jigokulogs | [ OPEN ] trust in me

Yeah, I should have some free time this week. Just let me know when and where to meet you and I'll be there!

[ this is all just fine for ryouma since he's always happy to talk about... anything else other than his own personal business. ]

[she sends a location and a time - tomorrow, at nine at night.]

Please forgive the hour. The place I want to meet only opens at night, but I promise it's worth the experience.

[Fujiya isn't the most accessible place. as long as he's there before the building, she'll meet him.]

Not a problem! I don't exactly keep normal business hours so this time is just fine.

[ and as promised, ryouma will be there waiting at the appointed time and place. he's not sure what to expect exactly, but he assumes emily has a good reason for inviting him here.

plus, it sure beats having yet another meeting in his office that he's spent so much time in lately. ]

[the owner is in their human form today, but the deep red eyes say enough, and they bring him through the front back into one of the rooms. the lights are lower, wrapped in paper shades, and the place breathes tradition, invites one to calm themselves.

Emily is already seated in the room when he arrives. she's dressed a little nicer than she does at the clinic, though she figured there was no need to get intensely formal about this. rather, there's instead a teapot and two cups on the low table, and a small plate with mitarashi dango on it. in the middle of the room, an old fashioned incense brazier, having just been lit. it will take a moment for the scents to heat and actually start.]

Right on time. Thank you for indulging me as to the location - it's out of the way enough that I assumed we could talk freely.

[if he sits down, she'll pour the tea for both of them, him first. she'd practiced this in her mind - there needs to be an undercurrent of respect to all of this, no matter what.]

[ ryouma thanks the owner when she leads him to the room and then sits down across from emily. he's dressed well for the location, although that's not a deliberate choice as much as the fact that his wardrobe has shrunk after the blood rain. his usual thing needs a very thorough cleaning, so he's in a kimono and hakama today. ]

Ooh! You got dango!

[ yes, he will help himself thank you very much. as much as she's practised, ryouma is ryouma and therefore there will always be an undercurrent of informality when it suits him, which is... most of the time. ]

So! What are we talking freely about, hm?

[with him brought in, she can sip the tea first, after he helps himself and gets a bite. the door is shut, and she knows they won't be disturbed.]

You had quite the meeting with Tenkohime and Toraguma, Mr. Sakamoto. One that ended on...less favorable terms for yourself, so I've heard. Two months, and your life at stake.

[she doesn't raise her voice. doesn't let any of the fear and anger she had felt and still does bleed through. this has to be tactical - deliberate. if the man hangs for this, then the next easiest targets in the Alliance were the rank below him, the one she occupies.]

As well as the safety and dignity of the entire clan and all our enterprises. Including, to name one, the clinic I established that only exists due to the leaders' collective mercy and willingness to turn blind eyes.

[there's no way they don't know about it. not when her name was made public as to helping craft that cure.]

So as you can see, I have multiple reasons to be invested in you retaining your head. [including that Izo would prefer him to remain alive.] I don't know what you have in terms of resources to make this actually work. But I do know you have authority. You might not be a captain, but your declaration and the motivation of being able to continue to safely live our lives would be a sound place to start in gathering other Lost Souls to your side.

[by now, he'll understand at least half of what this meeting is about.]

[ he almost chokes on the dango. he has questions, but he has to finish what he's eating first. once he's sorted that out and had a sip of tea to wash it down does he finally say something. ]

Majima..?

[ because that's the only way she could know. the deal is done but it's not up to him when it all goes public. ]

[she looks at him calmly, and then takes another sip of her tea. did he really not make that connection? is it so surprising that he'd tell her, when if it falls apart her safety is at risk? Ryouma knows enough to fit the pieces together as to why he might do so.]

... Right.

[ no judgement. if anything, ryouma looks pleased?? ~~it's a good arrangement for izō.~~ ]

Between you and Musashi, you'd think I'd planned the whole thing just to end up dead. [ he laughs. ] The time frame's inconvenient to be sure, but I was never planning on doing this thing alone. There's no way! Everybody working together is what makes this work; that's what I was counting on the whole time.

[ he has another sip of his tea and settles now that his surprise has worn off. it's easier to relax thanks to the incense, which together with their setting and everything else makes him feel comfortably nostalgic. there's agarwood and sandalwood, among other things — almost like what you'd find in a temple, if anything — which is arguably what ryouma needs right now even if it wouldn't be his first choice deliberately. ]

If you wanna help, I'd be glad to have you on board!

That brings me to another point. If I want to help. There's an aspect of it all that by necessity I kept quiet, but will run directly counter to your own aims if I was to end up supporting you and throwing my weight into the project.

[the scents calm her, and calm the spirit inside of her, which means she can actually address this with a clear head.]

Frankly speaking, there are materials I use to create some of my more specialized medicines that are...difficult to procure through direct channels. There's enough "legitimate" vendors who are only too happy to see their bottom lines grow at a prohibitive expense, and there are those that are more amiable to what's needed, who understand that I'm willing to pay a fair price to aid others. Helping you close the trade leaks is good for the Shuten and Tamamo clans, but it means I'm reducing the scope of what I'm able to provide to my patients.

[this is where her biggest source of trouble comes in. she can't very well support a plan that means she can't give the best care possible.]

If I assist you with mending the gaps, I'd like you to assist me in negotiations with tradesmen so that they aren't making my supplies troublesome to obtain. Those are my conditions.

Edited 2022-06-29 04:56 (UTC)

That's a fair concern to have.

[ ryouma helps himself to another bit of dango. he also changes positions a little, half-leaning on the table. very comfortable. ]

I'm sure a lot of people will raise that point but my intention was never to close the leaks entirely. That is, someone else is getting a cut of the profits that should belong to us. I don't want to kill the black market, I just want us to control it. If I have my way you'll get everything you need but at a better price. We'd be cutting out the middle man, after all. If you help me, then I'll help you in return and make sure you get what you need. I did promise as much when I first introduced myself, didn't I? This is what I do.

It's a lovely thought, but it's a grand promise to make when your head's on the chopping block.

[it sounds too good to be true. she has to be suspicious, and think that probably it is. that was drilled into her so far.]

You're saying we'll control the black market, and yet I can't help but think neither Toraguma nor Tenkohime had that in mind when they said you could handle the issues at hand. The Underground can't be such a draw that it will override the cost in reputation to not have their hands in the mix.

It's a general "we", I suppose. "We" is—... honestly? Anyone who isn't the Department of the Enma.

[ so there. that's actually the first time he's said it so directly, but it's not like he has to pretend. ]

It's always been us and "them" in my mind, I guess. I don't have anything against the Lost Souls who work for the Department, but all this going on recently only makes me more certain that the factions need to build up their own strength collectively. We're only going to do that like this.

[ another sip of tea to organise his thoughts. ]

Why haven't they managed this until I proposed it? Because they couldn't do it on their own. They don't have the resources. It's too hard to defend on three or four fronts at the same time and still hold down what you have, especially with them committing themselves to the turf war in general. If either side had won, it would make the whole thing even worse. I know who I work for and the success of the Alliance comes first. [ he's contractually obligated like everyone else, after all. ] But this is no different for me than it's always been — I like it when everybody wins, I guess.

From a purely practical standpoint, I can see the logic. Everyone gets a true piece when they all choose to cooperate. Their resources are allowed to grow and renew themselves, and we all are in agreement that the Department can't see.

[he probably expects that she'll keep going. better a private questioning of what seems to be holes in logic from someone on his side than his enemies.]

Are you going to have oaths sworn over it, or something else in play that keeps one person from sneak attacking the others? I know contracts were mentioned, but they need to be airtight - with the utmost respect, I don't trust someone to not try.

Well, actually, I had.

[ this is at least an easier discussion than the ones he'd had with majima for similar reasons. all the holes had been poked in his logic then and had helped to form a better solution in the end, so this meeting is valuable to him now when there's still work to be done. he has a little to work with here and emily isn't constantly throwing off his rhythm so his thoughts flow neatly together, but then he also knows that was probably intentional on majima's part. ~~more reasons emily is winning right now.~~ ]

The specific language would be included in the contract, of course — all the consequences for betrayals and sorting out minor disputes and the like — but this place has magic and plenty of people who can use it. I wondered if there might actually be a magical solution. It might make everyone more comfortable to have some insurance that isn't swayed by things like emotions or creative interpretations.

[ not that he's suggesting anyone would, but he's sure no one needs any help accusing each other of potential wrongdoing in this arrangement down the road. ]

It might not be necessary to go that far. For all I've heard, honor holds the same weight as gold here. Oaths sworn are powerful things - while we can't make them promise anything beyond the contract, a simple swearing to abide by it would bind everyone involved to each other in the right ways.

[no need to pull in magic unless fully necessary, when one could twist obligations instead.]

Mainly, I worry about a magical loophole built in by whoever designs it. Simplicity offers little wiggle room.

I like simple! I'm used to everyone challenging "simple" with what-ifs, so if you think it's best it's fine with me. I always like things I can understand better than things I don't!

[ in the past honour has only managed to cause him and people he cared about a lot of trouble, so he is not a fan and he can't help but make a face, but he knows how to play along when he needs to. ]

That whole honour business I don't miss and could do without, but I'm willing to go along with it if everyone's satisfied with it.

Honor and the oaths therein is how I remain secure that even should the clans turn on each other, Izo and Majima will not have to go after me for the sake of orders.

[just saying, you might want to find a way to do that for yourself, since someone you care about is bound to another.]

But I digress. There's one more thing I want to raise as a potential point. Hopefully it needn't be addressed, but...

[this, this is where she needs her confidence to hold, even as her heart pounds in uncertainty. this is the part she decided on her own.]

In the future, if the Daitengu is to be unavailable for such discussions, if you have to act...you should have a second, to support you and ensure you aren't outnumbered in the talks.

[it's too forward to suggest herself. she's not a full lieutenant like him, and she's not the only member of the Alliance in her status - but she hopes, secretly, there's at least a consideration as someone sympathetic to his goals.]

Wait—... there's something like that? [ because this is news to him. ] In any case, I think... Izō prefers things as they are. He likes to remind me that I'm on my own even when I've asked for advice to smooth things over, after all.

[ but he's fine turning to emily's other point because he probably won't enjoy thinking about the rest. if he does this right, it won't matter anyway. ]

But you're right, I should. [ he takes it back, thinking about this also sucks given the lack of his usual backup. ] I actually did have two others working closely with me at one point but then they ended up disappearing and it was enough just to pick up the slack. I was planning on calling the others together as well if you wouldn't mind joining us in the future? Something like a strategy meeting. Have you considered if you want to be involved like that yourself?

[ he has to ask that question because it's not as simple as having someone agree to it given the potential for danger. ]

I have, and I do want to be involved.

[he'll never know how much relief just flooded her that he asked.]

The Daitengu has trusted me so far, and I don't want to see that trust simply go to waste from moving away from actually being able to use it. I may not be able to go out and fight like others can when things happen, but that doesn't mean there aren't ways I can't work for the Alliance - for others in general.

[setting her tea down, she folds her hands on her lap. it's up to him now, what he does with that information.]

Good! You've got your thing going with the clinic so I didn't want to impose any more than I already have been, but if you're already on board I'd love to have ya!

[ he's excited, so the accent slips. that feeling of relief is mutual, actually. as much as he enjoys the freedom to go as he pleases, he knows he does better with more grounded people around him. ryouma's ability is his willingness to confidently cross the line and still manage to get away with it (most of the time), but it's easy to stray too far when you don't know where the line is anymore. ]

I don't like to fight anyway, so there's plenty you can do without any of that. Besides, you seem like you have a good sense for the business end of the whole thing from what you've said so far. I have nothing bad to say about the others I was working with before, but not one of them knew a thing about money.

[little does he know, imposing was her goal from the start. why else would she have added a snack he likes into the mix? it was all a scheme, and one she's glad of the results on.]

Sometimes, ideals go and disregard the practical underpinnings. Fortunately or unfortunately, I cannot ignore such things when thinking of plans.

[clinics don't run themselves, and supplies don't come from nowhere.]

You're right. Really, people give me too much credit. Big ideas are nice, but it would've taken me forever to work my way down to what I needed to do to actually make things work. If I ever got there at all.

[ he's just being realistic, not hard on himself. in this, he's very confident. it's just not his area of expertise, so he's perfectly happy to pass the baton to someone else. ]

It's funny, this plan started out as just a party to prove a point and ended up here. That's how my plans shake out, sortin' themselves out as I go along. [ this is why so many people find him incredibly frustrating... ] But I always had a reliable person keepin' an eye on the office!

[ it's a match!! ~~made in hell!!~~ ]

[if his tea is empty, she'll refill it. otherwise, she tells herself to not think about the dango, and to not let too much relief show that he's agreeing to all of this, simply nodding - things get bigger than expected quickly, sometimes.]

How many people do you have so far in this whole operation?

[it'll give her a sense of how much coordination they need.]

I know five or so people I can reliably call upon to help, but I fully intend to bring everyone who has any bit of influence within the Alliance in on this. What we do to sort out the black market business is technically a separate venture from what we need to build down there, so we need to look into appointing someone reliable who can help oversee some of that, first of all.

[ ryouma takes a moment to sip his tea (thanks for topping him off, emily!) before he continues. she can probably see it on his face, the way he doesn't look directly at her while he talks because his eyes unfocus a little. setting things to order in his mind's eye is what it is. ]

Secondly, what I do know is that part of the problem is things disappearing off Celestial-owned ships. They're so wealthy they don't really care that it happens, but it impacts the other 99% of us who don't have coffers full of heavenly riches at our disposal. I couldn't convince them to do anything about the problem directly, but they might be motivated to assist us in ways I haven't thought of yet or at least not be an obstruction. Mostly, I want to find out who is behind the leaks so I can try and buy them out. Taking over the entire operation ourselves would be the last resort.

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