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.
[attr="class","adrie-lyric1"]Rooting out a problem
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[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]Chocolates and stimulants
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[attr="class","inner-finally"]Most people would find it hard not to have fun at a nightclub, and yet somehow Sunadokei had managed such a feat. Sitting in her palatial throne of a luxury armchair, deep in the bowels of her nightclub, she could only stew. It was not that things weren't to her liking. No, quite the opposite in fact. The Seventh Heaven was booming with business, things were going smoothly, patrons drinking themselves under the table, money changing hands without issue. But inside her VIP suit, the so-called Princess of Minato was brooding over her latest debacle, impatiently tapping her nails against one armrest as her other hand reached for a Belgium chocolate to pop into her mouth. Sunadokei tended to eat when she was stressed, and at the moment she was anything but relaxed.
"Miss Hiyokuna, he's here." Announced a bodyguard by the door, touching his earpiece before returning his hands to his suit pockets.
"Good, send him in." Sunadokei replied after swallowing her chocolate. She wanted to savor it more, but talking through a mouthful of food was something uncultured grunts did, not haughty Ajiwau. For Sunadokei, appearances were almost everything... and she was very good at maintaining them. She had called for one Morita Shuichi to be brought before her, as she had a proposal for him that he just couldn't refuse. The 'good doctor' was something of a professional colleague of hers, or close enough to it. Talented, unscrupulous, ethically compromised medical professionals were so hard to come by. Anytime she had one of her men get shot and needed an off-the-records patch job, or some uppity little snitch needed to be squeezed for information... well she just gave him a call. Not Sunadokei personally, heaven's no she was far too busy for that. But one of her Lieutenants could manage, and had been sent with a limo to bring him back to her 'humble' abode.
"Aww, there you are darling." Sunadokei said in a light, airy voice that had an almost faux-motherly tone to it. She was sinfully sweet on the outside, but the woman was cutthroat and black hearted as any under her curvaceous exterior. She leaned forward in her seat, her bust practically resting against her plush thighs. The buxom crime kingpin wore one of her signature ensembles. A dark purple sleeveless turtleneck, with a black pencil skirt and matching pantyhose. All cinched at the waist by a very dark violet belt with a silver clasp. Black, high heeled boots completed the outfit, leaving Sunadokei looking as chic as ever. "It's been so long honey bunny... what is it, three months since I last saw you?" She said, half teasing as she popped another chocolate into her mouth. "You never call, you're a terrible friend. You know that?" The woman said as she swallowed, those unfamiliar with her would be unsure if she was serious or not about such innocent chastisement.
Sunadokei then got a fierce look in her eyes, soft lips contorting into a pouty frown as a glowering look crossed her face. "But enough of that, let's get right to business, shall we?" Sunadokei spoke sternly, as she snapped her fingers. One of her men walked up purposefully, holding a briefcase in hand. He turned and popped the tabs on it, revealing the contents inside. Methamphetamine, arranged neatly in small plastic vials. Sunadokei took one out, inspecting it in her hand before tossing it to Shuichi to catch. "A 'gift' from our good friends in China, I trust you are familiar with the contents, the street value, and the usefulness it has to the millions of overworked office drones in this city just trying to make ends meet?" Stimulants were the drug of choice among the working class of Japan. Anything to stave off of fatigue from long hours and lack of sleep. From factory workers pulling double shifts, to corporate drones sitting in a cubicle well into the night. This was the clientele that Sunadokei's drug trade most enjoyed catering to. They had money to burn, unlike rock bottom junkies looking for their next hit. Her 'clients' kept their jobs, she made money, everyone wins and the world kept spinning round. That is, until this hitch.
"My shipments have been coming up light lately, not off the boats... I am on excellent terms with my friends overseas. But when product hits the streets, the checkbooks are coming back light. I have reason to believe some of my men are skimming off the top, using or selling on their own terms and pocketing any cash from this." The aforementioned thug with the briefcase would move to quickly snatch the plastic vial from Shuichi's hands and carefully add it to the empty slot in his briefcase, before folding it shut. "Which is where you come in. I have need of your talents." Sunadokei trailed off... having barely given her 'guest' a moment to speak in edgewise. That was the nature of dealing with Sunadokei Hiyokuna, it best not to interrupt her when she's talking to someone. Especially if she's talking about yourself. "So tell me darling, do I have your attention so far?" She said, a wicked smile forming across her soft face.
If there was ever a place Shuichi didn't want to be on a Friday evening, it was amidst the throngs of gyrating bodies and booming acoustics that made up the Seventh Heaven nightclub. Any nightclub, really, though knowing who he was there to meet with was... less than comforting. Miss Sunadokei Hiyokuna was far from Shuichi's favorite person to work with on a regular basis, all too aware of the dangerous demoness lingering beneath that impressively-built surface. But Shuichi wasn't one to say no to a job; he'd never been, really, ultimately the reason he ended up in such a morally-reprehensible occupation in the first place. And, if nothing else, despite the spike of anxiety that came with Miss Hiyokuna's presence, she had always paid him well, always taken care of him, which was more than he could say about some of the bastards he regularly worked with. [break][break] And so Shuichi sucked up his misgivings, downed a few Klonopin, and stepped out of that far-too-garish-for-his-tastes limousine. [break][break] The trek to that VIP suite was less than eventful, Shuichi's stoic guide offering no reprieve from the droll that was a man who hates large crowds of people walking through a large crowd of people. He'd walked this trail a plethora of times prior, though it had been longer than normal that Sunadokei had called on his services. No one's pissed her off enough to need you, his mind noted, a grimace finding a place on the young physician's features as he weaved through the sea of moving forms, a quick recounting of those previous jobs flashing through his mind. [break][break] He was still musing on the former deeds done in the name of Miss Hiyokuna when his gaze was all-too-filled with that very same form. A faint frown found his features, briefly, as he realized they were similarly dressed in hues of purples and blacks, even sharing the choice of turtlenecks, though his was of the long-sleeve variety and was more black with purple accents than the violet top his companion adorned. [break][break] "An unfortunate byproduct of being a hot commodity," he murmured with some sarcastic, humorless lilt to his tone as he took up a relaxed position before his potential client, some attempt at masking the chaotic rumble of nerves fueling his system as he awaited the offer. A faint smile, far from expressing how uncomfortable he felt, spread across his features as he added, "Nothing personal." [break][break] Luckily Sunadokei didn't seem keen on keeping the pretense of teasing comrades-at-arms up for too long, blessing Shuichi with a quick move to the talk of business. He preferred this; jumping right in, getting the information, finishing the job as quickly as possible. Why waste time with affectionate informalities with someone he had no drive to be affectionately informal with? Even so, he almost wished he'd been given a bit of breathing time before that vial was tossed his way, his brows furrowing for a brief moment before realization struck and they shot up, emeralds finding that buxom figure before him and glinting with confusion. It wasn't often he arrived at the job and was given drugs; normally he was the one administering. [break][break] "My shipments have been coming up light lately..." [break][break] Ah, so it was going to be one of those. [break][break] "... the checkbooks are coming back light. I have reason to believe some of my men are skimming off the top..." [break][break] Shu flinched as that thug snatched back the vial, some annoyed expression crossing his features before he turned his attention back to the woman of the hour and waited patiently for the kicker, for that moment when he'd have to stifle that screaming voice in the back of his head that always tried to remind him that he didn't get into the medical field to hurt people. [break][break] "So tell me darling, do I have your attention so far?" [break][break] Ah, there it was, accompanied by such a dastardly little expression. Shu could have laughed at how perfectly discordant the woman's inner and outer displays were. He knew quite a few psychologists he was sure would find hours-worth of study material in the woman's company. [break][break] "If you didn't have my attention, I wouldn't be standing here," he replied, his tone far too defeated for a man certainly about to make an impressive amount of money. He flashed another smile, confident, if nothing else, in his ability to accomplish whatever task she set him on. "What would you have me do to help, Miss Hiyokuna?" [break][break] God, he hoped the Klonopin kicked in quickly.
[attr="class","adrie-lyric1"]Rooting out a problem
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[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]The good doctor
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[attr="class","inner-finally"]"Are you referring to yourself or me, darling?" Sunadokei retorted with a haughty chuckle, giving her acquaintance a smirk fit for a succubus. She knew well enough the two of them were in high demand, in their own special way. She provided her own self righteous and 'noble' approach to high class crime, lording over her criminal ventures with a matriarchal presence and a great disdain for disreputable conduct. And he, well... a Doctor who kept his mouth shut and traded money for morality was always in high demand. It was why they got along so well, well not really, but it was why she said they got along so well. Which was effectively the truth, because if anyone opened their mouth to question Sunadokei's point she'd have one of her men knock out their teeth for speaking out of line.
"Of course, never personal with you." She added to Shuichi's second quip, always getting her word in edgewise. "That's why I love you honey bunny, you separate work from play. You know that's something a lot of people in this profession just can't do." She laughed and placed a hand to her ample chest. "...Myself included of course. Guilty as charged. Now... where were we." She shook her head and scoffed at his remark, wagging a finger 'No.' "Oh hush, don't sell yourself short like that darling. You would too be standing here, just doubled over in pain after one of my men punched you in the gut. And I would not be so cordial or lovely to speak to, if I was still in a good mood after such rude behavior." She reprimanded him for this theoretical scenario in a mixture of mocking, condescending, and sincere tone. It was the literal truth, as she very much would have had armed thugs wrestle him into submission, toss him in the trunk of a car, and have him drug before her. Luckily both Shuichui and that car's upholstery, he was far too pragmatic for such an approach.
Sunadokei leaned back in her seat, popping another chocolate into her mouth as she mulled over the good doctor's question. She let out a content sigh as she swallowed, a rather blissful look on her face. "Simple. I have two main goals in mind. One, I must set a trap to bring these disloyal elements out of hiding so my men can apprehend them. And two, they must be made an example of, after they expend their usefulness to me." She said, interlocking her fingers and resting her chin atop them. "I have already laid the groundwork for us, so I will cut to the chase. I have reason to believe these rogue elements within my organization are looking to offload their illicit goods as quickly as possible, and are not picky when it comes to buyers. After all, they know they'd be dead men if caught with my product, wouldn't they?" She let her words hang ominously in the air for a moment, as much a warning as a statement of fact.
"As I was saying..." The woman continued. "I have recently annexed a local Bōsōzoku gang after their leader met an untimely end in a street racing accident." Sunadokei raised her hands as if to defend herself from any unspoken accusations. "Before you ask, I can assure you I had no such involvement in his demise. Merely a coincidence of circumstances is all." She was actually speaking the truth, as unlikely as that may seem. "The remaining leadership decided they were tired of being small time, and wanted to 'go big'. You know how ambitious young men can be. Now, they came to my attention and I welcome them with open arms... but first I demand loyalty." Sunadokei said, exhaling sharply through her nose. "This information is not public yet, and has only been finalized today. No one outside this rooms knows this, which is why it is key to my plans. You will pose as the leader of the Bōsōzoku, using your medical knowledge and connections to take your first formative steps into illegal narcotics distribution." Sunadokei smiled wide, always loving when her schemes unfolded before her confidants.
"Rumors have already been planting among my men that the Bōsōzoku are interested in any street level drug they can get their hands on, and have the cash to pay for it. My cash, but that is besides the point. They are the bait, to lure out the thieving bastards I once called employees. You will take the Bōsōzoku to the designated exchange point, make chitchat, organize the terms of some deal, and when the moment is right my men will swoop in and apprehend said traitors." Sunadokei then hopped up from her throne with a heavy bounce in her bust, sashaying her way towards Shuichi so she could meet him eye to eye. He was noticeably taller than her, most men were. Sunadokei was 'vertically challenged, horizontally blessed' as she liked to say, and was a modest 155cm tall. "That my friend, is when your fun truly begins. We will take the men back to a secure location, and you will extort them for information for me by any means necessary." She placed a hand to her chin, rubbing it as she thought to herself. "I'm thinking... dental torture. I trust you can manage that? I want results that are agonizing, but effective." There was a momentary pause, and she gave the man a wink. "Unless of course, you have any suggestions. You are the expert, of course..."
Shuichi could have scoffed at Sunadokei's comment about separating work and play. He would have were he not worried about the woman's potentially volatile reaction. How often had the stressors of this damnable occupation followed him home? How many nights had his sleep been interrupted by the far-too-visceral memories of the terrors he'd inflicted? How many pills had he popped to try and stay sane when not on the clock? What little he could do to keep himself distanced from his work was merely out of survival instinct; he'd not have survived this long if he didn't put up what little barriers he could manage. [break][break] The threat of violence had he not willing come was enough to tug him from his musings on self-preservation, an unamused grimace gracing his features as that threatening undertone took root in his consciousness. Shuichi had enough connections and protections from those connections that he was sure Sunadokei could, at the very least, face a plethora of problems doing something of the like, though that would most certainly only come after the meeting, and Shu had never been keen on confrontation. [break][break] Better to suck it up and bear it, his mind bitterly mused. At least you'll be getting paid. [break][break] And paid he would be; hopefully quite a bit for the amount of work Sunadokei was asking of him. Not only would he have to actually go about extracting information, but he'd be a part of the sting operation to get the traitors. It wasn't ideal. Shu didn't like to put himself at risk, even a minute amount of it. Despite his self-deprecation, his self-preservation instincts were far stronger, lending his preference towards avoiding dangerous situations. Standing in as bait for some traitorous thug operation was, again, not ideal. [break][break] But no wasn't an answer, he knew that, knew from word-of-mouth and his own firsthand observations how more likely it was for him to come out unscathed if he just went along with Sunadokei's whims. It was that knowledge the spurred him towards his acceptance of the deal, that caused that twinge of nervousness to cross his features as that woman stalked towards him, stepped too close for comfort, stared him down so intimidatingly. [break][break] "Dental would work," he agreed, knowing all too well how effective the methods were, hating how his hands had become so skilled at those extractions and adjustments that brought his victims to their knees. He glanced away, incapable of bringing himself to maintain that eye contact even as the Klonopin began to hit, began to numb those anxious spikes piercing his gut. "Makes it hard to talk, though. Fingers are a better place to start." He sighed, adding with a shrug, "We can play it by ear." [break][break] A pause, enough for Sunadokei to pose a reply if she liked, before his gaze flitted back to her violet hues. [break][break] "You're asking a lot, though," he said honestly, the narcotics giving his tongue a bit of bravery. "I don't usually like putting myself in the line of fire..." and he glanced briefly at those strong, intimidating bodies bordering the room, "... no matter how strong the protection." Those emeralds flitted back to that woman standing so dangerously close. "What's the pay?"
[attr="class","adrie-lyric1"]Rooting out a problem
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[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]The good doctor
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[attr="class","inner-finally"]Sunadokei had a rare moment of pause and reflection at the doctor's comment. She blinked twice, trying not to let show her mental facepalm. "Of course! Silly me." She said, drawing Shuichi close as she bear hugged him in a smothering embrace. Normally, such an intimate gesture was reserved for friends and loved ones. But Sunadokei liked to use such a hug as a way to demonstrate control, and power. "How could I be so forgetful?" She cooed, running her fingers through the doctor's hair. "I was so focused on the suffering, I had forgotten the results." She added with a giggle, leaning in close to whisper in his ear. "Fingers will work just fine darling." With that she smooched his cheek and withdrew from her embrace.
Sunadokei let out a haughty chuckle at the doctor's remark, running a hand through her mane of violet hair. "I always ask a lot darling. If you haven't noticed by now, it's something of my style." She nodded to herself, as she slowly began to sashay her way around Shuichi, sizing him up. "No one likes to be in the line of fire honey bunny, unless they are drugged out of their mind or have nothing left to lose." A statement of fact, or a coy jab at his addictions? The woman leaned in as though studying him. "I do hope neither applies to you." She quickly laughed and withdrew, snapping a finger as a thug walked up with a second briefcase. This one popped open and contained nothing but stacks of ten thousand yen banknotes, all nearly stacked bundled with rubber bands. "Seventeen million yen, I think that's a reasonable asking price... though I'm more than willing to negotiate." Sunadokei said with a smile, pulling out one stack of cash and thumbing through it with her fingers.
"If you absolutely refuse to go along with my little schemes, I suppose I can find someone else to carry them out." The curvy kingpin spoke with a sigh, as if informing him she may not be able to make it to prom. "But I still have need of your services in the aftermath, and for just that... I would pay your going rate." Sunadokei spoke rather matter of factly, much of her earlier playfulness fading away for the calculating nature hiding beneath. "As always, half up front... the rest on completion." With that she stuffed the stack of bills back in the briefcase with the rest, and her thug promptly clicked it shut. "So tell me darling... are in, or are you in?" Sunadokei asked ominously, a wide grin forming on her petite face.
It was wrong, the thoughts that flashed through Shuichi's mind as that woman wrapped her arms around him. He tensed, even with the narcotics taking hold of his system, debating how quickly he could get that scalpel in his back pocket through her pharynx. He didn't, of course, knowing he'd be a dead man in a matter of seconds, even as those fingers trailed through his hair, even as she whispered to him, even as she pressed those poisonous lips to his cheek. [break][break] He released the breath he'd been holding in as she mercifully backed away, his expression not losing that tensed, quiet anger. He hardly liked being in the same room as other people, let alone touched by them. Especially when the company was so disreputable. As she spoke, he spent the time calming himself, running his own hand through those long locks as if trying to weed her touch from them. He tensed, just briefly, at the "drugged out" comment, though he hides the jarred expression well enough. [break][break] Thankfully, Sunadokei didn't linger long, sashaying away after a moment of observation, her form replaced by that briefcase of cash. This he could manage; this he could understand. Had that Klonopin not started to creep its way through his system, he might have even let it lie there, been satisfied. Instead... [break][break] "I want twenty." His gaze was on that briefcase as it snapped shut, his voice far steadier than it had any right to be. His emeralds glanced in her direction, maintaining that steadiness, his arms crossing over his chest in a far more confident pose than he actually felt he deserved to brandish. "Ten million up front, five after the sting, and then the remaining five after you have your information." A pause, Shuichi trying not to gag on his words. "Seems like a good deal between friends to me."
