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

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee smiles and coyly shrugs a shoulder.

"Oh, you know, I like to do a lot of things. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Dancing and singing and whatnot. I must admit I'm not up to speed on today's popular songs, but I do love the classics. Does the band know any Queen?"

Queen is classic, right?

Emcee may be adapting better than one may expect.

[runningred]

"Oh darling!" Miss Kitty grins. "Freddy Mercury is one of our personal saints. Pick a song and the band would love to play it with you."

[i_am_your_host]

"Wonderful!" he chirps with delight.

He would never be able to do this back home. Not even in Milliways, not without people who played the proper instruments.

"I really must say, Miss Kitty, this is turning out to be a marvelous evening. Jay and I would probably be somewhere else if we hadn't run into Alice in the sex shop where she picked up her costumes. Speaking of which, I hope I see the cute boy who manned the counter, he was quite a little dish," he adds, scanning the crowd.

[runningred]

"Ah, the Fates know these things, darling. Or our lovely Alice would never have found you. You needed to be here tonight, just as we needed you." She leans in with a playful grin. "I'm part gypsy, darling. I know these things."

She scans with him. "I'm sure you'll find him. Or when he sees you, he'll find you."

[i_am_your_host]

"Then everyone who is here at this party, is meant to be here," Emcee agrees.

But is he meant to be in this world? In this time? If he could just stay within the walls of this club...

"Well, darlings, if you don't mind, I think I'll go mingle before the next part of the show starts. I see so many interesting people that I just want to talk to them all."

With a peck to Jay's cheek, he dances off into the crowd.

[runningred]

Jay squeezes his hand and lets him go, smiling as he watches Emcee become part of the crowd. Kitty leans on Jay softly. "He's beautiful, boss. Please tell me we can keep him?"

Jay shrugs, his voice wistful. "That's up to him, Kitty. But I hope so."

***

The DJ has the crowd dancing and more than a few people invite Emcee to join them. The cute boy from the sex shop spots him and greets him with a smile, lingering against a wall and watching, sipping a drink.

[i_am_your_host]

And Emcee dances with them all. Men, women, gay, straight, and everyone in between. It's quite the mix, and that's what Emcee finds so exciting and fascinating about this crowd. He effortlessly moves from one person to another like the self-proclaimed social butterfly that he is. Sometimes he exchanges bits of conversation with them, leaning in close to hear them over the music, relaxed and unguarded enough to let others into his own personal space. To the casual observer, he seems at home.

The boy from the sex shop catches his eye, and Emcee dances over to him and holds out a hand. The boy looks as if he's too shy to join him, but Emcee insists, tugging him off the wall. He doesn't pull him out onto the dance floor, though, but hovers near him, still stepping to the music as he talks to him, saying things into his ear.

Within a few moments the boy has got his hands on Emcee's hips, and they're both moving to the beat.

Emcee works very quickly indeed.

[runningred]

Jay watches from near the bar, sipping his drink and talking with anyone and everyone. The pageboy keeps drifting back to him, whispering in his ear, Jay's friendly with him, an arm around his waist but nothing more.

[i_am_your_host]

At some point, Emcee pulls the boy in for a kiss. It's not much longer than a peck on the lips. The boy smiles and laughs, and Emcee giggles at his reaction, and they dance through the rest of the song before they part to enjoy themselves with other partners. Emcee keeps an eye on him, though. He's never too far away.

And then there's the big bearded bear of a bartender from the Cat and Mouse. Emcee lets out a cheer and waves to him, coaxing him into the middle of the crowd, and greeting him with a kiss on the cheek. He gets a dance, too.

Eventually Emcee has to refuel, and so he makes his way back to the bar, flushed and happy.

[runningred]

Jay’s waiting with a gin cocktail and a warm smile. “You really have got that pretty boy in your sights, don’t you? He blushes very cutely.” He nods up the stairs towards the smoking area on the balcony of the mezzanine. “I’m told there’s a couple more acts before Miss Kitty will be calling for audience participation.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee beams at him and takes the cocktail, leaning up to kiss the corner of his lips in thanks.

"He's very sweet," he murmurs, taking a sip. "And quite a sexy dancer."

He follows his gaze and looks up at the balcony.

"Upstairs? Ooh, that would be perfect, I want to see more of this place while I can. Let's go." He slips a hand around Jay's arm.

[runningred]

"So I saw. At least when I could take my eyes off you." Jay flatters harmlessly as they walk up the stairs.

They walk along the mezzanine - more tables with views of the stage and dance floor, private booths to the back with less of a view but very much more private. Something that's being made the most of, judging by the giggles and soft moans coming from some of the closed curtains.

The smoking section is a partitioned off area of the balcony, resembling an oversized theatre box with a silent but very effective ventilation system. Modern smoking laws being what they are. Some very fine cigars are being shared around a group of well dressed women in Humphrey Bogart-eque suits, touching the brims of their fedoras in greeting as Emcee and Jay join them.

"Have you seen Vic before?" One of them asks, offering them a lighter almost as old as Emcee. "Love this act."

Below the lighting is being dimmed, the stage cleared for the next act.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee just gives Jay a sly, sidelong look and a pat on his ass.

From the second level, Emcee takes in the view of everything and everyone below. The private booths get a glance and raised eyebrows, not out of shock, but he's more impressed that they thought of putting in curtains.

As he takes a seat with the suited ladies and lights up, he shakes his head at the woman's question.

"No, I haven't, but I'm looking forward to it," he says eagerly. "I suppose you all come here often?"

[runningred]

Jay chuckles at the pat and the raised eyebrows. "I won't be shocked if you get invited in to one of these before the night's over."

He melts into the shadows in the smoking section, making sure not to loom over Emcee or distract from his conversations.

The Rat Pack girls laugh richly. "As often as we can. Wonderland has only been around a couple of years buy already it's ridiculously popular. And I'm told the owner is a hard-ass about fire regs and the such so if you don't get tickets for a party night, you don't get in."

[i_am_your_host]

"Do you mean Alice?" he assumes. "She does seem to be a punish-you-with-a-riding-crop sort. My friend and I happened to get an invitation when we met her quite by accident earlier today. Did you get tickets by being regulars?"

Just in case he comes back and wants in on another party.

[runningred]

"Oh no," She chuckles. "Alice and Jared manage the place but the owner is some overseas not so silent partner. But don't let that fool you; whoever they are, they look after the place. And the staff."

One of the Rat Pack girls laughs. "Being a regulars certainly helps but being in with Alice will get you further."

[i_am_your_host]

"Oh," he says, raising his eyebrows. "I had no idea. How absolutely mysterious."

He looks at the other girl, and glances at the rest with a sly look in his eyes and a twist to his lips.

"And are you...in with Alice?"

[runningred]

“Not as often as I’d like to be.” The girl snorts a laugh, tipping her fedora playfully. “She is damn hot!”

The band strikes up a fanfare and the DJ takes up the mike. “Ladies and Gentleman, may I present to mysterious Vic!”

The stage fills with vaudeville dancers carrying large pink and blue feathered fans. The central dancer, Vic moves sinuously behind the fans – one side dressed as a man, the other as a woman and only ever showing one side at a time. Slowly, and with much playfully teasing, the figure strips, revealing more and more skin but keeping that dual nature.

Jay moves up behind Emcee, arms loose around his waist as they watch.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee grins through a cloud of cigarette smoke. "I couldn't agree more, my dear," he says with a purr.

His attention is drawn back to the stage below, and as the DJ makes his announcement, Emcee moves to the railing of the balcony to watch the performance. And his eyes light up at the sight of the androgynous dancer, straddling that line almost literally. His smile broadens when he feels Jay come up behind him, glancing over his shoulder at him when his arms wind around his waist. He sweeps a hand over his arm as he continues to watch, chuckling appreciatively at Vic's sensuous skill.

[runningred]

Jay kisses the slope of his neck, resting his chin on Emcee’s shoulder to watch. “Reminds me of that pretty blonde back home.” He mutters softly. Back home meaning the Bar without realising.

The fans close in as the last of the clothing drops away, covering the dancer with a moan that echoes both masculine and feminine. The lights dim and the dancers clear the stage for the next act.

Miss Kitty comes back out, greeting everyone with her usual aplomb and winds the crowds up for another round of applauses. “Isn’t our Vic divine, ladies and gentlemen? Next up is our very own master chef and one half of our glorious management with a song of his own choosing, followed by some audience participation. Hold on to your hats, darlings!”

As Jared comes on, shy but sweet to sing a rather soulful version of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, the band matching him perfectly, Kitty searches the crowd for them.

“I think that’s our cue.” Jay grins and holds the screen back for Emcee.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee tilts his head toward Jay's, smiling and nodding faintly in agreement. He hardly realizes the word home either, it just seems natural to hear it used that way.

Vic's performance ends splendidly, and Emcee applauds and cheers. He's then rather surprised to see Jared come onstage afterward, and for a moment he's fascinated by the man's singing and the choice of song.

But soon enough he turns to put out his cigarette. Looking to the ladies, he gives them a dimpled smile and a little wiggle of his fingers.

"It was a pleasure talking to you, my dears. I hope to see you around."

He slips past the screen and makes his way across the balcony toward the stairs.

[runningred]

Miss Kitty joins them by the bar, beaming, her voice soft to they do disturb Jared. “Still up for a tango, darling?” She asks Jay, beaming wider when he nods.

“And you, lovely?” She addresses Emcee, “Have you picked a song?”

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee is also eager to see Jay dance onstage. He just seems to get a kick out of seeing others in the spotlight.

"I was thinking of 'Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy,' if the band knows it?" he asks hopefully.

It happened to be one of those songs that stood out for him while listening to the device he borrowed from the Bar. Something thoroughly modern, but with a throwback feeling to Emcee's own time and vaudevillian roots. He thinks Queen was remarkably versatile that way.

[runningred]

Kitty downright purrs. "Oh perfect, darling. Just perfect! Let me let them know." She turns to the band and flashes a message in sign language. The bass player spots her and grins, nodding back with a grin.

Jared's song comes to an end and he takes a bow, blushing softly and is greeted with hugs and appreciation as he comes down to the bar.

Kitty heads up without breaking flow and introduces Jay. "Ladies and gentlemen, now we have a treat for me. Finally a man who can tango." She gestures to Jay who squeezes Emcee's hand and follows her up.

Jay bows when presented.

"Isn't he a stud, darlings. I'd raffle him off as the door prizes if I didn't want him all to myself." She flattens herself against Jay who plays along happily by striking a body builder's poise, showing off his arms.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee sees the exchange, thinking that it's a wonderful and clever way to communicate.

When Jared finishes his song, Emcee applauds, meeting him with a bright grin and patting his arm. "I didn't know you sang as well," he gushes. "I wonder what else you can do..."

But now it's Jay's turn onstage, and he squeezes his hand back in a good luck gesture. After quickly ordering another gin (putting it on Jay's tab), he perches on a barstool to watch. He's already thinking What a ham, giggling with delight.