Post by JNK on Mar 9, 2024 10:44:49 GMT -5
OOC: This roleplay is a direct continuation of my three previous roleplays ("Killing Moon", "Killing Moon: Chapter 002", & "Killing Moon: Chapter 003") and features references to two prior roleplays, "Home, Again" & "More.".
Awkwardness.
Their smiles pin Junko in place.
The maid and butler are crisp, not a single flaw. Their eyes are dull, lifeless... vacant smiles. They're silent, still, as though they're not real. The dining hall is extravagant... grandiose, even. Everything is white and gold, blinding. Junko's never seen anything like it and she hates herself for how difficult it is to appear unimpressed. She stands at the end of the lengthy dining table, shifting uneasily under the unflinching gaze of her mother's help.
A soothing sound, the single strum of a harp resonates throughout the hall. The butler turns on his heel, approaching the double doors, using both hands to open them, revealing the woman on the other side. Kumiko Kuronaga enters the room gracefully, face framed by silky, straight black hair. Clad in an elegant, strapless black and white gown, she approaches the end of the table with her eyes down. The maid pulls out her chair and Kumiko takes a seat, folding her hands in front of her. She finally raises her eyes to greet Junko.
KUMIKO: < Kiui -- >
The butler.
KUMIKO: < -- you were supposed to seat her. >
KIUI: < Yes, Kumi-sama. She refused -- >
KUMIKO: < -- she isn't seated, Kiui. >
KIUI: < She isn't, Kumi-sama. >
Kumiko cuts her eyes in the maid's direction.
KUMIKO: < Ume, prepare Junko-chan's place -- >
JUNKO: < I'm not staying. >
Silence falls over the hall. Ume and Kiui exchange a look, shocked that someone would interrupt Kumiko so rudely. Kumiko straightens up in her seat, the corner of her mouth curling upward, a cynical smile.
KUMIKO: < Very well. I suspect if you were here for money -- >
JUNKO: < -- I don't want money. >
Junko tries her best to hide the quiver in her voice.
JUNKO: < I don't want anything from you. >
Just as difficult, Kumiko tries to hide how the interruption crawls all over her. Her tone is almost innocent in a sing-song way, as though she's putting on a show for the help.
KUMIKO: < But if you did, I imagine you would have approached this conversation in a... more civilized way. That leads me to believe that it's answers you seek. >
She smiles. It's... almost warm.
KUMIKO: < Sit down, Junko-chan... shall I educate you? >
Junko doesn't move. Kumiko observes her daughter... sees her trembling with exertion, fighting against herself not to react emotionally.
KUMIKO: < I see. >
Kumiko looks over her shoulder at Kiui and Ume.
KUMIKO: < Leave us... immediately. >
Ume and Kiui bow, apologizing in hushed whispers as they back out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Kumiko looks Junko over and raises an eyebrow, curling her upper lip with disgust. Her tone is dull, uninterested... dripping with venom all the same.
KUMIKO: < You're just as ugly as I remember -- >
For the first time, Junko recognizes her mother.
KUMIKO: < -- maybe worse. >
Kumiko stands, leaning forward, hands planted on the table. She meets Junko's gaze, stares deep into her soul. Junko takes the hit, doesn't back down... forces the words up from her gut.
JUNKO: < I just wanted -- >
KUMIKO: < I don't have to justify anything to you. >
Junko remains silent, feeling stupid and small in her blue tracksuit amidst the lavish hall... being dressed down by her mother in a gown that cost more than her last several matches paid her... combined.
KUMIKO: < Of anyone, you should understand why I've done the things I have... to survive. We're both fighters in our own way. Of course, I was blessed with... different skills, assets more valuable to a woman, rather than... whatever it is that you've become. >
She looks at Junko with disdain.
KUMIKO: < I can see the scars peeking out from beneath your clothes... repulsive, but with your big teeth and pasty rat face, the journey you've chosen to better yourself might very well have been your only option to lead an extraordinary lifestyle. >
Junko feels her face begin to get hot.
JUNKO: < Do you have any idea what I've been through over the past ten years? The things I've seen? Do you even care? >
Kumiko sighs, smiling cruelly.
KUMIKO: < Don't preach to me. You never would have survived my journey... and I would've died by my own hand before I bothered with yours. If you've truly come here to tell me your story... to try and guilt me into feeling something, anything -- >
She stands upright, pressing her hands together in front of her.
KUMIKO: < -- you're wasting your time. >
Junko's eyes burn, threatening to overflow.
KUMIKO: < You're nothing more than the product of young, misguided love... a reminder of my first, greatest failure. My father warned me against marrying Hideki and he was right. Hideki was weak... a no good man... little more than a boy who failed to grow up as he became older, thus his heart was torn to pieces. >
Junko remains silent.
KUMIKO: < He never forgave himself for what we did. >
There's a twinkle in her eye.
KUMIKO: < Sadly, he took his own life -- >
JUNKO: < -- I know. >
She grits her teeth.
JUNKO: < I'm the one who found him... I was fifteen. >
Kumiko covers her mouth with one gloved hand and, for the briefest of moments, Junko thinks she might be surprised by the revelation... before she hears the giggle pass through her fingers. Kumiko lowers her hand, smiling ear-to-ear.
KUMIKO: < I told you, Junko-chan -- >
The word echoes in the hall.
KUMIKO: < -- weak. >
Junko shuts her eyes, letting it wash over her. Slowly, she opens them again, finding her mother's eyes still locked on her, that infuriating hint of amusement etched across her even more infuriatingly beautiful features. Junko's tone is stiff.
Done with it.
JUNKO: < Are you finished? >
Kumiko glares at her, unamused now.
JUNKO: < I didn't come here to talk about my father... or ask why you sold me to those men. I already know it was for the money. I already know that you're a terrible person... and I knew, coming here today, that you would try to hurt me. >
Silence.
JUNKO: < I just wanted you to know... that you can't anymore. >
Cool breeze.
Heavenly light.
Serenity reigns over the field, home to tall grass and a freshly bloomed cherry blossom tree. Beneath, Junko sits in a blue tracksuit, the gentle breeze moving her hair slightly, guiding pink petals toward the earth with the same breath. Like the breeze, Junko's voice is calm, deliberate.
She waits for an answer, nothing.
Again, nothing.
She leans forward, eyes narrowing.
She takes a deep breath, remembering.
She wipes her eye with the back of her hand, struggling not to become emotional.
She pauses, shoulders rising with every breath.
She touches her chest.
She lowers her hand.
She bites her bottom lip... then continues, anger rising.
She raises her chin, stares down her nose.
She points into the camera.
Her voice lowers --
-- menacing.
Heavy breaths.
Clap.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Her applause is as condescending as her tone.
KUMIKO: < There really is nothing of me inside of you, is there? >
She sighs, disappointed.
KUMIKO: < Say what you want... do what you want... your opinion of me weighs less than sunlight. You say I can't hurt you anymore... but you're the one who spent the last ten years mustering up the courage to tell me. >
Her eyes narrow and darken.
KUMIKO: < Do you know what I've been doing for the last ten years? >
Smiling, she covers her mouth with one hand, stifling a laugh.
KUMIKO: < Enjoying my life -- >
JUNKO: < -- I don't care. >
Junko averts her eyes, offering a slight shrug.
JUNKO: < I don't care what you've been doing or who you've been doing it with. The truth is, what you and my father did... it did hurt me. It hurt for a long time and... and I didn't think I would ever get over it. >
She cuts her eyes up in Kumiko's direction.
JUNKO: < But I did... and I have friends now, people who care about me... a place to call home, a successful career that... kind of sucks sometimes but, a lot of the time it doesn't... and when it doesn't, it's so, so great. >
Kumiko's eye twitches, listening intently.
JUNKO: < I don't know if I'm happy... but I'm living my dream. >
She pauses, taking a breath.
JUNKO: < I'm... alive. >
Silence.
JUNKO: < I just... I don't know. I guess I just wonder what would've happened if you'd given me a chance. Maybe you would've eventually liked me, even if you didn't love me. >
She shrugs, looking down.
JUNKO: < I was ten years old. >
KUMIKO: < Junko-chan -- >
Junko raises her eyes, meeting Kumiko's gaze.
KUMIKO: < -- why are you saying these things? >
JUNKO: < Honestly... as they entered my head, I thought they might really piss you off and that brought me joy. However, as I said them out loud... true or not, I realized that I don't give a sh!t how you feel. >
Junko turns away from Kumiko, preparing to leave.
JUNKO: < Seeing you today... confirmed something I think I've known all along. No matter how much f*cked up sh!t has happened to me over the last ten years, when you made the decision to throw me away... I won. >
She sighs, looking over her shoulder at Kumiko.
JUNKO: < I can live with that. >
She approaches the door, placing her hand on it.
KUMIKO: < Junko! >
She pushes the door open, ignoring Kumiko's plea.
KUMIKO: < I'm not finished with you! Do not walk away from your mother! >
Junko stops, back to Kumiko, bowing her head.
JUNKO: < You might have given birth to me -- >
Her voice echoes in the hall.
JUNKO: < -- but you're not my mother. >
She leaves... and the door slams shut behind her.
Kumiko remains... seething.
The field.
Petals drift downward.
Her voice becomes firm.
She pauses, silence.
Her eyes narrow.
She points into the camera.
Her voice rises.
She trembles with intensity --
-- speaks through gritted teeth.
She shakes her head slowly.
She points at herself.
Her tone is flat, deadly serious.
Night.
Junko's been gone for hours.
In her bedroom, Kumiko sits in front of her vanity.
Between two fingers, she picks up a small black bottle, unscrewing the cap and removing the eyedropper from within. Black liquid threatens to fall from the glass tip. Her hand trembles as she tilts her head, preparing to drop the fluid into her eye... before she hears the footsteps from outside draw closer and, then... closer.
She replaces the dropper, setting it back on the vanity. The door opens. She faces forward, looking into her own eyes' reflection as Jinsei Kuronaga enters, presence unmistakable. He exudes power and confidence... especially power. Though he's of average build, his aura... is gigantic. Silently, he approaches his seated wife, looming behind her. Staring ahead, she sees his black three-piece suit, his red tie, the red-jeweled ring on his finger. He exhales deeply, speaking in a gruff, oddly calming tone.
JINSEI: < Botan will be reassigned, as you requested. >
She nods, satisfied.
JINSEI: < Your visitor... was Junko. >
KUMIKO: < Yes. >
JINSEI: < How did she find you? >
KUMIKO: < I... don't know -- >
JINSEI: < -- and yet, you allowed her inside. >
KUMIKO: < I wanted her to know... that I didn't make a mistake. >
Jinsei reaches over her shoulder, picking up the bottle, looking it over in his hand.
JINSEI: < You're beautiful, Kumiko... but your arrogance is most unattractive. >
She winces at the comment.
JINSEI: < It will ultimately be your undoing. >
He unscrews the cap.
JINSEI: < I'll find who provided her with the information... and see that they're dealt with accordingly. However, we must ascertain what she knows. >
KUMIKO: < She doesn't know anything... she wanted to see her mother -- >
JINSEI: < -- she said nothing of the man she met on the plane? >
She shakes her head.
JINSEI: < Or the lawyer I provided to ensure her freedom last year? >
Again, she shakes her head. He removes the dropper from the bottle, raises it to eye level, watches as the black liquid hangs on, struggling against the urge to... drip.
JINSEI: < Is she aware of the forces at play -- >
Gently, he reaches around Kumiko's head, caressing her jawline before gripping her taut, pulling her head back. She gasps, surprised by the aggression as he brings the dropper close.
JINSEI: < -- did she say anything... about The Black Company? >
She whispers the word, breathless.
KUMIKO: < ...nothing. >
One single black drop falls from the instrument and lands in the center of her eye, swirling gently for only a moment, temporarily turning white to black before returning to normal. She shuts her eyes, smiling ear-to-ear... an almost warm expression as euphoria takes hold. Jinsei releases his grip, allowing her to relax. He places his hand on her shoulder, caressing her. The red jewel in his ring glints in the light.
JINSEI: < One more thing, Kumiko -- >
She leans her head against him, smile faltering ever-so-slightly.
JINSEI: < -- did you tell her... about her sister? >
Their smiles pin Junko in place.
The maid and butler are crisp, not a single flaw. Their eyes are dull, lifeless... vacant smiles. They're silent, still, as though they're not real. The dining hall is extravagant... grandiose, even. Everything is white and gold, blinding. Junko's never seen anything like it and she hates herself for how difficult it is to appear unimpressed. She stands at the end of the lengthy dining table, shifting uneasily under the unflinching gaze of her mother's help.
A soothing sound, the single strum of a harp resonates throughout the hall. The butler turns on his heel, approaching the double doors, using both hands to open them, revealing the woman on the other side. Kumiko Kuronaga enters the room gracefully, face framed by silky, straight black hair. Clad in an elegant, strapless black and white gown, she approaches the end of the table with her eyes down. The maid pulls out her chair and Kumiko takes a seat, folding her hands in front of her. She finally raises her eyes to greet Junko.
KUMIKO: < Kiui -- >
The butler.
KUMIKO: < -- you were supposed to seat her. >
KIUI: < Yes, Kumi-sama. She refused -- >
KUMIKO: < -- she isn't seated, Kiui. >
KIUI: < She isn't, Kumi-sama. >
Kumiko cuts her eyes in the maid's direction.
KUMIKO: < Ume, prepare Junko-chan's place -- >
JUNKO: < I'm not staying. >
Silence falls over the hall. Ume and Kiui exchange a look, shocked that someone would interrupt Kumiko so rudely. Kumiko straightens up in her seat, the corner of her mouth curling upward, a cynical smile.
KUMIKO: < Very well. I suspect if you were here for money -- >
JUNKO: < -- I don't want money. >
Junko tries her best to hide the quiver in her voice.
JUNKO: < I don't want anything from you. >
Just as difficult, Kumiko tries to hide how the interruption crawls all over her. Her tone is almost innocent in a sing-song way, as though she's putting on a show for the help.
KUMIKO: < But if you did, I imagine you would have approached this conversation in a... more civilized way. That leads me to believe that it's answers you seek. >
She smiles. It's... almost warm.
KUMIKO: < Sit down, Junko-chan... shall I educate you? >
Junko doesn't move. Kumiko observes her daughter... sees her trembling with exertion, fighting against herself not to react emotionally.
KUMIKO: < I see. >
Kumiko looks over her shoulder at Kiui and Ume.
KUMIKO: < Leave us... immediately. >
Ume and Kiui bow, apologizing in hushed whispers as they back out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Kumiko looks Junko over and raises an eyebrow, curling her upper lip with disgust. Her tone is dull, uninterested... dripping with venom all the same.
KUMIKO: < You're just as ugly as I remember -- >
For the first time, Junko recognizes her mother.
KUMIKO: < -- maybe worse. >
Kumiko stands, leaning forward, hands planted on the table. She meets Junko's gaze, stares deep into her soul. Junko takes the hit, doesn't back down... forces the words up from her gut.
JUNKO: < I just wanted -- >
KUMIKO: < I don't have to justify anything to you. >
Junko remains silent, feeling stupid and small in her blue tracksuit amidst the lavish hall... being dressed down by her mother in a gown that cost more than her last several matches paid her... combined.
KUMIKO: < Of anyone, you should understand why I've done the things I have... to survive. We're both fighters in our own way. Of course, I was blessed with... different skills, assets more valuable to a woman, rather than... whatever it is that you've become. >
She looks at Junko with disdain.
KUMIKO: < I can see the scars peeking out from beneath your clothes... repulsive, but with your big teeth and pasty rat face, the journey you've chosen to better yourself might very well have been your only option to lead an extraordinary lifestyle. >
Junko feels her face begin to get hot.
JUNKO: < Do you have any idea what I've been through over the past ten years? The things I've seen? Do you even care? >
Kumiko sighs, smiling cruelly.
KUMIKO: < Don't preach to me. You never would have survived my journey... and I would've died by my own hand before I bothered with yours. If you've truly come here to tell me your story... to try and guilt me into feeling something, anything -- >
She stands upright, pressing her hands together in front of her.
KUMIKO: < -- you're wasting your time. >
Junko's eyes burn, threatening to overflow.
KUMIKO: < You're nothing more than the product of young, misguided love... a reminder of my first, greatest failure. My father warned me against marrying Hideki and he was right. Hideki was weak... a no good man... little more than a boy who failed to grow up as he became older, thus his heart was torn to pieces. >
Junko remains silent.
KUMIKO: < He never forgave himself for what we did. >
There's a twinkle in her eye.
KUMIKO: < Sadly, he took his own life -- >
JUNKO: < -- I know. >
She grits her teeth.
JUNKO: < I'm the one who found him... I was fifteen. >
Kumiko covers her mouth with one gloved hand and, for the briefest of moments, Junko thinks she might be surprised by the revelation... before she hears the giggle pass through her fingers. Kumiko lowers her hand, smiling ear-to-ear.
KUMIKO: < I told you, Junko-chan -- >
The word echoes in the hall.
KUMIKO: < -- weak. >
Junko shuts her eyes, letting it wash over her. Slowly, she opens them again, finding her mother's eyes still locked on her, that infuriating hint of amusement etched across her even more infuriatingly beautiful features. Junko's tone is stiff.
Done with it.
JUNKO: < Are you finished? >
Kumiko glares at her, unamused now.
JUNKO: < I didn't come here to talk about my father... or ask why you sold me to those men. I already know it was for the money. I already know that you're a terrible person... and I knew, coming here today, that you would try to hurt me. >
Silence.
JUNKO: < I just wanted you to know... that you can't anymore. >
< / > denotes foreign language translation
Heavenly light.
Serenity reigns over the field, home to tall grass and a freshly bloomed cherry blossom tree. Beneath, Junko sits in a blue tracksuit, the gentle breeze moving her hair slightly, guiding pink petals toward the earth with the same breath. Like the breeze, Junko's voice is calm, deliberate.
< Do you know what it's like to be rejected? >
She waits for an answer, nothing.
< Do you know what it's like to be told you're not good enough? >
Again, nothing.
< I don't imagine that's a problem you've ever had, Joe Montuori. >
She leans forward, eyes narrowing.
< You've competed in this sport for many years... far more than myself. You've won championships everywhere you've been and you're allowed to do anything you want without consequences. The way you've treated me over the past eight months -- >
She takes a deep breath, remembering.
< -- since July 18th, 2023, when you attacked me for the very first time... until two weeks ago, when you destroyed photographs that were special to me, and attempted to humiliate me for daring to be born Japanese... these are not the actions of someone who's ever faced adversity. >
She wipes her eye with the back of her hand, struggling not to become emotional.
< I won't go over the things I went through to become a pro-wrestler again. That story... has been told. Everyone knows what I've sacrificed... what I've lost on the path to where I'm standing today. This is a new story, Joe Montuori... and in the main event at Thunder in Paradise... it will come to an end. >
She pauses, shoulders rising with every breath.
< I know what it's like to be rejected... I know what it's like to be told I'm not good enough. When I came to the United States for the first time last year, two other companies welcomed me with open arms... and then did their very best to break me down, tear me apart -- >
She touches her chest.
< -- they tried to destroy Junko. >
She lowers her hand.
< It wasn't until I signed with TPW that I found my place in this world... my home. Ever since I became a pro-wrestler, this is the only place I've felt like I belonged -- >
She bites her bottom lip... then continues, anger rising.
< -- and you've done everything you can to take that away from me since the moment you got here... July 18th, 2023... my American Championship celebration was cut short... JKO out of nowhere. I've never known a moment's peace in TPW since. >
She raises her chin, stares down her nose.
< Some say you're a living legend. Some call you one of the best in the world... and you have the credentials to prove it. I've never stepped in the ring with anyone else on your level... but I've endured your wrath for eight months -- >
She points into the camera.
< -- I've taken your best shot. >
Her voice lowers --
< I'm still here. >
-- menacing.
< I'm not going anywhere. >
Heavy breaths.
< You'll have to kill me first. >
Clap.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Her applause is as condescending as her tone.
KUMIKO: < There really is nothing of me inside of you, is there? >
She sighs, disappointed.
KUMIKO: < Say what you want... do what you want... your opinion of me weighs less than sunlight. You say I can't hurt you anymore... but you're the one who spent the last ten years mustering up the courage to tell me. >
Her eyes narrow and darken.
KUMIKO: < Do you know what I've been doing for the last ten years? >
Smiling, she covers her mouth with one hand, stifling a laugh.
KUMIKO: < Enjoying my life -- >
JUNKO: < -- I don't care. >
Junko averts her eyes, offering a slight shrug.
JUNKO: < I don't care what you've been doing or who you've been doing it with. The truth is, what you and my father did... it did hurt me. It hurt for a long time and... and I didn't think I would ever get over it. >
She cuts her eyes up in Kumiko's direction.
JUNKO: < But I did... and I have friends now, people who care about me... a place to call home, a successful career that... kind of sucks sometimes but, a lot of the time it doesn't... and when it doesn't, it's so, so great. >
Kumiko's eye twitches, listening intently.
JUNKO: < I don't know if I'm happy... but I'm living my dream. >
She pauses, taking a breath.
JUNKO: < I'm... alive. >
Silence.
JUNKO: < I just... I don't know. I guess I just wonder what would've happened if you'd given me a chance. Maybe you would've eventually liked me, even if you didn't love me. >
She shrugs, looking down.
JUNKO: < I was ten years old. >
KUMIKO: < Junko-chan -- >
Junko raises her eyes, meeting Kumiko's gaze.
KUMIKO: < -- why are you saying these things? >
JUNKO: < Honestly... as they entered my head, I thought they might really piss you off and that brought me joy. However, as I said them out loud... true or not, I realized that I don't give a sh!t how you feel. >
Junko turns away from Kumiko, preparing to leave.
JUNKO: < Seeing you today... confirmed something I think I've known all along. No matter how much f*cked up sh!t has happened to me over the last ten years, when you made the decision to throw me away... I won. >
She sighs, looking over her shoulder at Kumiko.
JUNKO: < I can live with that. >
She approaches the door, placing her hand on it.
KUMIKO: < Junko! >
She pushes the door open, ignoring Kumiko's plea.
KUMIKO: < I'm not finished with you! Do not walk away from your mother! >
Junko stops, back to Kumiko, bowing her head.
JUNKO: < You might have given birth to me -- >
Her voice echoes in the hall.
JUNKO: < -- but you're not my mother. >
She leaves... and the door slams shut behind her.
Kumiko remains... seething.
The field.
Petals drift downward.
< You've spent so much time saying I don't belong here... in TPW or the United States... but you're who doesn't belong. You're loyal only to yourself. >
Her voice becomes firm.
< What do you offer TPW? What have you done here other than use your clout to hold onto a spot that could go to someone who needs it... that could use it to truly better themselves, TPW, or the wrestling business entirely? >
She pauses, silence.
< The answer is that you're nothing but a lowly mercenary with a dark heart. You work for anyone willing to pay you... and then you push the boundaries of your rivals and the companies themselves until you've worn out your welcome... before moving on to your next victim. You have no honor... and in your quest for money and glory, you've lost what little respect you had left. >
Her eyes narrow.
< To compensate for that, you do your worst... because it's the only way to make anyone care. It's the only way to feel like you still matter. It's because of you that Axel Shaw and Shaun Hart are gone. It was your actions that pushed me to do what I did... but was it my actions that ran them out of TPW... or did you discard them like trash because they were no longer useful? You've never mentioned them again... I think I know the answer. >
She points into the camera.
< TPW is my home. I haven't split my time between multiple companies, watering down my loyalty until it's meaningless. Your actions at Uncivil War were those of a man without a country. Even though I hate you, I would've never done what you did. The fans... and our peers alike, they say that anyone would be lucky to have a career like yours... but I don't want to have a career like yours -- >
Her voice rises.
< -- I want to have a career that's BETTER than yours. >
She trembles with intensity --
< Your career... is empty. >
-- speaks through gritted teeth.
< Corrupted. >
She shakes her head slowly.
< You have nothing to be proud of... your presence here is nothing more than that of a rotten tooth to be extracted. Now that you've been eliminated from the SEX Cup, Peter Vaughn has no use for you. I got rid of Shaw and Hart... Matt Knox got rid of the rest of your family! All that's left now is me and you. >
She points at herself.
< I'm proud to have earned my place in the main event... but I would fight you anywhere... in front of anyone! What means more? A main event in front of fifty-thousand people... or a parking lot with only two or three? If it means saving TPW from you, then both mean the same. If I die doing what's best for TPW, I will have no regrets -- >
Her tone is flat, deadly serious.
< -- at Thunder in Paradise, I'll put all of my heart into the greatest fight this company has ever known. >
Junko's been gone for hours.
In her bedroom, Kumiko sits in front of her vanity.
Between two fingers, she picks up a small black bottle, unscrewing the cap and removing the eyedropper from within. Black liquid threatens to fall from the glass tip. Her hand trembles as she tilts her head, preparing to drop the fluid into her eye... before she hears the footsteps from outside draw closer and, then... closer.
She replaces the dropper, setting it back on the vanity. The door opens. She faces forward, looking into her own eyes' reflection as Jinsei Kuronaga enters, presence unmistakable. He exudes power and confidence... especially power. Though he's of average build, his aura... is gigantic. Silently, he approaches his seated wife, looming behind her. Staring ahead, she sees his black three-piece suit, his red tie, the red-jeweled ring on his finger. He exhales deeply, speaking in a gruff, oddly calming tone.
JINSEI: < Botan will be reassigned, as you requested. >
She nods, satisfied.
JINSEI: < Your visitor... was Junko. >
KUMIKO: < Yes. >
JINSEI: < How did she find you? >
KUMIKO: < I... don't know -- >
JINSEI: < -- and yet, you allowed her inside. >
KUMIKO: < I wanted her to know... that I didn't make a mistake. >
Jinsei reaches over her shoulder, picking up the bottle, looking it over in his hand.
JINSEI: < You're beautiful, Kumiko... but your arrogance is most unattractive. >
She winces at the comment.
JINSEI: < It will ultimately be your undoing. >
He unscrews the cap.
JINSEI: < I'll find who provided her with the information... and see that they're dealt with accordingly. However, we must ascertain what she knows. >
KUMIKO: < She doesn't know anything... she wanted to see her mother -- >
JINSEI: < -- she said nothing of the man she met on the plane? >
She shakes her head.
JINSEI: < Or the lawyer I provided to ensure her freedom last year? >
Again, she shakes her head. He removes the dropper from the bottle, raises it to eye level, watches as the black liquid hangs on, struggling against the urge to... drip.
JINSEI: < Is she aware of the forces at play -- >
Gently, he reaches around Kumiko's head, caressing her jawline before gripping her taut, pulling her head back. She gasps, surprised by the aggression as he brings the dropper close.
JINSEI: < -- did she say anything... about The Black Company? >
She whispers the word, breathless.
KUMIKO: < ...nothing. >
One single black drop falls from the instrument and lands in the center of her eye, swirling gently for only a moment, temporarily turning white to black before returning to normal. She shuts her eyes, smiling ear-to-ear... an almost warm expression as euphoria takes hold. Jinsei releases his grip, allowing her to relax. He places his hand on her shoulder, caressing her. The red jewel in his ring glints in the light.
JINSEI: < One more thing, Kumiko -- >
She leans her head against him, smile faltering ever-so-slightly.
JINSEI: < -- did you tell her... about her sister? >
