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31_days2015-09-15 11:58 pm
issen4.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2015-09-15 11:58 pm
[15 Sept] [Viewfinder/Tokyo Crazy Paradise] [Off Trajectory 14/?]
Title: Off Trajectory 14/?
Day/Theme: 15 Sept/ She would not listen but I do not mind
Series: Viewfinder/Tokyo Crazy Paradise
Pairing: Asami Ryuichi/Takaba Akihito, Tsukasa/Ryuji
Notes/warnings: Timelines for both series have been viciously tweaked to create the scenario I have in mind.
"You have made your life with my brother," Shirogami said to Takaba when they were seated at the dining table.
"Um?" Staring into Shirogami's golden eyes, which were so much like Asami's eyes but had an entirely different air, Takaba abruptly decided that it was not time to go into his inner conflict about why he loved Asami despite the many infuriating things about the bastard and the potentially hazardous life of being known as the lover of Asami Ryuichi, who had more than a few enemies in Japan and elsewhere. "I-I guess so."
Shirogami's gaze warmed a fraction. If Takaba had not been with Asami for so long and was able to interpret those little shifts of expressions, he would have to conclude that the Shirogami men were naturally wooden-faced. Was it a family tradition, to make sure that no one else could read your expression?
"Clearly Ryuichi thinks so, or he would not have let you continue to stay here," Shirogami said. "We the Kuryugumi have made it a point to stay in the shadows all these years."
"Uh, but why?" Takaba guessed it was related to the 'kagi', whatever that was, based on what Munakata said, and a few whispered snatches of conversation he had managed to overhear in the past two days. He felt briefly guilty for all his snooping into the Kuryugumi, wondering if he had hurt their cover as legitimate business owners.
Shirogami did not answer. He stared at the simple dishes laid out before them on the table.
Takaba was starting to feel uncomfortable. Asami had disappeared into the bedroom with Suoh and Kirishima, saying he needed to take care of some business. Takaba had called in sick to his office, was accused by his boss of malingering, and had ended up taking up no-pay leave in a snit.
"Ryuichi thinks I shouldn't tell you."
Takaba's hackles grew. "Tell me what?" Damn that bastard.
"He's trying to protect you, that's all." Shirogami sipped some tea, cradling the cup in both hands. "When our father was fourteen," Shirogami said, "he became the Sandaime after his father the Nidaime was killed."
That didn't seem right. "Fourteen?"
"When our mother was fourteen, she joined the Kuryugumi."
"Fourteen?" Takaba repeated. It seemed unreal. He tried to remember what he had been doing at fourteen.
He seemed to sense Takaba's confusion. "It was the year New Heaven Tokio was destroyed."
Takaba stared, and started to point his chopsticks at Shirogami before he realised how that would look. "That was you?"
"That was the Kuryugumi," Shirogami clarified, unmoved. "And a number of other clans whose names would make no sense to you now. Suffice it to say that our parents later learnt that one reason for the fierce fight was the kagi."
"Kagi." The… key? To what?
"It was supposed to show the way to a place in India where a rare plant grew, one that could be turned into a powerful drug that could counteract all other addictive drugs."
Takaba's face must have revealed his skepticism, for Shirogami's lips flattened slightly in the simulacra of a smile.
"Yes, that was the legend. But I'm sure you see the problem. If there was a drug that could counteract other drugs, wouldn't that drug in turn became a new scourge? The Kuryugumi had a policy of never dealing in drugs, even when we handled many other illegal activities. Even after our mother was given the kagi, she chose not to use it. In fact, our parents forbade those in Kuryugumi to mention the kagi. The problem was that the news had slipped out.
"By the time Ryuichi and I were in our teens, there was a lot of demands both within Kuryugumi and from other gokudo organizations for the kagi to be put to use. My mother, of course, refused and even put it out that she had thrown the kagi away. My father agreed to it, too."
"Then why-"
"It was a simple matter of market economics, really, though we didn't realise it until later. Our parents were so influential that the Kuryugumi became one of the largest in Tokyo. But the Kuryugumi's dominance meant that the smaller gokudo organizations had been pushed out, and if those depended on the drug trade to survive, then they were also deprived of their livelihood. Eventually, enough disgruntled gokudo groups decided that their best bet was to break the Kuryugumi down."
Takaba frowned. Although he lived with Asami Ryuichi who acted more as a businessman then as yakuza, he had never thought of the yakuza as being pushed by market forces too, like laid-off workers marching in protest. "But the Kuryugumi was so large," he said. "How did they do it?"
"That's another story," Shirogami said. "But they managed to draw Ryuichi and me in the ensuing fights and in one of them, I was badly injured." He glanced off to the side as though to encompass his wheelchair. "And that was when Ryuichi ran away."
That matched with what little Asami had told him. "How did he survive?"
Shirogami quirked his eyebrow for a second. "Did he not say anything about that?" he asked, then went on. "No, I suppose he wouldn't have. From what we know, he sought refuge with a few retainers that had left the gokudo. We lost touch with him from then on. Imagine our surprise when someone who looked just like me started to open nightclubs in Tokyo."
For a moment, Takaba was struck with unwilling admiration and heartache for Asami. No matter his flaws (and the bastard had so, so many) he knew that Asami must have been so guilt-stricken that he couldn't stay. Yet, by himself, Asami had built up his empire. Something else struck Takaba, and he stared at Shirogami, who was looking at him as though wondering why it took him so long.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Takaba asked.
/TBC
Day/Theme: 15 Sept/ She would not listen but I do not mind
Series: Viewfinder/Tokyo Crazy Paradise
Pairing: Asami Ryuichi/Takaba Akihito, Tsukasa/Ryuji
Notes/warnings: Timelines for both series have been viciously tweaked to create the scenario I have in mind.
"You have made your life with my brother," Shirogami said to Takaba when they were seated at the dining table.
"Um?" Staring into Shirogami's golden eyes, which were so much like Asami's eyes but had an entirely different air, Takaba abruptly decided that it was not time to go into his inner conflict about why he loved Asami despite the many infuriating things about the bastard and the potentially hazardous life of being known as the lover of Asami Ryuichi, who had more than a few enemies in Japan and elsewhere. "I-I guess so."
Shirogami's gaze warmed a fraction. If Takaba had not been with Asami for so long and was able to interpret those little shifts of expressions, he would have to conclude that the Shirogami men were naturally wooden-faced. Was it a family tradition, to make sure that no one else could read your expression?
"Clearly Ryuichi thinks so, or he would not have let you continue to stay here," Shirogami said. "We the Kuryugumi have made it a point to stay in the shadows all these years."
"Uh, but why?" Takaba guessed it was related to the 'kagi', whatever that was, based on what Munakata said, and a few whispered snatches of conversation he had managed to overhear in the past two days. He felt briefly guilty for all his snooping into the Kuryugumi, wondering if he had hurt their cover as legitimate business owners.
Shirogami did not answer. He stared at the simple dishes laid out before them on the table.
Takaba was starting to feel uncomfortable. Asami had disappeared into the bedroom with Suoh and Kirishima, saying he needed to take care of some business. Takaba had called in sick to his office, was accused by his boss of malingering, and had ended up taking up no-pay leave in a snit.
"Ryuichi thinks I shouldn't tell you."
Takaba's hackles grew. "Tell me what?" Damn that bastard.
"He's trying to protect you, that's all." Shirogami sipped some tea, cradling the cup in both hands. "When our father was fourteen," Shirogami said, "he became the Sandaime after his father the Nidaime was killed."
That didn't seem right. "Fourteen?"
"When our mother was fourteen, she joined the Kuryugumi."
"Fourteen?" Takaba repeated. It seemed unreal. He tried to remember what he had been doing at fourteen.
He seemed to sense Takaba's confusion. "It was the year New Heaven Tokio was destroyed."
Takaba stared, and started to point his chopsticks at Shirogami before he realised how that would look. "That was you?"
"That was the Kuryugumi," Shirogami clarified, unmoved. "And a number of other clans whose names would make no sense to you now. Suffice it to say that our parents later learnt that one reason for the fierce fight was the kagi."
"Kagi." The… key? To what?
"It was supposed to show the way to a place in India where a rare plant grew, one that could be turned into a powerful drug that could counteract all other addictive drugs."
Takaba's face must have revealed his skepticism, for Shirogami's lips flattened slightly in the simulacra of a smile.
"Yes, that was the legend. But I'm sure you see the problem. If there was a drug that could counteract other drugs, wouldn't that drug in turn became a new scourge? The Kuryugumi had a policy of never dealing in drugs, even when we handled many other illegal activities. Even after our mother was given the kagi, she chose not to use it. In fact, our parents forbade those in Kuryugumi to mention the kagi. The problem was that the news had slipped out.
"By the time Ryuichi and I were in our teens, there was a lot of demands both within Kuryugumi and from other gokudo organizations for the kagi to be put to use. My mother, of course, refused and even put it out that she had thrown the kagi away. My father agreed to it, too."
"Then why-"
"It was a simple matter of market economics, really, though we didn't realise it until later. Our parents were so influential that the Kuryugumi became one of the largest in Tokyo. But the Kuryugumi's dominance meant that the smaller gokudo organizations had been pushed out, and if those depended on the drug trade to survive, then they were also deprived of their livelihood. Eventually, enough disgruntled gokudo groups decided that their best bet was to break the Kuryugumi down."
Takaba frowned. Although he lived with Asami Ryuichi who acted more as a businessman then as yakuza, he had never thought of the yakuza as being pushed by market forces too, like laid-off workers marching in protest. "But the Kuryugumi was so large," he said. "How did they do it?"
"That's another story," Shirogami said. "But they managed to draw Ryuichi and me in the ensuing fights and in one of them, I was badly injured." He glanced off to the side as though to encompass his wheelchair. "And that was when Ryuichi ran away."
That matched with what little Asami had told him. "How did he survive?"
Shirogami quirked his eyebrow for a second. "Did he not say anything about that?" he asked, then went on. "No, I suppose he wouldn't have. From what we know, he sought refuge with a few retainers that had left the gokudo. We lost touch with him from then on. Imagine our surprise when someone who looked just like me started to open nightclubs in Tokyo."
For a moment, Takaba was struck with unwilling admiration and heartache for Asami. No matter his flaws (and the bastard had so, so many) he knew that Asami must have been so guilt-stricken that he couldn't stay. Yet, by himself, Asami had built up his empire. Something else struck Takaba, and he stared at Shirogami, who was looking at him as though wondering why it took him so long.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Takaba asked.
/TBC