Participants:
Scene Title | Dead End in Tokyo |
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Synopsis | When challenged to shatter a cage, sometimes the best weapon is yourself. |
Date | December 9, 2018 |
It's rare that Asi Tetsuyama smokes. It's in fact been years, but she was compelled to buy a pack after the meeting staged at Raytech. The cherry-red ember at the end of the cigarette flares in the dark, only slivers of neon light slipping in through the windows. Exhaling smoke out, that crisp burning sensation filled with nostalgia, she recalls the last few times she had felt it.
In a dead end street in Tokyo
I finished my bottle all alone
Pinching the cigarette between her thumb and forefinger, she taps ash away into an empty juice can and considers the screen before her.
// <come on, v.iris_>
// <what do you say to living up to that name_>
// <think of what good it could do, not just here, but everywhere_>
Her knee bounces up and down, legs crossed. A stare is leveled at the screen, gaze sharp as if it could pierce straight through its surface to its intended recipient.
Where I'll end up well I just don't know
Another dead end in Tokyo…
Asi shakes her head to herself as she exhales a cloud of acrid smoke. Arguably, that project had been the tipping point that had lead her here. For better or worse. Tilting her head up toward the ceiling as she draws in deeply off the cigarette again, her eyes narrow thoughtfully.
It had probably been for the better.
There's a thousand glowing street signs all in a row
And there's a rich man tossing to the people below
"Hand them over."
A sharp look is leveled out of the corner of her eye toward the man that made the request of her. Arms crossed before her, the rumpled pack of cigarettes is held in one hand while she smokes one with the other. She's thinner, dressed in a drab tan jumpsuit, with murder in her eyes.
Nagano had been by today. It was not the day to be testing her. She flicks the cigarette ash in the direction of the man's shoes, not budging from her position. Her head tilts slightly, chin arching up in a dare to part her from her vice.
The guard begins to smile.
He's just standing at his window sipping Dom Perignon
Because he feels like the king of Kabuki-cho
This exhale is through her teeth, shaking her hand through the air to clear the fog of memory and look back down to the screen before her. She rubs the bridge of her nose with the side of her thumb as she scans the collection of messages and photos, along with the rough timeline she's sketched out for how everything should go from here, barring any unavoidable scheduling conflicts. Such as the end of the world, should it decide to arrive early. Who knew, between the void-occupying entity and its eventual encroach onto reality, and the more mortal machinations at work across the globe. It wouldn't surprise her if she was forced to abandon this bout of fun before it could reach completion.
If this did all play out, though…
She's got a suitcase full of big dreams
She's in a city full of bigger lies
Her skin crawls with delight at the web she's weaving, a feeling she tries to tame back. One ill-timed smile when questioned about this would be enough to spark the wrong set of questions. No, this needed to be something she'd be asked to investigate, something she'd need to prove eager to 'silence' before it 'got out of hand' — not something they needed to suspect she'd done to herself, or would dig the hole deeper in the background.
Enough time had passed she's confident even Genki wouldn't suspect her of going this far. Asi values her privacy, after all. Even though she's in the middle of practicing her poker face, she does allow herself a small smile at imagining what his reaction would be to the question: Do you know what trolling is?
He's Shinjuku's James Dean
Keep on living but you never leave alive
Her brow furrows at the email draft before her, the first of several planned. It's directed to the editor of the Shukan Gendai. She teeters for only a moment, second-guessing the wording deployed rather than her intent behind them. The Japanese is read out loud to herself in a skeptical tone, hand splaying as she reaches the point as it's written, sounding out whether it's suitable.
It is. It'll serve its purpose. It doesn't need to be perfect, after all.
Just a quick note, a question, intended to spark a thought. To start a trail of questions and generate interest.
Hey mister, I got it
Whatever it is you want
"はじめようか?" Asi voices to no one in particular, dramatically tapping the touchpad for effect to trigger the email's projection across cyberspace.
Dream on, chaotic
Her only regret is that this time, she lacks a certain partner in crime to share her excitement with.
// <are you ready with your part for tonight??_>
Unlike v.iris these days, this one's response is immediate.
// «u mean 4 2morrow? ;)_»
Asi's eyelids flutter in an attempt to control her patience. Looping help made this easier, but she she still had her reservations about this one. They still had a lot of youth to them. She knew they were dedicated, but this would be a longer-term project than she'd ever tasked them with before. And it was herself on the line.
// <this isn't the time for games. you have an important role to play. your part must post in no more than 30 minutes from now. clear?_>
// «はい、はい~ Got it, dont worry :)_»
// <i am counting on you, maj1ko_>
// «looking forward to it, ON1_»
Satisfied for the time being, she terminates the session and waits in the dark. On the periphery of sound, she listens to a siren cycle by in the distance, and eventually pushes herself to her feet. The weather is mild enough that when she opts to take the rest of her cigarette out to the balcony, she doesn't bother slipping on a jacket to go with her slippers.
Just another dead end in Tokyo
Watching the city is a peaceful activity that lasts barely as long as the last of the next cigarette. Her phone begins to buzz in her phone a mere twenty minutes later, leaving her to wonder just how long the article had already been posted.
8:45 pm
Genki:
Tetsuyama, what is going on??
Did you come back and not inform us???
8:47 pm
Genki:
Some tabloid is reporting you were seen shopping in Shinjuku
8:48 pm
Genki:
This isn't some game, is it??
Asi exhales long through her nose to avoid from laughing out loud, mouth curving up into a grin.
8:48 pm
Asi:
What reason would I have to do something like that?
I'll call you. Talk me through what's happening.
We'll figure this out.
Just another dead end in Tokyo