"Ode to Vale, the city of sin,
That beautiful cancer of human depravity,
How you smote the ideas of valour,
The black sheep amongst your kin,
Do you-?"
"Ah, damn, do you? Do youuuuu 'taste their shame.'? Gah, that doesn't work," I muttered to myself. The poem was right there, the flow of lyrics and sound had poured from my hand to the paper, but that cursed roadblock reared its ugly head, yet again!
"God dammit," I cursed, stuffing the paper and fountain pen into the breast pocket of my dark blue suit jacket. Writer's block was a bitch.
I stood, and stalked the office room of my new business. It was perfect, the furniture a dark oaken wood, with plush, crimson padding, matching the dark grey walls. One wall was actually a mini bar, filled with my personal favourites, with all the fixings to make almost any cocktail I could dream of. The rest of my business was built similarly.
Exiting my office and strutting down the hall, because a true businessman in this field does nothing but strut, I entered into the main foyer and drank in the sight.
Modelled after the winehouses of old, my building was built in dark, deep reds, the colour of excitement and passion! It was a perfect fit for the enterprise I was working in. The business of lust, perpetuated by a savage momentum, pushing the senses of the body to a new limit. The warm incense was ventilated throughout the foyer, giving the whole room, -and it was quite a large room-, a scent that was enticing, and drew you in, the architecture of the room perfectly designed to draw the eye towards the main stage, where a shining silver pole with brass engravings of sorts was planted.
It was perfect for my House of Ecstasy.
And to be clear, it was not a mere strip club. A strip club was fun, but blàse, and only appealed to the lowest common denominator. This! This was the House of Ecstacy! It was more than just a vending machine for some eye candy! The food, the drinks, the security, the women, all were of high quality! The highest in fact!
Wait, that makes it sound like the women were procured in on a market.
'Dammit,' I thought to myself, sighing dramatically. Shaking my head, I turned to the main stage, where right now some workers were buffing the waxed wooden floor to a shine. Above me, cleverly placed lights gave the room an appropriate ambience, enough light to see without issue, but dim enough that it gave everything a feeling of taboo and ensnaring.
Sight, sound, smell, and from the fragrant smell wafting from the kitchen, taste would all be amped to an 11. The food would be small in portion, enough to satisfy but not enough to gorge yourself on. It was all about balance.
Speaking of, I needed to check in on my workers.
Adjusting my suit, dress shirt, and combed back brown hair, whilst no one was looking of course, I strutted down the hall leading to the ladies dressing room, where right now some of the most enticing women of Vale, the Kingdom and the city, were preparing for their first night.
Nodding to one of the security guards, his imposing figure making even me think twice about entering the room, I gave a polite knock. Sure, as owner of the building and business I could just enter the room all I like, but the key to success in my enterprise was the girls, and if the girls were satisfied, my business would thrive.
"Who is it~?" I hear a lustful voice ask. Perfect!
"Just me, myself and I. Coming to check in on how the stars of the show are doing," I explain, squaring my shoulders and doing my best to give off an aura of confidence. The employees worked best when their employer was confident. That and with good benefit packages. The door was opened, and a single, perfectly manicured hand drew me in.
Stepping in, I saw the girls, 5 of them for now, were all laid across their seats, or fixing the finishing details of their makeup and hair.
I had really, truly struck gold with these ladies.
Melanie and Miltia Malachite, twins and as enticing as they were dangerous. I was yet to figure out who was who without a hint, but it hardly mattered. With lithe, athletic bodies and soft, yet enchanting curves, these two had piercing green eyes that hit your very soul. I met them at a half destroyed club downtown after their place of employment had got raided by the police. Sadly their original employer didn't survive the encounter, being killed by police. I saw the opportunity presented to me, and took it.
Blake Belladonna on the other hand, oh she was a mystery. A Faunus, interestingly enough, with two adorable little kitty ears atop her head. Though if I ever called them such I have a feeling she would stab me. She had an air of shadow and mystery about her, her cool amber eyes giving nothing away, merely watching you behind a mane of pitch black hair. She was an interesting find, the Faunus of Menagerie very rarely ever left their island, or their secret commutes across Remnant. She would bring in clientele for sure.
Neo, oh Neo, or Neopolitan as was her full, likely fake name. The oblivious may mistake her for a far too young woman to be working in this type of business, what with her being under 5 feet tall, but anyone with half decent eyes could see that her impressive and plump rear most definitely didn't belong to any mere girl. She never spoke, but she was far from shy, her smirks and full confidence shattering any such idea of her being meek.
But the real win, in my opinion, was Glynda Goodwitch. Experienced, mature, and enchanting Glynda Goodwitch. She was the oldest of the girls, at 37, but she was far from an old woman. Her figure was the curviest, and her uptight bun and viridian green eyes seemed to observe and analyse everything and anything. She had been in this work for some time, and was the unofficial ring leader of the girls, due to her experience and expertise.
"Hi boss, we were just getting ourselves ready~. Do we look pretty sir~?" Melanie (or was it Militia?) asked me, fluttering her eyelashes at me with a smouldering look. I politely chuckled, and made sure to gesture to every girl in the room as I said;
"You all look ravishing, my dear. Everyone prepared for tonight?" I questioned, receiving either confident nods, enticing 'yes's or a look of surety. I'm sure you could figure out who was who.
"Wonderful! Now remember, feel free to follow Glynda's lead, if any of the guests give you trouble, hit your beepers. Everyone got them?" I asked, happy to see everyone wave their beepers in the air.
Every girl who worked for me, even those acting only as wait staff or servers, were given beepers that were connected to the security guards scroll. Anyone give them too much trouble? They simply hit the beeper, and the closest guard would be alerted to who beeped for them, and would even be able to track them down to assist. I was that serious about this business.
"Remember your roster girls. First onto the stage is Neo, then myself, then the twins together, Blake, and then the twins again, this time seperate. Have you two decided who would go first?" Glynda commanded, bringing attention over to her, before looking back to the twins. One of them, Melanie I think, raised her hand.
"Yep, I'm going before Militia," she answered. Oh, I was right, that was Melanie, great!
I turned to Blake, who was paying attention to the mirror, adjusting her eye shadow for what I assume to be the 10th time. As far as I know, this was her first time on stage.
"And you, Blake? No pre-show jitters?" I asked her, hopefully not unkindly. She kept her eyes forward, giving nothing away.
"I've adjusted. Just needed to, ahem, meditate on the situation," she answered, voice unerringly neutral. I looked to Glynda, who gave me a look back, the both of us having a silent conversation.
'Keep an eye on her, would you?'
'Will do.'
Deciding to leave her be lest I simply exacerbate any feelings of anxiousness, I made to leave the dressing room when I felt a small tug on my sleeve. Looking down, I saw that Neo was looking at me with a salacious smirk, her eyes boring into mine. Any casual observer would assume that she was trying to entrance me, but I could see the warning glint in her eyes. I could see it for how it was.
'You remember your promise, yes?'
'I remember, yes.'
'Good boy, don't let me down.'
I nodded, and she gave a mischievous wave to signal my time to exit. I did so willingly.
Adjusting my sleeves, I gave another nod to the guard, and went off back to my office. I needed a little bit of liquid courage for the opening show.
Entering my office, I groaned at seeing a white haired woman lounging in my seat. My very comfortable seat. Her light blue eyes moved over to peer at me, but only stayed a moment before moving back to a newspaper in one hand, the other holding an espresso martini. I sighed, palming my face.
"Officer Schnee. Please, if you want to have a meeting, just leave a message. It would seriously be easier for the both of us," I bemoaned, stuffing my hands in my pockets. She hummed, and sipped her drink, no doubt made from ingredients specifically from my mini bar, turning a page in the newspaper.
"Tonight's the grand opening, isn't it, Mr Eclair?" She asked, sounding awfully innocent for someone who was anything but. I sighed again, gestured for her to remove herself from my chair. Once more she merely hummed, and sipped her drink. I groaned, and made my way over to my mini bar, and began making an old fashioned.
"Please, Officer Schnee, no games tonight. You and I both know that you know, that tonight is opening night," I began, muddling the sugar into the glass with bitters and soda water, "I'm sure you also know who my performers are, their backgrounds, and a fair few of the people surely coming to the show. Let's just skip the dance and get to the grit of it, what do you want?"
She pouted, but I can swear I saw a glint of amusement in her steely eyes, no doubt pleased at my exasperation. She placed her drink on my desk, no coaster either, and deigned to exit from my chair.
"Mr Eclair, the funds necessary to merely construct your establishment is in the hundreds of thousands, to hire such quality staff, procure the equipment, hire the designers and the people to build the design, all in all verges in the millions, to say nothing of the advertising and legal fees for all those certificates of approved health and safety you have. Where, sir, did you procure the money?" She asked, voice light and easy, but I knew better. She was anything but light and easy with her questioning.
"As I said, I came into money from an inheritance after my grandfather died. I gave you his death certificate and the receipts of his estate, he gave me more than enough to build the place," I explained, but it was clear she didn't believe me.
"Now, Franc," uh oh, she's using my first name, "while it's true that your grandfather suffered a most untimely passing, by all accounts you and he hadn't spoken for more than three years. Why would he give everything to a grandson who hadn't visited him in such a long time?"
Sipping my old fashioned, I finally got to sit in my chair, only for Officer Winter Schnee to take a seat on the arm of my chair, her bust exceptionally close to my cheek. I knew what she was doing, she was trying to constrict me, invade my personal space, whilst simultaneously drawing my attention to her most, ahem, physically desirable features.
"Complicated matters kept me away, but that didn't diminish our relationship," I explained, keeping a neutral, calm tone in my voice. She placed her lips so tantalisingly close to mine, her breath hot against my face.
"Franc, mon cher, don't you want to tell me anything? Anything at all?~" She asked, her lips moving up and to my ear, where she blew a very slow breath of air directly against my skin. Fuck, stay focused Franc, she was trying to destabilise you, shake your foundations. Stay focused!
"Ode to Vale, the city of sin,
That beautiful cancer of human depravity,
How you smote the ideas of valour,
The black sheep amongst your kin,
Do you feel their shame?
Or do you revel and thrive in the ecstacy,
Of your ill gotten fame?'
I intoned, my voice bleak and yet somehow graced with wonder. For the first time since our conversation began, and for maybe the second time since we first met 6 months ago, Winter seemed taken aback, confused. She raised an eyebrow at me questioningly.
"Did you like it? A little hobby I picked up, something to break the day to day routine," I explained, keeping direct eye contact. First, she snorted, and then began to giggle, her hand covering her mouth as she turned her head to let out her amusement.
"O-oh my! Of all things you have said I didn't expect that! A lovely bit of poetry, but a touch theatric for my tastes," she tittered, standing up whilst straightening her peacock purple blouse and pencil skirt. Internally, I cheered, my plan at least apparently working. Got her off me, at least.
"I'll work on it, perhaps next time you'll like what I wrote," I offered. She giggled, and blew a kiss, but her eyes stayed on mine with a dangerous light to them. Step out of line, and I crush you, they seemed to say. She gave a polite wave goodbye, and sauntered out of my office, her hips swaying suggestively.
Winter Schnee was a dangerous woman alright.
I gulped down my drink, needing the burn to wake me up.
Not an hour later, as the clock struck midnight, I strutted over to my front door, two of my most intimidating guards standing on either side. Taking a step out in the Valean night, I looked to my right and saw a short line of finely dressed gentlemen, and in some cases finely dressed ladies, all waiting patiently for their chance to enter the building. None of them could be seen hurrying anywhere, it would be far too uncouth of them. I bowed theatrically, my arms spread in a welcoming gesture.
"Gentlemen, Ladies, welcome to the House of Ecstasy! Where desire and reality freely mingle! We are officially open!" I welcomed, a smattering of polite applause, my response. The doors were fully opened, and the line of clientele stalked in, welcomed by a soft, but deep musical tune, the waiting staff immediately leading the guests to their tables. Guards had started their patrol a bit ago, and were stalking the shadows and quiet corners, vigilant eyes seeing everything that happened. Good, good, a perfect start.
I myself patrolled the tables, welcoming everyone whilst introducing myself. In only 10 minutes I met 2 Valean Senators, 3 separate police chiefs, a smattering of mid and high fame athletes, and to my surprise an Ex-Valean Council Member. I pretended not to know him however, which seemed to please him greatly. Reputation and all that.
I saw a couple guests head to the bar, one bartender attending to their orders whilst the traffic was light, another keeping the stations clean and orderly.
I went over to the backstage, doing one final check on the girls. They were all lined up and ready for the stage, Neo stretching her joints, giving me a wink. Glynda gave me an okay symbol. They seemed about as ready as they could be. They had gone over their schedules, 20 minute intervals in between shows, all the girls free to roam the main dining area whilst off stage, to mingle and excite the crowd. Beepers, of course, at the ready.
Things were so far running at a steady place, but it was of course early moments yet. I made my way just behind the main dining area, grabbing a creatively hidden microphone. The music picked up, gaining a slight edge to its rhythm, as the lights dimmed down. Most guests by now possessed a meal, and those that didn't were sure not to mind all that much. The wait staff standing off to the side so as not to distract the guests. Don't worry, they still get paid their wage.
I tapped the microphone, and gestured to the stage, speaking in as calm and even a voice I could muster.
"Hello once again my beloved guests, for your first show of the night, may I present a woman who appears as sweet as her name, but with as dangerous a bite as any creature, please enjoy our enticing, Neo~!" No applause, but that was fine. I saw how every guest's eyes beelined to the stage, their interest taking hold.
From behind the curtains first appeared a smooth, enticing leg, Neo's almost bare thighs catching the light, thanks to a little help from a scented body oil. She cheekily made to step forward, the rest of her body and face hidden behind the curtain. I think I heard someone's breath hitch next to me.
Neo fully stepped forward, her entire form on display. Pink, knee high socks drew the eyes, leading up to enticing thighs that made your collar hot. Her swaying, twirling hips showed off her beautiful, angel white panties, that ever so lovely private part hidden by the sheer fabric. A brown and white corset with pink and white laces hugged her figure, making her enchanting bust pop. The lingerie matched her hair perfectly, which was tied in a long, loose braid, keeping her exciting eyes on display.
Just a few steps and Neo had them hooked! I turned off the microphone, and went over to the bar, giving both bartenders a polite wave.
Neo stalked the stage, eyeing the audience with full confidence. Her hand wrapped around the pole, sliding up and down as she arched her back. The way she ran her own hand down her side was designed to catch the eye. It was a little like hypnotism, the way she kept everyone's attention. Even mine for a few minutes, I admit.
Turning away from the stage, I ordered a mocktail, wanting to keep my head clear. When I recieved it, I stood and moved behind the crowd, keeping my own patrol to keep problems to a minimum. So far so good.
I caught my head of security's eyes, and he gave me a thumbs up, a sign that so far everything was well. He was an observant man, so I trusted his judgement.
I heard a very quiet gasp of surprise, and turned to see Neo hanging from the pole, her strong legs keeping her above the ground as she slowly turned on the equipment, before smoothly uprighting herself and spinning down to the floor, performing a frankly impressive splits. Damn, I knew she was flexible, but still.
When she rose, she blew a kiss to the crowd, and it was clear that she was an instant crowd favourite.
Turning to the tables, I saw both the twins swaying their way through the tables, hunting for a potential victim. Apparently they found one, as each twin sat themselves down at a table, close to a guest but not enough to give any body contact.
I imagine Glynda and Blake were both backstage, talking out their choreography or such. Whatever worked for them.
Neo's dance went on, and it was clear she had a gameplan in mind, using her flexibility and light weight to her advantage, performing some near acrobatic moves on the pole. She was half way through her performance when the first person deposited some money into the black square in the middle of their table.
I loved these things, worth the money. Instead of having guests toss their money to the girls like an average strip club, here in the House of Ecstacy, you could deposit the Lien directly into a sort of ATM-like machine built into the tables. They even tracked the times of when the money was deposited. So when I distribute the tips, I just withdraw the money from their assigned times and give it to them, easy peasy.
Kept the place's ambience of a high class establishment too.
I admired Neo's performance for a while, drinking my mocktail, and keeping an eye on Militia and Melanie as they worked their targets, convincing them to spend money on some drinks, or some extra nibbles of food.
The music slowed to its original pace, and Neo sauntered off the stage, stopping just before the curtains to turn her head, and wink, swaying her rear for the crowd before disappearing into the backstage. Nice touch, I saw more than a few faces redden, and at least one guy dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief.
Finishing my drink, and returning it to the bar for cleaning, I made a beeline for backstage. The first performance of the night went off without a hitch!
Backstage was like a second dressing room, still secluded, and included water, juice and snacks for the girls to munch on between dances. Neo was laid across a love seat, sipping on an apple juice. Blake and Glynda were seated nearby, and seemed to be having their own conversation. I'd leave them to it, whatever it was. I turned to Neo.
"Very well done Neo, an excellent touch at the end. You did a wonderful job," I complimented. She smirked, confident, as if to say 'of course I did a wonderful job, silly boy!' I heard the click clack of high heels behind me, and made way for Glynda to approach.
"Mr Eclair is correct, you performed excellently, Neo. I was impressed when you used your flexibility to add some spice to the routine," she complimented. Neo fanned her face with one hand in an exaggerated swoon, before her luscious lips returned to their signature smirk, as she blew a kiss to us both.
"And you Glynda, you ready for your performance?" I asked. She nodded, full of confidence born from experience. She gave a rare smile, and gave my nose a light peck.
"I've been doing this for quite some time, I'm more than able to handle this crowd," she bragged, but I found myself believing her. Heaven help whatever fool trifles with Glynda. She had a hell of a slap, of which I am thankful to have never received.
After some final checks, I returned to the dining floor, and patrolled the tables once more. The twins seemed to have moved on, now trawling the bar. It was impressive how their steps seemed to match in tandem, but I didn't allow myself to get distracted.
Walking through the tables, and checking on guests, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself being invited to sit with a man and his two dates. He was a middle aged man, but still seemed to retain some handsomeness from his youth, his vibrant brown eyes observing me under a mop of thick grey hair. Knew his fashion too, with a beautiful golden ring on his right middle finger, and a silver chain necklace that held a peculiar pendant.
"Me Eclair, would you perhaps sit with us for a moment? We understand if you are busy," he asked.
"Well, a few moments to chat with one of our esteemed guests is no trouble," I said, taking a spot that left me somewhat close to the guests, but also with a free space in case I needed to move if something arises.
"Please, allow me to introduce my lovely dates. To my left is Coco Adel, and to my right is Velvet Scarletina, and I am Ozpin," he introduced. I gave both girls a polite greeting, as was appropriate, before turning to their date, 'Ozpin.'
"Ladies, Sir, I hope you all are enjoying the grand opening," I began, gesturing to the room around them. Velvet, a brown haired rabbit Faunus, which was interesting, seemed the shy type, and kept a hand on Ozpin's arm. Coco meanwhile seemed more brazen, placing her elbows on the table with a constant smirk. Reminds me of Neo honestly.
"I find myself enjoying the ambience, it feels like a little step back into the past, in a good way, however, no offence intended," he explained, but I waved his worries off. I was good at telling a liar, and I could see he meant no harm.
"A little inspiration was taken from the historical sites. The Menagerian Home of Heat, the Palace of Fire up in Atlas, so on and so forth," I explained. Ozpin smiled enigmatically, whilst Coco and Velvet both looked at me like they knew something I didn't. I chuckled good naturedly.
"I must have said something a little amusing. Inside joke?" I ask. Velvet leaned forward, resting a cheek on Ozpin's arm.
"We mean no offence, it's just Sir here is very familiar with the Palace," she said, Coco nodding along.
"Oh yeah, there since day one, right Sir?" Ozpin nodded, and seemed to reminisce for a moment.
"Indeed. The Palace of Fire was a most ambitious bordello. Its theming of heat and fire drew you in from the cold, and the women, well the women made you want to stay and melt," he said, tilting his head, his eyes gazing at a time long past.
The sound of the music seamlessly changing tunes drew our attention to the stage. It was Glynda's turn, who I was rather excited about. A woman with experience had all sorts of tricks up her sleeve.
"Oooo, it's starting~. Who's next?" Velvet asked, bouncing in her seat, only to calm down when Ozpin gave a very gentle shush.
The music was hypnotic, with a high note of a slow violin orchestra. Slow and mystical, an accompanying brass horn adding a little vibrato to the room.
Slow and sensual, Glynda waltzed onto the stage. That fact that she could so confidently strut with heels on was actually impressive.
We had decided with a black and purple set for Glynda, the colours accentuating her natural features perfectly in my opinion. The lingerie technically had more covering than what Neo wore, but rather purposefully, the fabric only covered the bare necessities, leaving almost everything else see through with a fishnet corset and leggings. Glynda didn't have the flexibility or vigour of the other girls, but she more than made up for it with experience, that and her natural figure.
Speaking of, the audience gulped and panted at the sight of likely the most voluptuous woman they have ever laid eyes on. A perfect hourglass, with every proportion seeming to come out of a fantasy. My eyes quickly moved over to Ozpin and his dates, who all looked intrigued.
I sat back and enjoyed the show, wanting to see a professional at work. I hadn't even noticed the boa she had brought on stage, likely because my eyes were immediately drawn to her thighs, which pressed and squished against the fishnets suggestively. But she worked with the boa, dragging the piece of clothing across her body, using it to draw the eye, well, everywhere. She was good alright.
We all watched in appreciative silence for the rest of her performance, loving every swish of the boa, or the slight jiggle her body gave with every step or sway. Halfway through, Glynda had procured a set of fake eyeglasses from between her tits, and after wearing the set for a while, began to walk off the stage once her roster was over, tossing the glasses over her shoulder and directly into someones lap, to much applause.
Lucky bastard.
I began to stand, and made to politely excuse myself, but was surprised to find that Ozpin wanted a private chat.
"Make no mistake, I have no complaints, I merely wish to discuss business, nothing more nothing less. If you'd like we can arrange for a meeting for another time," he explained. I hummed in consideration, quickly observing the foyer at large. Things seemed in order for now, and we were at a break.
"Allow me to quickly check on my employees, and I'd be happy to converse with you," I compromised. He agreed, and said that he'd wait just by the bar.
Entering backstage, I saw Glynda lounging on an armchair, gently fanning herself with one of those hand fans from Mistral.
"My dear Glynda, that was amazing! Just perfect!" I exclaimed, grabbing an ice cold drink from the fridge and handing it over, to which she politely thanked me. She sighed.
"I'm starting to get up there in years, so I'm afraid I'm not as spry as I used to be. I'm glad it was satisfactory however," she groused, sipping the drink with a satisfied sigh. I shook my head vehemently.
"No no, it was great, really! You had them eating out of the palm of your hand!" She chuckled, seeming a touch embarrassed by my apparent excitement. I took a breath, and allowed myself to calm down, a touch embarrassed myself. Maybe it was just the environment I grew up in, but seeing a professional at her work got me hyped. "I promise, you did a wonderful job. Take a rest before you go out, yeah?"
"Very well, very well. Thank you for the drink," she said. I nodded, and went to give her some privacy to rest, when she tapped my arm before I could go.
"The gentleman with the two dates that you talked with, did he say his name was Ozpin?" She asked. The question kind of came out of the blue, and came up with a mental blank for a moment.
"Uh, y-yeah that's what he said. I know you used to work with him back at the Beacon Spotlight, why? Is something wrong?" She shrugged, seeming a bit uncomfortable.
"Yes? And no. Ozpin and I parted ways well enough, I don't have any debts to him or anything owed. But, well," she began, only to pause halfway through, needing a moment to think. "We parted on agreeable terms, but every once in a while, he offers me my old position again. He wants me to train up the new girls, get them ready for the show, that sort of thing. I just have a feeling that this might be another attempt at getting me back. Or at least he's gonna use it as a chance to do so."
Hm, I see.
My mouth drew into a thin line, and I nodded seriously.
"I'll be careful. And don't worry, your position in the House is solid, you're not going anywhere unless you want to," I promised. She let out a breath, seeming a little more relaxed. Adjusting my tie, and giving another nod to Glynda, I stalked out of backstage and beelined for the front door, squaring my shoulders and giving an air of quiet confidence. This was a high profile meeting, and I needed to behave as such.
Like he said, Ozpin and his dates were waiting patiently by the front, Velvet and Coco both holding a drink, whereas Ozpin seemed content to just wait. They noticed my approach, and gave a respectful wave. Had to respect the boss while he was in his own business after all.
"Apologies if the wait was long, but if you'd follow me we'll head to my office and have our talk," I greeted. They nodded their ascent, and politely followed my lead, the girls making a couple idle compliments to the decor or architecture. I gave the appropriate thanks to their comments.
Entering my office, I gestured to the chairs in front of my desk, and to the love seat pressed against the wall next to the mini bar. Surprisingly, Neo was laid upon the loveseat, seeming like a cat bathing in the sun. She waved, and tilted her head in mild surprise at the sight of Ozpin and his date's.
"This gentleman and his dates want to discuss some business," I explained, and she gave a silent 'ah' in response. She stood, and gave a little curtsy to the guests, who all gave a light bow of their head. "Neo dear, if you'd please, head to the main foyer and make the rest of our guests feel welcome, I might be busy for a while."
She nodded, and planted a kiss to my cheek, before strutting off, a very slight skip in her step. As she passed Ozpin, she gave a small bow, before continuing on out of the office. Ozpin hummed in minor interest.
"An interesting girl. Does she not speak?" He asked, seeming genuinely curious.
"Apparently not, never heard her say a word. Don't let that potentially confuse you and make you think she's shy, she's very much the opposite," I explained, gesturing to the mini bar and offering Ozpin a drink whilst his dates took the loveseat. They had to wait somewhere, so I didn't care. He politely declined, so I merely poured a small drink for myself, just something light. I took my seat in front of him, steepling my fingers.
"So, Ozpin sir, what is this conversation about? Does it have anything to do with your business at Beacon?" I asked, genuinely curious. He hummed in mild surprise, shrugging one shoulder.
"I'm surprised you knew my business so quickly. If you'd please, what gave me away?" He asked. I gave a shrug of my own.
"A couple things. Your lovely dates observed my business critically, from the perspective of someone who understood the industry very well. You did similarly. What cinched it for me was your ring, the one with the Beacon Lighthouse Emblem. I know it's only given to very high ranking employees. When you introduced yourself as Mr Ozpin, I just figured it out from there, especially with the Palace of Fire comment. I know a Mr 'O' had helped to refund the Palace after it experienced some unfortunate damages, and with all that, I figured that you were the Ozpin of the Beacon Lighthouse " I explained. He looked at his ring with mild surprise, but seemed unconcerned.
"Not many know about that. Have you worked in this business before?" He questioned. Sipping my drink, I made a so-so gesture.
"Yes and no, to cut a long story short, I was raised around businesses like this. Besides that, when I was developing my House, I researched local industries, just so I wouldn't accidentally step on any metaphorical toes." My ears picked up the sound of the music changing, likely signalling the next performance.
"Hm, rather impressive. Please forgive an old man's curiosity, but how did a young man like yourself enter into this business? Even in Vale, a high class bordello or house of pleasure is a niche market," he questioned. He wasn't wrong, opening an average strip club or adult entertainment business was easy. Opening one that catered to high profile guests specifically was much more difficult, as they tended to be much pickier with the spots they frequented.
"Well, like I said, I was raised in this environment. When I came upon some money from an inheritance, I decided to take what I learned and witnessed, and apply it to a place of my own," I answered. He hummed, before clearing his throat, speaking in a considerably more serious tone thereafter.
"Mr Eclair, before I digress any further, I would like to discuss business. Firstly, what are your plans for this House of yours? Expansion perhaps?" He asked. I shook my head, expansion wasn't what I was looking for.
"Not exactly. Expanding the House itself? Possibly. But I'm not really looking to become any sort of industry. My goals are both more and less complicated than that," I began, sipping my drink with a contemplative expression on my face, "I'm more looking to provide an experience. Where every sense is catered to. Sight, scent, sound, everything. A spot that ensnares and entraps people. Perhaps it's a little theatric of me, but my endeavours lead me to producing a place of sensation, and like the name of the business says, I'm wanting to build a House of Ecstasy."
Ozpin blinked, seeming genuinely surprised by his answer. Or, perhaps, by my honesty. I meant what I said, this wasn't just a whorehouse or strip club, this was a place where everything all at once was designed to make the guest feel like they fell into a new world, Alice of Wonderland style. He stood, and gave me a firm handshake.
"Mr Eclair, I must admit, I was going to make you an offer, for you to come under my umbrella and for this House to essentially act as a sort of 'daughter company.' But I'm not going to. You're an interesting man, Mr Eclair. I'm curious to see how your business proceeds from here." Really? He was gonna make that offer? Surprising.
"I shall endeavour to meet expectations, Mr Ozpin. If nothing else, to be interesting."
He left after that.
