Author's Note: I do not own any of the original characters presented here. Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated
1
Being a cesspool of upper-class crime, Ash had always avoided 'La Recluse'- a faux French bar, owned by a twenty something year old Englishman, buried in the deepest depths of middle-class Manhattan serving nothing but alcohol and biscuits. But now, on the tail end of a 6-week painkiller course, he had somehow managed to muster the strength to drag himself to the den of Raymond Atwood: distinguished twenty something year-old.
In his tow was Eiji Okumura who despite Ash's incessant protest had insisted on returning to America on hearing the news of his stabbing – in fact, he got the very next flight back. Now, Ash would not have minded Eiji returning – he was a refreshing, and even loving voice when most of his company was nurses possessing all the conversational skills of a dressed cabbage – but in these circumstances, rather than calming Ash down, he felt Eiji could very easily prove to be an extra life to worry about.
Left, then right down Broadway and right again to Mercer Street.
Here it was: unmarked and unassuming, a blue painted door and a short flight of stairs down below the street was all that stood between the pair and what some might call 'class'. Ash talk a deep breath and remembered the last time he came here with Blanca. He shuddered at the thought.
The sweet melody of the best jazz band in New York was the only respite Ash could see in the low ceilinged, early 19th century bar. Stout wooden pillars along each wall painted to look like marble rose up and melted into the ceiling in elaborate capitals. Incandescent lamps washed the whole room with a warm, oaky glow and the thick wooden rafters supporting the roof exuded their age through their many fault lines. Ash stooped through the narrow-arched doorway into the sprawling room – perhaps it wasn't so bad after all?
And then he realized that all the ambient chatter of the many patrons had a quality only possessed by conversations of exploitative capitalism and drug deals. He sighed in disappointment.
Eiji, on the other hand, was somewhat impressed by the elaborate yet minimal architecture of the place and judging by the look on Eiji's face, Ash knew it would be difficult getting him to leave. It reminded him a fair bit of the first time they had met, in that somewhat dingier establishment – where Eiji had shown no inhibitions asking the most feared gangster in New York if he could hold his gun. Ash laughed a little. "What?" Eiji had been distracted but now turned to Ash.
"I was just remembering the first time we met…this place reminds me a bit".
"I guess" Eiji also let out a chuckle "hopefully we won't be needing that gun of yours here, though".
Ash nodded in somber agreement – he knew they probably would. Nevertheless, Ash motioned towards a table at the bar and they sat down next to each other on the antique leather bar stools. It had been a while since they'd been able to sit down and talk together, what with all the violence and murder of the preceding months but now Ash finally felt at least somewhat comfortable. It was, he begrudgingly admitted, a pleasant and warm setting for a relaxed conversation.
A haughty British accent broke their silence.
"What will you two be having tonight".
Ash had recognized the voice and spun round to face the bartender, Raymond Atwood, cloth on shoulder and arms outstretched in the most cliché way possible. That's him, alright he thought to himself.
"I'll have…a Rum Coke, and Eiji?" he had said it out of habit, but it just dawned on him that Eiji may have never before touched alcohol intentionally.
"Err…I'll have water?" he was evidently unnerved.
"Sparkling, still, tap…mineral? Water is a more nuanced subject than you might think!" Ray replied endearingly.
Jesus Christ Ash thought. He hasn't changed a bit.
Eiji chuckled inwardly, "still, thank you".
Ash deflated in a sigh of relief – for some reason he felt that that could have gone very wrong.
"Oh, I'll be needing your ID, of course" Ray said oozing sarcasm as he winked at Ash, a smirk plastered across his face.
Ash pretended to smile and turned back to Eiji with his drink, "So…I'm sorry to drag you down here with no explanation but, in short, I don't think your return has been welcomed by Yut Lung" he was careful not to say too much in a place like this and leaned in closer to Eiji, "We need to be on guard for the next couple of days, at least".
Smash.
Ash and Eiji spun round to the sounds of breaking glass and saw one man brandishing half a wine bottle at a Chinese looking man whom Ash presumed was a gangster. Gang violence? Here of all places? Just shows how volatile things are get- Ash's train of thought was abruptly cut off by the distinct crack of pistol from behind him.
All of a sudden, he felt his collar yanked down and just caught a glimpse of Eiji pulling him below the bar; Had he really been that slow? It was happening already – the violence! but this soon? It didn't seem right.
A second shot.
Thump.
Whoever the shooter was wasn't a great aim: they'd hit the rafter. Nonetheless he saw the two gangsters scuttle out the door, terrified by the two missed shots? Then Ash noticed the outstretched arm above him holding a pistol – it was Ray, stilling aiming at the thick oak rafter above one of the tables.
Ash rose from in front the bar, a brief smile running across his face: "I guess you haven't lost your knack, eh?" he remembered Ray doing the same thing only three years before to diffuse a fight.
"I'm sorry" Ray veiled his confusion with a shallow laugh, "Do I know you?"
Among awkward conversations, this one had to top Ash's list. He had come here expecting the cynical, sarcastic and generally withdrawn Raymond Atwood he had known 3 years before. Instead, he was greeted by a cheery and talkative Raymond Atwood who, while still hard wired for sarcasm, was surprisingly enjoyable to talk to. And if anyone knew how to make conversation, it was Eiji. To Ash it felt like hours sitting there offering brief interjections every 5 minutes.
They had got onto the subject of Ash's recent unfortunate demise, which he hated talking about with a passion.
"So, let me get this straight, you, Ash Lynx, while bleeding from 7 different arteries, decided the best course of action would be to go to a library...?" Ray laughed in-between syllables, "I would expect nothing less from you!"
"I must be a compelling writer, in any case!" Eiji and Ray burst into hysterical half drunken laughter.
"There's more to it than just the words, you know" Ash tried to slouch in a stool and failing that, glared at Eiji who suddenly stopped laughing; a sullen expression washed over his face, "Sorry…I know you don't like to talk about it".
Ash switched his deadly stare to his drink, "No…don't worry…it's just that…" Ash trailed off into the tepid liquid and felt Eiji's hand on his knee. He let out a sigh, relieved Eiji could be so considerate.
"So!" Eiji livened up as quickly as he had deflated "You've heard enough about us! How do you two know each other?"
"Well, I suppose it's through a mutual connection: I presume you know Blanca?" Ray didn't want an answer, "Blanca brought him here to meet a contact and things ended up…more violently than was expected and we ended up shooting at each other – in fact, it was probably the first time Ash killed someone!"
The look on Ash and Eiji's face went from curiosity to violent indignation faster than a British person to a tea plantation.
Ash looked from face to face. Ray had picked up on the mistake almost instantly and stood there umm-ing and err-ing apologetically while Eiji sat combing the deepest caverns of his brain for a conversation changer.
Eventually he found one.
"Ash, you never explained to me why we came here?"
Ash took a long gulp of watery Rum and Coke. "We need something from our friend here because as far as I can see, the Chinese won't be letting us leave anytime soon" Ash wasn't really sure what was going on himself, but he tried to sound like he had command of the situation: "But in short, we need your help eliminating Yut Lung and his minions, or at least subduing him"
"And might I ask why on Earth that is necessary?" Ray never had been a fan of unnecessary violence.
"He despises the two of us with all emotion imaginable", Eiji put it rather bluntly.
"I see…and why do you ask me specifically?"
"You're only last person besides my own gang who I can trust not to happily stab me in the abdomen for a few thousand dollars" Ash seemed to have also abandoned all subtlety.
"Yes, I never was a fan of knives, anyway".
After deliberating long into the night Ash was exhausted: he had woken up at the crack of dawn, wanting to be out of that damned hospital bed as soon as possible, but this only left him tired for the rest of the day. Despite this, Ray and Eiji somehow managed to keep talking and he was vaguely aware of them formulating some kind of plan to subdue the Chinese long enough, so they could escape. So, this is how his innocence leaves him?
"I should get some sleep" Ash murmured.
"I agree – you two can use one of the empty rooms upstairs", Ray paused, "The beds aren't made but it'll do for one night".
"Thanks a lot, we really appreciate it, don't we, Ash?" Eiji joked.
"Of course we do" Ash said, ready to collapse.
As they went upstairs, Ash did, in fact, collapse and Eiji had to half drag, half hoist him to the room where he fished out the key Ray had given him and went in.
It was a humble affair with a short corridor leading onto 2 beds, a bathroom to the right and a barred window overlooking the street which let in a thin trickle of moonlight.
Eiji dumped Ash on one of the beds and went to find some blankets from the cupboard opposite. As he did this he heard Ash stir behind him; he was trying to get up but was simply too tired.
"It must be those painkillers, making me drowsy", Ash's voice was almost a whisper by this point.
"I think you're a bit more than drowsy!" Eiji smiled at Ash, "Anyway, I thought you didn't need them anymore?"
"It's just for another week, after that the doctor said the pain…" he fell asleep mid-sentence, at last overcome by the busy day.
Eiji planted a soft kiss on his forehead and pulled up the blanket to his chin: "Goodnight", he whispered.
As Eiji lay down, he looked out the small window and at the silvery disc beyond it…if only all their nights together would be this uneventful…