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.
When Chiharu leaves her apartment in the morning, she finds a plain paper bag hanging from the handle. It’s not heavy. She looks inside to find a small bottle and a note. Picking the note up, she snorts. Nakamura, it reads, please stop waking my up at ungodly hours to go jogging with you. I don’t know why you choose to drag me around these days. My old bones can’t take it. Bring this instead. Sakai didn’t have an old bone in his body. If he did, perhaps he’d drink a little less sleep a little earlier. The man habitually came and went at odd hours into the night. Chiharu would know; she'd been his neighbor for a couple years now.
She rolls the bottle out of the bag and into her hand. Pepper spray. Chiharu nearly laughs. Trust the weapons dealer to give her something like this. If she were to use it on anyone, Chiharu knew she’d be the one held accountable. Shaking her head, she slips it into her pocket anyway. In this complex, nearly half the residents Chiharu knew belonged to Tsumaru – a majority of which Sakai had recruited, herself included. It was the thought that counted. And who knows, maybe it would come in handy?
It’s a short walk to the small park. True to the ‘ungodly hours,’ not a soul was in sight. Chiharu follows the familiar path down the hill, the concrete road dipping lazily under ginkgo trees. The fan-like leaves are just starting to turn yellow. Stopping by a bench, Chiharu reaches out to the tree above. The tree laughs at her, playfully brushing against her fingertips. She smiles and pushes stray hairs (roused by the wind) back behind her ear.
She starts to stretch, but footsteps behind her catch her attention. Chiharu turns to find a familiar face. It truly was a small world. Ever since she’d first noticed the blond-haired man, Chiharu quite literally started seeing him everywhere. From coffee runs to morning runs, the two hardly went a day without bumping into each other. The morning runs especially had become a sort of routine. It was always a nice way to start the day.
Except, he hadn’t been showing up recently. Only then had Chiharu realized that she didn’t even know his name. Would they meet again, she had wondered, or would their paths split forever? Seeing him again, a strange sense of relief spread through her chest. The natural question, then, was where he had been. But since they weren’t close enough for her to just ask that, Chiharu settles for walking up and waving at him. Her eyes scan his face, then flicker down to the rest of him. He’s looking a little worse for the wear – likely the reason for his disappearance.
It wouldn't be a stretch to assume that Hikaru's favorite time of day was when he was able to go for his morning jogs. Tokyo had been his home all his life, the city's vibrancy and life a large part of why he joined the police force in the first place; his loyalty to the citizens the ultimate reason he left. His mother had always gone for jogs, that beautiful blonde with the cherubic smile and the rough accent; moving through those familiar streets, breathing that familiar air... it was like returning to the company of that adored woman. [break][break] Unfortunately, Hikaru had been a bit worse for wear the past few days, some scrap in a back alley with a few Tsumaru thugs leading to a few good days locked up in his apartment recovering. He still had a plethora of scrapes and bruises to show, but he was at least able to stand and move around now. He moved perhaps a little slower than normal, wincing every now and then as he jogged towards that familiar expanse of greenery, but he was determined to return to that beloved routine. [break][break] It helped knowing he had someone waiting for him. [break][break] He didn't know her name, hardly knew anything more than her running schedule and where she liked to get coffee, but there was a certain exhilarated, warm feeling that washed over him as he spotted that familiar head of emerald. The feeling only intensified as she turned towards him, small smile and wave a welcome distraction from the ache of his wounds. Amazing, how familiarity can breed affection. [break][break] "Welcome back." [break][break] "Happy to be back," he returned, bright grin greeting her advance. He ran a hand through his bangs, pinning them back with a few clips from the waistline of his shorts. Popping a few into his mouth as he worked, speaking around them a bit difficult as he continued to grin, he added, "Did I miss anything exciting? Major drug bust along the trail? Dead body in the bushes? Miss Goyza lose track of her seventeen dogs again?" [break][break] He chuckled, light and airy, the sound interrupted by a quiet curse as he dropped the last of the clips. One hand still in his hair, he reached down to snatch up the lost thing from the concrete, a wince, clear as day, crossing his features for a brief moment before he popped back up to his full height. He finished the pin job, righted a little wrinkle in the hem of his t-shirt, and flashed a warm smile at his companion. [break][break] "Stretched before leaving, so I'm good to go when you are!" He paused, brows furrowing in a brief contemplation before adding, perhaps a bit sheepishly, "I uh... may be a bit slower than usual. Still recovering just a bit. But I'll be able to keep up no worries."
His face lights up and Chiharu can’t help but smile softer. Would it be arrogant to think she was the cause? Either way, being wanted was never a bad feeling. She shakes her head at his cheery attitude. One might have thought those bruises were simply for decoration. He drops a couple pins on the ground and Chiharu snorts.
“Pretty clumsy today,” she teases him. “Speaking of clumsy, that little girl with the red and black skates finally learned to turn and stop. She doesn’t need to find a nice patch of grass to fall onto anymore. And Miss Goyza didn’t lose all seventeen. I was actually out with my neighbor the other day. Helped her find a couple. Unfortunately for my neighbor, he’s allergic to dog fur and hadn’t taken his meds.”
After the sixth or so dog had launched herself at Sakai’s face, the poor man was quite literally crying. To be sure, he loved dogs and dogs often liked him, but he certainly hadn’t expected to meet so many that morning. And poor Miss Goyza was beside herself with worry. In the end, they could all be glad the only lasting damage done was to Sakai’s dignity. Perhaps that was why he’d refused to come out today. “But never mind them, you seem to have done quite a number on yourself.” Chiharu frowns at the way he winces. “Something exciting on your part?” The answer was clearly a resounding yes. The question was, was he willing to share? Then again, Chiharu supposed it was hardly her business. She herself certainly wouldn’t walk around telling others what she did. What if his occupation was just as dangerous? And if she were to know, who knows where that knowledge might land? A part of her hopes he’ll simply brush the question off.
Chiharu finishes her stretches while looking skeptically at him. Judging from his earlier reaction to the small action of bending over, she doubted he had actually stretched. He was pretending, trying to keep her from worrying. She appreciated the effort. “Right, but you know, I think the place we should be jogging to today is a hospital or something.” She pauses. “But if you really think you’re alright, I still think jogging would do you more harm than help. How about a walk instead?”
A soft, affectionate smile overtook Hikaru's features as he listened to her recounting of the previous days' events. There was something so wholly comforting about the moment, about this woman, about his familiarity with her presence and the portraits of moments her explanations provided. He made a mental note to bring some little congratulatory gift for the girl with the skates, to offer it up to her dad the next time he spotted the pair walking through that expanse of green. [break][break] He was lost in thought on the subject, brain hopping between different gift ideas, when his all-too-astute companion made her all-too-accurate assessments and jokes. The faintest embarrassed tilt curved through his smile, his cheeks alighting in some soft coating of pink as he sheepishly glanced his golden orbs astray. He looked like a kid caught in some mischievous act. [break][break] "Oh, just forced myself into a situation I probably shouldn't have," he offered; it wasn't quite a lie, though certainly not the whole truth. As if to reassure her, he flashed an innocent-enough expression and added, "Nasty habit of mine; nothing to worry about." [break][break] In some attempt to contradict any lingering doubts, he began to mirror her stretches, doing his damnedest to work those aching muscles with as few winces as possible. He actually had done a few minute stretches before leaving his apartment... he just had stopped because it hurt too bad... and he just probably shouldn't have been out and about in the first place. Another day spent lounging around his apartment sounded like absolute hell, though, and was particularly out of the question. [break][break] "I'm fine, I promise," he assured her, expression some cross between sheepish embarrassment and gratitude as he added, "though I suppose walking would probably be a better option... all things considered... Don't let me slow you down though if you want to get an actual workout in." He added that last bit in a slight hurry, much preferring her company over the alternative, but not wanting to be a bother. With a teasing lilt to his expression, gesturing for her to lead the way whenever she was ready, he joked, "If you want, you could jog circles around me while I walk; show off how physically superior you are to all our fans." [break][break] He laughed, light and airy, theatrically gesturing to the park around them, their "adoring fans" a few uninterested park-goers and a family of ducks making their way from one shallow pond to the next.
