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[i_am_your_host]

The door creaks open, and the Master of Ceremonies slips in, like liquid through a crack, and he quickly shuts it behind him.

He's shirtless, holding his coat. He sweeps his fingertips under his bottom lip, wiping away smudged makeup, and runs a hand through his lanky hair. Smiling faintly and a little breathless, he leans against the door for a moment before pulling his coat on and heading to the bar.

He needs a cigarette. And a drink.

Comments

[hot_water]

"You," drawls the youth already seated at the bar, "look like you could use a drink." He gracefully unfurls himself from his seat and orders two shots of firewhiskey to carry over to the delicious man.

"Well, whether you need one or not, you can't deny that this is the good stuff."

[i_am_your_host]

The Emcee slides onto a stool and pulls a cigarette case out of an inner coat pocket. He lights one of them up, exhaling a cloud of smoke with a deep sigh.

"Why, thank you, darling," he murmurs, smiling like a satisfied cat.

Picking up one of the glasses, he raises it to the young man.

[hot_water]

Tahno raises his glass back, and seats himself lazily. He bends half the shot past his lips, inhaling the smoke. "Ah. So what have you been up to lately? You look positively scandalous."

[i_am_your_host]

He knocks back the shot, purrs at the burn, and flicks his hair out out of his eyes.

"Do I?"

That coyly cryptic curve to his lips still remains as he takes a drag off his cigarette.

[hot_water]

Tahno's smirk is smug, self-satisfied, a private joke which he clearly invites the Emcee on. "Yes," he drawls, voice already husky, gaze already hooded. "Oh, Agni, yes, you do. 'Scandalous' looks good on you."

[i_am_your_host]

"I'll have to wear it more often around you, then."

He chuckles with a slow blink of his long lashes, half-hiding his mouth behind his cigarette-holding hand.

"It was just one of my favorite boys at the club. A little post-performance...performance."

[hot_water]

"One of yer boy toys, hm?" Tahno drawls, amused. He bends a bit more of his shot to his mouth with the flick of his fingers. His gaze travels up to Emcee's chest, his bared throat, and finally, his kohl-lined eyes. "Must be nice, havin' 'em at your beck and call, to do with what you wish."

Not that Tahno doesn't.

[inspector_blueeyes]

David looks up from his work, following Emcee's path with his eyes. It's hard not to. There is something about Emcee that makes him... He shakes off the thought and tries to go back to his work but he finds himself watching Emcee again.

[i_am_your_host]

As the Emcee settles on a stool, he lights up a cigarette, cupping a hand around the flame of his lighter and briefly setting his pale features in stark shadows. Picking his head up, he brushes his hair from his eyes and orders a glass of gin.

At some point he gets that familiar sensation of being watched. He gets it a lot.

But tonight, it really is up to whoever is doing the watching to come to him.

[inspector_blueeyes]

It takes all of David's strength and control to get up and walk over to the bar. "May I... join you?" His voice is hesitating but strong.

[i_am_your_host]

He turns his head at the sound of his voice, looking up at him with a red-lipped smile.

"Why, David, good evening," he greets him pleasantly. "Of course, darling, have a seat. How have you been?"

He hasn't forgotten that their last chance encounter was in the men's bathroom.

[inspector_blueeyes]

"Thank you." He takes a slightly awkward seat. "I've been... well enough. You seem in high spirits tonight?" Not has he. The memory is somewhat engrained.

[i_am_your_host]

Taking a drag off his cigarette, he chuckles and waves a hand, slightly dismissive.

"Oh, just had a little fun with one of my favorite boys at the Klub," he says, rolling his eyes upward in the manner of a smitten adolescent. "Tall, blond, blue-eyed. Big, broad shoulders. Ridiculously beautiful." He chuckles again and taps ashes off the end of his cigarette.

He could very well be describing a mutual acquaintance.

[takingthechance]

Soon at the bar, he's joined by a girl in uniform.

Sam really couldn't look more cheerful if she tried, which is pretty dang impressive considering.

"Hullo!" Really. Borderline giddy. It's ridiculous.

[i_am_your_host]

"Well, hello yourself, darling," he chuckles with amusement and surprise.

"You know, it isn't often that I am assailed with full-frontal cheerfulness."

[takingthechance]

"Well, you will have to get used to it - nothing is going to spoil my good mood today." She doesn't quite get his turn of phrase (thank goodness), but she's rolling with it anyway.

[i_am_your_host]

"Oh, is that so?" he says as if being challenged. "Well, then, luckily for you, I was never any good as spoiling good moods."

Pulling over an empty barstool, he offers her his hand in an unnecessary but gallant gesture to help her hop on and join him.

"So, what, pray tell, has gotten you so giddy, darling?"

[takingthechance]

She takes the offered hand, because gallant gestures are appreciated whether they are necessary or not.

"My father went back to Lyminster this morning. Saw him off myself." Which does prove that her father is right - miracles do happen.

[i_am_your_host]

"So, this means..."

And he thinks back to their last conversation, how despondent she had been. This? Is definitely good news.

"...you get to keep your job," he says, a bright grin lighting up his face. "Darling, that is wonderful. What made him change his mind?"

[heatherandsteel]

Quentin is yawning at the counter, he's spent the evening with a long session with Etienne and he's feeling it. When the Emcee sits down, he looks him over tasting the air as his outfit is odd and interesting.

He has his human disguise up and looks like a blond and blue eyed teen of about fifteen or sixteen with nice bone structure, "Interesting night?"

[i_am_your_host]

At the question, the Emcee shifts his attention from lighting his cigarette and indulging in a glass of gin to the boy. A very pretty boy, at that. He takes him in with a quick up-and-down flick of his dark eyes and smiles.

"I always have interesting nights, darling."

[heatherandsteel]

The tips of his ears go red, "Oh, that's good."

[i_am_your_host]

Now that was far too easy to make the boy blush, and he chuckles through a cloud of cigarette smoke.

"And how was your evening, then?"

[heatherandsteel]

"Evening, right, it went well,"

He's nocturnal and night is his day, this was a normal day of training and watching Toby and Duke Torquill sword fight.

[i_am_your_host]

Hmm.

He shifts on his seat, turning to face the boy more directly. Leaning on an elbow on the bar, crossing his legs at the knee.

"What's your name, darling?"