Painting the Moon

Keiren was stopped and talked to, and asked a question about some lost boy.

"Pardon me, but have you seen this young man?"

The singer studied the picture, "You need better eyes dude, this picture's so old. How the hell is it gunna help?"

Keiren mocked him, studying the man that was taller than him as he kicked the pavement with the toe of his left boot. His hands were also in his pockets, carefree and slacking, and Keiren wore a smirk. This man wasn't hard on the eyes at all~

Tatsuki took in the harsh words without even a flinch or a frown, the words were not un true as they were spoken. The photo was in deed old and worn as much as the pocket watch happened to be, “Yes, I’m afraid the photo is worn.” He agreed softly. He then looked at it himself. Tatsuki was indeed handsome. His coat clung to him revealing his slender body, his pants equally as accomodating to him. His hair was long and whispy as if it had been professionally styled just that morning. His skin a pale ivory and free of blemish, his cross earing and necklace also glinted with the passing lights of vehicles and the street lamps. “ Unfortunately, It’s the only photo I have. There is no possible way for me to procure a new one or even one that is even remotely satisfactory to my cause.” He explained with such a calm it could almost annoy a man to death.

Tatsuki in a way, was an abnormality that fit well within Ikebukuro’s ring of strange things to see. He turned the pocket watch again to the boy he was speaking too and with a more firmer determination offered a handsome smile, One both alluring and suspicious, “Now again please take a look.” He said his voice sounding like it was everywhere around Keiren, drowning out alll the other sounds of the busy square; the following question a rather loud echo inside Keiren’s head.

“Have you seen this boy?”

Tatsuki nodded and closed the watch with a snap and pocketed it quickly. “Thank-you very much for your co-operation then.” He stated reaching into his coat he pulled out a small black card covered in cursive writing, “If you happen to hear anything…anything at all” he said, “please do not hesitate to call me. I would very much appreciate it”.
He bowed his head lightly in respect and turned to walk off to find someone else, his boots clicking on the pavement.

The card he had given Keiren had Tatsuki’s name upon it ‘Tatsuki Shiro’ no occupation or anything and a private number upon it. Perhaps their paths would pass again.

Tatsuki sat in the center of the park amongst an area filled with tree’s that bloomed beautifully wild flowers, there was also an assortment of shrubberies with blooming flowers as well. The perfect place to paint portraits He had a large black umbrella was set up shading him from the sun and keeping him pleasantly cool as well. A small little umbrella was propped againest his chair where he sat with a canvas and a case filled with paints of all different colors and messy brushes were soaking in a jar with cleaning solution. Tatsuki himself was dressed in a pair of casual ‘loose’ dress pants and a tucked in white button up shirt. The first three buttons were left undone and the sleeves had been rolled up. His hair was also puled into a ponytail with his bangs still covering his left eye. Women were stopping and swooning over him. Of course Tatsuki no one to deny a customer didn’t mind seeing as it meant he would be paid to do one of the things he loved most.

“Yes almost done, just a couple more moments” he said as he added the finishing touches to the picture and his signature in the bottom right hand corner.

He then picked up a small spray can that read ‘quick set’, a solution that would allow the painting to dry quickly enough. He then added the temporary frame and wrapped it in a balloned plastic so it wouldn’t touch the paint as it finished setting. “ here you are” he said,” and I do say my painting does not do you beauty any justice” he recited the famillar lines to the girl as she paid him a substanial amount for it.

As he watched her go he couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. People here were rather interesting, far more dynamic then up in the mountain villages where everyone knew everyone. The thought of that brought a slight frown to his face, if that had truthfully been the case..how did no one notice when a small boy went missing? Why had it taken them so long to figure it out. Tatsuki decided not to dwell upon this fact for any reason too particular as he moved to sit down again and clean his brushses for the next customer. Raising his arm he gently wiped the slight beading of sweat from his forehead with the back of his forearm, even with the shade of the umbrella the heat was not forgiving in the slightest. He temporarily remembered and missed the misty mountains of his home and the cool weather that always seemed to be there.

"He did such an amazing job!" said a girl as she walked by Keiren.

"I know! it's like its alive" answered the girls friend as they admired the portrait,"It only took him 40 minutes too"

"We should definetly go back."

"You just want to flirt"

Their giggles drifted off as they walked off. Tatsuki mean while had started painting the scenery with a quiet calm. The lighting was absolutely perfect. Though he felt a slight chill run down his back.

Tatsuki heard Keiren speak behind him and he sat up a little straighter and turned to face the singer. Rather than get irrate ate the obviouse teasing he smiled and answered back, “I do not need to do this to earn a living” he said,” though it is my proper job” he said. Tatsuki sat upon a fair sum of money as it was from dabbling within the stock markets and spilling out some discovered information to political parties had earned him enough to support himself the rest of his life. Painting as his job was just for something to do. If he ever wanted something more dynamic to do other than painting then he could also become a professor for some universities or something.

Putting down his paint brush he grabbed a cloth and turned to face Tatsuki a little more, “I’m surprised to see you again” he said. Tatsuki of course never forgot a face, or person he’d talked too about the missing boy. “do you have information or is there something else I can do for you?” he questioned softly a smile gracing his lips with a handsom famillarity. Though He wasn’t attempting to flirt with Keiren, nor even try to use charms to get him to swoon and spill any secrets. Tatsuki’s mannerisms simply were that; of a calm, collected, well put together male who had pursued all he wanted in life. The only thing he hadn’t done was find that boy who had become a kind of obssesion.

Tatsuki though had also vowed, that should he ever find him. He would take care of him through thick and thin.

“Really?” he questioned. Though one just didn’t simply vanish, “…hmmm” he would have to search tonight seeing as the sun was out to bright and he wouldn’t be able to do much else until it went down. “Thank-you for telling me that” he said gently and smiled. “Thank-you also for the compliment.” He turned back to the painting with a bit of a quiet contempt, “Though..I’ve yet to paint the perfect painting” he stated.
“I havent found the perfect subject yet.”

Tatsuki smiled as he worked, “the perfect subject.” He repeated softly,” is someone or something that will captivate my very being and heart and make me want to paint it” he explained “Something that will make me fall in love”. The idea made Tatsuki smirk inwardly, a subject that could captivate him made him again think of the boy he was looking for.

The boy had become a thing of obsession and he pursued it like it was air or something. Keiren’s presence though put him at a strange ease and Tatsuki could only muse at how that made him feel, He could also see the obvious discomfort and anger Keiren felt towards him for being taller. The boy obviously used to gazing down on his companions or the like. “Perhaps you’d like me to paint you?” he smirked turning back to face the star as he put down his paint brush and pushed the finished painting off to the side.

“It won’t take long and I’ll give it to you free for the information” he said as an offer though it wasn’t a charity case.

Tatsuki chuckled, “Ah but you said you’d seen the boy, therefore that means my hard work has not gone to waste and I am on the right trail” he stated, “whether you caught him or not is nothing at least you spotted him” he said standing up. He reached out and grabbed Keiren’s hand and easily directed the singer over to the chair set up and set him down. “Now hold still and please don’t frown it makes you look horrid and pasty” he said as he did a couple things like repositioning Keiren’s body or head so that the light would hit it in a kind way. He also took the bandana and let Keiren’s hair free of it.

“There…oh please don’t frown at me give a little smile” he said moving to sit back down with his paints, “ you know there’s a rumor that if you keep your face one way too long it’ll get stuck that way” he smirked picking up his paint brush. “Now…stay still” and he immediately went to work.

“Now hold still and please don’t frown it makes you look horrid and pasty”

Keiren already was horridly pastey white, and now apparently he was sitting down to be painted. Tatsuki moved in such a way that Keiren didn't even notice it. And it wasn't like it was very forceful either, which is why it slipped under Keiren's radar.

But the singer had to frown when his bandana was taken off, and the hair came a bit looser but not much. His eyes darted back and forth in worry that someone would recognize his hair color since he was famous it was a reasonable worry. A couple bangs managed to fall in between his eyes.

"You'd better make this quick before someone recognizes me," Keiren ordered him.

“Don’t worry”Tatsuki said simply as the brush moved fluidly across the canvas. “No one will pay you any mine unless you want them too” he said softly. “No one cares who you are, even if you are a star…unless you purposely bring attention to yourself…you’re simply just another individual in the park with no meaning.”The words were true…at least ten people had already cast their gaze over here and no one had come running yelling Keiren’s name or asking for autographs or pictures they just simply breezed on by. Minding their own business and going about their day as if nothing out of the ordinary was occurring.

It was probably proving to piss of Keiren more too seeing as he was used to being right and Tatsuki was proving him wrong at every step. It seemed like the individual himself was provoking something with Keiren or at least trying to. “Don’t frown please…” said Tatsuki not even glancing up but it sounded like he was laughing in pure amusement at Keiren’s obvious anger towards him. What was funny about that right? “I enjoy when people smile because it shows their true colors” he explained knowing a question was probably brewing in Keiren’s head again. “And don’t get angry at me for being truthful” he said, “ sometimes the truth hurts”.

He cast a glance at Keiren this time with his silvery blue eyes, “I want to see the true faces of people.”

“Don’t frown please…”

Keiren wondered how the painter knew when he did even look up. Many questions were brewing in the singer's head and all of them wanted answers but Keiren -- for once -- kept his mouth shut. He tried to smile again, but once more it became a smirk.

He couldn't remember the last time he smiled from happiness. He didn't frown again but the thought made him sad. Many things turned and turned in his head, mostly Tatsuki's words that no one cared about him. He saw the people see him, and he knew they knew who he was... Was his fame really that meaningless?

“I want to see the true faces of people.”

"Oh yeah? You got special eyes or something?" Keiren bit his 'freak' addition, this tall man really pissed him off. Tatsuki got under every nook and cranny of his sarcasm and right into his nerves, pushing buttons as he went.

Tatsuki stopped…and then turned washing off the brush he had and switched it for another dipping it into pale porcelain pink color and began to work swiftly correcting something on the canvas, seeing something in the moment Keiren had failed to smile. He grasped at that and painted it swiftly. “ you could say that” he mused knowing this was going somewhere Keiren was trying to avoid, “ I’m unable to see people’s faces unless they show it to me, a little quirk I got from my father” he explained, “ that is why last night I only saw you in a crowd of thousands.” He looked up vaguely to glance to reaction to the words. “I saw your face because for some reason or other your true colours were being displayed loud and clear.” He grew silent for a few minutes as he chose new colours and applied them to the canvas.

Again a few people passed by and glanced at the painter and the boy he was painting but they didn’t see a need to yank time out of their obviously busy schedules to go snooping. Going back to his previous statement he spoke a little more in-depth to him. “ This day and age strive on Trends…so being a trend setter people naturally look to you for the way to be oh what’s the word ‘cool’?, ‘Popular’?” he said switching brushes yet again. “No one cares who you are though when you’re not working…to them you’re another fellow on the street living their life as it comes.” He sat back now and reached down picking up a canister that said ‘Quick set’. “The face you display when you’re working and the one you display when you’re just being you are two different face’s” he sprayed the Canvas and waited a moment before reaching for a temporary frame.

He wrote his signature at the bottom corner too. Then turned it to show Keiren the finished product, a life like painting of his except…his face was saddened…a sad smile displayed outright like Tatsuki had just bared Keiren’s inner soul and stripped away all the barriers displayed.

“I want to see a face of yours that isn’t this sad” Tatsuki said finally having found the perfect subject

“I want to see a face of yours that isn’t this sad”

"It's only sad because of the things you say."

Keiren frowned and felt something in the back of his mind being stirred. And if Tatsuki kept going at this rate, he'd only see sad or pissed off faces from the singer.

And being ignored? Keiren couldn't stand it, as long as he could remember he's been the centre of attention. Hang on... Keiren's face softened in confusion for a moment, 'as long as he could remember'? Suddenly, Keiren couldn't remember anything past being nine years old. But he should remember more.

'I know I should' The singer frowned again in thought. The only problem being that trying to search his brain for memories gave him a headache and that headache worsened when his cell phone went on a rampage with emails. All from his agent.

"Shit," Keiren was not please by these emails. From vendors of his tour and his manager and Agent. His tour: Cancelled.
Stuck here, with this annoyingly tall man and Keiren frowned very sour.

Tatsuki raised an eye brow, “The things I say?” He asked softly. “I have said nothing but the truth to you from the moment we met.” He voiced as he passed the painting to Keiren. Tatsuki began to clean up his supplies and pack everything away. “I’m aware the truth can hurt but , if it means that I can see such beautiful expressions from you I’d say all the things I could to make you smile, cry, laugh” he said, “ love, even hate” he said standing up again to glance at him.

“You’re a beautiful subject and I’ve never felt so inspired to paint something quite like you.” He explained, “But even so my goal is to find this boy.” He said stroking the pocket watch in his breast pocket.
“Or is it that you don’t wish to hear me speak the truth to you?” his silvery-blue eye’s cast themselves on Keiren again glancing him up and down. “Is it frightening...or are you afraid?” it seemed Tatsuki knew more than he let on to.

“Is it frightening...or are you afraid?”

Afraid?! Hell no--He had some nerve to assume that!

"Am I...? You son of a bitch I can't believe you'd even assume that! Of course I'm not!" Keiren glared at the taller man and he crossed his arms gripping his bandana.

Keiren felt a whole new wave of emotions though. This stranger was tearing apart his defences and his whole mind. He didn't like it. Keiren couldn't believe that this freak could be so insightful.

Tatsuki picked up his smaller black umbrella and stepped out into the sun with it open and above him. He was before Keiren before the singer could really register it. His hand shot out and he gripped him by the chin pulling him forward and tilting his face up. Tatsuki’s grip wasn’t painful or harsh rather it was firm and gentle. Almost like a kind caress though Tatsuki could exert force if need be, his eye’s gazed into Keiren’s own and his aura radiated respected, strength, and a strange calm. “You say that with such spite.” He said leaning down a little closer, “...but your eye’s betray your every action” his words were smooth and enchanting. “Lying is pointless around me.”

He then released Keiren from his grip and brushed the ashy blonde hair from his face and stepped back. “I’d appreciate you skip the lies…” he stated turning to walk back under the larger umbrella and picked up his case and coat. “Their pointless bullshit” Tatsuki was a man who rarely swore but when he did it meant he was absolutely serious no questions asked. “I’d hate to see you become another faceless person.”