“You get into trouble that much, huh?” He asked the question lightly, but his playfulness died down as suddenly as it had come, as the question brought him back to reality. She was a gang leader, just like him. She seemed to carry a sort of kindness about her, and a naive innocence, but she had responsibilities to her family, and a lot of weight on her shoulders. Above all though, her family was his enemy, since they’d crossed certain boundaries with Toman. Hopefully, she would truly right that wrong, because he found himself liking her, despite himself.
The feeling only intensified when she so earnestly proclaimed that she’d get the hang of riding in no time. “Yeah, height has plenty to do with it. Mine is actually lower to the ground because.. Nevermind.” He quickly looked away, suddenly embarrassed. He couldn’t bring himself to say that he was shorter than even she was. He’d just had years of practice, and he’d always been short. Luckily, that didn’t dampen his strength at all, and he was able to haul the blonde up with ease.
Mikey was relieved that she wanted to use the helmet, despite its shabby appearance. It would be pretty bad if he ended up accidentally killing the Borghese heir. Although he was pretty confident in his driving skills, it was best to be safe. Once she’d fastened it snugly upon her head, he was off, a grin upon his features at the feel of the wind on his face.
He was so certain that a girl that had never been on a bike would freak out when she realized how recklessly he drove. In fact, ever since Emma had ridden with him just once, she’d never done so again. He’d gone so much slower for his sister, and she’d still been terrified. However, Sonia’s grip was firm but not tight, like it would be if she was afraid. When they were on a straight road with no cars around, he risked a glance back at her. He was both surprised and impressed that she was smiling brightly, and she seemed to be having a great time.
Emboldened, he picked up speed a bit more, and they made it to the city over from Shinjuku in record time. At a stop light, he heard a squeal. The Toman leader was sure that she’d had enough of his driving by now, but no. She was excited about various shops nearby. He couldn’t help but snicker a bit. She was so unlike any gang leader that he’d ever met. “Is that a manga? Parfaits are great though, I gotta admit.” He replied nonchalantly, finding that he was also smiling now. “As long as things go well, maybe we can stop by on the way back.” Although, she’d likely judge him when he demanded the kid’s flag that came on top. Not that he really cared what she thought of him. Before they could continue the conversation, the light changed, and he sped off once more.
They made it to Shinjuku soon after that, and at her directions, he pulled into the side alley. “You sure my baby is gonna be okay here?” He asked skeptically. “If anyone touches her.. I’ll kill them.” At the Ultimate Mafia Boss’ question, he broke out into laughter, before his expression turned almost feral. “I wish someone would try and mess with me. But I know how it is. I’ve been in plenty of sketchy areas, where we’ve had our turf wars.” His expression darkened even more, as he thought of the last gang fight he’d been in. Toman had won, but at what cost? They’d lost Baji, one of the founding members. Once of his best friends.
“Let’s go.” He practically growled, trying to shake himself from the thoughts of Baji’s death. He figured that it wasn’t her first rodeo in the seedy area of Shinjuku, but he found himself mirroring her question, as he followed after her to whatever club they’d find their target at.. “What about you princess?” He asked in a mischievous way. “You gonna be alright without that bulletproof car of yours?”
Sonia gasped. Not from the bike's speed, no: they'd come to a complete stop at the red light. But because Mikey had asked about Esper Ito. Did he really not know? Out of everything that had happened so far, that was one of the more surprising revelations of the afternoon. Sonia held his waist with one hand before quickly gesturing to the shop in question. "You've never heard of Esper Ito-chan!?" She asked incredulously. Mikey might have well said he'd never heard of Mickey Mouse or Anpanman. "It's one of the most popular anime! Especially in my country: there's the anime of course, and now the manga and all of the side stories, light novels, several companion video games, toys, a card collecting game, the live action TV adaptation, the stage show here in Tokyo-"
She paused, her hand coming to hold onto his waist comfortably again. He was going faster but she didn't feel the need to grip him like her life depended on it. If he wanted to harm her, he would've done it already and frankly, it was a bit more fun to ride that way: she was jostled about more, felt the sharp turns more, felt everything more. It helped quell some of the embarrassment she felt and showed, all over her face. "Ah...that is, yes. It's a manga. I try not to discuss it much when working: Esper Ito or parfaits. But both are wonderful. Just...not what's wanted or expected from me, I suppose." His optimism was met with surprise as they continued on. Sonia had a feeling things would go well: whether her heart was in for celebrating after, however, was another matter. Her mother insisted that's what made her soft, too soft, when it came to handling problems within the Family. Sonia felt that compassion wasn't overrated in the least.
Once they'd parked, she took off the helmet and handed it back to him. "Oh yes, your motorcycle is quite secure here," She replied, with assurance in her voice as she nodded to the nearby building and its four bodyguards outside. "The sort of clientele this area attracts...well. They're far more interested in what's going on beyond those doors than your bike. You'll see what I mean. Just...I'm sorry for having to take you here in advance, it may make you a bit uncomfortable."
They seemed like the last sort of people who would try to get into such a place, but one look at Sonia and the four men greeted her eagerly, as if they were keen not to upset her. Explaining that Mikey was there with her on official business, they waved the two inside. "This way," She prompted him to follow her, through the main foyer and down the red carpeted stairs. Pushing open the intricate wooden door at the bottom, Sonia stepped into what could only be described as a hostess bar. Of sorts. One that wasn't currently open for business but women ranging from just a few years older than her all the way to mid-forties (at least they looked it) milled about the empty bar and tables in various states of dress: some in robes, some with their makeup just freshly applied, all of them without their heels on and enjoying a meal, a respite, or both. "We are closed until five! And no minors!" A dark-haired woman, elegant and mature in her crisp skirt-suit, called out from behind the bar. Sonia shook her head and approached, the woman's dark eyes finally registering who it was. "Ah, bonjour Mademoiselle Sonia! I did not see you at first: you always come unaccompanied" The tone in her voice questioned Why the hell would you bring a guy here? Considering the amount of beautiful women to distract him?
"Bonjour Yvette," Sonia greeted her with as confident a smile as she could manage, I'm here, we are here on official business...an official mess. Where might I find Trixie this afternoon?"
"In the back, in her new dressing room," The woman replied, Yvette served as manager, but really she served under a capo who served under Sonia, and so forth. "Her head has swollen far too big for her body since the upgrade, something I cautioned her against. Even if she's earning the most out of all the girls right now, that'll never stick. It matches her...other enhancements now, I think."
"Right," Sonia held back a sigh. She knew exactly the attitude Yvette meant, and soon, so would Mikey. "Take two of the guards from door duty and wait outside the dressing room and wait for my call. When it's over, order every member of security for all of our clubs and casinos to re-enter training, specifically in recognizing fake IDs. Thank you."
A hesitant agreement, more shock than wanting to disobey, from Yvette and Sonia beckoned Mikey away from the main room and its workers: unlike most hostess bars, this one employed women of various nationalities and spoken languages. For foreigners, gaijin hunters, or men simply insisting they wanted something 'exotic,' it was paradise. Sonia proceeded down one of the side hallways, Mikey in tow, stopping at the second door on the right at the end of the hall: a makeshift, glossy enamel sign with 'Trixie' in red cursive font hung on the front. "Please enter!" A cheerful voice on the side announced in Japanese, although heavily accented.
"Ohmygod, hi there Miss Sonia!" She'd barely gotten the door open before a pair of green eyes spotted her, lighting up as she turned in her vanity table seat to face, for all intents and purposes, her boss at present. Trixie was of medium height and slim, but her pale skin only had the faintest dusting of freckles. Long, deep red tresses fell to her mid-back in waves and she wore a tight-fitting emerald dress, short and with two side cutouts, but what was prominently on display were the diamonds that glittered on her neck. Or rather, what the pendant rested on: a large amount of cleavage. Trixie's breasts were big and sat unnaturally high, especially without proper support: she was a favorite for a reason. Two of them, that stared both Sonia and Mikey in the face. "Check it out! Finally, I got a pair of Amina Muaddis! And not the cheap Chinese knockoff shit either, real Aminas!" She swung her legs to the side, out from under her vanity table: black satin shoes with oddly squared heels and rhinestone buckles on the toes. "All for my hard work, y'know!"
She spoke excitedly in English, her Irish accent clear as she looked from Sonia to Mikey. Trixie was young, probably close to Sonia herself in age but she looked at Mikey as if he were her latest prey: if he had any money on him, that is. "He looks a little young to be a customer...unless he's your boyfriend, Miss Sonia? Wouldn't your mother be-"
"He's not my boyfriend," Sonia corrected her, with a tone that did not leave any room for contradiction. "And he's not a customer either. He's the leader of Toman. And Trixie...they are not pleased with you. I urge you to think back on the clients you've entertained recently. And if you cannot recall, I'm sure Sano-san can jog your memory."
Trixie gave a small huff as she took a sip of the glass of wine on her vanity. "I'm guessing he's a lil' young, on the babyface side?" She asked Mikey, switching from English to Japanese. "There's some young ones that come in here, wanting their first experience with a hostess. What happened to him?"
