Blood and Business

[Sengoku]

When the sun sets, the fun begins in Tokyo. Where others prepare their beds for sleep, others stir in the streets, seeking carnal pleasures, quick thrills, and more. And it is this time when the yokai are most active. Welcome to Japan's night life, where man and demons alike come out to play.

The Shiga Hostess Club dominates their corner of the Shinuku Ward of Tokyo. Bright neon illuminates their street, surrounded by bars, ramen shops, steakhouses, and nightclubs. Most patrons walk as they chatter amongst themselves, with the occasional motorbike passing through. Yokai traverse by all means, be it flight, climbing walls, or leaping from one rooftop to the next. A kitsune flirts with five men at once, all entranced by her beauty without needing magic. An oni drinks several human patrons under the table as the crowd cheers him on. The Shiga Hostess Club buzzes with life, men walking into the establishment with beautiful women ushering them to tables. Human women are the most common, though glimpses of yokai women can be seen in the higher floors reserved for the more peculiar patrons.

On the ground floor, sits the MVP booth, where a drunk, rowdy young man in his mid-20's tries to reach a hand into a nekomata girl's dress, grabbing at her chest. He shares this booth by two, more muscular companions who laugh as they share in his drunken antics, grabbing at the human girls they sit with. One bouncer walked away with a tissue pressed against his bleeding nose while the other had to be dragged away by several bartenders. Other girls chatter nervously as even their patrons comment on the debauchery they witness.

"Are your friends okay?" asks one of the other patrons. "I don't... I don't think customers are allowed to get that handsy, right?"

"Ah!" exclaims an inugami girl, her dog tail jolting in shock. "Please, don't concern yourself with the trouble here! Management has it under control, Toji-san!" She turns to a brunette girl working in the adjacent table and whispers with urgency, "Haven't you called them yet? These hangure are getting out of hand!"

[mermalaide]

Tokyo glittered with dazzling lights. The best clubs were waiting, calling out to Tsubasa to come have fun. Tonight was business though. Who said you couldn't have fun while punishing those that thought they could get away with black market dealings. It took her a little bit to fix herself up but she felt pretty confident. "You seem to be going out somewhere~" I long, pale whit hand came from the shadows and gestured towards her. The ornate nails gleemed crimson in the shadows. "Takeda biz. Don't think I have forgotten you though." The hand turned over and Tsubasa placed two golden objects into the outstretched hand. It closed in a fluid motion, brushing her hand as it did so. Silken, lovely, and very creepy. 

"My, my~ how...decadent!" 
There was a soft sigh of pleasure behind the  dressing screen and what looked like an Oiran silhouette was in the low light. It always made Tsubasa a little nervous. But she never betrayed it out loud.  "It was a little tricky to snag that, and it's from 1917 I think." There was a low chuckle. "The gold suits me. I will put my lipstick in it. Where is that mangy cat?" Tsubasa tapped her temple in thought. "DDR I think. But don't get ideas, tonight is going to be rowdy enough." 


"You going out with *that* boy again?" There was a soft teasing to it. "Yep. Don't wait up 'kay?"
She could smell something burning on her way out. Opium maybe, or tobacco, it made her nose wrinkle and she had had to explain to Tsukiko-sama what that was and assure her she hadn't picked it up from the boys.
It took a little bit, but she needed to scout a head and text. Typically, Tsubasa would come with Katsu but this time, no. This was a viper's den of people poaching on Takeda terf, and fleecing vulnerable yokai to boot. Not every yokai was a piece of work like the ones she was dealing with, but hey, that was her own Birkin bag to deal with. She took a cab this time, she didn't want any of the people there to know or tip anyone off before the gang got there. Her decora nails clacked away as she texted Katsumoto. 

'Scouting ahead. In a cab so they don't spot the boys. It looks like a bunch of people that are non-regulars are at the Shiga. I will be going through the Hostess entrance and I will come out and work a few tables to get intel.' She sent it with a glittering emoji of herself as a chibi, blowing a kiss. Tsubasa made sure to dress like one of the girls there. She made sure to wear heels that made her curves and legs more pronounced, she oiled her tanned skin a little to where it had shown bronzed, and the dress she wore was something you would see at a party. Her small purse was prepped with her wire, a few party favors to get out of trouble and her defense fan. She waited for his response and stowed her phone.

The back was easy enough to get to, and a  girl she knew was on break, waiting to let her in. "Thanks Doll! I love those extensions, fucking gorg!" She put an arm around the other girl and they walked in the back rooms, one girl was dressing and another was peeking out the door with a worried expression. Tsubasa smiled, it was beautiful but the worried girl at the door caught it. She went pale. "Hii~! Toji-san called and asked if I could cover Midori's shift. I am going to go to the bar to greet him if that's alright?" It was a polite formality. She wasn't really asking. "Su, come out here with me for a second." The girl that let Tsubasa in motioned for her to get out of the way. She didn't have to be told twice.

"Showtime!"



Tsubasa opened the door and walked past the rowdy tables, weaving her way through. She made a point at smiling and giving a few very playful looks as she went. It was meant to take the heat off of some of the hostesses that looked like they were frankly drowning in trouble. She strutted and jiggled her way to the bar. "Evening Toji-san~" She said it in such a way that if anyone overheard, they thought she was just flirtatious. "You rang?" She sat at the bar, and crossed her long legs. 

[Sengoku]

The phone in Tsubasa's purse buzzed - Katsumoto's message was an emoji of a chibi horse holding a thumbs up and winking at the screen followed by one sentence:

"Have fun yeah?"

The phone returns to its dormant state as Tsubasa continues about her business. Back at the Shiga Hostess Club, Toji stands behind the bar top Tsubasa has visited while he wipes sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. Toji is a nervous man around his early 40's, well shaved with a thin mustache on his upper lip and thinning hair. His suit is nothing remarkable - a tacky cream colored piece, but nothing terribly offensive. When he sees Tsubasa, the man sighs as his eyelids drop halfway down with relief.

"Thank the kami - Tsubasa-san!" He snaps his fingers at the bartender to hand him a glass of milky sake and a wineglass, pouring the fragrant, strawberry flavored rice wine for the gyaru. "Usually the bouncers can handle your average rowdy drunk or handsy perv, but these guys... well..." The nervous manager turns his head over to two of his uniformed employees slumped over on chairs, one of which was barely conscious as he held an icepack to his head. "These guys aren't typical customers, Tsubasa-san. Hangure. Common gangsters. If they were yakuza, they wouldn't be so stupid as to misbehave on their own turf, much less another clan's."

Toji leans in, the smell of cologne barely masking his sweat. "I... I really hate to bother the Mochizuki and Takeda, but I - we need some help here. We confiscated their weapons, but I don't trust those pigs. I'm sure they've got something hidden that my men may have missed." The other hostesses did their best to ignore the scene at the MVP booth, gently soothing their respective patrons despite the thugs groping their girls with reckless abandon. "If not for me, do it for the girls - job's hard enough without these assholes trying to sex them up."

[mermalaide]

'I always do~. Try not to be fashionably late Katsu-chan. I can't hog the party all to myself. I can~ but that's no fun.'

She gave Toji a reassuring smile. "Is that right? Well, not to worry. Got a big party coming in. So make sure there is a tab ready." She gave a coquettish wink at him. Tsubasa was pretty glamorous, and if she actually worked there, she could probably pull a top rank, but there was other fun to have. She was carefully noting the room mentally as she pressed her lips to the glass of sweet sake. It was refreshing, and she tipped her head back a little, in a way that had her blonde curls toss a bit around her shoulders. She saw things through the closed heavy lashes she had. 

"Toji-chan~ Toji-chan~" She gave him a dimpled smile. The kind that seemed innocent but, could be terrifying to someone that maybe knew her. "Say no more, it's handled. Also~" She spun around on the stool in a way that would put a pole dancer to shame. "I hate deadbeats like that almost more so than Katsu-chan." That was said to where only she and Toji could hear. She bent and whispered it in his ear. Honestly, Tsubasa should come with a heart attack warning. But, there was a purpose.  The moments were to bait a big fish.

"Hey Toji~chan? How about a bit of music? I think I need to hit the dance floor."

It was a dangerous game she was playing, just as she liked it though. The first order of business needed to be a good distraction, something that would mask the Takeda rolling up, and that needed to be big, loud music. She quickly texted again, making sure to lean forward. Two reasons for this, a distraction of goods, possibly playing drunk while not being drunk, and the other being the wire into her purse slipping into a more intimate place of clothing without being seen. The other was to grab her fan and text. She wiggled, keeping that hidden.

'Toji-san is saying that they are possibly hiding things that his men missed. Proceed careful. I am going to go into dance mix mode. So roll up in a few. It's gonna get loud.'

Tsubasa gets a big grin and has them hit the lights. By now Toji is probably had Tsubasa sing and dance before. She makes a selection and makes her way. The lights hit and you hear the rip of the guitar from the sound system. Don't be late begins to rip across the sound system like a pop concert. Tsubasa begins to dance and sing, dancing in a way that mimics Sheryl Nome. The way she moves is high energy, and she does this to not only try to pump up the hostesses, to get them to sing along and make noise, but she purposely leans over a little towards the groper, yet, at the same time out of his reach. Hopefully the men he came with would be looking as well. 

[Sengoku]

As music filled the room full of life, hostesses and patrons alike turned their heads at Tsubasa, momentarily forgetting about the obscene display at the MVP booth. Within the booth itself, two of the goons directed their eyes to the singing gyaru, their eyes salivating over her figure.

"Goddamn, I shoulda' spent my money on you, sweetheart!" laughs one goon as he releases the anxious brunette from his grasp.

"Should've known that you gyarus know how to put on a show!" the other one guffaws as he leans in towards Tsubasa. Despite her efforts, the most handsome of the trio remains fixated on the nekomata girl, now running his fingers up from her chest to her chin.

"I came here for the exotic, not the mundane," he replies in a nonchalant tone. "If I wanted normal girls, I'd have gone to a common whorehouse. Yokai girls are different..." He presses his nose against the nekomata girl's neck as she shudders. "An' they can't do a thing thanks to anti-yokai laws. Use her powers or pull anything funny and the Shinsengumi come down on her ass. Besides..." Now his hand strokes at her single tail. "This one's not even 200 years old yet."

The tension in the club has been eased, but it still remains. Nearby booths and tables still keep an eye on the nekomata girl, feeling helpless to do any thing against a physically imposing thug and his friends. As the three of them began bickering over their tastes in women, the other patrons and hostesses turn back towards stairs leading up to the entrance.

---

A hot red Honda Civic Type-R rolls up in front of the Shiga Hostess Club, parting the sea of pedestrians and motorbikes like Moses before the Red Sea. Tsubasa's phone buzzes as another message from Katsumoto is received:

"Starting the party w/o me? U hurt me Tsuba-chan.  "

Just as Tsubasa wraps up her song trying to entice the three goons, a new song begins over the sound system as the live performance dies down. The trio fails to notice how the entire club's attention has now shifted to the entrance and the stairs leading up to it. In steps a young man in his early 20's with stylized, messy hair and a ponytail to finish the look. His attire consists of formal attire: a red dress shirt with a black vest and black dress pants, accompanied by a dark-red, almost maroon colored tie. A black coat is draped over his shoulders before Toji hurries to his side and lifts it off as he bows. By his side are two well-dressed yet rugged gentlemen who seem to be of a similar age group. The one on the right sports a buzzcut with a scar over the bridge of his nose. The one on the left has slicked back hair and a thinly-trimmed mustache-beard combo. Both were dressed in black suits. All three men sported a golden pin displaying four diamonds arranged in a pattern that formed a larger diamond: the Takeda Clan's mon.

The three well-dressed young men walked up to the MVP booth before the three goons. The one in the center, Katsumoto, winked at Tsubasa with a smile. His tone with her in public was completely different from in private - eloquent, well-spoken. It was a switch she recognized from spending years with him. This was Katsumoto's professional side. Playing nice for the public.

"Tsubasa-san, I see you're keeping our guests entertained," he greeted her before turning his gaze back over to the goons who looked at him with oafish expressions. Drunk and slurring their words with each other. Their visions so blurry that they can't recognize the fact that the entire club bowed before this young man with each person he passed by. The head goon seemed to have the clearest mind, now taking his hands off of the nekomata girl and leaning back in his seat to meet Katsumoto's eyes, acting like he owns the place. "Tsubasa-san, what seems to be the issue here at Shiga?"

[mermalaide]

Seeing his response and his comment made Tsubasa's jaw clench a little, which she quickly covered up so that the two she had hooked would not see. The music change allowed her to stride back to text though, she was a little late on the uptake. Toji-san seemed to scurry in the direction of the young men. She was surprised by the fancy dress, but definitely happy with the choice. What the man groping Neko-chan had said bothered her to the degree that he was likely who was behind this, but it would very on what Katsumoto would want to do. "Of course! Let me bring the usual and we can chat." She played the part of hostess fairly easy. "Toji-san, the usual please." By usual, she meant a bottle of Van Wrinkle Kentucky Burbon, aged 12 years. There were a few bottles of American Whiskey there that had to be stored in the safe because of their cost. It was either that or Wooden Cork which was a four hundred dollar bottle minimum. 

After Toji-san made sure to seat them at the best table, he all but broke into a run to get it. Tsubasa strutted over to where Katsumoto sat.  She made a show of wandering over right past the other guys, and she grabbed a few hostesses she could wrangle. She made eye contact with the Neko-girl, trying to read her. "Hey ladies, how about some Karaoke for our guests or some dancing?" She was already getting them to pick out a few things. Tsubasa came and sat right next to Katsumoto, and leaned over, looking like she was flirting, but she spoke pretty quietly into his ear. "Toji-san was saying that these guys are hiding something here. I have three of them clocked, no extras that I can see, and it looks like the creep coping a feel is our guy."

Tubasa's blonde curls tossed a little as she giggled. She made it a point to make things look like a regular hostess interaction. "So, what should we do?"

It was all up to Katsu. Part of her wanted to watch the boys pound these guys into the ground, but she knew that it wouldn't be safe for the other girls. The other problem was that they needed to know more, and just getting into a fight wouldn't do that. "Maybe we should be hospitable, hmm?" Toji-san came back with glasses and a bottle on a tray. She stole a glance at the man in question, what was it about yokai women exactly? It was likely this girl was the next target. "I think they need to know who is in charge here," She said quietly leaning on Katsumoto's arm, "Hangure never know how to behave. A lot of them are gropers, but that's the least of what they are doing I think."

[Sengoku]

"Thank you, Tsubasa-san," Katsumoto replied out loud as his whiskey glass filled up. When she leaned in to whisper to him, Katsumoto grinned at her as if flirting back to maintain the act. In his own hushed voice, he asked, "See if you can't swipe me his wallet, will ya? I'll sweet talk 'em for ya." He gave her a quick smooch on the cheek to truly play the part, ushering her over to sit closer to the main hangure thug and allowed the nekomata girl to flee.

"Gentlemen, I am more than pleased to know that you chose our establishment of all places to conduct business in, but I must remind you that this is a hostess club and not a brothel." As he spoke, he poured out additional glasses of whiskey for Tsubasa and each of the thugs, but kept the first one that was poured for himself. A subtle hint to remind them who ran this club and who were the guests. Wiser men would also pick up that this is a hint that he is higher up on the food chain than them. Yet as they watched Katsumoto provide club hospitality to them, this made it the perfect time for Tsubasa to sneak her fingers into pockets here and there. The fact that the Takeda heir was heavy-handed with the whiskey for each thug was another hint as Tsubasa and Katsumoto's glasses were only half-full compared to the thugs receiving 2/3 of a glass.

"By all means, the girls here are more than happy to keep you company and have a good spot of fun, but I must ask you to respect their boundaries, kind sirs. You understand, don't you?" The entire time, Katsumoto maintained his friendly smile, as if talking to old friends rather than troublemakers on his turf.

"We paid good money for the MVP booth," the thug on the left snapped before he gulped down his drink.

"You tellin' me that a guy's supposed to be a monk while these girls are dressed like that? We were appreciatin' them is all!" barks the thug on the right as he slammed down his empty glass.

"I'd think that you would treat your MVP customers well so long as they have the cash to pay. I'd say this is rather poor customer service - you even took away my kitten and gave me some street-ridden gyaru as a replacement," snapped the thug in the middle, Tsubasa's target. At that comment, Katsumoto's jaw tightened. But now was not the time to lose one's cool. He gave Tsubasa a quick look and a nod to reassure her - a silent way to say "keep calm and follow through."

"I understand that it's sometimes... alluring to see a woman show off some skin the way our girls do. But we have rules, you see? Not just the club, but for society in general. It's what sets us apart from the animals. I trust you fine gentlemen understand where I'm coming from?" He may not have the appeal of a beautiful girl in designer outfits the way Tsubasa had, but Katsumoto's charisma still flows any time he opens his mouth. At least, any time he's not spitting out profanities that would make sailors blush. The thugs continued to debate with him, getting rowdier with each calm, collected retort Katsumoto offered. Katsumoto had them hooked for the kunoichi to do her work.

[mermalaide]

Tsubasa grinned. She and Katsumoto were two peas in a pod as far as plans and schemes would go. Acting in tandem was really important to how things worked. At least in the realm of keeping him safe. She nodded a little in acknowledgement.These guys could be dealt with but, with a finesse. If Tsubasa was a fighter, it was not an upfront one. It was always a last resort for her but there were some things that had to be handled a certain way. Business, for example, was like that. She moved fluidly over to the hangure thug and the neko-girl. She gave the neko a look that told her all at once to go into the dressing room. Some of the girl were familiar with Katsumoto and Tsbasa, mostly from listening to Toji-san, if not out right entertaining them previously.

"A monk hardly," She gave a smile, even after being insulted that was both dangerous and dazzling. "But the girls here and in our caliber of establishments do go out of their way for gentlemen." Katsumoto could tell that look that she was giving him. He kept calling her a whore, and he didn't see the fine garrote that he was putting his head in. She was eerily calm, to the point of purring. A fool and his wallet was easy to part. Especially, when they were too drunk to tell. When she poured another drink and offered it, she leaned in close. Close enough for a wiff of pheromone perfume. Both that and the alcohol would work wonders to already cloud poor judgement. "You know, keep talking like that and you might break a girl's heart~." She said it with the kind of pout that was playful, enough to make any man's heart flutter a little. "Besides even sweet kittens need a break." That was the other thing, the girl reminded Tsubasa of a cat that was trying to climb the walls to get away from a handsy toddler.

She offered the thug on the right another drink. "And VIPs you guys are. Who else could we share the finest American Whiskey with? Only men of real taste~"

Her blouse dipped low on her neck and on her chest when she poured. She was buttering them up, and Katsumoto knew it. He had seen her play this game before. "While the club is no place for that, this doesn't mean that special customers can't have a treat, though, it's not for everyone, and goodness, wouldn't other patrons be jealous?" She wanted it to seem like they would get something special. She leaned so close when she said it, and had playfully bumped against the one Katsu had wanted to target. " Oh!" She giggled, her curls bounced a little, and it was so quick Katsu only saw a hint of it. It was a slight of hand. She steadies herself, by being gentle with her target. The blush of alcohol and a synthetic type of lust roll across her cheeks and neck. The skin oil she has makes her look overly soft and smells fresh, juicy and sweet.

When he called her a street ridden, she didn't miss a beat. She played into it, not only trying to get sympathy from the boys he was with but she wanted to make it a good distraction. "You would be very surprised sir. You would think me less, but I am the reserve. Yokai girls are very cute, but few are trained to take care and keep a gentleman's interest." She said it in the way a Jurogumo would spin a web. "I may be a Gyaru, but I am a very expensive one at that." Her blue eyes flashed with mischief. She made sure to keep up with the pouring of the drink. It was a good thing it wasn't Katsu's very best, though it was a worthy brand. At home and in the safe there were even more pricey whiskeys but, this would be a good sacrifice. When she poured one of the men another, she was careful to slip something into it. The wallet was definitely acquired at this point. 

[Sengoku]

"With all due respect," replied the hangure thug to Tsubasa, turning to face her with half-opened eyes and a cocky grin. "I paid for the nekomata girl, so I'd rather have her back here so I can get my money's worth. My men seem to like you well enough. You can get handsy with them all you like." The other two hangure's eyes were on the Mochizuki girl, with one of them attempting to reach for her rear to cop a feel. He was stopped in his tracks when the two men in suits next to Katsumoto cleared their throats and held their left hands over their right hands. The typical bodyguard pose with a polite warning to the troublemakers. The hangure thug's hand recoiled before contact, opting to not stir up trouble. However, this did not go unnoticed by the leader of the trio.

"Hired muscle to scare us?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Katsumoto. "I think we'll have to leave this place with a less-than-stellar review, won't we? This is no way to treat paying customers..." He paused, as if to think. Did he notice his pockets were now lighter without a wallet? Was he trying to think of a clever, backhanded compliment? "I'd like to know your name, Mr. Manager. Walking up into this club acting like a yakuza boss. Terrible customer service, Mr. Manager."

At this, Katsumoto chuckled and shook his head. "Goodness, where are my manners? I'm terribly sorry for forgetting to introduce myself." He bowed in his seat and then extended his left hand to shake with the hangure leader's. "Takeda Katsumoto, at your service. Please, just call me Katsumoto or Katsu if you'd like." The thug's face was dull and relaxed at first, still sporting a cocky grin. Next, his eyebrows furrowed as if he was in deep thought. Then there was confusion as his mouth half-opened while his eyes narrowed at Katsumoto. At last, it contorted to horror, his eyes widening at the realization of who he was now speaking to.

"T-Ta..." he stammered, staring back at the Takeda samurai. "T-Takeda... Katsumoto? I... I didn't know-"

"-that this establishment is under the Takeda Clan? Kind sir, there's no need to be afraid. The Takeda Clan is more than happy to service paying customers. We only ask that you respect the rules set in place. They exist to protect our employees as much as our clientele. Now, I'm afraid I never caught your name, sir. Please, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" The thug was now sobered up, sweating profusely. His two buddies were still hammered after downing glass after glass of whiskey, unware they entered the tiger's den.

"...S-Sakamata. Sakamata Shunsuke," he replied, slowly extending his own, clammy hand to shake with Katsumoto's. His bodyguards now walked over to the two drunken hangure that were still eyeing up Tsubasa. The girl would know - they were positioning themselves. For the hangure, they were being lured into a trap. For Katsumoto and Tsubasa, this was just a game of chess to them, with all the pieces now in place.

"Sakamata-san, once again, I'm honored you chose the Shiga Hostess Club to do business in." He gave Shunsuke a firm handshake, despite the other man's shaky grip. "But I would like to just confirm your identity, if you don't mind." Still giving a warm smile, Katsumoto turned to Tsubasa. "Can you read me his name please, Tsubasa-san?"

[mermalaide]

"Oh, I think you got more than your money for that transaction. As explained to you, this isn't a brothel, and we don't do that kinda service here, 'kay?" It was still friendly. But the look behind her eyes was of a predator sizing up a meal. For the sake of Katsu,she wouldn't step on this roach just yet, better to let him squirm under her Louis Vuitton heels than to get away. She could see him struggling the way a cave man would. She watched the man go from cocky and sure of himself to looking like he had saw something in a picture that was off. The old, once you see it, you'll shit bricks. She wanted to laugh, but, she just stood up and dodged the hands that grabbed at her.


One of the thug's eyes started swimming a little. Tsubasa had drugged the larger of the two men's glasses. "Certainly Katsu-dono~!" She looked almost gleeful. That bouncy, teasing grin she had was just something else. "So sure of yourself, yet you use an alias, how impotent~" It was pretty mocking actually. When one of the man's body guards moved, Tsubasa's leg shot up onto the arm rest and she used a sharp heel to pin his hand. She pressed it down puncturing his hand.

"Ichikawa Daisuke. Hmmm~ You like causing trouble in other people's yards, like all little dogs do."

She gives the hangure a smile. It is not a nice one. The pieces were in place and it was an ugly situation. Thankfully the girls were out of the way, as well as Toji-san. If anything he was likely with them in the back, watching from a close circuit camera or a crack in the door. The girls had been urged to go home. But, for their protection, they likely were hiding back there. "You know, Ichikawa-san, we have heard so much about you. So, let's talk about how this is going to go. Katsu-dono is going to ask you a few things, and you are going to answer."

[Sengoku]

The left hand. The fact that Katsumoto shook Daisuke's hand using his left hand rather that the right one was a hint. One that none of the hangure picked up.

"Ichikawa Daisuke," Katsumoto repeated, still smiling, now bringing up his right hand to pat the back of Daisuke's hand as if to assure him nothing was wrong. "So where'd 'Sakamata Shunsuke' come from, hmm?" The hangure tensed up and gulped, only for him to freeze in fear once he saw Katsumoto was no longer smiling. The next words sent a chill up his spine.

"You lied to me, Daisuke."

Katsumoto's right hand moved from patting the back of Daisuke's left hand into his jacket's inner pocket, pulling out a tanto straight out of its sheath. Moving faster than what a sober man - much less a drunk one - could react to, he pulled Daisuke's left hand and splayed it on the table with an iron grip as his right hand jammed the tanto into the center of it. Daisuke wailed in agony.

"FUUUCK!" He jerked in place, desperately trying to claw at Katsumoto's right hand wrapped around the tanto, though it only made the young Takeda lord drive the knife deeper into the hand and table. His two friends looked on, horrified in their drunken stupor. Each of their hands now reached into their own pockets, yet they would fail to pull anything out as both of Katsumoto's guards moved aside their left hands that were covering their right hands clutching brass knuckles. Each of the Takeda guards' fists collided with the hangure goons' jaws with a crack. All it took was one punch for each before they were thrown to the floor from their seats, groaning and writhing in pain. Of the two guards, the one with a buzzcut and a scar across the bridge of his nose extended his hand to Tsubasa to help her up from her seat now that business was heating up.

"Akito, my man," says Katsumoto, still gripping the tanto. "You got some blood on poor Tsubasa-chan's arm." The rough-looking bodyguard pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief and passed it over to Tsubasa.

"Sorry 'bout that, Aneki [姉貴; "Elder Sister]," his gravelly voice rumbled. In the meantime, Daisuke was still breathing heavily, no longer screaming in an effort to regain his composure and dignity. Although the hostess club was mostly cleared out, several of the girls were still peaking from the creaks in the door or peering over the railings on the second floor. Half of them watched in both fear and awe, eyes wide open. The other half seemed to sport a nonchalant expression as if this were just another day at work - an easy distinction between who were the new girls and who have been here for a while now.

"Now then, Tsubasa-chan," Katsumoto called to her, still maintaining a grim stare at Daisuke. "What should we do with Daisuke-kun? I certainly hope you can forgive him for his rude comments earlier."

[mermalaide]

Tsubasa accepted the help from the fellow with the buzz cut and she moved to the side. She gave him a smile. He was sweet. It was best to get out of the way when Katsu got to work. He didn't make a habit out of doing this kind of thing, typically people were smarter. She watched this bloody display almost expressionlessly. Katsu's expression was all business and both he and Tsubasa were generally the friendlier of the yakuza types people dealt with. She took the handkerchief offered. "Domo." It was a quick wipe. "I appreciate that." The man's blood was filthy to her, like his behavior had been. She did not break eye contact with Daiske. It was an intense stare.

"Well," She sauntered back over, stepping on one of the hangure goons as she went, with sharp heels. "Personally, what I'd like to know, is who gave Daiske here the brilliant idea that it would be okay to poach and cause damage in our neck of the woods. He has to be making a pretty penny off of this." Her hand moved along her body and she produced a seamless metal fan from what appeared like nowhere. Tsubasa bent down and held Daiske's face with her fan, it too was sharp. "I might forgive,if he spills his guts." She looked at him and smiled. "Personally, we could always drag him through the streets attached to a bike. But it's up to you, Katsu-chan." She purred when she spoke.

"Ya know Daiske, that kinda hurt my feelin's being called street riddin' an' all." She teased using the Osakan accent. Tsubasa was quite the chameleon. She could fit most situations if she had some prep for it. "Ya don' seem like a very good thinker though." She gave a wry grin. Tsubasa made him take a good look. "Should have behaved yourself though huh?" She switched back accent wise. The blade of her fan pressed very lightly on his adam's apple. "I would like to know the root of all this really. As well as where the people you have been scooping up and selling off are going."

[Sengoku]

"I-" stammered Daisuke. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! Fuckin'..." He clutched at his hand with a tanto driven through it. The blade was jammed through flesh and bone alike, driven deep into the wooden table. There was no yanking it out, especially not with Katsumoto's own hands on the tanto's handle and Tsubasa's tessen pressed against his Daisuke's throat. "I just came here to have a good time and you assault me like this, huh?! Go on, kill me! See if the cops don't come down investigatin' the shit that goes on in here!"

Still defiant, this one. This was expected - even lowly thugs have some pride and Daisuke was no exception. Even in the face of danger, he still had to puff his chest out and feign toughness. Yet all Katsumoto did was take another deep sip of the whiskey before he poured it onto Daisuke's impaled hand.

"FUCK, GOD, YOU-" Daisuke wailed as he felt liquid burn under his skin, dripping down the blade.

"Language, Daisuke, language," scolded Katsumoto. "Don't you know alcohol cleans wounds? Wouldn't want your hand catchin' an infection, eh?" It was now that Katsumoto dropped all manner of formality, speaking like his usual self with a grin again. "Now, listen to me. From one man to another, I'd advise you to not offend Tsubasa-chan any further. 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' Y'know how it is." Daisuke was now on the verge of tears from the pain and sheer despair that was now setting in. Even now, Katsumoto gave the thug a warm smile and patted him gently on the cheek like a father speaking to his child.

"Make this easier on yourself, Daisuke my boy. We know someone's been pullin' shit on our turf. An' believe me when I tell you that Tsubasa-chan and I have been very thorough in our investigations. So please. Jus' be honest with us. We can all leave this ugly business behind afterwards." A few stray tears escaped Daisuke's eyes now, blending with the sweat that ran down his head.

"I... I..."

"Daisuke. Choose your words carefully now, son. Tsubasa an' I will be very upset if you lie to us again."

"Look, I... we were paid good money, okay...?" Daisuke pauses ever few seconds, inhaling and exhaling rapidly to cope with the pain. "All they wanted... was yokai. No humans. Just... yokai."

"So you've been targeting our girls?"

"Not... not just the girls... any yokai. Just... hostesses... they're easier targets than kidnapping."

"Hmm..." Katsumoto leans back and looks at the few hostesses peaking out from behind the slit in the doors before casting his gaze up at the railings of the second floor where other girls were watching them with a mixture of awe and fear on their faces. "Tsubasa-chan, you believe ol' Daisuke-kun? Him and his goons?" While awaiting for her answer, the two Takeda bodyguards dragged Daisuke's compatriots to the side, both men groaning as blood and snot spilled from their noses and mouths.

"Now, Daisuke. You gotta tell us everything, y'hear?" Katsumoto said in a low voice while leaning in. "We can't help you if you don't help us."

[mermalaide]

Tsubasa watched the booze get poured on his hand. Those wounds would scar and everyone would know.His had would never be the same and the Tessen marks might fade, but she still thought it would scar.He didn't look like type that would use a bit of vitamin e, nor did he look like he was attached to anyone that would do something like that for him. She watched them puff a little, but it was impotent, clearly for show.

"I will be very offended if ya lie to me again. You don't want ta offend me Daisuke, I assure you." She had a similar tone as her mentor when roused with anger. What these guys were doing was worse than just scummy. She pressed her blade a little more. This caused a nick that trickled. The club became silently still, even the background music had died a little. Tsubasa went over to the music and turned on something new to keep up the sound so that people could not hear their conversation. The sound filled the space again. It was some type of 80's synth. Tsubasa was furious. She strode back over and got in very close, almost intimately so.

"Yeah? Well I wanna know who's payin' Daisuke. These are OUR girls, OUR customers, and OUR neighbors. Ya like yokai girls, yet ya toss 'em to the first trashcan ya get ta when yer done with 'em when yer the garbage."

Her eyes narrowed. "So I wanna know, an' Katsu-chan wants to know who the fuck do you work for?" The fan was unfurled,and you could see just how sharp it actually was. Her Osakan accent slipped a bit. It had came in hard. Typically, Tsubasa was more nuanced then that, but this was ugly and she was pretty angry. "I will say this again." Her voice was low, but not too low to be heard by those closest. "Who is paying and where can we find them." Her gaze bore into him. When she did break eye contact, it was to gaze back at Katsumoto. Under his jovial demeanor, he could be just as ruthless. She had seen this a few key times here and there. Katsu had a lot of heart. He wasn't like other bosses. This was partly why she chose to follow him, to protect him from the shadows.Though, maybe shadows wasn't right, it was front and center, by his side. Which was something that she actually enjoyed.

She stood listening as Neon Medusa played.

"There's only two ways to make it in this town
One is to be brilliant, the other is to drown
Don't take both drugs all in one go
Can't reach the heavens passed out on the floor.."

The music and lights, the smell of blood mixed with booze. It filled her nostrils and head.If she wasn't steeled, her head would likely spin.

[Sengoku]

"WAIT WAIT WAIT!" begs Daisuke, raising his one good hand remaining. "Please! Just gimme a minute! PLEASE! We're just doin' as we're told! It's a whole chain! We're just the lowest link, please!" He paused to gulp, feeling the bladed fan still pressing against his throat. "Look, I got a boss. His name's Mizuchi Hiroto. He's got answers, okay? I dunno who's payin' us, but Hiroto's the one in contact with 'em, okay?! He... he should be in Tokyo tonight! But he's leavin' soon! Honest, that's all I know! You gotta believe me!" Another pause. The thug was now crying softly. "I- We- We just... we wanted a quick buck, man... We're poor. Got no nothin' to our names. Please."

With that, Katsumoto yanked the tanto out from the table and Daisuke's hand as he screamed in pain again. One of the Takeda bodyguards handed Katsumoto a white rag to wipe down the short blade before he sheathed it back on the inside of his vest. The young Takeda boss then whispered to the bodyguard, prompting him to walk over to where Toji was peering from behind a door. The two men returned momentarily with a first-aid kit, at which point Katsumoto began to wrap up Daisuke's hand.

"Tsubasa-chan, I think the poor guy's had enough." He smiled and winked at her. "Let's be nice tonight, eh?" He then turned his attention back at the terrified Daisuke, staring back at him with a baffled expression. "Daisuke, my man. You have my condolences. Honestly. Growin' up on the street, no family behind ya. Not one yen to your name. Everyone deals with it different, but they face the same pain. I get it. But..." Daisuke's hand is now wrapped tight with several layers of a bandage, with the top layers now completely white and covering up the bloodstained layers beneath. "...That don't mean you get an excuse for kidnapping good folks off the streets and shippin' them off to God knows where."

Still maintaining a smile, Katsumoto's fist collided with Daisuke's jaw with a crack. The hangure is left reeling, barely conscious. With that, Katsumoto nods to the bodyguards and they each drag a hangure up to their feet, forcing them to walk while dazed. Daisuke himself is put in a headlock as he limps alongside Katsumoto.

"Tsubasa-chan, can you get the doors for us? We'll be goin' out through the back - don't want folks out front to see us conductin' business." As they walk by, the girls in the back gasp and whisper among themselves. The same nekomata girl from before runs up to Katsumoto, offering him his jacket again. "Why, thank you, darlin'! What's your name?"

"Uh... my name is Sh-Shiroko, Takeda-sama..." she answers with a nervous bow. With one hand, Katsumoto reaches into his pocket and produces several bills and places them in the girl's hands. "Wha- no! I can't! Takeda-sa-"

"Now, now. I won't take 'no' for an answer over this. My fault what happened to you, so this is my way of makin' things up, Shiroko-san." He pats her on the shoulder with a genuine smile and a wink. "Get'cherself somethin' nice, alright?" With that, the Takeda gang departs through the club's rear exit into the alleyway, illuminated by a single light above the door but otherwise pitch-black at this hour. The car from out front had been relocated here as the driver - dressed in the same style of formal attire as the bodyguards - stood by the driver's seat and puffed away at a cigarette. He nodded at the gang when they stepped out he door.

"Aniki. Aneki. Got the car ready for ya," greeted the driver with glasses and side-swept hair.

"Thank you, Satoru," replied Katsumoto with his usual, friendly smile. "Hope we didn't bore you for too long." The three hangure were dropped onto the asphalt floor, groaning in pain. "Now, what to do with you fellas..."