neopoints | here at the honeybee inn. / open

makopoison posting in

[ they tell him he won't make soldier. no amount of training can fix a weakness of the soul. the mako doesn't agree with him - he's bedridden for three days after the initial test, and upon discharge, told he'll nnot be allowed to apply again. on the very same day he'd tendered his resignation, apologizing to his squadmates for letting them down, and left a message to the turk who had helped him on the trains as well as zack fair, thanking them for their belief in him, however ill-placed.

he was left with no choice but to improvise. there was nothing to return home to in nibelheim, no reason to quietly endure further ridicule and a lifetime of being ostracized, but no way he could live on the plate with the sky-high rent and the soul-sucking jobs requiring more skill than country boy can provide. he isn't the first SOLDIER washout to be too ashamed to go home, and he knows he won't be the last. the slums are full of them. he'd found himself lost, wandering lost in the shadow of the plate. sector five was bright and flashy but he wasn't equipped to deal with pickpockets and gangs. the better part of the day was spent utterly terrified, certain he was going to die here tonight and no one would ever know because he'd been too damn stupid to tell them his plans.

don corneo's men saw an easy mark for the coliseum. promising big money and a place to sleep - but a hand on his shoulder, a whisper in his ear, i could make you a star, darling - offered him something better.

andrea rhodea had smiled so charmingly and with such faith he'd decided he was in before he even heard the offer.

( they'd suggested claudia for his stagename, not knowing it was his mothers. he'd balked, almost shouting no, because while the rhinestones and glitter were rapidly becoming just another part of his world - he couldn't imagine the humiliation of anyone he knew knowing this. shame had consumed so much of his life, dictated so much of what he enjoyed - he refused to let it ruin this too. )

so cirrus was born. and cirrus was a fucking hit.

and he hadn't been lying. cloud's androgynous features were a smash with the customer-base. he was a quick learner, a hell of a dancer, and not too bad of a fighter. he was a star - and it came with glitz, and glamour, and gil, but no glory.

the usual showstopper was done for the night. cloud, center-stage, dancing to a flashy new routine in a uniform somewhere between the men's snappy suits and the women's bulky bee costume. he's fanning himself in the changing room, huffing out a breath as he counts down the minutes until the end of his shift, when one of the girls tells him he's been requested for a private show. ]

Seriously? I'm almost off the clock. Can't someone else -

[ it's someone important, she says, shaking her head. classified. you know what that means.

the blonde pulls a face.

don't worry, it doesn't look like an exec. she adds hastily. but you better move.

he sighs. turns back to the mirror to wipe away any evidence of exertion and heads for the room. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

soldierpuppy

[ Zack totally didn't want to do this. ]

[ It had been years since Sephiroth had disappeared, leaving him as the lone 1st in SOLDIER. He had taken on the responsibility, of course -- how could he not? -- but the more he was left in charge, the more he saw the little things that he hadn't seen before. It wasn't just what had been done to Angeal and Genesis, or what may have been different about Sephiroth himself, but it was the way the scientists would linger around other SOLDIERs for too long, how he'd see the occasional hand dipping something in before the mako showers, or the half whispered comments in the halls by men not expecting to be overheard. It was making him realize that SOLDIER -- and perhaps even all of Shinra -- was nothing like it was supposed to be. ]

[ So he came up with a plan. Or, well, rather; the Turks came up with a plan, one that would get him and his girlfriend out and as far away from Midgar as possible. He hated to cut and run, but it was dangerous for her here too. Of course, all this involved a big thing, saying that they were going to get married and he was going to need some time for that (something Aerith actually jumped on him for), but the plan was to elope and run off before the scheduled wedding day. No fuss; just disappear under the cover of night with the Turks subtly helping them out. ]

[ Unfortunately, there were things involved with a wedding. Things that he apparently couldn't get out of, like a bachelor party. He tried, he really did, but even as Reno pipped up to say that he would happily take the VIP time reserved at the Honeybee Inn, Tseng had politely reminded him that anything out of the ordinary would draw suspicion. ]

[ So now he was stuck, sitting between two honey girls that were more than happy to snuggle up by him, waiting for the private show to start, trying to resist the urge to get up and walk out. ]

This... doesn't take too long, right?

[ He mumbled the question to himself, and if the girls heard him, they didn't really seem to pay it too much mind. ]

From:

makopoison

[ cloud isn't exactly the most personable person. quiet and shy are better descriptors than boisterous or seductive - but playing a role makes it easier to disassociate himself from what he's doing, from being here and doing all of this. andrea is great and protective of all of his employees, his family, but . he's learned a lot of people do that here. be they in sex work or under the don's employ. you learn to turn parts of yourself off to get through the day, and then before you switch back on, you shove those memories aside so you can keep living with whatever it is you've just done.

cirrus might not be bright and bubbly, but they are mysterious. skirting that line between male and female, beautiful and handsome. say a little and people will do all the work for you, draw all their own conclusions. you're either a demure little angel or a standoffish bitch, they pick what they want and run with it.

so when he walks into the room, he does his usual thing. get them worked up with the pole and then a little lap dance. something weird and kinky after that, if they're into it. he doesn't make eye contact as he heads for the stage, grasping the pole and glancing over his shoulder at -

zack fair.

zack fucking fair.

oh no. oh no no no. cloud immediately turns his face to the wall, cheeks hot. shit. shit shit shit shit shit shit. since when does zack go to strip clubs? it... it has been years. so anything could happen in that time. he'd heard he was the last first left standing, so - maybe he's here to let off steam?

shit.

fuck.

shit. the girls on the chair next to zack are confused because the music's started playing and he hasn't started moving yet, and that's what spurs him into action. setting out through the rest of his routine and just

deliberately not looking at the man he's supposed to be entertaining. ]

From:

plate_builder

[Perhaps part of the reason he doesn't look like an executive is because, well, he didn't want to be here. This wasn't something REEVE had wanted to do after all. This was something he got strong armed into. Something that the other executives had gotten him for his anniversary with the company.

A ticket to the Honeybee, for one private performance. The worst part that Reeve had been escorted down to the slums for this. Well, no, not just that. While Shinra wasn't popular in the slums, Reeve definitely wasn't high up there in people's opinions. Because apparently he wasn't doing a good enough job. If people only understood how much he tried to fight for them and...

No, that wasn't important or relevant. What was important and or relevant was that though this was a VIP, Reeve was not dressed as such. No suit, definitely no tie. Apparently, at Tseng's command, Reno and Rude had raided his apartment for something more 'casual'. Which mostly meant only very nice slacks and a shirt with a collar of a shade of gray that 'brought out his eyes' according to Rude. None of it expensive. And the two Turks had escorted him down here, dropping him off down the block and giving him a look that said they would know.

Reeve didn't doubt it.

So he sat nervously on the nice, soft couch, and stared down at his hands, waiting for his performer. The sooner they started, the sooner it was over, the sooner he could go home.]

From:

makopoison

[ it doesn't look like an exec, but it is one. one of the directors is sitting on that couch, looking as though he'd rather be on the moon.

by now he's met most of them. all of them come to the honeybee inn for one reason or another - not always sexual, but never far from it either. cloud's personally met scarlet's whip and spent the better part of two hours telling heidegger what an incredible tactical genius he was, the only mercy was that palmer wasn't into 'manly folk' and always went with someone more lithe. ]

Director Tuesti. [ he smiles winningly, his outfit considerably more subdued. the profile they'd gotten had requested something less gaudy and overtly ridiculous, but the form-fitting suit leaves very little to the imagination. it's abundantly clear there's nothing under it, either. ] Welcome to the Honeybee Inn. My name is Cirrus, I'll be [ ugh ] tending to your garden tonight. Would you like to start with some wine?

[ he still hasn't mastered that plasticy, 'everything is perfect' smile the other girls have. his clients don't like him for that, though. andrea has said the 'frigid bitch' angle makes him seem fearless, but the fact that they know they can have him makes it all the more enticing. ]

From:

plate_builder

[Oh dear, who... which one of them arranged this? The suit is just a bit over the top for Reeve. Something tells him it was Scarlet. Scarlet running on the assumption that just because Reeve presented himself in a professional manner meant he was turned on by it. Which wasn't exactly incorrect. But the fact that Tseng in a suit was attractive didn't mean that he immediately found all suits attractive. Even if this one hugged the stranger's body in beautiful ways that were by no means appropriate.

Or respectful to the suit.]

My garden is very fine the way it is, thank you very much.

[The words were mumbled under his breath. Because he didn't know how to politely turn down the individual's, was it a man or a woman, company. He had an obligation to be here because otherwise Rude and Reno would notice he wasn't gone long enough and...

He hates his fellow directors. Dammit.]

And please, don't call me that.

[The title felt... ill fitted to a place like this. Like he was disrespecting it and his position.]

I will take that wine though.

From:

makopoison

[ ... maybe he's not to this gentleman's standards. cloud's momentarily taken aback, but turns to order something fine and expensive. it's all being charged to the company's accounts, courtesy of don corneo.

which is also how he knows no one that high up the shinra foodchain is sane. it just doesn't happen. that much power, that much influence, doing that many sins has to start eating you alive inside. meaning you need another outlet.

he knows about reeve tuesti, knows that he's supposedly the most genuine of all of them, but cloud's been around the block enough times to know that usually means he's hiding a mean streak. ]

Of course.

[ the wine is delivered. he takes it and two glasses in hand, sitting down across from him. ]

What do you want me to call you?

From:

plate_builder

[Reeve takes the wine and can't help the slightly grateful look over Cirrus not sitting down next to him. That would have been too much. Maybe, if he drags the glass of wine out, he can then plead fatigue, thank the performer for their time, and escape. Yes, that's a plan.

And Reeve takes a sip of the wine, and stares at it in shock.]

What... this is...

[High quality. The cost of a bottle of this could feed some slums family for a week.]

This is too much for me.

From:

makopoison

[ not even giving him a name. the blonde tries to mask his annoyance, eyebrows forking down briefly before he takes a breath and forcefully schools himself back to that pleasant smile. ]

The bottle was bought for the company for company staff. It will just go to waste otherwise.

[ it's not really a lie. he works hard to keep his voice bright and bordering on vapid. ]

here at the honeybee inn. / open

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