Tap, tap tap
"Mmmghthh, g'way," I sleepily mumbled, face scrunching at the feeling of someone poking my cheek.
Tap tap tap
"Nngh!" Grumbling, I weakly swatted at whatever was oh so rudely intruding upon my sleep. For a moment I thought I was safe, and that whoever was bothering me had fucked off.
At least, until some unholy scent shot up through my nose, kickstarting my brain and causing me to suddenly bolt awake.
"Yough! What-?! Who-?! Neo!" I exclaimed. It was as I said, Neo bent over my desk, her face close to mine, a broken little packet in one hand. I looked from her, to the packet, and back to her. "Neo, did you use smelling salts on me to wake me up?"
She nodded, looking decidedly happy with herself. I groaned, rubbing my poor, abused nose, raising an eyebrow at the short little demon.
"Did you need something?" I asked her, stretching my arms above my head with a groan. She nodded, tapping the desk impatiently several times. I raised an eyebrow, a little confused. She rolled her eyes, taking the pen and notepad that I had used just last night, and writing down whatever it is she needed on the paper.
'What's the word about Roman?' Ah, that, my side of the deal.
"Okay okay, one moment," I mumbled, reaching into the lowest desk drawer and shuffling through papers out of the way, before pulling out a little folder with a few cut out pieces of newspaper. "Alright, so, sadly there's not much about what he's been up to. There's been a couple sightings, mostly around dust stores before they got robbed."
She took the folder, sitting up on my desk and crossing her legs, searching through the papers with a determined gaze. After a moment, she sighed, annoyed, one of the few times I've ever heard her utter a sound. I shrugged helplessly.
"I know, it's not much. Unfortunately, trying to find a career criminal in this city while they don't wanna be caught is aggravating to say the least. I'm not gonna stop searching, I always do my best to fulfil my end of a deal, this will just be one of those things that'll take time," I explained. Neo ran her hands through her hair, closing her eyes and likely needing a moment to collect herself. Checking my watch, I saw that it was still a couple hours until opening. I stood, and gestured for her to follow, "C'mon, let's go get something to eat. It's easier to think on a full stomach."
Nodding, Neo hopped off my desk, stretching her back before following after me to the dining area. At this time of night, the House looked more like itself. That strange discomfort from the morning before good and gone. It was still empty, no one would be preparing for their shift this early. But that was fine with me, and I'm sure Neo would prefer to eat in near silence at the moment.
Pulling out my scroll, I ordered some takeout, neither of us up for cooking anything ourselves, before sitting down at a table and making ourselves comfortable while we waited.
Peering over, I saw that Neo had a slightly annoyed expression on her face, no doubt at the lack of word about Roman.
I don't think I would ever really know about the relationship between Roman and Neo. Whether it was romantic, platonic or even familial, but it was none of my business anyway. I remembered when I first met her, she was sitting in a lobby of a hotel I was checking out for further design ideas, and she was looking mighty pissed. I was originally going to leave her be, but then she seemed to catch my eye, giving a wink, quite likely out of pure reflex.
"I'm sorry about there not being more information Neo," I told her. She looked at me, sighing, and waved off my concerns, before giving me a very serious glance. Didn't need a pen and a pad for that one, "Yes, I'll keep up my efforts to search for him. I'll try and put some feelers out into some more shady contacts, maybe they'll know."
Nodding, she gave my arm a pet, much like you would a child who had performed some task of slight importance. Many would be insulted by that, but at this point I just accepted that it was part of her personality. In silence, we waited, whilst I tried working out a new little rythme. It had been a while.
'Delight, writhing in its own savagery,
Born of temptations warped by pleasure,
Searing into the skin,
Hold onto your innocence, rare as treasure'
Hm, how was that feeling? Did it flow off the tongue like honey, or was I essentially spitting rocks?
Ah, art, how it bewildered me.
My scroll pinged, signalling that the food was nearby. I stood, and waltzed over to the door, opening and retrieving the food.
"Neo! Food is here. Pasta and caramel frappes all around," I exclaimed, Neo raising her hands above her head in celebration. She had chosen some sort of alfredo chicken pasta, whereas I had gone with a classic bolognese. Despite the difference in our pasta choices, we both seemed to agree that the caramel frappe was king of frappe's. And no, we would not be taking any questions at this time.
The food was pretty good, the sauce nice and thick and sticking to the pasta noodles. We held our drinks in the air, and clinked them together, much like you would a fine wine, and drank of the heavenly syrup. We both nodded, silently agreeing that this place sold really good frappe's.
Eating in a companionable silence, we finished our pasta and tossed the plastic dishes away, thankful that nothing had to be washed. Being lazy for the win!
I sat back down, sipping on that glorious drink, allowing my body to relax, my eyes closed. Neo's smelling salts had now fully left my system, allowing me to chill for a moment. Had to ask Glynda about her thoughts on Yang, and on some of the girls I was planning to call back about the job.
That's when I felt a light weight plant itself on my lap. Opening my eyes, I looked down to see Neo sat on my lap, drink in hand and straw in mouth. I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what she wanted.
The short girl turned, pressing her back to my chest, and proceeded to use me as an apparently very comfortable chair. She saw my inquisitive look, and smirked, poking her tongue at me, as if daring me to do something about it. I raised my hands in surrender, and just let her do whatever. She'd likely be very capable of stabbing me if she felt like it.
Further proving her apparent dominance, Neo grabbed my scroll and browsed through some apps for a bit, apparently finding a video on Dust Tube that she liked and watching it with a content smirk.
I sighed, and just accepted my lot in life, placing a hand in her head and brushing a few strands of hair from her face. She patted my thigh, once more congratulating me for being oh so well behaved. Wasn't I supposed to be the boss of this place? You could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
About an hour later, I heard the front door open, and turning my head I saw Yang, Glynda and Blake entering the main foyer. Yang and Blake both raised an eyebrow at the sight of the short girl sitting on my lap, but Glynda took it in stride.
"Yang, you've obviously met Mr Eclair, and you've just been introduced to Blake. This, is Neo," she explained, gesturing to the ice cream coloured girl with one hand, "Neo, please greet our new performer."
Neo blinked, and turned over on my lap, sitting up until her chest was smushed into my face. Not that I was complaining.
Yang waved, with Neo answering in kind.
"Before you inevitably ask, no, Neo doesn't speak," I interjected, though with my face being covered by a pair of really soft breasts it came out more as a muffled grumble than an actual sentence.
"Uuuuuh, what did you say boss?" Yang asked, tilting her head in confusion. Glynda sighed, but this time it was Blake that answered.
"He said that Neo doesn't talk. Which is true. She doesn't," she explained. Yang raised an eyebrow at that, looking at Neo with a confused expression. Said girl shrugged, but still had yet to remove my face from her boobs. Thanks Neo, I mean that.
"Mr Eclair, if you could remove yourself from Neo's chest, we have to open in an hour and you're simply not dressed for it," Glynda ordered. Sighing, I gently pried Neo off my lap, who looked about as put out as I felt, before standing and heading to my office, as I always had an extra set of clothes stashed there. Well, I enjoyed it while it lasted. Glynda followed after, leaving the girls to mingle amongst themselves for a bit. I imagined that Melanie and Militia would arrive shortly. Hopefully everyone would get along, but I knew these girls were strong minded, and that I may have to interject to keep the peace.
Entering my office, and with Glynda closing it behind me, I began to strip off my old set of clothes, not minding that she was in the room. Not like it was anything she hadn't seen before.
"If you'd look at the desk, you'll see a small pile of resumes marked as 'maybe.' They're girls that Grover interviewed who I'm thinking of giving a chance. Take a look would you? I want your input on it," I asked. Glynda knew her stuff, and would likely notice something that I didn't. As she went to the desk, I pulled a fresh suit out from a hidden compartment in the mini bar, slipping it in as she inspected the papers.
"Let's see, Neon Katt. Came from Atlas, has worked in a few strip clubs before. Grover put a note that she had a fun attitude, and seemed very physically fit," she read. As I buttoned up my black dress shirt, I hummed in consideration.
"Know how we've been considering having a full on strip performance? Figured that with Neon having worked in strip clubs before she'd be willing to be the first one to participate in the act," I explained. She nodded, putting Neon's resume back down.
"Next is Ciel Soleil. Also from Atlas. A police academy drop out?" She asked, incredulous. I nodded, now fully dressed in my fresh suit.
"Yeah I was surprised too. I called a friend up that way and asked. The scuttlebutt is that Ciel was doing really well, but a superior of hers sadly touched her inappropriately, causing her to shove her elbow in his nose and break it. Apparently his family pulled some strings, and convinced her to drop out voluntarily. I'm not sure on the details though." Glynda sighed, shaking her head sadly. I felt similar, it all seemed a real shame. It was an age old story. An up and coming youngster tries to follow their dream or goal, and someone pushes them down into the dirt, leaving them little choice but to make some tough decisions.
"You sure we should take her on? Poor girl likely has some baggage, and it might make her interactions with guests very, ah, awkward," she asked. I nodded, understanding her point.
"I felt the same. Apparently she swore up and down that she had no issue interacting with men as a whole, that her aggravation was entirely aimed at the superior who groped her. Maybe I'm just being a softy, but I really want to give her a chance," I explained. Glynda bit her bottom lip, clearly put out, but she placed the resume with Neon's.
"Let's hope you end up being right," she grumbled. I agreed with the sentiment.
The next two potential workers were declined, Glynda citing that both girls had a couple offences on their record. That in itself wasn't a problem, so did the Twins and Neo after all, but the offences included stealing from the workplace and fighting with other co-workers, and frankly we couldn't take that risk.
"Nebula Violette, from Vacuo. Grover noted that she had only a few references, but that each one had glowing remarks about her. Seems a good fit, worked at a business not too dissimilar to our own," she read aloud. I nodded, picking out a bottle of juice from a mini fridge and taking a swig.
"I actually got to talk with one of her managers directly. Apparently, Nebula here is similar to Neon, being comfortable with stripping and private dances. Considering the direction we're going, I figured she would be a good fit," I explained. Glynda nodded her agreement.
She placed the resume with Neon's and Ciel's.
"All of these girls are able to begin work next week, right?" She questioned. I gave a thumbs up, having made a note for Grover to mention that they would, if accepted, likely begin work next week, and I was sure he had remembered.
The both of us headed back down to the main foyer, where I saw Grover and another guard chatting. I sauntered over, just wanting to ask something.
"Pardon gentlemen, this a bad time?" I asked. Hey, I may be the boss but I can at least be a little polite.
"No, it's fine, I was just reiterating the patrol for Hammond here," Grover explained. The other guard, Hammond, gave a polite nod, before heading off to wherever he needed to be. I waved him off, before turning back to Grover.
"Just a couple questions, firstly, have the Twin's come to work?" I questioned. He nodded, and told me that the two had headed for the dressing room as soon as they entered the building.
"Wonderful. Also, we've got three new girls joining our employ next week, not including Yang, make sure to keep in mind that you'll be guarding 9 now, instead of 5," I instructed.
"Yes sir, I've already explained that to the boys," he told me. See, Grover knew his shit! I thanked him for the work, and let him be, checking in the bar and kitchen staff that everything was prepared.
Surprisingly, however, my scroll went off just before I went to check on the girls. It was an unknown number, too, which further confused me. Cautiously, I accepted the call, pressing the scroll to my ear.
"Hello, Mr Eclair speaking?" I said, going for a professional disposition until I felt otherwise.
"Guess who, Mr Eclair~," a decidedly feminine voice taunted. For a second I was confused, only to silently groan when I realised who it was.
"Hello Officer Schnee, been a while. What can I do for you? And please be quick, I have to open in 10 minutes." I heard her tittering on the other side of the call.
"I called to tell you the exciting news, Mr Eclair. I've been stationed in Vale, just a quick 15 minutes from your establishment! Isn't that fun?~" She teased. I could feel myself age about 10 years in about as many seconds.
"That sounds wonderful, Officer Schnee. Congratulations on the move," I told her, voice filled with a joy that I did not feel.
"Thank you, Mr Eclair~. I cannot wait to enjoy the benefits of attending your business for myself! Don't let me down now~." And with that, she hung up, allowing me to groan out my frustration. That woman would just not get off my fucking ass! Stupid Atlas Detective Agency!
Shaking off my aggravation for now, I stuffed my scroll back into my pocket, and went to check on the girls. I would only have a few minutes to do so, annoying considering I preferred to have at least 10 minutes to make sure all my workers were ready for the working day. Or night, as it were.
Knocking on the door, I made sure to announce my presence.
"Just me girls. I'm gonna have to be quick, but are we all ready? Everyone feeling well?" I asked from outside. There was a little mumbling on the other side, before I heard Yang's voice.
"Yeah, we're all feeling good. Just to be certain I'm sticking by your side for tonight, yeah?" She asked, to which I spoke my ascent.
"Correct. I'll just be waiting by the larger of the two bars, understand?" I asked, receiving a confident 'Yes!' in response.
With that done, I went over to said bar, watching as Grover opened the doors and welcomed the audience to the House. I was happy to see a few familiar faces, the possibility of regulars filling me with a businessman's satisfaction.
Not a few minutes after, a beautifully dressed Yang exited the dressing room, sauntering over with a salacious smirk. Plenty of heads turned around to gaze at this beautiful, voluptuous blond, man and woman alike. Seeing me, she winked, exuding confidence, sidling close and wrapping an arm around my elbow.
"Hi sailor, you come around often?~" She quipped, running her other hand up and down my bicep. Oh she was good, I had to give her a small round of applause.
"Looking great Yang, you fit right in," I told her. She preened, happy to be complimented, much like every other woman that worked for me. And she indeed looked amazing, a tight sunflower yellow dress hugging her considerable curves, a deep neckline putting her impressive bust on display. The dress ended just above the knee, but had a thigh slit that only barely stopped below her hip.
"Oh you flatterer~. So what now boss, what do we do?" She asked. I gestured to the foyer at large, pointing out a few points of interest for her to memorise.
"I'll walk you through a regular night here. Firstly there's of course the main attraction, the pole. It's cleaned after every shift, and can be removed from the stage to allow room for different performances," I started. Yang groaned, but far from annoyed, she seemed grateful.
"Thank god you clean that thing. The Deluxe would maybe wash it every month, if that. Sucked to dance on," she groused. I winced at the sound of that, sympathising with her plight.
"Well thankfully you won't have to deal with that here. We're a little paranoid about cleanliness at the House, but it works out in our favour. Carpet's set to be steam cleaned once a month, all waiters and bar staff have to clean their stations after every shift. And the list goes on from there," I told her. I then gestured to the dinner tables, where gentlemen relaxed with friends or their dates. As we spoke, the Twins and Blake sashayed between customers, whispering and giggling at whatever the guests said.
"Right there, Blake, Melanie and Militia are currently associating with our guests. Making them feel welcomed, brushing their egos a little, essentially just making sure the guests feel comfortable. Within reason, of course. You have your beeper right?" I asked, causing Yang to tap her wrist, where the bracelet-like device was worn.
"Atta girl. Glynda went through the procedure with you?" She nodded, giving a thumbs up. "Okay, good. Well besides that, you'll be expected to do the same, again within reason. You can also survey through the bars, get them to buy a few drinks, upsell a little, you understand."
"Oh yeah, I understand. Playing with the guests was a staple at Deluxe, just way less refined or safe for the girls. And I was very good at it~," she giggled, looking mighty impressed with herself. I believed her, she seemed to give off a perpetual aura of sunny positivity. Her lilac eyes were intriguing too, drawing you in with their sensational purple colouring.
"Wanna put your money where your mouth is? Are you up for showing me your social skills?" I playfully challenged her. She giggled, gave me a wink, and sauntered off. Watching from the sidelines, I was interested to see what she had.
The bar wasn't yet full, but had a couple of guests sitting on the stools, nursing a drink, most just relaxing before the show while others chatted with a friend. Yang picked her target, a fairly average looking gent of average complexion and dark coloured hair. He sat alone, but appeared far from depressed or morose.
"Mind if I sit here honey?" She asked, deepening her voice just a little, pleasantly surprising her target.
"Oh, no not at all, please sit," he politely offered. Good, a well behaved guest. I love those.
"You looked like a man who needed a pretty girl to talk to. Do I qualify?" She asked, mouth widening into a cheshire grin. The guest played along, nodding emphatically.
"Most definitely. I'm Harold by the way," he introduced himself, Yang taking the proffered hand and gently shaking it, allowing it to continue just a second longer than normal, just so he can admire the soft feeling of her hand.
Smooth, Yang, very smooth.
Giving her an 'ok' signal, which she caught in the corner of her eye, I decided to let her play with her food for a bit, whilst I went and welcomed the guests myself, seamlessly passing by Melanie, who threw a wink of her own. What was it with the women in my life and winking?
Gah, whatever, not like I was complaining.
I spent a little time welcoming guests, answering a few questions if need be, and accepting one or two compliments to my business, humbly, of course.
Checking my watch, I saw that the show was soon about to begin, so I took a free table for myself, and decided to enjoy the performance myself. I think Blake was first on the roster tonight.
The lights darkened, but not before a pale white figure stole a seat next to me. Involuntarily, I sighed.
"Good evening Officer Schnee," I whispered, causing her to smirk at my apparent discomfort.
"Oh please, I'm on break. Winter will do for now," she instructed, crossing one leg over the other. She wore this tight pale blue dress that darkened toward the hem, a warm, white coloured mink coat wrapped about her shoulders. The biggest difference, for me, was the way her hair was allowed to be loose, framing her royal-like features. Pain in the ass that she was, Winter sure was a beauty.
"Come to watch some of my performers, have you?" I asked, intertwining my fingers and placing them on the table. Didn't wanna give her the idea I was reaching for something under the table.
"I've heard nothing but good things about this little place called the House of Ecstasy, so I just had to come," she explained, before gently shushing me and looking to the stage.
Blake was dressed in a tight corset that hugged her waist like a vice. I could never understand how any of the girls could stand to wear those things, but god bless them for it.
But the black haired beauty, besides the corset, had decided to wear almost nothing, thin strips of fabric covering her privates. If one looked closely, the shape of her pebbling nipples poked through the thin fabric. The sides of her hair were tied in braids, a series of cleverly hidden hair pins and a gold coloured hair band keeping her face clear of any loose locks of hair.
Swaying, hypnotising movements accompanied an exotic tune, heavy with high toned flutes. A mix between belly dancing and gymnastics took place, a toned, tan coloured body sliding and riding the pole.
Good job Blake.
"My my, she is gorgeous. Where'd you find her?~" Winter asked, voice only barely above a whisper. I leant over, and spoke just as quietly, my lips a hair's breadth away from her ear.
"She comes from Menagerie, actually. A mysterious past leading her to the infamous City of Sin, Vale. I found her near a train station, this lonely flower wilting in the rain. I drummed up a conversation, offered her the job, and like magic, she's now here, hypnotising the crowd," I waxed poetically. Winter chuckled again, shaking her head, amused by my theatrics.
"You draw in some interesting people, don't you, mon cher~? Two gorgeous blondes, fiery twins, a silent pixie, a Menagerie exotic, and soon more, I'm sure. Makes me wonder how you got them," she wondered. I couldn't be sure, but I felt like there was a silent accusation, a little knife in the conversation ready to slip in between my ribs if I admit to something particularly heinous.
"I have a habit of taking in strays from the rain. Behaviour of mine ever since I was a child. Once found a lost pup and brought him home." She 'ooooh'd at that.
My eyes refocused back onto the stage, where Blake was performing an impressive balancing act, slowly turning on the pole, her feet never touching the ground. She slowly lowered to the ground, gently landing on her knees, half facing the curtain and the side of the stage, showing off her thick backside to the audience.
"You play some interesting games, Franc," Winter mumbled, voice dropping to a far more serious tone. I looked at her, raising an eyebrow, not completely sure what she meant.
"Maybe. This business is filled with interesting games, and no matter how hard you try, eventually you'll be dragged in to play a round," I muttered. She sighed, her playful attitude gone with the wind.
"Franc, the Atlas Detective Agency wants to know how you got the money. 'I inherited it' isn't good enough. Especially when 5 of your previous associates disappeared without a trace not even two weeks before you moved across the globe to Vale. You can see how this timeline of events would raise a few eyebrows," she accused. It was my turn to sigh, growing weary of this conversation.
Surprisingly, my saviour came in the form of Militia, who I was starting to recognise apart from her sister. She gave a very quiet squeal of excitement, and sat very close to me, almost directly on my lap.
"Now Daddy, where do you think you're going off to, chatting to another girl with me still in the room. So naughty~," she chuckled, voice sickly sweet and dripping with a sugary tone.
Winter rolled her eyes, looking off to the stage, allowing me the chance to press my lips to Militia's cheek, whispering a very quiet 'Detective' to her ear. From the way she nuzzled against my cheek, subtly nodding her head, I knew she understood. The Twin's were very good at picking out the law, undercover or otherwise. From the corner of my eye, I saw Melanie sidling up to one of the guards, wrapping her arms around her bicep, leaning up to whisper something to him. From the nod she received, and the way he talked into a walkie-talkie, I imagine she was warning him about the detective in our midst.
"Well, I can see when I'm not wanted. Behave, Eclair, or I'll have to administer a little punishment~," she teased, but I could hear the hidden threat in her words. She'll be watching me, and if I step out of line, she'll be on my ass quicker than you can say 'the other guy did it!' Thankfully, she left without issue.
"Who the hell was that?" Militia questioned, voice returning to her normal tone. I sighed, tired.
"That is Detective Winter Schnee, of the Atlas Detective Agency. She's been on me, wondering about my financial situation. Mainly how I funded this place's construction," I explained. She sighed, palming her face. I agreed with the sentiment.
"If she or any other officer bothers you, call me as soon as you get the chance, I have a lawyer I know, he's helped cases like ours in the past. Spread the word to the other girls, okay?" She nodded, laying her head on my shoulder with a tired huff.
Blake's show was a hit, a short round of applause signalling the performance's end. The lights brightened, and Blake went backstage to rest.
"Militia sweetheart, I'll check on Blake real quick. Take a few minutes for yourself, okay?" I told her. She nodded, planting a kiss on my cheek and walking off. She and Melanie both had issues with the police, law enforcement in general really. Their last employer was a good friend of theirs, even familial at times, from what they've told me. However, a savage police raid had ripped through the entire business they worked in, killing their boss and leaving them very close to homelessness.
That's how I found them. Two beaten down girls that had nowhere else to go, taking the first opportunity that presented itself to them.
Entering the backstage, I saw Blake sitting in front of a mirror, her chin resting on the palm of her hand, a distant look in her eyes. I knocked on the doorway, causing her to start, before calming down when she saw it was me.
"Hey Blake. Great performance out there. You feeling okay?" I asked her, taking a seat and planting myself down. She sighed, brushing her now loose hair back.
"I'm well. Physically at least. I suppose I'm just thinking of home." Yeah, I figured that.
"When was the last time you saw home?" I questioned, causing her to sigh, tired at the thought of Menagerie.
"It was, I dunno, maybe 2 years ago? I got into this huge argument with my parents regarding the inequality Faunus face throughout the Kingdoms. I really, truly wanted to make a change and-, and I failed. And I ended up here," She told me, voice getting a little watery towards the end. I shook my head sadly, rubbing her back as she let out a little sniffle.
It was true, Faunus were currently in a rough spot regarding equality and the laws that enforced it. Even in Vale, where anyone could come to disappear into the haze of debauchery and near-mediaeval street politics, Faunus often had to flock together for protection, more often than not forming gangs to remain safe.
"I really tried, tried to bring back the White Fang of old, before the new Fang caused the Kingdoms to destroy it entirely. But it didn't work," she continued.
"I wish I could offer some advice that would appease you, but to be honest I can't. I haven't gone through the things you did. I guess all I can offer is the little safe haven that is the House. Strays of all sorts are welcomed here, whether as workers or as guests. So if nothing else, you can consider yourself safe here," I told her. She chuckled, eyes a little teary, before she wiped them dry.
"Thank you sir. I'll be out in a few minutes, just need to pull myself together," she said. I pat her hand, planting a kiss to her forehead.
"Alright, take your time. I'll be in the dining room if you need me," I told her.
Exiting the backstage, I observed the foyer, eyeing every guest to make sure things were going smoothly. I saw Yang sitting at a table with not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 4 guests, laughing beatifically at something, her voice enchanting the poor fools, hook, line and sinker. To the side, I saw Glynda watching the dining area similarly to me, catching my eye and giving a subtle hint that everything was going okay. Neo and Melanie were managing a few guests of their own, whilst Militia was on stage, performing a faster paced number that had her slightly red and panting, no doubt bringing the image of a panting, lustful woman to the minds of everyone watching.
The House really was a home for some interesting strays.