-Sold: Chapter 2-
Tomi lay across the exam table when Kyoko was escorted inside by Mick. "All yours Tomi," he muttered under his breath. Tomi simply waved him off. Mick didn't move right away, he almost never did, taking note of how Kyoko reacted. Looking like she was finally able to breathe again whenever Tomi was in her sight. "Mogami-san seems to really like you". Tomi said nothing and Mick leaned over as Kyoko. Lowering her head and turning it slightly as though expecting him to use her. Mick frowned, "Agreeable but there is almost no will to live in those eyes. I heard you no longer even show any sign of pleasure from it." He shook his head, "Looks like Tomi was right. Only pleasure you seem to get is from cooking and cleaning."
Kyoko kept her eyes on her feet until Mick grabbed her chin, jerking her up. Mick didn't notice the way the room seemed to grow heavy for a moment. Kyoko finally lifted her eyes upwards to him. "Is there something wrong with that?" her voice was quiet but he heard her just fine.
"Not really, just Boss bought ya with the hope you'd at least make him back half of what was spent on you." He shook his head and walked out the door. The moment he was gone, Kyoko fell to her knees, her hands buried in her face as she allowed her emotions to flood out of her sealed heart.
Tomi said nothing, didn't even move until he felt her standing near him again. "Tomi-sensei, how are you today?"
Tomi turned his head to look at her shrugging his shoulders and went back to staring at the ceiling. Kyoko nodded her head and began to file his documents and folders, "You don't have to do that."
"I know Tomi-sensei but you been allowing me to read your medical journals and helping me to learn the human body…"
"You'll be sold tomorrow," he said simply.
"Oh…" she lowered her head. "I shall miss seeing you… these last two months…" she felt the tears falling and Tomi found himself moving and pulled her into a hug. He felt her arms wrap around him. For some reason, this one girl was breaking his heart more and more. Slowly she pulled away drying her eyes and smiled sadly up at him. "I really must thank you Tomi-sensei," she said taking a step back and bowing once more to him. "I don't believe I would have survived had I been in the care of anyone else. You allowed me to read and study within these walls. You allowed me to let out all the pain. The only thing I really just don't understand is why you are here? I understand you have something you must do. Yet you are clearly a good person; you shouldn't be in a place like this."
Tomi sat down in his chair pulling out a cigarette and lit up, "Not many people would hire someone like me and while I don't enjoy this line of work, I've always been in this line of work. I grew up in this environment… well not in Japan, but elsewhere." He paused for a moment as if he was going to say something else before changing his mind. "But that changes nothing." he pulled out his keys and unlocked his desk drawer. "They won't bother you tonight; they'll want you well rested. So it's safe to return this to you," he said pulling out a small pouch. Setting it in Kyoko's hand he closed and locked his drawer again.
"It's Corn…" she said holding it to her chest. "I thought you said…"
Tomi held his hand up "Hide it. If they find it on you, it won't do you any good. Hide it somewhere they won't look, where they won't touch you tonight." She nodded her head and he reached over and grabbing his phone, "Mick she's going to make my dinner now." He hung up and looked back up at the ceiling.
Once Mick had come and gotten Kyoko, Tomi stood up pulling out his cell phone and leaned back against his desk before putting it down and making his way to the skull that stood on his bookshelf. He unscrewed it and pulled out a second cell phone before turning it on.
"Kuon." he pinched the bridge of his nose before speaking Russian, "I'm taking what is owed. There's someone I want you to buy tomorrow."
A man with light brown hair and blue eyes, tattoos up and down his arms moved past the waiting lines of men with a few women by their side right up to the two guards. When he spoke it wasn't in Japanese or even English but German. "Todd Damon" he pulled out his ID card but when the man on the left went to take the pictures his hand grabbed the phone, "Keine Bilder" another man stepped forward with a smile, his hair almost black and his eyes just as dark but the man looked more like a butler than anything else.
The man bowed his head "Please forgive Damon-sama. He doesn't like his picture taken. More so… when it comes to such places. He is willing to, however, pay the charge fee for himself. I am his translator, I'm afraid Damon-sama doesn't speak Japanese. We were informed that this would not be a problem when I spoke to your Boss earlier today." The two guards look at each other. The man smiled darkly "Will I need to contact your Boss?"
Mick moved off to the side pulling out his cellphone. He spoke quickly and quietly then gave his partner a nod.
"Very well. It will be added to your bill. You will not be able to leave until it's settled." The butler translated and Damon moved inside with him.
Sitting as far as away as possible from the crowd, the butler standing and Damon sitting didn't stand out as much as they would have thought here. Damon's butler leaned forward "What an interesting name choice, Master. It wasn't every day that a Death Demon would walk through any mortal's door." He jested.
"Not every day your kind gets to walk through that door either Albert." The man gave a soft smile as he stood up straight once more.
"No, I guess not Master Damon. Shall I go order you a drink?" Damon waved his hand and Albert left his side.
It didn't take long for a pretty blonde to come over. She swayed her hips from side to side. "Do you want some company?" she spoke more with her body exactly what sort of company she would keep but Todd Damon wasn't here for this one. He waved her away but she didn't seem to take the hint. Moving closer to him, she ran a hand down his cheek and then both hands were on his legs moving upwards towards his manhood, "Aww don't be like that baby, I can make you feel really good." Damon had no doubt about that but he grabbed her wrists stopping her movement. "You like to play rough?" she said leaning into him before flicking her tongue tracing the edges of his ear.
Mentally he sighed in annoyance as he looked at the woman. Pushing her off and away from him. He didn't push her hard enough to hurt her but enough that she still landed flat on her butt staring up at him. Albert placed the glass of Vodka on the table, not a single drop was spilled. He then bent down taken her elbow helping her to her feet.
"What's your problem?" she turned towards Damon.
"Get," he grunted in German.
Albert bowed slightly, "I'm afraid Damon-sama neither wants nor needs your services, Miss."
"Oh, one of those who just wants a Rare Flower huh?"
Albert turned and translated it but Todd Damon said nothing. Albert turned and smiled at her, "Yes that seems to be all that Damon-sama is after tonight. My master is very hopeful in finding that perfect addition for his Garden."
"Well tell him, that he shouldn't waste his money." She flipped her hair and turned away to find her next target. Albert didn't bother to translate, instead, he turned back frowning at his master.
"Master Damon, did you really need to push the girl?" Albert asked in German.
"She didn't take the hint. Besides I didn't hurt nothing but her pride."
"As you say, Master Damon, please forgive me for not being here to assure such a thing didn't happen."
"How much longer?"
Albert reached inside of his jacket and pulled out a pocket watch. Checking the time he smiled "It will start any moment now sir." Just as the words left his lips the stage lit up and the curtains were drawn. Several display boxes were on stage holding people inside. They were reminded of dolls trapped under glass, something not meant to be touched or dirtied expect for the one who owned them. Albert held out the screen to Damon, "It seems these are used to display the information about each Rare Flower… and you can also bid for them here. They do have a buy it now price. Should more than one person offer to buy them at that price, then a private bidding war will be put into effect. The buy it now price is only open for ten minutes before it is removed completely."
Damon moved through the profiles, before stopping. She was listed as Blue Rose. He looked through the pictures, brown eyes, black hair. Nothing overly special about her. He paused before taken the note of the name of her 'caretaker' Tomi Shiro. He clicked buy now.
It seemed no one else bothered to click buy her now. However, two of the six girls on display were going into another bidding war. Moments later the two men watched as Blue Rose was taken completely off the virtual market, listed as bought.
Damon leaned back in his seat and took out a cigarette. Now they had to wait for someone to come over so the transaction could be handled. It didn't take long he saw Mick before Albert did. Mick stood with his arms crossed in an attempt to dominate the two men before him.
"The Blue Rose will remain on display while the transaction takes place." Mick turned around, "follow me"
Albert nodded then turned and spoke to Damon, who with a deep sigh put out his cigarette, grabbed his drink and drowned it before slamming the glass on the table. Mick turned back to look when he noticed Albert talking to Damon. They hadn't begun to follow him. Mick was surprised when Damon stood up as if he had not just downed 8oz of straight Vodka. Mick's felt a wave of fear enter him as his eyes turned towards him silent letting Mick know that he was nothing more than a cockroach to be smashed under his foot. Mick fought the fear as the two began to follow after him.
Damon sat down across from Boss watching his every move. Damon himself however just looked bored. Mick stood by the closed door. Albert stood now to the left of his master but said nothing.
'I can't get a read on this guy' was the single thought Boss had when Todd Damon sat down, gave him a single glance, grunted and began to stare at the ceiling. 'Bored maybe? Dangerous without a doubt' his eyes trailed over towards Albert. The man seemed calm as if he was used to his master's actions.
"Please forgive Damon-sama, I'm afraid his trip to Japan has not been what he had hoped. My master has a few questions he would like answered before the finishing the sale of the Blue Rose. I'm afraid he bought her fully based on looks. I did not have time to translate the information."
"He bought her for her looks?" Boss couldn't hide the shock from his voice, though his face was well schooled.
"Yes, so it would seem. He would like to speak to the person who assured her care, perhaps a doctor or something?"
"Ah yes…." it wasn't the first time such things happened of course. "He does understand that even should he not buy her he will have to pay a holding fee. We did take her off the auction block"
"Of course," Albert said bowing slightly.
Boss sighed before picking up his phone, "Yeah Tomi, seems we had a buyer for your Blue Rose. They want to check some things with you." he paused then hung up. "Give him a moment."
Albert turned towards Damon repeating what was said in German. The man nodded and Albert smiled back at him "Perhaps we can also get the file for her?"
Boss shook his head, "afraid that's not possible at least not with extra fees." Albert turned interpreted and Damon finally spoke.
Damon, "Fine."
"That is perfectly fine, after all, it will give me plenty of time to translate the information for my master." Albert held out his hand.
"It's not cheap, you're looking at about a fourth of what you spent on her." Boss' smile widen.
Albert smiled back. "That will be no problem when the master wants something, he gets it by any means possible." Boss found himself looking towards Damon and he could have sworn that the room itself went hot all at once his eyes moved towards Mick who seemed to want to move but was holding his ground on pure principle.
Boss, "Yeah… yeah okay. As long as he understands." he got up opened a drawer and took out a folder handing it to Albert.
Albert moved back beside Damon and flipped it open, sifting through some things within. Most of the papers were in Russian, minus the top page which was in both English and Japanese. What bothered Albert the most was that while it gave details on the girl's life it gave away nothing at the same time. Still a single name repeated itself in the file. "Seems one Fuwa Shoutaro sold her." Albert looked towards Boss, "Who is that if you don't mind me asking?"
Boss leaned back the moment the door opened. He noticed Mick jump but the head that peaked through the door was none other than Tomi. Not that Tomi wasn't scary in his own way. Tomi was the one who replied, "Oh he's just some rich kid who got tired of his toy and thought to sell it for some better toys!" Albert turned and translated what the man said to Damon before looking back at the white-haired with red-eyes who had joined them.
Tomi smiled warmly but there was no joy in his eyes, "I'm Tomi!" he said cheerfully and moved towards Damon. Boss felt himself sweat as the white-haired man looked at the tall brooding man in his office. "So very interesting…" murmured Tomi.
'Don't do anything stupid, Tomi!' Boss found himself mentally screaming. Mick and Boss both found themselves flinching as Tomi ran his hand down Damon's face, across his shoulders, and down his chest. He likely would have gone further if not for the fact that Albert, at the moment paler than Tomi himself, grabbed his roaming hands. Still, Tomi muttered "Definitely not English, I'd say German may be a bit of Russian. I could be surer if I could just finish examining him." Only Damon and Tomi knew exactly who was sitting there.
Albert had dropped the folder onto the armrest before he grabbed Tomi's hands. The laughter roar out of Damon's mouth. Albert stared at his master as if he had gone mad for a moment. The blood draining from everyone's face, as they watched the man laughing. Tomi grin became almost insane as he watched him, the only one who didn't seem to notice the wave of madness that was echoing around the room. Albert was the first to recover as he cleared his throat, "Forgive me, Master Damon, I was not expecting someone to foolishly touch…" Damon held up his hand, Albert to bow his head.
"Aww don't worry, neither one of them speak German and they don't record nothing in here," he said with a shrug of his shoulders before looking back towards Boss "He's very interesting, can we keep him?"
Albert opened his mouth and then shut it when Boss shook his head trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "No we can't keep Damon-sama," Boss had to keep himself from running his hand across his forehead. 'Besides what the hell would I do with him?' He mentally screamed at Tomi.
Tomi lowered his head, "First I can't have that Shoutaro and then my Blue Rose is being taken away from me and now I can't have…"
"Damon, Todd" Boss found himself saying. He knew better than to stop Tomi in one of his rants. It could get rather bloody for anyone who attempted to try to stop him when he went into a fit of rage. Boss knew that Tomi was unstable, a genius from what he could tell but truly unstable. Allowing him to rant and pout like a small child tended to mean at most objects were thrown and no one was hurt. Unless they got in the way of something that was being thrown.
"Right. Damon, Todd." His eyes turning towards the Boss causing the man to lean back in his chair to get away from him. "You deny me two who I wanted and then allow the person who feeds me and cleans up after me to be sold?" He sighed heavily pulling his hands from Albert's grasp and flung himself onto the couch next to Damon, his eyes trailing up and down Damon's body. "Won't you at least let me examine you?"
Damon grinned, "Tell me about the Blue Rose."
Boss looked between the two of them anger beginning to burn in him as they spoke between themselves. It was as if no one else mattered in the room, and the only other person who knew what they were saying was standing off to the side as though he was deaf. 'I really need to learn another language. Or get my own private translator.' His eyes trailing towards Tomi knowing that the man wouldn't do it without getting something he wanted. The only reason he was even speaking right now was that Damon sparked his interested. Boss knew that Tomi was an amazing translator actually, he knew more languages than Boss even knew existed in the first place. It didn't take long for the two to finish talking and whatever was said Albert made no signs it was odd. "Well?" Boss asked.
Tomi looked at him "Oh he wanted to know about her skills, if she was clean, virgin, if we were sure that no one would be looking for her. That one you will have to handle, I can give a bit about her personality but that's about it." He said with a shrug of his shoulders as he leaned back.
"What did you tell him?" There was a warning tone in his voice but he knew better than anyone it was pointless.
"Don't worry, he's interested in her, likes a challenge apparently. You sure we can't keep him? I'd be interested in a man who upon breaking a Rare Flower would bring it back to life only to break it again, wouldn't you?" Tomi's eyes turned towards Boss but there was something Boss couldn't understand written in those eyes so he paid it no mind.
Boss looked at Albert, and the man nodded "It is as he says. Her personality is not an issue and there was little more than basic medical information and skills that Damon-sama wished to know." he paused for a moment "All the information appears to be in order. The boy is no bother to us, but it would be rather troubling if this is traced back to my Master" he paused as if debating whether to say more. Tomi, however, didn't bother to hold back.
"Or if he gets bored and kills her." This wasn't something new when it came to Dead Flowers, but they made sure that their flowers were marked. A dirty little secret that everyone tried to keep hidden because nine out of ten times it could lead back to themselves. Tomi pulled out his pack of cigarettes and leaned back against the edge of the couch, looking up at the ceiling as he lit up. "Seems that Todd Damon doesn't like to share his toys. Once they are no longer any good, buh bye." He said waving a hand through the puff of smoke. "However, he won't be the one to take the fall either if someone should turn up trying to find her…. Or worse take her back." Tomi looked at Boss carefully, making it clear that the man next to him would assure their deaths should anyone attempt to take his toy. Leaning forward, "as interesting as that sounds, I don't have a death wish Boss. Do you?" he asked blowing a cloud of smoke towards him.
Boss and Mick looked at each other, silently agreeing that it would be better to double check the kid's work. They were always very careful but perhaps a second and maybe a third look through would be for best. In the meantime, Boss smiled refusing to fully look at Damon as he spoke, "All trace of her disappeared when she turned 7 years old. True, her legal name at that time was used but we assure you there is no longer any real paper trail. Besides she's not uncommon looking."
Tomi leaned back in his seat, "She does have an above average height, but nothing that would stand out" he muttered. Boss shot him a look but Tomi didn't seem to notice or perhaps didn't seem to care.
Boss smiled hoping to put them at ease. "Regardless, anyone who may say they know her will not be able to prove that they do. The woman before she became the Blue Rose disappeared off the face of this planet record-wise at age 7. That girl died when she trusted that boy."
Albert translated everything for Damon, who lifted up the file and tapped it twice against his leg. "Bring her, now." Albert nodded once and pulled out his cellphone handing it to Damon, only then did the man turn to face Boss.
"I will need the bank account number for the transaction, at which point you are to bring in the Blue Rose." he turned to Tomi for a moment "I will trust you to assure any translations needed are done properly. I will return shortly; I must gather something from the car." He smiled, bowing his head towards Damon before looking back at Boss "If you will excuse me for a moment."
It didn't take long before Albert returned. The one called Blue Rose or as she had once been known as Mogami Kyoko, was brought into the room. Tomi stood at once a smile crossing his features that caused Boss and Mick to shudder inwardly. They have never really seen the man smile unless it was about something he found interesting but neither of them could deny that Tomi seemed to have grown slightly attached to the girl. "Kyoko-chan," he said happily as he moved towards her. Leaning in as though to give the girl a kiss he whispered in Russian, "You're safe now" before slipping the small bag that held Corn into her hands, having taken it from her while she was being properly washed and dressed.
Damon had not missed this action at all. He stood and grabbed Tomi before shoving him harshly over the arm of the couch they had both sat on. Tomi chuckled "Oh he really doesn't like to share does he?"
Kyoko watched the man before her. He was tall and if he hadn't looked like he was about to murder everyone in the room she would even have said he was attractive. The blue eyes she found didn't suit him all that well but it was because he reminded her too much of Shoutaro with his natural hair and eye color.
The room again seemed to grow colder and darker. Tomi grinned happily, "Oh this is interesting" which caused a shiver in the other three men in the room. None of them seemed to know where this evil aura was coming from but they figured it had to be Todd Damon. The truth was that the female standing in front of Damon, trying to keep control over her rage and hate by the way Tomi had been treated.
Tomi, "You can't escape destiny" the words spoken were in Russian but Kyoko's eyes snapped towards Tomi who lay staring up at the ceiling. Damon's eyes never moved from the girl before him so he noticed the sudden change in her personality, the calmness that seemed to wash over her. Then she looked back towards Damon and bowed her head.
"Forgive me for being so rude" her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. When she looked back up at him a small smile was placed across her features and one could almost be fooled into thinking that all was fine in her world. Tomi knew better. That girl was an actress even if she didn't know it; she had been raised to pretend nothing was ever wrong. To never cry or show fear. Tomi also knew that when she was alone or in his presence she would allow her true emotions to show. She was a strange girl regardless but wasn't that part of the reason he didn't want her here in this environment, he knew she would survive it but she would truly die at the same time.
Damon didn't say anything he just began to tear her clothes off, her eyes widen but she made no move to stop him. He had taken the small pouch that Tomi had given her away. She wanted to fight but she knew better; it didn't mean she had to be happy about it. She had been trained to accept such things. A shiver ran down her spine and the room seemed to once again grow darker where she stood almost as if the gloom was wrapping around her like a cloak until only Damon and Tomi seemed to be looking at her. The rest turned their eyes away, two from simple fear of what would happen if they allowed themselves to look at her.
"Albert" Damon didn't take his eyes off of her; he simply held out his hand and the man obeyed. With a single motion, he slipped the sweater dress on. It was honestly far too big for her and made her look more like a child playing dress up in their mother's clothes. He seemed to notice too as he began to undo his belt before wrapping it around her waist tightening the dress. It helped but not by much. "It'll do," he said turning towards Albert. "Let's go."
Kyoko paused for a moment before smiling softly towards Tomi, "Tomi-sensei" she took a deep breath and spoke in perfect Russian, "Take yourself in your hands…" She looked down at her hands for a moment before looking back at him wanting to say more but she knew better. She had likely said too much already. Looking towards Mick and then towards Boss, two of the men who tormented her… used her, she found herself taking a step back suddenly finding it hard to breath when Damon's hand fell upon her shoulder. She tried to stop the shaking, tried to rebuild the walls that had kept them from entering. Taking three deep breaths she moved towards the door and to her new path.
Tomi stared at her there was no smile on his face but his eyes glowed red, "In a quiet lagoon, devils dwell" he replied back in Russian before slowly running his hands down his face as mad laughter seemed to take a hold of him. The door closed and Kyoko walked out of the life that would have been waiting for her.
Boss waited for the laughter to die before he slammed his hands on his desk. "What the hell was that?"
Tomi slowly sat up, "Just some Russian sayings…"
"Meaning?" asked Boss.
"Let's say she's accepted her fate." He stood up and walked towards the door, "Boss I think I'd like to retire from this place."
Boss stared at Tomi. He couldn't believe it but it was Mick who spoke, "Why the fuck would you want to do that? You make pretty damn good money for someone like you?"
Tomi looked at him but didn't seem to really be seeing him, "I don't have a death wish. In case you couldn't tell, that man is dangerous. I don't want to be here if ever comes back." With that, he stepped out of the room.
Mick and Boss stared at each other, Mick slowly slid down the door, "It's not good is it?"
Boss, "No…" He licked his lips, trying to push down the new fear that was building up inside of him. "If Tomi is scared… then he must have read something off of that man to be fearful of…"
"What we going to do Boss?" Mick wasn't an easy man to scare but fear was now firmly written all over his face at the moment.
"We're going to make sure that girl's past died when she was seven years old," answered Boss.
A/N - Russian Proverbs -
"[you] can't escape destiny" basically means that was meant to happen will happen, it was already predetermined by fate.
"Take yourself in your own hands" basically said to people who are wasting away. It's a way to get them to be motivated. It's a saying that is said in hopes that they will take control over their lives and really live it.
"In a quiet lagoon, devils dwell"the same idea as "still waters run deep"
Keine Bilder, German for No Pictures