expiationlogs | The Last Drop Grand Opening

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The Last Drop Grand Opening

Who: Whoever would like to attend the grand opening mingle at the Last Drop
Where: Entertainment District – The Last Drop
What: The grand opening of the night club / bar
Warnings: Alcohol and low-level drugs

The Last Drop opens big and loud with neon lights and music that booms from within to be heard from the streets. There are two large bouncers at the door, but they were allowing people in very freely on this night until the room was at capacity then there would be a line. The bouncers only stop those who are already three-sheets to the wind and could cause trouble, but otherwise, they are there to break up trouble as the night wears on.

Inside, there was smoke machines, flashing lights, loud music and the drinks were flowing to anyone that wanted. There was plenty of dancing, some dart boards along the walls, a jukebox, tables and booths for patrons to have drinks and discuss business.

There are stairs that lead up to a second floor to one side of the bar, lights on the stairs. There were people lounging on the stairs and it seemed to be ‘employees only’. Patrons were allowed the lounge there as well if they were tired of dancing or the tables or booths were occupied.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4aGrN9ZBg0

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[Silco was close enough to note the slight difference in Akechi; he liked to think they were getting to know each other to perform this little dance of niceties. After all, they now both had plenty of dirt on each other, so the game was fairly even and it was only a matter of time before he'd have to deal with this little issue.]

Hmmm, careful boy, you're starting to sound like my daughter. [He nodded his head as he picked up the set of green darts, keeping two in his left hand and one in the right.] People in my city have adopted children for less. [He set his feet at the appropriate distance and lined up a shot, aiming for a single.]

[The sad thing is that Akechi does not hold any clear or distinguishable memory of their last meeting. When the miasma and drugs had eventually left his body, returning him back to state of clarity, he only had a vague memory of seeing the man sitting next to his bed. But when he had asked the staff who all outside of Akira had came to see him they were not able to provide proper answers.

Ignorance was a bliss in some cases. Here? It was a misfortune.]

Ah. Then I suppose you must have a large family of bastards, orphans and other wretched brats waiting for you at home.

[That his comment went over Akechi's head amused him greatly. He had expected that their conversation would be remembered in a one-sided way, the fact it was reality made this entire conversation worthwhile. Akechi had no idea the words spoken to him as he played the part of a dead man in whatever mental delusion the younger man had suffered from.

He threw his first dart into a single, setting the start of the game. That done, he stepped aside so that Akechi could take his place.]

I do employ a lot of them, yes. However, I only have one child of my own, and she's right here in Aldrip. Who knows, there are plenty of wayward children in need of guidance here.

Not bad. [He comments on the shot, slowly clapping his hands together in condescending manner. Then, he steps on the spot, raises the red dart with his right hand, aims and-- shoots, landing the dart right on the designed spot. A Perfect, seemingly effortless shot. He's so unbearable.]

How generous of you. Maybe you should try investing in orphanages, then. Seeing that thing with Casino didn't work out.

[He expected that Akechi would be proficient at darts if the younger man decided to challenge him at it. The arrogant little boy was constantly striving to prove he was a worthwhile living being, and he expected this was some deep-seeded attempt to acknowledgement. Perhaps Akechi wasn't even aware of it, which was amusing for him to consider.]

Oh, that may be my next community project; it is pleasant you see the potential in that too. After all, fathers play a key role in shaping the next generation in their image. [He didn't care about the casino; he had enough to funnel illicit funds through as it was. He might establish one to funnel business away from the other casino, but one thing almost always held true; addiction paid those who capitalized on it.]

After all, we must think of the children.

[Darts was a game of both aim and calculation, something that Akechi had practiced and honed to perfection. But it's true that most of his bravado and desire to show-off stem out of deeply seeded need to be seen, to have his skills and smarts acknowledged by those around him. It's a bit sad, really. Just how desperate one can be for outer validation, clinging on it to soothe out the nasty insecurities.

Satisfied with his own shot, Akechi steps aside to make room for Silco to make his own throw.]

So, you'd be father to us all, then? My, you're starting to sound almost like a cult-leader. [He chuckles out a laughter, shoulders rolling back in a half-shrug. Your BS is so obvious, Silco.] And like on I'm sure you would find a way to use and capitalize of the said children.

[Silco was calmer about a game of darts as he didn't consider it worthwhile to show off. He had little to gain and less to lose in a 'friendly' competition, after all, he considered himself winning in bigger more influential areas. He instead eased into this opportunity to watch Akechi, to study the younger man's body language, words and tone.]

Not bad. [It was said off-hand, a brush off comment of a parental figure acknowledging without getting over the top about it.

He stepped in and picked up another dart, tilting his head back and forth. He might have two eyes technically, but depth perception was something he had to relearn as his left eye was damaged. It took him just a breath or two longer to line up his shot.]

If that's what this city needs, I have no issue providing opportunities for those willing. Everyone else can be pulled along and benefit eventually. [He remained calm to the verbal nudge. He didn't have the charisma for cult leader, but he could lift people or drag them down in his own way.] Children require opportunities to develop skills they were use as adults. That's the point of parenting; I know you aren't at the point in your life yet, but perhaps you'll understand if you have children of your own.

[Akechi really has to hold back an urge to scoff and roll his eyes at the remark.
First, his skill definitely ought earn more than just a passing comment like that. And two? The manner Silco delivers it settles badly in his stomach. But whatever, both of them seem to be committed to play this game of fake smiles and pretended politeness. So Akechi only continues to give the man a pleasant expression, briefly tipping his head in small nod.

Though what Silco says next makes him drop the act for a second. The smile on Akechi's lips wavers into something akin to a disgusted grimace. But the slip up is covered in less than an blink of eye as Akechi regains his posture and demeanor.]

Ha ha, worry not. [He lets out a hollow laughter, shrugging his shoulders.] I will spare the world of any hell-spawns of mine. [He was, after all, dead man walking. And even if he wasn't, and somehow found appeal in having a family of his own, he was determined to make sure that Shido's shitty bloodline will end with him.]

[Silco knew how to play the game, to hide the fangs behind smiling teeth, but he also enjoyed tipping his hand to make his threat rather real to those who he had under his thumb. He might not be a physical force to reckon with personally, but Akechi might just be one of the few in Aldrip outside of those from his world who understood a handful of what he was capable of.

And like all situations they endured, he and Akechi continued to probe at one another's façade searching for weakness. Silco immediately noticed when his blade slipped in as that smile momentarily faltered. Excellent. This one was good, he'd give him that.]

Now, now, you're a young man. There's always the potential for adoption if you don't want your own blood in a child. It's a valuable experience, I assure you. [It probably made him far more silver than he would have been if it had just been conquering the Undercity.]

[Anyone with any information about Goro Akechi's past should be able to understand why this topic of 'family' makes him uncomfortable. The thought of having his own, even if in later life, makes him feel uneasy in his own body -- like small pin needles were being pressed onto his flesh under his clothes.

There had been a time when he had wanted nothing more than to have a family. To see his mother's proud and loving smile shining at him. Likewise he had wanted to gain the acknowledgement of his father, to make the cruel man feel not only fear and despair when he'd unleash his revenge upon him. But also pride and perhaps even something softer than that. Twisted, ugly love. But like always, he had been denied both of them. Leaving him emotionally neglected and fend for himself as he tried to survive in unjust world and society. One that would rather see him disappear between the cracks and forgotten just because he lacked The Family.

Right now any dreams of having something like that for himself had turned sour from all the bitter toxicity and hatred. Even the word alone felt nothing but vitriol on his tongue.]

I don't think gaining a 'valuable experience', as you put it, is enough of a reason to start a family. Parenthood shouldn't be based on selfish reasons like that. Children do come with a lot of responsibility, after all.

[Oh Silco had gathered enough intel from Akechi's own mouth to understand the boy's past to a degree. He could tell why the mask slipped for a blink of an eye back there, and who was he to resist pressing on an uncomfortable button now and again? It served the smug boy playing at being a man right.

It was, if nothing else, a rather common story. Parental love and guidance were a tipping scale where he was from. Orphans were common, and they were either picked up and taken care of or used and taken care of as long as they remained useful. He should know; he fell into both categories.

He pretended to be unobservant to the likely storm of emotions bubbling under the surface. Or perhaps the boy felt little at all.]

Believe me, lesser people have produced offspring and managed to not screw them up completely. Or just abandoned them for someone else to deal with. Still, I would change nothing of my own daughter, and raising her was like wishing for death by a million papercuts at times.

[It was exactly the mundanity of it all that kept fuelling the flames of anger within Akechi. The society did not do even as much as blink an eye at his mother's suffering, accepting her fate as nothing but "unfortunate" while refusing to look at the blame for it from within. She had been a fallen woman in the eyes of society and only getting what she deserved.

It was that shared apathy and collective disdain towards the less fortunate ones that had made Akechi want to destroy the society as whole. Burn it down to the ground and watch the mighty to struggle.]

Oh, but of course. [He snorts out a laughter, looking at the man with a sneering grin] And what a wonderful job have you done with her. Raising her to become such stable and well functioning member of society.

[Silco glanced over at Akechi, adding the kind of patronizing sympathetic look that he could pull off better than he should. This was like dealing with the whining of the Chem-Barons as they searched for ways to knock him off of his perch holding them together against their wills.]

She's perfect to me, but alas, I don't expect you to understand what it's like to have parents that are willing to respect and care for you regardless of your perceived or real faults. [He leaned back on his heels a little as twirled a dart between his fingers.] And because you're such a purveyor of justice, I'll let you have a warning: don't speak ill of my daughter.

[Ah. Akechi watched the expression shift on Silco's face. There's a pang of annoyance in the back of his mind, but he refuses to let it out as he keeps the feigned politeness reflected from his own smile and eyes. It is rather clear that the man thinks he has gained an upperhand of sorts in this conversation -- that he has struck a nerve. While that might be true, he was too revealing his own weakness.]

Perfect to you. Maybe. But it begs the question: perfect for what? Having someone like her in your pocket is smart and useful. Especially if you know how to keep her contained when need to be. [Silco is absolutely right in his estimation of his ignorance when it comes to familial bonds. Because he utterly fails to see the bond between Silco and Jinx as anything but toxic and manipulative one. Something alike to what he and Shido had shared.]

Protecting her honor now? How touching. Out of curiosity, what if I do not follow your order.

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The Last Drop Grand Opening

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