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Post by mokole on Dec 23, 2012 15:50:59 GMT -6
Drake stirs in his bed, scenting the air and frowning. It was gone now...that haunting lingering scent of her. Why now? After all these years? He reaches out, his arm caressing the silk of of his sheets and remembers he is alone. All alone. The hot, bitter lump in his throat reminds him of his sorrow. Maybe I shouldn't have come here, he thinks. He had managed to put this away until he ran into his old, almost packmate. Well, too late now. I've sworn my oath. He is just about to turn over when his phone starts to ring, clearly sounding over the rainstorm his listening to on his stereo. I'm just an aging drummer boy
And in the wars I used to play
And I've called the tune
To many a torture session
Now they say I am a war criminal
And I'm fading away
Father please hear my confessionThe young man sits up and stares at it, knowing he has to answer, but how could he know. What would he say? He slides over his bed and grabs up the phone, answering it. "Ryha?" The deep, dark voice, powerful and gracious speaks to him, sending the familiar spark down the galliard's spine, cause him to want to slip to his knees, to bare his throat. He knows, as always, that no matter what happens in his life, this will be his reaction to his Ryha. "Drake, pet," the voice sounds smooth and pleased, the sound of someone else in the room cause a green stab of jealousy in the young man, but he listens nonetheless. "I've sent you something, my people found. Its on your computer now, sweet. Go and see." The line falls suddenly dead and Drake vaults into the back room of his cabin thankful he upgraded to all solid state drives. The computer flashes to life, and there is the message, forwarded from someplace that he doesn't even look for. Its a picture.  A note is underneath it. "Subject was found in Tokyo, at 9:45pm local time, on December 20th. Routine sweep." He stares at the picture, and then leaps to his room, grabbing up fresh clothes and pulling them on, leaving the computer running. By the time he has hit the door, he has hauled his proxy out of bed. "Stephen, I need a flight to Tokyo, I need to be in the air in an hour. No, I don't care what time it is...Just get me a fucking plane. I'll buy an entire flight if I need to, Goddamn it! Right, I am not fucking around." He jumps in his car, revving the powerful engine and in moment slews out of the bawn, rocketing into the night. |
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Post by Tameh on Dec 23, 2012 18:32:55 GMT -6
It takes Drake 2 hours to get to Seattle, in which he is put immediately on a plane that was halted to await his arrival. Rushed through the terminal he is pushed into a charter and poured his first glass of wine so he can enjoy his 10 hour flight to Tokyo. Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, recently remodeled, is one of the largest and most modern International airports in the world.  The moment Drake turns his phone back on, he receives a text from Stephen's number. "Car has been arranged." A chauffeur stands just outside the terminal exit, a white sign held up while waiting in front of a stretch limo. "Mister Anderson" is written in English on the sign. |
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Post by mokole on Dec 23, 2012 19:04:47 GMT -6
Drake curses the snow andbad weather all the way to Seattle, pounding on the reinforced steering wheel of Black Betty. He hits the airport and leaves his precious car in the hands of the valet, walking through the airport. He is met by Stephen's secretary, an attractive raven haired woman who looks like she was just dragged out of bed. The young galliard feels bad briefly as she hands over his travel documents ...he can't remember her name.
Its not until his second glass of wine that the panic sets into him. That's all right with him, its an old familiar panic. The one you get when you've pushed as far as you can, and then a little more, and you are waiting for your opponent to decide what happens next.
What should he do? Apologize? Beg her to come back? Swear things would be different, knowing that he could never change?
In the end, all he can do is think of her, or when he drifts off to sleep, dream. The hidden spring, the many dates for sushi. Above all, the most haunting, that first kiss. So sweet and poisonous.
When he arrives, Drake makes his way through security and passes down through the airport, smiling at the sign. "Anderson here," he calls out. In moments he is in the limo and heading to the house they rented for him, checking to make sure they have prepared it. Food and drink, a quick visit from a tailor to make up for his lack of luggage. Following that, he could met with his Ryah's contact, and see how he could find her.
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Post by Tameh on Dec 23, 2012 19:27:20 GMT -6
 Drake is not taken to a house or hotel. He has had a vacation apartment rented for him, one with a view of the city below. It seems his proxy at least wants him to enjoy some of the city on his first visit. In fact, when he arrives in his new apartment, the tailor is already ready and waiting with suits in Drake's size to be mended to fit the young man's form. Measurements taken and the mending begins as Drake is allowed to shower and clean up from the long flight. Daniel's contact arrives at the apartment a couple hours after Drake settles in. A young Japanese man, thin wire framed glasses and casual business clothing. "I was given a picture of your target several years ago. One my employer found in your personal belongings. She had blonde hair at the time, I placed her to be 17-18? I ran her specs against some networks I have, and for the past two years have come up with nothing. In all honesty, I had forgotten all about the assignment until I received an email this morning." Drake is handed a small file, rather thin considering he has been working on this peice of investigation for over 2 years. "Obviously, you can see she has dyed her hair, but this is the first time I have seen her in Tokyo. Which leads me to believe she is here for at least a short period of time. That photo was taken outside a movie premiere of all things." Inside the file is a list of company's and contact numbers as well as a glossy of the photo he received in his email. "I have the name of the driver and limo company she used, the name on the guest list for the premiere lists her as Lexi Bane. As if that isnt the strangest of aliases I have ever heard of." The investigator continues to explain all the information in the packet for Drake, and leaves it at that. No one has made a move to track her further, leaving the trail warm for Drake to persue himself. "My employer has taken me off the case for now. Its been left in your hands." the investigator excuses himself without waiting for Drake to protest. Rhya's orders. Its all on him to decide his moves from here. |
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Post by mokole on Dec 24, 2012 1:20:23 GMT -6
Drake settles into the vacation apartment, making a note to Tim Stephen when he gets back. Its a good choice. Between it and the new clothes, the young, handsome Black Fury turned Shadow Lord starts to feel more like himself again
When the contact arrives, he listens to his briefing, not once checking the folder. He nods, understanding Ryha's unspoken command. "Do what you will, accepting the consequences of your actions." After the contact leaves, Drake writes down, word for word, what he said, thankful for his spirit enhanced memory.
Only then does he look at the file, dissecting the trail with in it, separating out the various bits. He makes his battle plan, becoming for the first time in a while The Unseen Edge. It feels good to him.
And so starts the first round of phone calls, trying to separate her from the herd, maybe get lucky and discover her working as an actress or someone equally easy to find.
He does have that moment, where he fears what he may find. Another in her heart, a fallen lover...or worse, someone who hates him. He regrets, for a moment all the others he has been with since she failed to come back, but only a moment for he does not have it in himself to hate his nature.
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Post by Tameh on Dec 24, 2012 1:41:22 GMT -6
Drake is able to get in contact with the limo driver through his parent company rather easily. Upon questioning him, he tells Drake that Alexis Bane was picked up from a private villa outside the city close to some of the more popular ruins of the old city. Roughly an hour north. After a bit of persuading on Drake's part, he gives the address of the villa. He was contracted by the movie's production company to pick her up. Eventually she was a member of the crew.
The name of the production company is given, and a phone number. If this lead is followed, the secretary informs Drake that Alexis worked on the set as a child advocate for some of the underage actors in the Japanese movie that was filmed on location on one of the other islands. She of course was invited to the premiere to ensure the child actors were still respected in their rights even in the public eye.
If pressed, the secretary will reveal Alexis seemed to be an independant contractor, not one usually assigned by the company for their child actors. But came highly recommended by one of the parents of the young actor. Insisting their child could not film on location without Alexis being present. Her name was left off the credits of the film, at her own request.
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Post by mokole on Dec 24, 2012 10:59:17 GMT -6
Child advocate. How fitting, he thinks. It gives him some hope, since she picked something so true to herself. That's when the darkness in him rears its head. What if her purpose was something darker, something like Angeal's. The young man shudders at the thought.
At sundown, he sends everyone away and strips down. Slowly, without rushing, he excercises. Letting his gaze take in the awakening city, he feelings its strangeness for the first time. The words of his Ryha come to him, recalling a distant night the two of them shared. "Drake, pet, a city is only truly revealed at night. They are like a great woman, demure while the sun shines on her, her true, whorish nature coming to light only when the darkness is upon her."
So,he decides, the frontal approach will be the best, the least expected of him. A shower, meal, and a short drive, brings him to the Villa. Pulling out his pocket mirror, it suddenly strikes him that she gave it to him, and trusting in providence, he approaches the front door.
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Post by Tameh on Dec 25, 2012 1:14:57 GMT -6
 Drake is met with a small traditional Japanese villa in the rolling hills outside the city. He has to part some ways from the house, to walk up the windy worn stone path that leads to the front of the building. Even with the season as cool as it is, there is life in the garden surrounding the house. The trees winding around in an almost surreal way along the path, leaving the private location with a calm, serene feel. The front door is a pane of sliding glass, thin paper shading blocking a direct view into the house. But there is light inside and he can see almost directly into the kitchen where a petite woman is standing at the counter, a tall glass of red wine in her hand. Dyed red hair pulled up in a casual french twist, exposing a distinct tattoo on the back of her neck.  As Drake approaches the door, she turns focusing her blue eyes on the doorstep. Staring through the panels of thin paper, but they can easily see one another. Its been three years, give or take, since either of them have laid eyes on one another. And he can see she is standing there, clinching her drink and holding her breath as if she has seen a ghost. Its only a matter of heartbeats, but it feels like an eternity before she sets her glass down and moves to the door, unlocking it and sliding it open for him. Her mouth goes a bit slack as if wanting to say something, but no words come out for the longest time. Then finally, after she finds her voice. "Mož." one word, in Slovenian. |
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Post by mokole on Dec 31, 2012 13:07:32 GMT -6
And so it is that the young Fury cum Shadowlord enters into the villa. What happens there is not know, not spoken of. A few days later, wearing the same suit he arrived in, Drake steps back outside. He enters his car and lets the driver take him back into the city, ridding in silence. A silence so loud it threatens to steal his voice once and for all.
As the city rolls by, all future light and glowing power, his phone rings...that very same ring that started it all. He plucks it out of his pocket and glances at the screen, frowning slightly to himself before he is forced to answer it.
"Yes, Ryha...No, sir...No, what I was looking for is gone, Sir. I'm heading back to the Sept. Yes, sir...you can pull the watchers. I don't need them any more. Yes, Ryha...Yes, sir. Happy New Year, sir."
He hangs up the phone and continues to stare at it. That was done, the first and hardest...Now to bury his heart again. He dials his proxy. "Its me. Get me a flight is...lets say 10...no five hours. I'm going home. Oh, and while your at it...send some entertainment to my penthouse."
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Post by Jay Karth on Jan 5, 2013 18:48:48 GMT -6
((This storyline is Now concluded. 5 Event XP and 6 Participation XP for 2 weeks of posting going on has been awarded, as well as your Mentor Background.))
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