A/n: I'm sorry I'm not the best writer here so I'm sorry if there are mistake of any sort.
Tatara Totsuka, had a knack for getting into trouble for the oddest reason. This night was no different. He wanted to show his internet followers the real true form of this city everyone calls home. Naming his newest video 'The real night life of Shizume City'. Grasp the main point enough for everyone to follow.
Now he knew there was parts of the city, people like himself should of stayed out of. A place where money talks.
Clapping his hands together even bowing his head some in front of his camera he spoke, "Sorry, Kusanagi, but I had too." He enter the red-light districts with less than a fews dollars to his name. "I, myself always wonder why someone picked this lifestyle. However I may have the wrong idea about it. Let's see if we can find someone who wouldn't mind being interviewed."
Two times. Two whole times, the slender honey color hair man was thrown out on his bum. For trying to enter certain adult places with a camera. Most people would've called it a night. But not Tatara, not when this became his newest hobby.
Dusting himself off, double checking the camera. Unaware a pair of amber eyes been following him since he step one foot inside this hidden world.
Word of mouth spread fast that someone was paying big cash for something. Rumors from shooting an snuff film, to losing one's virginity on livestream. Whatever the reason someone was willing to pay upfront cash.
"You're the kid with the money?" To the locals around this part of town, a single warning was given. 'Amber eyes. Flee on sight.'
Without second guessing himself, Tatara answer honestly. "Yes. I think?"
"You're not from around here, are you kid?" Two things gave the young man away. One he wasn't running. Two he was actually talking. "Are you even old enough to be on this side of town?"
Tatara just shrug his shoulder some giving the redhead a goofy grin. "Are you old enough for this line of work?"
"Do you want me to be?" Anything to please the client was the only fact Mikoto ever got right. He knew how to handle himself in any circumstance. Yet...Standing here in this dark alley with an strange kid. He was a lost.
Normally if things didn't feel right. He would of just walk away or beat the crap out of the person. This time Mikoto just felt calm. A feeling that's almost foreign to him anymore.
"I'll pay you all I have if I could just interview you, please?" Huge brown puppy dog eyes. With the dim streetlight the kid almost look like he was pouting.
"Whatever you're into. I'll play along with it." Mikoto role-played many roles. From a street thug, naughty school boy, to a juvenile delinquent with some mommy and daddy issues. This was an first on so many levels.
"I'm Tatara, by the way. If you're not comfortable in giving out your real name, I could pick out a nickname for you."
Being called every beauitful colorful name in the book beside his real name. Which only the police ever called him that.
"Follow me, call me whatever you want. Doesn't bother me any." Walking through the maze of back streets, hidden alleyways until they reach an hole in the wall hotel. The type you feel like even an hazmat suit would melt if you wore one inside. "Enjoying the view." Mikoto couldn't help but let his playful side out once he notice the pair of brown eyes staring.
"You remind me of the time when I little. I ran away from home because no one would take me to the zoo that day." Mikoto raised an eyebrow. He even blink a couple of times, trying to figure this person out. "Everyone was so afraid of going near the lion exhibit. Since he was roaring so loud." What did this story has to do with him. Mikoto didn't have a clue, yet a part of him doesn't mind hearing it.
"It didn't scare you?" Looking into those eyes of the storyteller, the sense of fear couldn't be seen. Not even a glimmer of it.
"No. I felt sad for him. I think he was roaring that loud because he was lonely. So I stood there all day with my nose against the glass. To show the lion, he wasn't alone. I don't know if it help him but it seems to be helping you." A gentle smile rested on the shorter man lips. Knowing if he could help even just a little someone else out. He was happy about it. "How about Mr. Lion."
"Like hell." That was a very rude blunt respond and yet his companion for the night didn't seem to be bother by it.
"Pussy cat!" Tatara beamed with joy trying to figure out an nickname as he tried to keep with a kitty theme. "Ally cat?"
Shaking his head Mikoto, lead the way into one of the rooms. A single light hung from the ceiling, mattress on the floor in the corner, ashtrays everywhere the eye could see in this tiny room.
It wasn't much but it was home for Mikoto. Until something better came along. "Money first or can I ask my question than the money?" The red-head doesn't do anything for free. Holding out his hand, repeating his swore oath.
"No credit cards or personal check. Cash only." An oath he lives by. If you can't pay up front, you can not play here.
"Okay. Um here you go. Oh here some more." Another surprise for the night. Watching for the first time someone empty out their pockets. Not an wallet but every single pocket their clothes have. Handing him different amount of cash each time. "I'm not sure how much is all there. Pay day not until the end of this week. So that's all the tip money I could get." Mikoto really thought this was some role play kink his client for the night wanted to play. Until now. "How many question does that amount give me?"
If this was some other client Mikoto would of toss his ass out, keeping the cash of course. One look over at Tatara, who just flop down on the mattress. There was no words to describe this moment. Nothing can even come close to it. Some dumb kid, who looked like he should still be in middle school, using his milk money to pay a prostitute for an interview.
Yeah this story going right up there with the time someone paid him just to see what an real man's penis looked like.
Running his hand through his messy red hair, lighting up a cig as he counted the cash in his hand. "Five." There was less than hundred there. "But you use up one."
"I wasn't ready yet. No fair!" Setting up his camera, getting out his beat up notebook to read his scribbles of question.
"I been over the age of eighteen for the past two years." Tatara tried to hold an grumpy look on his face, he even tried to glare at the man. But couldn't hold a look that didn't suit him well. "You're cute when you try to play being angry."
"Whatever you say...King~ How did you end up in this type of work?" With a limit on good question Tatara, had to use the best one first. In hope of answering what his followers always wanted to know about the city life after dark.
"I don't know. Just sort of fell into it." Answer are short coming when someone gives away so little of details.
"Is there a code among you when it come to your work detail?" Trying to wiggle every bit of truth from him. Yet the lion in human form wasn't taking the bait.
"Who to stay away from and who willing to pay a good amount. Those detail get shared, everything else is need to know." Just like a cat. Mikoto enjoyed a nice game of cat and mouse. Playing with his mouse for the night, proved to be more amusement than he thought. "You now have two question left."
"Would you ever leave this type of work?" Had to make these two count. Throwing his notebook back into his messenger bag. Tatara just goes with what came to him. As he look into those intense amber eyes. Wondering what's all the things they seen. Wondering what type of desire hides behind them.
"Maybe." One more type of game for the pure enjoyment of having someone to play with. Staring contest in who smile first. The loser has to answer honestly. "I just live my life as I want. If I want something. I go get it. Its simple like that. To hell with the 'rules' of life." An familiar sense of freedom Tatara could relate too. Who's to tell them otherwise how to live. Its their life to live as they see fit. To hell with anyone who tell them differently.
"How much can you make in one night of work?" The ultimate last question of their time together.
"Depend on the night really. Some night just enough to buy something to eat and cigarettes. Other nights having choose between the two. On good night maybe a couple of grands." Tatara's eyes lit up at those words 'couple of grand'. His hobby of getting into many other hobbies does cost money. He might have to really think about keeping his job as a bartender trainee or quit it to became a prostitute to help pay for all his goodies. "You wouldn't last an hour on this side of town, Tatara. Get that idea out of your head."
"Okay." Grinning ear to ear still playing around with that idea of having all the money he could dream of, with endless possibility. "Thank you for answering our question, King, of the pretty red-lights. Maybe we can meet up again when I have more money for more question." Turning off the camera off for the night. Getting his stuff ready to leave. Only to stop at the door. Recalling what he said. 'Having to choose between the two.' Remembering how it felt when he went hungry a few times before someone show him an act of kindness by taking him in.
Looking back at the red-head going through empty package of cigarettes. "If I make you some food..could I ask you more question about this type of life?"
"You know how cook?" From what Mikoto could see in him. Tatara doesn't appear like the 'cooking type'. Then again never one to judge on appearance alone. "Sure."
"Alright, King. Follow me." Trying to mimic the grief tone Mikoto once use on him, only ending up laughing some. Grief and scary something he could never pull off well. But everyone has a dark side to them. The truth behind his brown eyes appear as a glimmer before disappear as fast as it was seen.
* the next morning *
"How many times do I have to repeat myself?" The very person who once showed Tatara kindness by offering to take him in, stood over his bed, yelling at him. Like any older caring sibling would do.
Like any other morning Izumo, always goes above his bar to wake up the delinquents who live there. Kicking some of them out for work, others for schools. To giving the same speech on how reckless Tatara live his life. "You couldn't be more right. I fully agree with you. I shouldn't be so reckless."
"What's going on here? I knew you for years, Tatara Totsuka, never once have you ever agree me with. You always just give me that smile and tell me 'Don't sweat it, Everything will work out in the end'." Its never an odd sight to see Tatara's room messy with clothes everywhere. Half of the blanket on the floor. Yet something off.. Something is way off.
"Nothing going on. I just didn't want to repeat myself. That's all." The tall bleach blonde eyes scan the room once more. Noticing his brand of cigarette on the nightstand near the non-smoker's bed. Picking up the bed look more messy than normal. Also the small frame of Tatara looked..larger. " Can I cook-" Covering Tatara mouth before ripping off the covers to find..someone else in his bed with him.
Tangled up with sheets and limbs was a dead to the world naked red-head. "New hobby. Bring home a prostitute for a night! I hope you don't mind I asked him to live here with me. Since he was starving and homeless. I promise to take good come for him."
Izumo, just stood there holding a blanket with his mouth open unable to say anything for a moment. The only things that seem fitting was. "You owe me a pack of cigs to replace the ones your 'friend' smoked through. Plus no sex on my bar!."
In the bar known as Homra anything goes. No matter of the lifestyle, no one is turned away.