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]

"No hurries." Jay gives Emcee a little squeeze. "Things'll sort themselves out when you're ready."

Simon smiles. "Well, when you do, it'd be great to have someone to bounce ideas with." He gives Emcee a warm little bump. "Another showman."

One of the bar staff at the head of the group calls back something about Karaoke Combat. The reaction is split between cheers and groans as they turn into a narrow lane.

Satanic Mallard is a low roofed place with stained dark wood counters and a garish karaoke stage in one corner and a dance machine in the other. The high scores on the board are the names of local bars and the teams. Wonderland - Kitchen holds the top spot.

A tired looking Korean woman starts pouring drinks as they all stumble in, clearly accustomed to this crowd.

[i_am_your_host]

The thought is of course sobering. Emcee can almost feel the alcohol dissipating in his bloodstream.

But he continues to smile and chuckle, appreciating Jay's support and Simon's camaraderie.

"I may already have several ideas for shows, but we'll save them for later," he tells Simon with a grin.

As they follow the rest of the group into the pub, Emcee looks around with amusement. He's never seen a dance machine before, but doesn't want to ask what it is in case it's a common future thing. But thanks to Milliways, he definitely knows what karaoke is.

Overall, the place has a quirky, local vibe that he likes.

"Oh my god, that poor woman," he mumbles under his breath with a faint smirk when he sees the bartender. It's a familiar look on the bartenders at the Kit Kat Klub.

[runningred]

"She's use to us." Simon chuckles, accepting a tray of shots from the lady as she mutters complaints in Korean that make Jay snort.

He passes the shots around as the kitchen staff make a bee-line for the dance machine, offering shots to Jay and Emcee's. "Happy Pride Week, everyone!"

Much cheering answers him.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee takes his glass and raises it with the others.

"May all your days and nights forever be gay," he declares before downing the shot.

While he is enthusiastic, he still must contain his wonderment at the existence of such a thing as Pride Week. Again, it might seem out of place.

His attention is then drawn to the group headed for the dance machine. Mostly he just wants to see what it is and what they're going to do with it.

[runningred]

The kitchen crew take over the machine and load up their favourite routine. A few minutes later, the four machines are blasting overly cute K-Pop as they bounce along to the screen instructions.

Jay shifts to a corner, perched on a bar stool and talking again with the pretty young man he's been taking to in Wonderland. The youth's body-language implies he's very, very interested in being closer than he is to Jay.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee glances over at Jay and sees that he's being kept busy. So he orders a bottled beer from the bartender, something simple so she doesn't have to work too hard, and then wanders over to the spectacle of the dance machines. His eyes widen as he watches the rapid movement of their feet and the scrolling screen, and he gets the gist of it-- it's a game.

"Oh my god," he laughs over the music, to whoever is standing near enough to him to hear. "How are they even doing that? They're amazing!"

[runningred]

Lara, who happens to be standing close to him watching, laughs warmly. "The kitchen team are champions at Dance Dance Revolution. Don't asks me why but this is what they do to wind down." She leans against him in a friendly way as they watch. "I'd wonder if they were on Speed but the boss has opinions about drugs in the workplace and Jared's pretty strict with them. Even if he and Alice are the only ones who have met the boss."

[i_am_your_host]

Of course Emcee lets her lean on him, he's very open to people leaning on him.

"The boss? You know, I thought Alice was the boss, but I have only heard vague and mysterious things about the boss. What do you know about them?"

He restrained himself from asking what speed was. Slang for some kind of drug, obviously, but he didn't want to seem unfamiliar with it. The policy on drugs in general, however, makes him rethink a few things.

[runningred]

Lara's a cuddly little thing who just loves being near people. "Oh no. The owner hired Alice and Jared." She giggles as the kitchen team work up to a big finish. "See, I could never do that. Simon could, but only in his heels."

[i_am_your_host]

So, not much more information about this big secret boss. Oh, well.

Awestruck, he watches the kitchen team's fast-paced footwork, and applauds when they finish.

"I couldn't do that either," he chuckles, "in or out of heels. The karaoke, however..."

[runningred]

Jared and Alice come in, Jared applauding his team. "Still haven't beaten my score, I see." He teases.

They bow and step away, giving him the machine. For a solidly built and muscular guy, he knows how to move.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee watches with equal parts amusement and astonishment as Jared matches the machine step for step, and his feet are a near blur when he difficulty levels increase. Plus, he does move with finesse.

They say that how well someone dances is indicative of what they're like in bed. So at least Emcee knows he's got rhythm.

[runningred]

Alice heads over to the corner with Jay and the young man, clearly making the young man uncomfortable.

Most everyone else is watching Jared whose eyes are closed, not needing the screens to know the routine.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee laughs and rolls his eyes.

"Oh, now he's just showing off," he tells Lara teasingly.

[runningred]

Lara giggles. "He's not, you know. He doesn't do it for attention, Jared's not like that. Alice is the flashy one. Jared's just... Jared." She says it with utter admiration.

[i_am_your_host]

"I can definitely see that," he agrees with a chuckle, before cheering him on.

At the forefront of his mind he wonders how Jared and Alice would work in a foursome.

[runningred]

Jared finishes his routine and takes a bow as the perfect score lights flash at the top of that machine.

He steps down, laughing as his team clap him on the back and offer him shots. He turns down the drinks and gets some water instead. He smiles to Emcee and Lara. "Would you like to have a go?"

Lara giggles and goes up on her tiptoes to kiss Jaden's cheek. "You know what I'm like. I'd fall over my own feet."

[i_am_your_host]

"Does it have a ridiculously easy level with baby steps?" Emcee asks, taking a sip of beer. "Because at this point I may fall over her feet. But I'll try."

[runningred]

"It does have a pretty easy beginners level." He offers Emcee his hand to come up onto the machine next to him. "I'll play it with you if you like?"

[i_am_your_host]

He turns to Lara with wide eyes. "He's such a gentleman," he says exaggeratedly.

Tossing back the rest of his beer and shedding his coat (you know it's on when the coat comes off), he takes Jared's hand and steps up onto the machine. The platform is like a little stage with tiles that act like buttons under his feet.

"All right, how do we start?"

[runningred]

Jared sets it to beginners mode and, with a grin, selects Bad Romance.

"Watch the screen. The instructions will scroll up the screen and light up as you hit them."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee has never heard this song before, but he likes it.

At once the screen begins to scroll and the tiles light up in sync with the beat. With a flustered yelp, Emcee laughs as he misses the first few beats.

"I'm usually better with hand-eye coordination, but foot-eye coordination is something else!"

He hops from foot to foot, left to right, forward to backward. And in reverse. And in all sorts of sequences and combinations. But at least some patterns repeat, and he can get the hang of those. It also helps to let the song move him.

"Oh my god, it's like playing manic electronic hopscotch," he chuckles as he tries to keep up.

[runningred]

"You got it." Jared encourages with a warm smile. The sort of smile known to make people melt. "Watch the screen rather than your feet."

They have quite a crowd watching now, clapping along.

[i_am_your_host]

Jared would make Emcee lose his concentration with that smile but he remains as focused as possible, wanting to get through the song without messing up. He missteps a few times, each mistake punctuated with a hollered obscenity, but he gets back on track and finishes with a flourish, raising his arms in victory!

"I want one of these!" he laughs.

Well, it's a small victory. He makes the very bottom of the scoreboard, but he did the thing!

[runningred]

Jared laughs and shows him how to enter his name next to his score.

"Hey!" Simon calls, laughing with his arms round Lana. "He's part of the Stage team! His score counts with us!"

Someone at the back of the room calls back. "You need all the help you can get!"

Everyone laughs and another round of shots are passed around.