"And we expect to recoup the construction profits within 7 years, 8 if you'd like to be cautious," I explained, the small pack of businessmen mumbling in understanding and agreement, sharing nods or giving words of advice. Currently, I was entertaining some of Ozpin's friends with information about my House. They seemed particularly interested in the numbers and logistics of the business, no doubt poking and prodding for any sign of weakness. Much as I wanted to send the dogs off looking for another wounded animal, they would eventually come back, so honesty truly was the best policy, in this case.
So the dance began, with me putting up a strong defence while keeping away from any deceptions or dishonesty. It was like tap dancing in a minefield, one misstep detonating a landmine that you never saw in the first case.
We snaked our way from group to group, Ozpin leading the way and introducing me to anyone he knew. As much and as many people and their names and their businesses and their hobbies that I stowed away to memorise, Ozpin seemed to have many more friends waiting to meet me. Everyone wanted to meet the new show pony, and I think word of my teeth had made some rounds around the foyer, further increasing the business owners' interest in this new player on the field.
"You certainly have a lot of friends Ozpin," I commented, the both of us finally having a moment to ourselves, away from the masses. He chuckled, nodding his head.
"Comes with having decades of experience in the field. It helps more than hinders, but it does mean that I have to keep track of far too many birthdays and parties," he explained, sipping at his drink with a sigh. Yeah I could believe it. Stick around an area or career or any sort of work long enough and you start making some interesting contacts.
I sipped my own drink with a deep groan.
"Alright! Let's get moving. Who's next?" I asked. Ozpin made to say something, but something seemed to catch his attention. His eyes drifted over my shoulder and narrowed cautiously, and I had to hold in an annoyed moan. What now?!
"Pardon gentlemen, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" A lascivious voice asked me. Turning around, I plastered a practised polite smile on my face, following Ozpin's line of sight.
God. Damn.
A woman who encapsulated the term 'femme fatale' sauntered up to the two of us, her smile sharp like a blade. Pitch black hair cascaded down her back, curling at the end. Her hands were covered in soft, black, elbow length gloves .A tight fitting black dress with not one but two thigh slits reached down to her ankles, cream coloured skin shining under the golden light of the foyer. A full, curvaceous body tempted anyone who passed by, with two gold coloured eyes peering deep into your soul. She was, by all definitions, a fox. And she was getting closer by the second, fuck!
"No ma'am, we were just finishing up our conversation," I politely answered, turning to Ozpin, who nodded in agreement, but with an odd look on his face. I'd have to ask him about that later.
"Right, I should introduce you two. Mr Eclair, this is Cinder Fall, of the Salem's Lot Escort Service. Miss Fall, this is Mr Eclair, of the House of Ecstasy," He introduced us, his tone friendly but forced. Not that I noticed at the moment, I was too busy trying to catch my breath. Was it hot in here or is that just me?
"Oh yes, you are the charming man who's been on everyone's mind lately! I've been eagerly awaiting my turn to meet you," she saucily commented, brazenly placing her hand on my arm and taking a gentle hold.
"Well, I'm very sorry for making you wait. Ozpin and I made ourselves busy talking with everyone," I explained, receiving a deep laugh that set my skin on fire. Facing Ozpin, she gave him an amused look, to which he gave her a mildly apologetic one.
"I was attempting to help Mr Eclair familiarise with the other businesses. I apologise if I had kept him from you, Miss Fall," he said, bowing his head, contrite. She waved off his concerns, seeming unoffended.
"It's no problem Ozpin. I'm sure Mr Eclair and I will have plenty of time to get to know each other." Her voice reached a saucy depth, as she leaned her body against mine, running a finger up my bicep. I could feel a shiver run up my body, but I held back from letting it show. I chuckled, mostly to hide how breathy my voice got, or how tight my throat suddenly felt.
"I'm sure you will. And how is your proprietor's business going, Miss Fall?" Ozpin questioned, tilting his head curiously.
"Oh wonderful! Miss Salem is quite happy with this years' profits so far, and predicts that the next 4 months will be similarly successful," she answered, smiling a serene smile that would make a man melt.
"I'm sorry, I don't believe I'm familiar with your business, or your employer? Can I ask about it?" I voiced. Cinder nodded, and patted my arm consolingly.
"Of course, Mr Eclair. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. In fact, we can find a private spot and talk about anything your heart desires," she quietly offered, something in my brain halting suddenly. I looked at Ozpin, who had a cautious expression on his face, before looking back to Cinder, who seemed to be busy admiring her drink. So this Salem sent in Cinder to check out the new guy? And I didn't notice? I had talked about this with the girls back at the House just a few weeks ago.
"That sounds wonderful. I of course wouldn't waste your time however," I warily said, now on high alert. Come on Franc, you're smarter than this!
"Not at all. I have all the time in the world, Mr Eclair," She assured me, causing my heart to thump in my chest. Why did I love it when she said 'Mr Eclair' like that? Clearing my throat, I attempted to calm my racing mind.
"So long as it's no bother," I muttered. She giggled, and assured me that it most certainly was not, gently leading me away as I could only follow. Passing Ozpin, I shrugged helplessly, who sighed, but seemed to understand. I would hope so.
I allowed myself to be gently pulled forward, with Cinder seeming to be exceptionally familiar with the Winchester Mansion's layout.
Throwing me a smile that was lined with amorous intentions, she opened a dark coloured, wooden door and led me inside, pulling into a master bedroom of some sorts.
There was a huge king size bed with blue and gold sheets, one corner covered in bookshelves, a fireplace already roaring with flames on the other wall, and a bear skin rug placed in front of it. I could see a tray with two wine glasses and a bottle of Pinot Noir off to the side. Cinder giggled, apparently noticing my roving eyes.
"As you can clearly see, this room had been prepared for a little conversation," she began, bending over at the waist and removing her heels. She didn't bend over with her ample, heart shaped rear directly facing me, she wasn't that common. No, she did it at an angle, giving only a half a view for me to observe. Placing her heels off to the side, she gestured for me to do the same. Well, who was I to argue?
I removed my shoes, and my suit jacket, turning and placing them near the door. Turning back, I saw that she had sat herself near the fire, directly on the rug, her eyes shining like molten gold as she observed the roaring orange flames. Approaching, I sat a respectful distance away, nearest to the tray with the wine.
"Would you be a gentleman and pour us the wine, Mr Eclair?" She softly asked, turning to look at me with an equally soft smile that could only be gained through long periods of practice. Nodding, I opened the bottle, catching a waft of the alcoholic drink's sugary scent. I then poured the blood red liquid into the crystal glasses, up to about 1 thirds full, handing one to Cinder.
"Thank you, Mr Eclair," she whispered. Or perhaps it just seemed like a whisper in this warm, quiet environment.
"You chose an interesting place to discuss business, Miss Fall," I quietly commented. She giggled, brushing a lock of hair from her face, her smile becoming teasing.
"Oh, Mr Eclair, do you believe that we are here, drinking wine in front of a fireplace, simply to discuss business? You are smarter than that, sir," she countered, sipping at the drink whilst maintaining amused eye contact with me. I cleared my throat, attempting a grin.
"I would never assume someone's intentions," I tried to defend, but she gave a sweet, melodic laugh in response, one that had adrenaline coursing through my veins at breakneck speed.
"Mr Eclair! I brought you here, to sip wine in front of a roaring fire, alone and close to one another. I believe you can make a few assumptions at that~."
Perhaps. But I also didn't know what the price for doing so would be.
"Do you perhaps believe that you would be required by my employer to pay her back for spending a little time with me?" She wondered. Far from offended, she seemed tickled pink by the notion. I coughed, and felt a little heat crawl up my neck. She shook her head, smoothly crawling over to me, laying her hand on my chest, no doubt feeling the wild pace of my heart beat. "No Mr Eclair, there are no strings attached~. This is a-, a sort of 'welcome to the club' gift~."
Her hand crawled up my chest, wrapping around my tie, and slowly taking it off, her eyes never leaving mine.
"If that's the case, then you can call me Franc," I muttered, causing her to smirk.
"Well then Franc, you may call me Cinder~," she whispered. Fuck, the way she said my name made a mess of me, I could feel my fingers dig into the rug underneath us. She chuckled, and backed off, leaving behind the scent of cinnamon behind. I almost asked her to come closer, but refrained. She knew what she was doing too. She side-eyed me as she drank her wine, before peering back into the flames that seemed to dance and roam in her eyes.
"You seem to be distracted by me Franc, do I perhaps intimidate you a little~?" She questioned, still looking into the fire. I sighed, moving over and a little closer, looking into the fire with her.
"Perhaps a little. You are a very intense, very intriguing woman, Cinder," I answered honestly, causing her to yet again let out a deep, sonorous laugh.
"I have been described as many things, but intriguing is not quite one of them! How do I intrigue you, Franc~?" She wondered, leaning towards me, laying her chin on my shoulder, her breath brushing against my ear, sending a shock down my spine.
"You intrigue me with how exciting you are. And how easy being a woman of mystique seems to come to you," I intoned, my voice cracking under the pressure. Was it just my imagination, or were her lips softly brushing against my cheek?
I sipped the wine, hoping the alcoholic beverage would soothe my nerves.
"A woman of mystique~? That's quite the compliment, Franc, you'll make me blush~," she whispered, so, so fucking close, to the point her hair was draping itself across my shoulder and down my back. I made to answer, but the soft touch of her hand running itself across my chest and up to my cheek, turning my head until I was facing her. Before I could speak, not that I was even sure that I could say anything of import, her lips touched my, warm and sweet from the wine.
Pulling away, much to my consternation, Cinder knocked back and finished her wine, a small droplet falling from her lips and down her chin. Before I could stop myself, I found myself kissing her face, licking up the droplet and continuing down, my own glass of wine long forgotten. My hands held her hips and pulled her close as I trailed my lips down to her neck. Her small gasp of shock enthused me further, my hand crawling up her thigh, caressing Cinder's soft skin.
I felt her gently push me down onto my back, crawling onto my waist, bathed in the soft light of the fire. Grinning down at me, her hands reached up to the straps of her dress, slowly pulling them off her shoulders and letting it fall, her arms catching the clothing before her chest was laid bare for me. I felt a groan reach its way up to my throat. I wanted to see her naked, writhing and moaning under me. Her teasing was driving me wild.
"Do you want me, Franc~?" I heard her ask. Gritting my teeth, I nodded, my pride sore from the admittance of need. She leaned down, using one hand to take my wrist and move my hand up to her side, chuckling at my want. God damn her to hell!
No, you know what, fuck this!
Sitting up, I wrapped my arms around her smaller frame and turned us over, causing her to yelp as our positions were switched. I took her lips for myself, pinning her shoulders to the rug. I had to be careful, my teeth were constantly brushing against her soft lips, drawing a moan or whimper that I revelled in.
Drawing back, the both of us panted, out of breath. I think she tried to speak, her eyes half lidded and hazy, but I wouldn't know for certain, as I instead focused on removing that dress from her. It was only in the way.
It took a little manoeuvring, but I removed the garment from her body and tossed it to the side. Cinder's chest was bare, her chest heaving with every breath, soft to the touch. The only thing she wore was a pair of black lace panties, and I swore to myself that those wouldn't last long.
"Ah, hah, oh my, not many have been quite so enthusiastic before," she muttered, red faced and panting.
"I'm sure you've become a master of enthusing people by now," I uttered, grabbing her and turning her over onto her stomach. She teased me before with that perfect ass of hers, but not again.
Shuffling back, I grabbed her hips and raised her ass up, palming the soft cheeks. Likely feeling my own hot breath from behind, she turned her head, curious.
"And what do you plan to do now, Franc~?" She asked, only to jolt as she felt my metal teeth brush against the soft fabric of her panties. She gaped, and before she could argue against it, I bit into the lace and pulled back. Do you know how easy it is to rip or tear lace fabric with metal teeth? I can tell you now, it's like cutting paper with razor sharp scissors.
The garment falling to tatters, Cinder gaped, looking back with a shocked expression, before pouting.
"Those were expensive," she whined. I shrugged carelessly.
"Send me the bill."
And with that, I spread her ass wide, and my tongue delved into the folds of her cunt from behind, drawing a soft moan out of her. She twitched, arching her back and pressing her parts onto my tongue, but I grabbed her hips again and forced her back into the position I wanted, making her whine needily. If she wanted to tease me, she could suffer the consequences.
I took her pussy and ate her out to my heart's content, the tip of my tongue brushing against her clit, her scent filling my nose. It was likely just my imagination mixed with the wine, but for some reason she tasted sweet. It exhilarated me, urging me to go deeper, using my thumbs to spread her wider, stimulating every inch with my mouth.
Cinder was rocking her hips back and forth, her wetness dripping down my lips and chin, her smooth texture and taste electrifying.
"P-please~," she begged, looking back with a needy expression. I wonder what she was pleading for? Well, not like it would matter.
Ignoring her begging, I simply closed my eyes and continued to eat her out, listening to the moans, whimpers and words of want like they were a symphony just for me. I think she was starting to get close too, as her moans were getting louder, and her rocking movements were getting needier, trying to encourage me to continue. Not that I needed any, I could drink her in for hours.
"S-so close, please Franc, please~. A little more~," she incentived me. Smirking, I instead rose myself up onto my knees, holding her hip and looking down at her. She whined, looking up at me with a pout. That pout quickly became a wide eyed look of surprise when 2 of my fingers slipped inside her cunt, going up to the knuckle. Holding her waist, I moved my fingers back and forth, curling them at the end of every thrust. She really was getting close, if the shivering and needy moans were any indication.
Like a flood, her orgasm washed over her, her body freezing in place before letting loose, a loud, keening moan filling the room as she came. It lasted a whole 10 seconds, her hips shaking and breath disappearing from her lungs.
"F-fuck, oh my god~," she panted, slowly lowering herself down and onto her side, resting on the bear skin rug. Did she think we were done? Fuck no! She may have gotten to cum, but I haven't yet. Time to fix that.
"C'mere," I whispered, grabbing her hips and pulling back, grabbing her leg and raising it up, holding her thigh. Unzipping myself, I gave myself a few strokes, and pressed my tip to her soaked entrance. I needed her, right now, I needed to fuck her!
Holding her leg tight, I thrust myself forward, groaning at just how hot she felt. I almost wanted to just stay inside of her and allow myself to slowly melt into her pussy.
Like a desperate man, I simply allowed my mind to turn off, my hips doing the work, thrusting back and forth at a slow pace, but with a lot of force, Cinder buckling underneath me. My senses of touch, sound, scent and vision were consumed by her, urging me to fuck her.
"O-oh god, just like that, don't change anything, just keep going like that, please~!" She encouraged me, turning her upper body to better be able to see me, looking me in the eye or watching our hips meet each other over and over again.
You have no idea how amazing it is to fuck under the firelight, on a soft fur rug, knowing that there is a crowd of a hundred or so men and women just a short walk away. I'm not even sure we locked the door, not that I would have cared. They likely just would have been jealous, that they cannot have her under them, moaning like this, her velvet soft cunt as hot as fire wrapped around their dicks. I'm the one who had her, even if it just was 1 night, and I planned to make the best of it.
I moved us, she was now entirely under me, my hand keeping her wrists above her head. This new angle drew fresh whimpers out of Cinder, and allowed me to take her lips however I wanted. Deep, slow, hard strokes changed to faster, more eager thrusts, her wet cunt sloppily welcoming my dick, dripping and eager. I wanted so badly to bite her, to leave a mark of some sexual conquest. Dark, perhaps, but again, if I only ever had the 1 night, then I would make it last.
Gently, I pressed my teeth to the crook of her neck, cautious, tentatively applying a small degree of pressure. It seemed just the right amount of force, as Cinder's shocked and excited moan filled my ears.
"That's right, fuck me~! Fuck me like you can't fuck any other bitch~!" She encouraged, panting and red faced, a dazed look in her eyes. If that's what she wanted, then I would oblige.
Kissing, biting, writhing, moaning, the soft feeling of her body under mine, the world outside of this room was forgotten, instead I was consumed by the experience of delving into this beautiful woman's snatch, of burying myself hilt deep and then pulling back, ramming my dick back in, over and over and over again.
We were both getting so. Fucking. Close! And a very primal, instinctual part of me was screaming for me to breed her, to cum inside no matter the fucking outcome. Panting, I whispered in her ear, close enough that I was sure she could feel my breath.
"Pill?" I asked. She nodded, turning her head and giving my lips a soft kiss.
"Always~, now do it~," she urged me. As if I needed any more encouragement.
A crashing, powerful orgasm rocked my body, surging pleasure rolling off and out of me. I buried myself balls deep and came, filling her, satisfying that instinctual voice from before. Moaning in ecstasy, I let her wrists go and instead held her body close, burying my face into the crook of her neck, kissing the bite mark I left.
We both laid there, panting, me on top of her, our bodies pressed together.
"Heheh, oh- oh my! That was an experience, I've not been taken like that for a while now~," she whispered, her arms wrapping around my shoulders. I chuckle, planting a kiss to her cheek, a not so small swell of pride rising in my chest. It felt good to be complimented on your sexual ability.
"Mm, I hope I performed sufficiently for you," I jokingly mumbled, causing her to give another melodic chuckle. God, how was her laughter so beautiful?
"Oh, Franc, you have been more than sufficient. I, well I do believe that I may need a moment to recover the use of my legs," she said, sighing contentedly. That swell of pride from before? Well it just grew. Quite a bit. I did my best to remain calm and humble, however.
"If it's no trouble for you, I think I'll stay a while. Just not my style to, well, come and go," I offered, resting my cheek in the palm of my hand, looking down at her. She giggled, cupping my chin with her hand.
"How gentlemanly of you~. Please stay, Franc. However, it may be best we uncouple ourselves, heh. Can't concentrate on conversation like this," she told me. Nodding, I slowly extracted myself, already missing that welcoming warmth of hers. But I ignored the feeling, instead moving us, now we both faced the fireplace, her back pressed to my chest. Looking to the side, I saw the wine bottle, still standing, unlike the wine glasses which had tipped over and cracked, but thankfully didn't shatter. Reaching, I picked up the wine bottle, and offered it to Cinder.
Smiling, she took the bottle and knocked it back, the movement strangely erotic for some reason.
Passing it back to me, I took a swig myself, enjoying the tart flavour running down my throat. For some reason, wine tasted better after sex.
Although, I did wonder, how were the girls doing?
[BREAK]
Nora was in the lead, kind of dragging the other girls with her to the Dancers Union.
Yang, Neon and Nebula followed after with bated breath, whilst Arslan and Velvet, having attended a couple of these by now, were calmer, and not to mention were used to Nora's exuberance.
"You'll love the others, oh! And the little mini stages, people sometimes like to do a dance battle! And there's snacks! Lots of snacks! Really good snacks!" Nora ranted, excitedly detailing every aspect of the Union.
"You said we'll be meeting some friends of yours too, right?" Nebula asked, receiving nods of confirmation.
"That's right. We'll meet up with them soon. I'd tell you about them, but I think Nora would be upset with me if I ruined the surprise," Arslan stated. The girls turned to Nora, who was still excitedly ranting about how fun the Union was.
The long hall was filled with people all heading in the same general direction, chatting and talking amongst their own cliques, a constant hum filling the ears. Yang turned her head, observing the other performers around her. So many people! There were more of these dancers, strippers and performers here than she'd ever seen. And of all types too. Faunus and human, male and female, dark skin tones and pale ones, younger, and older, thick, thin, tall, short, everything.
"The main floor for the Union is up ahead, we're almost there!" Nora said, catching the girls of the House again.
Nebula eyed the crowd around them cautiously. This was disconcerting, the way so many people headed in one direction. No one else seemed to find it as uncomfortable as her, except perhaps Yang and Neon.
Thankfully, the walk was short, and the hodgepodge of people soon entered a giant foyer, much like the dining floor they had just exited. It was tall, and had plenty in the way of tables, a few stages with poles as Nora described, and what appeared to be a few other activity stations to stave off boredom.
"Huh. Alright, this looks pretty cool," Neon commented, eyeing the place. The crowd dispersed, moving to whatever activity or hangout spot they had in mind. Again, cliques formed, typically of performers who worked in the same business, or who knew each other beforehand.
The girls of Beacon took the girls of the House and headed over to a spot near one of the miniature stages, with a circular table to sit at. Taking a spot, the girls crowded near each other and continued talking.
"Okay, so our friends should be swinging by in a minute. Once we get introductions out of the way, we can do whatever we want for the next hour or 2," Arslan explained, leaning forwards on the table.
"So who are these friends of yours?" Yang asked, tilting her head curiously.
"Well, a couple of them work at a place called The Royal, and another couple work for an escort service. Oh! Actually, I see some of them coming now!" Velvet said, pointing over to an approaching trio, the first thing she's said since her chat with Nebula.
The first guy was blond, much like Yang, but with blue eyes instead of lilac, that shined with mischief. He was fit, the white dress shirt and black pants tight on his body, purposeful, no doubt. He also had a blond monkey tail swaying behind him.
The second guy had, interestingly enough, light blue coloured hair, with deep blue eyes. He was very tall, well over 6 feet in height, which no doubt endeared him to his audience. Wearing a red dress shirt that hung loose on his body, he held a more suave charm to his walk.
The one girl between them had dark skin, similar to Arslan, but with emerald green hair and dark red eyes. She seemed of similar build to Militia or Melanie, and rather than wearing a dress, she wore a thigh length skirt and a red sweater, with black thigh high boots.
"Hey! Hey guys! It's the girls from that new place! Come say hi!" Nora exclaimed, flailing her arms above her head to catch the attention of her friends. A wide smile made its way onto the blond monkey faunus' face, who rushed forward and gave Nora a fist bump.
"Hey girl! Good to see you again! You said these are the new girls, from the uh, where was it again?" He greeted, only to mutter as he attempted to remember the name of the new business.
"It's called the House of Ecstasy. It's apparently called the House more often than not, though," The blue haired boy added, causing the 3 House girls to nod.
"Yeh, that's us! I'm Yang, the one with the orange hair is Neon, and that's Nebula," Yang introduced, pointing to each girl in turn, who waved to the newcomers.
"Well before either of these two embarrass us at all, the blond is Sun, the blue one is Neptune. I'm Emerald. It's nice to meet you," The now named Emerald greeted, taking a seat and pointedly ignoring the insulted looks Sun and Neptune gave her. They took a seat as well, however.
"Cool to see some new people though. When did your place open exactly?" Sun asked. The 3 hummed in thought, considering the question.
"About, 3 or 4 months ago now? Maybe 5? We're not entirely sure but it hasn't been very long," Nebula answered, causing the others at the table to give a low whistle, impressed.
"Damn. Apparently it's rare for a really new business to be invited so soon. I think the Royale, where we work, was open for a couple of years before being invited. That's pretty cool!" Neptune commented, giving a charming smile, likely out of habit. Yang, Neon and Nebula couldn't help but preen under the praise, proud of their workplace.
"I heard Ozpin himself was starting to become friends with their boss. I'm sorry, what was your boss' name again?" Emerald asked, cupping her cheek thoughtfully. If there was any intended insult, none of the House girls seemed to notice.
"Franc Eclair. And yeah, he and Ozpin seem on good terms. I think the Boss has been planning to have a visit to Beacon, much like Ozpin. Things recently have just kept him from doing so," Neon said. Sun and Neptune 'oh'd at that, seeming to connect the dots.
"Right! Didn't he have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks?" Sun asked. Yang winced, but nodded.
"Yeah, there was an attack at his home and he got hurt," she answered, only for Neon to jump in, her pride in her boss galvanising her.
"Didn't make it easy though! Boss broke noses and cracked some heads! And then came back with new teeth and went out to party! Hah!" She excitedly exclaimed, high fiving Yang while Nebula chuckled, while Sun, Nora, and Neptune gaped, amazed.
"New teeth? What do you mean exactly by that?" Emerald asked, raising a confused eyebrow. This time it was Nebula who answered.
"In the attack, the boss' teeth were severely damaged and had to be taken out. He had to get implants, and opted for them to be fully metal," she explained, causing a few jaws to drop. It was, if one could forgive the pun, pretty metal.
"W-Well, moving on from that," Emerald muttered, shuddering at the thought of losing all her teeth. No one liked the idea of their teeth just being missing, gone, finnito. Nah, fuck that.
"Oh! What were your first performances like at the House?" Nora asked. Eyes turned to the House girls, who chuckled at the memories. It felt to them like it happened an incredibly long time ago, but in actuality it was just a few months. How time flies.
"Well my first dance was pretty standard. Fun, but it didn't push any creative limits like Nebula's and Neon's here did," Yang answered, pointing towards the two, who giggled.
"I loved mine, actually. The outfit was themed, the music was exciting to dance to, and I got to show off my physique in a way I didn't always get to. Not as many places or people like toned girls. Or, I thought that, until now," Nebula explained, flexing her arm, causing her bicep muscles to pop. The others hummed, suitably impressed.
"Oh my god, I loved mine! I explained it to Nora, but I got to be painted in neon and glow! It was our first strip performance ever, it was so awesome! I loved it!" Neon ranted, excitedly bouncing in her seat at the memory. Even nowadays she loves to do neon dance performances. It was kind of her trademark.
"Have you considered doing videos of your biggest dances and putting them to DustTube or something?" Velvet asked, sipping at a drink that she had got while everyone was talking. The House girls looked at each other, humming in thought.
"We should bring that up the next time we see him," Yang muttered, the other two nodding in agreement.
"Anyway! We know a little about how Beacon works, especially after talking more with these girls," Neon interjected, gesturing to Velvet, Arslan and Nora, before pointing to Emerald, Sun and Neptune. "But you 3! We wanna hear about your places of work!"
Sun and Neptune gave easy smiles, content to talk about their workplace.
"The Royal is a cool place. It caters mostly to women, so most of the performers are guys. We do private dances, parties, stuff like that," Neptune explained. Sun continued after him.
"It's more dancing than stripping, but we end up going out a lot more. Bachelorette parties be crazy!" He exclaimed, causing the others to laugh. None of them have been to a bachelorette party before, but they assumed that they could get exciting!
"And you Emerald, what's your work?" Nebula asked, causing the green haired girl to shrug.
"Escort service. We get paid to essentially act as dates for our clients. It's nothing as exciting as your jobs," she neutrally explained.
"Now Emerald, let's not downplay what we do," a seductive voice interrupted. Turning, they saw a dark haired woman with golden eyes sauntering over, placing a hand on the other girl's shoulder, before turning to face the others, "Forgive her, she has a habit of downplaying our job. We as escorts often act as company for our clients, providing a little pleasantry to what may be a trying time. We may also be hired to interact with young gentlemen who have yet to gain any confidence in talking with women. It's not flashy, but the job provides some benefits."
Emerald grimaced, caught by someone she considered her mentor, whilst the others waved or greeted the new person.
"Hi Cinder! We're having some fun with the new girls, they're pretty cool. Where have you been?" Nora asked, rocking back and forth in her seat excitedly, eliciting a chuckle from the older woman.
"Well, it's funny you mention that, but Mr Eclair and I were having a lovely conversation just before. That time passed by so quickly, I hadn't realised that the Union had started," she explained, waltzing around the table, gently patting or caressing each person that she knew on the shoulder, before sitting down herself. Yang chewed on a snack, her expression casual.
"In other words you slept with him, right?" she asked, causing all conversation to halt. Cinder turned, eyeing Yang curiously.
"Gah, damn boss. We've been here for like 2 and a half hours, keep it in your pants!" Nebula groused, sighing dramatically. Neon giggled, reaching over and snatching a snack whilst no one was looking.
"We, ahem, may have had a little fun. I hope that doesn't irritate you in anyway," Cinder apologetically stated, only to be left a little dumbfounded when the House girls waved her concerns off.
"Forget about it, the Boss has already slept with half the girls back at the House. Multiple times," Yang said, with Neon raising her hand in the air.
"Guilty! Heheheh~," she giggled, clearly amused by the surprised looks and raised eyebrows sent her way.
"Does that happen often or?" Velvet tentatively asked, not entirely sure if she wanted the answer or not.
"Sure, about every week. We take sexual relations among coworkers pretty casually. As long as no one gets hurt and nothing interrupts work then it's all fine," Nebula explained, shrugging indifferently.
"Seriously? I mean cool, do whatever, it's just not common for businesses to allow that," Neptune said, scratching his cheek with a mildly surprised expression.
"Yeah, I know. It just kinda works for us. We're all friends, and adults. So why not, ya know?" Neon shrugged, unconcerned. Cinder hummed in thought, mulling over what they said.
"Well, as long as I've caused no irritation," she settled on, neatly folding her hands on the table.
"Nah, you're cool. Oh, by the way, might wanna move the straps on your dress. We can see the bite mark," Yang advised, causing Cinders face to show a dusting of pink, less at actually having a bite mark and more at it being pointed out, adjusting her dress straps whilst clearing her throat.
"Soooooo. Anyone wanna play Frantic Dance?" Arslan offered, causing those in the know to cheer excitedly. Yang, Neon and Nebula raised their eyebrows and shared some confused looks, wondering what was going on. It was Nora who gave them some mercy.
"Frantic Dance is a game we made up. Two people verse each other, one goes up to the pole, and someone starts up some music. Of any genre or style. The goal is to dance in tune with the music as best you can. Once both people have danced, we vote on who wins," she explained, getting an 'oh' of realisation from the girls. Seemed interesting!
The crowd moved from the table, and over to a free miniature stage, pole included. It was quickly decided that Nora and Sun would have the first battle of the day, whilst Emerald held the scroll and played the music.
"Aaaaaand first up, the most popular monkey faunus in all of Vale! We got our buddy, my buddy! Sun Wukong!" Neptune introduced, with Sun waltzing up to the stage, raising his fist and playfully throwing some punches, like a boxer entering the ring, much to the crowd's amusement.
Emerald pressed a button, and the tune started up. It was a pop beat, something that would fit in a teen girl's room, causing ripples of laughter to run through the small audience, with Sun throwing an unamused glare at Emerald, who innocently shrugged.
Rolling his eyes, Sun got up on the pole and started dancing. He jived, twisted and swung on the pole, proving that his fit form wasn't just for show. He even raised himself up and then swung down, earning him a few claps of approval.
And then the music changed, Emerald smirking viciously. You could audibly hear Sun groan.
Now the song was more hip hop, something you might hear in your average night club. Sun took the change in stride, following the beat, even adding a few break dance moves to shake up the routine. The crowd liked it, giving a few whoops and cheers.
The end of the song approaching, Sun decided to add some flair to his turn.
With a turn and a twist, he spun on the pole, landing in a crouch, his shirt expertly unbuttoned to show off a set of sweltering abs. It was a real showstopper, and got him a cheer from the crowd.
"Alright alright! That was really good, we can agree! But we got a second contestant! From the Beacon Lighthouse, the most excited girl you ever met! Nora!" Neptune introduced, with said girl running up onto stage and giving a twirl, winking at the audience.
"C'mon bestie, represent us well!" Neon cheered, of course referencing their shared hair colour. Nora gave a double thumbs up, smiling widely. She will do her best!
The music began. It was something funky, with high beats and a very fast paced rhythm, which was rather fitting for someone like Nora.
Her performance matched her personality, excitable and very energetic. She was a significantly faster dancer than Sun, and was almost constantly moving in some way. She twisted and rolled her hips, a constant grin on her face, further endearing her to the crowd.
Her curvy body also helped. A lot.
But like Sun, Nora's music changed dramatically.
The funk type beat morphed into something else entirely. It was now a little rock-type beat, with heavy drums and a strumming electric guitar. Nora seamlessly changed her style of dance, crawling up the pole and turning, raising herself back up in one swift movement.
Swinging her leg up, Nora showed an impressive flexibility, arching her back while keeping her leg wrapped around the pole. As the music started to come to a halt, she gave another flair of dramatics for the crowd, by lowering her body very quickly and landing in a pretty good split.
The audience clapped and cheered, Emerald shoving her scroll back in her pocket. Neptune, the unofficial announcer for the game apparently, stood up.
"Heeeey! Alright, that was fun! That was cool! But now, it's time for a vote! Contestants, get over here," he playfully instructed, the two laughing as they moved to either side of him. Neptune grabbed their wrists, in preparation to announce the winner.
"Alright, for our new friends who don't know how this works, a very quick explanation. I'm gonna raise the arm of either Sun or Nora. When I do, cheer as much as you think they deserve. Whoever gets the most cheers, wins!" He explained, the House girls nodding in understanding. Satisfied, Neptune faced the crowd at large, and raised Sun's hand in the air.
The cheer was pretty strong, with some claps, hoots and hollers added in. Lowering his friend's hand, Neptune nodded in consideration, now raising Nora's.
Her cheer was also pretty strong, and very close in noise and excitement levels by the audience.
"Damn, this is a close one! Alright, lemme think," Neptune announced, crossing his arms and humming in deep thought. The audience waited with bated breath, eager to know who won.
"I think that," Neptune began, not yet hinting at the winner. Everyone waited eagerly. He then grabbed Sun's wrist and threw his hand up, "Sun wins!"
There were a mix of groans and cheers at that, with the winner bowing dramatically to the crowd. Nora gave an over the top 'no,' throwing herself into Neon's arm, as they both held each other and cried, saddened by the decision. Orange haired girls everywhere just took a loss.
"Oh c'mon, how'd Sun win?!" Arslan argued, putting her hands to her hips, grimacing at Neptune. She was sure this was some sort of biassed decision. They worked at the same place for god's sake!
"Hey, it was close. I just think Sun wins this one. Nora's split was cool but Sun was brave enough to show more skin. I think that eeks him a victory," Neptune explains, shrugging at any disappointed looks thrown his way.
"Aha! Skin for the win!" Sun cheered, throwing his hands up victoriously. He received a few boos at that, but he ignored them in favour of savouring his victory.
"It's okay Nora, I'm here," Neon soothed, patting her new friends back in a consolatory manner, the pain of today's loss strong, but their determination to succeed next time was stronger.
There chuckles and laughs abound, as the group moved back to their table, grabbing a little food and some drinks to have as they talked.
"Alright, that was pretty fun," Nebula admitted, taking a sip of her drink with a small smile.
"Hell yeah! It does get pretty wild when you add more people, sort of like a tournament style thing. You lot should come around the next time we have one!" Sun offered, echoed by Neptune, Nora and Velvet. Nebula hummed, looking at Neon and Yang with a questioning glance. Neon shrugged, but seemed open to the idea, while Yang gave a thumbs up.
"We can always ask the Boss, as long as we go in a group it should be cool," Nebula decided. Seeing the questioning looks thrown her way, she added, "We only have to do that because the Boss is a little paranoid these days. Yah know, with the attack at his home and all."
They nodded in understanding. When you put it like that, it sounded fairly obvious.
"Should we exchange numbers so that we can plan a meet up?" Velvet questioned.
"Oh yeah! We can like, see each other's workplaces and watch each other perform properly!" Neon added, the statement echoed by a now excited Nora.
Cinder observed the interactions with a quiet calm, as she often did, preferring to sit back and simply watch rather than participate. She, once asked, said that she would gladly provide her scroll number, but said that her workplace wasn't particularly interesting, and that her job meant that she usually went out rather than worked in a singular place.
"But Emerald and I would love to join you in observing everyone else's workplace," she assured them, all while giving an easy, gentle smile.
The girls of the House smiled, glad to have made a few new friends.