Folly & Agendas & Talulah

(OLD) Chapter 8: Polluting Nights

"I could also ask Swire to give you a hotel room or an apartment you could stay in. Her family owns a lot of establishments in Lungmen."

"Alright."

BEEP!*

Ch'en picked up her phone and answered it. After twenty seconds she hung up.

"Mr. Wei just informed me that you will have certain liberties when you're in Lungmen." Ch'en states. "And he needs to speak with you privately once you get there."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Rye fiddled with his fingerless gloves and adjusted the scarf on his neck. Ch'en looked at his outfit although her gaze was aimed a little lower than usual.

"You really have a terrible taste for clothes." Ch'en sighed.

"Aw come on!" Rye exclaimed. "Why does everyone judge my clothes?!"

"Because your outfit is terrible." Ch'en answered. "I thought it was that simple."

Rye soon drifted to sleep.

In Lungmen

The doors of the airship opened. A gust of wind blew into Kaiser Rye's face. The morning sun shined brightly. He took a deep breath before being pushed out by Ch'en.

"Hey! What the fuck was that for?" Rye cursed.

"Move it." Ch'en ordered.

"Welcome back to Lungmen." A green haired Oni holding a large triangular shield in one hand walked up to them. "Its been a few years Kaiser Rye. I see that you got a burn scar on your face. Did you pick a fight with a stove?"

"Is this the first thing you say to me Madame Oni?" Rye laughed stretching his arms out.

"Its Hoshiguma right now. The gang's disbanded." Hoshiguma states as the three of them follow her to a truck.

"Disbanded?" Rye questioned as they enter the truck to take their seats. "I thought that everything was going well."

"Most of them either joined the L.G.D or started new lives. I'm serving out my sentence here in the L.G.D." Hoshiguma says as she signals the driver to start driving.

"I wonder how you deal with this woman." Rye pointed at Ch'en over his shoulder.

"Ch'en is alright. Just don't get on her bad side." The two of them laughed. Rye couldn't help but notice a chilling stare aimed right at him.

"You'll be meeting Mr. Wei shortly." Ch'en says as she flips her sword around. "I just wish you would've dressed professionally."

"Hey!" Rye exclaimed.

Hoshiguma poorly covered a laugh with a cough.

After an eternity of Kaiser Rye's protests the three of them reached their destination.

"I'm goin' to check in on the new recruits. Swire will be there." Hoshiguma states. "You two wanna grab some drinks tonight? I heard that a new bar just opened up."

"Sure!" Rye answered.

"If we have time." Ch'en states. "Right now we have business to do."

"Always a stick in the mud." Rye commented.

Hoshiguma went down a separate hall, Rye followed Ch'en as they entered an elevator.

"Its always an elevator huh." Rye remarked. "Isn't there a faster way to get up a building?"

"Unless you plan to physically climb one." Ch'en answered.

"I did that before. Almost became a bloody mess on the street."