[closed]

[candyconsumption]

Who: Zero and Itachi
When: September 26th
Where: A Very Special Bar on the Near Shore
What: Zero got a prayer to help patrons from getting Too Drunk (tm) at the bar so they don't get in trouble with the cops! Who better to bring along than his peace-loving shinki?
Warnings: Language from patrons... and potentiall sexual situations... hehehehe



'Prohibition'. That was the name of the bar.

There was a line to get in. Itachi couldn't figure out what kind of bar it was by the types of patrons, either. But luckily, they didn't have to wait. The bouncer at the door was waiting for them, letting the two men inside through the doors.

It was styled in the ways of an old New York speakeasy, with deep browns, muted mustards and reds, and dim, golden lamps. The walls were lined with vintage bottles. There was jazz music playing. It was an incredibly classy establishment. No wonder there were so many people in line, eager to get in. A small dancefloor was off to the right of the lounge. At the moment, only a single couple graced it.

"You must be the help!" A man exclaimed as he came over to the two men. He looked over the two, deciding that, if nothing else they at least looked old enough. "It's a simple enough job, hopefully! Things have gotten a little rowdy lately, so I needed a bit of extra help! If you think you can keep an eye on the patrons, that would be great!" Before they could answer, he was pulled away by one of his employers. He offered a wave back to them. "Any food or drink is on us--hahaha, just don't go crazy!"

Itachi looked up at Zero as the owner headed off. Already, people were glancing over at the newcomers.

"...Do you have any sort of plan of attack?"

Itachi didn't realize what kind of bar this was.

...It was a swingers bar.

Comments

[moonlitknight]

Zero was expecting a rowdy bar, but what he came across was... something else. He let them lead them inside, his attention on their surroundings, establishing the exits out of habit while the man prattled on. When he left in a rush, Zero caught the gist of what had happened. They mistook them for someone else and now they would have free reign of the area without looking suspicious. He was fine with that. It was better than pretending to be a customer and doing nothing but listening to drunken idiots all night long. So, when the man finally left and Itachi looked to him for a plan, he'd already made the necessary changes to his original plan.

"We play along. We'll have authority so we can kick out the loud ones before they become a problem."

[candyconsumption]

"All right." That sounded like a good plan... and he didn't mind perhaps having a drink. The black-haired man looked around, before spotting two seats at the bar area, off to the side. "Let's have a seat there, then. It has a good view of the rest of the establishment." The former shinobi began to make his way over, but paused to let Zero choose which seat he wanted. On one side of a seat was a woman who looked a bit older than them, with dyed blond hair in beach waves and a black cocktail dress with a daring, plunging neckline. The other chair's side-occupant was a man with slicked back hair and a navy blue suit.

[moonlitknight]

He nods even as he takes in the occupants already established there. He preferred an empty table but there were none left open. Normally, he'd stay on his feet, back to the wall as he watched on, but with Itachi here, he couldn't do things the same way. So, he followed his head and deaded toward the table taking a seat next to the man.

[candyconsumption]

Itachi slid in next to the woman. The man next to Zero glanced over at the two of them with what seemed to be a disinterested gaze, then looked away.

The bartender came over to the two of them. It was a friendly looking woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She grinned towards the two of them.

"You two are new," She said cheerfully, pulling out two glasses. "Welcome to Prohibition. Do you need any help getting started here?"

Itachi tilted his head a bit at her question. Getting... started...?

[moonlitknight]

"We're fine." Zero declines without even looking at her.

[candyconsumption]

"Ooooh, not your first time, huh?" She winks to Itachi, before pouring the two some water. "Wave me over if you'd like a drink! For him," And she gestured to Zero, grinning. "I'd suggest something strong so he loosens up."

"...I'm sure he'll be fine." They were here for a job, after all...

The woman smiled before heading off. The people around the bar seemed to e enjoying their drinks, talking amicably...

Well, it was still early.

"We might be here for a bit..."

[moonlitknight]

Zero was used to stake outs. It was a large part of a Hunter's job, so this - sitting and waiting - he was used to it.

"Probably longer."

He's staked out places for days, so it's no big deal for him, but then... He looks at Itachi to garner how well he was taking this.

[candyconsumption]

Itachi was pretty interested in the place he was at. He'd never been to a bar before. Not that he could remember, anyway. That was the thing he really disliked...

"I wonder if I liked bars," He mused out loud, before looking over to his god. "As for yourself, this doesn't seem as if it would be your kind of... scene."

[moonlitknight]

"It's not." He tells him brusquely, arms crossed over his chest as he leans back against his seat.

[candyconsumption]

"I didn't think so."

About twenty minutes roll by. Itachi is keeping an eye on some patrons. So far things seem to be okay... but his earlier thoughts might be correct. Things might start to get a bit more wild as the night passes.

It's just when he's about to try and strike up conversation with his god when the bartender returns, and she sets down two white Russians in front of the boys. She's smiling.

"These are from him," She says quietly, and she motions to the swanky guy in the suit beside Zero.

Itachi looked down at the drink. He looked over to Zero, then the man beside his god that had apparently provided them the drinks. The man in the suit catches his eye.

"...Don't like vodka?" The guy asked. He looked to be around the same height as Zero, if not taller.

[moonlitknight]

Zero watches the scene unfold without interference. For now.

[candyconsumption]

Great... Zero was being sociable as always. Itachi looked down at his drink, then to the man.

"I've never had this kind of drink before. Thank you." That was the polite thing to say, right?

The man nodded. "I'm Saito." He looked over the two of them.

"You two are a good-looking couple. Things not exciting enough in bed with just the two of you?"

[moonlitknight]

"We're not a couple."

Bluntly stated.

[candyconsumption]

"Oh," Saito nodded his head. "Just friends looking to have fun, then...?" And then he made the biggest mistake ever. He just easily reached out and slid his arm around Zero's waist.

"You can try me on for size."

[moonlitknight]

He grabs that hand, but doesn't break it - only because he isn't human - and shoves it off without ever looking at him.

"I don't think so."

[candyconsumption]

Itachi was scared for a moment that the man was dead, but--of course. He's just a normal person. Zero wouldn't hurt someone out of malice like that.

Saito looks surprised at the rebuttal--he looks at Zero for a moment... then laughs.

"Oh, of course, sorry, sorry. Your pretty friend must call the shots, right? That's usually how it is with these things." Saito leaned over Zero a little to look at Itachi.

"So do you do a full switch or what?"

Itachi blinked at him at first, slowly, because he had no idea what was going on and was surprised the guy was still trying. "...Come again?"

Saito rose from his seat. He moved between the two of them--he wrapped an arm around Itachi's shoulders, pulling him in close so they were almost kissing. Itachi tilted his face away as the guy spoke.

"Don't play stupid." Saito looked to Zero--he slung an arm around hm, too. "You know where you're at, right?"

[moonlitknight]

Zero looks right back at him. Same neutral gaze.

"I call the shots."

Bluntly stated.

"Take your hands off of him."

[candyconsumption]

Itachi glanced at his god from within the man's grip. "Zero, that's not what he meant by calling th--"

Saito laughed, loudly, suddenly. The motion made Itachi realize by the smell alone that he'd already started drinking... but he could tell if he was drunk or if it was in this guy's usual personality.

"This," Saito stated, and he gestured around the bar, having to let go of Zero. "Is a swingers club. And I came here to have sex like everyone else. Or are you just picky? Do you like girly-looking men like this one?" And he gave Itachi a shake--

But suddenly, the remark had several people calling out to them--

"I"M PRETTY!"

"I'M PRETTY TOO, HAVE SEX WITH ME INSTEAD!!!"

"Girly..." Itachi let out... but he had yet to make a move to get the guy off of him. He didn't want to hurt him, after all...

[moonlitknight]

One moment, he's seated at the table, the next, he's grabbing the man's hand and forcefully removing it off of his shinki.

"Don't touch him."

A thinly veiled threat, his dominant vampire side elevating the statement close to an order.

[candyconsumption]

Whoever this Saito dude is, he wasn't put off by Zero's command. No. He was taking it as a challenge. He got into the silver-haired Hunter's face. He was smiling.

"You think you're tough, hm? I thought you weren't together. Why don't you butt out of our conversation?"

Suddenly, a guy with long brown hair was suddenly beside Zero. He was grabbing onto the Hunter's arm.

"Don't mind that guy. He said you like pretty boys~?" And he was batting his eye lashes up at Zero. "You can come sit beside me instead, hot stuff."

Itachi looked back and forth between Saito and the new pretty guy who suddenly showed up. Well, his god was certainly popular... of course. The shinki reached out, snagging Saito by the arm. "Ah, Saito-san, there's no need to--"

Saito must have been on edge. The moment Itachi touched him, he was swinging his fist right at him. The shinki dodged, but his back hit against the bar counter. Suddenly, there were shouts around the bar-- "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!"

...Oh boy.

[moonlitknight]

Zero's been in a bar fight.

In the beginning, after Kaname murdered the Vampire Council, the rogue vampires whose tastes ran toward the illegal side of things began to test their new boundaries. At first it was just a few rogues here and there but soon the Hunter's were dealing with more cases than they were equipped to handle. Those first few months were the worst. They lost an unprecedented amount of their own. Kaname may have started the war, but the Hunter's were the ones who paid for it in blood. Even a year later, they still couldn't quell the anarchy that broke out. Vampire's were still targeting human's and kidnapping children to be sold off at auctions to quell the thirst of those vampire's who condoned their actions. Zero made it a point to rescue each and every child he came across and he'd tracked those rogue vampires deep in the underground into places far darker than this insignificant bar.

And just as he'd been pissed about the scared children he saw down there, he was pissed at his shinki.

In one swift movement, the Hunter grabs Saito's hand and tosses him over his shoulder slamming him down on the table.

"Don't just stand there like a victim!"

He's glaring at Itachi as he rises to his feet, angry that he'd almost let himself be hit.

"Defend yourself!"

[candyconsumption]

De...fend...

Itachi slides across the table away from Saito--his god is shouting at him-- "Defend yourself!" -- but he finds himself slightly frozen. This isn't like having to fight an ayakashi. This is physical--and he doesn't want to hurt people...

He feels like it's in his blood. But he also felt like fghting was in his blood. He always moved and dodged fast. But fighting back--he remembered when Zero turned into an ayakashi. He had ran--but Zero had been faster. He was forced to hurt his friend--

"NO." He snapped, and the usually composed Itachi looked a touch frazzled. Saito wasn't getting up from the bar, groaning in pain. "I won't-- I...

"I feel like I've done this before... even f I don't remember... so...

"I refuse to!"

The people in the bar had gone silent. Lovers quarrel...???

[moonlitknight]

In an instant, he grabs Itachi by the collar of his shirt and drags him forward, ignoring Saito as he looks down at him.

"We're leaving."

[candyconsumption]

He's being grabbed by the collar; what is going on...?! But then Zero says their leaving...

"All right." Maybe it's best they don't have a conversation here, anyway.

[moonlitknight]

He ignores the people staring at them, he's used to it, and walks out.

This wasn't the place.

[candyconsumption]

He follows him like a good shinki. However, once they are a bit away from the bar--

"If you have something to say to me, Zero, say it."

[moonlitknight]

He keeps walking in silence.

[candyconsumption]

Since Zero is ignoring him... he hurries in front of him to stop the other in his tracks.

"...Why won't you speak to me?

"...Do you believe I did something wrong?"

[moonlitknight]

He stops, light eyes dangerous dark.

"You were going to let him hit you."

[candyconsumption]

"I dodged him. I didn't want to hit him." There's some anger in his voice, his red eyes staring him down back. "Can't you understand that?"

[moonlitknight]

"You sat there."

Saito had been blocking him and with Itachi hitting the bar counter almost immediately, from his position, it didn't look like he dodged at all. From his point of view, Itachi had just sat there ready to take the hit without making a move to protect himself. The idea of that man leaving a mark on him stirred a violent emotion from the depths of his instincts that soon backlashed on him forcing the Hunter to pull tight on his control before his instincts got the better of him.

[candyconsumption]

"You're wrong. I moved. I just hit the bar on accident; I didn't realize I was so close." There was a pause.

"I'm not a fighter like you. I don't know how to fight. The only time I did was when you were an ayakashi, and you nearly killed me. I was just lucky then, because I can move... oddly fast." He didn't understand. He had no idea what he was, what he came from--only Zero had seen that.

"I'm not frightened of helping you to fight an ayakashi.

"I don't want to hurt people." Normally, Itachi would have felt bad, or ashamed... but he was standing up for himself. Zero wasn't getting stung by blight. If the god could feel anything, it was passion.

[moonlitknight]

His entire body stops and blood runs cold through his veins as he stares back at him with unseeing eyes.

"....."

He'd been an... ayakashi

[candyconsumption]

"I had to hurt you," Itachi continued, and he stood up a bit straighter... but even so.. his fists were clenched. His shoulders shook... just a bit, a tremor... but it was still there. "...Someone... important to me.

"So, Please Zero.

"...Don't make me hurt anyone else."

[moonlitknight]

"...."

He stares, his whole demeanor changing as the realization makes it through the initial shock. Even here he'd fallen to beast. His fingers clench at his side and Zero does the only thing he can at that moment - he walks past Itachi teleporting away.

He needs time to think.