Slow, distinctive footsteps followed the sound of the chapel doors creaking open.
“You know where he is.”
A tongue clucked from a pew near the front, where a broad back faced the entrance. “Now, that’s no way to start a deal. Can’tcha at least manage a ‘hello’ first?”
The faint hiss of steel breezed through stagnant air as the end of a katana settled only a hair’s breadth from the scruffy chin of its target, polished surface glinting in the dim, flickering candlelight.
“I don’t have time for games.”
Motomi eyed the blade with a grumbling sigh, tipping its point away with the back of a finger as he stood and dusted himself off. “If I knew something like that, I wouldn’t still be here, would I?”
Crimson eyes narrowed, their cold light flashing dangerously as he redirected his sword back to the information broker’s cheek, this time meeting its flesh with just the lightest press. A bead of red welled at its tip. “You’re not in a position to lie to me.”
“Ain’t lying. I’ve got nothin’ but rumors to go off, and by the time I get there he’s always long gone. Much like yourself, by the way.” A sturdy tan hand reached up to swipe the katana aside once more before rubbing over his cut with a scowl. “What’s got your panties in a twist? Not usually your style to show up in a place like this. Somethin’ not going your way, princess?”
It only took a moment for the distance between them to vanish.
A short grunt was all the noise he made when the leather of Shiki’s glove clenched tight around his jaw, its cold grip forcing his teeth apart and letting the cigarette that had been propped between them flutter to the floor.
As a face leaned in too close for comfort, the words he snarled directly into Motomi’s ear were dripping with derision. “You want to die that badly? You only still operate here because I allow it. I can change that decision at any time. Remember your place.” The threat was punctuated with a slick sensation crawling up his cheek – Shiki’s tongue had drawn a line along his skin, licking up the thin red trail of his blood.
Unperturbed, Motomi merely shifted a foot to stamp out his fallen smoke, crushing it under a loafer as he spoke. “Could at least buy a man dinner first.”
“You– !”
Immediately the world whirled before his eyes. His body was slammed back down into the pew by a fistful of shirt, Shiki hovering above him with a knee on the seat and steel at his neck. The malice radiating off this wraith of a man was palpable, yet curiously, his blade had no pressure behind it. Motomi only smirked.
“I’m hardly one to judge, but…” he crooked a finger under one of the silver crosses that dangled off the chest atop him, toying with it on his knuckle, “killing in a church seems like awfully bad karma even for you, hm?”
In lieu of reply Shiki’s leg slid forward, grinding his kneecap firmly and directly into Motomi’s groin. That finally shut him up; the smirk left his face in a furrowed grimace, the groan escaping his lips this time devoid of his usual confidence as pain and awkward pleasure bloomed from where he was pinned. A snort of breath sounded from above.
“There are easier ways to crush a bug than simply spilling its blood.”
He bore down further, relishing in the bitten sounds Motomi tried to swallow as he felt the old man’s body faintly start to react. Narrow eyes smoldered with triumph as they kept trained on his face – a small victory today, perhaps, but only part of a larger war. With one last shove he eventually relented, coat swishing as he stepped off the pew and tersely started for the door.
“Find him and report it to me immediately. Next time you won’t get off so easily.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” It was mumbled just loud enough for Shiki to hear, but there was no panache left to his tone. Accordingly the swish of the retreating katana being pointed in his direction was lacking the usual fire behind it. “Seems to me if we’ve got a common goal it’s in your interest to keep me in working condition. You’ve got enough sense not to break a truce like that.”
A huff of disdain came in response. “Don’t confuse a stay of execution with necessity. What little value you offer won’t outweigh the pleasure I’ll take in cutting you down.” With the slow click of boots that always heralded his passage, Shiki made his exit. The heavy clap of the door echoed throughout the sanctuary.
A long-suffering sigh worked its way out of his lungs before Motomi began to rummage his pockets for a fresh cigarette.
“That kid’ll be the death of me yet.”
