03-30-2014, 01:05 AM
Across the room, Kasumi stuck her thumb in the air, letting Takeo know the feed was cut off, and he instinctively looked to her left, to the Patron's primary liaison in Moscow, the diminutive but not incompetent Maiko Tanaka. For everything Hara went without, Maiko more than made up for in paint, silk, gloss and gold. Her aquamarine hair was kept short, though not nearly as short as that of her Patron, and in a severe left part that emulated the CCD's own militaristic cuts in vogue these days. Takeo's own clean part looked almost slovenly next to hers. "She does have concern for you, Privelege,"
the woman spoke, and an artificial voicebox made her sound and look like a ventriloquist's doll. Yet, somehow, it almost sounded concerned - at least her eyes made the effort to look the part. "We all do."
"I'm sure you do,"
Takeo replied, matching her monotone. He slowly rose to leave the table and the now vacant space above his quieted wallet, which he scooped up and tucked into his jacket's inner breast pocket – though not before a few rehearsed swipes of his fingertips turned on a simple recording app.
The little aristocrat surprisingly only nodded and started forward to follow him. The Rose was quiet this evening. Not the usual ex-pat Deefourens and their din of polite conversation. Not even the hometown crowd anxious for some Asian cuisine. His team no doubt had something to do with that; Jun would not leave such a high-level conversation to mere chance.
As if summoned from the shadows by his very thoughts - and probably literally as well - Junichi placed himself between Takeo and the small, blue-haired woman determined to catch him. His own false blue eyes stared, unblinking, unimpressed, but a look from Takeo and he took a step back, out of the liaison's way.
Maiko hesitated only a beat at the sight of the Privelege's right-hand man, before proceeding forward to Takeo's side. "You have an interesting team of supporters,"
she observed in that same robotic chime, looking back at his crew as they broke down the staged restaurant with efficient precision. "I could buy a few of them off your hands if you won't miss them…"
Takeo found himself laughing. This child was nothing at all like her Patron. "Well, maybe just Kasumi,"
he said, lowering his voice.
"Fuck off!" came a shout from behind a bank of computers that could only belong to his infamous hacker. She didn't bother standing to catch their eyes, but he could hear her muttering in his earpiece. Apparently he'd not lowered his voice near enough.
"Although,"
Takeo admitted, "I doubt you'd find her worth the trouble."
Another barked profanity came from Kasumi's direction, but Takeo had already started leading his guest off stage.
A few steps carried them down from the raised dais upon which stood the impromptu table, chairs and backdrop. Usually reserved for a quiet house band or the occasional entertainer, the space served his needs well, in privacy and publicity both - he could converse uninterrupted with Patron Ushijima, while also being center stage for anyone who happened to make it past Jun's screen, which apparently amounted to four couples and a skeleton crew for the Rose; he'd have to send Ken a healthy tip after this. All of them were watching him, and his brightly-coifed companion, as they made their way to the host stand. An immense slab of Japanese muscle met them there, where they were also joined by Junichi and two fellow Deefourens. The three fell in around Takeo and his guest, who took each in stride and struck into a quick clip to match Takeo's deliberate pace. "I have agreed to let you accompany me for the week, Tanaka-kun,"
Takeo said, quiet and quick, as he turned his thoughts back to his day's agenda. His dark eyes took one last look at his blue-haired shadow, then nodded for Jun to escort her from his sight. "I will see you at dinner."
To her credit, Maiko bowed politely - and silently - and slowed her steps, letting Takeo outpace her as Junichi redirected her toward another exit.
One of his men, a lanky young recruit by the name of Ren, walked her out, while Jun and the other, Ayumi, caught Takeo at the main entrance. "Keep an eye on her. I'm sure Ushijima put it in her head to have a walk around Moscow."
They all knew how quickly that could turn south. Maiko was smart, but Takeo wouldn't put it past her to slip out on a midnight walk and find herself some trouble - and Jun wasn't the only one known to cover his tracks.
"Toke!"
The men looked up as Kasumi dashed down the stairs at them, waving frantically. "Back on stage! Brandon's calling."
"The Ascendancy,"
Takeo corrected her, but she ignored him as she plugged a cigarette in her mouth and fired up, moving over to a comfortable section of wall to lean against. "What is it about?"
he asked, and she shrugged, obviously done with her duties as messenger. "Thanks,"
he turned aside and reached in his jacket to tune in to his wallet, again. He realized about then that she only came out here to smoke - she obviously could have caught him with his wallet. A buddhist might appreciate how true to herself she was behaving. Takeo just gave her a glare.
Text was read to his earbud, from one of the Ascendancy's aids. An assembly of the Sphere was required. Now.
Without reaction - though he could have done otherwise - Takeo headed back inside. He made one stop. That is, he stopped long enough to pluck Kasumi's deathstick from her mouth, crush it on the doorframe, and give her a wink, before returning to his role as their leader. "Get me a secure connection. And clear the building."
Edited by Takeo, Mar 30 2014, 08:44 AM.
the woman spoke, and an artificial voicebox made her sound and look like a ventriloquist's doll. Yet, somehow, it almost sounded concerned - at least her eyes made the effort to look the part. "We all do."
"I'm sure you do,"
Takeo replied, matching her monotone. He slowly rose to leave the table and the now vacant space above his quieted wallet, which he scooped up and tucked into his jacket's inner breast pocket – though not before a few rehearsed swipes of his fingertips turned on a simple recording app.
The little aristocrat surprisingly only nodded and started forward to follow him. The Rose was quiet this evening. Not the usual ex-pat Deefourens and their din of polite conversation. Not even the hometown crowd anxious for some Asian cuisine. His team no doubt had something to do with that; Jun would not leave such a high-level conversation to mere chance.
As if summoned from the shadows by his very thoughts - and probably literally as well - Junichi placed himself between Takeo and the small, blue-haired woman determined to catch him. His own false blue eyes stared, unblinking, unimpressed, but a look from Takeo and he took a step back, out of the liaison's way.
Maiko hesitated only a beat at the sight of the Privelege's right-hand man, before proceeding forward to Takeo's side. "You have an interesting team of supporters,"
she observed in that same robotic chime, looking back at his crew as they broke down the staged restaurant with efficient precision. "I could buy a few of them off your hands if you won't miss them…"
Takeo found himself laughing. This child was nothing at all like her Patron. "Well, maybe just Kasumi,"
he said, lowering his voice.
"Fuck off!" came a shout from behind a bank of computers that could only belong to his infamous hacker. She didn't bother standing to catch their eyes, but he could hear her muttering in his earpiece. Apparently he'd not lowered his voice near enough.
"Although,"
Takeo admitted, "I doubt you'd find her worth the trouble."
Another barked profanity came from Kasumi's direction, but Takeo had already started leading his guest off stage.
A few steps carried them down from the raised dais upon which stood the impromptu table, chairs and backdrop. Usually reserved for a quiet house band or the occasional entertainer, the space served his needs well, in privacy and publicity both - he could converse uninterrupted with Patron Ushijima, while also being center stage for anyone who happened to make it past Jun's screen, which apparently amounted to four couples and a skeleton crew for the Rose; he'd have to send Ken a healthy tip after this. All of them were watching him, and his brightly-coifed companion, as they made their way to the host stand. An immense slab of Japanese muscle met them there, where they were also joined by Junichi and two fellow Deefourens. The three fell in around Takeo and his guest, who took each in stride and struck into a quick clip to match Takeo's deliberate pace. "I have agreed to let you accompany me for the week, Tanaka-kun,"
Takeo said, quiet and quick, as he turned his thoughts back to his day's agenda. His dark eyes took one last look at his blue-haired shadow, then nodded for Jun to escort her from his sight. "I will see you at dinner."
To her credit, Maiko bowed politely - and silently - and slowed her steps, letting Takeo outpace her as Junichi redirected her toward another exit.
One of his men, a lanky young recruit by the name of Ren, walked her out, while Jun and the other, Ayumi, caught Takeo at the main entrance. "Keep an eye on her. I'm sure Ushijima put it in her head to have a walk around Moscow."
They all knew how quickly that could turn south. Maiko was smart, but Takeo wouldn't put it past her to slip out on a midnight walk and find herself some trouble - and Jun wasn't the only one known to cover his tracks.
"Toke!"
The men looked up as Kasumi dashed down the stairs at them, waving frantically. "Back on stage! Brandon's calling."
"The Ascendancy,"
Takeo corrected her, but she ignored him as she plugged a cigarette in her mouth and fired up, moving over to a comfortable section of wall to lean against. "What is it about?"
he asked, and she shrugged, obviously done with her duties as messenger. "Thanks,"
he turned aside and reached in his jacket to tune in to his wallet, again. He realized about then that she only came out here to smoke - she obviously could have caught him with his wallet. A buddhist might appreciate how true to herself she was behaving. Takeo just gave her a glare.
Text was read to his earbud, from one of the Ascendancy's aids. An assembly of the Sphere was required. Now.
Without reaction - though he could have done otherwise - Takeo headed back inside. He made one stop. That is, he stopped long enough to pluck Kasumi's deathstick from her mouth, crush it on the doorframe, and give her a wink, before returning to his role as their leader. "Get me a secure connection. And clear the building."
Edited by Takeo, Mar 30 2014, 08:44 AM.