Post by Cullen Montoya on Jul 7, 2014 17:41:27 GMT -6
It wasn't uncommon for business to be heavy on a holiday weekend for Nozaki's. While not being one of the more well-known restaurants, it did have a very loyal, very specific clientele. Unknown to most people was the fact that the restaurant was actually a front for the local Yakuza. It was currently owned by "Eddie" Nozaki, having inherited the business from his father when he retired. His name wasn't really Eddie, but for some reason everyone always called him that, he always insisted on being called that, so no one ever asked about it. Cullen and Thia arrived shortly after the dinner rush, knowing it would be the perfect time to have a little chat with their buddy Eddie.
Stepping into the smoke-filled restaurant, there were already a few patrons who had been hitting the sake pretty hard. They were currently on stage, staggering against each other, while belting out the chorus to "Mandy" in very bad Engrish. Thia glanced at the stage and grinned, laughing quietly into her arm. It was always nice to see how some things just never changed. Cullen didn't seem to take any notice, but he never did. The man had a knack for compartmentalizing everything. Right now, they were on a mission to seek out information. There would be time for goofing off later.
"Guys!" Eddie had come out of the kitchen and spotted them from behind the sushi counter. He was dressed in a loud Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts with flipflops and a rising sun bandanna. Leave it to Eddie to embrace a stereotype. He threw open his arms as he came around the counter, first embracing Cullen before moving toward Thia with a big grin. Eddie, standing at only 5'3 on a good day, threw his arms around Thia's waist and promptly buried his head in her ample chest. Thia made a half-grimace/grin and casually draped one arm around Eddie's neck.
"It's nice to see you too, Eddie," she told him quietly, "but the minute you start motorboating me is the minute I twist your skull off like a bottlecap, 'kay?"
Eddie quickly stepped back with a completely unapologetic grin. "Can't blame a guy for trying, Hotstuff! I see you're still driving around with GI Joe, here. Some of us just can't catch a break, right?"
Cullen shook his head, trying to hide his smile. He couldn't help it, Eddie was possibly the only person he truly found amusing. "S'up, Eddie? You got a minute? We're here on business..."
"Business? Business. It's always business with you Americans. When do you ever stop to eat? Or drink? Or go downtown on Thia? The simple pleasures, man! You're missing them! All of them!" Eddie made a curvaceous motion with his hands, indicating Thia's breasts and hips. He always seemed to believe this was a perfectly normal conversation to have around a woman.
Thia reached out casually and thwapped Eddie upside the head, but she was still grinning. Of anyone, she knew the most that Eddie couldn't help it. It was just his way of telling the world he thought she was pretty. "Eddie. FOCUS. Business first, then we can play."
"All right, all right. Let's go to a table. Do you guys want some beer? Or a shot or two, Thia? Loosen you up a little bit? I mean, there's nothing loose on you, is there, Baby?"
"EDDIE."
"A table! Right, right! This one, over here."
They wrangled Eddie into a seat at a booth, sitting side by side so Eddie would have to sit across from them. Beer was brought for all of them by one of the waitresses, while Cullen kept his eyes moving around the small establishment. It was part of his nature. Whenever he was in public, Cullen couldn't help but be on his guard. He knew Thia was just as hyper-aware, but she had always been better at hiding it in her expression. Once they were sure of their privacy, Cullen leaned forward, speaking in a lowered voice, "Word on the street is the Yakuza have finally decided to get into the drug trade. We need to know about it."
Eddie's face was a revolving play of shock and disgust, and disbelief. "Whoa whoa whoa, Cowboy! You came out swinging! I need a little more foreplay before I give up any of my sweet stuff!"
Cullen sighed. And so the game begins. Glancing to Thia, he nods his head. "Okay, Eddie. What's it gonna take?"
"Dinner with Thia! And I mean a real dinner! OUT! I want us seen TOGETHER! Last time you brought Take Out and shafted me the whole pleasure of the idea! You wouldn't even let me take a selfie!"
Thia put her elbow on the table and rested her cheek against her hand with a sigh. "You never said what you wanted to eat, Eddie. Or where, for that matter."
"You want me to be more specific, Baby?" Eddie wiggled his eyebrows with a lecherous grin.
Thia's face went pale. "No. Definitely no. I'm.. yeah. I'm good."
Cullen wasn't about to force Thia to suffer Eddie alone. Eddie was a good guy, trustworthy, dependable, but only in small doses. Any extended period around Eddie and even the most patient person could be ready to commit murder. "I'm sure there's something else we can do for you, Eddie. Something for your bar, perhaps? Or maybe one of your other... businesses."
Eddie was quiet for a few moments, thinking about his options. "Will you look into something, for me? My guys say they're getting lip from some tools trying to push into our territory, disrespecting the rules, man. I'd go to my Boss, but... I'll get into that if you agree."
"Of course, Eddie. We'll see what we can do."
Eddie grew tense, his beady eyes glancing around the bar again. He lowered his head slightly, leaning over the table. "Okay, here's the real deal. Someone is going around, pushing drugs, calling themselves Yakuza. It's not us. We go NO part in it. It's against the Code, man! Right? I mean, you know I'm all about the Code! Whoever this douchebag is didn't even pay to put a foot on our corner. Not that we would let them, but they're disrespecting even the NORMAL channels. You're new in town, you ask where you can set up, if you're shit's good, you're told where to go, right? None of that, man. Not a single word."
Cullen and Thia both knew that Eddie followed the Japanese Honor Code about as much as the average Joe followed the law. Eddie was ABJ, American-Born Japanese. His father was a well-respected member of the Yakuza back in Japan, so it was only natural for Eddie to follow in his family's business. It was traditional, especially as the first son. Never mind the fact that Eddie was obsessed with American pop culture, which was about as far from Japanese tradition as you could get. He was still good people, overall. Cullen had worked with him many times over the years, trading information back and forth. Lev had a great working relationship with Eddie's father.
"So, who is this impostor? And why haven't you guys cleaned house yet?"
Eddie just sighed and shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's the pisser, man. We have no fucking clue who's doing this. And the word is..." Eddie took another quick look around, "something big is happening. You know? Up high. Rumor is, it's gonna shake up all of LA, man. There's gonna be a Gold Rush, man. You know what I'm saying? Ever since they took down Lev, shits been getting crazy out on the streets. Every stray dog is trying to piss on this corner and claim it as their territory. Even the gangs that were happy where they were are getting uppity. I heard no less than FIVE hookers got their teeth taken out when their pimp caught them looking for new digs, man. Five WHOLE hookers, man! Everyone's trying to get theirs."
It was nothing new to either Cullen or Thia, but Eddie's normal ranting held an undertone of fear. He was scared. The instability was something the area wasn't used to. All the crimes he had listed were day to day, but they had been happening so frequently that others were starting to notice. LA's mask was beginning to slip, and everybody was starting to see what an ugly bitch she really was. Nodding his head, Cullen gestured to Thia before sliding out of the booth. They knew there was nothing else Eddie could tell them. He had probably already told them more than they would get from anyone else. "Thanks, Eddie. And I'll see what I can do for you, okay?"
The pair started to walk out, before Eddie spoke up again. "Hey. You guys might want to check out some of the street races. I hear some weird shit's been going down. Thought you might wanna know."
A shiver went down Thia's spine. Damien. He was always at the races, they were his only passion. In some ways, she felt it was his addiction. She went back to Eddie and slid her hand over his shoulder. "I'll buy you a steak dinner if you can get me more info about the races. I'll make you a fucking picnic for the beach if you can do it, Eddie."
Eddie's mouth dropped open, his eyes going wide. "Will you wear a bikini?" A man has to have priorities.
"What's your favorite color?"
"Red! I like red!"
"You find out everything I need about those hinky races, and I'll wear a red bikini. Just for you. With strings."
"I'll have the information for you in a few days! I'll give you a call!"
Thia grinned and patted Eddie's cheek as she walked back toward the door. "You don't have my number, Eddie. I'll call you."
Once outside, Cullen looked to Thia with a slight raise of his eyebrows. "You really think this has something to do with Damien?"
"I don't think he's mixed up in it... but I don't want him to GET mixed up in it. This is preemptive."
"Nobody can ever say you don't love your little brother. Eddie fucking Nozaki..." Cullen shook his head as he slid behind the wheel.
Thia slid into the passenger seat. "Eddie needs motivation. I know what motivates him."
Stepping into the smoke-filled restaurant, there were already a few patrons who had been hitting the sake pretty hard. They were currently on stage, staggering against each other, while belting out the chorus to "Mandy" in very bad Engrish. Thia glanced at the stage and grinned, laughing quietly into her arm. It was always nice to see how some things just never changed. Cullen didn't seem to take any notice, but he never did. The man had a knack for compartmentalizing everything. Right now, they were on a mission to seek out information. There would be time for goofing off later.
"Guys!" Eddie had come out of the kitchen and spotted them from behind the sushi counter. He was dressed in a loud Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts with flipflops and a rising sun bandanna. Leave it to Eddie to embrace a stereotype. He threw open his arms as he came around the counter, first embracing Cullen before moving toward Thia with a big grin. Eddie, standing at only 5'3 on a good day, threw his arms around Thia's waist and promptly buried his head in her ample chest. Thia made a half-grimace/grin and casually draped one arm around Eddie's neck.
"It's nice to see you too, Eddie," she told him quietly, "but the minute you start motorboating me is the minute I twist your skull off like a bottlecap, 'kay?"
Eddie quickly stepped back with a completely unapologetic grin. "Can't blame a guy for trying, Hotstuff! I see you're still driving around with GI Joe, here. Some of us just can't catch a break, right?"
Cullen shook his head, trying to hide his smile. He couldn't help it, Eddie was possibly the only person he truly found amusing. "S'up, Eddie? You got a minute? We're here on business..."
"Business? Business. It's always business with you Americans. When do you ever stop to eat? Or drink? Or go downtown on Thia? The simple pleasures, man! You're missing them! All of them!" Eddie made a curvaceous motion with his hands, indicating Thia's breasts and hips. He always seemed to believe this was a perfectly normal conversation to have around a woman.
Thia reached out casually and thwapped Eddie upside the head, but she was still grinning. Of anyone, she knew the most that Eddie couldn't help it. It was just his way of telling the world he thought she was pretty. "Eddie. FOCUS. Business first, then we can play."
"All right, all right. Let's go to a table. Do you guys want some beer? Or a shot or two, Thia? Loosen you up a little bit? I mean, there's nothing loose on you, is there, Baby?"
"EDDIE."
"A table! Right, right! This one, over here."
They wrangled Eddie into a seat at a booth, sitting side by side so Eddie would have to sit across from them. Beer was brought for all of them by one of the waitresses, while Cullen kept his eyes moving around the small establishment. It was part of his nature. Whenever he was in public, Cullen couldn't help but be on his guard. He knew Thia was just as hyper-aware, but she had always been better at hiding it in her expression. Once they were sure of their privacy, Cullen leaned forward, speaking in a lowered voice, "Word on the street is the Yakuza have finally decided to get into the drug trade. We need to know about it."
Eddie's face was a revolving play of shock and disgust, and disbelief. "Whoa whoa whoa, Cowboy! You came out swinging! I need a little more foreplay before I give up any of my sweet stuff!"
Cullen sighed. And so the game begins. Glancing to Thia, he nods his head. "Okay, Eddie. What's it gonna take?"
"Dinner with Thia! And I mean a real dinner! OUT! I want us seen TOGETHER! Last time you brought Take Out and shafted me the whole pleasure of the idea! You wouldn't even let me take a selfie!"
Thia put her elbow on the table and rested her cheek against her hand with a sigh. "You never said what you wanted to eat, Eddie. Or where, for that matter."
"You want me to be more specific, Baby?" Eddie wiggled his eyebrows with a lecherous grin.
Thia's face went pale. "No. Definitely no. I'm.. yeah. I'm good."
Cullen wasn't about to force Thia to suffer Eddie alone. Eddie was a good guy, trustworthy, dependable, but only in small doses. Any extended period around Eddie and even the most patient person could be ready to commit murder. "I'm sure there's something else we can do for you, Eddie. Something for your bar, perhaps? Or maybe one of your other... businesses."
Eddie was quiet for a few moments, thinking about his options. "Will you look into something, for me? My guys say they're getting lip from some tools trying to push into our territory, disrespecting the rules, man. I'd go to my Boss, but... I'll get into that if you agree."
"Of course, Eddie. We'll see what we can do."
Eddie grew tense, his beady eyes glancing around the bar again. He lowered his head slightly, leaning over the table. "Okay, here's the real deal. Someone is going around, pushing drugs, calling themselves Yakuza. It's not us. We go NO part in it. It's against the Code, man! Right? I mean, you know I'm all about the Code! Whoever this douchebag is didn't even pay to put a foot on our corner. Not that we would let them, but they're disrespecting even the NORMAL channels. You're new in town, you ask where you can set up, if you're shit's good, you're told where to go, right? None of that, man. Not a single word."
Cullen and Thia both knew that Eddie followed the Japanese Honor Code about as much as the average Joe followed the law. Eddie was ABJ, American-Born Japanese. His father was a well-respected member of the Yakuza back in Japan, so it was only natural for Eddie to follow in his family's business. It was traditional, especially as the first son. Never mind the fact that Eddie was obsessed with American pop culture, which was about as far from Japanese tradition as you could get. He was still good people, overall. Cullen had worked with him many times over the years, trading information back and forth. Lev had a great working relationship with Eddie's father.
"So, who is this impostor? And why haven't you guys cleaned house yet?"
Eddie just sighed and shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's the pisser, man. We have no fucking clue who's doing this. And the word is..." Eddie took another quick look around, "something big is happening. You know? Up high. Rumor is, it's gonna shake up all of LA, man. There's gonna be a Gold Rush, man. You know what I'm saying? Ever since they took down Lev, shits been getting crazy out on the streets. Every stray dog is trying to piss on this corner and claim it as their territory. Even the gangs that were happy where they were are getting uppity. I heard no less than FIVE hookers got their teeth taken out when their pimp caught them looking for new digs, man. Five WHOLE hookers, man! Everyone's trying to get theirs."
It was nothing new to either Cullen or Thia, but Eddie's normal ranting held an undertone of fear. He was scared. The instability was something the area wasn't used to. All the crimes he had listed were day to day, but they had been happening so frequently that others were starting to notice. LA's mask was beginning to slip, and everybody was starting to see what an ugly bitch she really was. Nodding his head, Cullen gestured to Thia before sliding out of the booth. They knew there was nothing else Eddie could tell them. He had probably already told them more than they would get from anyone else. "Thanks, Eddie. And I'll see what I can do for you, okay?"
The pair started to walk out, before Eddie spoke up again. "Hey. You guys might want to check out some of the street races. I hear some weird shit's been going down. Thought you might wanna know."
A shiver went down Thia's spine. Damien. He was always at the races, they were his only passion. In some ways, she felt it was his addiction. She went back to Eddie and slid her hand over his shoulder. "I'll buy you a steak dinner if you can get me more info about the races. I'll make you a fucking picnic for the beach if you can do it, Eddie."
Eddie's mouth dropped open, his eyes going wide. "Will you wear a bikini?" A man has to have priorities.
"What's your favorite color?"
"Red! I like red!"
"You find out everything I need about those hinky races, and I'll wear a red bikini. Just for you. With strings."
"I'll have the information for you in a few days! I'll give you a call!"
Thia grinned and patted Eddie's cheek as she walked back toward the door. "You don't have my number, Eddie. I'll call you."
Once outside, Cullen looked to Thia with a slight raise of his eyebrows. "You really think this has something to do with Damien?"
"I don't think he's mixed up in it... but I don't want him to GET mixed up in it. This is preemptive."
"Nobody can ever say you don't love your little brother. Eddie fucking Nozaki..." Cullen shook his head as he slid behind the wheel.
Thia slid into the passenger seat. "Eddie needs motivation. I know what motivates him."
