to Berlin with love.

[runningred]

 From here

Jay opens the door into a quiet back alley that could belong to any city - the lingering scent of garbage and the miss-matched colours where graffiti has been washed off or painted over. In the mid-afternoon chill of early spring, he takes Emcee's hand and leads him out into the street, pocketing the key. The sunlight is thin but warm and picks out the green swell of buds in the branches. The tree lined avenue is quiet this time of day. Not lacking in people but without rush, a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Comments

[runningred]

Jay moves silently at his side, there for support without pressure.

Until Emcee ask the question, then he grin. "Pride, darling. Gay pride. We must be here in time for Christopher Street Day."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee raises an eyebrow.

"You mean they're going to have a gay festival in my own neighborhood?" he says wryly, though it's evident that he's highly amused by this.

There's a rainbow bear by one of the shops in the square. Emcee has to laugh at that.

"This area was always home to us. To our kind. I have to admit, it's-- it's rather wonderful that it still is."

[runningred]

"Joy endures." Jay smiles, giving the bear a once over. "You've got to admire the rainbow claws."

He grabs a festive flyer from a vendor with a greeting of Happy Pride and offers it to Emcee. "We should check out an event or two while we're here."

[i_am_your_host]

"It's extraordinary how...open these places are," he says, even as something nags at him.

"Ooh!" He grins as he looks over the flyer. "I love a good dance party!"

Naturally!

He looks around at the surrounding neighborhood again.

"You know what," he murmurs, pointing at the building behind the rainbow bear. "This is-- new. I mean, the original building is-- well, it's gone. It's actually a theater and dance hall in my time. They often held wonderful lesbian balls, and parties for gay gentlemen and boys-- not so much anymore, though."

But then he points at another, huge, grand old building across the way. "But at least the Neues Schauspielhaus is still here!"

And it happens to house a gay dance club, where one of the Pride parties is being held tonight.

[runningred]

Jay smiles and follows where Emcee leads, not wanting to interrupt his flow. "Sounds like a good place to party? And theatres always have such great acrostics."

He nods to the grand old building. "What was in there?"

There's another club, a couple of blocks away but Jay is careful not to steer Emcee that way. Careful not to push.

[i_am_your_host]

"It was a cinema when I was a child, and now it's a theater, quite a renowned venue at that. I once saw a production of The Threepenny Opera there."

He then turns to look down one of the streets and sighs.

"And down that way," he says, pointing, "was where the Kit Kat Klub used to be. I'm fairly sure I can use the past tense," he adds with a sad chuckle. "I don't know if I want to see what's taken its place. A McDonald's, perhaps."

[runningred]

"I think B dragged me to see that at the Gotham theatre. Hated opera as a kid but he needed to be seen at charity events."

He shrugs and gives Emcee a little squeeze. "If it is, we'll buy it back and fix it up." He offers complacently.

[i_am_your_host]

"You probably saw a different opera, then," he says, smirking up at him. "Brecht und Weill productions are social commentary for the proletariat masses. I should sing you some of their songs some time. Every wealthy socialite in earshot would be offended."

He then snorts a laugh at Jay's suggestion as they cross the street.

"'We'? What do you mean by that? Remember what I told you, darling, don't say things you don't mean."

[runningred]

"Maybe but I suspect it was something similar. I seem to recall that's pretty much the reaction it got. B thought it was hilarious but he was trying to stay in character."

Jay follows him, glancing over his shoulder to a street he recognises from the last time he was here. He didn't realise the club he spent time at was so close to Emcee's old digs.

"You know me, darling." He says, not entirely lightly. "I don't make promises, or offers I don't intend to carry though on."

[i_am_your_host]

"Ah, I sometimes wondered if he actually had a sense of humor," he says dryly, as he falls back into step with Jay.

"And you know me. I'm not looking for promises or offers. But thank you for making them anyway."

[runningred]

"Twisted and bitter but yeah, he did." There's a slight edge of grudging admiration in his voice. Part of him will always love B. But the rest of him wants to punch in those perfect teeth.

Jay gives him a little squeeze and lets Emcee lead him back to his old neighbourhood. Which so far is blissfully free of MacDonald. It has a rather intimate air, a place people go because they know where they want to be. Or are looking for something in particular. Some things don't change.

[i_am_your_host]

The little cafes, restaurants, pubs, and boutiques that line the street are not that far a cry from Emcee's time.

"Oh, look, is that a sex shop?" he chirps almost cheerfully.

The storefront window is lit with pink neon lights as faceless male and female mannequins model a variety of leather and lacy things.

[runningred]

"Yep!" Jay nods, "That's exactly what it is. Wanna have a look?" He asks with a teasing smile. "Pick out something fun to wear clubbing tonight."

[i_am_your_host]

He snorts a chuckle. "It's all just so blatantly out there, isn't it? In my time these things were relegated to back rooms and basements. But yes, let's have a look-- although I think I've seen a lot of this stuff adorning the patrons of Herr Northman's Fangtasia."

He opens the door and his eardrums are assailed by thumping house music.

"Oh, yes. That sounds familiar."

[runningred]

"Rainbows on every corner." Jay chuckles. "Sex shops in the high street. Welcome to the new Berlin."

He follows Emcee inside, shaking his head. "I've only been to Fangtasia twice. It was... interesting. Not exactly my crowd but interesting." He runs his hands over a rather nice set of leather jeans.

[i_am_your_host]

The new Berlin. It's...a slightly jarring phrase, jarring in its truth. Emcee with have to find a way to cope with it.

In the meantime, he's trying to cope with a display shelf full of dildos.

He picks up a large one made of blue silicone and finds a switch--

"Oh my god, this one rotates."

[runningred]

"I think the phrase is sit and spin." Jay grins dangerously.

He rests a gentle hand on his lower back, rubbing gently. He knows this is hard on Emcee and he doesn't want to rush anything.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee snorts a laugh. Turning the thing off, he places it back on the shelf. And immediately picks out another colorful, buzzing and humming devices to play with.

"So, you went to Fangtasia, too?" he says as a plastic green vibrator rattles away in his hand. "I don't know if it was my type of crowd either, but I had a lot of fun. Eric took me during Cubefall while I was temporarily a woman."

Oh, hey, spiked collars and leather leashes.

He maybe wanting to distract himself from more serious things.

[runningred]

"Hmm." He nods. "I was working on Eric and Pam's security. Both installing and upgrading. Second time I ended up behind the bar. I've worked at clubs on and off over the years. It was far easier than trying to blend in with the crowd there."

"But I'm guessing you as a woman would have been desperately popular!"

[i_am_your_host]

"I suppose," he chuckles as he continues to browse. "I was Eric's arm candy for the night, so he kept everyone's hands off of me, namely the other vampires. He's hot when he's possessive. --Oh, pink fuzzy handcuffs, that's adorable."

[runningred]

"I wasn't quite as attention worthy but I did have a hell of a lot of fun making his groupies drool with the merest suggestion that I knew how hot he gets. Didn't take much more than a raised eyebrow and some well placed implications to get their imaginations fired up." And Jay might have loved every second of it.

[i_am_your_host]

They were indeed an eager bunch, those fangbangers," he agrees with a laugh.

He comes across a selection of fingerless fishnet gloves. "Ooh, I've always rather wanted a pair of these for some reason."

[runningred]

"Cute." Jay comments, smiling at him as he comes over to wrap an arm around Emcee's waist. "And they won't look out of place with any of your outfits."

He reaches around Emcee to finger a pair of butter-smooth black leather driving gloves.

A tall, dark haired girl comes in, rattling off an order of costumes in fluid if slightly accented German. She leans on the counter, scanning the room as she waits for her order to be boxed. She catches Emcee's eye and smiles. It's a sweetly devilish smile. The sort that can only lead to mischief.

[i_am_your_host]

"True. I think I'd wear them with the leather kilt," he says, looking up at him and batting his eyelashes. "If you buy me a pair I'll pay you back."

Mosy likely with...services, rather than money.

As he continues to browse, he of course notices the young woman who comes in. He overhears some of her order of costumes and wonders why she would need them, but then the smile she gives him might explain it. Returning the smile, he casually browses closer.

"Planning a party?" he asks her, his own Berliner accent prominent.

[runningred]

"Now, how can I turn down an offer like that." Jay chuckles.

She grins back warmly. "Darling, it's Christopher Street Day." She struts over to Emcee on stiletto heels longer than most men's dicks. "Everyone's planning a party." She reached out to run her fingers over the gloves Emcee's holding. "But all the best parties are by invitation only."