![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Swindler 9
You'll prolly have to refresh your memory for this one, it's been so damn long.
"Where are you going?"
"To a club. In Shibuya."
"How are you going to do that?"
Taisuke grinned and held up a card. "This was in Suzuki's wallet; I thought I'd sashay myself down there and see if I can find anything."
Koichi crossed his arms.
"Are you bitching because you want to come?"
"Don't be an idiot."
"You do want to come," Taisuke looked like the chesire cat, "It'll be fun. You can get yourself a girlfriend, it'll be great. Or are you complaining because of Kurosaki?"
"Again, don't be an idiot."
"You are bitching because of that. Come one, Aniki, he hasn't killed us yet. Give him a sliver of trust."
"And you're giving him a sliver of trust because you can finally get into a Shibuya club?"
"I…no. Not at all. I'm just tired of all this and I want it to end. If he's lying then boom, we kill him and we're happy and if he's not then boom we kill the other guy and we're still happy. Right?"
"You're so simplistic sometimes."
"But I'm right."
Koichi sighed and Taisuke knew that he had won. "Fine. Shibuya club here we come."
"Hot girlfriends here we come," Taisuke corrected.
"What happened to detective work?"
"Oh...right. That too."
~~~
Koichi decided that he did not (in any way what so ever) enjoy clubs. Any clubs, in Shibuya or anywhere else. Unfortunately, Taisuke seemed to have taken a liking to them. Koichi had no idea where his brother was currently located. All the eldest Ariake knew was that he was tired and he wanted to get away from the throbbing speakers and smell of sweat and alcohol. And all the women that were not all over him...not that he would ever admit that to anyone.
“Boo.”
Koichi was too lethargic and tired to jump. He turned his head and saw Kurosaki standing to his left side.
“What are you doing here?” Koichi asked, trying to hiss it, but failing.
“I’d like to ask you the same thing. You don’t seem to be one for clubs.”
“Taisuke dragged me. For several reasons that I think were more excuses that anything else.”
“We should leave.”
Koichi threw the other swindler a look. “Excuse me?”
“You need to leave. Now. Suzuki is here and he saw Taisuke. I was trying to follow him but thanks to your untimely arrival everything’s gone bonkers. Now get out.”
“You’re serious.” It was not a question.
“Yes.”
“I thought you didn’t know what he looked like.”
“I didn’t...but the police officer I tailed with Taisuke is here and he’s with someone who looks similar to himself...and Suzuki the police officer called him ‘Taro’ so...”
Koichi stood, proud of himself for not wobbling...too much.
“Where’s Taisuke?”
“Reveling in his self-proclaimed harem.”
God, Koichi groaned to himself.
Taisuke was wasit-deep in women; Koichi tried not to notice all the empty glasses. “We’re leaving!” he shouted over the throb of Bose speakers.
“What?”
“Have. To. Go!”
“Bathrooms are that way,” Taisuke pointed and Koichi resisted an urge to toss something hard at his brother’s head.
“Leaving! Now!” He tried again, beckoning wildly.
“What?”
Koichi pushed past a few girls whose lips were too red and waists too thin and screamed into Taisuke’s ear, “Suzuki is here! Have to leave!”
Taiske’s mouth formed a small “o” and nodded, throwing kisses to the girls as they walked by, promising to come back soon.
“You are incorrigible,” Koichi hissed.
“I’m fun,“ Taisuke corrected, “What’s the plan?”
“The plan is that because you drank so much you’re going home.”
“Oh.”
The walk was silent, Koichi having sobered up as they left the club. He was tired, though. Positively exhausted. He made sure that Taisuke was tucked into bed, smiling at how a sleepy Shizuna fussed over his drunken state like a mother. (“If you ever come back in this belligerent again, Tai-nii, I will flail you alive, do you hear me?”)
He didn’t notice that someone had followed him back to the restaurant until he was hit over the head.
Falling to the ground, he tried to roll slightly to get a view of his attacker. Not that he needed to try; apparently the man wasn’t trying to hide.
Koichi was hauled up by his shirtfront and slammed into the fence. “Listen closely,” the man growled, as Koichi noted the man’s short black hair, athletic build, and tattooed neck. “I don’t know who told you what, or why they said anything, but your pathetic games are going to stop.”
“Fuck you,” Koichi hissed back.
“Look, I’m trying to be nice, here. I washed my hands of your family long ago. Get over it, move on, or die. Your choice.”
And then Koichi blacked out.
~~~
When he woke up Kurosaki was leaning over him, waving fingers in front of his face. Koichi groaned.
“How many fingers?”
“Two,” Koichi muttered, “What the hell happened?”
“I tripped trying to get to you,” Kurosaki looked semi-apologetic, “Would have saved you sooner.”
“Have you been following me all night?”
“Possibly,” Kurosaki admitted, “Aren’t you glad I did? You could have been dead by now.”
Koichi’s body flared with pain as Kurosaki lifted him up and helped him towards the restaurant. Koichi thought that it was a little bit of a relief that he had been attacked closer to it, rather than farther away.
“Why were you following me?”
“I wasn’t. I was following the person following you.”
“You couldn’t have just told me that there was someone following me? Saved me a beating?”
“I didn’t know he was going to beat you up.”
And that was the end of the conversation, or at least, it was the last bit that Koichi remembered because he passed out again.
~~~
When he woke up, Shizuna was bent over him, frowning. “I can’t leave either of you alone for five minutes.”
“Shi,” Koichi started.
“No. I’m upset.”
“Shi,” Koichi said, gently, “Shizuna, dearest.”
Shizuna narrowed her eyes as she handed Koichi an ice pack for his face (or was it his side? or his wrist? or his ankle?) and continued to scowl.
“Okay,” Koichi acquiesced, “Okay, fine, I’m sorry. I was stupid to walk home by myself.”
Shizuna sniffed.
“Even though I didn’t have any other choice,” Koichi said under his breath, when Shizuna had turned away to make some ramen.
“I heard that.”
Koichi grinned a little, and leaned back against his pillow, holding the ice to the bump on his head. “Where’s Kurosaki?” he ventured.
“With Taisuke; they’re beginning phase one.”
“What phase is that?”
“The one where Kurosaki is a Yakuza. We sort of discussed this while you were...out.”
Koichi sat back up and frowned suspiciously at his sister. “Why did you do that?”
She bit her lip. “You wouldn’t have approved.”
A little apprehension gripped the edge of Koichi’s stomach. “Why not?”
“Because I’m going to get kidnapped,” Shizuna said.
~~~
a/n - I really lost my mojo with this. I'm sorry. One chapter left. And an epilogue, maybe, if I'm so inclined. :)
"Where are you going?"
"To a club. In Shibuya."
"How are you going to do that?"
Taisuke grinned and held up a card. "This was in Suzuki's wallet; I thought I'd sashay myself down there and see if I can find anything."
Koichi crossed his arms.
"Are you bitching because you want to come?"
"Don't be an idiot."
"You do want to come," Taisuke looked like the chesire cat, "It'll be fun. You can get yourself a girlfriend, it'll be great. Or are you complaining because of Kurosaki?"
"Again, don't be an idiot."
"You are bitching because of that. Come one, Aniki, he hasn't killed us yet. Give him a sliver of trust."
"And you're giving him a sliver of trust because you can finally get into a Shibuya club?"
"I…no. Not at all. I'm just tired of all this and I want it to end. If he's lying then boom, we kill him and we're happy and if he's not then boom we kill the other guy and we're still happy. Right?"
"You're so simplistic sometimes."
"But I'm right."
Koichi sighed and Taisuke knew that he had won. "Fine. Shibuya club here we come."
"Hot girlfriends here we come," Taisuke corrected.
"What happened to detective work?"
"Oh...right. That too."
~~~
Koichi decided that he did not (in any way what so ever) enjoy clubs. Any clubs, in Shibuya or anywhere else. Unfortunately, Taisuke seemed to have taken a liking to them. Koichi had no idea where his brother was currently located. All the eldest Ariake knew was that he was tired and he wanted to get away from the throbbing speakers and smell of sweat and alcohol. And all the women that were not all over him...not that he would ever admit that to anyone.
“Boo.”
Koichi was too lethargic and tired to jump. He turned his head and saw Kurosaki standing to his left side.
“What are you doing here?” Koichi asked, trying to hiss it, but failing.
“I’d like to ask you the same thing. You don’t seem to be one for clubs.”
“Taisuke dragged me. For several reasons that I think were more excuses that anything else.”
“We should leave.”
Koichi threw the other swindler a look. “Excuse me?”
“You need to leave. Now. Suzuki is here and he saw Taisuke. I was trying to follow him but thanks to your untimely arrival everything’s gone bonkers. Now get out.”
“You’re serious.” It was not a question.
“Yes.”
“I thought you didn’t know what he looked like.”
“I didn’t...but the police officer I tailed with Taisuke is here and he’s with someone who looks similar to himself...and Suzuki the police officer called him ‘Taro’ so...”
Koichi stood, proud of himself for not wobbling...too much.
“Where’s Taisuke?”
“Reveling in his self-proclaimed harem.”
God, Koichi groaned to himself.
Taisuke was wasit-deep in women; Koichi tried not to notice all the empty glasses. “We’re leaving!” he shouted over the throb of Bose speakers.
“What?”
“Have. To. Go!”
“Bathrooms are that way,” Taisuke pointed and Koichi resisted an urge to toss something hard at his brother’s head.
“Leaving! Now!” He tried again, beckoning wildly.
“What?”
Koichi pushed past a few girls whose lips were too red and waists too thin and screamed into Taisuke’s ear, “Suzuki is here! Have to leave!”
Taiske’s mouth formed a small “o” and nodded, throwing kisses to the girls as they walked by, promising to come back soon.
“You are incorrigible,” Koichi hissed.
“I’m fun,“ Taisuke corrected, “What’s the plan?”
“The plan is that because you drank so much you’re going home.”
“Oh.”
The walk was silent, Koichi having sobered up as they left the club. He was tired, though. Positively exhausted. He made sure that Taisuke was tucked into bed, smiling at how a sleepy Shizuna fussed over his drunken state like a mother. (“If you ever come back in this belligerent again, Tai-nii, I will flail you alive, do you hear me?”)
He didn’t notice that someone had followed him back to the restaurant until he was hit over the head.
Falling to the ground, he tried to roll slightly to get a view of his attacker. Not that he needed to try; apparently the man wasn’t trying to hide.
Koichi was hauled up by his shirtfront and slammed into the fence. “Listen closely,” the man growled, as Koichi noted the man’s short black hair, athletic build, and tattooed neck. “I don’t know who told you what, or why they said anything, but your pathetic games are going to stop.”
“Fuck you,” Koichi hissed back.
“Look, I’m trying to be nice, here. I washed my hands of your family long ago. Get over it, move on, or die. Your choice.”
And then Koichi blacked out.
~~~
When he woke up Kurosaki was leaning over him, waving fingers in front of his face. Koichi groaned.
“How many fingers?”
“Two,” Koichi muttered, “What the hell happened?”
“I tripped trying to get to you,” Kurosaki looked semi-apologetic, “Would have saved you sooner.”
“Have you been following me all night?”
“Possibly,” Kurosaki admitted, “Aren’t you glad I did? You could have been dead by now.”
Koichi’s body flared with pain as Kurosaki lifted him up and helped him towards the restaurant. Koichi thought that it was a little bit of a relief that he had been attacked closer to it, rather than farther away.
“Why were you following me?”
“I wasn’t. I was following the person following you.”
“You couldn’t have just told me that there was someone following me? Saved me a beating?”
“I didn’t know he was going to beat you up.”
And that was the end of the conversation, or at least, it was the last bit that Koichi remembered because he passed out again.
~~~
When he woke up, Shizuna was bent over him, frowning. “I can’t leave either of you alone for five minutes.”
“Shi,” Koichi started.
“No. I’m upset.”
“Shi,” Koichi said, gently, “Shizuna, dearest.”
Shizuna narrowed her eyes as she handed Koichi an ice pack for his face (or was it his side? or his wrist? or his ankle?) and continued to scowl.
“Okay,” Koichi acquiesced, “Okay, fine, I’m sorry. I was stupid to walk home by myself.”
Shizuna sniffed.
“Even though I didn’t have any other choice,” Koichi said under his breath, when Shizuna had turned away to make some ramen.
“I heard that.”
Koichi grinned a little, and leaned back against his pillow, holding the ice to the bump on his head. “Where’s Kurosaki?” he ventured.
“With Taisuke; they’re beginning phase one.”
“What phase is that?”
“The one where Kurosaki is a Yakuza. We sort of discussed this while you were...out.”
Koichi sat back up and frowned suspiciously at his sister. “Why did you do that?”
She bit her lip. “You wouldn’t have approved.”
A little apprehension gripped the edge of Koichi’s stomach. “Why not?”
“Because I’m going to get kidnapped,” Shizuna said.
~~~
a/n - I really lost my mojo with this. I'm sorry. One chapter left. And an epilogue, maybe, if I'm so inclined. :)
no subject
no subject