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Majima Goro	SOTENBORI Welcome to Sotenbori. Do you like food? Because this is your tourist trap food destination. It's a massive line of anything you'd like to eat, all along the main road. Besides that, er, there's...a couple bridges? A golfing place? An arcade? You *are*, in the end, in Osaka. It's the backwater 'I guess' part of Japan. The kind of place where the local accent translates to 'southern American hick'. Sure, it's still modern day urban Japan, but you can distinctly feel the step back about ten years. Next question: 'Why am I here?' This is a great sort of question to ask! Here's some possibilities. CONCORD: This is Omi Alliance territory. If you're hoping to have some idea how big of the rhino is coming to a place Majima would like to see not destroyed, not a bad plan. Actually going to Omi Alliance HQ might be one of those things you want to turn into an Actual Day Of It, and out of the scope of today's sojourn, unless you want to make a unilateral effort with the other people here. However, just skulking about looking for cheap suits to make an example out of might get you the kind of information you want. WATCH Are you the Machinegun Kid? Because the Korean guys you dealt with last time probably aren't backed by the Tojo Clan, so they gotta be working with somebody, and the Omi Alliance are the next big bet. Finding someone to shake down might get useful answers. What's with the cop cars around that office building, anyway? If you're not, not only is there always opportunity to help the downtrodden directly being beaten on the street, there's always the chance of finding someone who just needs a helping hand. There's a lot going on in this town. Some of it's been going on for a very long time. PALADINS Maybe you're Lilian Rook. You /very/ much would probably like to know more about this massive impending army of Yakuza. You still probably don't want to rush the Omi head-on, even if you could, but Paladin contacts /did/ give a hint the Osaka PD is doing a bust on a small family. What's curious is, they certainly did *not* go out of their way to inform the Paladins that they're completely unnecessary. No direct request for help or anything, though. Those aren't the only options. They're just the glowing marks on the map. If you're so inclined, it's a whole precinct of shenanigans to get into.
Cordelay Levail	Cordelay takes in the sights as she walks the streets of Sotenbori, obviously very interested in the unfamiliar scenery. Her blonde hair, green eyes and enthusiastic surverying of the surroundings mark her as 'definitely not from around here,' though her unusual clothes for the area make her look like a cosplayer or something. Either way she has an expression of almost wonder as she looks around at this world she's never seen before.
Big Boss	Machinegun Kid is, in fact, Machinegun Kid. He's here today to investigate the Omi Alliance, to see who is in charge and if they had anything to do with his framing. While he does that, he knows that Big Boss is probably hunting him down - it's clear that the men MGK are hunting are those his possibly-former commander would like to work with. For now, the blonde British man heads over towards the police cars surrounding the office building. He stays out of the way of the cordon, at first, duffelbag on his back, as he picks up a burner from his bag and calls a contact. He wants to know a bit about what's going on and if it has anything to do with the Omi specifically, and who to talk to that might be able to help him and not turn him away, as his eyes and ears move to pick up the more mundane signals of 'what's going on at the outside part'.
Robin Sundance	Sotenbori! Out of the way!      Sotenbori! Out in the sticks!      Sotenbori! Nothing here!      Sotenbori! So the best way to find something interesting...is to be something interesting!      And a competent thief here is definitely something interesting.      He's not even being subtle about it. The extremely pretty man is anything but subtle. His scarf trails rainbow light. His hair is the color of unspoiled snow. His hazel eyes catch the flashing lights. There's a flower in his hand. There's a lady in his arm.      And he is leading a whole bunch of gangsters on a merry chase.                           SIDESTORY X: SUN DANCING                                "Oh la la~," the white-haired man says cheerily as he hops over a stall like he's in an action movie; the woman gets to experience being upside down very, very briefly. "Did I do something to offend, monsieurs~?"      TWO MINUTES AGO:      "La madamoiselle said she was not interested, monsieurs. But if you are so eager to remove your pants, allow me to help, non?"      Toro Yamatame looks down.      He looks up at the white-haired man.      His belt is missing.      The white-haired man dangles it cheerily as he scoops up the lady in one arm. "Madamoiselle, excusez-moi. <3"      The white-haired man, woman in arm, goes bounding out of the alleyway. Toro Yamatame moves to chase-      -and falls flat on his face, his pants around his ankles.      "GET THAT FOREIGN MOTHERFUCKER!"      RIGHT NOW:      The Frenchman, and his impromptu date for the evening, and a whole pack of angry Japanese thugs, come swinging around into the main street. The Frenchman is laughing merrily as he hops onto a bus stop and goes flitting ahead.      "Shit!" One of the gangsters swears, "Call the other guys! Get 'em here on the double! No foreign fuck makes a fool out of us on our turf!"
Yuuki Kuran	Kuran Yuuki, Concord Director and also terrible shoujo meddler, has made it yet another personal crusade to fix the problems in Majima's life. Step one of winning forever and never stopping winning is meeting everyone you can! But Yuuki has no idea how to get the attention of the Omi Alliance, no clear directive towards their base, and no way to just point a 'get me there' directive of her own out. She has to do it the hard way. So, with a short cut snow-white half-jacket and black long-sleeved underlayer that swooshes out into hanging wrists, silver belt and black buckle, snow-white shorts and black leggings. It's a very black-and-white Action Ensemble, like Yuuki has stepped off of a shoujo manga cover. The tiny black teacup tophat with white lace balanced on her head definitely gives that game away. But she has no direction, today. Instead, she taps both fingers to her temples, rubs them in cartoonish concentration, and screws up her face. "If I'm in Sotenbori, I should be like Majima... And if I want to be like Majima, he'd be---!" A breeze picks up, a dark missile of forboding energy boiling towards the car-cordon... and passes it by with a woosh. The dark missile of bat-screeching shadow approaches the swearing goons and the mysterious Frenchman. And passes him by. To stop at a food cart right next door. "Master! One yakitori, please!" Yuuki beams, holding up an otherwise-unmarked black credit card with a single gold strip. It radiates Money Power.
Karlan Nobles	After their last trip into Kamurocho, taking a trip to Sotenbori seemed like the next natural step. Why? No real reason. At least, Pramanix hasn't let slip her actual reasons for coming, although the frequent glances around and occasional troubled looks when she sees someone vaguely familiar, but not quite similar to someone else aren't missed by SilverAsh. Besides, she doesn't seem as off-put by her brother's existence this time around. It could be a good sign for him. "I must say, the waterways here are a much easier sight than the constant bright lights of Kamurocho. It's an idyllic sight, although I can't help but wonder what might be lurking beneath the surface." "That's a little morbid. Just because it's probably true doesn't mean you should say it." Pramanix replies with a light grimace, diverting eyes from the water towards the colorfully-lit buildings instead. So many people to watch, so many smells to try and ignore, so many police cars gathered in one place... The last one has her doing a double take. Not because of the number of cop cars, but because she could've sworn she saw someone looking distinctly not-local nearby. A trick of the light, perhaps? She can't risk spooking whoever it is, though, until she can confirm if that's MGK or just a weird coincidence. She scurries over to an alley down the block, leaning out of it to try and see what's going on without being seen herself. SilverAsh, meanwhile, just stands right in the middle of the street, trying not to think too hard about how this all looks from a different camera angle.
Majima Goro	*chung chung*      CORDELAY LEVAIL Daughter of Sartaire Levail Yep. Being foreign in Japan is a weird experience. Luckily, she's not getting accosted for having two swords on her back--mostly because they look excruciatingly fancy enough to Probably Be Fake. Walking through Sotenbori at night is an unironically thrilling experience. Crowds milling through, the scents of frankly magnificent restaurants. There's roughly two meaningful options to pick from; there is a small gang of hoodlums--and I mean, obnoxiously patterned shirts, wooden swords, one guy has a knife? Clearly intimidating a street vendor over some supposed boiling water incident, but--well, if that doesn't interest you, there's now a second incredibly fancy foreigner practically prancing down the street in the warrior's direction, and things might be getting a little heated in a moment. MACHINEGUN KID: "What?" Machinegun Kid's contact sounds concerned. "Are you in Sotenbori *right now*? Okay. Bad time. I mean, there's never a good time, but right now there's some weird shit going on. Omi Alliance is about to fracture. Your cop cars out there are... okay, that's looking like there was some intra-family shit, and someone called the cops. Some guy in there just got ratted out on some serious fraud charges, and mysteriously got expelled from the Omi Alliance. Osaka PD's sent a woman called the Yakuza Huntress in there. Real vendetta, that one." The cops have started to file out of their cards to block the entrance. There are nearby alleyways with sufficient Things To Climb On that he can try to beat the cops in. ... Loading ... Loading ... Loading ...
Ben d'Tarkanan	Ben takes a moment to soak in the sights. Sure, this place is a little less ritzy than what he's seen so far. And, sure, maybe it's even a little gaudy--intended to part travelers with their money. But if there's one thing he learned from his last visit, it's that you can find useful information in the least likely of places.      So it is, that he and two Tarkanan underlings--a bald human man named Breyten and a silver-haired elven woman named Lia--have come to the Grand Cabaret in search of leads for their current pursuit of finding a suitable chair for the Tojo clan. Everything he gleaned from Lilian and Dojima last time implies that they're going to set the latter up as a puppet ruler. While he generally likes Lilian, something tells him Majima wouldn't stand for a Tojo Clan managed by a Paladin.      The three Tarkanans are dressed in tailored suits more akin to what one would find here in Kamurocho, owing to Ben's wealth. No efforts have been taken to conceal Ben's peacebound sword, Lia's oaken wands, or their Dragonmarks--red markings which toe the line between scars and tattoos. Each is different; Breyten's on his right hand, resembling a glacier. Lia's on the left side of her face, like faces howling in despair. Ben's, on the back of his neck, disappearing below the collar of his suit, like smoke rising from a fire.      The best way to get noticed in these places is to spend a lot of money. So... drinks and company for everyone, and let them know who did it. What shakes out?
Big Boss	"So, this is going to be chaotic. Thanks. I owe you one." MGK ends the call once he has the information, disposes of the burner because he has others, and moves to climb. As he moves, Pramanix will be able to catch a full glimpse of him. That's definitely Machinegun Kid. He leaps onto a dumpster, grabs a pipe, kicks off a wall, and sidles through an alleyway window if he gets a chance, trying to beat the cops in. He makes sure his prized duffelbag is still there. He doesn't want to fight the Yakuza Huntress - no, he wants her help. If he's going to find the truth, he needs an ally that despises the Yakuza as much as he's starting to, if not moreso. If Machinegun Kid can get inside, and isn't immediately spotted, he'll move into stealth mode, and look for cover and a place to crawl. He wants as much of an advantage as he can get.
Cordelay Levail	Cordelay spots the gang of thugs engaged in their intimidation scheme and steps up with a small smile. "Is there a problem, gentlemen? What could be so important that it necessitates drawing weapons?" She doesn't look very intimidating at first glance - her swords do look like cosplay accessories with those chains on the hilts - but there's a hint of steel in her polite smile. "Let us discuss this calmly and rationally, /shall we?/" There's an edge to her voice too now that's completely at odds with her pretty and calm appearance.
Majima Goro	*chung chung*     ROBIN SUNDANCE THIEF OF STOLEN SMILES Congratulations on fitting right into life around here. Two minutes ago, you stole a man's belt. Then you stole a woman into the main street in your arms. The group behind the thief has grown to about a dozen men, three of whom are on their cell phones. In about five minutes, a few are going to come out of a very, very fancy place down the street called the 'GRAND Cabaret'. They're going to be in much better suits, one of them looks like he even has a real gun, and the other one's got an actual sword. Almost like they're More Important. One is on his cell phone, clearly talking to the other guy behind you. *chung chung*      YUUKI KIRAN DIRECTOR OF THE CONCORD Yuuki, conveniently, has placed herself in the middle of the Sotenbori Main Street Conflict. The yakitori vendor, who had up until this point been getting intimidated by a small gang, looks to her. It is awkward. He wants to sell the yakitori, but, also, he's being shaken down for protection money. It has also irritated the nearby yakuza, one of whom adjusts his glasses and pulls a knife out. "Hey. We're busy here. Find another vendor." PRAMANIX: The answer to 'what is lurking beneath' has an actual answer, but it may not be a strictly legal facility, and noone's used it in decades. There's Probably Nothing Really Weird. The police from Pramanix's perspective are--well, the same as the Machinegun Kid saw. They're slowly starting to filter in. A woman with brown hair, sharp suit, and a wooden sword has stepped out of one of the police cars. She's walking in first, and has no firearms on her person. The Osaka PD seem roughly deferential of her. Weird. ... Loading .. Loading.. Loading..
Majima Goro	BEN d'TARKANAN     It turns out, as Ben tries to throw Wealth at the problem, that--they're very grateful to take his money, and appreciate it, except... Someone's already done that. There's a large man in an off-yellow suit, bright yellow-framed glasses, waving a fan around on one of the biggest tables. He's Obnoxiously Rich. You can feel it wafting off of him frmo across the club. He's talking to a different man in a white and black suit. Like Ben, he also has a large sword on him. There's about six in each man's retinue, and the man in the white suit looks frustrated. "Stop drawin' so much attention, I'm not supposed to be here," He says. "Ah, shut up. If I didn't throw this money around, *that* would be suspicious. Here, dry your tears." He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a ten thousand yen bill to actually try to wipe the other man's face with it. His hand is slapped away. White suit man looks pretty stressed. The moment is tense. Violence may erupt... And then there's a phone call, and three of Gold-Suit man's retinue leave out into the street. CORDELAY: Just as Yuuki got the look, so does Cordelay. "Sure. You can calmly and rationally fuck off," He says, waving his hand dismissively. "This whole town's gone to shit since those fuckin' gates showed up. Noone's got any respect." "Yeah, boss! Noone!" Apparently, merely being threatening and having weapons doesn't get you anywhere in a town where three or four streetfights enroute to the grocery store is Majima's expected average. MACHINEGUN KID: It's almost like literally nobody in Japan expects parkour bullshit breakins. The window isn't even locked. He's inside a...fairly normal looking office building, honestly. The lights are on, there's cubicles. Computers. A sealed wooden door with frosted glass from which the following is overheard. "What're you gonna do, Boss?" "Calm the fuck down. It's just the cops. I've got ten million yen in here for them to turn their heads and agree to get a fancier warrant before coming back." "And if they don't, Boss?" "Shut the fuck up. If they don't, then we deal with it." Breaking into -that- room through a window would require climbing back around outside, but it's very doable. Busting in first would work, but simply waiting around might give the Kid a chance to talk to this famous police officer.
Karlan Nobles	That is definitely him. Pramanix scoots out of that alley almost immediately as MGK starts scaling that building in the distance, trying not to look too suspicious and a bit more touristy by pretending to look at nearby signs in passing. SilverAsh follows closely behind her, taking note of the police and the brown-haired woman roughly at the same time as Pramanix does in passing. It's not until Pramanix also starts trying to scale that same building (albeit clumsily), that he finally speaks up. "Sister, what are you doing?" Crap. She forgot he was there. She remains stock still with her arms up on the dumpster and one leg draped over it in mid-climb. "N... Nothing suspicious?" She clears her throat and struggles to come up with a reasonable excuse for all of that, only letting out a surprised noise when SilverAsh moves underneath the window and gestures at her to approach. "Please. Don't make me regret this." SilverAsh lets out a resigned sigh as he gestures at Pramanix to approach, the sister hesitating for a moment before taking that offered assistance and boost to get in through that same window. "It'll be alright. The goddess is watching over me, I'm sure." Pramanix answers, then gets to work in trying to tail MGK further! Quietly, of course, even if her dress and coat are on the chunkier side. SilverAsh, meanwhile, just sighs and shakes his head. He's going to go grab some food in the meantime.
Yuuki Kuran	Yuuki tries to menu through being accosted by random people. Cordelay was here! It was clear to her that this, more than any other place, was probably where Real Warriors got street food. There's a knife drawn on her, which she slowly pans to with her eyes, then snaps up to look at the man. There's a smile on her face. "Cordelay, I'm so glad you're here. I'll handle ordering food, and you can ask these nice men -- any one of them is fine -- if they're local Yakuza. I'd love to do some sightseeing at Omi Alliance HQ, so if one of you could show me the way, that'd be great!" Then, pointedly ignoring the knife, she turns back to the vendor. "Yes, three yakitori please. One for Cordelay, one for me, and one for our mysterious man-friend to show us to Omi Alliance HQ!" She says it loud enough that it's audible on Main Street, using her Protagonist Voice.
Robin Sundance	"Alons-y~"      "You must do better than that, monsieurs~"      The white-haired foreigner hops backwards off another bus stop and flags down a cab. The men chasing him have to go through a big enough crowd that he's got a few seconds.      The cab comes to a stop.      Robin pops open the door, slips the lady inside, and tosses her a bunch of yen. "Bonsoir, madamoiselle. I'll treasure our time together~."      Then he closes the door and whirls to meet the oncoming men. One hand goes behind his back. The other rises with a wallet.      He flicks his fingers.      He fans out a whole lot of wallets.      The thugs will immediately recognize that those wallets belong to them.      The foreigner winks over the fanned-out wallets and hops onto a lamp post-      -and a cold, bat-screeching shadow goes rushing past, and throws him completely off his game. The shadow is an ominous blade cutting right through the action, right through the tension. The thief slumps forward, fingers going to his forehead. "Oh la la," he moans, "The mood is all ruined now."      With a disinterested flick of his hands, he discards the wallets down onto the thugs, crouching atop the lamppost.      He has most definitely purloined all of their identities, and he most definitely emptied all of their money to give to the lady, and he is most definitely still holding Toro Yamatame's belt in one hand.      The foreigner taps his finger against his brow. Well, when in doubt, follow the most interesting thing in the area (besides himself~).      The thief skips along the lampposts casually after the shadow. The shadow is much more interesting than the little game he made for himself. He hooks the belt around the lamp nearest the yakitori card, slides down the lamp, and slips the belt back around his waist.      "Ah, madamoiselle!" The foreigner spreads his arms at Yuuki. One hand goes in front of him. The other hand behind him. He bows low and polite. "A pleasure to see you again, madamoiselle. And a pleasure to meet your lovely acquaintance."      Cordelay has a flower in her hair.      "Robin Sundance," he adds to Cordelay, "Bonjour~."      He straightens, turns, and leans on the yakitori cart, the chase, the gentlemen about to emerge from Grand Cabaret, and the protection racket completely ignored save for a whole lot of (stolen) money sliding into the cart-owner's hands.      Yuuki starts throwing around keywords.      Robin decides this is now The Most Interesting Thing Going On, and leans forward expectantly.
Yuuki Kuran	Yuuki's hand is taken, and she beams, placing her card at the vendor's tray and forgetting about it for a moment. She doesn't even look. "Ah! See? A gentleman." She holds out her hand, fingers lightly down-curled, to Robin. "Pick this one, Cordelay, he's pretty! You... do know where Omi Alliance HQ is, right?"
Robin Sundance	"Not a clue, madamoiselle, mais I am sure one of the..."      Robin peeks around the crowd.      "Several," he settles on,      "Friends I have made in the last few minutes will know, oui."
Big Boss	Once in, crouching behind a cubicle, the pistol comes out as soon as Machinegun Kid notices someone behind him. Luckily, it's just Pramanix, so he quickly lowers it when he sees her and her companion. "It's you. Been a while." He's kinda terse. "Voice down, head low. They're going to try and bribe the police - but it's the Yakuza Huntress coming in. She has a vendetta - she probably won't take it. This will put her in danger. We're going to give her a hand, and secure her cooperation in taking down the Omi Alliance and the Koreans causing problems, the ones who framed me." He's not even asking for their consent! They entered after him, they're in on the plan, that's how it works. So, instead, Machinegun Kid watches the door. He wants to make sure this goes cleanly, though a spec-ops commando is absolutely the worst choice for trying to diplomacy with the cops.
Cordelay Levail	Cordelay looks flustered for just a moment as Robin appears and a flower materializes in her hair, then nods to him. "Cordelay Levail, a pleasure to meet you." She then turns back to the yakuza and says in a voice now noticeably laced with danger, "Since you seem unwilling to see reason, it seems an ultimatum is necessary. Put your weapons away, tell us everything you know about the Omi Alliance headquarters, and walk the other direction." She smiles again, but this time it's the smile she wears when she's anticipating battle. It somehow radiates excitement, refinement and savagery all at once, an unspoken message hanging in the air: 'Try something, I /dare/ you.'
Yuuki Kuran	Yuuki's hand is probably taken and kissed, because Robin can take Reactions off his turn, and smiles gently towards him. "Okay, then, Robin Sundance. Find me Omi Alliance HQ and I'll buy you yakitori!" She has already bought the Yakitori. "I'm Yuuki, by the way." She winks. "Cross Yuuki."
Robin Sundance	"Ah, madamoiselle," Robin tugs at his rainbow scarf cheerily, "Nothing would make me happier than to eat yakitora with a pair of beautiful ladies under the Sotenbori lights."      He stands up, flicks out his hand, and pushes his fingers against his forehead. "I suppose then I must work overtime, madamoiselle Yuuki, madamoiselle Levail, if I am to enjoy such a pleasant night, non?"
Karlan Nobles	Has she been spotted already? Luckily, it's just by Machinegun Kid, and Pramanix waves lightly before sliding in through thewindow completely with a quieter landing than would be expected from everything she's wearing and how distinctly un-stealthy she looks. "Are you doing alright, friend? I was... Ah. Right." Nodding quickly, she keeps low to the ground as she scoots over to fall in line behind him, stroking her chin at his plan. "Yakuza Huntress... I might have seen her earlier. Brown hair, suit, wooden sword. It looked like the police were ready to let her call the shots." Pramanix relays that information to MGK quietly, keeping her eyes peeled and watching the area behind MGK to cover their blind spots. She hesitates a bit before asking one more thing just as quietly. "Have you heard anything from Big Boss?"
Ben d'Tarkanan	"Looks like someone else had the same idea," Lia notes coolly, nodding across the establishment at the yellow-suited man.      "Not to worry," says Ben with his usual air of unflappability. "Someone like that might be just who we're looking for." The only concern is that it looks as though the man in yellow is trying to avoid attention. An outsider, and the only other man with the kind of money to match his, just approaching that table brazenly... why, it would surely be just the opposite of what that man wants.      Then again... IS that a problem? It might be just the leverage he needs. "Come with me a moment, please," he orders Breyten and Lia. They get up, form up on him Mob Style, and the three of them approach the table.      "Please forgive my interruption," begins Ben, approaching the table with a suggestion spell. It's best to use those subtly. He offers a formal bow, hand over his heart. "I'm Baron Ben d'Tarkanan, of the Sharn Tarkanans, and I'm here on business, as I can see the two of you are. Might I ask, assuming it's not poor form, of course--which family do you serve?" His underlings cast glances towards the door, curious about what might be going on outside.
Majima Goro	YUUKI KIRAN, CORDELAY, ROBIN SUNDANCE: This is absolutely a quality place for a meal after a hard several minutes of street-fighting, honestly. One of the guys just...stares at Yuuki, uncomprehendingly, holding his serving of yakitori. "Heh. If you wanna die, little girl," He manages to recover some poise by eating his entire skewer in a single scoop, "...then I won't make you drive all the way out to HQ to do it!" He is now armed with a wooden skewer. Good job, this Yakuza. The second yakuza looks to Cordelay, slowly drawing a knife. "...Everything I know? Heh. Here's what I know. Couple foreign girls messin' with the Omi Alliance're gonna show up on the news found dead in the river. How's that sound?" He is, apparently, at the very least, absolutely willing to lunge forward with a knife and take a swing. Meanwhile, Robin successfully deposits the woman in a cab. The cab driver has a Look, the kind of look you get when this isn't the first time you've had to deal with this shit. He drives off almost sullenly. Toro Yamatame continues to wave the goons along, up until the crowd of thugs behind Robin has made its way up to the three combing from the Cabaret. The three better suited thugs start cracking knuckles. The discussion has become audible. "Yeah, they're foreign. Been a bunch of 'em snoopin' round since Terada died. Fuckin' traitor deserved it." One of them cocks some kind of pistol. Is it a real gun? It wasn't when he bought it, but it's been illegally modified. He raises it, aiming specifically for the flashy thief, and pulls the trigger. The Sotenbori crowds of innocents, usually /thrilled/ for the opportunity to watch a street fight, start scattering. They know when to avoid being collateral damage. ... Loading ... Loading .. Loading ...%
Cordelay Levail	As the yakuza draws his knife, Cordelay's eyes flash with excitement and malice. With the ingrained reflexes of a warrior trained from early childhood her hand snaps out and seizes his wrist, twisting it brutally. At the same time she grabs his other arm and pulls him around so he's facing away from her and close enough to feel her breath on his neck. "That was a mistake." Her grip tightens even further, to a painful degree. "Since you've proven to be no more than bandits, I feel no reason to show you mercy. You will all tell us everything you know or I will break every bone in your body before throwing you in the river yourself." To prove her point, Cordelay deliberately puts more pressure on the yakuza's wrist with the intent to break it. "/Understand?/"
Lilian Rook	Despite the fact that Lilian already had a perfectly period-fashionable outfit last time, she's gone and bought another one, because you don't wear the same one twice in a row for overseas OVA specials. That means you're too poor to change out of your main character duds. Only the jacket is the same. Largely, this is because it means she looks local from behind (and also Tamamo picked that one out of the three she couldn't decide on).     What she's up to is still for the Concord to sweat. It could be anything from some 5d chess play to help the Tokyo PD bust the yakuza, or it could be literally having a proxy gang war with the Concord; it's very much up in the air when she's acting solo, rather than flashing a Paladins badge. Unfortunately, she doesn't need to zone in on a specific target that's at-contest right at this moment --this is unfortunate for everyone else, because it means that all she has to do is absorb the chaos they generate by being there.     Yeah no shit she recognizes the Director of the Concord. She'd have been tailing her, if it was at all necessary to stay in line of sight or even remotely difficult to occupy space on a food market street, so really what she's doing can't even be construed as tailing. It's occupying the other end of a crowd. Food (again, having called Tamamo to recommend) in hand, opposite the beady, watchful eyes of a small murder of crows camped out near the police pileup, soaking in the charmingly vintage tourist trap vibes and . . .     Looking for two things in particular, after a fashion. Though she need not ask out loud. Dark secrets, hidden anxieties, and boiling emotions and ambitions are the strongest of readings to her particularly uncanny, in the classical sense, supernatural 'hunting scent' for the human heart. If Yuuki's just going to throw the name around over and over again, she'll immediately pick out of the crowd who is reacting to it, even --especially-- internally. In the down periods, she's skimming the collective consciousness of the area for immediate memories of 'real swords' or 'robot hands', but not at the same time.     Also she gets to watch a no doubt soon to be very stupid street fight, and Robin's pantsing escapades in the meantime. Just chewing street food and staring like an absolute shitter.     Up until someone fires a gun anyways. "I thought Japan was supposed to hate those." Lilian moans to herself. To the relevant enforcer though, she says, from uncomfortably close during the crowd stampede. "Of course. After all, with the way he was handling the money, pushing up daisies was the best favour he could do the Tojo Clan, am I right?"
Majima Goro	MEANWHILE, IN THE OFFICE BUILDING: Pramanix and the Kid hunch down. The first one to walk in is the woman in question. *chung chung*     KAORU SAYAMA    LEAD DETECTIVE, OSAKA POLICE DEPARTMENT She strides in, only stopping for a second before the door. There's a moment, where she looks just to where the two Watch operatives--and one ex-Watch, we suppose--, are hidden, but...she doesn't seem to notice anything off. She adjusts her collar, and... With a spinning backwards roundhouse kick, the door is knocked off its hinges. The Kid and Pramanix watch a large man in a suit and a crap haircut behind a desk. He doesn't seem too concerned. "...I got ten million yen that says to stop squawking." The Huntress does not seem too concerned. His lackey throws a punch. She ducks under it, throws him casually over her shoulder, draws the wooden sword, and then slams it down. The man behind the desk seems unconcerned. "Alright, girlie. In that case, I also spent ten million yen on *another* solution." What he draws is--very much wrong. It shouldn't be here. It's some weird glowing green syringe. He jabs himself in the arm with it, and immediately slumps forward. "...Hey. Hey. This doesn't--this doesn't feel right, hold on..." As he raises his head, and stands up again...his eyes are bulging. There's something starting to form on his shoulder. He's turning a peculiar shade of green, his muscles starting to push outwards. "T.....the fuck is this! I'm supposed to be an unstoppa..unstop...aaaagggh!" A large, shambling zombie man draws near, when you expected a normal Yakuza man. Command? ... Loading ... Loading .. Loading ...
Majima Goro	ALL ABOUT THE BENS, BABY: The two--clearly officers, even if one's obviously the wealthier, look to Ben. At first, there's an obvious reach on the white suited man's part for a weapon, but the suggestion he forgives the interruption takes hold rather easily. It takes the golden-suited man a moment longer, but he visibly relaxes, leaning back as he fans himself. "Well. Sit down, Mister Baron, ha -ha HA-!" Sengoku laughs, and a sizable bottle of champagne is passed over from the pile he's been buying all night. *chung chung* TORANOSUKE SENGOKU PATRIARCH OF THE SENGOKU FAMILY "You haven't heard of me? Heh. That's a shame. Toranosuke Sengoku. Omi Alliance, Patriarch of the Sengoku Family. Here I figured you wanted to borrow money or some shit." The white suit man adjusts his collar almost nervously, but some sort of bubbling anger beneath takes over. "...Yeah, this is shit between the Nishikiyama Family of the Tojo Clan and this guy. Not you. Whoever you are." *chung chung* KOJI SHINDO SECOND PATRIARCH OF THE NISHIKIYAMA FAMILY He grits his teeth. "So. What do you want that's so important you're willing to get yourself killed over it?"
Big Boss	"...No." Machinegun Kid replies to Pramanix. There's a feeling he may ask her something, when the Huntress comes in, kicks the door down, and takes down a lackey quickly. And then the boss injects himself with something... And it goes horribly wrong. He zombifies. "Shit! Pramanix, I need slow, freeze his limbs." Machinegun Kid says as he suddenly rushes into position, draws his pistol (machinegun is in the duffelbag, so would take too long), and starts firing into the zombie's chest. If it doesn't show results, as if he's becoming a walking tank, he starts firing into the man's head. "Huntress, I'm on your side. Do what you can to subdue him, I've got more firepower in my duffelbag should we need it." If the Huntress pays attention at all - his every shot is that of a skilled operative. Whoever this guy who was hiding is, he's got gun skills and can keep cool under pressure.
Karlan Nobles	"I was afraid of that..." Pramanix sounds disappointed at the response, but not surprised. "What is that man thinking...?" She murmurs to herself, momentarily distracted just long enough thatshe nearly jumps out of her skin when the doors breaks open. It seems like the Huntress has the situation under control at first, but then... Green juicing happens. With the battle lines drawn and a plan set, she wastes little time in springing to her feet and pulling her bell off her belt. The ringing begins, and the wind inexplicably begins to blow inside the room. It takes a little longer for it to start getting colder as well, but once it does, the interior of thatroom starts to become more like the outside and then some, snow and sleet billowing around the zombieman in an attmpt to freeze his legs to the floor and his arms in general. "A pleasure to meet you friend. Let's save the pleasantries for after this, shall we?" Grabbing a chair with her free hand, she continues murmuring a quiet prayer before flinging it at the zombieman as well. It's not a particularly strong throw since it's just one hand, but... Well. She had to do something with that hand. MEANWHILE SilverAsh is enjoying some fried chicken outside. "I could get used to these simpler delights..."
Majima Goro	SOTENBORI SHUFFLE: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHWsYeVts0k It begins. Cordelay has, strangely, not managed to intimidate this thug too much with merely 'causing his arm to bend the wrong way, with clear intent to break limbs.' "...Tough words." He quickly snaps his head back to try to headbutt the warrior, while his buddy swings a baseball bat from--somewhere, while Cordelay's distracted. "But it takes more than words to survive *these* streets!" These may not be highly-trained warriors, but if you can't handle having your bones obviously broken and having your head slammed in a car door, you probably moved out of Sotenbori like, ten years ago, and gave up the Yakuza life. Yuuki and Robin can discuss their yakitori while the rest of the crowd starts to move in. There's probably exactly enough time to have one more pithy exchange before this one guy staggers in to throw a haymaker. "I'm not lettin' some fucks walk over me just cause they're from some shithole with dragons and shit!" The answer to 'who is reacting' to the Omi Alliance name is simple. It's...well, everybody, but every yakuza here is pretty clearly with the Omi. What's interesting is 'real swords' and 'robot hands'. This is to say, /everyone/ remembers Ryuji Goda with a Real Sword. That's a long time thing. There's a few weaker memories of Ryuji Goda With A Weird Fucking Robot Hand, and the only people who aren't discarding them are the clear newbies of the group. Whatever's going on with this duality, it's very, very recent.
Ben d'Tarkanan	Ben takes a seat with Sengoku, graciously accepting the offer of a champagne pour. He lifts his glass with a reverent nod of his head. "Nothing so gauche, Sir Sengoku," he says after a chaste sip. "But it is as Sir Shindo says--indeed, a matter of life and death. I'm a friend of the Tojo Clan, though it's no surprise you haven't heard of me or my family. Tarkanan isn't an Earth name, you see!" His subordinates smile faintly behind him.      "I've come with grave news--I'll let this speak for itself." He retrieves the suicide ring worn by the man he defeated in the Milennium Tower, and places it on the table, sliding it towards Shindo. He's not sure who it was on the phone with that man--so observing the reactions of these two to seeing that ring should be interesting. "There's more, but I dare not say it aloud--so allow me to convey it in writing. Breyten, my stationery, if you please?"      The human goon is used to these sorts of meetings. So as not to give any of the Sengoku or Nishikiyama retinues the wrong idea, Breyten lifts his blazer with one hand, showing the guards that indeed, he's just getting paper and a fountain pen. These are handed to Ben. He scrawls a note for Shindo: Acting chair of Tojo Clan does not want position. Daigo Dojima compromised by outside actor. Clan needs strong leadership with legitimate claim. How can I help?      There is a second part of that note, which doesn't affect Shindo at all. But any prying eyes trying to read it will see, at the bottom, a peculiar symbol that doesn't look like any particular language. The sight of this symbol, for unauthorized eyes instills a compulsion:      Forget you ever saw this note.
Majima Goro	COMPLETE DEPARTURE FROM YAKUZA GAME GENRE(?) OFFICE: Kaoru Sayama looks to Some Kid With A Gun, snapping out of her brief reverie. "...Okay." She seems more than willing to trust the situation, marching towards the zombie even as the Kid fires. As soon as she figures out he's a good shot, she's able to work with it. The bullets land, pus-filled blobs on his chest burst, and they're hurting, but the headshots are doing much better, staggering him each time--until in his chemically-transformed haze, he realizes he can just block his head with his arms. Then Pramanix's winds cut in, the cold freezing around. Sayama stops for just a moment, but shakes herself out of it. This is weird shit, but she has priorities. Priorities like swinging her sword to those now-frozen blocking arms. "I'll try to get his arms out of the way. On the count of three, aim for his head again! Do--whatever it is you're doing!" The instructions come to the two of them, as the policewoman struggles to, if nothing else, possibly bash off one of the arms. It'll take her about the right amount of time it'd take to line up some /really/ good shot, if you had something fancy.
Cordelay Levail	Cordelay lowers her head as the thug she's holding snaps his own back, causing the back of his skull to strike her forehead rather than her nose. Baseball bat guy is a little luckier in that he manages to bash her shoulder as she twists out of the way of the worst of the blow and throws her grapple victim at him. "How foolish." She murmurs, drawing her swords and giving that battle-crazed grin again. "With that sort of killing intent, I certainly won't hold back. I only need a few of you alive to question, after all." As the Omi yakuza close in Cordelay lashes out with her swords like a steel whirlwind, parrying what she can and acrobatically dodging what she can't. She snaps one of her sword-chains out to wrap around baseball bat guy's bat arm and drag him in closer, her other blade aimed for his heart with precision of a surgeon and the callousness of a trained killer. Throughout all of it Cordelay still wears that mad smile, looking like she's having the time of her life. "Mere bandits stand no chance against me, the daughter of the Dragon. I will show you the difference between you and I, who has stood victorious on battlefield after battlefield!"
Big Boss	The bullets are working, but he's blocking. But as the ice freezes him, and Sayama shouts out, Machinegun Kid mentally counts. One bullet left. He takes aim. Precision shooting. He's a guy who uses a machinegun, but he knows how to use a pistol. He waits for the signal. As soon as the arm is out of the way- Bang. One bullet, straight for the zombie-man's eye, moving to pierce through it and preferably his brain and kill him, hopefully with the help of an attack from Pramanix to finish it!
Robin Sundance	Robin, who quite legitimately has no idea what kind of complex web he's run headlong into on what is more or less a whim (though, granted, a whim based on saving someone, which is really less a whim and more an Obligation Enforced By Moral And Emotional Standards), is absolutely about to give Lilian the stupid street fight she wants.      The belt he stole from Toro comes snapping off as Toro and his thugs approach. He whistles over his shoulder at Cordelay and blows her a two-finger kiss. "Lovely madamoiselle, would you handle the ones behind, and I will handle the ones on this side, and Madamoiselle Yuuki..."      He flashes a smile at her. "I imagine you will do as you please, oui?"      One hand snags the yakitori. The other snaps the belt like a bullfighter. "Bonjour, monsieurs. I did not introduce myself before."      The man comes swinging in. Robin sidesteps him. The belt lashes out to grab the man by the wrist before the blow can get near Yuuki. A bite of yakitori disappears into Robin's mouth.      "Je m'appelle Robin Sundance. I have twenty-four years of age, I love flowers, and I am Masked Ranger Thief, the thief who steals back the smiles of the downtrodden."      Robin slips into the crowd of thugs massing around him fearlessly. He's still holding the first guy by the wrist with Toro's belt. A second later, another man finds the belt hooked into his pants, and the first thug tripping towards him as Robin sweeps his leg under the man's feet.      Robin spreads his arms in a shrug. "Oh la la~. Is this really what passes for a criminal in this country?"      But they're not totally pathetic. One of them hits him right in the stomach with a knee. Robin bends forward at the waist, the wind literally knocked out of him. He slides backwards, coughing, his yakitori spilling on the ground.      "Alright, monsieur. I deserved that."      Another cough. "Excusez-moi. I was indeed mocking you."      He straightens. "I shall not do so any longer."      A foot comes stomping down onto a Conveniently-Placed Pipe, because this is a Yakuza game. The pipe stabs down into the ground like a cane. Robin's other hand disappears behind his back.      It is at this moment that it is worth noting: Robin's Martial Art of choice is styled after aikido and bartitsu.      In a Yakuza game.      Yeah.      The violence is nothing short of spectacular. Robin is all motion. A man in a dismal grey suit comes in with a knife, only to be whacked in the back with the pipe and sent sprawling into another man. From there it's a ballerina spin to grab a lunging thug and simply guide him gently into the grey-suit. A man with a tiger-pattern jacket finds the yakitori poker Robin dropped a moment ago lodged firmly in his knee before the pipe comes 'round the back of his head and sends him plummeting.      Robin purses his lips. There's no more mockery. No more words. Just taking it Seriously      Silver-suit thug. Charging knife. The knife is met by the pipe. The thug is met by a flier for the SEGA (tm) ARCADE and a gentle nudge to smash him blindly into the lamp post.
Robin Sundance	Gold-suited thug, tugging on his lapels, licking his lips like a stereotype. He's bigger than the others. He's faster and stronger than the others. His fist swings in. The pipe blocks it. Another swing. The pipe blocks it. Robin is pushed back, blow by blow, towards Yuuki, the yakitori cart, and Cordelay. One fist lands across Robin's face, and he stumbles out of his block just in time for the gold man to hit him again, and then another time.      Some blood on Robin's lips. The man comes in for another strike.      Blood in his eyes from the foreign thief. Blinded. Robin rolls under him, snatches the jacket off the silver-suited thug, hooks it around the gold-suited thug, drags it backwards, and drops the gold-suited thug on the pavement. He stands, snags the pipe, twirls it once like a cane, and leans on it slightly. His free hand spreads out among them. "Et vous? Come along, monsieurs."      "You wished to dance. Let us dance, like the lovely madamoiselle."      Two fingers go to his lips. He blows another kiss to Cordelay.      "Doesn't that look like fun?"
Majima Goro	BEN D'TARKANAN: The two look at the note. Sengoku looks mostly disgusted, at best. "Shit, that IS grave news-- You got shit taste in jewelry! Go buy yourself somethin' nice." He casually pulls a ten-thousand yen bill out of his pocket, snapping it in his fingers to flutter into Ben's hand. Shindo knits his brow a little, but ultimately doesn't seem to attach anything to it. Sengoku leans back, waving a girl over to distract him, before pointing back to the ring. "And get that piece of shit outta my sight." There is a moment of concern as the underling draws his pen, but Sengoku is long distracted. The rune on the letter is hardly necessary, but it does a good job of keeping some underling from having an awkward question later. Shindo looks to Ben. "...Yeah. His mom's kinda cute, but that jackoff has no right to be chairman. It oughta be me in there. That's why I'm here right now." Ben gets a look. "...I'm the leader of the Nishikiyama family. I own half the Tojo Clan as it is. Sengoku here's gonna help make enough of a ruckus that me and my boys can swoop in and secure power." "What, you suddenly trust this guy?" Sengoku laughs, having half-paid attention. "No, but you just sent three guys out for a minor disturbance and they're still not back yet," Shindo snaps back. "I'm gonna go ahead and say we might need more help for this than we thought."
Yuuki Kuran	Many Events Happened In Sequence. Yuuki had placed away time to watch them, but now, there's a prompt -- the swinging fist of the Yakuza member. And Yuuki just stands there. The man is armed with a stick. Good job! Interested, she watches, bringing her pressed-together fingers to her nose and lips and watching the swing. She's interested in something. It doesn't take sensitivity to the supernatural to taste it on the air. Yuuki is deeply invested in the motion of the swing. Her eyes pop as Robin Sundance steps into the way with his pipe and begins shaming people for her honor. The pensive interest becomes cheerful glee and light pach-pach-pach of clapping. "It does look like fun! You can dispose of them any way you like, Robin. They all know, so I can probably just look it up on my phone." She accepts yakitori from the street vendor, and sets aside some extra portions for Cordelay and Robin, after the brutality ends. "I'm glad everything is simple here. Isn't it nice?"
Robin Sundance	"Oui, madamoiselle. C'est bien." Robin produces a handkerchief (it's the tie of the gold-suited guy) and wipes his lip of blood. "Mais, that really was a crass display from me. I am tremendously disappointed in myself. Something about the atmosphere, no doubt."      The gold guy gets up, tears the silver jacket off himself, and growls. Robin tilts his head backwards at Yuuki. He turns around and bows as the gold man comes charging in. "As you wish, madamoiselle~."      His foot kicks down on a manhole cover.      It snaps up.      The gold man catches it on the chin, stumbles, and falls into the sewer.      The cover lands with a rattle.      Robin turns back to the group, his hand tucked back behind his back once more.
Karlan Nobles	"The head? Oh. R... Right." He's a zombie. Or... Something. There's a clear apprehension on Pramanix's face as the call to murder this zombieman is given, and she has to do some mental gymnastics to convince herself that it's fine, that it's not actually killing someone, that the guy is already dead from injecting himself with that green syringe. That still doesn't really make her feel any better, but it's still better than the alternative. As Sayama counts down, a icicle begins forming on the ceiling above the former boss. As his arms are removed and the bullet impacts, so too does the icicle come down. It is a very large icicle. It might cause a bit of property damage by the time it stops falling.
Lilian Rook	Finishing off a stick of kushikatsu, Lilian makes the time to applaud, in a slow, golf-clapping kind of way for Robin as well. "Other than that, you'd make an excellent street performer." she says, only half as politely sarcastic as the clapping. Seeing the way the Director reacts to him, Lilian has taken a particular, calculated risk in Just Being There, to then ask:     "I'm surprised, though. Isn't Goro one of your own? What business do you have with his former --rivals is too friendly of a word, isn't it? Planning to kick down the door and stop them in their tracks? If taking down a criminal empire is the cause, of course we could compare notes."     Yes she is literally just asking Yuuki to her face what she is doing here in representing the Concord. Yes, Lilian looks *entirely* like she expects a straight answer.
Robin Sundance	Robin laughs at Lilian. "Ah, madamoiselle. I have long been of the opinion that I should be the most interesting thing in the room. If I am not memorable, then I am forgettable, and I would so much rather stand out than be forgotten, non?"      There's a wink and a blown two-finger kiss.      Oh yeah. He's one of *those*. Those *really earnest* sorts. That, or he's being annoying on purpose in response to the sarcasm. It's a coinflip.
Majima Goro	ZOMBIE OFFICE THRILLER XI: Sayama's struggling, but she eventually manages to push her sword right between the zombie man's arms, twisting them apart to create a gap just large enough for that bullet to strike. While what's left of the man's brain is obliterated, it's fairly clear that what's left can still berserk around and flail its frozen arms. This'd be a problem if not for the tremendous icicle. The monster is pierced from the top down, pinned like a butterfly to the floor. The Yakuza Huntress barely manages to dive out of the way to keep weird bits of flesh off of her. It takes her a moment to get up, just in time for the rest of the police to finally, with trepidation, enter the room. By which I mean three. "...Sorry, when we heard...strange noises, many of the other officers went to secure teh area," One says. His hat's in his hand. He looks to the Kid with the gun. To Pramanix. To his superior, who is holding a sword covered in zombie gunk, and then a blob of green, rotten flesh with an icicle sticking out of it. There's snow. "... But you have things *well* in hand, ma'am, so I'll be happy to let you--" Sayama's up, grabbing his collar. "Don't you -dare-. I was told this arrest was for TAX FRAUD, and I want ANSWERS. I want you to find out who gave us that tip, when, and where they called from. GO!" She adjusts her hair. Turns to her new saviours. "...Well. ...The Osaka Police Department would like to thank you for the assistance. We'll be happy to look the other way on your...regulated weaponry."
Cordelay Levail	Cordelay spots Robin's blown kiss and hears his request, her smile still blindingly bright. "Of course, Master Robin. I will enjoy this battle to its utmost, unworthy as our foes may be." As she fights she still dimly takes notice of Robin's incredibly flashy yet effective fighting style and murmurs to herself, "Quite the charmer, isn't he?" before flipping over a gray-suited thugs' shoulders, legs around his neck, and smashing his face into the pavement before springing back to her feet. Cordelay never stops moving, even for a moment. Her swords catch the evening lights as she slashes, stabs and gouges as the yakuza thugs surrounding her. Some of them take serious injuries, their legs stabbed through and arms crippled, leaving them broken and bloodied on the ground. Those are the ones she intends to interrogate later. The rest aren't so lucky. Blood spatters across Cordelay's clothes, face and hair, her regal appearance marred by the vitality of her foes as she executes them with the same righteous wrath so many bandits in her homeland saw with their last moments. One thug draws back a bit, perhaps to get reinforcements. Cordelay doesn't know for sure, but she takes an opening and swings her swords by the chains like edged flails, their arcs intersecting at the thug's neck. And she still smiles, looking for all the worlds like an angel of war and carnage.
Ben d'Tarkanan	"Ah, such a pleasure to know one is among friends," says Ben with a winning smile, accepting Sengoku's gift. It's not as though he needs it, but it's rude to refuse gifts, no? It's pocketed away.      They do indeed need help, and he's just the man to give it. "I shall be very glad to help someone who actually wishes to lead the Clan," he cheerfully remarks, taking another sip of his champagne. Leaning back in his chair, he adds, "May I also infer, from your cooperation, Sir Sengoku, that Sir Shindo's leadership might also lead to more..." What's a good word to use, here? He strokes his mustache. Then smiles cannily. "Neighborly relations, between the Clan and the Alliance?"
Majima Goro	SOTENBORI DAILY LIFE, PT. 386 Cordelay goes on a mild rampage. It's a moderate challenge, at most, dispatching these random thugs on the street. They're good at taking big swings, but if you're fast, it's fairly easy to knock them down for the count. Still, they're fairly courageous, all told. watching a man get stabbed through the leg and have both his arms broken doesn't actually deter the rest of them, until they're down to the last man getting his neck chopped twice by swords. This is, perhaps, where the strange part happens. Yeah. He's on the ground. Yeah, his hands are on his neck. He's definitely looking beaten to hell. He's alive. They're--they're *alive*. This is not to say that they're uninjured. That man's arm is broken, it's bending the wrong way, but he's still using it to hold onto his stomach, his eyes bulging out as he pants for air. It's just--they're literally not dead. That man that Robin dropped through the sewer? Yeah. He fell through. He's gone. You can hear him swearing quietly, muffled from beneath. So, leaving someone alive to interrogate, at least, won't be particularly hard. Welcome to Perfectly Normal Fucking Japan, everybody. If you have any questions, now's the time.
Big Boss	Machinegun Kid holsters his gun once the zombie is down, steps back, and turns towards Sayama. He straightens his duffelbag. "Machinegun Kid. Ex-British SAS, ex-private military." Pramanix can tell the 'ex' on the second one hurts. "I actually came for *your* assistance. Word on the street is you're the Yakuza Huntress." He waits until the subordinates are out of hearing range, with his voice low, and continues. "Well, someone just tried to frame me for the murder of a Yakuza chairman, and I know who it is, and I believe they're going to end up being the same people behind your zombie guy here. Koreans, probably helped by the Omi Alliance. They're making a mess both here and in Kamurocho, partner. I have evidence." There's a clear fake cowboy drawl. "I came to find the truth. I want help, anything you know and can give me. If you don't want to help, I'll take the forgiveness of gun laws for the time being and mosey on out of here with my friend. But there's been a murder, and I doubt it'll be the last one."
Karlan Nobles	Before Pramanix even considers asking any questions, she kneels next to the pile of once-person stuff. Since she has the opportunity to while Sayama chews out the officers, she takes a minute to perform some massively abridged funeral rites right there, ringing the bell a few times while chanting quietly, even layering some snow atop the mess to provide some semblance of coverage. Only after that does she get back up, bowing lightly to Sayama. "It was... Not a pleasure, but it was the least we could do in the circumstances." Tying the bell back to her waist, she tugs on the sides of her dress briefly greeting. "Pramanix, Sa-sssooof Kjerag. It's good to meet you, friend." She smiles softly, inwardly hoping the vague deflecction of her title doesn't come off as too suspicious. There's a brief wince at that particular 'ex' from MGK, but she doesn't comment on it. "I'm largely here to look into this situation, as well. Mister Machine... Kid... Covered the important points already. I'm also curious about the-" She gestures at the former-person pile. "-but I imagine you were caught just as off guard about it as we were."
Yuuki Kuran	Watching a man get Heat Moved so hard it skips having him fall over and instead immediately sends him to ~~hell~~ the sewers beneath Sotenbori (so, Hell) brings yet more delight to Yuuki's eyes. "You do it so smoothly! I'm surprised, it's all so graceful. Not crass at all! Well, what he probably fell into was crass, I agree, but the rest..." She gives two big thumbs up, which is at least a little character breaking in her Extremely Unflappable Large Boss persona. Still - she wears it just as proudly as having a man fight for her. And Lilian Rook rolls right up! And asks her! Direct questions! "Hmm? Of course Goro is my precious friend." Yuuki laughs, picking up her own fried squid balls as she eats and casually starting to monch, one at a time, on the gooey delicasies. "But I've clearly answered already what I want: I want to go to Omi Alliance HQ." She pulls a smartphone out of the nearly-useless jacket she wears, clearly just a piece of vest-like fashion and a phone holster. "But I can just use my phone to do that. Did you try the local food? I heard from Majima that this place was the absolute best for eating!" Yuuki leans forward, placing a palm conspiratorially against the side of her mouth that Robin is closer to, so he 'can't read her lips'. Since her voice is a street volume stage-whisper, there is absolutely no subtlety to what she says: "I told him not to spoil me on where was best, though. That's the fun!" She twirls her phone in her hands with the idle energy of someone bored enough to learn how to twirl a phone as a hobby, and monches another ball. "Learning about the places people spent time is a good way to connect with them, wouldn't you agree?"
Cordelay Levail	Cordelay flicks the blood off her swords, sheathes them and strides over to one of the crippled yakuza. Placing a foot on his back just low enough to give him enough breathing capacity to speak, she says in a cold voice, "You're all surprisingly resilient. Now, about that information. Where is the Omi Alliance headquarters? And while I am asking, what power is allowing bandit scum like you to survive fatal injuries? Not that that is necessarily a good thing for you if you don't want to talk - I may not have killed you, but that just means I can hurt you more." She digs the heel of her boot into the man's back painfully to emphasize her point. This is not the honorable-yet-battle-loving warrior Cordelay Levail that most outside her world have seen. This is Cordelay at her darkest, the brutal daughter of a brutal warlord without a shred of mercy for her enemies.
Majima Goro	MEANWHILE, AT THE CABARET:     Sengoku chuckles, as if he has Won Something. He hasn't, but he desperately feels that way. "Well...we gotta decide what's left standing when the Omi Alliance moves into Kamurocho. If Shindo here plays nice...maybe the Tojo Clan he's leadin' might be it." He's got a cigar in his hand, which one of his underlings conveniently lights for him. "Hey. You play nice, maybe we can cut you into the action. I'm a generous guy, you know. Heh." He has another drink. "Now, I got a few details left to talk to this guy about, Ben, so if you got nothin' else, maybe let me enjoy my evening in peace." The handwave is dismissive.     Shindo, for his part, looks pensive. Hands on his chin, elbows on his knees. "...Yeah. Good on you for picking the right side, new guy."
Majima Goro	DEAD ZOMBIE CELEBRATION PARTY: Sayama's eyes narrow at 'Yakuza Huntress', though she's immediately paying more attention when the murder comes up. "You mean the Tojo Chairman, as chosen by Kazuma Kiryu shortly after the events two yeras ago." She recites, from memory. "...and you're saying the Jingweon Mafia is involved. They...they died out nearly thirty years ago, 'Machinegun Kid'." She's not okay with that being his name, clearly, but it's all she's got. "...from everything I've looked up, the Tojo Clan killed them. Same as my parents." Her eyes slit. "...but if they're still alive, I have some *very* good questions for them. You know what? I'll 'forgive' your trespass of the law for now, but I think I'm going to have to keep a very close eye on you and your friend here while you're in town," She says, looking to the both of them. It's phrased as some sort of legal custody/arrest, but the intent is very clear. Whatever shenanigans are going on, she's on their side. "...I'll call someone in to do forensics on..whatever that is," She says, looking to the blob of now snow-buried flesh. "...I'll just..say that the snow was there to...preserve it, I guess."
Majima Goro	CORDELAY DOES PARLEY: The yakuza Cordelay's stepped on grunts. "...yeah, I'm even better in bed--AGH!" Huff. ...Grunt. "...sure. You wanna die, step the fuck up. It's on <street.> Go ahead and get yourself killed. Uppity little..." And then the heel grinding happens. Meanwhile, some of the guys that were Slightly Less Injured appear to be trying to slowly crawl away from the situation. They know when they're beaten, and it's not like they're going to gain anything sticking around. Except one of the suited men, who never did join the fray. Instead, he had a small video camera, and all he was doing was filming. Which might be weird, but at least he's leaving, now, talking to someone on his flip phone in the meantime.
Robin Sundance	Robin laughs. "Merci, madamoiselle." He takes another sweeping bow, the cane behind his back. "I am happy to entertain." As he just said - he strives to be the Most Interesting Thing In The Room.      The not-at-all subtext is that if you're looking at him, you're not looking at his hand picking your pocket.      He straightens again and tugs on his rainbow scarf thoughtfully. A glance over his shoulder at Cordelay gets an eyebrow raised. "Oh la la. Such a temper."      He bites his lip. Yuuki leans over and stage-whispers to him, and that gets a laugh. "I do enjoy an adventurous spirit, madamoiselle, especially when it comes to food!"      He holds up a finger. "Un moment."      The Rifler is suddenly in his hand. It's a big, silly-looking grapple gun. He points it over his shoulder at the man trying to walk away with the phone.      The grapple gun shoots out right past his head.      It reels back in.      The phone is suddenly in Robin's hand. He whirls the Rifler like a pistol, blows on the end like a cowboy, and stows it...somewhere...as he holds up the phone to check the number and listen in on whoever it may be on the other end.
Big Boss	"Rightio. Thank you." He pulls a flashdrive out of his pocket, hands it to her, and then moves to leave. "I'll be staying in hostels nearby, for the time being. Good luck with the zombie man." The USB drive has the intel that Machinegun Kid got from the secret Jingweon base. He's still mulling over her words. They died...could this be their remnants, or family, coming for revenge? "Pramanix, let's get some food. I'll show you the pictures I took afterwards." They prove there's a conspiracy here. But will it be enough evidence to convince Big Boss? Probably not. He has his own motivations.
Lilian Rook	The miscalculation was made, but only slight.     Lilian expected Yuuki to be enough of an airhead to just answer her straightforwardly.     It appears Yuuki may be enough of an airhead for that to actually be her whole plan.     Lilian smiles in return. It is exceptionally well-trained. "Here and there, though I'm trying not to fill up before tea. Apologies if I've been mistaken; you'll understand if I saw that your presence here seemed rather auspicious. Especially . . ." Her expression sours with equally perfect precision, aimed sidelong at Cordelay. "Excuse me Director, but would you mind reining in your dog for a moment? If you know where to go, then there's no use to this, right? It's bordering on causing a scene; any more and I'll be obligated to respond to her." Then her focus flicks back to Yuuki with professionally polite nicety again. "Please try not to cause too much trouble. As tempting as it might be, there are more things going on within that circle than marching up to their doors will solve."     It's about at this point that a large black crow flutters down out of the air, drawing her attention with its rasping call, for Lilian to hold out her arm and allow it to perch for several, mildly ominous seconds. Wearing a perfectly frozen poker face, she commits only a silent 'Mmh.' at nothing in particular, then sends it off again. "You'd be better served not being in too much of a hurry to deal with the most visible thorn in your friends' side right away. Toodleloo."     She gives Yuuki a polite enough 'I am exiting the conversation barring some unacceptable disapproval' gesture, but when she has to turn back to Robin to exit, she has the abhorrently frigid look of someone who won't recoil or flinch, neither from embarrassment or offended temper, from this very specific kind of thing. He gazes upon the three years younger face of someone who has experienced too many people trying to impress her and not being about it. It makes the backhanded praise seem more genuine, in retrospect.     Then she looks back to Yuuki. "This one yours? Hired muscle for the day?"
Ben d'Tarkanan	"Capital," says Ben gladly.      "What's that mean, boss?" asks Breyten dully.      "...It means good, Breyten. Now, please continue to guard us quietly, until I've said my farewells." He gives Sengoku and Shindo a look. 'You know how goons are,' says that look. "Where were we? Ah, yes." Ben picks up the pen and hands it back to Breyten, who stows it away in his coat. "There was, in fact, one last thing--and then I shall leave you two to enjoy your evening." He leans forward in his seat, sets his glass aside. His voice is low.      "The nature of the person who's gotten to Dojima... Your plan to 'swoop in,' as it were, may not work now that she's involved." He frowns slightly. "Her name is Lilian Rook, and she's a Paladin of considerable magical talent. More importantly, she is clever, quite politically canny. It may be wise to being fortifying Sir Shindo's *social* position as well as his strength of arms." With that...      "I believe that settles this evening! Sir Sengoku, Sir Shindo, thank you both for your time," says Ben, sliding back and standing up. He pushes his chair in. In the light of the club, both men can see the Tarkanan signet ring he wears, a sterling silver thing bearing a many-eyed, tentacled, fanged and grinning monster, leering at the observer. Breyten and Lia wear less ostentatious versions of that same ring.      He offers them both another formal, hand-over-heart bow, then turns to leave.      None of the three Tarkanans are seen exiting the club, unless observers think to pierce any invisibility spells. They each 'appear' from separate businesses; Ben from a batting alley, Breyten from a mini-golf place, Lia from an alley adjacent to one of the food stalls, just as Cordelay manages to scare off some of the men who'd come out.      "Pardon me! So dreadfully sorry." Ben so 'happens' to bump into the man with the camera, hard enough to jostle it from his grasp as the phone flies away. He so 'happens' to catch it, tape compartment down. Briefly, his Dragonmark is called upon, hand slipping into he compartment, grasping the tape, pulling it out, slipping it up his sleeve, all in one fluid motion, handing it innocently back to the man whose phone was snatched. "Here you are, old chap."
Robin Sundance	Robin gives Lilian a bright and cheerful smile, a wink, and a little four-finger-wiggle-wave tease.      He is just the most *brazen* motherfucker.      "Je m'apelle Robin Sundance, madamoiselle. I have twenty-four years of age, I love flowers, and I am Masked Ranger Thief, the thief who steals back the smiles of the downtrodden. A pleasure."
Karlan Nobles	That's a lot of names Pramanix is going to have to keep track of. She looks from Sayama to MGK slowly to see if any of that appears to register for him, eventually managing a polite laugh at the mention of being watched. "That's fine. I don't normally go skulking about places, anyway. And getting into any grayer legal business is more..." Best not to mention SilverAsh if she doesn't have to. "Not my speed. And. Uh. Washing." Pramanix adds as a correction when Sayama mentions the corpse preservation. She seems really insistent about that, too. It's probably a ritual thing. And then MGK is ready to leave, and Pramanix dips into another curtsy to Sayama. "Bless you, friend. And please be careful out there. If we see any more transforming people, we'll be sure to keep in touch." She waves lightly, then jogs a bit to catch up with Machinegun Kid. "Pictures? Ah, yes, of course. Food wouldn't be too bad right around now, anyway. We can even see if my brother would be willing to pay!" MEANWHILE SilverAsh is preoccupied watching some weirdoes breakdancing over the water. "What masterful footwork..."
Yuuki Kuran	Cordelay, in one of his darker moments, is indicated to Yuuki. With near-mock surprise, Yuuki turns back to Lilian and nods. "You're right! They do look really upset." Enter: SECOND YUUKI, who is just First Yuuki but with all her blacks and whites reversed - black half-jacket, white shirt, white teacup tophat, black lace. She leans in from the crowd, pushing through to grab the second and third orders of Yakitori, pushing one into Cordelay's hands with a 'hey, it's okay -- eat! It's good!' urging, before SECOND YUUKI hands First Yuuki the third set, so she can offer Robin his. Then, Second Yuuki just sort of turns into an ambient Yakuza NPC-path having character and wanders off down the street like the fight's over. First Yuuki smiles. "There. Now everyone's happy. This is Robin! He's nice. A man was trying to accost me in the street, and this paladin lept to my defense!" Her expression doesn't sour, instead, turning confused. "Oh? Wait, no, I have no idea what allegiance he has - but *you're* the Paladin, aren't you? Ah, no no, I'm sorry." Yuuki laughs lightly, placing a hand on her chest. "The Paladins aren't police, it's just that some are. It's difficult to remember. Now, I think you can help me out --" She bites down on her last squid ball. "Are you asking me to act as the Director of the Concord? I'd rather just act as myself today." Monch monch. "Do you always speak with two minds? It makes it hard to seperate your work from your wants." Lilian moves to leave, making a vague suggestion of how she should conduct herself specifically due to the investigation. "Mm-mm. That's good advice. I think?" Beat. Lilian's already moving away. "Do you not help your friends out when they're hurting?"
Majima Goro	ADVENTURES IN SEQUENTIAL THIEVERY: Our cameraman finds himself jostled by Ben. He is, in fact, blithely unaware of the removal of the tape. He's going to have a bad time later, but at least he has Useful Intel. When Ben checks later, literally all he's done is videotape the fighting. There's been careful attention paid to try to catch What Elites Do In Fights But for who? That's the candy that our phantom thief gets. The grapple gun snags the phone without the slightest difficulty--he's still busy filming with nothing, after all, at -least- sparking his immediate retreat. The name on the phone number says 'R. GODA'. "... Yeah, but I'm not there, right? I don't -give a fuck- about these other people. I need you to be looking for -me-. ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME? FUCK!" Well, that's weird.
Cordelay Levail	Having acquired the information she was after, Cordelay accepts the yakitori and takes a bite. "Mmm, this is good." Her eyes follow Lilian briefly before she returns to Yuuki. "I know the address of the Omi Alliance headquarters." She rattles off the address before asking, "Do you know where that is? Oh, and thank you for the food." She smiles normally again, though it seems a little off still given that she's still spattered with yakuza blood. Turning to Robin, Cordelay curtseys formally and says, "Now that the situation has calmed, allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Cordelay Levail, daughter of Sartaire the Dragon. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Robin."
Robin Sundance	"Master is unnecessary! Please. Robin." He puts a hand against his chest.      Cordelay has another flower in her hair.      He's not manifesting them, he's just *that good* at sleight-of-hand.      It's a bright purple rhododendron. 'Danger, beware,' in the language of flowers. He's being very cheeky.
Lilian Rook	"Congratulations?" Lilian replies to Robin. "You probably have a short while before the Tokyo PD gets here, you know. You could still run off. What on God's green Earth are you hoping to steal from these pissants though?" She glances at the phone as he holds it up to check.                 -----[stop]-----     Lilian glances down at her feet, then steps out of place. She picks a short counterclockwise route through the cleared area, stopping behind Robin's left shoulder to peer at the phone herself. "Hmm? Now that's opportune. Nobody must have a hand on him yet, then. Perfect timing." She reaches out to touch the phone, ever so lightly, just with the tip of her finger, closing her eyes for a solid thirty seconds of something that verges on deep trance. Blinking back to alertness shortly thereafter, she retraces her steps, and puts her heels back in their proper places, and re-takes the pose that feels right.                 -----[start]-----     "Just one or two minds doesn't get much done, Director." she says to Yuuki. "It's dreadfully slow having to bottleneck every thought through so few of them." The accidental relevance of this line of questioning with the intrusion and departure of the Yuuki clone is not lost on her. Lilian files that particular capacity away to plan around later. She gives her a smile that somehow expresses nothing.     "A difficult question to answer. I make friends with stronger people than you do, I suppose." The nothing-smile gradually slips away. "Don't worry though. So long as he stays out of it, things should work out just fine. What I'm saying is to be careful that you don't cause more problems for him by acting impulsively. You or yours."
Ben d'Tarkanan	Well. It's better that someone else have a bad time than one of his Concord chums, no? Ben smiles, as Breyten and Lia move to rejoin him. They make an approach towards Robin, Yuuki and Cordelay. "Goodlady Levail," says the necromancer, on his approach. Though their apparel is from around here, they certainly aren't. "Baron Ben d'Tarkanan, of the Sharn Tarkanans. I believe this belongs to you!"      Into his left hand, there slides a videotape, from his sleeve. His left arm seems longer than the right, the skin paler. He makes a gentle underhand toss to her.      "And might I say, old chap, excellent work with the phone," he says to Robin, offering the thief a winning smile. "Breyten, Lia, take the rest of the evening off. I shall call for you soon--but not too soon!" He chuckles, offering Yuuki and Lilian both cordial greetings. "Lady Kuran, Dame Rook." He buys himself some street food and makes his exit.
Cordelay Levail	To her own surprise, Cordelay actually blushes a bit at Robin's suddenly placing a flower in her hair. "A-As you wish, Robin. Thank you for your assistance against these thugs - your fighting style was a marvel to behold." Her eyes flick over to Lilian, though she doesn't act. She can hear the conversation between her and Yuuki, however, and listens in subtly as she engages with Robin. When Ben arrives and tosses her the tape, to which Cordelay nods respectfully. "Baron d'Tarkanan, thank you. This information will surely be of use." She gives him a small smile too. "I trust our scuffle did not disturb you?"
Robin Sundance	"Ah, I already stole it." Robin beams at Lilian.      He is referring to the lady earlier, of course. He stole away their good time and replaced it with injury and misfortune. But hell if he's going to say that.      "Mais, apparently," Robin adds cheerfully at Cordelay's blush, "I am stealing hearts as well. Madamoiselle, I would not call that a marvel! I spat in a man's face, for goodness' sake. Granted, any port in a storm, mais I prefer to be a *bit* more dignified than that."      "Merci," Robin says, sweeping his hand in front of him for a bow. "A pleasure, Monsieur d'Tarkanan. Robin Sundance."
Yuuki Kuran	"Oh." Yuuki frowns, lightly. A synthesis of focused emotion - empathy, seeking, care, something else - plays across her eyes, a series of tightens, narrows, and little motions of her lips and cheeks. "It must be lonely. I'm glad you've found people." She offers, that tight line of kindness, restrained 'I really want to help but I know you don't want me to' energy sloshing over the side of her expression. "Does having three jewels make the fourth less beautiful? Does having large jewels make the little shapes less interesting? I don't think I agree - but..." She doesn't smile. That I-want-to-help-but-you-won't-let-me face remains. Her expression tightens, her jaw setting tighter. "I won't tolerate my friends being called weak. If you insist on being formal, then, I will take such insults formally."
Ben d'Tarkanan	Ben laughs merrily, stopping in his tracks as he bites into something fried and chewy. "Not in the slightest! Quite the opposite, in fact," he says, looking over his shoulder at her. "It was quite useful to have such a spectacle going on out here. It's only fitting you should keep a record of your triumph as a souvenier, no?"      He takes another bite, offering a friendly wave of farewell to Cordelay and to Robin. "I've business in my native Sharn." He pauses. "You should both come and visit soon! We'll have a little get-together, some music, dancing, a few guests." He smiles warmly at them, then turns and leaves.
Cordelay Levail	"Farewell, Baron d'Tarkanan. May you remain safe and healthy until our next meeting." Cordelay turns back to Robin and asks, "You called yourself 'the thief who steals the smiles of the downtrodden.' That is a rather interesting title to adopt." The battle-lust that had overtaken her earlier is completely gone now, leaving her smile as that of a normal noble girl, albeit one covered in blood.
Robin Sundance	"Steals *back* the smiles of the downtrodden," Robin corrects cheerfully, "I steal back the smiles from those who took them in the first place."
Cordelay Levail	Cordelay places a hand over her heart and nods apologetically. "Please forgive my error. My father and I have fought many petty tyrants who self-defeatingly crush the people under their heel before - is your homeland ruled by such people as well?"
Robin Sundance	Robin is absolutely no stranger to this kind of thing. He takes Cordelay's hand gently. "Ah, madamoiselle. A gentleman becomes so much less interesting if he tells his whole story the moment a lady asks, oui? Forgive me for keeping an air of mystery about me~." Like he did with Yuuki earlier, he kisses her fingers, then releases her hand and steps back for a bow.      But, very briefly at that question, there was a look in his eye, and his jaw tightened just a bit.
Cordelay Levail	A small sparkle enters Cordelay's eyes at Robin's gesture, though she doesn't miss that small tell either. "Then I will look forward to the moment I can learn more of your tale, and to fighting alongside you again. Until then, Robin." She gives him a small, genuine smile before withdrawing and departing with an elegant wave.
Lilian Rook	Lilian appears to regard Yuuki's disconcertingly visible processing of overflowing active empathy with the first signs of being taken aback by anything all day. A sort of silent, micro-expressive 'creepy' reaction.     The redoubled cool professionalism that follows is a clear, default holding pattern, but she does manage to say "It's up to you to think what you want of your friends. It just so happens that mine haven't needed, nor asked for, what you're lavishing on Goro at the minute. Whether that's coming from him or coming from you, isn't mine to say; only that I wouldn't be able to answer the question you asked until an occasion arrives to test it. And I don't care to deal in claiming hypotheticals like those."     There's a mild, irritable tic that follows. It could be some unpleasant, recent memory that this isn't entirely the case. It is more likely because of Ben walking out of the Caberet. She had, after all, stopped in the street to scrape this mess for leads. She is also perfectly aware of what Ben's game type is after the last time they'd crossed paths. "D'Tarkanan." she replies, one-wordedly, in cool graces. It is actually a noble title and all, at least. Her eyes are starting to repeatedly drift from Yuuki to the club at the end of the street.     "Well, it's been a pleasant distraction, but I think I've heard all I need to. After all, I didn't come all the way out here just to watch . . . whatever that was. Enjoy your break, Director. And if you are genuinely here just to make people happy, keep what I said in mind." She is absolutely going to tail the Nishikiyama to figure out what he was talking to Ben about later.