Board Thread:Tokyo Arc's/@comment-27973212-20160711014945/@comment-5595007-20160811062555

Red eyes. The first thing he notices are the red eyes. Ghouls always seem so human it’s easy to forget they aren't. That's what makes them so deadly, their social camouflage. Nothing about them appears particularly monstrous. Nothing that is, except the red eyes. Most ghouls conceal them behind human hues, only revealing their true nature when giving in to their violent guttural urges. This one, this Lady MM, her red eyes probably never dissipate, a comfort and confidence afforded to those who are accustomed to service and luxury. She doesn’t fear persecution. She’s never experienced it. Must be why she’s bold enough to throw a party like this.

Still, it doesn’t matter. He already knows she's a ghoul just like everyone else here. What matters is that those red eyes are looking at him, not at his boss. His distraction worked, sure, but he knows it’s just a temporary one, and he’s sure Takamori knows too. After this fancy ghoul finishes up with him the pressure will come right back onto Mayu, and she’ll have to figure the rest out for herself.

A Hum. It interrupts his thoughts. Inwardly his attention snaps back to the lady ghoul, outwardly he seems the same, he always seems the same. Her lips part, the second thing he notices. She was attractive, and she knew it. It’s why she wore such a revealing mask. If she was bold enough to throw this party then she was bold enough to not truly hide her identity. She knew she was attractive and she knew how to use it.

Her posture was practiced, her timing too. First the glance, to catch his attention and focus it. It was a side glance too, meant to show superiority. It implies he’s bellow her, that he has to fight for her full attention, her full stare. Then there was the pause, serving as a subtle silence that allows doubt to form in the one approaching her, whilst allowing her to gauge them.



The pause is followed by the slow parting of the lips, meant to build tension. The slow movement allows the conversationalist to escape the deadlock of her eyes, and serves on her part as an oral fixation. Her next step would be to speak, this shoots an alertness into the conversationalist and forces them to regain eye contact, shaming them for their fixation on the lips. All this technique for what amounts to less than a second, and yet those unaware fall into the spider's web in half that.

“I see.”

He’s right, she does speak next, and her voice is as elegant and alluring as he figured. Brief, a smart choice, she doesn’t want to give much away, and remaining courteous and cold keeps her status as a host intact while maintaining her mystery. A subtle pause ensues. She’s analyzing him, same as he to her. She’s suspicious. The fact Mayu is at her table alongside the Black Widow is too much of a coincidence. She must not trust the Widow, which means she’s probably caught on to Mayu. This set up is a test. One Yanagi interrupted on even more coincidental terms.

“Well that’s rather unfortunate.”

Her eyes shift from his, though the red hues do not look over at the Samurai as he worried. He doesn’t bother to match her gaze. He figures it’s probably the waiter who holds her attention now, the unfortunate soul. She motions for her man, and he reaches for something in his coat. Though his demeanor gives off no tells Yanagi tenses, a fight would only be an inconvenience at this point in the operation. Still, he has to be prepared. It’s odd though that a ghoul would carry a gun. Especially to kill a human.

It doesn’t come down to that. The Ghoul passes the detective and heads towards the kitchen. The waiter then? Sounds of violence try to swim to his ears, but are drowning under the waves of music, chatter, laughter, and dinnerware that flood the room. Hm. No gunshot. Not that a ghoul would use a gun against another ghoul. Still, the servant had reached for something. Perhaps a tool? A tool that could harm a ghoul? It’s not impossible. Yanagi had a few scalpels on him specifically for that. Besides, Lady MM certainly had the resources to get her hands on some quinque steel. She might even view the use of weapons as more elegant than kagune. Something to take note on for the near future.

Clicking, comes from Lady MM as she thinks on what to do. It’s an odd habit, but she pulls it off he guesses. Concerning though that she takes so long. A lady of elegance like her knows the protocol for treating guests. She was going to give him a new shirt. She was inclined to. So what is she thinking about for so long? She knows. Maybe not that he’s CCG, but that he’s certainly not supposed to be there. She’s thinking on the most strategic way to get rid of him.

In comes a woman servant, the first he’s seen. She’ll be important soon enough he figures. She does as servants do, but something besides her gender was different about her.

“Take our guest to get a new shirt in the dressing room if you will.”

Lady MM turns her attention back to him. She looks like a snake now with those monster eyes and that half smile.

'''“You have my apologies, Monsieur. I do hope you find what you are looking for.”'''

“I will.”

At this point he’s as usual, bored. He knows she knows. Ah well, it’d be too much of a bother to fight now, and there's no guarantee he could protect Mayu if one broke out with this many ghouls around. He’d need a more ideal setting...and a clean shirt.

Being dismissed, he follows the servant woman. He muses that she should be the one wearing the fox mask. She’s certainly deceptive enough.



She leads him through a barren hall devoid of the all the luxury presented at the dining room This isn’t a part of the mansion meant for guests. It’s more honest, more personal. The woman walks before him in looming silence. He doesn’t mind. He takes the time to roll a cigarette, lighting his match he interrupts the pattern of sound coming from the woman’s heels. After a few minutes she leads him into a dressing room, and escorts him to the clothing rack.

“Dress shirts are there..I will have yours dry cleaned, we apologize about what happened.”

“Thanks.”

The woman glances at the containment unit on the investigator's back. A glance that doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Should I leave the room?”

Her hands grip the door handle before she even finishes the question. Is she nervous or is she eager? She knows the box is dangerous at least. That he is dangerous.

Yanagi can’t have her stay. He’ll have to remove his containment unit when he changes shirt, and will be too vulnerable for a quickly executed surprise attack. Besides that, when he removes his shirt she’ll see his scars and confirm that he isn’t a ghoul. If she alerts Lady MM Mayu will be put in peril, if he kills her before that the Lady will realize something's wrong and act sooner. She’ll have to leave, but he can’t have her stand outside, again making him vulnerable to attack. He’ll have to get her to leave for good.

'''“Yeah. I missed out on eating. Can you go grab some food?”'''

A moment of hesitation. Yanagi’s eyes lock onto hers, distant as ever. There is something dangerous about him, she can feel that. It may be wise to return to the lady and leave him for the moment unprovoked.

“Right away monsieur.”



She leaves calmly, giving no note of suspicion or anxiety, externally. Yanagi removes his shirt. Dozens of scars line his body. Several of them bullet wounds, more than a fair share blade wounds, a couple shrapnel, and a few burns. His entire chest in fact seems more scars than flesh. His arms are bandaged from more recent battles, and shades of purple and yellow spot his entire body, bruises of varying degree. His back is free of scars, but printed into it is a large tattoo. A Dragon of intricate ink soars from his right shoulder to his lower back. A relic from his days in the Yakuza.

He replaces his soiled shirt with a three buttoned white collared one, returns his containment crate to his back, and goes to the door. He places his ear at the door to verify that the servant woman had left. She’s gone as far as he can tell, but ghouls tend to be stealthy. Carefully he opens the door and steps outside. Feigning cluelessness he looks about. Nothing. He is alone, hopefully. A tail would be bothersome but not much of an issue to deal with at this point. Knowing he can’t return to the dinner scene he decides it’ll be more beneficial to investigate the mansion. There was a third act to this party he was sure. They’d had dinner, now to find the show.