Brother in Arms [Shodo & Takeo / ST]

---

The static woman came in, how often did he tell her that he did not care if she came into his office wearing a band-shirt and jeans compared to her grey pencil skirt, her blouse and her grey blazer. He wasn't that bad, he knew they had to make a good impression to the outside but he was on the inside. He didn't plan to go out. His many thoughts were scattered everywhere and it was slightly infuriating as he was trying to do something so small. He was wearing goggles, his blue hair was almost pulled backwards and his lab coat was askew. He had no time and attention for her, though his eyes glided over her and it was a short sigh by pushing air out of his nose. "Sir, you have an appointment." He dropped accidentally the screwdriver but quickly caught it again. His thought process really helped in the quick reflections, "Appointment?" He said surprisingly to her and put the goggles on top of his head and fixed his eyepatch. "It's a miracle, did I forget?" He did not forget now that he thought about it but in his designing hours, he had forgotten the time and he quickly pulled off the goggles completely, shrugged off his coat and took her offer to help him with his blazer. "Thanks."

He was right on time, fixing his own tie, as he had taken it off before his moment of research and fixing his hair, the vanity obviously showing when he shortly looked in the reflection of his phone before he leaned against the little bar that was in the meeting room. It had juices and coffee nothing extravaganza unless you counted the bottle of whiskey he once hid in the very back. Months ago, but he had not forgotten it yet, though it wasn't on the front part of his thought. He went to grab the information in his brain, right he had been asked about this meeting before. Business deals and that alike, he had been surprised, with his company being run for three generations already, he was sure no one dared to approach him. In the corners next to him, there were two of his guards, "I liked your jackal mask more." He joked to one who made a stifled chuckling sound as the door was opened by his assistant, not his personal one but the girl from the reception and he thanked her and turned his attention to Shodo, while going through his mental file about what he knew or well what he would remember at this short moment. Too many thoughts, if he would continue this way, he would get a headache too soon. "Pleasure to meet you both, please take a seat." He waved to his assistant who stood behind him, at the other door than where the two business folks had come through, "Anything to drink first?" He took a seat on the opposite side of the table where his own tablet and phone were already installed, the sound for both was off, he always did that as the sounds annoyed him but he would see what would come of this meeting.

He always thought himself a good host and everything, he did not need his assistants to do that, he just needed people to be careful, who knew when his actions would go bite him in his behind so to speak. Which was why his guard was there, albeit they also worked her on other stuff, so guard might be not a sufficient word, it might just look like that now though. He would get the water from the fridge and make sure to get the two glasses as well before he would sit opposite the two. Heh, he always liked how people thought he was busy, surely he was but indirect he wasn't either. He worked rather well through the night if he had to. But he nodded as he leaned back a bit on his chair, "By all means go ahead." Takeo had not seen people deal with him before, which was technically quite a shame, there were quite a few new companies around the block and he wondered what they were doing. But for now, he leaned back in his chair, hands folded on the table and he watched, he carefully observed.

Vulcan Weapon Manufacturing Company. That was a whole sentence already, but he did not say it, he only nodded, ah a new company then with Hachiman, interesting. He nodded Shodo Corporation that sounded better. He raised his eyebrow, security teams now that was even more interesting, but they made weapons, like Takeo did or well his company then, so they were rivals in a sense too. Now that he thought about it, his assistant must have told him about the new rivals on the scene and what they were doing, but he needed then to have more information. His thoughts were already going to about four different scenarios as to why Shodo was here, well apart from the fact that he was the right person to be here, what the companies goal was. He leaned a little bit more forward and eyed the president of this new company, "Assault rifles?" He felt this strange sense in the pit of his stomach, it reminded him of someone, though that person had not wanted assault rifles, what shady deal was he going to make today or was he thinking too fast?

Hm, he liked how this man had did his homework, approved by Nato, that could work. He nodded, a monopoly, now they were talking deals. He smiled a little, twenty percent only? Such a modesty nowadays. "Mister Shodo, you came to the right address and you speak such fine words, how could a man refuse, the only wonders I have is if your team has the right license then? The difference between the handguns and the assault rifles, how did you get that? I only sell to the government, it would be sure as hell much interesting to support a company like yours and to be able to design something that could be so useful, but you must know just like I do how much Japan hates such weapons, I already had difficulty selling to the government, did you speak to them about it too? To get the license, only then can we do such a thing?"

Takeo's words might have sparked something and he simply looked at Shodo, his own face neutral and wondering if the man opposite him was just wondering that if Hoshizuki's would support him, the license would be easily to get. Takeo actually wondered if that was true himself. He had not considered it before, now there were two outcomes with an percentage of 62.8% that the answer was positive because of his company but he did not want to come over as too arrogant, though it was his personality anyway. So he nodded, appreciating that the man was at least honest with him, because he had already figured there were no licenses yet. "Perfect strategy, between you and me, those people at the government take every damn week, it takes quite a while, business man like you and me can't wait for that." He said and just nodded with an understanding look on his face. 

He looked with a curious look at Shodo, "And what do you get with that? Because indeed, I have my legal matters, I don't think it be smart to risk your own company like that Shodo-san, that would be a horrible thing, would it not be? Something you worked hard for?" He folded his hands underneath his chin and just watched Shodo, he was an interesting man, so new for Takeo in this and yet so confident, he liked him, for sure.