As I come to I hear an all too familiar sound that I've grown to despise, the alarm clock on the drawer next to my bed is going off. Its metallic ringing fills the room as it proclaims that it's time to get out of bed, that another day in my life is beginning.
I roll onto my side and blindly swat at the clock, wanting nothing more than for it to just shut up. My wish is granted but the alarm goes flying and lands somewhere on my bedroom's floor. It's not the first time that's happened and it won't be the last. I'm not concerned, the damnable thing can take the abuse. It's why I bought it after I learned my lesson with its predecessor. It's been a month and I'm still finding stray pieces of alarm clock. It's like they're breeding just so they can be underfoot when I'm walking around.
Malevolent clocks aside, it was time to start getting ready. That's easy enough if my shower is quick. If I take too long then someone's bound to flush a toilet and I'll get frozen or scalded depending on how the water heater feels that particular morning. Today I'm lucky. Yesterday I wasn't.
There's barely anything in my fridge when I open its door. I won't get a paycheck until I clock out today and my bank account is even emptier than my fridge. There's still a loaf of bread but that's it. Dry toast is better than going hungry but my stomach's still gonna gripe. Just gotta tighten my belt and get through it.
The last thing to do before leaving is to get dressed. I slide my closet doors open and take a look at the familiar sight. In the South people wear fur and hides to protect them from the freezing cold and blizzards that howled as they tried to bury you alive. But if you want people in Republic City to not see you as an outsider then you have to dress like one of them. Half a dozen identical white shirts with collars, plain ties and several three piece suits in three different colors. Gray, black and black with pinstripes. I grab one of the dress shirts and button it up before throwing on a black suit and tie. I took a moment to peek between the blinds of my apartment's only window.
Cheerless clouds float over the city and their misty drizzle is darkening the streets and sidewalks below. I turn away from the window and make my way over to the coat rack by my door. I grab a beige trenchcoat and slide my arms through its sleeves. Then I grab my fedora and stick it on my head before putting on my shoes and heading out to the elevator.
Despite the weather, I'm far from the only person on the streets. Like me, they've all gotten accustomed to the year round bursts of rain that happen in this city. The real problem is that other people's umbrella's are always threatening to knock off my hat or poke me in the eye with one of their tips. My walk to the local train station goes without incident. I pull out my train pass and flash it at the transit agent too quickly for him to make out that it's expired. He eyes me suspiciously for half a second and my heart beats a little faster but my stride doesn't miss a beat and he turns his attention to the people behind me. Good thing I'm wearing a suit.
As the train rumbles along the track, my attention is focused through the window towards a view I've seen a hundred times before. Dingy buildings only three or four stories make up most of the city but then at its center are the skyscrapers soaring above everything else. That's where the rich and powerful people are, the ones who pull the strings of the officials in charge of the city. It's also not where this train is taking me. My stop is far away from that part of Republic City.
When I get off the train there's other people heading the same direction as me but most of them are men. I don't pay them much mind and instead my gaze wanders between all the women ahead of me. A few of them are wearing dresses and the rest are wearing skirts. Most of those are pleated but there's a few hip hugging pencil skirts mixed in here and there. As they peel off from the crowd I wonder what their jobs are. Nurses tending to the sick, waitresses running dishes or maybe they plant themselves in front of a typewriter all day or something equally as mundane.
After a few blocks all the other women are gone and so are almost all of the men. People don't come to this part of town very often. At least not during daylight hours. The women who work here make their living dancing up on a stage or by lying down on their backs. Some do both. The men who frequent this area are johns or the ones who take the johns money and keep them in line. Mostly.
The company I work for is located on the very edge of the red-light district. It'd be nice if the office were somewhere more respectable but this area has its advantages. Leases are cheap here and the property owners don't ask questions because they don't want to know the answers.
There's already someone in the office when I arrive but that's to be expected. The office's secretary is always the first person to get here. Erine's a scrawny dame that somehow manages to look like she spent yesterday tanning on the beach no matter how gloomy the weather has been. Her hair would be touching her shoulders except she keeps it curled up so much that it's all resting against her neck. She's holding a phone in one hand while writing something down with the other but she still gives me a glance. "She just walked in. I'll give her your message and she'll be on her way."
"What message?" I ask, suddenly feeling something squirming around in my gut. "That wasn't the cops was it?"
Erine smirks a little as she holds out a piece of paper towards me after hanging up. "After that incident at the Black Falcon I'm sure Beifong would like to question you herself. There's the address. Didn't say who they were but she asked for you by name and said they'd pay you five hundred yuans just for showing up. Don't know how you're so lucky but try sending some of it my way why don't you? Here's the keys to one of the cars."
I just laugh and take the address before heading towards the garage. I don't own a car, can't afford to pay for a parking spot in this city. I know how to drive though and the business owns two vehicles that we can use to get around when needed. I hop in the car and pull out a map of Republic City from the glovebox while looking at the address I've been given. It takes me a couple of minutes but I find the location. Technically it's a part of Republic City but this place is even further out than the suburbs on the outskirts of the city. Only one kind of person lives out this far. Whoever this client is, they have money. Enough money to throw five hundred yuans at me just for showing up to talk. That'll pay my rent for a year and I won't have to tighten my belt any more.
It takes me twenty minutes just to get out of the city and even at high speeds it's another twenty until I arrive at the address I've been given. The road leads out of the forest and up to a large metal gate. A high fence runs outwards from the gate on both sides and jagged spikes with wicked looking barbs protrude from the fence's top. I have a sneaking suspicion this fence surrounds the entire house, a not so subtle way of saying keep out.
I pull up to the fence and glance around. There's no door, or gate in this case, man to be seen but there is what looks like a call box off to my left. I roll the window down and hit the switch. At once a man's voice comes through, only slightly distorted by the device. "Yes?"
"It's Korra, the private investigator." I say. "I was told you'd be expecting me?" There's no response but the gate slides open just enough for my car to pass through it. I shake my head a little and begin to roll my window up while driving forward. Friendly bunch here.
Once I've made it to the end of the driveway I get out of the car. In front of me stands a large archway made of flawless, lustrous white stone. Probably marble but rocks aren't my area of expertise. Past that, on a second level, is a large tower made of the same stone. Beyond that, on yet another level, is the actual house itself. House isn't the right word though. Neither is mansion. The only word that comes to mind is that it's a palace. The kind of place you'd expect the Fire Lord or the Earth Queen living 's at least three stories tall but that's only a guess. What's more is that this place is as large than the dump I live in and it could very well be bigger. Only part of it is visible from down here. The most striking feature is that the curved roof looks like it's made of bronze but I think that's just paint. At least I hope it is.
A man is walking down the stairs towards me. Not a single hair on his head is out of place and his embroidered jacket and pants look impeccably neat, as if they were ironed just now. He bows forward from the waist towards me. "Detective Korra, it's an honor to make your acquaintance. The master is waiting. If you'll follow me."
Detective Korra. I like the sound of that even if it isn't exactly accurate. I follow the man as he begins heading back up the stairs. Time to go see who this 'master' is and why I'm here.