June 19th 1925 8:00 PM

(Showtime)

Natsu could barely breathe in the fine suit his uncle had given him to wear this evening. The tie, the jacket, and the pants, they were all secure so tightly. It was almost as if that material was constricting him like a boa. He begged Mard to let him  at least loosen the tie but the man insisted that he couldn't let any form of clothing hang or be out of place. Natsu had to look like he belonged in the club and as the saying goes, "The clothes make the man."

"But tie is choking me." He had complained.

"You loosen any thing on this attire and I'll show you how it really feels to be choked." Mard threatened. "You asked me to give you a chance and I did. So you're not going to mess this up. You know how I feel about failure."

"Well I'll definitely fail if I suffocate."

"Don't be such a dame! Suck it up and do as your told!"

So like it or not Natsu would have to spending the evening dressed in a very uncomfortable manner. However his focus wouldn't be on his discomfort for very long. The cabaret known as Fairy Tail was a place where everyone's attention was constantly getting grabbed left and right. It was an estate of elaborate decor: Mirrored walls, sparkling chandeliers, whimsical constructions, ritzy venues, seemingly endless dance halls, and elegantly furnished rooms. The man who owned this establishment definitely had good taste. In architecture that is, Natsu wasn't sure what to think of the women yet.

"Cigar, cigarette, cigar, cigarette."

Natsu caught sight on an attractive brunette wearing white and black short saloon-style skirt above the knee dress and carrying a tray full of cigars and cigarettes. She was walking around and offering the novelties to nearly every man that was sitting in the entire club. When she saw Natsu at the front door way she approached him with casual yet seductive walk.

"Well hello handsome." She said. "It's obvious you're new otherwise I'd recognize you in a heartbeat. Cigar? Cigarette?"

"Not yet."

"Ah, want your breath smelling nice in case you end up going upstairs with one of the ladies here, right?"

"You could say that."

"Let me show you to your seat."

She escorted to a fine booth that was neither too far or too close to the stage.

"Can I get you a drink?" She asked.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" He asked.

"No because I'm not offering to buy you a drink. I'm offering to get you a drink if you're willing to pay for it."

"Nice word play. I'm guessing you're not cheap when a gentleman decides to invite you back to his place?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm only allowed to seduce the customers to buy booze and tobacco sticks. Not to buy a night with me."

"Well aren't you a working girl?"

"Yeah but not all working girls sell their bodies to the night. In fact my cherry is still intact."

Natsu blushed.

"You see good lookin, this isn't just some bar and brothel. It has class, culture, it's a place where the the ritz and the slums can mix without any judgement. You can dance, you can sing, you can drink, you can screw, it's all your choice. No laws, no limits. You can be almost anything.  Even a virgin seductress."

"How?"

"Oh God you really are new." She chuckled. "Just sit back and watch. You'll know what I mean eventually."

She waltzed off to tend to the other customers. Natsu took this moment to search the area for any sign of Jude Heartfilia but the man was no where to be seen. Now he saw a good number of familiar fat cats filling their glasses, chugging it down, and eagerly awaiting for the ladies of the evening to appear. But Jude Heartfilia was not among them.

Then the lights dimmed and a spot light shined down on a man who stepped out from behind the curtains of the stage. There he was, dressed in his tail-coat, shirt, waistcoat, breeches, bow tie, and top hat, sporting a long cane, the owner of Fairy Tail himself; Gildarts Clive.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He called announced in his loud, booming voice. "Bohemians and Artists! Coquettes and Boulevardiers! Welcome to Fairy Tail! The one place where your dark desires can be explored and your most fearful risks can be taken! Behold the grand temptations that exist here! My can-can girls!"

Lights flashed and the curtains rose up to reveal three young women dressed stylishly in colorful and provocative clothing. 

"The Green Fairy, the Celestial Nymph, the Bitter Succubus." He introduced. "And the best dancer and rarest jewel there is, the Diamond Star."

The fourth can-can girl who made her presence visible was a blonde in a knee length short dress designed with the upper section was a strapless bust in a shiny sequin material in sheer gold color while the lower section formed a short skirt with the gold colored fringes. On her long legs were fishnet stockings and a garter hooked to her left thigh. Her hair was pinned up into a high bun and a diamond, ostrich feather band was secured around her head to match the diamond choker she wore around her neck.

If Natsu didn't know any better, he'd swear that woman wasn't human. That she like the mythical Galatea, was a female crafted from material rather than born of flesh. That someone had taken the finest gold and diamonds, constructed a statue of a woman from it, and by some miracle the statue had come to life. Even her eyes looked like they were precious stones despite the fact that they were brown. 

For a moment Natsu thought that there something familiar about that woman. Her hair, her eyes, her face, it all seemed to ring a bell. He was almost sure that he had seen another woman who looked just like her but he couldn't put his finger on at the moment.

Exciting and exotic music played as the Diamond Star lead the girls all around the room to dance and hike up their skirts. To flatter and flirt with the men, to drive them wild, to indulge in their fantasies. To tempt them into spending every dime they had on just one woman. Their tactics were working well. They had a large number of gentlemen drooling over them. Some of the horny mutts were already undoing the belts of their pants. Particularly the ones getting seduced by the Bitter Succubus.

"Geez I know some guys are desperate to get laid but I didn't think they were that desperate." Natsu mumbled. 

"Well how desperate are you pal?"

It wasn't until now that Natsu realized that the Diamond Star had can-caned her way over to him. 

"I appreciate that you aren't howling like a hound dog." She told him. "Shows that you at least have some dignity."

She walked her two fingers toward his hand.

"But in the end you can hardly blame them." She said. "They're only men and men have needs. Especially the rich, classy ones who have to spend everyday hiding those needs and being professional. It frustrates them. You understand don't you?"

She slowly snaked her arm up on his.

"After all you feel the same way, don't you?"

"Not really." Natsu pulled his arm away. 

"What's the matter? Can't afford me?"

"Look toots, no offense but I'm not looking to do anything in bed tonight except sleeping. I just came here out of curiosity. To see what the big deal is."

"Let me guess, you're married."

"No I'm not. But hooking up with some dame I just met isn't my brand of hooch, if you will. I just wanted some variety in the entertainment department. Ya follow?"

"I follow." She said accepting his rejection with grace. "But do you think you'll ever change your mind?"

"Doubtful but if I did, how much would it cost me?"

"Well that depends on what it is you want. A private performance? A hundred-fifty. An unclothed private performance? Two-hundred. A quick roll in the sack? Two hundred-fifty."

 "Seems a bit too high priced for just one night with one woman."

"Well if you want something cheaper you'll have to go for one of my back up dancers." She leaned forward and slid her arms around his neck. "You see I'm many things but I'm not cheap."

"I know that. Believe me I know that." He smirked before sliding out of her hold. "But you should know that I don't spend my money carelessly. Lots of things look nice but you don't really know how good they are until after you pay."

"But I'm not a thing. I'm a person."

"Which means I have to be extra careful with my money in regards to you. At least you know what to expect when a thing you paid for disappoints you. But people on the other hand, well there really is no predictability is there?"

"If there was then I would be out of the job. You'd be surprised how many married men come in here complaining about how boring it is to shack up with the same woman."

"No I wouldn't be surprised. I know how some husbands are but there is a positive side to only having one woman."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"I think I should let you figure it out. Since you seem to think you know men so well."

"I do know men well." She smiled. "Very well. So well that I'm sure that this won't be our last encounter. So well that one night you will have me in your bed."

"Don't make predictions if you ain't psychic babe. That's how a lot of gamblers lose their money."

"Only if they don't know how to gamble right and I have always been able to gamble just right."

"We'll see."

"Yes we will."

Her arms made went around his neck again only this time it was to loosen his tie.

"See you around." She purred into his ear. "Sharper."

And away she danced and kicked, leaving Natsu looking completely focused and unfazed yet he had his legs crossed to hide the bulge that had been slowing building up in his pants.

"She's good I'll give her that." He said before looking down at the crotch of his pants. "I hope this goes away before I go home."

"Can I get you a drink now newbie?" The cigarette girl asked coming back to him. 

"Yeah, a scotch on the rocks if you don't mind."

"Well if you wanna make little your friend disappear, I recommend an aviation."

"Alright then set me up." He handed her a five dollar bill.

"You got it."