2025.04.09 - (Love somebody who) Ruins your Lipstick, Not your Mascara

[mekachu04]

From a now defunct discord convo back in april, where my friend pondered:

Thinking about Killer wearing makeup 'cause he's "working" as prostitute and gets paid for it more/gets more "customers" and Kid copies him thinking makeup is cool ... Or .... Kilkil wore makeup for the same reason/he thought it was rad and cool and got beaten badly -> Kid starts wearing makeup too and beats the shit outta Killer's attackers

Its starts innocently enough - Doruyanaika showing him how to use her coverup on a spot of acne or a bruise. The colour didn't match, but it was light years better than what his face bad looked like moments before. Even Kidd watches in awe of the change. How a little bottle changes Killer from loser guy who blocked someone's fist with his face to the innocent guy loitering in the corner - don't worry about him.

Then Killer learns he can make himself appear older - or younger - depending on what johns are looking for and who pays better. He can change his face to stand out to the johns who maybe even sometimes who treats him better and starts to get regulars what he does hate. And really - Killer looks good. He doesn't immediately hate the face that looks back at him from the mirror.

Kidd likes the colours Killer uses when he's trying to look older, the dark and bold reds to his lips, the faint brushing of powder around his eyes. Sometimes Killer would paint him up when doing his own makeup but Kidd had to promise to wash it off before he goes outside. Kidd doesn't understand why really, until the first time Killer comes home having gotten his ass handed to him.

It wasn't the john, just a bunch of assholes who found him an easy target when there was only one of him and a group of them. They justified the hate crime by robbing him afterward.

Kidd cleans and bandages his friend up, bundles him in bed to sleep it off. The next time Killer's painting up to go out, he looks nervous. Kidd helps him - he's watched Killer do it for a while know, he knows how - even if he's kinda terrible at it. But it helps Killer ground himself, and its easy enough to fix Kidd's shaky brush work.

What not so easy is willingly painting Kidd up, no matter how insistent he is. All Killer can think about is those men going after his friend. Kidd- who just likes it because he likes how he looks - who doesn't understand all the layers of meaning that go with it. Kidd - who Killer really never learned to tell no too - and he should have realized that Kidd had gave him a pretty non answer about washing it off before going out this time.

His tormentors are waiting for him on his way home again; Killer at least noticed them first this time, but they catch up to him all the same.

They can't afford for him to get robbed twice, and Killer's not sure he's going to able to take them all alone. He's still not feeling great from the last beating, and he has been working for the last few hours - he's exhausted. But they need this money.

Despite his best efforts, the fight turns against him after a few blows. But he can't loose this money, not again and he's starting to get desperate.

And then a feral child that may or may not be able to tell the metal of the knives to go away joins the fray. Kidd wears his make up like war paint, and brass knuckles and steel-toe boots cower before him. Between the two of them, they're able to get control of the fight, and soon, its just Killer and Kidd standing victorious.

As Kidd checks him over, as much assurance for himself as it was to check Killer's injuries to make sure they weren't any worse than they looked on the surface - Killer can't help but look back in awe of his own. How very good Kidd looks in red. Vibrant hair and painted lips and blood of those who fall under his heel.