Link yelped as Malon started to drag him away with her superior physical strength. Blushing like crazy as she had him in a headlock with the side of his faced pressed up against one of her tits, the pointy-eared male shouted, "Mario! MARIO! MARIO~OOO!"

"Oh, calm'a your bitch-ass down!" Mario shouted before rolling his eyes, in annoyance. Honestly, what was his deal? It wasn't like anyone here was going to tell Zelda. Turning his attention back to the leather-clad blond that still remained, he inquired, "So, Cloud, tell'a me. How's your life been? I hear you're finally getting de remake of your game dat you and all de fans have been'a beggin' for."

He nodded his head as he watched the redheaded cutie continue to shake her ass before him, the swordsman currently sans his buster sword slapped a one-thousand note gil to her booty with a fleshy smack. "That I did. Although I wasn't the one begging for it, everyone else on staff was..." he said in all honesty as he took out his wallet once more. Counting out some more gil, he explained, "Between all the cameos, the Dissidia games, and all that damned Kingdom Hearts bullshit I had to show up for... Square-Enix just hasn't let up on me."

"Oh, wah-wah! Cry me a river–or in your case, a life stream!" the Italian stallion huffed; the snort strong enough to cause the hairs of his mustache to flutter. "Oh boo-hoo! Like'a you're de only one to get run through'a de ringer by their bosses? Man up bitch or I'm gonna start callin' you a fairy boy too!"

Interestingly enough, to those snide remarks, the blond merely chuckled. Closing his blue eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath before admitting, "If it had been any one else to come at me with such an unsympathetic if not outright antagonistic response... I would've slugged them hard. But you?" He opened his eyes again and turned to Mario, smirking. "You're one of the few people who would know what it's like, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, that's-a me. Hardest working mother-fucker in de business," the brunette Italian replied with equal parts pride and regret. Taking a deep breath himself, the short-stuff queried, "So what you up to these days? Possibly Tifa?" he wagged his eyebrows at the other gaming mascot.

Sighing, Cloud replied, "Miss Lockheart and I have an... arrangement of sorts. We own a business together that we work on outside of the games. Does well enough..." he murmured. "It's basically a glorified delivery service, really... but the job has its perks."

"Thirty-six Double-D perks?" Mario offered suggestively.

A smirk graced the spiky-haired blond's lips. "I've got no complaint," Cloud replied as he leaned back in his chair, the cheeks of the stripper jiggling for his viewing pleasure. "I guess you can call it, 'co-workers with benefits'." He really couldn't complain about the arrangement. He got laid more than nearly every other Final Fantasy lead.

Nearly, because Zidane never had any problems with the whole, 'fuck and tell' thing and some of the others did get married to their co-workers. The ones that did would talk with him about how their lives were going whenever they worked together in those cross-over games, which he was actually thankful for.

They may have been annoying at times, but working for the bosses they had? The Final Fantasy alumni, no matter what numbered entry they had been in, had a kind of kinship.

"So, other than trying to get your best friend in trouble with his wife and your furry friend laid, what brings you here?" the soldier finally asked of the Italian mischief-maker.

"Ain't dat obvious?" Mario asked with a smirk. "I'm here to make'a dis a Mario Party!" he grinned wide as he said that. "I got de bling to make it shine!" His smile became downright devious. "Because honestly, neither of my two friends have'a de coin to pay for a real night at de Game Over. Link spends his earnings on family life for de most part and Fox has only started working again after a decade! So they need me to play, 'Big Daddy Warbucks' to their little Orphan Annie pansy asses!"

When the blond turned to meet his gaze, the vulpine's shoulders sagged. "...I just wanted to get liquored up," Fox said in all seriousness.

Huffing in annoyance, the plumber then added, "Yes, dat and the fact neither of them has any imagination when it comes to partying hearty!" Shaking his head in disgust, he told the spiky-haired blond, "Anyway, I'll catch up with you later, Cloud. I need to get to the bar and drop off de coins for Link's lap dance and get this whiny bitch here a drink!"

Cloud laughed and waved Mario off, not at all phased by the Italian's rather crass attitude. Really, Mario may have been a jerk, but anyone who had to work with their bosses constantly probably would turn out to be a one given time.

Lord Miyamoto only knew how many times Squall or Lightning called him a jerk.

Making their way over to the bar, Mario looked over to his furry compatriot. "McCloud, what is your problem? There are girls here; sexy girls at dat. Why can't you just fuckin'' relax and start spending your money on one? Dat's why I fuckin' gave you a Giant's Wallet stuffed to de brim in de first place!" he grumbled irritably.

"I don't mean to be ungrateful, really," the vulpine pilot replied as he followed in step with the plumber. "It's just... this feels..." he stumbled on his words, trying to figure out how he felt.

Feeling a sappy moment coming on, the mustachioed male groaned. "Oh, for the love of..." Mario rolled his eyes. "Just spit it out, already!"

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, the fox finally replied, "It just feels like it's too soon, you know? I never truly got over Krystal leaving and... I... that is..." he trailed off again, just sputtering nonsense now. Oh why is it so hard to form sentences? he mentally groused.

Raising an eyebrow, the Italian paused in his step. A surprisingly calm expression came over that mustached face as he looked into the vulpine's green eyes with his own blue. "Fox... as painful as it is to accept, she's never gonna come back," he said in all seriousness. "And dat's because she loved you. If she thinks she's poison to your relationship with Nintendo than she's not gonna get back together with you to protect you. As horrible as it was for you to lose her, she was showing you mercy. I understand it hurts but it's-a been five years now. You need to pick'a yourself up and move on with your life already."

His head low, Fox closed his eyes. As much as what his friend told him made sense, it was still a bitter pill to swallow. Feeling pained by it, he could only whisper, "Just... just get me a drink already..."

"...Fine..." Mario let out a sigh as they walked the rest of the way, climbing upon a pair of vacant stools. Seeing the Tomb Raider herself working the bar, the Italian nodded his head to Lara in respectful greeting. "So, tell me Lara. What's the best drink for someone who needs to loosen up and try to forget past love interests?"

The comment immediately caught the ponytailed woman's attention. "Oi... that's a tough one," Lara murmured, taking a moment to consider the reason for drinking. Then, after a few moments of thought, she reached about and grabbed a bottle of tequila off the shelf, placing it down on the counter between the two men. "I think this will suit your needs just fine."

Taking the bottle of tequila that was packaged in a rather stunning pewter decanter, Mario turned it about in his hands. "Jose Cuervo: 1800 Coleccion?" he questioned as he read the label out loud. He looked up at the British brunette for further clarification.

The statuesque beauty smiled. "Trust me, it's one of the best you can get. Not to mention that the proof is enough to knock out more than a couple of brain-cells in one go. Although I will admit, it's on the expensive side: a couple hundred dollars for shots or you can have the whole bottle for two-thousand dollars," the ponytailed woman behind the counter offered.

Needless to say, that bit of information shocked the vulpine out of his self-pity stupor. "Two-thousand dollars!?" he cried out in horror. Good Lord, he could have purchased an entire shelf at his local liquor store with that kind of scratch!

Nodding her head, the retired Tomb Raider explained, "Why yes. It's a special tequila blend that takes a decade to casket-distill. It gives the liquor a gorgeous golden color and because it's been aged for so long, that makes it so when you drink it, the tequila not only hits you with a slow burn thanks to the ten-year-old, mature agave plant recipe... but it leaves a delightful touch of almond on the tongue afterwards for a refreshing sensation." She smiled. "It's my personal favorite and something I only offer to people of quality taste."

"In other words," the Italian began with a smirk as he removed his Giant Wallet from his pocket, the white and gold-threaded sack looking fit to burst at the seams. "You only offer it if you know someone can afford it." He chuckled as he tilted the bag and poured four hundred coins onto the counter. "We'll take'a de bottle, just hand us a couple of clean glasses and some limes. Also," he continued, switching gears. "Before I forget..." the tanned Italian then reached further down the countertop with his wallet of Hylian origin and poured forth another fifty gold coins. "Dis pile is for Link's lap-dance in de back. He's with dat fine Malon girl."

Lara nodded, laughing softly to herself as she had to sweep the gold into a drawer behind the counter with her hand. She loved it when one of the, 'sugar daddies' came in. For the most part, they were quite lively and all of them were always so generous with their cash. "I hear that," she murmured before straightening up. Then, talking loud enough to be heard, she told the two, "Two clean glasses, coming right up!"

Giving the woman a two-fingered salute, the mustached male replied, "Thanks, gorgeous!"

"Tuh... two... thousand..." Fox muttered, twitching as his mind reeled from how much the man spent without batting an eye... on alcohol at that! Just how much scratch did Mario bring in? Enough to buy freaking Sony!?

Snorting at the shock coming from the pilot, the Italian short-stack replied, "Please. It's just a measly two grand! I can make dat much in working an afternoon at Stanford..." he replied in all seriousness.

That statement made Fox blink his eyes. "Wait a minute," he murmured before he turned his head towards the human. "Stanford? As in the hospital?" At the mustached man's nod, the furry pilot's eyes widened in shock. "You work at a hospital!?" he cried out in shock.

"Of course!" Mario chirruped. At the incredulous expression on his friend's face, he asked, "What? Did you think my, 'Doctor' title was just a gimmick?" He chuckled and shook his head. "Why do you think I was working as a carpenter... and then a plumber... in the first place?" he murmured softly, thinking back to his early days. "Truth was, I was'a simply working my way through Med school."

For a moment, Fox didn't know how to reply to that. Finally though, he tried to explain, "I always thought you just had a pharmacist degree... I mean, this still explains how you're able to get the medications but..." he trailed off, his world-view shattered once again. The more he learned of the Icon of Nintendo, the more he realized just how much he didn't know the man.

Shaking his head, the short human could only reply, "It's-a okay, Fox. I've gotten used to it..." he whispered that last part.

However, being a vulpine and having more sensitive hearing, the pilot did catch the comment. So, trying to be a good sport, he continued, "...Well, it makes more sense than the theories I heard..." Fox muttered, causing Mario to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Some say you got your degree by watching reruns of House, Scrubs, and E.R."

A smile twitched at the right corner of the Italian's lips. "...I've heard that song as well," Mario said, giving the fox a small nod. Hell, if he were honest with himself he could admit that he found the tune rather catchy... even if it was full of crap. Still, his mouth eventually upturned into a full grin. "But I admit, they are brightly colored pills." He pat his pocket opposite the one that held his wallet, signaling to the vulpine that he was carrying.

Before Fox could response, the brunette woman returned to their end of the counter with a tray. Placing it down before them, she said, "There we go, gentleman. A pair of glasses and I sliced a couple of fresh limes for you. Will there be anything else? We do have snack options available; I can even bring a menu if you want."

Looking down at the plate filled with quartered pieces of green citrus fruit, the mustached man looked up at Lara with a grin. "Actually, maybe you could." He smirked. "You were always de best dancer I'd ever known, Lara. Fox here needs a serious pick-me-up really, really bad... and I know if anyone could put a smile on his face, it's you."

That gave the club co-owner pause. "It's... been awhile," she admitted. Years really but oh boy, Lara knew she could still rock it if she wanted to. Heck, her last night as an exotic dancer she managed to earn over ten grand on tips! And that was just on stage, not including any of the private dances I gave, she couldn't help but remember with a bit of pride.

But still...

And just like that, a proverbial light went off in the woman's head as she realized that while she didn't need it, this situation was perfect for someone else. Giving the Italian male a most lovely smile, she finally answered, "I admit that I probably could rock Fox's world to the point where I ruin him for any woman thereafter..." she winked at the Papetoonian, feeling pride as he blushed through his fur. "However, I believe I have a far better option for him." As the two looked at her curiously she explained, "If you two will wait just a bit, I'd like to introduce you to the club's new girl... one who I think you're both just going to love..."

"Oh really now?" Mario's smile widened. "New girls are always fun." After all, it was cute watching them stumble at times. More importantly, perhaps that would ring a chord with his friend, who himself was stumbling through life in an effort to get back on top.

"Yes," she replied with a smile of her own. "We've still yet to even get her on stage for a proper introduction; Cloud immediately snatched her up for a dance in the VIP Rooms and since then she's been cleaning up. But if you boys patiently sit here and enjoy your drinks, I can certainly head back to see if she's ready for another customer."

Smiling wide, Mario lifted up the bottle of limited edition Jose Cuervo and tilted it in her direction in mock salute. "Thanks babe. You were always my favorite," he said. While he was rather relaxed about it, the warmth in his voice made it very clear he was being genuine about that statement.

Nodding her head, the woman pushed back from the counter and shouted to the nearby open door at the end of the bar, "Hey, Richard! RICHARD!"

"WHAT?" a masculine voice shouted from within the other room.

"Watch the bar for me; I need to go in the back and get one of the girls!" she shouted in the direction of the open door. "We have a customer requesting her!"

"All right!" the male voice from within the room shouted back. "I'll keep an eye out; I can see the bar just fine from here!"

Nodding her head, the woman replied, "Thanks!" she then turned her attention back to the Italian and the Papetoonian and offered them a knowing smile. "Be right back with you," she told them with a merry tone before she came around the bar and headed towards the back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"A~aaand... voila!" Lilith cooed as she finished combing Carmelita's hair. "We got the right amount of bounce back!" She knew from personal experience that sweat could really play havoc on a hairdo. Getting everything–be it hair, clothes, or even skin condition–back in order simply went much smoother when there was more than one person involved. "I have to admit, I am a tad jealous. Your hair is quite healthy and the shade of navy is just perfect for you."

That statement caught the furry woman's attention. Blinking her eyes in surprise, she turned her head towards the infernal beauty who'd helped her. "Really? But why would you be jealous? Can't you change your hair color at will?" Carmelita asked in surprise. Although she didn't complain as she had to admit, it was a rather nice having someone comb her hair for her.

Giving the vulpine a nod, the infernal beauty replied, "I could... but it's harder for me to pull off that color with this skin tone of mine, let alone my wings," she told the vulpine in all seriousness. "I need to stick with a much paler color palette. I could never pull off the deep colors like yours without the proper wardrobe to balance it out."

"Oh..." the vixen replied in understanding. "Well... I still want to thank you for your assistance," she offered in gratitude. Standing up, she looked at herself in the vanity's mirror. "I do look ready for another go out on the floor."

"Before you do just wait here a second more," Lilith cooed as she searched over the items atop her vanity set. "Let's see, let's see, where did I—AH HA!" she cackled with almost devious delight as she pulled up a crystalline perfume spray bottle from the mass of others. Holding the cushion and air hose in one hand and the rest in the other, she told the shorter woman, "Now close your eyes, Carm. I think a splash of lilac and lavender would do wonders. You got the fresh look down but it's best to make sure there's no strong scent of body odor lingering."

Carmelita nodded as Lilith squeezed the bottle's spray-cushion, releasing a light dusting of perfume on her. When she felt the gentle mist in the air fade, the vulpine woman took an experimental sniff of the air; her eyes widening in delight. "Oh wow, but that's a nice scent. It's not too strong either." She wasn't a fan of overpowering aromas.

"I'm a demon, remember? My senses are pretty strong too!" Lilith smiled as she took in the whole package that the vixen presented. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect! If you were trying to catch a date, you'd knock the guy out." The crimson-winged succubus laughed softly. "Scratch that. He'd probably turn into a cave man, club you over the head, and take you home with him!"

Chuckling nervously at the infernal woman's rather lavish description, the Latina vulpine replied, "Er... that's not exactly the outcome I'm hoping for." She'd be happy to pay her bills at the moment, let alone try finding a guy.

"Oh trust me, sugar. You are..." the violet-tressed woman said with a grin. "Oh, are you ever. Some of these guys here need to be clubbed over the head with a visual presentation if you want them to open their wallets to you. That's the only way you're going to make it in this business."

Before the Hispanic vulpine could response to that, there was a sudden pounding at the door again, letting them know someone was entering. They both turned just as the door opened, revealing it to be their female boss this time. "Hey girls, is Carmelita back here?" her eyes wandered about, before her sight settled on the only two present in the dressing room at the moment, the succubus and the her goal. "AH! There you are, Carmelita!" She brought her right hand up and crooked her finger in a beckoning motion. "Come with me, please! I have a potential customer for you up front!"

Needless to say, that comment made the foxy beauty blink her eyes in surprise. "Oh, really?" she queried, her voice hopeful. At the woman's nod, she was practically beaming. "Oh thank you, Miss Croft! I'll work hard to bring in the needed money!"

Now the woman was smirking. "Hopefully you won't have to work hard at all. It's one of the sugar daddies and he's covering a friend." She had to laugh as the fox's eyes widened and her smile went wide. "I take it someone already brought you up to speed on that?"

Nodding her head, Carmelita practically barked out, "Of course!" She rushed over to the woman and took both hands in hers, enthusiastically shaking them in appreciation as she said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll do my very best for everyone! Just lead me to them and they'll see what I'm capable of!"

Lara couldn't help but smile as she heard the new girl's jubilant proclamation of assured victory. "Good! Just keep that attitude up and you'll make quite the profit here." The British woman then motioned towards the door. "Now come on. Time's wasting. We need to make sure you meet your quota and this will do it!"

With that said, a revitalized Carmelita was quick to follow the woman out through the door of the dressing room and head back into the club's main chamber; the corner of her eyes catching sight of Sam who was still on stage along with another of the girls she'd yet to meet. Some brunette clad in orange bikini combo that appeared to be of Latin or multiracial descent, particularly as there seemed to be a hint of Japanese to her. She also had the most unique white boots the vixen had ever seen, like they were solid white plastic molded to her feet, adorned with black accents and a curved heel that started from the back of the leg, just under the back of the knee-point. Quite the fashion statement, she thought with interest before turning away...

...And in doing so, missed that the boots were somehow keeping her in perpetual motion, making the woman continuously spin around the pole as if she were a helicopter blade.

"So Lara," the vixen chirruped as she continued to stay in step with the co-owner of the Game Over club as they weaved about the tables. "Just where are these custom—oh Dios mío! Is that Mario!?" she cried out as she came upon the bar with the British woman.

Hearing a lovely-sounding female voice call out his name, the Italian plumber turned about to check on who spoke. He relaxed as he saw Lara was with her; only to do a double take as he realized just what kind of woman the retired Tomb Raider had brought out with her. Spinning his bar stool around so he was facing them completely, he began elbowing his friend with his left elbow. "Hey! HEY! McCloud! You gotta check dis hottie out!"

Lowering his glass form his lips, the man hunched over the bar replied, "What? I'm trying to enjoy my tequila!" Noticing the man's outstretched arm, Fox looked towards where Mario was pointing... and stared. Oh God, did he stare. He knew that it wasn't Krystal, but... damn! A vixen? And one that was that good looking to boot?

What were the odds?

"Gentlemen," Lara spoke up to get their attention as she motioned to the furry woman beside her. "I would like to introduce you to the latest member of the Game Over family: Miss Carmelita Montoya Fox."

"Ah, hola," she greeted the two, bringing her right hand up and waving at them. She was fighting very hard to keep from gushing. This wasn't just a couple of celebrities, oh no. This was the most handsome male fox she'd ever laid eyes on and THE Mario. "I was told you were looking for an available dancer for your entertainment. If you want, I would be more than happy to make your evening."

Chuckling, the man who was practically the mustached face of Nintendo turned towards his friend. "What do you think, Fox? Is she something or what?"

For his part Fox... just continued to stare. He felt an ache in his chest as he looked at this woman. She was just so... so beautiful. And lord, she's got blue hair, he thought as he noticed that while she was more of a red fox compared to his cape fox in breed origin, she managed to maintain a lot of dark navy to her natural color with the hair on her head.

And God and Miyamoto knew that he was a sucker for ladies with a touch of blue.

The Italian smiled, feeling pleased to see his pal so enamored with the woman. "Seems dat my friend here is'a too stunned for words." Mario smirked and nodded. He raised up his hand and began snapping his fingers in front of his furry paisano's face. "Yo, McCloud! Wakey-wakey! You're staring like a horny fourteen-year-old who just saw his first pair of titties." Or looked up Peach's dress in Melee, Miyamoto only knew how many screen-caps of that he had seen online.

Needless to say, that broke the male vulpine out of his daze. "Er... I...um..." he brought his hand up, running it over his hair. "Sorry," he apologized, although to who he wasn't specific. "Just... you really caught me off-guard, Miss...?" he cringed. "Oh for the love of..." he shook his head in annoyance at himself. "Sorry, so sorry! I know Lara introduced you just now but I was kind of distracted by... well..." he motioned to Carmelita and took a deep breath before blurting out, "You're stunning!" There, he thought with a bit of embarrassment. I said it. Hopefully she doesn't think me a complete and utter weirdo.

Despite herself, Carmelita found his reaction... rather charming, actually. He wasn't being grabby or too forward, he was just being honest with himself. And while some might see such inattentiveness as unprofessional, the woman did get a slight thrill knowing she was the one who did it to him. "It's all right, sir. If it helps I never got your name either." She held out her right hand to him. "Again, I'm Carmelita. Carmelita Montoya Fox. It's nice to make your acquaintance, Mister...?" she trailed off, allowing him to fill her in.

Realizing that her hand was directly in front of him, the male vulpine quickly placed his glass back on top the bar counter. Reaching out, he grasped her hand gently and shook it in greeting. "Fox. Captain Fox McCloud. A pleasure to meet you, Carmelita..." he managed to say, doing his best to suppress the goofy grin he felt spreading across his face... and failing to do so.

With that revelation, Carmelita couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise. This was Fox? Sheesh, his name might not have been as big as say Mario or Link... or even Samus... but everyone who knew of Nintendo knew his name, especially since he was always near the top-tier in every entry of the Smash Bros. game series. "Oh! Um... wow!" She laughed softly, feeling slightly nervous again herself. "Sorry about that, sir. I..." she blushed. "I didn't recognize you."

Fox gave the woman a crooked grin at that statement. "No surprise, really. Besides Smash, I've been out of action for the past decade. Glad to know that someone like you remembers me."

Smiling in a rather cheeky fashion, the mustachioed man added, "Which is what brings us here, Miss Fox." Again, he brought a hand up to pat the canid pilot on the shoulder. "My friend Captain McCloud here is coming back to the forefront of Nintendo; his new game releases in a couple of months and he's gonna be the shiz-nit once more! So we decided dis man deserves a celebration..." he eyed Carmelita with a gaze that bordered between lustful and hopeful. "We're just hoping dat someone like you would be there to celebrate with my pal."

"AH!" She chirruped at hearing that, nodding her head in understanding. If she could get a job again, she would be out celebrating too. "I can do that! Maybe something more... private, perhaps?" she offered with a sensual tone.

"Well, hit me with a blue shell and call'a me royally fucked, dat would be perfect!" he turned to his pal and smirked. "Wouldn't it, McCloud?" Mario asked as he slapped Fox on the back, causing him to stumble slightly atop his stool.

Despite the sudden friendly smack, the Papetoonian vulpine managed to keep himself from falling off his seat. Sitting upright as he regained his balance, the pilot thought for a moment about how Mario had handled things for Link. And so for the first time that night, he took out the Giant's Wallet that Mario had gifted him for his evening at the club. Retrieving fifty gold coins from it, he held out the handful the shimmering currency out to the lovely vixen before him. "Will this be enough for an hour?"

Carmelita just stared wide-eyed at the gold that he was holding out to her. So shocked by the sheer amount of riches he held, that she couldn't even do the mental math to convert this amount of wealth into U.S. currency. Holy shit, no wonder they're called, 'sugar daddies', was the thought in the back of her head even as verbally, all she could say was, "I... I think... it should? Maybe? Just... give me a moment to..." she trailed off, realizing just how much of an idiot she sounded like just then.

Chuckling lightly at the adorable reactions the foxes were having to each other, the British co-owner of the Game Over chimed in with the answer of, "It's more than enough." She came up to McCloud and accepted the gold pieces... smiling, because just as they had paid for with Link, this was two pieces more than necessary. "You two go off to the back and enjoy yourselves; in fact, I'll have a bottle of champagne sent to join you shortly. I'll keep Mario entertained up front with the tequila in the meantime.

Smiling wider, the machismo Italian sighed happily. "I ever tell'a you how much of a wonderful woman you are, Croft?"

Grinning, she softly replied, "Every time you come in." She motioned for the two to head on to the VIP rooms. "Now off, both of you. The clock's ticking and you'll want to make the most of your hour, right?"

"Right!" the Hispanic vixen practically barked out. Turning back to the male fox, she offered him her hand, giving him aid and stepping off from the bar stool. "Do you have any preference for room?"

Blinking his green eyes at the inquiry, the vulpine pilot turned his gaze towards the woman, his left eyebrow arched in curiosity. "I wouldn't know; this is my first time at the club tonight too."

Smiling lightly, Carmelita calmly told him, "I think you'll enjoy room number three..."