Starring:
Guest Starring:
Date Set: August 1, 2009
Summary:
It's all business.
Six Months Ago…
"Just Business"
Gardens — Japan
August in Japan is a wonderful time of the year. The heat of the summer is waning, the rainy season has come to an end, but yet the gardens are still blooming. Fragrant and colorful. One might say the most romantic time of the year. Rich in culture, steeped in history, the traditional rock gardens blend seemlessly and beautifully into the courtyards of the extravagent homes that most of the wealthiest Yakuza lords call home. Conveniently, most folks forget or overlook this seedy underside of Japanese history. Some consider them the modern-day versions of the samurai, the paramilitary, gangster nobility of Japan.
The sun is just starting to set, Mount Fuji visible from the rock garden (the origins of Japan's Rising Sun flag now clearly evident, albeit in reverse). A calm, warm breeze blows through, as one of the Yakuza's most improbable Lords strolls through the garden. Like the legendary warrior Takezo Kensei, he's a white man…though none of his fellow crime lords have any idea that he WAS Takezo Kensei then, just as he is now (having reassumed his old name in 'tribute' to that great foreign warrior). He's invited a woman over…perhaps the woman, the daughter of one of his most valued business associates. She's reminded him so much of his first great love, Yaeko, though in different ways.
The woman he's expecting pads into the gardens, her black high heels clap noisily against the paved path, but otherwise the garden is peaceful, quiet, serene, even. Her dark hair is allowed down for the first time in some time, it seems she's somewhat relaxed in form today, even her usual garb (standard pencil skirt (or pants) and blouse) has been traded for less rigid wear — a little black dress. She approaches the Yakuza Lord semi-skeptically, somewhat unsure of this interaction, but a charming smile plays on her lips.
"Kensei," she chimes in greeting. The word is almost musical as it emerges from Natsumi's lips. "The gardens are lovely this time of year…"
"Hai," he replies to her comment about the gardens, rising from one of the many benches to greet her. "The groundskeepers do an amazing job maintaining it, joining tradition with pure aesthetic beauty." Like her, and like many of the other Yakuza bosses, he's dressed in all black…the finest suits, shirts, belts, and shoes for him. There is no tie with the ensemble, however.
Once he's on his feet, he comes to her, smiling. Already his heart is beginning to beat a little faster. This woman might very well be the one…well, the next one really. Smart, beautiful…and dangerous. "Natsumi, hello," he says, dashingly, smiling at her.
"Sumi or Sue, please. Only my grandfather calls me Natsumi." Her business associates call her Ms. Takahashi, "No need for formality here," Natsumi says smoothly. While she appears Asian, she lacks the standard Japanese accent. In fact, if anything, her accent is American in origin. No, she did not spend her early childhood here. "Well your groundskeepers do an excellent job of maintaining it." She issues him an easy smile. "Nice suit," she says earnestly. Despite her 'non-formality' she certainly hasn't dispensed of the pleasantries. "Not a tie man?" a single eyebrow is arched semi-playfully.
"I can't stand them," he replies regarding the tie. "Too constricting, too formal. I like to be the type of boss that an employee would have no problem approaching." Well, assuming it's good news, of course. If it's bad news, you definitely don't want to be the one to approach him at all, tie or not. "And I think Sue should work wonderfully," he says, continuing the smile. "So, while you're able to tell quite clearly that I'm not from Japan, I'm forced to ask…where were you born? In short…tell me about yourself. I've done much business with your grandfather, but I know very little about you…aside from the fact that you're something of his protege."
Sue hmmms quietly and then nods. "And where exactly are you from, Kensei?" the words are punctuated by a smirk. "And you're right, I wasn't born in Japan." With a shrug, she clucks her tongue, "I was born in New York City." She shrugs again, "I was twelve when my mother died; she was a doctor, nothing like the rest of my family, I'm afraid. We — my brother and I moved here shortly thereafter as my grandfather was our legal guardian." She smirks at the notion of Yuji, "And yes, I am grandfather's protege. Yuji never had a knack for…" her lips twitch into a mischievous smile "…business."
"Well, you might have noticed that I have a rather noticable British accent. I was born there, but spent time in many other places. I'm a big traveler, and you'd be able to hear me tell stories from my times in just about every continent, if you were so inclined to ask. New York City was never one of my haunts though, I'm afraid. Chicago was, however." Now next to her, he uses his hand to give the signal for them to walk while they talk. He strolls, hands behing his back as he chats. "So, that having been said, I suppose my business dealings with Yuji were actually orchestrated by you? If so, I'm exceedingly impressed…and not just given your great beauty. Some of those deals were nigh impossible to pull off."
"Indeed," Sue easily falls into step with Adam, her posture mirroring his. She chuckles at the thought of her brother planning much of anything, "Yuji has his uses, but as grandfather himself has said, my brother was always the muscle while I the brains." She grins wickedly at the compliment, "They weren't so complicated. Just needed a woman's touch, and some basic instinct about Yakuza general desires and goals." She talks of her business as it were nothing more than dry cleaning or running a shop when in actuality, she's particularly engaged in arms deals, and priceless artifacts. "And how about yourself? You seemed to come on the scene from nowhere several years ago in my estimation. And, from experience I can say most of our associates aren't fond of foreigners…"
"It really comes down to knowing how to handle them, though I'm quite sure you know that already. This isn't the first time I've had rather extended dealings with your culture, you'll find. I'm rather well-versed in the traditions and history of your people. It really wasn't as hard as you might think to convince my fellow Bosses that I deserved to be among them, foreigner or not." What goes unsaid is that there was a lot of blood spilled over that, and no small part of it Adam's own. But this is really a case of 'what doesn't kill you just pisses you off and ensures they won't get away with it next time.' Adam almost literally cut through the competition to prove that he deserves to be here. He chuckles a little at her mention of the woman's touch. "Ah…a woman's touch. I can't help but laugh. Men like your grandfather often can't appreciate what a benefit that can be…" In more ways than one, the immortal perv thinks to himself.
"I think he closes his eyes and pretends I'm his son," Sue suppresses an idle chuckle as she runs her fingers through her dark hair before placing her hands behind her back again. "He wouldn't like us meeting like this. Even though I'm only a granddaughter, I'm afraid he doesn't like me out and about with my… escorts." Bodyguards. And while they aren't in the gardens, they can't be too far off all things considered. "He doesn't trust white men and seems to think you're some kind of…" she pauses for a moment as she attempts to translate the word into English, not that Adam wouldn't understand Japanese — the translation is for her own benefit in a way. "…vulture. That you prey on the weak and decrepit. Of course, I'm neither weak nor decrepit."
The way she phrases it makes him laugh out loud…almost a bellow, really. "Perhaps he thinks that he'l next on my list of prey, hm? That he's among the weak and decrepit? If he were, I certainly wouldn't be providing him with as much of my business as I do. Of course, knowing now that you're truly in charge of the operations, my business relationship may change…" he tells her, grinning. Flirt? Threat? Both at the same time? Either way, he's definitely looking at what he wants from their business
dealings…she's right there in that pencil skirt and pumps. Dragon Lady.
Sue smiles with satisfaction at the laugh. "He probably thinks he is on your hitlist. God knows he's on most these days." She clucks her tongue, "His dealings were less… cloak and dagger before I came along." Her grandfather had something of a reputation for offing the competition while Sue has only made them evaporate in a way. Takahashi enemies have a strange way of disappearing since Sumi's rise.
"And in what way do you intend to change your relationship with us, Kensei? I hope you don't plan on leaving us high and dry — I might take that as a personal insult." She smiles wickedly, "And I would have to scar that lovely face of yours." Smiiiiiiile.
"Well…it's not a secret that you're a very desirable female, Miss Takahashi," he starts off, very business-like. He pauses a moment to ponder how best to tackle the next part of what he's thinking. This is a very sensitive subject, afterall, and she's right dangerous. Not like he can die, but still, no sense in revealing his secret that way, huh? "I suppose what I'm envisioning is a more…tightly knit relationship between my family and yours. A more personal relationship, as it were." Super high-brow business way of asking her out on a Yakuza date, as it were.
"Personal?" Sue quirks coyly as a wicked smile edges the corners of her lips as she holds her hands behind her back, still walking in step with her associate. "Hmmm." Desirable or not, as a high-ranking member of a well-known crime family, this isn't a particularly common occurrence. "Well, I'd hate to lose your business." At this she chuckles again before her expression turns moderately more serious, "I think perhaps… something could be arranged." Her gaze flits over to him, studying him carefully.
"Yes…something can be arranged, I'm sure. Perhaps a business meeting…tomorrow evening at about 7pm. Anywhere in the city you'd like, of course. Reservations never required." Ahh, the perks of being a crime-lord, right? Grease the right wheels and you never need to worry about thinking ahead when it comes to restaurants with month-long wait lists. When she looks at him…he's caught not-so-secretly staring at her butt. Good thing she's got her hands clasped behind her back!
"It's decided then. Make it 7:30PM, and you have a deal." She shoots him a look, and shakes her head at his gaze, but isn't deterred, if anything, this makes Adam that much more interesting. Particularly because Natsumi isn't accustomed to it in the position she occupies. Her lips continue to smile as she reaches out to shake Adam's hand: a very Western custom, one that isn't particularly common in this side of the world.
She much reach out to shake hands, but Adam has other customs in mind. He does take her hand, but instead of shaking, brings it to his lips to kiss the back of it gently. "7:30 it is. I'm quite good at closing deals, you'll find. I don't mull the specifics over for very long." Once he smoooches her hand, he lets it drop, but he does wink at her as he straightens back up. "I predict this will be a very productive meeting…"