242 Posts
0 EP
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Total
24 Years
Female
Bandit-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Marceline Labelle on Jan 16, 2021 12:05:53 GMT -4
Marceline liked to think her cafes had a nice rustic air to them. They were clearly a coorporate chain. If she was to maintain efficiency she couldn't really help that at most locations, but at the end of the day they still had an air to them that meant you could sorta see it being in some countryside location, maybe in france, maybe elsewhere in your mind, but for a moment you could step out of the hustle bustle atmosphere of Japan and enjoy some genuine quite time just breathing in and out, and enjoying a nice little beverage and maybe a slice of cake. The furniture choices were comfortable but restrained, and the decorations felt... homely. The same could not be said for her offices... Regardless of the location, there was clearly a huge divide between the on site offices Marceline had at all her key locations, and the rest of the establishment. She wasn't a cheapskate with her employees by any means, but her personal office spaces simply outdid them. Despite being above a coffee shop, everything looked like what one might expect to fulfill the more personal space of some high end CEO's mansion or a high end sky scraper office. It was far too luxurious to be where it was, which made it all the more alarming when anyone realized she had about 8 of these offices dotted around Tokyo. This particular one she was inhabiting today overlooked the construction site for her upcoming hotel. For now, there were just building the foundations, and they were building them deep. They'd long since escevated and rerouted the sewage and plumbing as needed to make sure she had a building that would go several basement layers deep. Basements may not be that appealing a place to have a hotel room, but underground fighting matches to bet on? Or... more discreet locations for her and her shady associates to meet? What true evil CEO could do without such things. As she stood at the window, looking out onto the work being done, the faint hum of the machinery at work, she couldn't help but smile and let out a faint chuckle at her own internal jokes. At the end of the day, this would be a grand investment, villainous ties or no... she already had enough to live a comfortable life for years to come, but if she pulled this off succesffully? Well... she hoped she could say with confidence the plans she had may put Sonya to shame. Sure, the woman had grander plans than she did... but subtlety was a charm that many ignored. Heck, that was part of the point~ With a soft, pleasant breath, glad to see her project coming along, Marceline smoothed out her outfit, a simple white blouse, pencil skirt, and stockings, her jacket hung up on a coat rack close to the door, and a nice warm cup of coffee waiting for her on her desk behind her. She didn't have much work today, just crossing a few 't's, dotting a few 'i's. Making sure the business ran as it should. Mystrem had been a little quiet lately, but between lending her efforts to that Thunder plan and what she had in mind when moving her operations over to the upcoming Casino? It was best she lay low for a while. As far as she was aware most of those villains she foolishly presented herself to in her early career had vanished, so this should be a chance to start fresh, and dissasociate her criminal face, from her business face. Speaking of the shadier side of her life however, she heard a gentle knock on her door. Her bodyguard, Sam Parker, dressed in a form fitting business suit of her own, opened the door soon after, stepping aside and holding it open to allow in a trio of fellows Marceline didn't recognize. "A surprise appointment, Ma'am." Ah Sam, as overly formal as ever. Curious as to why her usually strict bodyguard would allow an unregistered appointment into her office, Marceline lowered the drink she'd been taking quiet sips from, linking her fingers together and resting her chin on the back of her hands. She didn't recognize everyone in the criminal world... but she felt the three here had the tell tale signs. A clear leader, back up muscle, a bit of scruff you wouldn't see on a typical business CEO or the like, and an air to him that told Marceline she should perhaps be on edge. She kept her face calm however, just showing some small surprise and intrigue at the presence of the men now filling her office, looking each of them up and down. "Well well well... I don't think I had a meeting with you boys today... you know if you have a complaint about the coffee we actually have an email address for those.~"
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214 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
26 Years
Male
"Your Favorite Nightmare"
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Post by Dauwz on Jan 18, 2021 8:26:57 GMT -4
Takeuchi Sora was not an impatient man by any stretch of the imagination. He was methodical in everything he did, precise and calculative. The type of man who listened more than he spoke, and whenever he did speak the whole room tended to get enshrouded in a deathly silence, almost as though the stench of death begun to seep in and permeate the air around him. The rather young member of the Yakuza carried himself with an air of absolute calm and authority, his decisions quick, sharp and decisive. It was this very same air and these very same decisions that garnered him so much notoriety in the criminal underworld and allowed him to rise up the ranks of the mafia as quickly as he did.
"We going in yet, Takeuchi-san?"
Yet, clearly, one annoying thorn in his side didn't seem to get the message.
Sora remained quiet as he observed the building before him from the sidewalk, hands in the pockets of his pants. He didn't bother to answer, nor did he attempt to regard his burly subordinate standing behind him in any way at all. Goro wasn't the brightest of the bunch -- frankly he was loud, impulsive and obnoxious -- but he was strong and followed orders. Matsumoto, the katana-wielding third man in their little bunch, kept quiet, rather deciding to not question their lieutenant lest he got another boot in his face like last time.
"Come on," Sora's voice finally rung out calmly, the man having decided he had enough staring at the exterior of the place. He had been sent here on a request directly from the boss; This one wench has shacked up in our turf. Go show her what's what, Sora, were the simple instructions he was given. Given his track record, most of which some have said was the reason this particular brand of Yakuza were even as prosperous as they were in the first place, Sora was given leeway to deal with situations how he saw fit. A 'proposal' for protection, extortion, blackmail... or an outright massacre - none of these means were outside of Sora's choices, nor were they something he hadn't done in the past.
The tall man pushed his way through the entrance of the café, his lackeys following him closely behind. Patrons and employees alike paused to turn their way yet quickly averted their gazes, realization of exactly who the three were blowing through them like a cold breeze, sending shivers down their spines. Sora did not bother to talk to anybody, nor did he linger. The décor, while classy, did not interest him in the slightest. If it didn't bring in a profit he was as likely to burn it all down as he was to pay any attention to it at all. He pushed his way up the stairs to where he had been informed one Marceline Labelle, his target for the night, had situated herself in. He had done his research on the woman but with what little time he had before having to confront her he couldn't dig up anything solid. Not an ideal situation by any means, but not one that intimidated him either.
"Keep your trap shut, Goro," the lieutenant quickly ordered the moment he laid his sharp gaze on the bodyguard in front of Marceline's office. The two traded gazes for the briefest of moments. Sora moved away the side of his blazer to reveal a gun holster, the calmest yet most deadly of expressions on his faces. The door was opened.
The three men entered, yet Sora made absolutely no effort to acknowledge Marceline just yet. While his subordinates tried to seem as intimidating as possible the amber-eyed yakuza simply observed the surroundings, trying to gauge what kind of women Marceline was based on the office she resided in. He hummed to himself quietly, the cogs in his brain beginning to turn.
His eyes stopped upon a trolley with several choice alcoholic beverages and a few glasses. He approached, uncorked the glass container and poured himself some. The drink was quickly brought to his lips, the liquid flowing down his throat pleasantly. Hmm. Good taste, he thought to himself, letting the liquid squish in the glass.
It was then that Sora actually met eyes with the woman, his striking gaze seemingly piercing right through her in the form of a permanent scowl. He begun to walk up to her desk, pulling up a chair as he did so before he very calmly sat down.
"Sit down," it wasn't a request.
Sora stayed quiet, scrutinizing the woman with those same piercing eyes, all while his subordinates stood tall behind him, both ready to jump at but a moments notice like trained attack dogs.
"Who are you?" The question was simple yet loaded at the same time. If she was as intelligent as Sora wanted to give her credit for she'd realize that the simplicity of the question betrayed how complex it really was.
And if she ended up being a disappointment, well... he didn't mind putting a bullet between her eyes to save time.
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242 Posts
0 EP
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Total
24 Years
Female
Bandit-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Marceline Labelle on Jan 19, 2021 11:10:38 GMT -4
Cup and saucer from her coffee in hand, Marceline watched with keen golden eyes of her own how the three men entered her room. A clear leader and two followers. Now, in some cultures it was the last to enter a room who had the most importance. You could even find rather comical video of two high standing political figures trying to almost push eachother through the door to make sure they themselves were the last one in, but Japan didn't tend to have such custom. It was the leader of the group you had to keep an eye if they were a gruff street level type. If they were a business man, you expected them in the middle of the group, surrounded by their underlings.
This hardly seemed like a high ended businessman suffice to say.
She took another cautious sip of her drink to try and hide her subtle glances. The two men following behind with slicked back hair and strong builds. Sam made the right move letting them in as botheresome as this may become. It was always best to keep commotion to a minimum. Keep the police off premises even if Marceline was sure they wouldn't find anything. Their leader? Ear piercings, decorative and strong choices that emphasized a sharp look despite the element of 'street' about him. The tattoos on his hands... it wasn't a guarentee of 'yakuza', at least not the one named under that Thunder fellow, but it was a statement of someone who either didn't understand japanese formalities like a foreigner, or someone trying to make a statement with them, knowing such formalities. This time, she guessed the latter.
As she lowered her drink, she put on a concerned expression. Inside she was calm, firm. Perhaps not confident persay, but strong in how she held herself. Outside, she still held the stance of someone who knew they were high on the ladder of society... but the mild concern of someone who didn't quite know how to handle a situation. It was only natural no? Here were some clearly dangerous individuals, or at the very least extremely rude ones, who were invading her space, drinking her booze without so much as a 'how ya do', and now, demanding she sit. She didn't dare fake a tremor in her hand, she knew from experience how fake that could seem. Instead, she took a clear, pronounced breath through her nose before cautiously stepping to the desk.
Inside. Firm. Outside. Concerned. That was the play right now.
At the door Sam closed it behind her, her back to the wall as she remained inside the room. Her hands linked behind her back, toying with an old buttoned phone. The disadvantage of touch screens was you had no way of knowing what you were typing without looking at the screen. An old phone like this? Sturdy, durable, and the small nub on the 6 button allowed her to find the keys, dialing the number for the Japanese police force, her thumb hovering over the call button. She didn't give Marceline any sort of signal. They knew the game plan, so both women focused on the situation.
"I'm sorry sirs if my bodyguard gave you a rude greeting but I hardly feel this calls for such abrupt-" She was cut off by the question, and her brow quirked. An actual sense of fear filled her for a moment... but she'd use it. She added it to her performance but didn't let it concern her. "E-excuse me?"
There were two possible intents. They knew she was Mystrem, or they were asking for her character... a woman caught off guard by such a question, even a strong business type would need a second to put the pieces together, but she decided to go with the idea they were asking about her character. Even if they knew she was Mystrem it was best not to admit that too readily.
She cleared her throat and adjusted herself in her seat, resting her arms upon the desk, linking her fingers together in balled up fists. "Well I am Marceline Labelle, but I hardly think that's the answer you're looking for... " She took a slow breath, pretending to get her nerves under control. "I am a charitable business woman-" She began, subtly trying to open up the idea that she was able to be negotiated with through this persona she was displaying. "I'm sure whatever you 3 men want we can come to some sort of understanding hm?"
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214 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
26 Years
Male
"Your Favorite Nightmare"
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Post by Dauwz on Jan 23, 2021 9:31:56 GMT -4
"You heard me," Sora continued, his eyes firmly trained on the woman who seemed to have been caught off guard by the question. On the surface level it was a simple question but it seemed like this Marceline Labelle hadn't quite understood what the Yakuza had actually meant. Getting a read on her was proving to be a little difficult. At first glance, anyway.
"Charitable my ass, this office looks like it costed more than the whole joint downstairs," Goro added as his eyes kept going from one expensive looking object to another while he stood behind the seated young boss.
Sora remained quiet, still staring down the woman in front of him in an attempt to gauge her. He hummed to himself before his hand reached into the inside of his blazer's pocket, completely uncaring if she or her bodyguard thought he was reaching for a weapon. From within his blazer's inner pocket he fished out a folded piece of paper and tossed it on top of the woman's desk before lighting a cigarette.
They were plans for Marceline's new casino. Plans seen by those on a more administrative level.
How he got them was irrelevant; he made that plenty clear when he leveled her with his ominous amber gaze once more.
"Place like that seems like it'd fetch quite a bit of cash on the daily," it was Matsumoto who spoke next while he leaned against the armrest of one of the couches in the office, arms folded beneath his chest.
"On turf that's already been taken," Goro chimed in again, a wide and rather manic grin on his face as he turned to Marceline's bodyguard. If that grin said anything it had clearly been the notion that he hoped things would spiral down past the talking stage. "So what we're trying to tell you, miss charitable businesswoman, is that you have two choices," Matsumoto spoke up again, a tired sigh leaving him. This was such a droll. "A, you pay us fifty percent of your weekly income for... protection and all of us walk away happy, or B, you tear this whole place down and never show your smug face here again. If it's neither of the two, well. We'll take the casino for ourselves, and-"
"You'll still leave, just in a casket and a few bullet holes," Goro added again, his grin only widening.
All the while, Sora said absolutely nothing. He simply stared down Marceline, letting his underlings do the talking.
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242 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
24 Years
Female
Bandit-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Marceline Labelle on Jan 23, 2021 10:27:00 GMT -4
That was... fair, she had always hoped she could brush off her extravagent offices as just a huge dose of eccentricity but it did certainly act as a red flag to the keen minds. Money wise, she had the paper trails to say she could afford it if anyone official came asking... but running a mid level cafe chain? She shouldn't realistically be wasting money on a place like this at every last one of her office spaces. Once the Casino was built she could reduce the number, focus her funds on a main office at the Casino but... nnngh... being a criminal mind required such subtlety, and she loved to pamper herself where she could.
"W-well." She began, trying to still keep up the slightly fearful act that this yakuza boy would instill on a normal woman who didn't know what she did, or had her foot in the underworld as she did. "I doubt it's what you're here to see but I could certainly show you the paperwork for my donations... I-I mean what's wrong with treating yourself a little when you're playing your part hm? I-I mean we've just had quite a good year, I mean-" She turned in her seat a little, about to point out the casino being built across the main road when he stepped in to declare knowledge of it himself.
The fact he knew about it wasn't alarming... as she unfolded the paper, the fact he had such access to her company was. A higher up who was bribed? Pressured? An outright thief... she didn't need to fake the concern this time... she did however have to suppress a hint of rage.
"Yes... that's the intention." A little more of her personal tone was slipping into her words, folding the paper back up and placing it on the table, her concerned gaze turning into a bit of a glare.
Their claim of the turf didn't really help her mood, breathing slowly and keeping her mind focused, cupping her hands together on the desk. She shot a glare towards Goro's direction. Sora seemed reasonable... but she didn't have to fake niceties for those other two.
As the threats became more clear, Marceline debated heavily keeping up the act... but she didn't get in this for the money. She could make that in much easier ways. She didn't get into this to be a face of villainy like Ishtar or Sonya. She didn't want people to know and respect or fear her face... she got into this for the fun of it. The sense of power that came from pulling strings from the shadows. Her breathing slowed as she just considered their words. She could become incredibly fearful, deny them and urge them out the door with that threat lingering over her... or she could show a little more of her true self.
Her amber gaze grew sharp, and she leaned back from the desk into her seat. Folding one leg over the other. She just observed them for a few seconds more... and slowly shook her head.
"Gentlemen I hoped we could resolve this reasonably but clearly I laid on the helpless act a little thick for you. 50 percent? Now I don't know what the usual going rate is in your shady little racket but I can promise you that you already lost the game by coming in here with even the intention for asking for anything more than 10 percent. I mean honestly. I don't know what organization you work for or if you're just street thugs looking to make a quick buck... but either you're in way over your heads and I have nothing to fear, or you're idiots who need to run back to daddy and get your asses handed for you for coming in so high. Come on. 50 percent? If you have a boss, and honestly-" She raised a hand to silence them before any of them could interupt her. "I hope you do cause you two in the back look too dumb to feed yourselves, so let's assume. They're going to want my business built regardless of your input, because even if I don't pay up protection, you have much better odds of future profits with a Casino you have a chance of rigging or working with, than any old office building that could be built in it's place."
She finally turned her eyes back to Sora, her gaze harsh, but a smile on her lips. Those two bozos she could do without, but she was more than willing to talk to him like a reasonable soul. He seemed to be in charge of this little troop at the very least.
"Now unless you're intending to kill me in broad daylight. I'd very much recommend you go back to your boss, and tell them to give you less braindead back up when you return." She pressed a finger to her lips in mock thought before adding. "Mmm... in fact, who DO you work for?~ I'd like to know who I'll be getting my death threats from next week.~"
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214 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
26 Years
Male
"Your Favorite Nightmare"
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Post by Dauwz on Jan 24, 2021 13:53:31 GMT -4
Just like he'd been silent previously Sora was silent now, calmly observing the woman as both Goro and Matsumoto went on with their usual spiel of would be threats. He never participated. The dogs did the barking and when he needed them to they did the biting. He was the owner, so all he did was sit back and observe with his ever scrutinizing eyes, his irises practically shining an ominous gold against the lighting of the office. Eventually it paid off, just like it usually did.
Yes. Ah, there it was. The façade that had started to irritate him slowly crumbled away in the face of an unreasonable offer. Once again Sora just listened, all while taking the occasional puff from his cigarette or indulging in the drink Marceline not so willingly provided for him. She finally sat back down and Sora could see part of her true face begin to show with what she said next.
He struggled to keep the side of his mouth from curling into the tiniest of smiles.
The Yakuza in his mid-twenties calmly raised one single hand, immediately silencing both Goro and Matsumoto from countering her words with whatever obscenities they were about to throw at her. "A game? Very well."
Sora inhaled from his cigarette before leveling Marceline with a calm stare. His voice was calm, cool... borderline cold. Hostile, but at the same time reserved. Inquisitive, even. One that sought to learn but gave no quarter at the same time. "I'm curious, Miss Labelle - what's to stop us from putting a bullet between your eyes right now and taking what you think is your business for ourselves?" He asked, all while pointing two fingers at the woman and quickly raising them up as though his hand were a gun. "The police won't help you. Go ahead. Try to call them. The call will cut off after the second ring." "You don't come across like a woman who'd so readily gamble her life like that, so for the sake of argument let's imagine you have the bargaining power you imagine you do - what do you have to offer that we can't simply take from you?"
Her questions were very noticeably ignored. At this point in time Sora cared very little about what she wanted to know. As far as he was concerned she was backed into a corner and was barking more than she had the strength to bite off.
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242 Posts
0 EP
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Total
24 Years
Female
Bandit-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Marceline Labelle on Jan 24, 2021 14:55:50 GMT -4
"...Nothing." She answered coldly. She wasn't about to lie about her chance of survival, and without even glancing in Sam's direction she could tell that the woman shifted enough to let her know that the one before her was right. By now she'd hit dial on the local authoraties but the phone had stopped rumbling in her hand far faster than it should have. Maybe it was a quirk, maybe they made sure the local police turned on their location services and just weren't answering calls from her street? Whatever the case it put her in a situation without a safety net.
She was afraid... but she wouldn't back down so easily. To boldly call the hands she could play would reveal far too readily that she and Mystrem where the same person to one man she felt she would rather have on the game board and two others she wouldn't trust as far as they could count. Her heart raced a little quicker, but she didn't allow herself a breath to calm herself. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"In terms of what I have to offer... you want 50 percent of my Casino's profits? Fine. We'll set the 'game' on hard mode. When my casino is built, we have an agreement. 50 percent of my profits" She leaned back to her desk, and picked up her cup and saucer, swirling the drink in her cup before taking a long quiet sip. Of course she had no intention of it reaching that point, but she wasn't about to play her hand too soon. She would only make it clear that whatever was about to befall the people Sora worked for, would be because of this moment.
"Just remember boys... these are the rules you are choosing to play by. Tell your boss I'm not happy with this arrangement... but I will comply, if they do."
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214 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
26 Years
Male
"Your Favorite Nightmare"
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Post by Dauwz on Jan 26, 2021 20:31:43 GMT -4
If one ever wondered what a shit-eating grin looked like, all they'd need to do was look at Goro's face. While Matsumoto kept up the same expressionless front on his face as always, Goro's lips twisted in a way that made him look sinister. The sight of this woman relenting made him feel a virtually guttural sense of snide accomplishment, twisted in so many ways one could easily tell he enjoyed seeing his targets at their lowest. It was exactly for this reason that Sora kept him around. He was dangerous. Volatile. He was also an ape. Brutal, but mindless. Easy to control. He kept him on a short leash, but let him do what he pleased here and there. It made him happy. And it gave Sora people he could use.
Yet as much as Goro might've wanted, Sora wouldn't need to use him today.
Much to his surprise, Marceline relented. Considering he knew a little of who this woman was the Yakuza was even a little disappointed. She was clearly intelligent and resourceful, yet he couldn't help but wonder whether she was unprepared for this little meeting or if she was pulling their legs. Regardless, what stood true was that Sora Takeuchi was a curious man. A curious and ambitious man who recognized an opportunity when he saw one.
One would need much more pull in the underworld to try something like this in territory she knew was controlled by someone. Sora might've mistook her for simply being inexperienced... had she not recognized the threat the second it came in. Clearly the woman had something in her inventory that would warrant her lashing out at them the moment they offered something. Again, she wasn't stupid. Her façade proved as much.
"Curious indeed," the Yakuza mused aloud, more to himself than anybody else though really. He finished off his drink and set the glass back down on the woman's desk. After plopping the cigarette into his mouth he reached for something inside his blazer's pocket once again; a piece of paper which he deftly unfolded. He reached out and took a nearby pen from Marceline's desk and scribbled something onto the sheet of paper before folding it again. He slid the paper towards her.
"Call this a... little gift," he said before finally standing up. Wordlessly, he went for the door, his men following closely behind him. "We'll come visit again in about a month's time. Have the payment prepared by then, Miss Labelle."
And with that... they were gone.
The piece of paper? The advertisement of a nightclub, one that very clearly belonged to a certain mafia clan. What he scribbled onto it? The name of exactly who the Yakuza's higher ups had contacted to get the administrative details of Marceline's casino.
Oh how curious he was indeed to see how she'd use that information. If there was one thing that made him look forward to that meeting thirty or so days from now, it was exactly that.
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242 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
24 Years
Female
Bandit-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Marceline Labelle on Jan 28, 2021 9:01:01 GMT -4
Marceline didn't move an inch as they said their last words. Her eyes shifted and followed their motions, but she wouldn't give them ground. She would seem no more defeated... and no less. She needed them to leave with the impression of victory, and their leader seemed to have a keen enough mind to understand when she was playing with them. She couldn't overplay the act and she couldn't underplay it either, aiming to hold the stern gaze of someone who felt humiliated by defeat but also strengthened by it. She watched as they wrote down their note, but wouldn't reach for it until the men had left, at which point she would take it calmly.
"I'm gonna assume you don't want me to tail them." Sam stated firmly the moment the door closed, walking the distance of the office to meet Marceline at her desk. The woman gave a slow sigh through her nose as she shook her head. She felt a little useless there, but without a quirk all she could do at the end of the day was be some back up for Marceline. An enforcer of sorts yes, but more looks than show in this world of power. Through that whole exchange neither of them could even tell of those three had any quirks.
"No. No... we shouldn't need to. Too risky beyond that. The one in the front seemed to actually have half a brain on his shoulders..." Marceline examined the paper, her halo forming around her wrist and flowing over it, scanning it into her internal database of replicable images and forms. She didn't smoke personally, but for those that did in her office she kept a fancy silver lighter in one of her drawers, tossing an ash tray onto her desk, and lighting the note, letting it quickly burn out in the tray as she leaned over into her hands, considering her moves.
"... Kazuma taiwa. Hoshuko Maki. Mai Tanto. Phone records. Transaction records. Company accounts and personal. I'm going to decide which of them need counselling... and which of them need punishing. Figure out who had the information beaten out of them and who happily gave it up for a pay day. I'll investigate if we have any connections to their organization."
Her amber gaze flickered to the embers of paper still burning away in the ash tray before her, clutching the arm rest of her chair.
"I've never been a lover of burning others to the ground... but there can be a beauty in the flames no?"
The rest of the month would be a busy one for Marceline. Allowing the operations to flow as normal? That was the easy part. Pinpointing who's money she was laundering, from where, when and how to stop it without raising any red flags with dips in her profits? That was the hard part. Marceline had a large enough nest egg to swallow some losses, and she could increase her laundering operations for others, but she was definitely losing out as she put her plans in motion. She started slow, connections of connections. This mafia had connections to the drug dealers in the south? She'd shut them down first. Gambling connections up north? They'd come next. She wouldn't strike the operation directly in the first week, only their associates. She wanted them to question their losses, wonder why their operations were suddenly slowing down or getting harder to run. Hear whispers of their usual laundering rackets slowing or getting shut down entirely... and it slowly moved to reach the core.
Before long the wave of dismantling would close in. She'd strike them from the underworld and the legal world in equal measure. Your nightclub operation was legal? Well she bet the building wasn't up to code at the very least. She'd give a few anonymous tips to the right people, get you shut down for a few weeks and spending the money on repairs and upgrades. You thought you could grease the wheels with bribes? She'd bribe higher. You wanted to play the game on hard mode? Fine. You chose that. Don't forget it.
When she truly sank her fangs in she'd strike them at the very core. The specific nightclub Sora had given her would be the last part of their operations she'd strike at. She'd sink her fangs in deep. Legally she'd tackle them with a police raid stating they were selling drugs at that location. Where they? She didn't know. She didn't care. Someone would be there with drugs, someone who was happy to make money by going to jail. Some people, as weird as they were, liked it there. From the underground she'd cut off their chosen forms of illegal revenue, any laundering they still did through her or her associates? Say goodbye. When they were resting, burned, able to rebuild but with a mighty struggle perhaps... she'd make the message clear.
If Sora wasn't already able to realize it was her, her last move would make it clear. The one employee of hers she could prove had been coerced with a bribe to give up her information would arrive at their doorstep. Dead. Wrapped up literally like a present, wrapping paper and a bow, clutching a usb stick in his hands. It would simply play a distorted message, using cut up media appearances from Marceline herself, forcing her with cuttings of her words to say-
'Miss-trim-sends-her-re-guards'
She was careful to record nothing new. It was clear whoever Mystrem was she did this on behalf of Marceline, but nothing they could legally pin on her as a personal act.
Sitting back in her chair, Marceline glanced at the clock, and back to the construction outside her window. "I wonder if they'll uphold our meeting?~" She chimed to Sam with a soft smile, who resided with her in the office this time. The door was slightly ajar, and both women relaxed in their respective positions, awaiting the arrival of the 'other team' in this little game.
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214 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
26 Years
Male
"Your Favorite Nightmare"
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Post by Dauwz on Feb 2, 2021 10:40:01 GMT -4
The past month had been eventful indeed. It was slow, at first. Whispers of money going missing and operations coming to a halt. Whole agencies abandoned for no good reason. The higher ups sent goons to figure out what's what but they never returned. It kept coming closer and closer, the whispers. Soon enough it was on their front porch, knocking on their door all wrapped up in a neat little gift of death. Matsumoto was perplexed. Goro furious. And Sora?
Oh he got in on the fun. What was a gamble if you didn't go all in, after all.
An invisible smile was plastered all over Sora's face as the very same trio approached Marceline's office in the exact same way they had over a month ago. This time, though, Sora knew exactly who he was dealing with. He might've been the only one who figured it out. No, he made sure he was the only one.
Cigarette in between his lips, Sora entered the office first, closely followed by the more scruffy looking duo. Matsumoto had a sheathed katana hurled onto his shoulder while Goro had his fists bandaged. Neither of the two's faces promised anything nice, and frankly Sora couldn't help but wonder what was Marceline's plan now. She threatened them once and found herself backed against the wall with her life on the line. Surely she didn't just disrupt the operations of a murderous Yakuza gang without any plan for dealing with the fallout.
"You bitch..." Goro growled the second the three entered, the snarl on his face almost manic. Matsumoto's eyes quickly darted to the larger goon, the grip on the hilt of his blade tightening.
"Goro." Sora spoke, one word and one word alone. Despite his rage, the bulky man stayed still. They weren't sure how long that was going to last.
Sora's eyes turned to Marceline, "So, you cut our throats and bled us dry. What now?" He asked, making a point to emphasize exactly who was the culprit, regardless of the whole act. "Now we do have reason to kill you, so please tell me you prepared better than you did last time," the way he spoke was almost patronizing, somewhat irate. Almost like the Yakuza was more interested in criticizing her protection rather than focus on why he was there.
Which, to be fair, he was.
They didn't need to know that though.
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242 Posts
0 EP
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Total
24 Years
Female
Bandit-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Marceline Labelle on Feb 3, 2021 6:56:02 GMT -4
Marceline’s eyes flared a little as they entered with a fair bit of vigor behind them. Sora seemed as calm as ever but despite the meathead’s clear fury at what she’d done neither Sam nor Marceline herself flinched, the green haired woman lifting her cup to her lips and taking a cool, calming sip of her tea. Notably she’d moved her alcohol set onto her desk as well, an empty glass on Sora’s side of her desk and a soft, calm smile on her lips despite the clear threats coming her way. Her arms crossed over her waist once her cup was lowered, leaning back in her chair as she listened to Sora’s more well chosen words.
“Well I wouldn’t say I bled you dry. More… an unwilling donation of blood. You’re weak, you’re pale, you’re helpless, and if someone doesn’t let you recover… well then yes. You may die.~ But from what my criminal associates tell me, they were strategic… it’d be a hard, long road, but you can bounce back if they let you. Maybe even quickly if they give you the right push.~”
As far as the threat of death went… well. With calm motions she pushed up and rose out of her seat, leaning over to pour a glass of whiskey for the man as he had done for himself when he first came here, rounding the table and sitting upon it herself, offering him the half filled glass with nothing but a pleasant, calm smile. “As for killing me… well. Unlike I do you lot, I trust my associates to finish what they start. You kill me and it doesn’t end… you let me live? We can negotiate. Oh!~” She clapped her hands together, whether Sora took the glass or it needed to be put aside to do so. “I should alllllso mention I have people ready to call the police in about 15 different locations. Some even outside of Tokyo.~ I even set off a small string of burglaries in this district over the past week so the hero patrol schedules would line up with us. I’d hate to know what would happen if someone like RedHorn caught wind of a murder on her new patrol route.~” Was Red horn on this route now? She had no idea, but with the rageful incidents with that hero it was the most intimidating example she could conjure up at that moment.
Sure, putting heroes on the route her casino was being built on was a risk but… well, she’d already assured THEIR destruction at this point if they didn’t play ball. She’d happily risk her own just to put the pressure on their throats today.
“Beyond that… I have to say you all seem rather angry for people who chose this.~ You asked me to play the game by your rules. Claiming profit I had no right to, threatening death, cutting off my potential connections and infiltrating my organization… You wanted to play the game.~ My team just plays it better.~”
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214 Posts
EP
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Total
26 Years
Male
"Your Favorite Nightmare"
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Post by Dauwz on Feb 13, 2021 14:58:21 GMT -4
Sitting back in his seat, calm as ever, Sora did what he always did. He listened. Listened and digested. It was now very clear to him exactly who he was dealing with. Despite her attempt at a cover it was now abundantly obvious to him exactly who this woman was. Sora wouldn't be where he was if he didn't have his own contacts in the underground. The machinations that were set in motion ever since their first meeting with her were clear on his radar. He might have been able to stop them dead in their tracks but something in him told him not to. Something about her showed... promise. Promise to reach for a place that was left open ever since Ishtar disappeared.
Let her have her fun, he thought at first... but honestly the smug demeanor he could have done without. This woman had, in his eyes, absolutely nothing to be happy about.
And he was going to make that clear.
A low rumble of a sigh left the man's throat as his expression hardened. Within about a fraction of a second a loud schling echoed throughout the office as an invisible force ripped through Marceline's desk, cutting it cleanly in half before forcing it to crash and fold into itself and onto the floor... likely knocking the woman down onto her behind as well.
Two golden eyes glared at the woman as Sora slowly stood up, his two meathead body guards quickly tensing at the display of their boss before both of them focused their attention on Marceline's own bodyguard, taking a stance between her and Sora.
Slow, deliberate motions painted Sora's next maneuvers. He reached for his blazer's inner pocket and drew a large silver handgun. Staring at Marceline with a borderline manic glare that betrayed absolutely no regard for human life he pushed its barrel against her forehead. "Your first mistake was underestimating the lowlifes you're playing this 'game' with that you're so confident you're winning."
Sora pushed the gun forward with a little more force, emphasizing the weight of the metal piece against her skull threateningly. "I don't know whether you're naive or just plain stupid, but with these types of games the players don't play the board, they play the man. You say if I kill you they'll bleed us dry. What's to stop me from going after them after I'm done with you?" He asked, but the way he spoke made it absolutely clear that it wasn't a question she was supposed to answer. Far as he was concerned it was in her best interest to keep her mouth shut while he taught her a little lesson she was sorely missing.
"What do you get out of this, anyway?" He asked, a brow rising with his words. "Are you going to die happy knowing your contacts are probably going to take down some irrelevant mafia house? Is it really worth it? Your life for something so insignificant? Don't make me laugh."
Finally, a sigh left the man. "Seriously, I expected a little more from you."
In an event that seemingly came out of the left field Sora removed his weapon from Marceline's head. Within one swift motion he swung the piece to the side, shifting his weight as he pulled the trigger twice. Two bullets came loudly whizzing out of the barrel, impaling both Goro and Matsumoto in the back of their heads with such gruesome force they died instantaneously. Sora stared down at their bodies on the ground with absolutely no empathy, a low sigh leaving him as he turned back to Marceline.
"And please stop trying to use the police. In our line of work that's about as pathetic of a backup plan as one can have," he said before he extended his hand for her to take in an attempt to help her back up to her feet.
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242 Posts
0 EP
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24 Years
Female
Bandit-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Marceline Labelle on Feb 15, 2021 5:44:23 GMT -4
Marceline felt she had some power in the situation. Despite the fact the leader of this little troupe clearly had some wits about him she assumed him to just be another lackey for some out of touch fat cat crime lord who was just sitting on his empire expecting the people around him to beg and plead for a spot at the table. How wrong it would seem she was. Before she could fully process what happened a deep cut swiped through her table and Marceline, in a natural attempted to get away from whatever had just cut so cleanly through her desk, would fall out of her seat. Sam naturally had an instinct to move closer to her boss, but the two big lugs ahead of her quickly turned to face her. Her eyes narrowed sharply, and she squared up to them sharply. She didn’t fancy her odds if this actually became a fight, but she could at least be a good distraction while her boss made a run for it.
Her heart froze, but she tried not to show too much fear on her face. Her eyes were stern and focused, she didn’t shake but her amber gaze was locked on the gun being pressed into her forehead. She was only half listening, the rest of her brain dedicated to trying to think of a solution here. She could potentially will her halo into existence and try and generate a suit of armor, but dense metals or complex materials like Kevlar were hard to summon, and without a hand gesture to guide her halo, she doubted it would travel with the speed needed to do anything. If she generated it over the gun she could potentially make it fill the barrel, but all in all she understood her options were vastly limited here.
She turned her eyes past the gun at the question. She knew she shouldn’t answer but the urge for a snarky response as just some final attempt at controlling the situation was definitely there… she restrained herself but not without a firm glare at her potential killer’s direction. Tensions were building fast and if she was going to do anything she needed to do it-
Two shots. Quick and efficient. Seems she didn’t need to do anything.
Sam was just as blindsided as Marceline was by the turn of circumstances there. Just as she was getting ready to face down with two likely quirked individuals without one herself, she heard the two loud shots, almost expecting a dull pain in her chest from where it hit her bullet proof vest, but instead feeling a warm spray of liquid over each side of her face, the thuds of bodies hitting the floor soon to follow. She sighed heavily through her nose, handling this rather quickly.
“You’re lucky this room is soundproof.” Sam called out, sighing as she crouched down to grab one of them by the arms, dragging them over to the corner.
Marceline meanwhile finally felt her nerves cave a little with the ringing gun shots, her breathing briefly quickened, grew heavier, and the fear she’d been holding in flared for a moment. She suppressed it quickly, but it wasn’t hard to tell she wasn’t some hardened crime lord used to getting her hands in the action like this. She’d hesitate for a moment, until her breath’s calmed, before taking the hand and sighing with some annoyance as she tried to hold at least some ground in all this.
“Well I-“ She hesitated, spotting the holes in the goons head and needing to pause her words so she didn’t throw up, turning her eyes away for a moment before Sam covered them both with her jacket, eyes back on Sora. “Well… I believed it to be the best option. A legitimate business woman they don’t have much dirt on me but they can certainly do something to you for carrying fire arms and storming into my office with ill intent… if you have a better solution for such circumstances I’m all ears.”
Another slow breath, she crossed her arms, trying to be open with the person who arguably displayed he had her life in his hands. “As for why…” She shrugged half heartedly. “You challenged me. I didn’t like that. You wanted a cut of me so I gave you it. Simple as that. I don’t much care for all the yakuza or the ‘plutocracy’ or whoever who have grand plans or honourable histories in their own warped ways… wanting to be the face of an empire… I just want power. I just want to have fun. You challenged my capacity to do either. So I decided to have my fun with you. When most of your organization’s illegal funds were using my laundering schemes it wasn’t hard to hit you at the core right away…” She folded her arms tighter, sighing. “Is this where I’m told I’ll live if I grovel and apologize now?”
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214 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
26 Years
Male
"Your Favorite Nightmare"
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Post by Dauwz on Feb 17, 2021 6:06:26 GMT -4
"Luck had nothing to do with it," Sora countered as he glanced at the bloodied Sam through the corner of his eye. "Accessing the plans for this building was even easier than it was for your casino," he explained, sounding like he was critiquing as much as he was chastising.
As he moved to help Marceline back up on her feet Sora was completely uncaring of the two bodies he left sprawled out on the ground. Despite them being men he spent the better part of over a year with he spared not a single glance their way as he casually holstered his gun. They were good men. Rowdy but obedient. They did what he needed them to do no questions asked. What they probably didn't realize was that they would have to die when he demanded it as well. Assets -- nothing more, nothing less. Assets he moved around the chess board how he saw fit.
And if he needed to exchange two pawns for a queen, well then so be it.
"You have too much to lose," Sora argued, gaze turning a tad stern as he turned back to the green haired woman. "Putting yourself on the line like this is too dangerous. The police can be paid off. Threatened. Told to look the other way. As they have been so many times in the past. Unless you have one of the good ones in your sights most of them are are on somebody's payroll. Never forget that." Yet again Sora's tone was almost as though he was chastising the woman, yet less to mock but more to educate. She clearly knew what she was doing, yet it seemed like she wasn't exactly prepared to deal with the nitty and gritty just yet.
That's what he'd be there for, he supposed.
"Please," he answered Marceline's last question with a scoff as he pulled out a cigarette from his blazer's pocket. He remained silent as he lit it, a deep in hale and exhale before he ever decided to make eye-contact with her again. "Recognize your position. If you truly want power 'groveling' is something that should never cross your mind, even if it's said in jest."
"You had a hand and you played it. I have to admit it was a strong one. You know what you're doing, but... what it looks like, to me, is that all of your power amounts to hot air in the last stretch of the game," Sora explained. "Like I said before, with things like this you play the person, not the board. People in this 'industry' don't care about getting their hands dirty. The law doesn't mean much unless they're already under somebody's radar. I suppose that's something you'll learn well enough with time."
"So I'm here to help you," the words left him as casually as the two times he pulled the grigger of his gun. "No slight to your partner over here but you severely lack manpower. An enforcer, if you will. I see potential in you. Hence why my two men are dead on the floor right now and I'm about to give you the key to dismantling my branch of the yakuza and take everything that's theirs for yourself." He inhaled again, "Consider that the bonus you get for employing me."
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242 Posts
0 EP
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Total
24 Years
Female
Bandit-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Marceline Labelle on Feb 26, 2021 15:56:42 GMT -4
“Of course. Shall we add ‘tooting your own horn’ to your list of talents there sir?” Sam responded rather pointedly. While Marceline was of the mind to not piss off the man who could kill them both Sam was very much not of the same mind, her glare a little harsh and pointed as she tried her best to clean up the mess as best she could without leaving the room to retrieve any body bags. Ugh, how were they going to explain the 2 men who weren’t going to leave this room… did this building have a backdoor? It had room upstairs, they could say the two had just stayed the night and wait for a shift change to ‘excuse them’ but… well, a problem for later. For now she was just ensuring the blood didn’t seep into too much of the carpet.
“Mmm…” Marceline responded with a frustrated hum to the lecture. She could see the point, she shouldn’t rely on anything outside of her own organization too heavily. It was her assumption as an upstanding businesswoman that there wasn’t much anyone could grab her on. So long as she had the evidence of other’s wrongdoings against her the police could be a powerful ally… no. Not quite. Especially not in Japan. The court systems here were rigged to all hell if the media outside of the country was to be believed, so even if the police did turn on her, she couldn’t rely on upholding the word of the law to be a safety net either in the eyes of a courtroom. “Fair points.”
The suggestion that she not even consider grovelling though… it burned her inside that she couldn’t get a read on this one. He went from belittling her efforts to almost seeming to elevate her with a suggestion like that, both chiding her but with the clear implication that she perhaps deserved such power. Maybe she was reading too much into it, maybe she wasn’t reading him enough. Hard to say when he kept his face so straight.
“Perhaps… I’d have preferred you lot learned not to mess with me and leave it at that. Unlike you…” She glanced to the corpses, then back to him as she folded her arms tight. “I much prefer to keep my enemies alive in the hopes they may be useful to me. If you lot had backed off like I hoped than perhaps I could have found a place for you in my system further down the line. I think it’s safe to assume any potential connection here has been well and truly… ‘shot’, so to speak.” She was certainly playing the board more than the people in this case. She’d done surface level research about her opponents here at most… she wanted to destroy their side of the board. She didn’t make her attacks personal. She didn’t feel the need to. Maybe it was something she should reconsider.
The offer to help was met with a look of distrust, rightfully so she felt, looking him up and down and keeping her arms held close around her chest. The offer was an intriguing one but she felt she may be walking into a trap. She glanced to Sam, the corpses… a similar thought crossing her mind.
“3 days.” She responded, finally meeting his eyes again and seeming to loosen up, but still holding herself with a cautious stiffness. “You will stay on my premises for 3 days. Then I will enact whatever plan you provide me with. If you wish for me to consider this information a bonus, you will stay with me 3 days as insurance. I’m sure you can understand that even the most loyal dog spending 3 days in enemy territory can lead to distrust… so I think that’s a fair trade. My trust in you at the cost of the trust of your old team. Hm?”
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