Well, it's about as good as it's gonna get… (WOO HOO! 100 Reviews! Thank you all so much for reading my nerdy obsession!)
17 Months
Chapter 14: If Ya Want Somethin' Done Right
Another walk about, after dark
It's my point of view
Someone could break your neck
Coming up behind you always coming and you'd never have a clue
And now I'm left behind, all the time
I will wait forever, always looking straight
Thinking, counting, all the hours you wait
See you on a dark night ...
Grimes, Oblivion
I'm giving you a night call to tell you how I feel
I want to drive you through the night, down the hills
I'm gonna tell you something you don't want to hear
I'm gonna show you where it's dark, but have no fear
Kavinsky, Nightcall
Week 24
Orochi Tsuji had spent exactly 2 days 14 hours 24 minutes and 31 seconds in the Karakura Municipal Jail pending charges of assault with a deadly weapon. That's how long it took his father, Nori Tsuji, to sift through the allegations pertaining to his son's arrest and threaten the prosecutor with how much easier it would be for him to sue the city of Karakura for hundreds of thousands of dollars for police brutality than for them to put away his son since the officers failed to write down details and get witness accounts pertaining to the injuries his son suffered. Since the known yakuza affiliated attorney had a much better track record than the city's new prosecutor, they decided to be more frugal with their allegations and filed a concealed weapons charge instead which got the 27 year old a waved sentence for first time offense and a ¥300,000 yen fine which was paid upon release by his none-too-pleased father.
After his release and a few hours rest, Orochi Tsuji had spent exactly 1 hour 12 minutes and 10 seconds retracing his steps and tracking down the school belonging to the uniform the brat was wearing whilst he thwarted his pastime activities. It took him another 4 hours 32 minutes and 15 seconds of pacing around across the street, chain smoking and stopping in the convenience store down the block to buy more smokes, food and to piss twice, before the ginger brat came out of the school with his friends.
Every day he had learned something more about the brat. Patience was his virtue and cunning was his mastered skill. He started by the school, sitting across the street at the bus stop. Sometimes in average Joe coats and caps, sometimes dressed as a businessman or day laborer. It was difficult hiding the cast his right wrist was in, thanks to the stupid brat, but he managed to make it look inconspicuous by wearing stretchy gloves or draping something over it. He learned to blend in, to look without looking, to stalk without following, to pry without interaction. He learned to assess routine, association and predictability.
He'd learned Ichigo came out of school between 3:45 and 6:43 pm, depending on the after school activity, with various amounts of students ranging from 1 to 5 and always some combination of these 5 students. He learned their names and where each resided and any other associations. Of these 5 students, most were an only child and some even lived alone.
He'd learned Ichigo had 2 sisters, fraternal twins, one - tomboyish and just as bratty as her big brother, and the other - kind and sweet and a homebody, the type of girl that would get his blood rising the most if she were only a few years older, the type he spends the most time with before he gets bored, crumples them up, and throws them away like a used tissue, the type he could keep tabs on till she's done cooking. His type. The type of girl he wished he could have if not for this incessant need to break women. He blames this on his drunken slut of a mother, the one who was into Japanese mythology and astrology.
His father frequented his employer's Image Club in Kabuki Cho. His mother was his father's favorite hostess, according to not so quiet conversations he heard in the back parlor of the club he used to play in as a child as his mother worked long into the evening. Librarians gossiped to nurses, cat women and schoolgirls, sometimes the occasional Sailor Moon, in that back parlor while they took their breaks from the floor complaining about their clients or bragging about how much money they got their guest to spend that night and what they had to do to get it. Pathetic creatures who were willing to do anything for a buck.
It's no wonder he has a penchant for dressing up and pretending he's other people. Orochi found it the best way of getting close to his targets. He studies them and becomes what he most thinks they desire. He's an expert, a master of deception and he was quite proud of his track record until he got caught by the orange haired brat trying to make a meal out of that hot piece of ass delivery woman. He scoped that alleyway and business out for weeks determining the best possible time and he watched her for months.
She was a challenge to him in every respect of the term - diligent, careful, tuff, but her most endearing quality is how she cared for her son. She watched him like a mother hawk and never seemed interested in dating. He had approached her on several occasions disguised in different potential boyfriend stereotypes trying to get her guard down long enough to strike, but she never gave in to his charm, which was a rare thing to behold indeed. She wasn't interested in the kind, rich sugar daddy type nor the bad boy with the heart of gold. She didn't go for the astute four-eyed professor or the young handsome widow who loved kids and employed her to help move into his new apartment in town. She made sure she called someone with the location she was at in front of him and took a picture of his ID with her phone and sent it off some secure location as evidence of who she was with in case something should go wrong. She was all too careful with dotting her I's and crossing her T's for his taste, but the challenge the woman possessed to him was just as thrilling as the actual act of malice he had in store for her.
Not being able to fulfill his fantasy caused great fury and the retribution for the cocky orange kid would be tremendous. A certain quick death was pointless for this boy, he had to make his suffering meaningful and poignant. He had to make the pain great and long and, only by patient observation, would Orochi Tsuji get to the core of this bothersome boy's values so that he could destroy them.
He'd just about finished with his assessment of the brat. He thought the best way to get back at the troublesome boy was to get into one of his sisters, maybe the other gorgeous redhead, but there seemed to be a distinctive "don't even try it" aura about her. Sometimes he just got that vibe from certain people, it was more of a subconscious thought, like his inner devil quickly shook his head and said, "no...not that one." He actually got that vibe from most of the people the ginger boy hung out with, but not from him. Then there was the interesting aura he got from the new guy who rolled into town.
Tsuji had been there, sitting on the bus stop bench, when the blue haired man showed his face for the first time. Orochi thought this guy was some piece of work. He was flashy in a confident, dominant way, tall and muscular with hair and clothes and accessories that said "I'm the shit". He also had a predatory tone about him. When he looked back at the boy on his bike, his leer seemed on one hand lascivious, but it also had an edge of threat as he cased his surroundings, especially when he briefly locked eyes on him from across the street for a moment, like he was marking his territory with his stare. The brat seemed to know him and there was a distinct feel of defensiveness but curiosity coming from the boy. He seemed apprehensive yet drawn to the handsome character who came calling. It almost seemed like Orochi was witnessing his prey get preyed upon and the boy seemed defenseless to it.
Shit, if he'd known it was gonna be that easy, he would have taken that role and seduced the kid himself just like he did to countless unfortunate women. Well, not countless, seventeen to be exact. Spanning nine long years starting when he was eighteen, when he decided to take special care of his secret high school crush. He bound and gaged her in the basement of his father's home, where he lived at the time, for almost a week. His father was never there, preferring to stay at his office, and he was too cheap to hire a maid so Orochi was all alone most of the time. He had made her dress up in a housedress and apron, doing chores and cooking for him, just like a loving, dutiful wife should. He kept telling her how much he loved her and cared for her and promised to take the chains off if she behaved and stayed with him, but after she seemed to agree and he consummated the marriage, she attempted to use his vulnerable position to escape. Stupid girl got her neck broken. He thought she was the one. He drove her body to the back of an abandoned warehouse and pitched her in the Kandagawa River. If he couldn't have that sweet innocent girl, no one could.
He had followed the blue haired beast home after a few meetings with the ginger. When he got close to the shop he apparently also lived in, alarms in his head went blaring. He had sensed danger at the Kurosaki household, but this was the largest wash of trepidation he'd ever gotten from one place in his life. He dared not get closer than the end of the long empty lot the shop was conspicuously housed at the end of and he dared not loiter as he usually did. He'd find another way to get more information about the curious man.
He'd been in his car watching the Kurosaki household early in the a.m. for a few weeks. The brat started running before school, much to his dismay. He hated waking up at the ass crack of dawn to survey the shitty brat. One morning, the hardbody showed up dressed in running gear. Tsuji decided it would be a great opportunity to follow the two young men. He nonchalantly got out of his car and walked to the next block over, he came up with this idea just for an occasion like this a few weeks ago. He found the little white fluffy dog just where his master left him for hours alone in the mornings, huddled in the doghouse with barely a blanket to cover its shivering body. He coaxed the dog out with the treats he had picked up from the store and tied the leash and little pink collar he also bought around its scrawny little neck.
He'd known which path to take that would lead him to the unsuspecting fools. Hopefully he would catch up quickly enough to glean some information. He jogged with the little dog till he could see the outlines of two figures entering the park the orange haired brat predictably circuited. He tried to get close enough to hear what they were conversing about, but today it seemed futile. Next time, hopefully there would be a next time, he would set up in the park on a bench and wait for them to pass. He rounded the first wide corner in the park and stopped in his tracks. Where'd the fuck they go? He wondered to himself. He should have clearly seen them just down the path a ways, but nothing. When he started his brisk pace he heard loud voices. He dared to get as close as he possibly could to the hidden young men and pulled the shivery dog to the cold patch of dead grass to do its business. Tsuji partially heard the curious confession. They have some sort of rivalry? The brat was depressed about something? What body? What did he mean by that? Then silence. Soft muffled moans started up from behind the tree and Tsuji hoped he wouldn't have to stand out in the cold through park sex.
It had been a good few minutes before he heard wet lips part and the dominant man speaking up. He must really respect that kid to not just tear him up against the tree, Tsuji thought to himself as he pulled his coat collar up further to mask his face from the boys coming out of their hiding place. He yanked on the leash for the dog to heel and went about the act of a man just walking his dog through the park before work. He got a blushing glance from the orange brat and a scowling squint from the leery blue man. He nodded a polite gesture to the bluenette, which got him a curious head cock in return as if he didn't understand the neighborly act. The boys started their jog back up and it didn't take long for them to round the corner out of sight. Orochi Tsuji turned back to the location of the sappy scene to investigate, it seemed the hardbody was missing something and he hoped he'd find it...and sure enough. He picked the black winter hat up off the cold ground and inspected it. There were a few blue hairs in the hat, he took one out and held it close to his eyes and noticed no change in color at the root. Odd. Who in the world has natural blue hair? This got his gears grinding about all the possibilities he could put this little treasure to use.
...
He keeps going over in his mind how that setup got away from him so quickly and why this kid always seems to come out on top. His fists for hire never came back to the ryokan. After he bumped into the brat in the hallway he knew it was his only chance to ruff the kid up before he started his true reign of terror. So he walked aggressively back to the room and informed his employees it was time to go to work.
Orochi Tsuji had met the three hoodlums in his father's line of work. All seemed like they were willing to take on this small extra job from their normal gang dealings, especially since he was paying them a small fortune. He got them prepared to enter the ryokan, removing piercings and masking visible tattoos with stage makeup. He bought new suits for the three to make them seem more like respectable businessmen and insisted they keep their mouths shut and let him do the talking when they had to deal with employees of the swanky inn.
They had waited in the hotel room for days anticipating a moment that may never come about during the extended weekend. So when he quickly strolled in and gave them instructions, they were more than excited to fulfill their duties. They were to tail the unsuspecting young redhead boy, take him by surprise with their threats and fists, dragging him somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed. The gang's leader was to deliver his message in full and give the boy the beating of his lifetime, but not injure him to the point where he couldn't recuperate in a respectable amount of weeks. Tsuji would be the lookout and call if anyone seemed to be going to look for the brat.
15 minutes and 56 seconds into the operation, the blue man, looking a bit angry and worried, ran out towards the onsen trail looking over his shoulder, again ever curiously yet predatorily, at Tsuji having a smoke outside. Tsuji, playing the bumbling ryokan patron with the command of a seasoned performer, waved to the man in a friendly way. If Tsuji didn't know better, the bluenette might be putting the pieces together. This time, the blue man pressed his eyebrows together in hard wonderment at his conventional gesture. It's as if the man wasn't aware of societal norms.
When the blue man turned back around to carry on his quest, Tsuji went for his speed dial to warn his team of the impending intrusion.
"The number you are dialing is unavailable at the moment, please try again." was the answer he got back time and time again. After five minutes, he strolled casually to his car around to the front of the ryokan. It was their rendezvous point for making a hasty get away after the deed was done.
After ten more minutes, Orochi Tsuji started his car and pulled out of his parking space to make the trek back home without his three hired muscle. He wanted to stay and find out what had become of the incident, but if any of the three were caught and confessed his whereabouts, his game would come to an abrupt ending.
Orochi Tsuji wasn't a stupid man. He recruited the hoodlums in disguise. He knew of them from his father's practice, the three accompanied various gang leaders as they talked business with his father. That's how he knew them, but that's not how the three would remember him. He gave them no link to his father's practice and he met the three in various hotel rooms throughout the city, never revealing his true intentions or reasons for roughing up the orange haired brat. Tsuji just drove away, washing away any trail that could possibly lead to him.
One week later, the sight before the serial killer left him seething. The orange haired brat strolled into school without a scratch on him. Not one bruise, not one arm in a sling or bangage on a finger. What the fuck happened with his team? What the fuck happened at the inn? There were no traces of the three as far as he knew, no calls to his disposable cell he used to contact them with demanding for the rest of their payment, nothing.
"If ya want somethin' done right..." Orochi Tsuji said to himself just before the longhaired redhead came out of her apartment. He got out of his car and opened the passenger door for the lovely girl.
"I was surprised you called me. It's 3 in the morning, Hunter. Where are we going?"
He kisses her hand and then flips her hand over and kisses her wrist, "I couldn't wait to see you darling. I want to show you something. You trust me, don't you?"
"Y-yeah. You make me feel so safe, I feel I've known you forever. What do you want to show me?" Bitch, this is our fourth date, Tsuji said to himself.
"It's a surprise, buckle up, it won't take long to get there." He smiles warmly to the girl next to him.
They drive for about ten minutes and pull up to a wooded park. The tall mix of coniferous trees makes the path dark and foreboding even with the lit street lamps covering the outside.
Orochi Tsuji leaves the car again and opens the passenger side, "Let's go for a walk hon…aw don't be afraid." The longhaired redhead shakes the fear creeping around her eyes away and gladly takes the strong hand extended to her from the devastatingly handsome man.
"O- ok. This seems a bit naughty, I kinda like it." The girl seductively says next to the man walking her into the park. She doesn't notice his eyes roll. "I'm glad we have more time to talk with each other. I want to get to know you better."
"I want to know you better, too, quite intimately in fact. Do you have any questions for me dear?" He leers at her suggestively and she eats it up.
"Hmm, let's see... Ok. Why do you dye your hair blue?"
The older, muscled man chuckles in a deep sardonic tone, "Don't it look good on me?"
"Yes! I love it, actually! It's just, very unusual." She chirps out, afraid she offended the man that seems out of her league to her.
"It is, isn't it? Very unique. I'm my own boss, and it's acceptable to be unique in my line of work."
"What exactly do you do again? I don't remember you telling me." The girl inquires.
"That's because I didn't. We've talked about you a lot, though." Tsuji says a bit too roughly.
"Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to make it all about me."
"No, Honey, I did that," they walk silently for a bit. The girl slightly trembles next to him and he's delighted by the open display. When they arrive at the designated spot, he takes her by the elbow and leads her off the path. He pushes her against one of the tree trunks and presses his body against hers, "I've got something to tell you."
"Wh-what? Nnn!" He licks her exposed neck as he grabs her wrists forcing her arms over her head. She moans like a red light district worker, parting her legs so he can grind his knee against her.
"Oh Honey, I'm so sorry, but," Tsuji clicks his tongue in disappointment and looks into her eyes in a mock longing, "you made a very big mistake." He yanks her wrists together in one strong hand and she yelps. He reaches into his back pocket with the other and pulls out a menacing knife, serrated on one edge with a hook at the end that looks like a cat's claw and holds it up to her mouth. "All you fuckin' chicks are the same. Just because a guy is brutally handsome doesn't mean he's not brutally lying his fucking ass off to you."
Her eyes go wide and she starts to whimper, tears starting to leak from the corners of her eyes. Tsuji mocks a pout, "Boo fuckin' hoo. You bitches are so eager to hop on my dick lately. You know, you're the first one this month, took a little vaca that didn't go well, but now I'm raring ta go. You're gonna help me with a little pest problem I'm having, you wanna help me don't you?"
He grips her wrists tighter and presses the hook of the blade close to her eye, she winces and sobs and nods her agreement, which makes his crazed snarl turn into a satisfied smirk. The little pierce he made with the tip of the hook wells with a bead of dark crimson before it grows heavy and trails down her cheek.
"That's a good girl, shhhhh, don't cry." He wipes the blood trailing down her cheek away with his thumb.
Her screams are muffled from the street in the dense wooded area. The patrol car usually doesn't come by for another 48 minutes - plenty of time to tear into her repeatedly as he chokes the life out of her. Her body finally goes limp underneath him and he turns her over on her stomach, lifting her chin and slicing her throat so the blood splatters the ground and not his nice black button down shirt. He gets up, pulls off the condom, tucks himself back in, and readjusts his clothing.
The snake then proceeds to check over the body meticulously, to make sure he's left no other physical evidence. He removes a black zippered box from his trouser pants and uses the tools from right to left. His expertise makes quick work of the necessary step. Then, The murderer repositions the body and leaves a small souvenir clutched in her right hand. He smoothens out his disheveled blue locks and takes one last glance at his handiwork.
"Beautiful. Just beautiful. I'm a fuckin' genius." Orochi Tsuji strolls out of the park with a spring in his step and drives off into the night.
So there ya have it. The one who's been after Ichi. Were my hints too subtle? Hmm, gotta work on that I spose...
