The sprawling canopy that was the Kusanagi clan's reach over Rhydin lent a whole new meaning to the word "shady". The deeper Quinn and Rick dug, the more questions they had. Progress was slow going and the returns fast diminishing over the course of the investigation. Over the better part of two months, they each had taken the time to delve into each and every hunch and lead they could come up from the plausible to the extraordinary. Every corner lead to a dead end. Except one.
House Kusanagi had a certain knack for ruling their holdings with an iron fist. Those employed feared Eiji Kusanagi as if he held sway over their very lives and the more Quinn ventured into their dealings, the more convinced she became that he may very well control them in such a way.
This didn't sit well with Quinn. Not in the least, for a numbers of reasons. First and foremost, it made working with these people absolute torture at times and many days she went home and locked herself in the bathroom with a tub full of steaming water and bubbles, a book, and some Gregorian chant dubstep on her iPod. Don't judge, it's a real thing. Niche genre, sure, but worthy of listening to at least once or twice. Secondly, Quinn Renee Heartt was a Daughter of the American Revolution (or so she claimed) and thusly, she held several truths to be self-evident. That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Murica.
In short, no person should hold such things above another person's head. Quinn said so. Rick's hold over Bob was a different story, so don't get her started on that, it's highly inadvisable. The whole point of the story is that Quinn wasn't about to let someone suffer due to someone else's deluded greed. The investigation became two-fold; stopping the yoma and getting to the bottom of the perpetual fear that hovered over those employed by the Kusanagis. So as Quinn pulled the latex gloves off and eyed her handiwork in the mirror, a rather annoyed blonde stared back at her. There was sneaking to be done, you see, and wigs are terribly itchy. So the newly ordained platinum Quinn dolled herself up like she had many a time and set off on her latest investigatory expedition.
Club Kabukicho, named after one of the largest red light districts in Earth's Asia, was set in a small entertainment district in West End and pulsed with heavy bass, an almost classy Asian motif, and an air of something sinister. It lingered on the edges just out of sight but for those perceptive or sensitive enough, it was just enough to set the nerves on edge. Luckily Quinn was a good actress and the towering heels that completed the clingy club outfit worn by the leggy blonde carried her confidently through the entrance of the nightclub. An Italian ID offered over to a bored bouncer read Vittoria Takahashi and its bearer did her best to exude an air suiting the name. Exotic but belonging, she wasn't questioned and a glittery smile rewarded the guard as he handed her ID back over and let her pass without question. At that point it was all about maintaining her composure and blending. She belonged here.
It was the best way to get answers. Not by questioning skittish employees but by natural conversation, keeping her cards close, and doing her best to read those around her. It would be a stretch but at this point, she wasn't sure what else to do. But she was armed and dangerous. Not with physical weaponry of course, especially not in a dress like that, red and clingy in all the right places. Oh she could imagine the wolfish grin Rick would have worn had he been on her arm. Maybe one night they'd have a evening out on the town like that. Tonight wasn't that night, though. A sixteen year old didn't belong in a place like this so Quinn flew solo. Harvey Wallbanger in hand --here's to you, Frank--, the mingling commenced.
Quinn didn't know Japanese or any of the dialects that she picked out of the crowd but intent ears caught a single word and thus Quinn had found her target. Eiji-san. Music to her ears. It came from a high topped table surrounded by pretty girls. Wait, it wasn't the table that was surrounded but the man leaning against it smugly. Sharply dressed, the man just reeked of wealth. It explained the congregation of gold digging vultures around him. While that certainly posed a problem, Quinn had come too far to turn back now. A few moments longer of observation gave her a fair grasp of the man?s aura and with a slow and subtle shift, she matched it with her own, minute manipulation to pull him to her without him even realizing it. Like a moth drawn to flame, his eyes lifted to hers and she simply pretended not to notice. A beat, two beats, three beats, before she made contact. A coy smile curved crimson lips and just as quickly she turned her eyes away from his and angled herself toward the bar instead. The bait had been set.
He swallowed it, hook, line, and sinker. Two minutes and fourteen seconds passed, Quinn counted, and she smelled his cologne before he even took up a suave lean against the counter. Her index finger circled the rim of her glass, body language open and inviting as she lifted her chin toward the new arrival. He was tall, close to a foot taller than her. The smile that bore down upon her was an overly bleached pearly white accented by slenderly pointed eye teeth. She pretended not to notice the hint of fangs and instead blessed him with a glittering smile in return.
?I haven?t seen you around here before...Who might you be?? He was smooth alright, his voice like honey and full of promises best kept in the privacy of lush suites. It set Quinn on edge. And not in a good way.
?Takahashi. Vittoria. Certainly you?ve heard of me. E tu?? She answered simply, letting a foreign lilt tickle her tongue as she feigned disinterest in the platinum that accented his right middle finger, his wrist, his cufflinks, hell it was everywhere. Amidst her continued adjustments to her aura, a steady give and take of his subtly seductive undertones, all she could think is how much his jewelry was worth and how it would keep the shop running for years.
?Murata Yuu. Call me Yuu, please. My apologies but your name is unfamiliar with me. Something I hope to remedy. Might I get you another drink?? Charming. Yes, yes he was. Quinn almost swooned but kept herself in character and gave him the most mild of amused smiles. She wouldn?t turn down a free drink. Ever. A dip of her chin was all he needed and the bartender came over with another Wallbanger. A girl could get used to service like that. Nevermind that this man wouldn?t have looked twice at her had she not conned him into it without his knowledge. She did what she had to.
?Yuu then. It?s a pleasure to meet you.? Quinn kept her voice low, keeping him close in order to hear her. His cologne was heady and she detected a faint hint of glamour. This had the potential to go downhill quickly so she had to choose her words very carefully.
?And also you, Vittoria, if I may call you that. Takahashi, perhaps of the New Haven Takahashi clan?? He inquired, his head bowed so he could match her low tones, a broad hand coming to settle against her lower back. Oh boy. Think fast, Quinn.
?Per favore call me Vittoria. And yes, they are kin however I?m a product of Terra Prime?s Italy. Fencing, you know? It?s good to be home though.? Her head tilted to spill a cascade of blonde over a shoulder, almost catching her off guard out of the corner of her eye until she reminded herself she?d left the chestnut behind for this job. Small talk was easy so long as it didn?t touch too deeply on her background. Somehow she?d made herself an insider and the intimate closeness between herself and Yuu produced a steady stream of conversation. Quinn laughed at all of the right places and navigated the getting to know you phase steadily toward information that she could use.
?That sounds like a lucrative deal, Yuu. Your partner was a smart man to take you up on it.? She purred the words to the taller man only inches away, his hand tracing the apex of her hip. Content to put him at ease she let him continue to contact even if it made her want to knee him in the jewels. He kept the drinks coming and she kept the information flowing, finding that Yuu was Eiji Kusanagi?s new partner now that the old had passed. Yuu hadn?t said much on the previous partner?s untimely demise but did express a few concerns that certainly piqued Quinn?s interest. The man had been a halfway decent warlock, which wasn?t surprising in a place like this. It seemed untouched by the rules that governed the practitioners back home, so an unchecked source of power could easily fly under the radar.
?I thought he might be. Now if only I can keep Eiji-san happy, I should make out fairly well. Would hate to end up like the last one.? Yuu chuckled. The sound was tight and uncertain and she easily caught his wary glance cast around the club like he was worried something might jump from the shadows at him. And in a place like this, there were plenty of shadows in which things could go bump. He gave a light tug at his tie before smoothing out his facade and offering a half-cocked grin to this evening?s companion. ?But enough about me. I feel we?ve been talking for hours and I still barely know anything about you.?
Just as she wished, she thought. Quinn knew the Kusanagi clan had been a bit on the shady side but murder of a business partner? Really? Tetsuhiko Hara had met a rather grisly end but investigators had written it off as an accident. A cigarette left lit. A life snuffed instead. A warlock murdered in his own home. That?s quite the feat. He would have had the protection of his threshold on his side unless it was someone known and welcome. It had her cogs turning, certainly. And Yuu was getting a bit too close for comfort. Time for exit stage right. Fingertips dipped into her clutch and a few buttons tapped to send a message to one basement dwelling Eldritch demigod. Initiating protocol seventeen. Yuu had drawn her close, gaze intent and near hypnotic and for a moment she worried she might fall right into endless pools of amber. Her lips parted, fully intending to answer his question when her phone rang. Right on cue. The melodic waltz that rang from her clutch brought the conversation to a harsh halt and she smiled apologetically before withdrawing her phone and answering.
?Pronto? Takahashi qui.? She pinned the device between her ear and shoulder, keeping a sultry look up toward Yuu. The voice on the other end returned with a heavily accented Italian and she seemed rather intent upon the man?s voice, a thin brow perking.
?Sar? il primo aereo del mattino...S?. S?. Mmhmm. Addio.? The back and forth banter had been quick and to the point and as she hung up and slipped the phone back into her clutch, she smiled pleasantly up at Yuu.
?My apologies. Meetings, you know how it goes, s?? I must be going but?? She made to pull away from him, her hand brushing over his hand, a heavy lashed look accenting her pause. ?I?m staying at the Imperial Grand RhyDin Hotel and Casino...the penthouse. Look me up, I?d love to get to know you better.?
Even in her sky high heels she managed to lean up on her tip toes to brush a chaste kiss to his jawline then pulled away from him, a convincingly regretful look in her eye as she did so. She made a good show of maintaining eye contact for as long as she could before she slipped into the crowd and beelined for the door. Yuu stared after her for a long moment until she broke away, her effect on him fading and as she adjusted her own aura to normal, she strode confidently away from the dark club and its thumping bass and overwhelming heaviness. Three blocks away she kicked off her heels and scooped them up to finish the walk home barefoot. A long shower, a few cleansing and an evening of meditation would be needed to remove the filthy feeling that lingered on her flesh, her clothing and her aura. And maybe a pitstop at the liquor store.
