[SpringsSong]

Leriun

The Crimson Sunbird Lounge.

Leriun had passed by the club on more than one occasion, and had often wondered what could possibly be in a place like that.  He'd heard on the streets that it was some sort of a lounge where certain types of people worked and certain types of people went.  Leriun had never actually entered the place before--the closest he'd come was placing his hand on the doorknob, but then, he'd chickened out.

Well, okay, he didn't just chicken out.  One night, he'd almost gone in--only to have a group of other men approach him, catcalling him and asking how she could work at such an establishment in such a city.  Leriun had let the men know quite sternly that he was, in fact, a man and that he was just leaving the establishment, and had turned tail rather quickly.

Tonight, however, he was back at the entrance of the lounge, dressed in a dark purple shirt, a pink tie, black pants, and blue shoes.  Underneath the pants and the shirt, however, he wore black-and-pink striped stockings and sleeves--not immediately visible to the average person.

Okay, Leriun, he said to himself, taking in a deep breath as he steeled his nerves.  How bad could it be?  It's just a bar--okay, more than a bar, but that's what they market themselves as.

He drew in another breath, opened the door, and walked in.

[zapdragon555]

The Crimson Sunbird Lounge prided itself in being what one would call a 'classy stripjoint.' Despite the relative oxymoron quality of the phrase, there was a certain kind of class to the smoky, dark purple atmosphere that hung over the cloth-covered tables and bar. The stage was something else entirely; bright lights cut through the smoke and dim, glittering off of poles and mixing with the pearly bulbs surrounding the stage, giving the entire place a somewhat vintage feel. It looked more like a restaurant, in all honesty, save for the hidden back rooms and lounges that lead to other, less public affairs behind curtains and closed doors.

The Lounge was rather quiet, that night. It seemed there was an intermission of sorts, a small break between dancers that may have been a mistake or may have been intentional to keep the small audience waiting. But it wasn't long before the smiling greeter at the door was showing Leriun to a table and saying that his waitress would be there soon. And then Leriun was left alone at a circular table with dark cloth and a purple orchid curving around a candle at the center that gave off a soft, gentle scent. All in all, it seemed to be fairly relaxed, though that could've been because it was the middle of the week, and the sun had set rather recently.

[SpringsSong]

Leriun was already more curious as to the nature of the establishment when he was seated, noticing the stage and the contrast between the stage and the dining area.  Leriun leaned back in his chair, waiting patiently for the waitress to arrive.

All right... not so bad so far, Leriun thought to himself, looking at the candle and the orchid that curled around the candle.  It definitely has a certain ambiance to it.  I wonder, though... he found himself thinking.  Did I arrive a bit too early?  Or... no, Leriun; don't be silly.

[zapdragon555]

It wasn't long before Leriun's waitress stepped out of a room in the back, a quiet sound of hinges creaking in the quiet ambient music. Lucréce walked into the dining area at a soft pace, a ruffled dress gathered around him that swished softly against his legs as he walked towards Leriun's table. He was, admittedly, just the slightest bit flustered from having been dragged out of a room with a client of a different kind on account of the bar being 'short staffed on waitresses,' and after a rather embarrassing apology to the man in question, Lucréce had changed wardrobes rather quickly and dusted his cheeks with powder to hide the light blush on his face from the whole ordeal.

Really, that was the one part of the job that Lucréce hated. The diner was fine; the bar was fine. Hell, even the stage would be a better place to work than the back rooms. But Lucréce was, he supposed, a bit of a special case at the club. That, too was embarrassing.

"Hello," Lucréce's voice was soft and smooth as he approached Leriun's table, shifting to stand at the boy's side with a rather expressionless look on his face. "What can I get you to drink this evening?"

[SpringsSong]

When his waitress came up and asked what he wanted to drink, he turned to get a better look, and offered a soft smile as he dipped his head.  A small part of him almost tilted his head--the hostess had said that his waitress would be with him shortly, but this person's voice wasn't all that feminine--it was lower.  However, he pushed this to the back of his mind when he was asked what he wanted to drink.

"Hello," he replied, his own voice soft.  "What would I like to...? Ah," he said, glancing quickly at a menu.  "I think I'll just start off with some ice water for now..." he said, checking to see if the other was wearing a name tag.  When he did not see one, he asked, "I'm sorry, I... might I ask your name?"

[zapdragon555]

Lucréce had pulled out a small notepad and was writing down the simple order quickly, when his pen paused. He blinked at the man's voice, which was a bit higher than he'd expect someone of legal age to have, but he paid it no mind. People of all sorts came to the Lounge, after all. What really made him pause, however, was the question. The men who came there rarely cared about what Lucréce's name was, unless they were there for more reasons than just to drink and watch a show.

So perhaps his guard went up just a bit. But... the way the boy asked him, it sent a small trail of heat to Lucréce's face. The tiniest bit pleased at the gentle sound of the boy's voice, he clicked the pen and thumped it lightly on the pad of paper. "Lucréce Blaire," he murmured slowly, nodding his head once. "I suppose I... should've introduced myself. I'm a bit out of practice with that..." Lucréce blinked, realizing he was rambling, and he cleared his throat softly. "I-I'll be right back with your water," he almost whispered, turning on his heel and moving towards the bar, a quickness to his movements that showed he wanted to get away from there fast.

[SpringsSong]

Leriun was about to respond when the other--Lucréce, the other had said--turned and left, at a pace which indicated that Leriun's question had put Lucréce ill at ease.  He frowned, looking back at the candle as he waited, taking a moment to glance over the menu again, but setting it aside after a moment.

Stupid, Leriun reprimanded himself, sighing as he shook his head.  I didn't meant to make anyone uncomfortable... it's just nice to have a name to call someone by, he thought, fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt.  He shifted in his seat, continuing to look around the lounge.

[zapdragon555]

Lucréce, admittedly, took his time at the bar. He needed a smidgeon of time to regroup his thoughts and figure out his own feelings. Surely it was all because of the sudden, startling contrast between this new boy and the man he'd just been in bed with. The man had been so rough and, frankly, smelly, that Lucréce just about jumped for joy at the notion of a polite young man with pure intentions. Or at least as pure as one's intentions in a strip joint could be.

Lucréce returned with two glasses of water, making a quick decision. He had no other customers to serve at the moment, and in truth he was starved for nice company. "Here you go," he murmured, setting one water down, and he paused. Should he make it awkward by asking, or make it potentially even more awkward by simply sitting down? Anxiety gnawed at the back of his throat, until finally he set his own water down at the chair across from Leriun and sat down, carefully gathering his skirts around him. "Is it alright if I join you for a bit?" he asked, figuring it would be better than just keeping quiet. "Mister, ah...?" he began, turning blue eyes towards Leriun, silently asking for a name."

[SpringsSong]

"Leriun," the man replied, offering a small smile.  "And I don't mind at all.  It's... well, nice to meet you, Lucréce," he said, taking a small sip from his glass of water.  He looked around again, still observing everything about the lounge.

"So..." he began hesitantly.  "Have, uh... have you worked here long?  I, ah... I hope I'm not coming across as pushy or prying or anything; I... this is my first time coming to a place like this, although I've passed by it on many occasions and wondered what it was like in here," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle.  If Lucréce looked close enough at the young man's face, he would notice some faint markings around his eyes, akin to either tattoos or makeup on his face.

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Lucréce seemed to relax somewhat as Leriun showed no signs of discomfort in him sitting there. "Likewise," he murmured, busying his mouth with the straw sticking out of his water. His eyes wandered over the stage, then flicked his gaze to Leriun as he began speaking. He was quiet for a moment, processing his words, then let go of the straw to talk. "Just a year. Joined when I was eighteen..." He inwardly hoped Leriun wouldn't inquire about that little story.

"It's not really prying. You're nervous," he observed softly, taking the straw into his mouth again and sipping at his drink. "That's normal... if it's not terrible of me to say, you don't seem like you belong at a place like this." Lucréce paused, considering his own words for a moment with a small frown. He thought he should explain himself, say, 'Because you seem to nice,' or, 'Because you seem so young,' but he didn't quite know how to fully explain himself.

[SpringsSong]

"Ah, I see," Leriun said in response to the first question.  When Lucréce said that he seemed nervous and that it didn't seem like a place that he belonged in, Leriun shifted and offered a nervous chuckle.

"Well, ah... I suppose you could say that I was curious as to what this place was like?" he said in a questioning tone, offering a lopsided smile.  "How's that saying go... curiosity killed the Myu?  Or was it 'curiosity killed the Rexxel'...?  Either way..." he said, looking down at his water.  "Lost track of how many times I've almost come in here before, but chickened out at the last minute and left."

[zapdragon555]

Lucréce listened in silence, watching the boy with a curious glint in his light eyes. He blinked at him, and before he could stop it a soft giggle escaped him. He ended it on a sharp clearing of his throat, covering his mouth to recover his smile and rein it back in to his unassuming expression, sighing a short breath through his nose. "Well, you didn't chicken out this time. And you aren't dead yet, so... it looks like you'll be safe," he murmured, a tiny smile curving one end of his mouth. Unlike Leriun, Lucréce didn't seem to wear any makeup, other than the powder on his face; his face was was round and doll-like, with large eyes and soft, pale lips. In a way, it made him look a little ghostly, a little disquieting to stare at for very long. "I'm glad you decided to come tonight," he murmured on impulse, not looking at Leriun as he noticed the curtains at the back of the stage were shifting. The next dancer would be out, soon...

[SpringsSong]

"Heh, yeah," Leriun chuckled in response to Lucréce's statement that he wasn't dead yet.  "Luckily, I didn't get harassed like what's happened in the past.  It's like a guy can't think about going into a place without someone poking fun at him because of appear--"

Here, Leriun noticed the curtains beginning to shift.  Before the next performance could begin, Leriun leaned forward and said, in a low voice, "I'm glad I decided to come, too; though I will admit I'm not completely sure what to expect from a place like this."

[zapdragon555]

Lucréce made a small noise of sympathy at the mention of being harassed. He knew how that was, though in a way he found it cute. Men were pigs, but it was funny to see them get frustrated in realizing their cute waitress was male. Maybe Lucréce liked deceiving people. Or maybe he enjoyed the spiteful twinge in his heart to disappoint them so much.

Lucréce glanced up at the stage as a woman came out, dressed in revealing, bright-colored sheer silks and undergarments. Lucréce eyed her for a moment as the crowd whooped softly, then looked away with a soft dismissive expression, sipping at his water. Women were another story entirely. "No one does, their first time. If you don't know what to expect, then you're kind. You're taking what's shown to you, rather than what you want at the expense of the sex workers here. I've never been very fond of those sorts of men," he murmured, tapping a finger against his cheekbone as he chewed on the end of his straw slightly, leaning his elbows on the table. He blinked, realizing his rather crass topic of choice might be concerning Leriun, and he cleared his throat. "Of course... if you're... after that sort of thing, then we do certainly have that here. They would be... happy to see to you, one of them."

[SpringsSong]

Leriun didn't seem to mind the crass tone in which Lucréce spoke of certain types of men.  "I can't stand people who treat those who choose to work in establishments like this like they're supposed to grovel at their feet and do positively demeaning things to them, all because of the line of work they've chosen," he said.

"If I'm into...?  Oh, heavens," Leriun said quietly, shaking his head and offering a slight chuckle.  "I'm definitely not... like that, no.  Although I had an encounter with some men who are like that, however... and I'm surprised that they just let me walk away like that," he said, frowning for a moment as he tapped a finger against the tablecloth gently.  He shifted back slightly, and if Lucréce looked close enough, then he'd notice a slight curve in his chest.

Leriun watched the woman with a mild amount of interest.  The silks were bright and eye-catching, and she did know how to dance, he would grant her that.