#v: a taste of honey {honeybee in au)

[nimbostrxtus]

The Sweetest Honey - @fallen-seraphim

The Honeybee Inn had a rather unflattering reputation for being a brothel when their main source of income was the nightly dance performances they put on for rich clients who just wanted to be entertained while being served drinks. Although, it was true that their best dancers had quite a sizeable fanbase with the regulars. If one wished they could look at the Hive Menu and pick out a dancer of their choosing to privately entertain them for an hour or so. Each page had a photo of a honeyboy or honeygirl with their skills and hobbies listed below, as well as what they were willing and unwilling to do behind closed doors.

Cloud was one of the more popular male candidates, even though it was the female performers who were usually showered with flowers and gifts at the doorstop nightly by crowds of men begging for just a moment of their time. He was glad to not receive such pitiful attempts at affection, even if he did get the occasional bouquet and card from a secret admirer. Gifts Cloud was quick to deposit onto his friends outside of work who would appreciate the gesture more than himself.

"Cloud!" one the male dancers called after him as he made his way to the main venue hall. "I'll cover your dance number, you're entertaining a guest tonight."

"Why, who is it?" he asked suspiciously. Only valuable regulars or VIPs were given last-minute appointments, and even though Andrea Rhodea had a customer confidentiality policy, they still had some pretty recognizable faces coming in and out the front doors, Palmer being one of the most notorious examples.

"You'll find out when you see him," the older man smirked and swept past Cloud.

A male customer then.

Men weren't usually as chatty as women, so that meant Cloud's night was going to go one of two ways. Either the customer was after a simple service, a servant to pour him drinks, entertain with a private show, and maybe even a massage. Or, he was after something more physical. Maybe even both.

If given the choice Cloud would rather be a faceless dancer on stage than a charming host who was the light in his client's eye, but Cloud had a contract to fulfil, so he spun around, went to get the room number from the front desk, and made his way to client's chosen room for the evening. All the rooms had the same layout, a black and golden hexagonal room, a loveseat with a matching glass coffee, and depending on what the client ordered; a small karaoke stage with a minibar, a playroom with toys and comically oversized bug net, a spar with a jacuzzi and massage table, and last but certainly not least, a four-poster bed.

"Good evening," the blonde greeted respectfully as he opened the ornate door, only to freeze on sight at the figure awaiting him inside. A tall and imposing figure with long silver falling down his back like silk, and glowing green eyes with cat-like irises  "S-Sephiroth?"

The honeyboy lost his voice as he stood slack-jawed before the most recognizable man in all of Midgar. What was a man of his reputation and calibre doing rolling around in the slums of all places?

Shaking his head, Cloud put his smile back on and tried to look as welcoming as he could manage. "H-How may I be of service, sir?"

[starsinursa]

Supernatural Survey

I was tagged by my devastatingly beautiful friend here, @sprinkleofhappinessuniverse! Thank you, lovely! 

1. What season did you start watching Supernatural? I never watched Supernatural until 2015, and actually, the very first episode I ever saw was The French Mistake... so I guess I started with season 6! Then I immediately went back and started with season 1, though. 

Aaand putting the rest under a cut because this survey is long as hell.  😄

2. Who was the first character you fell in love with? Dean, 100%. It was a combination of those green eyes (dear sweet Jesus those green eyes) and his humor. I admired that someone who had such a terrifying and bloody life spent hunting monsters could still keep his sense of humor and be so full of love for his family and delight in the little things in life, like pie and good music.

3. Who was a character that you hated at first but grew to love? Probably Rowena. Let’s be honest, she really wasn’t very nice to the boys or Crowley or anyone in the beginning, and at the end... well, she still wasn’t always nice, but I really grew to appreciate her motives and why she did the things she did and to sympathize with her. Plus, she’s pretty fabulous with her hair and her accent.

4. Which character would you most want to be in a long-term relationship with? Ummm, Dean, is that even a question? :D We would watch classic and/ or nerdy television together all the time, like Back to the Future and Star Trek, and terrible soap operas, and rock out with the windows down in the Impala, and go LARPing on the weekends, and eat pie and burgers together, and read Vonnegut and The Odyssey, and totally explore his panty!kink together. Oh, Dean, honey... the things I would do to you...

5. If you could go on a date with just one character, which one would you choose? The obvious answer to that question is, of course, Dean.

6. What would you do on that date? Put out. Ahahaha, just kidding. Not really. Probably just hit up a bar where we could grab a drink and a burger and get to know each other, and then maybe go cruisin’ on some country Kansas roads so he could show off the Impala and we could star-gaze. Or depending on the time of year, I would totally drag him to the RenFest in Kansas City.

7. Which character would you most want to be like? Honestly, I wish I could be more like Garth. He’s so sweet and optimistic and sees everything through rose-colored glasses. 

8. Which character would you most want to see brought back from the dead? I’m not gonna say Cas (because he IS coming back, dammit), so I’d love to see Bobby (our real Bobby, not the new AU Bobby) or Charlie or even Kevin. Probably especially Charlie though, I loved the teasing brother/ sister dynamic they had going.

9. Which character would you most like to punch? I wouldn’t say ‘no’ to punching Metatron. And also Gordon Walker, he was a d-bag. I probably would’ve clocked Bela a couple of times too, to be honest.

10. Who is your absolute favorite character? Dean. Very closely followed by Cas, and then closely followed by Sam.

11. Which “Big Bad” do you think was the worst? I really enjoyed Lucifer’s original arc, honestly. Classic Mark Pellegrino was the best, and the seals being broken, and poor Sam fighting with the knowledge that he was supposed to be Lucifer’s vessel, and just... yeah. It was good stuff, all of it.

12. Which character are you most like? Hmm... probably Donna Hanscum. :D I’m a sucker for a good donut, and I’ve got my insecurities, but I like to think that I can also be tough and come through when it matters. And I like to help people and I work in a very people-oriented field (although it’s definitely nothing like being a cop).

13. What death hit you the hardest? Bobby’s. :( Especially that whole ‘I raised two boys and they turned out great’ shit. C’mon, now... *ugly tears* Bobby, no...

14. What season finale hit you the hardest? Season 9. Dean getting stabbed, Sam regretting what he’d said about not caring, Dean telling Sam he was proud of them... just, ugh. My bleeding heart. And then THE DEMON EYES YEAAAH.

15. What are your ten all-time favorite episodes? Tall Tales, Bad Day at Black Rock, Mystery Spot, Changing Channels, Lazarus Rising, Yellow Fever, What’s Up, Tiger Mommy?, LARP and the Real Girl, Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets, Stuck in the Middle (With You)

16. What’s been your favorite season? Probably season 12. Season 12 has ROCKED (mostly). 

17. Who is your favorite angel? Castiel, duh! ;) He’s only the most devastatingly handsome, quirkiest, sweetest, downright adorable, and occasionally fucking badass angel in the garrison. And then Gabriel, because he’s a frickin’ hoot.

18. Who is your favorite demon? Crowley counts, right? (Or...counted? Ugh...). I, uh...never really liked Ruby. Or Meg.

19. Who’s your favorite evil character? Probably Lucifer. He’s just a really interesting character with a lot of idiosyncrasies, and Mark Pellegrino does a great job with him.

20. Do you have any Supernatural ships? I am Destiel trash, I am 100% living in the dumpster. I also liked Bobby x Ellen, Sam x Eileen, and Gabriel x Kali.

21. Who’s your favorite supporting actor? Probably Osric Chau, because he seems like an absolute delight in real life. 😄

22. What’s your favorite quote from the show? Oh man, there’s just too many. Maybe “I’ll interrogate the cat” (me too, Cas, me too) or “I will shoot you bitches” (I love when Dean is just done) or “You can’t spell subtext with S-E-X”.  

23. If you could cast one famous actor in an episode of SPN, who would you choose? I’d love to see Keanu Reeves play something, to be honest! He would be awesome! And then all of my favorite actors would be on the screen together!

24. If you could write your own episode, what kind of creatures would you like to see included? I need to see a selkie already, goddammit. GIMME SOME OF THAT IRISH MYTHOLOGY, I NEED MY SEAL MERMAIDS.

25. Who’s your favorite girl that Dean’s hooked up with? I really liked Cassie, I thought she was sweet. 

26. Who’s your favorite girl that Sam’s hooked up with? Probably Sara, she was pretty chill and bad-ass. Plus, cultured taste in art!

27. What are some of your favorite convention moments? Basically everything I’ve seen that happened at Jibcon this year.

28. If you were going to guest star (or be a recurring guest star) on SPN, how would you want your character to be described? Oh lordy... I would be a nervous wreck. Tell ya what, just let me be that sorry sucker who dies in the first 30 seconds of the episode. Then I can truthfully say that I acted in a Supernatural episode, maybe get to meet the boys, and then duck out and let better actors take my place. 😄 If not, I’d love to play a goofy comedy role that crops up now and again, like the Ghost-facers or something.

29. What do you hope to see in the next season? CAS BEING BACK, THANKS. Also lots of pining!Dean. Like, I need to see ALL of the pining!Dean, or I will be very disgruntled. I’m also really hoping we get to see some more alternate universes, that would be fascinating... and I definitely wouldn’t see ‘no’ to seeing a glimpse of endverse! again! How cool and heartbreaking would that be?

30. - 40. If you had to choose…

Bobby or John? Bobby

Bela or Ruby? Bela 

Jess or Madison? Madison

Jo or Lisa? Jo

Charlie or Kevin? Charlie (but I miss Kevin too ;( )

Balthazar or Ash? Balthazar (dear god those v-necks though)

Cas or Crowley? Cas, absolutely (sorry Crowley, I love ya, but I love my angel boy more)

Ben or Claire? Claire 

Jody or Donna? Jody... I love Donna and I’m similar to her, but Jody is such a bamf! 

Sam or Dean? Dean!

I now tag: @magnificent-winged-beast, @helianthus21, @bend-me-shape-me, @destielmixtape, @crowley4queen, @dark-creatures-of-the-night, @cool-fallen-angel, @soulless-puppy-dog, @traveling-riverside-dean, @sunshine-hunters, @lunellumcas, @wordstothewisereaders, @honeybee-and-batman, @fromperdition4, @burntblackfeathers, @moltingcastiel, @cheermeupfandoms, @beesandangelkisses, @tinkdw, @caswouldratherbehere, @destielbicycle, @iamalwaysaslutforcoffee, @ecstaticastiel, @justsomeweirdbullshit

[nimbostrxtus]

Honeybee au Starter for @chaton-encore​

Cloud had been working as a dancer at Andrea Rhodea’s burlesque-style dance show for a while now ever since he first found his way into Midgar and in desperate need of work. Despite his reservations about the nature of the establishment, he enjoyed his time on stage and serving drinks, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to pay the bills in a one-room flat in the slums. Most of the dancers who worked at the Honeybee Inn also had a day job or alternative means of getting more gil. Cloud had looked around but the rest of Wall Market was shady as all hell and he didn't want to get coerced into doing anything illegal like selling drugs or firearms. 

That's when he uncovered the seedy underbelly of the Honeybee Inn that Andreas forgot to mention, they were also a gentlemen's club, aka a brothel. Cloud was uncomfortable by the news but didn't think look too deeply into it, it's not like you see a lot of male prostitutes working the streets.

Oh, how naive he was. Turns out there were plenty of men who snuck into Wall Market for the sole purpose of lying with another man, and that Cloud had developed quite a fanbase since he made his grand entrance on stage. He had been hesitant at first, it was bad enough Andreas kept trying to talk him into wearing a dress on stage, but to actually go one step further and let another man fuck him was a whole new ball game. Still, with very little options, Cloud swallowed his pride and brought it up to Andreas after his shift ended, saying he would only do one night as a test run. Then that night turned into another night, then another, then another, and soon it became another part of Cloud's nightly routine.

Cloud tried not to think about it as he put on his golden work waistcoat and prepared for another long night ahead of him. The bags under his eyes, the permanent frown that seemed to deepen with each shift, and just the way he seemed to be tired every time he forced himself out of bed. Ignoring the telltale signs he exited the changing room and walked in the direction of the main hall, only to pause when he caught sight of some familiar looking men walk straight past him.

Don Corneo’s men.

Cloud came to a sudden halt and clenched his glove fists. That could only mean one thing. Turning around, Cloud went to the most expensive guest room in the inn, the one Andreas would never outright charge Don Corneo for using. He didn't even hesitate when he knocked on the door and let himself in before anyone could stop him.

“Leslie are you ok in there?"

[nimbostrxtus]

Funk with me - @pulchralilium

The Honeybee Inn was a 50/50 split between honeyboys and honeygirls, but the men were first and foremost dancers while the girls usually performed dual roles outside of the Barlas dance shows they put on nightly for the audience. The establishment was more popular with men than women, so it was usually the honeygirls who were the target of the fan's affections while the honeyboys took on more secondary duties around the building. They still got male customers with a taste leaning towards honeyboys but they were too few and far between, and women didn't usually like to be seen entering the Honeybee Inn, even if they did more than just one type of service.

Cloud was one of the more popular honeyboys at the Honeybee Inn with a noticeable fanbase, so he entertained groups of girls who just wanted to meet him or ask for a private dance. He spent the night with older women who were not shy about wanted the company of a handsome young man. And in some more depressing cases, he even comforted women who were unhappy with their husbands and just wanted to be treated like they were special for once.

So, to say Cloud was curious when he had been told a young woman had booked him for an evening would have been an understatement. He was already trying to decipher what kind of customer she would be as he got out of his sweaty dance clothes and quickly showered off. If she was a young woman, that she might not be here for anything physical, but one can never assume. Most likely she was just a gushing fangirl who wanted Cloud to serve her drinks and shower her with flattering compliments all night.

Pulling on a newly ironed shirt and freshly pressed black slack, Cloud grabbed the company's trademark black and yellow bumblebee themed vest, along with a pair of black leather gloves, a flat porkpie style black-rimmed hat, and polished black pointed shoes. Checking himself out in the vanity mirror one more time, Cloud made one last attempt to flatten his golden spikes before acceptingthe reality that it was a lost cause and exiting the dressing room. Making his way to his client's room number, Cloud patted his waistcoat down one last time before, took a deep breath outside the ornate door and knocked before entering.

The first thing that came to his mind was, pink. The second thing was how lovely her face looked. This wasn't the face of squealing fangirl wanting his autograph, nor was it the sullen face of a woman who lost all hope in finding true love.

Curious.

"Good evening," he greeted in a curt, but still in a gentlemanly like manner. Cloud was not the type of honeyboy who could naturally sweep a girl off her feet. He was stiff and quiet, the loner badboy type that girls seemed to naturally flock to. "I'm Cloud and I will be your server tonight. Can I get you some refreshments, Miss? Perhaps I can put on some music if you feel so inclined...Unless there is something more specific you are after?"

Let it be known that Cloud was not the type to beat around the bush.

[nimbostrxtus]

Sync of Swim @starlightbrawler

Cloud had only been performing at the Honeybee Inn for a week now. His memories leading up to Midgar were still hazy at best, only able to recall stumbling down a sandy road and sneaking his way into the slums of Sector 7 and wandering endlessly through the streets until he was at a fork in the road that lead into Sector 5 or Wall Market. It was not the best position for someone like Cloud to be in, weak from months of travelling and without a single gil to his name. The blonde was not naive enough to believe he could get by on the kindess of strangers, so he needed to make some quick income if he was going to survive the night.

Which was how he found himself thrown into the Corneo Collesium; fighting gang members, man-eating hounds, and even sweepers with chainsaws for hands, just to get a quick paycheck. It was in that very arena he caught the attention of one, Andrea Rhodea, who saw the finer details of his fighting style, the elegance of his movements and the way he held himself.

One invitation later and once dance after that ended with Andrea offering Cloud a place at his inn as one of his dancers. To say the blonde was perplexed would have been an understatement, he was downright confused. Still, it was a more reliable income than tournament fighting and there was a room for him to sleep in. Cloud accepted and never looked back.

"Cloud you have a client," said the receptionist as he entered through the front door in his street clothes

"Me?" Cloud asked, cocking an eyebrow "Why?"

The female dancers were the real sex appeal of the establishment, as men tended to flock to the market in great numbers just to admire their favourite honeygirl and book a private show with them. That's not to say the there weren't a few honeyboys who were just as popular as their female counterparts, but they were a rarity. And Cloud certainly was not one of them. People found him to be too stiff, too quiet for conversation, and his glare tended to scare off anyone who even attempted to get close to him.

"Don't know, but she requested you by name." the receptionist waved off and handed him the room number.

"She?" Why was a woman here to see him? Very few ladies tended to venture into Wall Market alone just to seek out the company of a dancer. This mysterious girl was either connected to someone high up in Wall Market or she wanted something from Cloud specifically.

Which intrigued Cloud enough for him to not throw the room key back on the reception desk and stalk off in a huff. Quickly getting out of his normal clothes and changing in his uniform, black trousers and a white shirt, with an embezzled black and gold waistcoat that all the men wore. Giving his shoes a quick polish, Cloud placed his hat on his head and was made his way to the designated room. Standing outside the ornate door, Cloud clicked his neck and unclenched his fists. Already his nerves were getting to him. This was not his speciality. He was more suited to being a faceless dancer, not a charming young host who was paid to make girls feel like they were the centre of the cosmos.

Taking a deep breath, Cloud steeled his nerves and knocked on the door. "Good evening, Miss...Tifa?" he froze, the door slamming shut behind him with a loud thud. "Tifa...is that you?”

[nimbostrxtus]

An Unforgettable Night - @dreamsofasoldier

Cloud sat in front of the vanity mirror of the honeybee inn's unisex dressing room, touching up his makeup as other honey boys and girls fluttered around him getting into costume and grabbing their accessories. Nothing too flashy, just a little bit of foundation to pronounce the sharpness of his cheekbones, a brush of mascara to bring attention to his striking blue eyes, and a little touch of lipgloss to make his pouty lips all the more kissable.

Satisfied with the makeup, the blonde rose from the vanity chair and walked over to the clothing rack, stuck choosing between the black slacks with the form-fitting vest, or the backless leotard with the fluffy collar that gave his slim figure the illusion of a plump chest. What the hell, he made sure to thoroughly shave tonight so he might as well take full advantage of the bikini wax he was currently sporting. Grabbing the leotard, Cloud slipped into one of the stalls, removed his day clothing, and slipped on the black and yellow themed costume. It had taken a lot of practice but he eventually perfected the art of sliding the netted stockings over his knees without ripping any holes in the thin fabric. Tying the straps of his shoes up his leg and slipping the antenna headband on his honey-blonde head, Cloud was almost ready.

"Cloud your seven o'clock just came through the door," one of the receptionists called, poking her head into the dressing room.

"Zip me up, please," he asked, stepping out into the main hall to join her. She quickly obliged before leading him down the hall to his customer's room. This was not one of Cloud’s regulars so he wasn't sure what to expect. There had been no special request left at the reception desk or any preference in rooms, usually indicating at a new client who wasn't quite sure what they wanted. Cloud had met a wide variety of customers in his time; some were fans who wanted a private dance, some just wanted him for his body, some were dissatisfied with their marriages and needed an escape, and some were lonely souls who just wanted someone to talk to.

Whatever Cloud was expecting, he was not prepared for the sight awaiting him on the other side of the ornate door. Sitting on the plush loveseat in the middle of the hexagonal guest room was one of the most handsome men Cloud had ever seen, far too handsome to be in a place like this. But it wasn't his chiselled jawline or the eccentric hair that blew Cloud away, it was his eyes.

"A SOLDIER," he gasped, mouth agape.

Cloud had always been a fan of SOLDIER, it was the reason he came to Midgar in the first place, to become one of them. But when his blood results came back negative for mako compatibility, Cloud finished his minimal required service as a Shinra grunt and went to find other work in the city, eventually finding himself at the steps of Andreas Rhodea's establishment who had been very impressed with his dancing.

Quickly composing himself, Cloud put his haughty face back on and closed the door behind him. "We don't normally get your type around here," he purred, hips swaying as his heeled shoes clicked across the waxed floor. "So what's your taste, handsome?" he purred, circling the loveseat while running his hands down the customer's shoulders. "I could dance for you, we could play some games, I could give you a massage, or run you a bath in the jacuzzi and serve you drinks."

Doing a full lap of the loveseat, Cloud slowly lowered himself onto the man's lap and rested his palms over his shirt, feeling the firm pecs hidden underneath. Leaning in so their lips were only a breath width apart, Cloud whispered sultrily. "We could do nothing and just talk all night, or I can take you to bed. So what flavour are you looking for?"