Welcome to Tokyo, Japan. January, 1991. The world has entered the technology era, portable phones, home computers, internet, video games. Japan quickly became the epicenter of the latest and greatest. Companies and factories flourished. Where money was, people followed. And while many rose to live a comfortable, happy, and delightful life from this new found money... Others did not. You see, money has this effect on people that can't be outdone. People will do anything for it. And when it starts slipping into the wrong hands, it's impossible to stop. Benethe the day time laborers and the double-shift workers, a seedy underbelly of syndicates exists. Narctics, black market, organized crime, money laundering, you name it and it's been growing as fast as the upper world economy. While many do it just to stay alive, there's those who make it their posh lifestyle. Either way, there's only one question. What would you do if the money was good enough?
JAN 29 2021: Welcome!! ƎLEMENT has been open for two weeks now and we're so happy to see such a bright beginning! If you're new feel free to drop into the discord and say hi before joining.
Seiko breathed slow, careful. Her body shook, feeling as though her knees would give out beneath her. Yet, she stood still. She said nothing, and she looked straight ahead. She looked at Francis the second he hesitated. He froze as she silently confronted him with what he had done. She watched as he calmed enough to see the damage. Francis cursed to himself under his breath and she flinched, closing her eyes, but once they opened again, he’d locked himself in his room. Letting go of her breath, she panted and looked around for the things she needed to grab as the adrenaline sank in. She needed to get out. There was no way Seiko could spend another second in this apartment. [break]
Getting out of the apartment complex felt like it took days. Aware of every movement, light and shadow, Seiko checked every corner. She cowered at every sound. By the time she’d made it out, her body was heavy. She didn’t dare to linger, but simply checked the lobby of the building once more and snuck away. Seiko shivered, stepping out into the cold and clutched onto the fabric of the long overcoat she kept wrapped tightly around her body. Below hid wounds from her so-called partner, but she couldn’t let anyone see that. They were a perfect couple. Two young adults from affluent families, they were supposed to be a power couple. They were going to be successful. It didn’t matter if they didn’t love each other, together they had the power to achieve things. Seiko needed this relationship to work, and it had worked well enough for the last few years. People wanted to know what she was doing, how she was going. People cared about what Francis Miyano’s girlfriend was doing. They didn’t care enough about the youngest Murakami, but with him, Seiko was someone. She was recognised. [break][break]
So, she walked. She waddled as far and fast as her short and weak legs would allow. It must have been sometime late in the night, perhaps reaching early morning, with the streets only being lightly peppered by activity. She kept her head down and avoided drawing attention. If she could just get home, then she could fix this... maybe. It had never been quite this bad. Seiko breathes in deep and winces, and presses her hand to her side underneath her coat. She felt moisture and cursed under her breath. That was not good. She scouted the area with a quick look, and found an alleyway to tuck herself into for a little privacy. Having slipped away from the main street, she slid down the side of a random building, breathing heavy. Despite the cold, she shrugs off her jacket, leaving her in her pyjama pants and a bra, to check the wound on her side. The bruises and little cuts were no issue, those she could handle on her own. She’d done it for the last two years and practice made perfect. This wound on her side was a little bit bigger than she could patch up with just some cleaning and a bandage. [break]
“Fucking hell Francis. I know you’ve got problems, but this is too much,” Seiko mumbled to herself as she pressed her jacket to her wound. She shakes her head, resting it back against the wall, taking a deep breath. Her throat started to close up, her breath uneven and her eyes stung. She tried to focus her breathing, to keep calm, but it was a bit hard when you start to wonder if you’re about to bleed out on the street because there was no way you could go to a hospital. There would be way too many questions. Seiko was covered in bruises and various nicks, each bleeding slightly but nothing in comparison to the laceration she pressed down on for dear life. Even if she could make it back to her place without passing out, what could she do? [break]
Long nights weren't a particularly rare occurrence for Dr. Morita, his work schedule at the chaotic whim of his clients. Honestly, the man hardly got enough sleep to warrant the amount of time he was on his feet in life-and-death situations, bags under his eyes and the subtle tremble of his fingers when not completing a surgery clear indicators of his exhaustion. So Shu could be forgiven for his immediate response, when, while slipping out from some deep-pocketed client's home close to dawn, he heard the telltale sounds of pained breathing and physical struggling. [break][break] "Oh, for fuck's sake..." he muttered under his breath, pausing, listening to those shallow breaths, already knowing that whoever the hell it was was just around the corner, down that alley just to his left. [break][break] You should just go home, his mind assured him. You should just go home and rest. You're done for the day. This isn't your responsibility. Their health isn't your responsibility. You need sleep. The meds are going to wear off soon. You need rest. Go home. Don't help them. You can't help them. They're just some nobody... [break][break] He cursed himself as he turned to his left and started jogging down the alleyway. [break][break] For all the years he'd spent using those highly-trained hands for good, training his mind to withstand--poorly--the guilt of all the pain his medical knowledge had caused, Shu was still, deep down inside, that little boy with the bright emerald gaze just wanting to help out, to keep people safe, to heal. He couldn't ignore someone in trouble anymore than he could say no to every little request that came from those rich bastards. He had the skills and training to help; he should help. [break][break] At least, that's what he told himself as he rounded the corner, spotted that hunched over body in the gloom of the early morning. He slowed, slightly, as he drew closer, already pulling his long locks up into a loose, wild bun. His gaze flitted across the woman's form, noting the plethora of scrapes and bruises along the field of her skin, the casual wear she toted, the wad of jacket pressed against some clearly-oozing wound at her side. He was kneeling next to her before he could stop himself. [break][break] "Miss, are you okay?" he posed, without hesitating reaching forward to push back her bangs, to try and catch her eye, to check pupil dilation. If her breathing pattern was any indication, she was going into shock, which wasn't good by any means. It was as if instinct were taking over, Shu's tone, usually so harsh and deathly monotone while working, taking on some softer cadence he only really used when around his sister. She looks so young..."My name's Shuichi," he tried, emeralds searching her gaze for recognition, for focus. Just pretend she's Sachi... He smiled, some reassuring expression he rarely bore these days, at least authentically. "I'm a--" He faltered, just momentarily, wondering briefly if he had any right to call himself that. It'll help her trust me."I'm a doctor. Can you-- Can you tell me what happened?"
[attr="class","bocksc"]a bit short but here you go!
[attr="class","words"]
“Miss, are you okay?” [break][break]
Seiko’s breath hitches. Someone had spotted her. This was bad. She remains still, unsure of what to do. Maybe if she didn’t respond, he would just leave. She sat quietly, and hoped he’d just move on. She doesn’t make eye contact, and she doesn’t want to make contact. Fingers brush against her forehead and she flinches. She was going to get hurt. Her eyes quickly snap up to meet with his, breath short as she assesses the situation. This wasn’t Francis. This touch was gentle. There was a care there – a feeling so foreign to Seiko. Who was this man? [break][break]
Shuichi. A doctor. She wonders if this is good or bad. She’s been caught so vulnerable, word could travel, but if she shied away from him, would she die? She was stuck, frozen in her limited options. Digits clutch tightly onto the fabric by her side. Seiko had never been an anxious person in her life, but in this moment, she was a mess. She trembles gently, hesitant to answer him. Violet eyes dart both ways, checking up and down the alley. Empty. There was no one here but her and Shuichi. [break][break]
She searches desperately for the words. What does she tell him? Slipped and fell probably wouldn’t do it this time around. She looks down, looking for the words, but only confronted with memories as she sweats in her panic. Her throat chokes up, and her eyes sting. All she can think about is each hit, each cut. Shrinking into herself a little, Seiko pulls apart her lips, dry and sticky. [break]
“My boyfriend... he,” Seiko is quiet, struggling to push the sounds beyond the place they were stuck in her throat. She shakes her head, before looking up at Shuichi with desperation sparkling amongst the water in her eyes. “He hurt me.”
Shuichi's heart was already aching at the sight of that wild gaze, at the indication of such tension and terror. What happened to you? his mind murmured, not even having to try to look concerned as authentic worry began to slip through his system. She looked like some injured rabbit, ready to run at a moment's notice. The idea of her trying to stumble away was... terrifying, honestly. He had to keep her calm, had to keep her safe, had to make sure her wounds got-- [break][break] "My boyfriend... He hurt me." [break][break] Maybe it was because she was the same age as his sister. Maybe it was because she was so clearly in a panic. Hell, maybe it was just that tucked-away goodness still left lingering in his soul. It didn't matter what it was; Shuichi's blood boiled at the woman's words. The idea of some bastard doing this to anyone that he supposedly "cared" about was gut-wrenching, filling Shu with an anger he hadn't felt in a long while. It took a concentrated effort to keep him grounded in the moment, to not let his hands tremble in ire, to remind himself that she needed a caring, medical touch right now and not any more violence. [break][break] You don't even know this girl, he reminded himself as he slowly reached down to start tugging her grip away from that bunched-up ball of fabric. Just keep a cool head... [break][break] "I'm sorry about that," he murmured, some deep sympathy in his gaze as emerald met moistened violet. "That... That should never happen. Let me... Can you let me help? I have some supplies in my bag; at least enough to get you stable so we can get you to a hospital." [break][break] As he spoke, his hands tugged away that rolled up coat, his gaze flicking down to appraise the wound. Shit.. It was bad. A deep slice. It would certainly need stitches, something Shu had the supplies to complete in that moment, but the location was... less than ideal. Still, if he didn't get doing something she'd end up bleeding out before they could stumble to a medical facility. Gently, he returned that bunched up coat to her side, guiding her hands to hold it while he dug in his satchel for the supplies he'd need to clean it up and stop the bleeding. [break][break] "It's gonna be okay," he said without thinking, flashing her a kind smile, perhaps the kindest he'd produced in years. "I'll make sure you get through this, okay?"
Seiko watches every move he makes. Her eyes jump from movement to movement. She was going to be okay, right? Feeling his hand by her side, she releases her hold on the coat, letting her hands hover shakily. Moving her hands, she looks down with labored breath to see the damage, and gauge Shuichi’s reaction to it. She didn’t have to be a doctor to know it was bad, but she wanted to see just how fucked she was. How out of hand was this starting to get? Was this relationship more than she could handle? Seiko had always known her time with Francis would be a gamble. She knew from the start he’d never have any capacity to love her, but when she had thought that she could use it to her advantage, perhaps she’d miscalculated the risk. [break][break]
“at least enough to get you stable so we can get you to a hospital." [break][break]
“Wait! I can’t go to a hospital like this. There can’t be any kind of record of this,” Seiko cuts in, words slipping out faster than she can think. It feels like she has no control, every moment slips through her fingers and she has no control over it. Without thinking she tries to adjust herself and winces, before taking a breath and letting her hands be returned to her side. Clutching the fabric, violet eyes follow his movements to his bag. [break]
“I can’t afford anyone finding out. If they do, it’s over. I’ll be nothing,” she groans through grit teeth. Her eyes fall, getting lost in the thought. Even if she made it through tonight, what then? What was to happen of her and Francis? How much would the world know? Would things just go back to the way they were before, only to repeat again?
Shuichi's hands froze in his satchel, the girl's words sending a nervous shiver down his spine. He knew all too well that tone of voice, that panic, that lingering shadow of expectations and how terrifyingly easily they could suffocate you. His emerald gaze lingered on her for a long moment, trying to find the words, the encouragement to spew that would make her see that she needed actual help, that as much as he could fix her up, he really shouldn't. [break][break] Not your problem or your place, he reminded himself bitterly, some gnawing guilt in his stomach as he returned to his supply-retrieving. [break][break] "I mean, you'll be alive and safe..." he murmured, perhaps too quiet even for her to hear, refusing for a moment to look at her, focusing on the task as hand. He slipped on a pair of gloves, fishing out a bit of gauze, cleaner, and a soft rag. [break][break] Not your business... Not you problem... [break][break] "I get it," he sighed, finally returning his gaze to her features, that softness, that kindness, returning and replacing the bitterness. As he spoke, he began to guide her hands away again, to pull that coat away and to reveal that crimson wound. "I don't uh... I can't say I agree with your methods, but uhm... I get it. I can get you patched up, can even sew up the wound, but..." he pursed his lips, dabbing the cloth with that cleaner. "I've seen this kind of thing before and uhm... it doesn't... it doesn't get better unless you make it get better." [break][break] He winced at his own words, eyes on that wound, half of him screaming to just shut up, the other half willing him to keep going, to try and do something besides just get her patched up for the next bout of violence. Even with that cacophony going on in his head, Shuichi's hands were steady, one finding her side, the other moving the dampened cloth close. He finally returned his gaze to hers, some seriousness that only came with a history of these traumatic back-alley fixups lingering in his eyes. [break][break] "Brace yourself; this is going to hurt." [break][break] And then, slowly, he pressed that cloth to her wound, working as quickly as he could to clean up that gaping thing, to get it at least clear enough for him to start sewing her up.
Seiko hears his words loud and clear. She keeps her head down, but flicks her hair to keep it back over her shoulder, out of Shuichi’s way. She doesn’t know what to say at first. She feels lost. She already knows what's wrong with this. She was a lawyer; she knew more than most. As a lawyer, she also knew how to hide it. Nobody had to know, and she could keep using him. She could still get recognition. It would be such a shame for something to happen to the lovely couple. If she made it through tonight, she could make it work. [break]
“Then I’ll make him get better. I’m not done with him yet,” she mostly mumbles to herself. She feels distant from Shuichi. In these moments, she’s disconnected. Her eyes flutter, as she looks at nothing in particular. In her mind, she begins to plan. Thinking about all the various scenarios that would play out from here. [break][break]
Shuichi presses the cloth upon her wound and she feels the pain shoot from her side. It stings the way she expected but still, she grits her teeth as he works. She feels it pull her back into the current moment, and it takes an active effort to not violently vocalize the pain. Her head falls back to rest against the wall behind her. She breathes deep and slow, although still unsteady. [break][break]
“Fuck, I really need to be more careful. I knew this would happen,” Seiko mutters, looking up as she holds herself. She grips at her own body desperately, holding herself together with a pathetic snicker. She stays on that thought for a moment, before looking back to Shuichi, observing what he was doing. [break]
“Do you ever do stupid things just to feel like someone? As unpleasant as they may be, they’re just necessary,” Seiko muses, distracting herself from the pain both in her side and in her mind.
"Then I'll make him get better. I'm not done with him yet." [break][break] The surprise had to be apparent on Shuichi's features, his hands pausing in their work as those pretty pastel brows rose in surprise. He supposed that he should have expected something like this from a girl who seemed fully capable of walking her way through the Tokyo streets at night with a potentially-deadly gash in her side; she definitely seemed like she could handle herself. [break][break] Yet still that concern lingered. He justified it with the knowledge that she was so similar in age to Sachi; hell, even that tenacity and strength mirrored in his little sister's countenance. Of course he'd be concerned for her; of course he'd be worried. It shouldn't distract you... She's an adult, obviously... [break][break] And so he focused in on the work, trying to ignore that buzzing little voice in the back of his head that is screaming for him to press the issue, to get more information, to find a way to convince her to turn the bastard who did this in. He'd worked with trauma before, had spent the majority of his early medical years in the ER, but he wasn't a social worked; he wasn't a therapist; he didn't know how the hell to go about convincing the abused to turn on the abuser. Hell, he himself was in a similar-enough situation with Hotaru, and he had spent three years now convincing himself of reasons why he shouldn't or couldn't take steps to slip away from that bastard's grasps. [break][break] Hypocrisy, at least for now, kept him quiet and focused on the work at hand. [break][break] He smiles, forlorn and empathetic, at Seiko's muttering, grateful at least that she had the wherewithal to still speak. That, at least, was a good sign that she would be okay. As was the cleanness of the cut, revealed as he worked that rag and disinfectant across its angles. [break][break] “Do you ever do stupid things just to feel like someone? As unpleasant as they may be, they’re just necessary." [break][break] Shu couldn't stifle the scoffed, half-laugh that slipped from him, flashing her a quick apologetic look before returning to his work. He was all too aware of the little bottle of narcotics jingling around in his bag, of his dependency on them, of the amount of times he's dived into their pool of numbing haze just to be able to feel things, to experience them without completely breaking down. [break][break] "Y-Yeah," he replied, some hushed bitterness in his tone. "Probably too often, honestly." [break][break] As he spoke, he reached back into his bag and pulled out a few new items: medical thread, needle, that bottle of pills, and a rolled-up cloth. [break][break] "But I... I think more people do that. Everyone just has different levels of severity with their... uh... coping strategies." [break][break] He used one hand to press that cleaning rag to the wound, to stint the bleeding while his other hand expertly opened the pill bottle and held it out to Seiko. [break][break] "Do you think you can take these without water? My bottle's empty," he explained, prepared to drop two into her palm. "They're pain meds. Pretty quick activation time; will help with the next few hours of recovery. And uh... and the sewing." [break][break] Whether she took the pills or not, Shu spent the next few moments prepping the area and handing her the rolled-up cloth to bite down on before beginning the quick movements of pressing that thread and needle in and out of her skin.
Seiko watches Shuichi closely. She wonders what he has to say in return. The look on his face... Seiko felt like she could see something going on beyond the surface. There seemed to be this kind of pull. Trying to remain a professional distance, but an underlying care, concern. She sees this expression on her co-workers quite often. Some lawyers became far too emotionally invested; Seiko couldn’t relate. She could relate to Shuichi’s position, wanting to know more. Seiko wonders what goes on in this stranger’s head, that has him stopped here, helping her. Perhaps she’s just delirious from the blood loss. Things do feel a little faint, but not in a way that she really feels bothered by yet. Almost like being overtired, and no longer caring about when you actually get to bed, just with a painful gash in her side.
[break][break]
Seiko watches with intrigue as he talks, no longer at a point of masking her thoughts. Normally she would be more stoic, harder to read, but as she lay in the cold, her life in a stranger’s hands, she wasn’t too bothered by it. She laughs a little as he tips a couple pills into her hand. [break] “Yeah, no issue. It's not like I haven’t taken something like this before,” Seiko throws out casually before throwing the pills as far back into her throat as she could. She swallows them dry with little trouble. It’s uncomfortable, as it always was, but they go down easy enough. Seiko takes a deep breath, blinks a couple of times and sighs. A little hazy, she takes the cloth from Shuichi, muttering a quiet thanks.
[break][break]
Seiko shoves the cloth between her teeth, fiddling with it to make it as comfortable as possible. She takes a deep breath, breathing forcefully slow as she braces herself. She doesn’t look forward to it, but forces her teeth down into the cloth, and try to ride it out.
There's something to be admired in that casual air about Seiko in that moment, though Shu is far too concerned with keeping her breathing to do much contemplating on that sort of thing. He's glad she manages to get the pills down, spending a bit more time on the cleaning and prep work, wanting them to be well on the way to numbing her system before he started weaving that thread and needle through her skin. [break][break] "Alright, here we go..." [break][break] The words are the only real warning before he begins his work. He moves as quickly as he can, some part of his mind listening for anything particularly concerning leaving the young woman, but the rest of his mind dedicated to the task at hand. As large of a gash as it is, it takes quite a few stitches to get it sealed, Shu's hands looking like they did after one of his torture sessions by the time that last tug pulled the wound shut. He quickly tied the thread off, cutting the excess with his teeth before grabbing up his cleaning rag and wiping away the excess stain of crimson on her side. A sealing salve came next, just something to numb the spot and keep it, hopefully, clean, before he finally glanced back up to his companion's face. [break][break] "You okay?" he breathed out, concern lacing his gaze and tone. "You've got a few more, but it's probably best to get you somewhere safer and cleaner now that the big one's handled. Do you think you can move if I help you up?" [break][break] He quieted for a moment, trying to think up a place they could go so he could take a look at the other wounds dotting her form. Her home, surely, wasn't a great choice, her boyfriend presumably there. They weren't far from his apartment, though that seemed a bit... creepy. His clinic was further away; they'd have to get a cab to go there, but he'd at least have the necessary tool to help a bit more. He voiced the contemplations quietly, ending with a, "Where do you want to go?"
Seiko’s body feels numb, tingly with a sensation familiar to her. She hadn’t been high for a long time, but she’d never fail to recognize the feeling. Despite this she still has grit down tightly on the cloth in her mouth, feeling the pressure of the needle stitching through her side. She groans softly but she musters the energy to pull through it. There was no way she was going to pass out at just this. This didn’t really feel like anything compared to what Francis could do to her. What he was capable of always hurt much more. She may not have cared for his love, but his disrespect, some of the things he’d say to her, those didn’t compare to the piercing of her flesh. She knows she deserves better, but where would she find better? Francis was as good as it got for someone like her. A potential heir to a large company, someone with something to prove, willing to work as hard as necessary to get it. Someone like her. [break][break]
Seiko practically spits out the towel when Shuichi declares his completion. She breathes heavy, but relaxes as she observes the closed wound. At least that wasn’t going to kill her today. Going down as an abuse victim wasn’t what she wanted to be known for. She had to be a fantastic lawyer, help people like her. She couldn’t do that from six feet in the ground now, could she? She sighs, and smiles softly despite the residing pain. [break][break] “Yeah, I should be alright. I managed to walk at least half a kilometer, even with the wound,” she almost prides herself. Seiko was tough, and she’d push through whatever she had to. She had something to prove. She listens to him muse a few places to go from here and she shakes her head, waving it off casually. “I don’t really care where we go as long as it’s not back to my boyfriend’s apartment. We could go to mine but it’s over in Gotanda, so probably not convenient given the situation. Whatever is easiest for you, I'm not particularly worried about going to your apartment. You just saved my life off the side of the street,” Seiko explains casually. They trust Shuichi enough to go to his apartment if it was easier. They may not have known him before these moments, but she owed her life to him, and he knew something about her most others never would. She doesn’t take this lightly. "Alternatively, I'm happy to pay for a cab, I just can't go on record as having these injuries."
"Yeah, I should be alright. I managed to walk at least half a kilometer, even with the wound." [break][break] The--even minute--pride in Seiko's tone wasn't reflected in Shuichi's gaze. Concern was all that lie there, concern and a mild tinge of anxiety that was, honestly, probably always present. She was so... casual about it all. So analytical. For as much as Shuichi had a nasty habit of doing the same thing--trying to rationalize and compartmentalize the world and tragedy and stress to make it all more manageable--recognition doesn't beget support and he couldn't help the feeling of guilt that continued to wash over him at the knowledge that he was helping to continue this cycle. [break][break] For as much as Seiko seemed to have a handle on things, she was still coming out looking like hell, almost dead in some back alley. [break][break] You can't convince her of anything if you don't keep helping her, he reminded himself, rationalizing why he stuck around and listened and didn't argue any further about going to the hospital. It was right there. He knew people still; maybe he could get them to be particularly hush-hush about the whole situation... [break][break] "...I just can't go on record as having these injuries." [break][break] Well, there went that. Shuichi sighed, beginning to put away his tools in preparation of their departure. He contemplated for another long moment about where would be best, eventually settling on a decision as he clipped that medical bag shut. [break][break] "I'd rather not go all the way to Gotanda; it's too far for how much you've bled out already," he explained with a sigh, cleaning said blood from his hands. "If you're not wanting to be noticed, my apartment is going to be the best option," he added, watching her carefully, that concern still riddling his emeralds even as he kept his tone steady. "I don't often get late-night calls at the clinic, but when I do uh..." He pursed his lips, trying to find the right word. "They tend to be pretty serious and uh... complicated. Better to avoid someone breaking into the work if we go to my place." Hands clean, he tossed the rag into a nearby trashcan and held his hands out to her. "It's not far; just a block or two thankfully. Can get there decently quickly. Let's uh... let's see if you can stand." [break][break] Once she grabbed his hands, her started to guide her up, watching each movement and reaction carefully, trying to identify any particularly concerning winces. He aimed for a position where he worked as a support, up under her arm on the particularly damaged side, hand at her waist to steady. He was taller than her, so he needed to crouch a bit to keep it comfortable, but it was more likely that they'd end up safely back at his apartment if he didn't try to carry her or something like that. Hopefully she could at least stand with his help.
