Fatalize

[Kazuya Hikari]

(OOC: Chihiro)

Theme Song: Fatalize

It's 7PM in the evening, where is Chihiro and what is she doing?

[Daruma Doll~]

After having gathered her necessities, Chihiro left Dragon Territory and traveled to the chosen way point to set up. She stashed her motorbike in an abandoned garage, setting out her utility belt with all of its little trinkets. She had packed very simple: a couple small vials of poison and two butterfly knives. The way Chi operated, she didn't need fancy gizmos and latest technology, or even big guns. She needed to be able to be discreet.

Tucking her trinkets into the folds of her kimono, Chihiro put on her pale foundation, red lipstick, and eye make up. She was going geisha-lite tonight, as it was the younger crowd she was catering to. Older men liked the full traditional look, while younger men prefer the mild nuances. Know your audience.

She left her hiding place and sauntered over to the bar where she knew the enforcer and bodyguard frequented. She walked in and stepped up to the bar, a big smile in place.

[Kazuya Hikari]

The loud music immediately pumping into Chihiro's ears the moment she entered the bar and nightclub, courtesy of the DJ high up in the music booth, she would see the bartender as she stepped up to the bar.

["What can I get you?"]

Beside her, a couple of girls would move away from the bar after getting their drinks, revealing a familiar face seated in the lounge area with a few members of the gang, each arm wrapped around a pretty girl on either side.

[Daruma Doll~]

Chihiro beamed at the bartender, a light musical laugh escaping her lips when he asked what she wanted to drink. Normally Chi would go for some deep red wine or sake or something harder if the day had been rough, but tonight she was posing as a giddy young female out the the club.

"何かピンクとフルーティーでお願いします！"

Something pink and fruity please! Chi's cheeks hurt already, had it really been that long since she'd smiled like a school girl? Whatever it took to win the prize. After a minute, the bartender came back with a tall pink bubbly drink, complete with a colorful paper umbrella and straw. She happily gave him her money, and he gave her the drink. She nodded her head bubbily.

"どうもありがとう!"

Thank you! Oh Kami did she sound so annoying. She took her drink and headed toward the middle of the night club, sipping on her drink and appearing a bit lost. Then, she caught eyes with her target. She smiled and looked down in a shy fashion. After a moment she looked again, making sure she caught his gaze before walking over.

"私を許して、私は助けることが気付くことができなかった、あなたはとてもハンサムです。"

Forgive me, but I couldn't help but notice, you are very handsome. She tilted her head slightly, giving him a sweet smile, and ignoring the looks the girls on either side of him gave her.

[Kazuya Hikari]

Laughing at a joke one of the other guys had made, Taiki's attention was focused on the two pretty ladies around each arm... until now. Noticing a very pretty girl making eye contact with him from the corner of his eye, the smile and the shy look she gave him caused his focus to shift onto her. Briefly turning back to one of the guys as he began talking, he had completely taken the bait by the second look, his gaze completely on her, hook, line, and sinker.

Forgetting about the two girls beside him, following her as she walked up to him, he would look up at her and give her a charming smile to the sweet smile she gave him, the two girls pouting and glaring at her.

["I could say the same for you, aren't you just the prettiest girl in the entire club. Join me for a drink? I've got an empty seat right beside me."]

He'd answer, only to look around and see the two girls still beside him.

["Didn't you hear me? I said I have an empty seat beside me. Go on, get out of here! Don't make me have to say it a second time."]

The two girls looking none too happy, they would slowly and very reluctantly get up, eventually vacating the seats beside Taiki, albeit grudgingly. As they passed by Chihiro, she would hear them mutter beneath their breathes, none too politely either.

["So, tell me, what's your name, and what's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?"]

[Daruma Doll~]

She could see from the moment she caught his gaze a second time, he was a goner. It was a classic move, the shy double-take. Once to get their attention, twice to reel them in. Either she was too skilled at this, or they made it too easy.

"どうもありがとうございました."

Thank you very much. She blushed, looking down once more before capturing his gaze again. Her smile was bright especially in comparison to the sour faces on either side of him. It took a lot of effort not to laugh as he shooed the other girls away. Instead, she adopted a quizzical look, tilting her head ever so slightly as they got up from their seats. As he sat down and looked away for a moment, Chihiro's expression turned into a malicious smirk at the girl for the briefest of seconds before returning to her sugary sweet countenance. Girls were a dime a dozen to men like Taiki, she needed to make sure she was the best of them.

"私の名前は花のように、さくらです。"

My name is Sakura, like the flower. Her cheeks burned a bright pink like the cherry blossoms of her alias. She blinked her long eyelashes twice, before returning the greeting. She would overlook the pick up line and respond with one of her own.

"あなたの名前、私の王子とは何ですか？"

What is your name, my prince?

[Kazuya Hikari]

The girls huffing angrily away from the malicious smirk given to them, as Taiki turned to face Chihiro after being distracted momentarily, he would flash another charming smile at her.

["Such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. My name is Taiki Hara, but you can call me Tai. Hey Yoshiro."]

Taiki would call out, as the guy to the right of Taiki would look up and around rather confusedly, before looking over at him.

["What?"]

[Wasn't there something you and the others needed to do?"]

["There is? I don't remem- Oh... Right, that. C'mon guys, let's go."]

The other guys looking rather confused, one look for Taiki was enough to get the message across as they would shrug their shoulders and get up, heading out of the lounge area, some going back onto the dance floor, while others headed to the bar.

["You now have my undivided attention, my pretty cherry blossom."]

[Daruma Doll~]

"泰様、それはあなたを満たすために光栄です。

Tai-sama, it is an honor to meet you. She beamed, using the honorific in a respectfully familiar way. They were still strangers, after all, it would be an insult to use '-kun' in regards to the man in front of her. He was not bad on the eyes, she didn't have to feign being attracted to him.

He shooed his friends away right away, and clearly they had no actual 'thing' to do, because they dispersed to various places in the club, finding something else to do while Tai chatted up his new lady friend. Perfect.

Chi turned to him, crossing her legs in a fashion that exposed part of her top leg just a bit past her knee. it was a gesture she'd perfected over the years, and guaranteed undivided attention.

"泰様、あなた自身について教えてください。私はあなたを知ってもらうのが大好きです。"

Tell me about yourself, Tai-sama. I'd love to get to know you. She brought the colorful straw to her lips and took a small, cute sip. At this rate she wouldn't even get a buzz, but it was all about playing it up to the target.

[Kazuya Hikari]

And Taiki's undivided attention Chihiro would get, as his eyes would glance down briefly at the motion, before returning back to her face, a sly smile on his face.

["Oh no no, the honor is all mine, to meet someone like you. I'd like to get to know you too, and as for me, I previously like to drift race, but after the world was destroyed... well it's hard to race on a road that looks like swiss cheese. I also like to read, practice kendo, garden, even though there's not a whole lot of plants to look after, and my favorite foods are soba and tempura, particularly pumpkin, sweet pepper, and lotus root tempura."]

Taking a sip of his drink, just to parch his dry throat, he would set down his drink back onto the table while subtly moving closer to Chihiro.

["Yourself? Tell me about yourself, Sakura-san."]

[Daruma Doll~]

Chihiro might as well have loaned a book from the library entitled 'Taiki - Everything You Want To Know About Him (And Some Things You Dont).' Still, she listened, taking mental notes and smiling charmingly.

"ドリフター?"

Drifter? Literally, 'dorifutā' as there wasn't an actual equivalent in the Japanese language. Chihiro gasped, an impressed/surprised expression written on her face.

"どのように危ない！あなたは非常に勇敢でなければなりません。

How dangerous! You must be very brave. She cooed, reaching out to touch his arm with her free hand, near the inside of his elbow, her other hand holding her fruity drink. If he didn't recoil, she could keep her hand there. She smiled coyly when he asked about her, and she blinked, looking down for a moment before answering.

"私はあなたと同じくらいエキサイティングじゃない。また、私は読んで、爆弾が落ちたので、もっと今、描くのが好きです。私の...私の両親はその後、死亡した。私は以来、私自身にしてきた。

I'm not nearly as exciting as you. I also like to read and draw, more now since the bombs fell. My...my parents died, then. I've been on my own ever since. She pressed her lips together, her chocolate hues appearing more glossy as she blinked. The sympathy card was another classic, it also poised her as alone and possibly afraid, hopefully to play into his compassionate nature, if he had one.

"ごめんなさい.

I'm sorry. She bowed her head, before looking up at him and forcibly brightened her smile, though kept the slight sadness in her eyes. She took another cute sip of her drink as if to cover for her 'shortcoming.'

[Kazuya Hikari]

Taiki would not shirk away from the touch, instead, he would glance down at her hand touching the inside of his elbow before looking back up at her, a slightly sly smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

["Nah, after you've done it for a long time, it feels less dangerous and more exhilarating. If you want to talk brave though, you should meet Ayumu-sama. He was the top drifter in Tokyo and the only person to successfully drift down the road in Mt. Okina, until he was beaten by some kid, what was his name? Ryo? No, Ryuu I think."]

Shaking his head, it wasn't really that important, especially after hearing about her.

["What're you apologizing for? There's nothing to be sorry for, but where have you been staying then? You look healthy, so you've probably had a good place to stay. But even though the chances of Barker coming into Neutral Territory is pretty slim, there's still the chance of you getting caught in..."]

A thoughtful look in Taiki's eyes, he just had an idea.

["... You should meet Ayumu-sama. He's the leader of our group, and if you're with us, the chances of you accidentally getting caught in between what we came here to do is less likely to happen."]

[Daruma Doll~]

If Chihiro could have made stars twinkle in her eyes, she would have. She curled her fingers lightly on his arm, as if enthralled in the visualization of this illustrious Ayumu-sama drifting down a mountain. Inwardly, Chihiro was dancing. Within half an hour, she'd alrady gotten him to sing! Still, the mission had only begun. Just because doors opened for her didn't mean there weren't booby traps waiting behind them.

"うーん...私は夫婦別の避難所に滞在してきたが、彼らはいつも、私は長く滞在することはできませんことを混雑しています。私はカップルブロック先まだそれの規定を持っていることを放棄された家を見つけた。私はそこに滞在してきました。"

Well...I've been staying in a couple different shelters, but they are always so crowded that I can't stay long. I found an abandoned house a couple blocks away that still has provisions in it. I've been staying there. Two blocks away was the blue house that sat slightly crooked on its foundation. She'd planted the 'provisions' and a couple of 'personal items' and mussed up the bed to make it look like she'd been staying there. After all, she figured they'd be looking into where she came from, she wasn't just an angel that fell out of the sky (though they may as well have thought that).

"あなた...あなたも一種だ、泰様！

You...you're too kind, Tai-sama! She set down her drink, taking both his hands lightly and bowing her head in appreciation. She couldn't believe it, this was going so much better than she thought it would.

"あなたのおもてなしは、唯一のあなたの魅力、私の王子によって匹敵されています。"

Your hospitality is only rivaled by your attractiveness, my prince. She kept her head bowed until either he spoke or tilted her head up himself. She showed as much reverence and admiration as possible, for someone to 'pick her up from the gutter' so to speak.

[Kazuya Hikari]

Although Taiki continued to have a smile on his face, it was no longer a sly smile, but instead a calm, almost serene smile... and only because as soon as Chihiro had told him where she had been "staying," a few of the members Taiki had come with had slipped out quietly and scouted out her so called place of residence. Upon confirming the location and the state it was in through a hidden microphone and headset he wore, he was satisfied... for the time being.

["You give me too much credit. I only wish to avoid sweeping any citizens unnecessarily into our affairs. There is no need to bow to me, I am simply a low ranked member in our group. I would hold your thanks until Ayumu-sama has given his approval."]

Gently freeing one of his hands from hers, he would reach out and gently take hold of her chin, tilting her head up so he could look at her.

["Once you've finished your drink, we'll head out and I'll take you to where we're staying.]

As soon as she had finished her drink, Taiki would get up and the rest of the group joining up with him, would lead her out of the club, but would stop as soon as they were far enough from the club, and turn to face her.

["I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we'll have to..."]

As Taiki drifted off, from behind a shadow would loom over Chihiro, followed by a thick white cloth pulled over her eyes. If she did not resist, the cloth would be tied firmly but comfortably at the back of her head. If she fought however, a few members of the group would grab her arms and hold her still, to let the cloth be tied. Once they were done, she would feel Taiki take a hold of her hand, and begin leading her towards their base.

[Daruma Doll~]

When he took her chin and tilted her head up, Chihiro opened her eyes and smiled sweetly at him, her cheeks reddening slightly from his touch. Oh she would have fun with this plaything until she had to move on to the next one.

Perhaps a lesser being would think 'maybe I can keep him, maybe I can save him,' but that was what separated the dime-a-dozen from the elite. Never get attached, never hesitate. Most humans were cattle, pawns to be played in a much bigger game. She was using these pawns to get into the compound, then up to the head of the organization, where she will chop off the head and leave the rest to crumble.

Once she was finished with her drink, she left the bar arm-in-arm with the first seat. She swayed ever so slightly, pretending to be a lightweight for the sake of her alias. Her nerves all stood on end though as he pulled away and looked back at her, a blindfold coming over her eyes.

She stiffened immediately, taking a deep breath to steady her instinct from killing them all right now. Of course they'd need to resort to dramatics...she should have expected it. All of this happened in the flash of an instant. The stiffening, the breath, and then...the ruse melting back into place. Chihiro's lips parted in an 'o' of surprise, and she brought her hands up to touch the band around her eyes.

"泰様、これは何ですか？どうなってるの？"

Tai-sama, what is this? What's going on? She asked, panic in her musical tone. She didn't want to give them a reason to knock her out, so she wouldn't flail, just continue to touch the blind fold from her eyes around to her ears and back as if she didn't know what it was or why.

[Kazuya Hikari]

["I'm sorry, but I have to take precautions. Until Ayumu-sama gives his approval, non-members cannot know the location and route to our base. Everything will be alright, trust me. The blindfold will come off once we've reached the base and are inside."]

Taiki wasn't joking around, his voice, normally lighthearted and carefree, had an incredibly serious tone to it. Reaching out, he would gently take one of Chihiro's hands into his own, and would begin to lead her to their base. As the group slowly but steadily headed back, something Kazuya had said to her before would echo in her mind.

["Don't always rely on your sight to help you Chihiro-san. There will be times when your sight will be rendered useless. Hone your other senses, because there will come a time when you'll have to put them to use. Block out all the white noise, and listen acutely for the sounds that matter. Use the odors surrounding you to determine your location."]

Among the sounds of the steady rhythm of footsteps from the group, in the distance, Chihiro would hear people talking, food being cooked, and kids playing. She'd also feel a warm breeze gently blowing, and the slowly disappearing rays of sunset on her face, illuminating her face, though the opaque white cloth would give nothing. It was clear where they were though, they were walking through the suburban area of Vernon, and with each step taken, the general buzz of people talking would grow louder, meaning they were heading towards the city center.