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We are true products of our environment. Just as surely as we can carry the traces of the lands and the ages into which we are born, so to do we acquire from others the marks and distinctions that serve to make us more than we are.

Chapter Twenty Five : At the borders between darkness and light.

Left to wander The Velvet Room alone, Kato had learned to ignore the uneasy stares that came his way whenever he glanced over at one of the companions reclining on divans by the western wall. That they had refused to meet his eyes for any extended period of time, coupled with the fact that all of them had seemed reluctant to even speak to him when he approached, had only served to increase his own irritability.

Perhaps it had simply been his nervous, flustered air, or maybe it had been the fact that he could no more form a coherent thought then he could keep himself from running off at the mouth whenever he had tried to speak with them that had doomed him to failure.

It was a shame really, but Kato knew that he had no real skill when it came to talking to women. Even though his recent forays in the simulator had included training in the art of diplomacy and negotiation, he was beginning to doubt that he would even find the chance to put his skills to use. Not that he thought they would be able to help him without a topic of common interest to talk about. The finer points of maintaining a sword, or even the art of dealing death as quickly and efficiently as possible. It wasn't like either of those could be considered appropriate to discuss with a woman whose sole duty was to provide a man with pleasure.

Still, despite his best attempts to reassure himself, Kato couldn't quite shake the feeling that even now he was doing something wrong by being in a place that catered to a man's desires. That he was a child who had somehow wandered in somewhere he shouldn't be.

Why not just simply walk over there and pick one? Said a voice in the back of his mind. All you have to do is point at one and say, you'll do, and be done with it.

And what if she said no, Said another. What if she laughed at me? I don't think my heart could handle that kind of rejection.

With him on one side of the room, and them on the other, it felt as if an insurmountable wall had begun to separate them. Half-human, half-chimera, even my own kind must think me a monster.

“I heard that He's spending the night as Zane's guest.” Said someone with a soft lilting accent. “Seems he beat the crap out of an entire gang of splicers, and now Zane's treating him to a free ride. Can you believe it! And the way he just keeps standing there watching us. Its like he's not even trying to make up his mind.”

“Well I certainly don't want him. A customer like that, who knows what would happen if he decided to become violent. I mean, if he can beat up an entire gang without breaking a sweat, then what good would the bouncers be against him?”

“I know.” Said another. “He is kind of cute though. In a dangerous sort of way.”

Breaking away from the group, a sable furred feline in a silk dress said to the others. “A free ride huh. That sounds, interesting.” And he's certainly exotic looking enough. She felt a thrill of pleasure run through her just from looking at him. What with his fine silver hair pulled back enough so that it frames the stripes on his face. And those eyes. I don't think I've ever seen a chimera with eyes that particular shade of blue. But more than anything else it was his posture that interested her. Standing as if to say, even as you are watching me, I am watching you, he had managed to set himself apart from every other chimera in the room.

Really, thought Midnight as she began to follow him at her own leisurely pace. If you are going to spend your time here spying on us. The least you could do is try to blend in.

The moment they believed their companion to be out of earshot they immediately broke out into hushed whispers.

“What's Midnight thinking. She's not going to make any money off of that one.”

Zane had been right. It would do no good to rush. So Kato had waited, and watched. All the while studying the names on a list that he had been given by one of the well endowed hostesses whose job it was to greet people as they came through the door.

Luna, Sapphire, Ciel.

It hadn't taken long for The Velvet Room to fill up with eager customers. It seemed that chimeras from every walk of life, from construction laborers to company employees, were eager to forget about their worries and engage in illicit liaisons for a brief period of time.

Jessica, Medea, Crystal.

Kato had kept on reading until he could put a name to every face on the list, only to feel a sense of mounting frustration begin to take hold of his soul. It was beginning to seem as if everyone around him were playing exactly the same game he was. Only it was a game that they were better at, or had more experience in.

All around him, male chimeras had begun striking up conversations that were anything but intimate. Boasting about their physical prowess or their size, some of them were even engaging each other in contests of strength. And all of it was a fight for the right to claim their chosen prize.

Intellectually, he knew that it was a clash between chaos and order. A struggle born of a dangerous mix between unstable amounts of testosterone and courtship rituals, posturing and bravado, that was meant to separate the weak from the strong, serving to ensure that only the best would receive the chance to enrich the species. But emotionally, Kato felt ill equipped to even compete and that to even make an attempt would only serve to reveal his own lack of experience.

Some chimeras however, older, wiser chimeras, the ones who felt that such things were better off left to the young, were choosing to simply forgo the entire endeavor and were selecting their favorites from the ones on the list. Either way, Kato knew that if he didn't choose soon, the result would still be the same. He would have waited for nothing and the decision would be made for him.

Approaching Kato as if she alone were the only woman in the world worthy of speaking to him, Midnight carried herself with a grace and composure that put the lie to anyone who tried to get in her way.

“Hey there tiger.” She said, taking hold of his jacket so that he couldn't get away. “You look a little lonely standing over here all by yourself. Why don't you let me help you feel better. I could . . . get you out of those clothes, draw you up a nice hot bath, and make you feel fantastic all night long.” Coming up to his shoulder, Midnight's actions were nothing more than a carefully calculated maneuver that had served to focus his full attention on her more than ample feature's. And with his reaction being just short of an indrawn hiss. There was no doubt in her mind that he had just figured out that part for himself as well.

Taken completely off guard Kato's mind struggled to make sense of the woman that was suddenly standing in front of him.

Everything about her, from the cut of her dress, to the sheen of her fur, to even the allure of her scent as it washed over him like a wave, it was as if she were trying to pass herself off as the embodiment of beauty and temptation all rolled into one. And to make matters worse, she was able to make it seem effortless.

“Thanks,” Kato was able to say at last. “But I think I'll pass.” Having needed to remind himself twice not to stare, he tried focusing his attention on the sides of her face, the soft flowing hair that swept out behind her and fell down her back. Anything that would keep his mind from dwelling on the fact that her tail was attempting to twine itself around his.

“Besides. You hardly seem like the type that I would like.” Shit. There was no Midnight mentioned anywhere on the list. That can only mean she's someone who deals with special cases. Looking to make good his escape, Kato glanced briefly around the room. Cases like mine.

Refusing to let him go Midnight purred. Call it the art of engagement, the subtle science of understanding the interactions that went on between the sexes. Either way it was still a war in miniature, and by allowing her to make the first move, he had given her the power to set the rules.

Hmmm? Did I read him wrong? Or is it something else? Sensing a challenge worthy of all her skills, Midnight changed her tactics and said instead. “So tell me, what brings you out to our humble abode. After all, a handsome young man like you, hardly seems like the type to need the services of a pleasure pet.”

Staring into the depths of eyes the color of fire and gold, Kato felt his blood begin to run cold. Pleasure pets. That was what the Companies called chimeras whose sole purpose in life it was to provide the masses with a steady supply of cheap, inexpensive sex. A supply that was more often than not met at the cost of people's lives.

Male, female, young or old. In the end it didn't matter, because nothing served to distract the nameless faceless masses from their life of grinding poverty and abject misery quite so nicely as a nearly inexhaustible variety of easily affordable hedonistic delights.

Fighting to suppress a lifetime of disgust for what others had turned his kind into, Kato simply said. “Please don't call yourself that.”

“Why not?” Asked Midnight. Sensing a change in his scent she said. “It's only a word.”

Letting a hint of the anger he felt bleed into his voice when he said. “Not to me it isn't!” Kato sought to distance himself from her, only to find that he was caught in an iron grip.

“Pleasure pet, prostitute, companion, whore. Dress it up in whatever word you want this is still a brothel and we are what we are. Or do you expect me to believe that you walked in here not knowing what any of those things are?”

“Yes! I mean no! I mean . . . I don't know.” Taking a deep breath as he struggled to regain his composure, Kato said. “Yes I know what a prostitute is. No, I didn't know that this was a brothel. And despite what you may be thinking, I didn't come here looking for sex.”

“Well if thats the case.” Her gold eyes shining with a mischief befitting her namesake she said to him. “You must be here in order to take advantage of some of our, other services.”

“Services,” Said Kato as he realized that he would be unable to extricate himself without causing a scene. “What, other services?”

“Why, the ones we offer to all our clientèle.” Taking him by the hand Midnight started to lead him around the room. “Being fully trained companions means that we excel in a wide variety of areas. Let us say you wanted to discuss the finer points of philosophy or music.” Pointing out an ocelot from across the room, Midnight said. “Isis over there has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of every known philosopher and most of the major composers to have ever produced a body of work in the last two hundred years. For sports, there's Terra. Business advice. Celes over there could give even the companies a run for their money.”

“And you?” Said Kato, feigning an interest in her. “What exactly is it that you do?”

“Me?” Flashing him a wicked smile that seemed to say, Well what do you know, he isn't doing too badly at this. If he keeps playing along . . . maybe I might let him win. Midnight simply shook her head and said. “I guess you could say that I'm a jack-of-all-trades.”

Stopping in his tracks as the pieces came together in his mind, Kato said. “You . . . your a confidante aren't you? A secret keeper.”

“And.” Flicking his ear playfully she asked him. “What gave it away?”

“Little things.” Catching her hand before she could do it again, Kato said. “Like the way that you move, the way that you talk.” Pulling her in close he whispered to her. “And then there's the fact that you were the only one willing to come over and actually speak to me.” Sensing an existence similar to his own only made him want her more with every passing second. “Only someone who was used to keeping another person's secrets could approach a complete stranger so casually.” Twisting a lock of her hair around his index finger, Kato added the words. “Especially a dangerous one.”

Meeting his eyes, Midnight matched his gaze and said. “So you think your dangerous do you.”

Kato struggled just to catch his breath. Everything about her was inviting, calculated to be tempting, and in the end, impossible to possess. She was a mystery that no man could know, and her secrets called to him in a way that no other could.

Forcing himself to push her away he said. “For a moment there, you reminded me of the Geisha of old. They too were a force to be reckoned with.”

So, He sees me as formidable does he. “Well then.” She said out loud. “I'll take that as a compliment.”

“It wasn't meant to be.” Said Kato. “In spite their favored status, Geisha were little more then property. At best, they could hope to find a rich patron to support them, at worst . . .” He trailed off. “Chimeras deserve more from life then to be treated as chattel.”

Attempting to steer the conversation into more neutral territory, Midnight said. “Being a member of the companion class isn't as bad as you think it is. At least here we're well paid, our every want and need is taken care of, and Zane, he lets us come and go as we please.”

It was completely the wrong thing to say.

“You work in a brothel!”

Shocked by the depth of emotion in his voice, Midnight forgot herself, forgot that there were people watching, and said. “Yes! But by choice. And that's certainly more than most chimera's have.”

“You . . . you sell sex for money!”

“And what's wrong with that? There are certainly worse jobs I could be working.”

Refusing to be swayed by her logic Kato shouted. “To strangers!”

“They're only strangers until I get to know them. And besides, working here means I get to meet new and interesting people. Like you.” Grabbing Kato by the balls she pressed her hand against his erection and said. “Now, tell me why I should allow you to convince me that my way of life is wrong. Is it simply because it offends your oh so noble desires, or is there perhaps, another reason?”

“Ah!” Caught completely off guard Kato could only watch as she drifted away from him like laughter on the wind. “That wasn't fair,” He said. “And you know it.”

“Life's not fair,” Shrugging her shoulders as she held herself beyond his reach, Midnight said. “But still, we live it anyway. And besides. Who are you to decide how I should live, or what I should do with my life?” She met his eyes, and holding his gaze, told him. “Who are you, when like me, you're just another chimera.”

Just another chimera.

Three damning words that were the summation of all his fears, along with the reality that he had been just as ready to dismiss.

Just. Another. Chimera.

Hearing them spoken aloud Kato was quick to realize that he had become so caught up in the chaos and confusion that his life had become, that he had already begun to lose sight of the things that truly mattered to him.

Am I in danger of becoming the same as those who would oppress us? He wondered. And if I were given the chance. He looked to the chimeras that surrounded him, chimeras who were even now free to choose what to do, if not what to become, with their lives. Could I truly decide their destinies for them? If given that power. Would I?

“I'm sorry,” He said as he performed an elaborate bow. “Please, allow me to express my most sincere of apologies. I should not have been so quick to judge you.”

“So young,” Said Midnight as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “So certain of how the world works.”

At that moment, Kato couldn't have been more hurt then if she had taken out a knife and stabbed him with it. Shouting the words. “You're wrong!” He felt his eyes begin to narrow to a point just short of becoming razor thin slits. “I don't know anything anymore.” Staring endlessly at the red thread that was tied around his wrist he said softly. “Once, I thought I did. But now . . .”

I don't know anything anymore! Why must others always decide my future for me? What if I don't want to be a Companion? Hearing the same pain and frustration that she herself had felt as a young woman reflected in Kato's voice, Midnight took hold of his trembling hands and said. “Now . . . now you feel as if you're slowly being overwhelmed. And now, frightened by the intensity of the feelings that are welling up inside your heart, you feel as if the whole entire world has suddenly gone mad, and just like that,” Snapping her fingers in front of his face, she said. “It makes you want to scream until it stops. Am I right?”

Kato barely breathed the word. “Yes.”

Wonder of wonders. Thought Midnight. Common ground. Maybe he's not so different after all. “Being young is like that.” Holding up a finger she said. “Fortunately for you, I happen to know the cure.”

A look of pure skepticism softening his face, Kato stared at Midnight for a second before asking her. “What kind of a cure is it?”

“A simple one.” She said with a smile. “All you have to do is scream.”

“That's it. Scream?” His skepticism returned full force. “There has to be something more. Some kind of magic drug or pill that I can take.”

“Hey.” Said Midnight, giving his tail a sharp tug for added emphasis. “The only cure for life is to let yourself live it, not run from it. So hurry up and scream as loud as you can for as long as you can.”

Let myself live it? Taken aback, Kato thought to himself. I thought that I was.

Sparing a moment to quickly glance around the room showed him that there were only a handful of stragglers still looking for someone to keep them company for the night. Well, I guess it's now or never.

Drawing a deep breath into his lungs, Kato experienced a brief moment of satisfaction as Midnight stepped back and covered her ears.

Gathering together the feelings of confusion and despair that had taken root in his heart, Kato let them all out it in one earth shaking ear splitting world shattering roar.

When silence finally rang throughout the room once more Midnight uncovered her ears and said. “That was it? That was the best that you could do?” Slapping his stomach, she looked him in the eye and said. “Next time you scream like that, put some feeling into it!”

“Feeling?” Said Kato. Trying to maintain a serious expression despite the stares that he was receiving, he felt his grim facade begin to falter, before finally dissolving into fits of uncontrollable laughter. “I could have just challenged my worst enemy to a duel and . . .” Unable to help himself he started laughing again.

When Kato had finally managed catch his breath, Midnight asked him. “So I take it this means that you're starting to feel better?”

“I feel, a little stupid. That, and I think I scared the crap out of your friends over there.”

“Maybe, but at least now you're smiling.” Taking Kato by the hand Midnight pulled him towards the indoor bathhouse and said. “Now, how about that bath?”