4 years ago.

The thin walls of this decrepid hotel are so covered in suspicious stains, hardened pieces of gum and unidentifiable gunk that one wishes the bare lightbulbs would burn out just so they wouldn't have to see the walls.

"Koko?" A masculine voice that sounded like a smoker had gotten punched in the face.

Koko has spent too many hours in inside these grimy walls. Koko was beginning to prefer working in alleyways. There might be gutter water to kneel in but at least one can see the sky. Footsteps rounded the corner.

 "Koko, Heel!" shouted the man, riddled with scars and splotchy freckles on off white skin. His layers of baggy button up shirts were open, they flapped behind him like layers of capes, shrouding the bulges of weaponry on each hip. Teenagers and broken crones darted out of the way, all recognizing a handler when they saw one. 

For jack sakes don’t talk to me like that, Koko thought. I am not your dog.

Yet Koko snapped to attention, three inch heels wobbling on the uneven carpet.

"Where the **** is the rest of my money?"

Painted nails on skinny nylon covered hip, "What the ****** are you talking about?"

But Koko already knew, he’d squirrelled away 100 $ in his stockings at the party they'd worked last night. 

The human Pollock of freckles and scars starts yelling. It starts something like , "You think you can do this to the Shepard, you sheep?!" It continues like that for an eternity

Blah blah blah, Koko thinks. Shep isn't terribly original so Koko has seen it all before. Now we're at the bit where Shep pulls his multiple sleeves up, revealing needle marks and half removed tats. Threatening to really kill Koko this time. This is scary. But it's also familiar. Which makes it very boring.

I so bored of being scared of you.

And so Koko tries to walk past Shep, intending to never return. Even if it meant starving, he's ready to throw himself on the mercy of strangers. He already knows about what Shep has to give.

 Shep's skinny fingers grabs his shoulder, nails digging though flimsy fabric to bruise the skin. Koko pivots on one heel and slaps Shep. It's gross to have to touch Shep at all, but it's satisfying. Koko hears and feels the solid impact across Shep's face. Witnesses the layer of dust and dead skin billow out from Shep's face, like Koko was beating an old mattress. The walls seem clean by comparison.

Predictably, Shep comes back, leading with a closed fist. Koko side steps the first blow, tries to get away, but Shep's arms are too long and wiry. Two hands fasten on Koko's shirt and Shep throws him like a rag doll. Koko's shoulder blades connect with the window, and by dumb luck, the window is unlocked. Nothing shatters, Koko simply finds himself flying through a low set 2nd story window, rolling off a dumpster lid and landing with a smack on the asphalt outside. Through the ringing of pain and the rattling of his teeth, Koko realizes how lucky he is that the window was so  low.

A cop whistle blows. Koko surprises himself, scrambling to his feet to clear the way, there might be an emergency nearby... but at the same time he’s very confused. What’s a cop doing down here in the outer ring? Everything from Colussus Square and northward is basically untouchable. Nobody but the mob tries to maintain order in this part of town. The cop skids to a halt in front of Koko, he seems about to ask Koko a question, the lips are moving. What was that? They are expecting a response but Koko can't quite... Good old Shep, shirts flapping, gallops out the hotel's front door. Shep only briefly appears in the corner of Koko’s eye, before his fist swings downward and connects with Koko's right temple. Koko's cry of pain is too stunned and breathless to have been heard. Koko barely manages on to fall to his knees, but he's not willing to give Shep the satisfaction. Staggering back, Koko gets to witness the Cop actually leg swipe Shep, bringing him down with a smack. It's unexpected. It’s also immensely satisfying. 

Things get less surprising when the police officer calls up his partner and they cuff both of Koko and Shep. They were then searched for weapons, Cop 1 finding a blade, a taser, and a gun on Shep's person. Cop 2 performed the least invasive putdown that Koko has ever experienced and yet found every piece of cash, kush, and candy that he had hidden on him. 

They were herded into the tiny police vehicle- it was really more like a golf cart with an animal cage in the back, but pleasantly enough they didn’t have Koko ride in the cage with Shep. Koko and Shep traded insults all the way  until they reached Kaipen Central Station. They parked and marched inside, but turned  and reached a strange part of the station that Koko wasn’t sure had always been there. There were a lot of people being brought it and sat down. It was insanely busy and there were a lot of desks with a lot of people attending every corner. Everything looked new, like the station, the supply, and the officers had been rennovated.

Koko was pretty sure that he’d never seen the station so... Authoritative before- it was a little unnerving. But he had been through enough arrests before so he just followed the que.

 Soon, beefy enforcers were pointing him to a desk. A police officer at the desk looked like a football player from an Ivy league college, and Koko enjoyed the view as the young man took Koko’s fingerprints on a small touchpad. The touchpad chirped and the officer squinted at his computer screen, sighing deeply.

“I’m sorry. Have I given you more paperwork?” Koko asked, charming smile in place.

The Officer was looking uncomfortable and distracted, “Huh? No… Follow me.”

And Koko followed the officer through the rows of crowded desks. Koko spotted Shep bellowing at a female officer who was pointedly ignoring him. Witnesses and convicts clustered around officers, lawyers were loudly demanding to reach their clients, phones ringing constantly and yet when they turned a certain corner, the noise died.

The hallway led into enclosed offices with opaque glass. At the office with the newest door, the officer that had been leading Koko through the precinct knocked timidly. He then poked his head in, “I’m sorry to disturb… the R. E. C…”

Koko looked around, wondering if he could just run for it, avoid another ding on his record- but then he’s suddenly ushered into the office.

An androgynous woman in uniform, with empty eyes, and her hair pulled tightly back sat at the desk. She asked him for his version of events. He gave them,

“I’m an entertainer. Shep has been my talent manager for the last two years. He likes to take most of the money that I earn. So I protested and he grabbed me. I struggled and he totally lost it and threw me out the window.”

“And by entertainer you mean prostitute? Mr. Shepard being your pimp?”

“I… I’m an exotic dancer.”

“So. Stripper?”

“... and tightrope walker.”

“Oh, excuse me. Color me impressed.”