Wowwww, a miracle! After almost nine years, it's ol' Fuzzybuni back to bring you more offensive material that's been wracking around in my brain the last little while. A lot has gone on in the last nine years of my life, a lot of changes, but I'm feeling more like myself than I have in the last little while, like a writer again.
Anyway, I hope it won't be another ten years before I post the next chapter. -winks-
See you soon, H.
Chapter 3 - First Night
When it came down to it, money was the selling point. It would always come down to the money.
Dark was desperate. He didn't want to lose his place at The Royal Family, the shitty apartment he was lucky to be staying in at all in the first place. Therefore, he was going to go back to Spirit Temple regardless, sheepishly appearing the next day anyway.
A bruised palm didn't really mean much in the long run.
Now he knew that Vaati was willing to protect him no matter what. He took that into consideration as well. Vaati banned Linebeck indefinitely, so Dark felt he was safe on the floor, at least for now.
Dark diligently continued to practice his choreography. Halfway during his second week of training, Dark committed the dances to memory. He was performing and even screwing around flawlessly, occasionally throwing in new moves and suggestions with the other dancers jokingly.
Vaati swelled with pride.
August 28, 2009
After Friday morning rolled around, Dark had almost entirely forgotten about the incident.
He was bouncing around his apartment the second he woke up—it was his first, real shift tonight.
Dark was nervous, but knew he had to make a good impression on his future clientele. He was excited to pay Mr. Dragmire back while making his share of the paycheck too. He could have made more tonight if Vaati allowed Dark to engage in private dances, yet Vaati suggested that Dark should only work the floor to maintain understanding of the club environment first and foremost. So if he were requested for a private dance, he was to politely decline and suggest another dancer.
Because Dark was far too elated as well, he almost forgot to have dinner, but promptly ate a peanut butter sandwich before scampering off to the club.
Employees were to arrive at 8PM so they could prepare for the beginning of their shifts with the choreographed dance happening at 8:30. However, Dark was there shortly after 7:30, and of course, so was Vaati.
"Eager, are we?" Vaati called exuberantly from the stage.
"Hey, I could say the same for you," Dark jested right back with a smirk on his face. He moved toward Vaati more and shrugged at his manager, readjusting his duffle bag strap on his shoulder.
"Fair enough, Dark. I am not often here at this hour either!"
He viewed Vaati closer now with a grin. Vaati's legs and arms were crossed over delicately as he sat on the stage, already in uniform.
Tonight the dancers were to wear a simple white dress shirt—bust unbuttoned—and a flashy pair of black leather pants accompanied by a black leather belt with a gold buckle. They could wear any shoes as long as they were black and at least business casual in nature. Dark had that covered, no problem. He used his black dress shoes from prom.
"Good news, my dear!" Vaati pushed himself gracefully off of the stage and strutted over to Dark, arms facing outwards. "Your clothes have arrived just in time for your first performance tonight! You won't have to borrow another employee's!"
"Thank the Goddesses, I didn't think they were ever going to get here," Dark said in relief, rubbing at his head and meeting Vaati halfway.
"By the way, we always order two shirts and two pants for everyone, so you can make sure to have a clean pair ready for the next day. And, of course, our uniforms change from time to time. You can put your extra uniform away in your locker for now. I'll get your clothes for you. So, Dark, you're almost ready for tonight!"
At this, Dark remembered one last thing. His stomach dropped and his mouth parted, "You're right. Um, I just realized, my stage name. We didn't talk about the name I should use when I'm on the floor?"
"Oh, that's correct," Vaati said, shaking his head. "I hope that because I took this into my own hands you wouldn't mind me telling you that I've created a list of suggestions by the other dancers over the last couple of weeks you've worked here?"
"What, really? No way, Vaati! What have they said?"
"Many names, my dear," Vaati chided to Dark's excitement. "How about we head to the back, you get changed, and we'll talk about names in the lounge?"
"Sure!" Dark clenched his fists with a grin on his face and then sped off, not even allowing Vaati to follow at a decent pace. He would have to run to catch up.
As Dark burst into the lounge, he realized he had no idea where his clothes even were. He'd have to wait for Vaati's arrival. He paced in fervour and his face lit up when Vaati entered a few moments later, all of Dark's clothes in hand.
He rushed up to Vaati and screeched to a halt. "Hey! Sorry for running, I'm just really excited."
"That's quite all right," Vaati said in a soft, but amused tone. He handed Dark one pair of clothes, but kept the others in his hands yet. "All right, go change! We'll talk about the names afterwards."
"I'll just change on the other side of the blind. We can talk now!"
Vaati laughed as he watched Dark speed off, who was now hiding behind the screen in the middle of the lounge. Vaati could see Dark's silhouette as he was getting ready, but soon lost interest, and moved over to the small couch against the wall between the screen and lounge entrance. He placed Dark's extra shirt and leather pants down on the coffee table in front of him.
"So?" Dark called loudly from beyond the curtain.
Vaati was giggling again and swiftly pulled out his phone. "Okay, all right, my dear, I have a list. One second… Okay. Yes. I'll just list them off, and you let me know how you feel?"
"All right!" Dark kept looking up to listen better while he was buttoning his shirt.
Vaati called out, "'Glimmer'?"
Dark left the last couple of buttons undone and his face scrunched up. "Hm, I get it, but it's a little too feminine for me."
"How about something like 'Darkness,' 'Mist,' or 'Shadow'?"
Dark kept stumbling while he was pulling on the leather pants. His skin was clammy, because he was nervous, and the pants kept getting stuck on his legs as he tried to wiggle them up. He was shaking his head, both at the names and his new pants. "Well, anything to do with something like 'Darkness' is too close to my real name, so I don't like that. 'Shadow' would be cool, I guess?"
"Okay, keep that in mind. How about 'Obscurity'?"
"That has the best ring to it so far."
Dark tucked his shirt in and finished zipping up his fly. He then moved his locker key from his personal clothes to his uniform pants' pocket. The outfit was almost complete; he just needed to put on the belt, but he wanted Vaati's reaction first. Dark left his bag and dirty clothes on the bench, the belt folded in one hand, and he stepped back through the screen. He gauged his manager for his response with cautious eyes.
"My goodness, Dark, you look wonderful!"
Dark dropped his head and a crooked, bashful smile pulled across his mouth. He glanced over Vaati with his face held low, peeking through his lashes. "Thanks, Vaati."
He made his way over to the couch and stood close by at the coffee table. Dark started pulling his belt through the leather loops and continued looking up to Vaati, waiting for more names.
"'Shade'? Or 'Stygian'?"
"No. And what does that even mean? No," Dark laughed back, buckling his belt.
Vaati was giggling too. "Yes, apparently our team has a more eclectic linguistic background than I originally thought. Or merely access to the Internet and a terrible online thesaurus. Okay, so how about 'Somber'?"
"Too sad, and boring." Dark brushed his hands down the front of his shirt to flatten it out.
Dark then leaned over and started for his secondary uniform in front of Vaati, then returning to the lockers beyond the screen to get his duffle bag and dirty clothes too. He fiddled with the front pocket of his pants and found his locker key, placing the two outfits under his arm while he undid his lock.
"'Cimmerian'?"
"Sounds cool, but once again, I have no idea what that means."
Vaati was laughing again, sprawling back on the loveseat. "It means a lack of light."
"Like the pit of my soul, how do they know?" Dark chuckled in return. He hung his bag, tossed his dirty clothes on the floor of his locker, and his extra uniform on the higher shelf. "But, no, that name's not it either."
After shutting up his locker, Dark soon crossed the way through the partition and joined Vaati at his side by sitting on the arm rest above his head, peering down at his phone. The list was fairly long and did have a scroll bar, so Dark backed off and looked to Vaati's face instead. He waited for Vaati to finish the list aloud.
"All right, we'll continue. There's 'Shimmer,' 'Iridescent,' 'Reflect' or 'Reflection,' 'Mirror,' or even 'Glint'?"
"I like this direction we're going in," Dark agreed, tentatively, nodding a lot. "I like 'Mirror' but maybe we could do something more with that."
"Well, 'Mirage' is on the list too."
"Oh." Dark gaped, feeling somewhat of a distant connection to that. His stomach dropped in a good way for some reason. "Wait a second."
He stood from the couch and went to move back to his locker where he left his iPod Touch in his pocket of his clothes from home, but then paused, just shaking his head and asking instead,
"Can you just search for 'Mirage'? I wanted to look at that word more."
Vaati sat up on the loveseat, right away typed this up on his phone, and put through the search. He even offered his phone to Dark after and said, "Here."
Dark sat down beside Vaati and took the phone from his hand. Dark looked over the screen, scrolled down a little bit, and clicked the Wikipedia result for 'Mirage'. He read the first couple of lines out in his head and his mouth parted in wonder.
"What is it?" Vaati questioned, leaning into Dark's personal space, looking over his face with flashing eyes.
Dark read directly from the page, "'The word'—Mirage, they mean—'comes to English via the French mirage, from the Latin mirari, meaning 'to look at, to wonder at'. This is the same root as for 'mirror' and 'to admire'.'" Dark's head raised excitedly, holding Vaati's phone out now, and he grinned doggishly at Vaati. "'Mirari'. Doesn't that sound cool?"
"Ooooooooh!" Vaati cooed, sound growing in intensity right near the end. He curled his hands to his chest and wiggled in elation. "Daaaaark."
"I mean, to look and wonder at? And the root of mirror, to admire?" Dark asked back in a rushed tone. He repeated the name to hear the sound of it on his own tongue, "Mi-ra-ri. Mirari."
"Yes, yes, yes! It sounds so… cool. And slick. I believe that's your name, my dear! Very creative choice! Congratulations! I'll let your co-workers know before the start of our shift."
Dark's stomach was swimming with inspiration. He passed the phone back to Vaati, nodding eagerly. He started shaking his head and clenching his fists, grinning through his excitement. He announced loudly, "Oh my Goddesses, I think I'm actually ready! For once in my life! Yes!" And he curled in on himself to try to contain his joy.
"Are you?" Vaati inquired with real intention, alluding to everything else Dark had to know for his first shift.
"Yeah, I'm sure! Lap dances, five minutes, twenty rupees. Strip teases, five minutes, thirty rupees. No private sessions, but they can be five to twenty minutes and prices are doubled. I know where the fire exits are. Umm, we dance at eight-thirty and then again at twelve, so meet at the stage at least five minutes before both dances. If I have any questions, I ask you or another manager on the floor. Then, uhh, don't let any men touch me on the floor? And work… the floor? Really hard?"
Vaati snorted loudly, and covered his nose and mouth to try to hide the noise. "Okay, okay, you are set. Oh! Right! I also wanted to let you know something… Now, considering I am your manager, there is one final thing I must ask of you, but you cannot question it. At all. Is that all right?"
Dark cocked an eyebrow. "I'll be honest, that concerns me a little."
"I understand, but you need not worry," Vaati reassured, closing his eyes and shaking one hand to wipe away his previous statement. "This won't affect you for the rest of your life or anything. The request is of temporary measure."
Not only was Dark's eyebrow still cocked, but his head was as well. "Uh, all right. I can work with that. Maybe."
"Good." Vaati then clamped his hands together and, with both index fingers, gestured at Dark pointedly. "You must promise me that you will deny any and all private sessions with one particular client for your whole first year here."
Dark jerked his head back slightly. He understood denying the right to having private sessions with a client for now because Dark would be getting a grasp on the hardest parts of the job first. He needed to know how to dance for men and even talk to men before he considered taking a man into a room alone. But, having to deny one particular person the right to Dark's private sessions for a whole year? That just seemed too unfairly strict. What about all the money he would be missing out on?
So, all Dark offered in return was, "Does everyone else have to wait a year to have private sessions with them too?"
Vaati dropped his head, unimpressed, and pressed his lips together in frustration. His index fingers curled back into his clenched fists and he planted his balled hands to the centre of his forehead. "Dark. I told you not to ask anything. But, yes, fine, I will tell you, everyone else was told to wait as well."
Dark's head shrunk into his shoulders, and he murmured, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to know if there was something wrong… with me?"
"Goodness, no, my dear! No, that's not it at all! We're just looking out for the best interest of our dancers. Either way, I promise you will see him tonight, I'm certain, but I'll describe him to you so you know it's him. He's short, but muscular, and has blond hair and a red eye. He keeps his other eye covered.
"And, by all means, you can dance for him in the public space. However, if he suggests a private session, consider your restrictions for private sessions tonight, and carry that along with you and him all year long. As always, you can suggest any other dancers as you please. Beyond that, I hope you have a fruitful night!
"Now, on a regular shift, you will start working the floor at eight PM until five minutes before the dance, and then you must return to the back of the stage to gather for the performance. But, tonight, because it is your first night, you can take it easy and stay back here or behind the stage, but do not enter the floor unless you plan on working it, got it? We are on twenty-four seven here at Spirit Temple!"
"Absolutely, Vaati, I understand. I think I'm just going to prepare for the choreography and start fresh on the floor after our performance."
"Fantastic! I'll get out there then, and start letting the boys know about the arrival of the great Mirari."
X X X
Dark couldn't tell whether he was more excited or nervous now. In the past, the butterflies normally flitted about in his stomach, but this time they felt like they were about to flutter their way up his throat and out of his mouth. At least in the lineup he wasn't front and centre. If Dark were to make a mistake, maybe not everyone would see it.
He rolled on the balls of his heels with his head held low in the line of men waiting to go out on stage. The lighting was so dim backstage that no one really noticed Dark anyway. What Dark hadn't known was that the other employees were just as anxious to get on stage like he was.
"Good evening, handsome gentlemen and others!" Vaati's voice suddenly trilled through a microphone.
The overall chatter lulled to a deafening silence, and Dark could feel his stomach swimming again.
"We're so glad to have each and every one of you here tonight. Now, what you must know is that this particular choreography was made especially with you in mind. Please pay your respects to Spirit Temple and the best entertainers in all of Hyruuuuuule!"
The crowd howled, an innate and deep hunger in the sound. The cheers came to a stop when the first boom of the bass sounded out over the speakers, and the music queued the dancers to step out onto the stage and into position.
The heavy drum and bass beat brought the dancers to life, along with the spotlights, and their choreography. The dance style was rugged yet rigid, emphasizing a wild, but unique masculine quality to the structure of the steps. The uniform, and the song choice for the performance this month, subtly reminded Dark of being a pirate, or maybe even a sailor. It was fluid, but pristine.
Dark was riding the highest high of his life. He had never seen so much money, and so many men enamored for a five minute performance before. The amount of money that filled the stage made it unsafe for the men to dance by the end of the song, their feet slipping and shuffling across the mounds of paper cautiously during more intricate footwork.
Dark nailed the slide at the end, the part of the dance he was having trouble with, and just as he practiced, his head was bent low and palms were open wide for the audience, begging for more.
He never wanted to leave the stage, or this moment.
This was just the beginning.
And the money poured, like a hot rain shower in the middle of July. Even after the music stopped and the lights dimmed, amongst the fervour of the crowd, the sound of money flitting about in the air and sliding across the stage floor could be heard by anyone.
To keep up appearances, the dancers were asked to leave the stage just as they entered. Dark understood this, as bending down over and over again to pick up a bunch of one rupee bills in front of the customers did not promote the highest sex appeal. Instead, a couple of floor workers collected the performance money to return to Mr. Dragmire, so he could divvy up the profits equally between all dancers at the end of the night.
With the back of his wrist, Dark wiped away the perspiration that appeared on his forehead during the dance. The reality of what was to come was creeping upon him, but Dark was still elated to be experiencing this feeling with the rest of the dancers.
After checking in backstage, some dancers returned to the stage when the money was gathered and the poles were once again deployed from the ceiling. Dark could hear the DJ start the bass heavy music. Other workers went to the lounge to do a once over before heading back to the floor. The shift was starting.
Dark, however, meandered in the hallway beside one of the stage doors, his back pressed to the wall to take a breather, and prepare for the next step... the actual work of this job. Dancing was one thing, sure, but meeting the needs of his clients was entirely another.
He was hardly a conversationalist. He felt his stomach drop and he flushed uncomfortably at the thought. This first shift could make or break his persona for the rest of his career, and now, he wasn't so sure he'd meet Spirit Temple's expectations. He dropped his head and rushed both hands back through his hair to tousle his locks about. His hair felt more stuck to his head than it did while he was sweating during the choreographed performance a few minutes before.
He didn't want to let Vaati down. He put so much effort in for Vaati over the last couple of weeks that Dark knew he at least had to try.
He swallowed, scrunched his eyes, and took a much needed deep breath, in and out. He clenched his fingers into fists and then shook out his hands to rid of the wet electricity pounding through his blood and into the tips of his fingers.
Goddesses, he needed this. He needed this so badly.
He pushed himself off the wall and, with his head still a little low yet, started down the hallway to head out for his first real night shift. When he turned the corner, at the end of the hallway where the room began, he saw the back of a security guard, but also the flashing lights and bustle of the main room. He felt his stomach lurch again, but he somehow continued forward in spite of what he was thinking, not because of how he was feeling.
Dark's independence, and therefore, livelihood depended on this. He couldn't go back to his parents' house after everything. He needed the money, so he needed the job. He would dance like it was his last time ever—hold conversation like it's the only thing he'd ever done to survive in this damned world. He had to make it.
So, he meandered forth and peered beyond the security guard standing at the entrance of the end of the hall. Once Dark peeked around the security guard, the man glanced back at Dark and then stepped to the side, allowing him to view the room in its entirety. It was busy: employees taking cover fees at the front door and others tending bar; dancers dancing on the stage, on tables, and with clients; and customers consuming everything, including space, drinks, and the dancers—with their eyes only, of course.
Dark hadn't even gotten to fully take in his surroundings, as he was abruptly rushed by a small group of customers, eagerly reaching out to him without reproach. Dark froze to the spot, eyes wide, mouth dropping open in shock; he didn't even have time to move, but thankfully the security guard saw everything unfolding, and stepped right in front of Dark, stopping the approach.
On the other side of the guard, Dark could hear the men calling out to him.
"Hey, handsome, what's your name?"
"Amazing performance!"
"Beautiful!"
"Have I seen you before? Where have you danced before?"
"Please dance for me!"
"I want him first!"
Finally, the security guard pressed further, hands raised, and brusquely interrupted the few surrounding them, "Hey, hey now. Back it up. Let him through."
The group seemed to groan in defeat and recede on the other side of security. He then stepped to the side and gestured for Dark to move forward again.
Dark nodded, but closed his eyes a second and swallowed, trying to ready his best alluring gaze and fanciful grin he could muster. He stepped out into the flashing strobe lights of the club, holding his palms outward to the few men waiting nearby, rupees already fluttering in their trembling hands.
Then, with his eyes flashing carefully between them, he called out, "All right, who's first?"
X X X
Dark never knew what it felt like to be wanted by more than one person before. The only person from his past that wanted to be in his presence was Link, or so he thought, because if Link truly wanted to be in his life, then he would still would be, wouldn't he? However, right now, in this very moment, there was a lineup of people that wanted Dark's undivided attention.
There was never enough time to stop either—not for a break, not even for the bathroom. Dark was either talking or dancing, making his money's worth while sweeping the floor for new clients and recurring customers alike. He never danced for anyone twice in a row, and made sure to check in with every customer that paid him any cent of attention.
The dancers made even more money during their second choreographed dance.
Dark was so busy that he hadn't even seen the scarlet eye tracking him about the room during his entire shift. From the bench that surrounded the stage, a blond man remained, unmoved, watching Dark as he laughed, talked, and danced with all the different customers. Dark had been almost booked solid since the moment his feet hit the floor, so he hadn't had the time to take note of this man's attentive nature. Dark only noticed the man right at the end of the night.
It was 1:50AM.
It was also the first time that Dark truly looked at the neon analog clock above the entrance. While dancing, he was keeping track of the time based off the lengths of songs, which seemed to be working so far. Sometimes, if the songs were only two to three minutes long, he would remain with that customer until about halfway through the second song.
Numbers were thinning, and clientele were starting to leave of their own accord before final call. Dark was near the front door, talking to a couple of men who he had just danced for at the same time. Odd, Dark already thought, because they didn't really get their money's worth, but they requested it.
What Dark didn't know is that requests for services would only get weirder from here on out. Dancing for two clients at once was nothing yet.
"So will you be in tomorrow, then, Mirari?" the young man pressed, leaning forward to investigate Dark's face closer still. "And you can dance for us again?"
He was looking between their two attentive faces, loving the attention, but Dark's bright face did fall at the question. He was sad to let them down.
"I'm starting this week with Friday only as of now," Dark relayed gently, brow pinching together. "I'll be in Wednesday of next week. You could both join me on my next day shift?"
"How late are you open?" the other man spoke up. "We don't normally go out on weekdays, but…"
They gazed at each other, eyes fervent, as they considered Dark's offer.
"Twelve," Dark shared surely, nodding at them. "And I'll be here all day."
In a shared glance between the two of them, the unspoken word turned into a couple of excited nods at Dark.
"We'll be back Wednesday," the first man confirmed. "Will you be taking private sessions, then?"
Dark, so eager to already have clients who wanted him next week, nodded readily. "Absolutely."
He wasn't sure he was actually ready to take on any private sessions, but Wednesday was days away from now. That was something he could worry about later.
"Great, we'll see you sometime Wednesday evening!" said the other man.
Dark brought his hands behind his back, and bowed his head slightly, looking at the two of them through his dark lashes, ruby eyes peeking through.
They both blushed at Dark's genuine gesture and headed off for the night.
As he watched them leave out the front door, Dark brought his eyes up to the clock the second time of tonight, the time being 1:53 now. Dark removed his hands from his back, placing them higher up on his waist, and took what felt like his first real breath of the night. He spun on the spot to face the room again, releasing the air from his mouth. If he checked in with one more client, he may be able to perform a final lap dance or strip tease if they wanted. Just as he had this thought, his eyes landed on a young man gazing intently upon him across the room on the bench near centre stage.
Thick, golden locks layered fancifully around his tanned, angular face and over one eye especially, as Dark could only see his other eye, a sharp scarlet iris under long blond lashes. He was small and muscular, hands planted at his sides on the bench with legs hanging open, body language inviting and relaxed. The weirdest thing was the queer expression on his handsome face—almost relieved to be noticed, but guarded and amused at the same time, a hint of a smile upon his lips as well. The man kept the insistent and direct eye contact up with Dark from so far away that it took his breath away again, and his face flushed without warning.
He could be Dark's last client, but he couldn't honestly tell if the man wanted to be Dark's last client. It was almost as if they were in a standoff, their eyes each willing the other to move first. Dark knew he had to be the one to move since he just realized the man never once moved since Dark first laid eyes on him. Dark was still on the clock, too, and he already learned this evening that every minute counted at Spirit Temple.
So, Dark finally raised a hand to his shoulder height, and waved carefully, just a couple flicks of his fingers to engage the client.
The man lowered his head in acknowledgement, one, singular nod.
At this, Dark smiled a little, gaining some strength back, and stepped forward. The moment he did, the man raised his hand swiftly, not to wave, but to stop him instead. Dark became stone on the spot, his mouth parting in question right away, looking over the firm and commanding hand in confusion. Did he want him, or not?
Dark's brow stitched together and he pressed his lips, glancing from the man's small hand to his face, to gauge his reaction. As he met the man's gaze again, the blond crooked his head in amusement, closed his eyes, and shook his head, lowering his hand now.
Did… did the client just deny his service?
Dark almost wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. What the Hell just happened? Everyone wanted him tonight—everyone. The man, this client… even he seemed to want Dark in the beginning, but something must have been stopping him.
The lightbulb suddenly went off in Dark's head.
The client that Vaati mentioned, before his shift—it was him. The man he was supposed to deny private sessions with for the entire year. Vaati did tell him he could interact with him publicly though, so why was the client denying any interaction to begin with?
As Dark considered the question, a very friendly hand on his upper back brought him back from his thoughts.
Instantly, Dark went to remind the customer of club rules regarding no physical contact, which would have been his first time of doing so tonight, but Dark turned to view Vaati appearing at his side, who was beaming at Dark. Dark's face lit up, and his brought his own hand up to Vaati's back too, greeting him with his touch.
"Mirari, how has the night treated you? You looked fantastic out there, you know!"
Dark grinned crookedly, and sincerely replied, "It's been good. Thanks, Wind. I can't believe I did it."
"Oh, well, I knew you could," Vaati ensured with a wink. "After seeing you perform in our dances tonight…" Vaati trailed off and fanned himself with his free hand.
One thing that surprised Dark about tonight was that Vaati didn't participate in their final choreography on stage, even though Dark knew Vaati knew it to heart. He would make sure to ask Vaati about that later, so instead, he laughed out loud at Vaati's flattery. He turned in Vaati's hand, breaking the contact so he could hold onto the outside of Vaati's forearm in thanks.
"Trust me, I couldn't have done it without you, so thank you," Dark stated to Vaati surely.
"Absolutely, not a problem at all, my dear." And he grasped back onto Dark's hand on his arm. He then released Dark, and gestured daintily toward the hallways at the back of the room. "Now, the dancers must all check in with Mr. Dragmire at the end of the night, for two reasons—"
"To pick up our earnings from the two performances and to pay our percentage on private sessions," Dark finished surely with a nod.
Vaati giggled and smiled again at Dark's eagerness. "You will be very impressed with how much you made tonight through the group choreography. And I know you didn't have any private sessions tonight, but you'll want to make sure you're keeping track of how many you do when you need to pay Mr. Dragmire his twenty per cent cut."
What Vaati didn't know was that Dark was already keeping track of everything. He had mini systems in place, organizing how all his money came in tonight. Dark placed any tips in his back right pocket. He used his left front pocket for the money from lap dances and the right pocket held bills from any strip teases he gave. It was obvious that his right pocket was much fuller than his left.
"Speaking of private sessions…" Dark started and his brow furrowed at this realization. He turned back to the main room to find the customer he was trying to engage with before Vaati came around. The blond wasn't sitting at the stage any longer and Dark swivelled on the spot to look to coat check, and then the entrance, but he was nowhere to be found. He scratched at the back of his head in confusion.
"Yes…?" Vaati pressed at Dark's side, and was now looking to the front door with Dark. "Are you looking for someone?"
Dark nodded, but suddenly felt uncomfortable addressing the topic of the man that Vaati told him to avoid in the first place. He swallowed, and shared quietly anyway, "I was trying to meet with a client, but—"
"Oh, my goodness, tell me I didn't interrupt you two with just those few minutes left."
At Vaati's words, the overhead lights flicked on, telling the dancers and patrons alike that it was two o'clock, and time to head out.
"It's all right, Wind, you really didn't," Dark answered while shaking his head. "It… it was kind of awkward anyway."
"Did they make you feel uncomfortable, or—?" Vaati questioned now, but in concern.
Dark cut him off, "No, not at all! I think it was… the first customer that didn't want to meet with me?" His voice ended off a little sad. He asked even further, "Does that usually happen on the first night?"
"Oh, Mirari, don't take it personally," Vaati tried to comfort Dark, reaching out to his hands. He squeezed them both. "You can always try again later. Also, some clients do have favourites. Maybe they were looking for someone else, considered meeting with you, but then left because of the time anyway."
Dark didn't really understand it still, because it felt like the man was looking exactly for him, like he wanted Dark to know that he was there and available, watching him specifically. When they finally did have the attention of one another, the man denied it. If anything, it did hurt Dark a little. He didn't want to take it personally, and he knew a hundred other men wanted him tonight, but the man almost made the situation personal—the circumstance seemed to be about the two of them alone, him and Dark. He just knew it.
However, because of Vaati's initial request to avoid the man and with it being the end of the night, Dark knew he could continue this conversation another time. So, merely, Dark smiled and nodded in response, accepting Vaati's words of comfort by squeezing his hands back in return.
Vaati released Dark's hands with a sly smile and then announced, "Well, come along now. Let's go check in with Mr. Dragmire. You may count your profits, and pay him back your loan as well."
Right, the two hundred rupee loan from two weeks ago.
Dark followed after Vaati as they started across the main room and down the hallway to Mr. Dragmire's office. The door was already open and dancers were lined up at his desk, receiving their payments for the performances tonight, but also paying off their percentages owed from their private sessions.
Dark and Vaati were at the end of the line, so Dark knew he could take the time to count through the bills to see how much he made and gather two hundred to pay Mr. Dragmire back for his loan. He still made sure to keep the lap dance and strip tease amounts separate, so he knew how much he made for the two different services. He chunked the money to keep better track, holding groups of bills between each of the crooks in his fingers. Overall, he counted 520 rupees for lap dances, 930 rupees for strip teases, and 150 rupees in tips.
His profit was 1,650 rupees. Total. In one night. That didn't even include the payout Mr. Dragmire made to the dancers for the group choreography this evening either.
And suddenly, Dark didn't feel so lonely anymore.
He kept two hundred out for Mr. Dragmire, tucking the rest away, and he vibrated on the spot as he waited his turn to meet with his boss. He wanted to tell Vaati how proud he was of his earnings, but he caught Vaati still counting his own profits on his right side.
Dark's other co-worker was dismissed by Mr. Dragmire, leaving only Dark and Vaati in his office. Mr. Dragmire eyed Dark with heavy interest and gestured for him to come forward.
Dark paused though to look at Vaati again, who was also ready with his payout for Mr. Dragmire.
"Vaati, you can go," Dark said politely, dropping his head and deferring to his supervisor first.
"Oh, no, no, you may, Dark," Vaati returned lightly, gesturing back to Mr. Dragmire. "It's your first night, you must be tired. You've waited long enough."
"All right," Dark murmured, and stepped up to Mr. Dragmire's desk quietly. He brought his gaze up again to meet his boss' hard amber eyes. He took a breath in, but stated strongly, "Mister Dragmire, thank you for the loan." He reached out with his hand over the desktop, the few bills folded between his pale fingers.
Mr. Dragmire took the money back, rumbling in recognition while he tucked the bills into his breast pocket. His boss then started, "You're welcome. Now, Mirari, I watched you very carefully tonight, and am impressed by your presence, as are the patrons and dancers alike."
Dark felt his face flush at the compliment and he barely nodded. He felt his confidence rise again, a little more, once he felt Vaati's hand press against the back of his bicep in agreement. Dark finally didn't want to shrug someone's touch away. He smiled crookedly at Vaati now at his side, then Mr. Dragmire, nodding more.
"I am curious to ask, how much did you make on the floor your first night here with us?"
"Sixteen fifty, sir," Dark reported back to Mr. Dragmire.
Dark watched Mr. Dragmire's eyes literally glaze over in extreme intrigue, and his breath seemed to stop, the sound hitching in his throat. However, Vaati stole away from this moment since he was bounding up and down at Dark's side.
"Are you serious, Dark?! That's incredible!" Vaati cried out and laughed in elation, holding onto Dark's arm with both hands now. Dark laughed with Vaati at his side. "Don't forget, your payout from the performances too!"
Dark did turn back to Mr. Dragmire, trying to reign in his happiness to accept the money with more sensibility on his shoulders yet.
"Yes, here," Mr. Dragmire concurred, and slid some money across his desk that was in a pile near his elbow. Dark collected the rest of it. Mr. Dragmire then commented, "Impressive. You have already made back your loan, plus extra. It is the most we've made from choreographed performances in one night, each dancer receiving a payout of two hundred and fifty rupees. Excellent work tonight, Mirari."
"Thank you, Mr. Dragmire," Dark said surely, nodding his thanks again.
"Now, I'll finish up here with Mr. Dragmire and you go get changed. After, I want to check in with you a minute before we head out for the night, is that all right?" Vaati explained and asked, and then rounded the desk, joining Mr. Dragmire at his side.
"Yeah, for sure! Thanks again, Mr. Dragmire. Vaati, I'll see you soon."
Dark then scurried to the exit, and smiled at the two of them over his shoulder again before making his departure.
He made his way to the lounge next door and entered, heading right over to the lockers with a small smile on his face. Dark was so… proud of himself. He never believed to have had this thought before.
It was a peculiar feeling, and he revelled in it, taking his time in changing his clothes, already missing the feeling the clothes brought him—a sense of belonging. Once in uniform, he was one of Spirit Temple's own, a dancer and performer, the talented Mirari, but now and again, in his own clothing, he was just Dark. A shadow of a person. A nobody.
He shrunk a little at the mere size of his faint identity, and tried to redirect his attention to what was most important: getting ready for next week.
Dark looked at his dirty clothes from tonight on the bench, his duffle bag hanging in the middle of his locker, and then his clean uniform folded on the top shelf of the locker. He could leave the clean clothes here, and take home the uniform he just wore, wash the clothes, and bring them back to switch out for next time. So he grabbed his bag, closed and locked his locker, and placed the key in his other back pocket, away from his tips. With his dirty clothes now folded in his hands, he tossed him in his bag and threw it over his shoulder, then escaping beyond the blind in the middle of the lounge and meeting with Vaati at the same time.
"Well now, if it isn't our most successful employee of the evening," Vaati chided, arms open wide upon his arrival.
"'Most successful'?" Dark mused in return. "As if."
Vaati's face fell, which it didn't often, and he deadpanned at Dark. "No, seriously, Dark, you made the highest profit out of any of us."
Dark jerked his head to the side, a brow cocked in disbelief. "Without any private sessions? I can't imagine that being possible for my first night."
"It was, my dear, and although I congratulate you on your efforts, I do warn you to take your time with this position, or you will wear yourself thin. Please take your provided breaks, whether that is just the fifteen minutes, or even thirty minutes on your busiest nights. If you don't, I'm afraid the pressure of the job may catch up with you."
The night flew by for Dark, him not even noticing the time until the last ten minutes of the shift, so he wanted to rebut Vaati's criticism at first, but he paused, and knew his supervisor didn't mean any harm by this comment. He remembered that everything Vaati taught Dark so far helped him, not hindered him.
"You're right," Dark breathed out, and laughed in relief at Vaati's recognition, scratching the back of his head. "I feel like I barely caught my breath tonight."
"Some nights still feel like that," Vaati said in agreement, sated smile on his lips. "But if you take your breaks, you'll perform even better in the long run, I promise. Also, I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing, if you had any other questions about tonight?"
Dark's mind went right back to that mysterious man, the one who denied him his services. However, Dark decided he could just wait this out, and find the answer on his own. Maybe he himself could try to address the man again when Dark was back next week. At this, Dark remembered something else he wanted to ask Vaati instead.
"Why didn't you join us for the dances tonight? On stage? I'm sure we would have made even more money with you up there," Dark said seriously, shaking his head at Vaati, even remembering aloud, "And you were so good at the choreography too."
"Why thank you, Dark," Vaati whispered sincerely, bowing his head at Dark. Then, Vaati knew he wanted to answer honestly, as there was only one reason he didn't participate this week, but his face went red when he rushed the words out, "We wanted to watch you dance."
"'We'?" Dark asked right away, curious about his choice of diction. Dark was only asking about Vaati, not anyone else.
"Oh—Mr. Dragmire and I watched you. Since you are new, and you put in a great deal of effort preparing over the last two weeks, I wanted to see you perform myself. That would have been fairly difficult if I joined you on stage."
Dark grinned crookedly at that. So, Vaati wanted to specifically see Dark dance, and Mr. Dragmire watched his performances too. It seemed Dark garnered a lot of attention from all parties at Spirit Temple this evening.
"By the way, you were absolutely enigmatic. Shame we didn't have you front and centre." Vaati groaned as he pressed a fist to his forehead in regret. When he removed his hand from his face, his lively red eyes glanced about Dark's face readily, and he assured softly, "Next time."
"I'll be ready," Dark said confidently, head tilted with a smirk on his face. "So I'll see you on Wednesday?"
"I won't be in Wednesday, but Mido will be. You can report to him." Dark felt his stomach drop at the news. Vaati had been a constant for him so far. Vaati, too, saw the shift in Dark's expression, and reassured him, "If you have any pressing questions with a need for my expertise though, just message me. I'm certain you will be able to handle your own without me."
Dark nodded and smiled a little at Vaati's trust in him.
"Well, congratulations, my dear, on your first successful night! Have a good weekend, okay, Dark?" Vaati beamed at Dark one last time before heading off to the lockers to go get changed.
Dark ruffled a hand back through his own hair and finally left from the lounge. As he made his way down the empty hallway, he thought back to his first night at Spirit Temple. It went better than he ever expected, that is, until the last few minutes, due to the odd character of the blond at the end of the night.
Dark now knew he wouldn't have all the answers right away to the many questions he had flashing throughout his mind.
He'd have to pace himself, just as Vaati said.
Either way, Dark left Spirit Temple a little more confident and much richer, in more ways than one, as opposed to when he first entered the evening prior.
Thanks again to those of you who have left reviews over the last DECADE that I've been gone: Albuzexer, takisbaby2, MyOtherRideisaMasterCycleZero, a few kind guests, and of course, Smoking Owl Bones (How have you been so patient for this long, my friend?)
Updated: February 10, 2025