Byakujutsu 2021.05.24
Caius had waited for those of KOSHU to leave before making his way back to his motorcycle, carefully removing as much soil as he could from the atractylodes they came to gather. The plants were then cut at the base, the stem and leaves discarded as the roots were shoved in a bag and into a side compartment on his bike. He then rode all the way to the Ruby Sea, paying passage across the water to the port city of Kugane. He had his contacts in the region, making his frequent travels less of a headache; a Pure-blood Garlean was never welcomed otherwise, defected or not.
He didn’t waste time once he was back at his clinic, drying the roots efficiently [thank you magiteknology] as he prepared the rest of the components. It took the remainder of the day and well into the night for the medicine to be completed, in the form of a finely grounded powder, and divided into individual doses. The first doses were sent to the Uranami Onsen to be distributed to anyone afflicted with the Haimushi yokai, while the rest were given to agents of Hagane-kai to be distributed in the city under the guise of ‘Miracle cure’ merchants.
It’s only when his part was done that the doctor allowed himself some rest, but not before receiving the visit of the syndicate’s wakagashira. As the door of the clinic opened to let in a lone Hyur in black garb, Caius simply motioned to the empty chair in front of his desk. “I only have black tea to offer and it’s getting cold.” The doctor stated, pointing at the nearly empty teapot resting beside a few open books. “Black tea at this hour?” The visitor - Katsuro - mused as he took the offered seat. His crimson gaze rested on the man before him. “Sleep would be a far better option. But then again… I know you. You won’t rest until you know everything is in motion.” The Garlean snorted as he lowered his cup to rest on the desk. “And I dare hope that’s why you’re here. I did my part but the distribution is in other's hands.” Sitting back, he leaned into his chair while a hand rose to massage the bridge of his nose. “I’m getting too old for this. Or to deal with your… friends? For lack of a better word, really. I know you don’t consider them friends per say. You don’t let people ‘in’ that easily.” The sharp blue-gray gaze of the doctor shifted to Katsuro as his hand fell down into his lap. Katsuro had to smirk at that. “Our agents are already moving out to distribute the medicine so you can sleep easy tonight. And you know why I’m dealing with them. We’ve forged a good alliance, a reliable link between the east and the west. I will not be the cause of such a partnership breaking.” “It’s more than that, however.” Caius replied. His tone of voice betrayed how tired he was but his gaze was as sharp as ever. “They’ve removed themselves from the yakuza but you still treat them as such. The only difference is that there’s no one ‘above’ you within KOSHU anymore, not in a yakuza sense. Yet you watch over them, as a father over his children. Otherwise, I have no clue why you’d even tolerate them.” An amused smile appeared on his lips. He was right of course, and Katsuro shook his head in defeat. “If you’re too old then I can at least tell you, you never lost your sense of observation, Thanos. I think… I’ve been through enough shit alongside them to at least feel a sense of kinship. When they were still linked to the yakuza, Dusk-sama asked me to watch over them and that’s a sense of duty I am unable to shake off. They are, of course, annoying, childish, scatterbrained, inexperienced, poorly trained, bothersome and irritating but… I’ll watch over them regardless.” Thanos couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “You said ‘annoying’ three times. And though I share in the sentiment, at least they managed to get the job done. Their hearts are at the right place, their brains well… let’s not go into that.” He added, clearly jesting. “Do know, however, that if this second ‘job’ becomes too much, we can place another liaison in your stead within KOSHU. Yuu is already quite invested with them, even if he’s only a kyodai. Tamashi could also take on that mantle, despite being Hagane’s favorite agent.” Katsuro shook his head again. “Iie, I’ll be fine. I’ve worked my way up their hierarchic ladder and it’s a trust I won’t betray. Besides, I don’t spend that much time at the onsen. I have my own work here. As long as Lord Hagane can ‘save’ me when I’m asked to sell fucking kites and other nonsenses, all will be as it should be in the damn universe.” The doctor stifled a laugh. “I’ll also keep that in mind. I’m his senior adviser after all. Well then, not to be rude but I find keeping my eyes open to be more difficult by the minute. Not even an entire pot of tea could stir wakefulness in me at this point.” That being said, Thanos pushed himself up, stretching some to at least relieve some of the soreness of so many hours of work. He grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and put it on. It was rare to see the doctor with a tie undone and his sleeves unbuttoned and rolled up. But here he was, exactly like that, even his impeccable hair seemed a bit ruffled. Thus Katsuro quickly pushed himself up as well, ready to leave the clinic. “Get
some rest, my friend. And thank you.” Katsuro replied, his tone more gentle. “I’ll make sure your hard work bears fruits. Give me a sun and I’ll get back to you with a full report on the distribution and efficacy of the medicine in the city.” “A sun I’ll spend sleeping, I recon.” Caius chuckled as Katsuro left his office. The doctor followed suit, flipping the lights off and locking the door behind him, leaving the clinic in silence, aside from the low humming of some magitek devices set on standby mode.