Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This postcard…. Poppy thought to herself.

The card just seemed to magically appear on her fridge door, under a random magnet. With a touristy photo of a luscious, beautiful blue beach, it did not have any message written on it, nor was it addressed to her. Other than basic information on the locale, it was completely blank on the back.

Was that here before? Did I just not notice it? It obviously has some reason being here, right? Why else would it be there otherwise?

After a few minutes of staring at it, she began to have an unexplained, nagging sense that it had more significance than not, especially given her life at the moment. She suddenly decided what she was going to do, had to do, had to go there. Before she over-thought it or chickened out, she sent Quincey a quick text right away, asking if he knew a good travel agent.

She sighed and admitted, I don’t think I could have made it this far if it weren’t for the work I’ve been doing with Quincey.

Working with him had been one of the most interesting (and professionally speaking, perfect) things that happened to her in the past year, heck especially the past 9 months—he has been a lifeline. Well, there is that and a certain 6 foot something black haired tiger, too. One who she is desperately missing.

It was a bit exhilarating, deciding to do this, on a completely utter whim, deciding to travel to the exotic, beautiful locale on the card. Maybe that’s why it was on her fridge--she needs a vacation, right? To use a word she almost never does? F*ck it. What did she have to lose? She felt she had already lost so much in her life, the hell with it.

Everything had happened so fast with Tora and then Quincey, but the many long weeks since that one day had been rough. Really fudging rough for Poppy. She did a lot for Gil and Giant Goldfish Publishing, of course, especially during some of the worst emotional wrenching times since her father died, first when Julri cheated on her, when she worked so hard to connect with Mr. Lam, and finally making the connection with Quincey, and by proxy, Tora, again. But now there was this. This not knowing. When something nice comes into your life… You never want it to end. she thought to herself back when Tora walked away the first time. Indeed.

PING. A return text from Quincey appeared: “Sure, Miss Editor. I’ll text u the info. If you want, I can also set u up with a Clan jet. Anyways, thinking of you today, as usual. How r u?”

Bless you, Quincey, she told herself. She texted back a simple reply: “Doing OK. I will be in touch.”

She didn’t add this to her text but thought of asking him later, hey maybe going on a tropical getaway—wanna come? But she simply couldn’t engage in any in-depth personal conversations at that moment, as she began falling back into memories that simply hurt too much. Memories that she is still trying to cope with.

++++++++++++++++++

Day One: Wednesday

Tora always told her that in his line of work, things could happen rapidly, very bad things, at that. There was so much he couldn’t tell her, wouldn’t tell her, and she didn’t want to know, honestly. Poppy often dismissed these theories of his, that she was in danger just by being near him, let alone having any sort of open relationship, or that he wasn’t good enough, and on and on. She tried to communicate to him what she thought, more times than she could count, that he is a good man who is forced to do bad things. Granted he did very bad things, things she didn’t fully know about (or need to know), but the way he treated her was so contrary to his “thug life.” Just like she told him before—he seems just like a regular guy when he’s with her.

Even though she did put the brakes on any sort of relationship after their joint birthday party at “Fallen Angel” (God, he was so hurt), she didn't exactly rule anything totally out either. In fact, they actually managed to form—and became pretty steady in—their own special quasi-relationship, after a long period of time. And really nothing bad had happened, to her at least, since then. But still, she had to keep telling him that she had no need to know any more details about the Clan than she already did. Plus there were many times he essentially shut down, giving her his cryptic quips, getting all grumbly and mumbly. "Ya not safe"; "I can’t tell you about that sweetheart"; or "Ya better off not knowing me." Her eye rolling during these moments were considerable, and each and every time he closed himself off, or insisted on the crazy things he did to keep her safe, she simply acted out her feisty hamster routine to diffuse the tension. It was always equal parts exasperating and touching.

Quincey and Gyu knew about their relationship, of course, and they had done a tremendous amount of work to help keep as much of their relationship on the “down-low”—despite Quincey’s efforts to be their eternal wing man (a silly wing man at that). By sheer luck, no one in the Clan had cared about her, nor the relationship, or even her importance to Tora, so far. Some of Tora’s men were a bit suspicious, even after their drunken admission to Poppy at the club. They told her that Tora is gay (yeah, dudes, I don’t think so), and she had to think quickly before she gave it all away. Gosh her face had been so red! She is simply known as Quincey’s "Ms. Editor" or just Quincey's editor. If she were even seen anywhere with Tora, it was by virtue of her editing work with Quincey. She had consistently been portrayed as a de facto extension of Quincey, and it had been serving them all well.

But it was after a quiet night, with the two of them hiding away in her micro apartment while watching Netflix on her tiny laptop after dinner, that Tora’s clan ringtone went off like an unwelcome clarion bell. Poppy was disappointed that their increasingly intimate and secret time was cut short, again, but that’s the way it had always happened.

He sighed, and texted his contact back right away; he gave her his usual schtick, “Sorry, sweetheart, duty calls.”

He lightly pinched her cheeks and ran towards the door, putting his shoes on. She shouted to him her own usual response whenever this would happen: “Shoot me a text when you are home safe.”

He gave her a soft smile and that ridiculously sweet two-fingered “kiss, kiss” gesture that always made her blush, as he shut the door quietly behind him.

Since she was immensely tired after the long work week, she fell asleep, with The Witcher still streaming on the laptop screen.

++++++++++++++++++

Day Two: Thursday

The first several times he had to run out like that to do Vincent’s bidding, she told him, no matter what time he got back, text her to let her know he was home safe. To date, he had always texted her, even if it were 4 am or even later than that. One time it was at 8 am! Poor guy!

Poppy suddenly startled herself awake, realizing she had fallen asleep in the living room. Her laptop screen was dark and the sky outside her balcony doors bright. She stretched and rubbed her eyes. Of course, she must have missed the ding of her phone, and expected to open it and find a quick text, telling her he was home. But there wasn’t one. Once in awhile there was a bit of a delay, so she didn't really feel worried.

Hmmm…. Must have been a bad night. He must be home asleep; he’ll just text me when he’s awake.

She got up off the floor and noticed the time, realizing she better get her butt moving, or she’d miss her bus and be seriously late for work. She ran off to take a shower and start her day.

++++++++++++++++++

After a fun-filled lunch in the conference room, chatting with Erdene and Jacob about some of the ridiculous shit Quincey wrote about in his latest short story, it was already one o’clock. There was still no text from Tora.

Really, I’m just paranoid. It’s no big deal. He’ll text me when he can. I gotta trust him a little, right? Poppy admitted to herself. But there simply was a small part of her that a had a sense of dread, and so she felt so unsettled. But she quickly dismissed this feeling, and got back to work. Quincey needed to edit some of his writing that really didn’t flow well, and frankly, was a bit out there, even for him. When she was finished with her suggested edits, she gave Quincey a call. She knew he’d be in the office on Monday to work with them, but felt she had to explain first.

“Hey Quince, it’s me,” Poppy chirped as Quincey picked up.

“Heeelllooo, Miss Editor, how are you this fine morning? Had a long night, huh? Been keeping a tiger by the tail?" Quincey was always so brutally honest.

Poppy laughed, but admitted, “Ha, ha, very funny. Our first night together in a while, for sure, but it got cut short actually.”

“Really? I haven’t heard from him yet today, and I called to remind him I need him for this afternoon. All I get is his frigging stupid voice to leave a message--'SPEAK'"

She sniggered at first, so like him isn’t it.

But then Poppy's unnerving sense of unease prickled in her head again, and she gulped. Before responding, she turned around to make sure she was alone at her desk.

“You can’t reach him? He usually texts me, you know, after he does his 'mafia' schtick, to let me know he’s home. But I got nothing this time. At least not yet. Should I be worried??”

“Oh, Pops, I wouldn’t worry. Maybe he is simply still sleeping, or his phone is dead or broken. You know that man goes through cell phones like tissue paper.”

Quincey spoke to her with a level head, and she appreciated that—she knew he was trying to calm her down and not worry her any more than necessary. He’s much more familiar with Clan stuff than she is, but that sense of apprehension wasn’t going away. Despite it, she knew had to get back to the business at hand.

“Okay, Quince, I won’t worry, and I know you’ll be here Monday. Anyways, I wanted to discuss some of what I’ve read before you come in, simply because I don’t want to delay in sharing these ideas. I’m afraid I’ll forget, and I want to be honest, brutally so. Is that OK?”

“Of course, honey. Let’s chat.”

They talked for about a half hour more, but by the time she hung up, Poppy was really getting upset. Her hands were sweaty, and she took several deep breaths.

It will be OK. It will be OK. Everything is fine. Tora is fine. She repeated this over and over until it was time to go home.

In hindsight, she wished she could have believed that, she really did.

Chapter Text

Day Two: Thursday

Quincey was pissed. Where the hell is he? I mean seriously. Getting out his phone, he starts a new text thread with Tora:

YM Quincey: @BB Tora >> honey, where are you? I’m guessing Dad is running you ragged again? Pops is worried about you Anyways, drop her a line will you? Come by when you get this message k?

After an hour, no response. Quincey sends another message.

YM Quincey: @BB Tora >> okay, I already told you this morning—I need you for a reception this afternoon. Where are you?!

Yet another hour goes by. No response.

YM Quincey: @BB Tora >>since you’re ignoring me you big meanie, I’m gonna text Gyu for a back up. And pls text Ms Editor? She’s freaking out a bit

Quincey switches to a new thread with Gyu:

YM Quincey: @Gyu >>honey I can’t get a response from BB has he texted u? Anyways I have a thing this afternoon so who is on deck as my pseudo Tora?

Gyu, ever prompt, texts him right back:

Gyu: @YM Quincey >>bro I have not connected with BB yet today. Smithy can be your backup. Text him ASAP so he can pick u up

YM Quincey: @Gyu >thanks booboo If BB shows up tell him to text Pops she is worried about him

++++++++++++++++++

Day Four: Saturday

Poppy still felt so unsettled. Another day went by, and it was now Saturday morning, and still no word from him. She hesitated contacting Quincey, as she didn’t want to bother him. I’m just overreacting. He’s busy. He’s always told me that everything is at the whim of Vincent. She takes several deep breaths in an effort to calm down.

It was a pleasant, sunny morning, so Poppy decided to go to the roof of her apartment building and paint. That always relaxes me. She pulled out a blank canvas, the easel, her monkey backpack containing paints and brushes, and snacks, and heads up the stairs.

She sets everything up, staring out onto the river for a moment, thinking of what she could possibly paint that day, given her nerves. She began thinking about all the different times she spent with Tora, and probably top on her list was one of the more recent, more colorful times: the joint birthday party. She is also particularly fascinated with the story of Ishrikhara and the “Oath of the Fallen.” That’s it--I’ll do my own portrait of the ultimate Fallen Angel! She pulled out her blue and white paint tubes and got to work.

Within a few hours, she had a good likeness on her canvas. It was a challenge to paint how glassy and reflective the statue really was, but had managed quite well thus far. Up until she stopped, the painting was such a welcome distraction. But she couldn’t help but reminisce.

After not-so-baby-thug Quincey revealed himself as mafia progeny of not just the Balthuman Clan, but another? of two families? (yeah, we are so gonna talk about that soon), her head was spinning for the rest of that week. Still, she can’t believe she decided to go ahead with the birthday thing, especially after Tora pretty much ignored her for several days.

As she stared at her painting, she sighed (doing way too much of that today). She felt so daring that night, wearing that dress to the party (definitely skimpy for her but soooo freeing), and of course the shoes, even if they hurt her feet. She was puzzled at first as to why Quincey told her to wear them, but then again, she realized why now—Quincey, the eternal wing man. She also recalled the conversation with Erdene, about Tora, as hot as he is, of course, but as him being technically a non-issue at the time, and about herself. She felt particularly proud about how she told Dene she simply had to spend some time alone first, to take care of herself, even before she knew how much Tora is actually interested in her. She admitted he treated her well, that night and in general, but wondered why--she still had (and still does sometimes) so much self-doubt thanks to Julri’s utter shit. She smiled, as she thought about how Tora is still pretty shy about it, even after prodding and poking and some discussion with him—never thought she could get the gruff man to blush, but she did. She learns more about him everyday.

Sure, Tora is gorgeous and always flirts with her. She enjoys the repartee but always questioned his motives. She simply did not think she had a snowball’s chance in hell of being of any interest to such a good looking guy, really. The creeper she remained, at least for a while. Even after the tension filled moments after her admission and Tora’s reaction that night, he was touched when she asked if it was okay to wear his ring around her neck. Admitting her inner scars and not wanting to rush into another relationship so soon after Julri’s humiliating betrayal was simply necessary, as she still has many nagging doubts. I’m working on it. Guess I’m a Fallen Angel of a kind, too.

There is a part of her, even as she stood there on the roof right then, both flattered and flabbergasted to have learned he really wanted to be with her, and not just in a physical relationship either. If that hadn’t been so unclear to her, then, maybe she would have done things differently, but then again, the timing was a bit off. And that piggyback ride at the end of the night? Well…. I won’t kiss and tell she giggled to herself. In the end, they eventually started spending more time getting to know each other, all while she also took some time to concentrate on herself. And now, he always gave her the business, teasing her incessantly when he and Quincey came into Giant Goldfish. That man...

Going back to the painting, Poppy then thought about the plaque on the statue, containing the oath. She knew she had to go downstairs and look up the old legends again online. She simply loved the history of Narin City and the whole region, especially the royal family.

She recited the oath from memory: ‘We the Fallen hereby declare that we bow to none but our own and as others rise so we shall fall till it’s time to reclaim our throne. Glory be to pain. Glory be to shame.”

She also recalled how the “Fallen Angel” was referred to, as Protector of the Ones who’ve slipped beneath the cracks. So while Ishrikhara is not technically not an angel, he’s not a demon either. Definitely a celestial being between worlds, really. How apt.

Poppy had a thought and pulled out her phone, texting Quincey:

Poppy: @Quincey >> hey any chance I can visit the Fallen Angel club again, maybe when it’s empty? I’m doing a painting of the statue and want to look at it with my own eyes again. I also need a trip down memory lane.

Quincey: @MsEditor >>pretty sure sugar pops. Let me contact my friend. You could probably come tomorrow morning? I’ll confirm and let you know. Xoxo

Within 20 minutes, Quincey texted her back:

Quincey: @MsEditor >>it’s a go and I’m going w you meet me at my apt at 10 am tomorrow morning and we will go together

Poppy: @Quincey >>thanks so much. See u then ttfn

With the sun now setting, and Poppy gathered her stuff and headed downstairs to make dinner. She was excited for her jaunt with Quincey.

++++++++++++++++++

It was early evening, and Quincey was getting ready for a date when he heard his phone ding with a new text.

Gyu: @YM Quincey >> any word from BB?

YM Quincey: @Gyu >> not a peep. U know anything he's got going on right now?

Gyu: @YM Quincey >>not at all, in fact he was going to check in on this one project I’d been doing for him but he's not replying to me either

YM Quincey: @Gyu >> I wonder if i should ask Dad, but that always puts him in a snit. Thoughts?

Gyu: @YM Quincey: >>ha I would not poke the bear unless necessary you know how shit goes probably doing more of the same ole same ole for ya old man but if u hear from him shoot me a line ya?

YM Quincey: @Gyu >>k booboo more later gotta hot date

Quincey locks his phone and puts it down, going back to work on his hair. Hot stuff coming through!

++++++++++++++++++

Day Five: Sunday

Poppy showed up at Quincey’s door at 10 am sharp. As soon as she walked through the door, she found Quincey and another clan guy—alas not Tora—were in the kitchen.

“Ms. Editor! So good to see you again, honey! Let’s go!”

All three of them left, making their way to Quincey’s gaudy yellow sports car. Poppy didn’t have the heart to ask about Tora, even though she was deeply disappointed he wasn’t there.

They arrived at the club, and went down the stairs. The place is eerie without anyone in it. Their footsteps echoed as they moved into the main part of the club, and Poppy knew exactly what she wanted to do—get a real close look at that statue again.

Standing there, she simply revelled in how beautiful it is—just so breathtaking. Then, a sudden image from that night of Tora’s face with his big amber eyes with an uncharacteristic smile loomed in her mind, and she felt so sad. A tear ran down her face, despite putting on her best face for Quincey.

Quincey’s voice broke her out of her reverie: “Honey, are you okay?”

“Yeah, Quince, just a little weepy for some reason.” She wouldn’t dare admit how upset she is, but she had to ask: “Have you heard from him yet? I just don’t have any idea how long his little escapades usually take, not that I want to know, mind you.”

“Oh, well, it varies, honey. I can’t really say. He’ll be in touch soon, I’m sure. He may not be verbose, but that man always makes his presence known, at least to me.”

“You’re right. Anyways, do you think I could take some pictures of the statue? I’m not going to put them on social media or anything, I just want a reference for my painting.”

“I don’t see why not. You will have to let me see the finished product.”

“Great, thanks!”

Poppy pulled out her phone and took several pictures from all different angles, hoping that they would help her more adeptly paint the glassy transparency of it that frankly made it beautiful.

“All set. Thank you, Quincey, for arranging this. Are we all set for tomorrow? You’ll be at Giant Goldfish for more beta reading?”

“Of course, honey! Smithy and I will be there about 11, and then I’ll take the whole gang out for lunch at Gudruns! Now, shall we drop you off at home?”

“Yes, thank you.”

No Tora, again? Fudge, where the hell is the man?

++++++++++++++++++

After holding her phone up, looking at the many pictures she took of the Ishrikhara statue, she added a bit more contrast and subtle highlights in different spots all over the canvas, and she had to say that the finished product came out to be really quite stunning. She decided then and there she’s going to give it to Quincey, for his help in getting access to the statute, but mostly for keeping her occupied the last several days. Thank you, Quincey. The work we do keeps me sane!

She left the canvas to dry in front of the open balcony door. She then made herself a cup of green tea, then sat down, opening her laptop to do a search on Narin City, the royal family, and the statue. The most interesting part of her research emerged as she was reading about the ancient king who united the region, King Ulaan, also known as King Asura. He had quite the reputation as Great Warrior King of the North, and he was also called the “Northern Demon Asura.”

There was a small thumbnail in the search results, and she clicked on it simply out of curiosity and when the link opened, she was stunned. It displayed a portrait of Ulaan and his queen, Yuwa, and he’s the spitting image of Tora, except he had red eyes, not amber ones, and beautiful tattoos of flowers at his neck. Holy shi...t...ake mushrooms! Is he descended from royalty?? The picture was nested within a blog post about the royal family, so she started to read. After she finished, she went back to her search results, she kept clicking on links and took a deep dive. This is so much more information than I found on that link about the Balthumans sending King Tsagaan into exile! She noticed a book on the royal family’s history and lineage that she could order online, and promptly did so.

The last link she read before going to bed was about the Okuri Inu, demonic dog spirits that were allegedly linked with Asura and Ishrikhara. Fascinating stuff! Since she had to work the next day, she logged off, but with great reluctance. She got into bed, turned off the lights, thinking of King Ulaan’s portrait, but as she fell asleep, the image of Ulaan’s face turned into his face—a regal one with amber eyes.

Chapter Text

By morning, Quincey still had not connected with Tora, so rather than pester him with yet another text or phone call, he made an executive decision.  He pulled out his phone, and began a text thread with Smithy:

YM Quincey: @Smithy >> hey Smitty  no BBro again today so you are on deck for bodyguard duty in fact unless I tell you otherwise u will stay on guard duty w me   k?

Smithy  @YM Quincey >> you got it   and whats the deal with BBro?  I texted him a few times myself n got nuthin

Best keep this as succinct and honest as possible even if this is a Clan guy, thought Quincey.

YM Quincey: @Smithy >> when i know u will know  

Quincey closed this text thread and started a new one with Gyu:

YM Quincey: @Gyu >> booboo no word from Tora whatevs  told Smithy he’s with me until we know otherwise   k?  

Gyu: @YM Quincey >> k bro  should i find out where BB is?

YM Quncey: @Gyu >> not yet  give BB some space  and i know Pops is upset but she doesn’t really know bout thug life you know   Don’t know if she’ll ask you but don’t give her any info other than what she needs to know about, dig? No Clan shit.  signing off for now honey   any news on your end def let me know

+++++++++++++++++

Day Six: the following Monday

At about 11:15 am the next day, Quincey and Smithy waltz into Giant Goldfish Publishing.

“Hello my lovelies, let’s get started. And did Sugar Pops tell you? I’m taking you all to lunch this afternoon!”

Erdene laughs, with a wry look on her face: “Yeah, she did. So, where’s the toxic ex-beta reader, today, Quince?”  

Looking back to the door over Quincey’s shoulder, she expected Tora to walk through the door at any moment. She just couldn’t help teasing Tora whenever she could. That hot “majestic f*ckable stallion” is so obvious in his interest in Poppy, so she just has to unsettle him whenever she could. It is just too much fun.

Quincey glared at Erdene after she said this, but she didn’t know why. Huh?

Poppy noticed the face Quincey made at Erdene, and she winced. Oh crap. Still not around? Geesh!

“Sorry, Dene Bean, he is not around this morning. Old Smithy is filling in today, so be nice!”

After this exchange, Poppy walked back into the conference room and began getting ready for their beta reading and editing session.

As soon as Poppy was out of ear shot, he pulled Erdene aside, hissing at her, “Don’t bring him up!  He has not been in touch the past several days, and, well, she’s upset about it.”

“So where is he?”

“Well, I don’t know, and I haven’t heard from him, either, but that’s not uncommon. The bodyguard stuff for me is just one thing he does. He works in other...private security, you know. But for whatever reason, it’s upsetting Ms. Editor, so I’m trying not to bring him up if I can’t help it.”

“Ah, gotcha. So you’re not worried? This is normal for him?”

“I wouldn’t say normal, but not unheard of. One time he was incommunicado for a week and a half, honestly, the shit my da—“ Quincey had to stop himself from blurting out mafia stuff—beyond TMI.  When is life in the Clan ever normal?!?

“But anyways, ix-nay on mentioning Tora-nay, for now, k?”

“Okay, Quincess,” Dene said with a smirk. 

They both saunter back towards the conference room to get started.

+++++++++++++++++

After a good two hours of work, they poured out of the conference room, ready for a break. Working with Quincey is always a trip, no different than any other time. The working relationship between them really took off after Poppy’s efforts, starting with the Lam project, the first draft nearly finished, a discussion of some new QB novels, and, just that day, the decision to publish a new Volume 2 of Secret Garden stories. Poppy had hopes to extend his contract beyond what they agreed, after so much enthusiasm from Quincey.

“Meet you at Gudruns in 30, people!” yelled Quincey, as he and Smithy promptly walked out the door. Poppy honestly didn’t want to go there, but deferred to Quincey, of course, since he’s buying. Gosh, I’ve never gone back to Gudruns since that awful night!

She immediately thought of Cordelia, wondering what she’s up to these days. She really liked Cordelia, so Poppy decided to ask Quincey when she had a moment.  

The three Giant Goldfish employees all piled into Erdene’s vehicle for the short drive to Gudruns (Gil, as ever, is MIA). Poppy couldn’t help but reflect back on the dinner she had there with Quincey, and while mostly awful, it changed the course of Giant Goldfish and her own life immensely.  

Meeting Cordelia was one highlight of the night, for sure, and she was floored that Quincey didn’t bat an eye, signing the contract she wrote up. Ever the optimist, she thought it was a long shot, a really REALLY long one. But the stuff with Tora? Pfft. What a jerk he was that night, yelling at her like that. The nerve!  But him being sick, the confession about the mafia, and even how she wasn’t so sure what he would do when he found out about her working with Quincey? What a heavy load of horse doody she dealt with that night. 

She recalled their shouting match, and how angry she felt at him for belittling her work. And calling me Shorty? The nerve! 

She was of course a little bit emotional after their picnic at Regina Peak at the time this all happened, so she knew anything to do with Quincey would be difficult, especially getting him to even look at a contract, let alone sign one. She was simply determined to go through with it, Tora be damned. 

She did her very best to ignore him that night after his initial outburst—plus she did NOT expect him to be there. And she felt he was being a tad bit unreasonable, and heck the dude flat out told her she’d never see him again, just the night before. Then the asshat collapsed?  Unreal.  She knew more than likely that Quincey might share the story about their connection and the dinner with her co-workers shortly.  Sigh. 

“Pops, you coming?” said Jacob. They had just pulled into the parking lot, and had been waiting for her to get out of the car.

“Yeah, sorry, was a bit distracted there for a moment.”

They went inside to look for Quincey.

+++++++++++++++++

Gyu sat in the guard booth at Poppy’s complex in front of his laptop.

Big bro, what is going on?  You have never been radio silent when we have a scheduled check in before.  Hmmm… 

He opened his special tracking software to look up Tora’s SIM card, hoping he’d get a ping. Nothing. And nothing on his burner either. This doesn’t really mean anything, since his battery could be dead and who knows what Vincent has him doing. The burner is more than likely turned off, as Tora only used it for certain things.

Well, that’s not very helpful.

He rarely performs this type of tracking, since his program is far from any simple “track my phone” type of thing (and it’s super illegal), but the situation—Big Bro out of touch for almost a full week—had been nagging at his sensibilities since first thing that morning. Missing a check in, that had his senses reeling a bit. 

There are no guarantees in the Clan of course, but he was getting a smite bit antsy.  He knows Big Bro has a love-hate thing about most tech, given the number of phones he’s destroyed or lost, so there is simply a chance that’s just what happened—or maybe even a dead battery.  He then remembered Clan protocol, so unless Vincent or one of the other lieutenants asked him or commented, he wouldn’t worry any more.  Just a fluke...right?

He closed out the tracking program, and got back to the task he had to do for the building super.  

Hope you’re okay, Big bro.

+++++++++++++++++

They all ordered their drinks and food, and sat waiting for it to arrive at their table.  

There was some light conversation, but then, just as Poppy dreaded, Quincey had to share the story.

“OK, did Ms. Editor tell you about how she got me to sign my contract? It happened right here in this restaurant!”

Erdene knew this of course, but Jacob, ever clueless, did not. “Really? Tell us all about it!”

“Well, Poppylan was a tenacious little devil that night. I mean, in case you didn’t know, I had met her just a few days before, we were introduced by a mutual friend…” Quincey winked at Poppy, and then continued, “and she had my number, and well, Mr. Lam-kins simply had to have me for his little project.  Long story short, she contacted me, I then invited her to dinner, and then I signed on right then and there!  BAM!  All good, all around, right Sugar Pops?”

Poppy had to work really hard not to roll her eyes too much. That was about 1/10th of the truth, but she just gave a wan smile and replied, “That’s right, Quince. Feisty lil hamster editor!  Now we’re stuck with you.”

“Oh stop!  You know you love me! You all do, yes?”  Quincey was just in fine form.  

Poppy remembered then how Quincey spewed that mouthful of wine right in her face, after Tora’s confession about being in the mafia. What a memory…. UGH. You can’t make this stuff up!

She also recalled Tora collapsing and then she and Quincey taking him home. The honest conversation in the car with Quincey was one that she is still reeling from, that he would honor the contract, even after all the tomfoolery of that night, and she yet again thanked her lucky stars that it happened.  What would I have done if you said no?  I’d be finished, that’s what. 

Just then, their food arrived, and the conversation moved on. Poppy took a big gulp of water, and started to eat.

+++++++++++++++++

The late lunch was finally over, but Poppy had plenty more work to do, so Erdene dropped her back off at Giant Goldfish.  Jacob had somewhere to be, so he left directly from the restaurant.  

“Pops, please don’t stay too late by yourself, you know that’s not safe.”

“I know, Dene, I just need to clean up my desk, so I can have a fresh start in the morning. I won’t stay long. I’ll clock off close to our usual quitting time. Then I’ll get an Uber when I’m done, and go straight home.”

“OK--if you want to come over, I’m more than happy to have you, we can have a slumber party—just kidding.”

“Thanks, Dene.  But it’s been a long day, and I’ll probably just go to bed early.  And it’s a weeknight, so I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Dene wanted to ask her about Tora, but given the conversation earlier in the day with Quincey, she decided against it. She had no idea if it was a problem or not, but she didn’t want to stress Poppy out unnecessarily, so she kept quiet, saying nothing.

“Night, Pops!” and drove off.

Poppy went back into the office, sat at her desk, and sighed. Time for another to-do list I think. She spent half an hour tidying her desk, and then started a new list in her usual sparkly striped notebook, which already had several pink sticky notes sticking out the top. As she finished, she pulled out her phone and requested an Uber.  Then she opened a text thread with Quincey:

MsEditor: @Quincey  >>Hey Quincey, thanks for lunch today. It sure was a trip down memory lane.  I wanted to ask, have you talked with Cordelia lately?  

Quincey: @MsEditor >>you are very welcome SP!  Yes, that night with the Tiger sure was something.  Anyways, I haven’t talked with Cordy since then. I only see her when I see her.  

MsEditor: @Quincey >>oh, that’s too bad. I was thinking, though, of painting her portrait. So do you have any pictures by chance? It always helps to have a reference. If you don’t, no big deal. 

Quincey: @MsEditor >>i don’t think i do.  But I will look.  You’re so talented Sugar P!!  And how did the pic of the fallen angel come out? I’d love to see it.  BTW would like to have some time 1-on-1 w you to discuss the Lam stuff at my place. What day and time good 4 u?

MsEditor: @Quincey >>if you could look, would appreciate it.  I will check my schedule but since Gil out of town again my schedule is technically wide open—you name day and time and I’ll be there.  So happy that we are so close to completion with the first draft for Mr. Lam

Quincey: @MsEditor >>let’s plan on Thursday afternoon, say 2? K?  

MsEditor: @Quincey >>its in my calendar! Will bring the portrait to show you

Smiling to herself, she knew he didn’t know that she was actually going to gift him with it, and she hoped he will love it as much as she does. She walked down the stairs to the front entrance.

She paused her texting for a moment, but ever since Quincey’s comment this morning, she was beyond curious, so she had to ask yet again. Poppy was now downstairs outside of Giant Goldfish, waiting for her Uber, set to arrive in just a few minutes.  

MsEditor: @Quincey >>have you heard from him

Quincey read this last message from her and cringed. He had to think for a moment on how he can possibly respond when he had no idea what to say nor where he really was.  Dammit, I don’t know. I really don’t. I’m not his keeper, and for some reason, Pops is really bothered by it.  He ended up telling her the truth, but didn’t offer any other exposition that might make her more upset.  This is simply Clan life, and he knew Tora did not want her knowing any more details than she already did.  So he was both honest and succinct as he could be.

Quincey: @MsEditor >>no

Poppy read his response, and it made her more upset than she cared to admit. She knew she was probably taking it all way too personally, but that dread, that awful nagging fear gripped her again.  As her Uber pulled up, she decided not to reply.

That thought came back to her— When something nice comes into your life…  Did something change? Did he not want to see her any more?  Is this yet another person taken away from me?  Get a grips, Poppylan, it hasn’t been that long. You’ve gone longer without contact with him before, it’s no big deal.  I just need to get my stuff together and deal with it. He’s in the mafia. He has to do...things.  It’s not a guarantee.  

Finally she had to stop all the petty rationalizations bombarding her brain, as her Uber finally pulled up outside her apartment building.  She thanked the driver, got out, and went up the stairs to her door, pulling out her keys.  Time for some dinner and Netflix tonight, for sure.  

She heated up some leftovers, and then sat down with her food in her lap. She opened Netflix and chose one of her all time favorites, one that she knew would calm her down, The Princess Bride. As she watched it, she sighed, since she always got a bit over-emotional about Westley and his way of declaring his love for Buttercup, “As you wish.”

She wistfully wondered about Tora, and his own quirks—calling her Bobby, pinching her cheeks, the not-so-subtle flirting, and that little hand gesture of his.  She couldn’t say it was him doing the same thing as Westley, but she also couldn’t help but wonder just a little bit, that perhaps those were all his own way to express his affection. Could it be he’s expressing... love? Really, it’s absurd, I mean, come on, Pops.  She sniggered, and went back to watching the film.  

She sighed (she was doing that way too much for fudging sake), and while she mostly dismissed it as utter hogwash, she realized maybe it was time to start thinking about her own feelings. I don't know, I made a promise to myself to take care of myself and spend some time alone...so has it been long enough?  She realized right then and there, maybe it was time.  Even if it had only been a few days since she last saw him, she really missed him and was kind of shocked at the intensity of her emotions.

What I wouldn’t give to have him pinch my cheeks right now, she mused, while slowly rubbing her face, as the movie credits scrolled over her laptop screen.

Chapter Text

Day Nine - Thursday

Poppy was sitting at her desk at Giant Goldfish, when she heard her phone ping with a new text alert. For a moment, she got excited—FINALLY.

How disappointed she was to see it was a text from Quincey. Ah, fudge! 

Quincey: @MsEditor >> morning Ms. Editor, I’ll be sending Smithy by at 1:30ish to pick u up and bring you over K?

MsEditor: @Quincey >> k thanx Q

She was so agitated, so it was all she could do to text even that much of a reply. She was going to have a little chat with Quincey this afternoon about all of it.  She wants answers, and hopefully he can give her some, well at least SOMETHING.  This mafia garbage infuriated her to no end, but that’s life, at least at the moment. 

It was now nine days—NINE days since she last saw or heard from Tora, and she was baffled. She was tidying up her desk, when a text from an unknown number appeared. That frightened her a bit. Who is THIS?   

She opened it, and discovered it was only Smithy, telling her he was out front. She texted him back, saying she’d be right down. She grabbed the portrait of Ishrikhara wrapped in brown paper, sitting next to her desk, then put her bag over her shoulder.

“Dene, Jacob, I’m leaving to work at Quinceys. See you tomorrow.”

They yelled their goodbyes back to her, and she walked out.

+++++++++++++++++

Gyu was just waking up after a few hours sleep--yet another long shift at Clark’s had him dog tired--when his phone went ping. It was a message from an unknown number. This almost never happened.

He opened it, and chills instantly went down his spine.

Unknown number: >> Mr. Gyu, this is Vincent Balthuman. I need to talk to you. Be in my office within the hour. Discuss this with no one. Do not be late.

Gyu was instantly much more awake and alert. Oh, f*ck.

Gyu: Unknown number >> yes sir  on my way

He closed that thread, and practically hyperventilating, he opened a new one, sending a text to Quincey.

Gyu: @YM Quincey >> yo, bro, I just got a text from Vincent!!! He has never contacted me EVER   wtf man???   anyways he wants me in his office within the hour but didn’t say why. Telling you just in case. 

YM Quincey: @Gyu >> wow don’t know what to say boo boo  you can’t say no to him, so go   let me know what happens later k? Pops is going to be here any minute, so I may not be able to text or call u for awhile.  More later

Gyu quickly got dressed, packed up his laptop, and sped out the door.

+++++++++++++++++

The car ride over to Quinceys was awkward. Poppy really didn’t know Smithy or anything about him, and certainly didn’t feel like chatting him up either, at least not at the moment.  Actually, she started to remember all the interactions with Tora while riding in his car. Crap, everything reminds me of HIM right now. Get a grip, Pops! They arrived at Quincey’s in no time flat. Whew!

As she and Smithy walked through his front door, Quincey was texting on his phone. He noticed them and put the phone away, and ever his ebullient self, greeted her with his usual bodacious greeting, giving her a huge hug.  

“Heeelllooooo Ms. Editor!  How are you this fine afternoon?”

“I’m good, Quincey.” She giggled slightly. “Oh, and this is for you. I want you to have it.” She handed over the paper-wrapped portrait to him.

“Pour moi? Oh Sugar Pops, are you serious?”

Quincey walked into his kitchen, pulled a knife out a drawer, cutting the string off.  Removing the brown paper, the blue-white angelic image was revealed, and Quincey gasped at how beautiful it was.

“Poppylan! This is soo gorgeous! But I can’t possibly accept this!”

“No, no, Quincey. This is a thank you present. I… I…” she was stumbling over her words suddenly, and her voice started wavering a bit,  “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know what I would do if you hadn’t signed that contract.”

Poppy was getting a little weepy, and she didn’t mean to. Dammit.

“Oh, honey,” Quincey pulled her back into his arms for another one of his warm hugs, rubbing her back. Poppy sniffed a bit, trying to get her tears under control.

“Seriously, honey, if you ever want to do an art show, you have some mad talent. I have a friend with an art gallery. I can hook you up in a hot minute. People need to know how talented you are!”

Poppy smiled, “Thanks, but I don’t have enough paintings to do that, but I’ll consider it in the future maybe.  For now, please--I want you to keep this one. Okay?”

“Oh, how sweet! Now, let’s sit down and get started. Do you want something to drink? Tea, coffee, juice...whiskey?” Quincey smirked at that. He made a considerable effort not to mention anything that might make her think of HIM.

Poppy chuckled, and replied “I’m good. Really. Now let’s get started. About getting this first draft to Mr. Lam…”

They sat down on his couch, continuing to talk, and kept right on working for quite some time.

+++++++++++++++++

Poppy had just excused herself to take a bathroom break, when Quincey’s phone rang. He normally turned his phone off during work sessions, but kept it on, given the concerning text exchange with Gyu hours earlier.  He looked down at the Caller ID:  FATHER.  

Oh hell no!  SHIT!  But he knew better than to ever ignore a call from him. He answered it before another ring.

“Hello, Father.”

“Quinceton. It’s been too long.”

“Yes, it has.”  He never liked chatting with dear ole Dad any more--or rather longer--than necessary. He was a bit curt with him at times when he did get calls. Honestly, what does that f*cking bastard expect from me?

“I’ll get right to the point. I just had an illuminating chat with this fellow, one of Tora’s boys, Gyu.  But I want to know and tell me the truth Quinceton--where is he?”

Quincey pretty much knew who he was talking about. He rolled his eyes and replied, “He’s not here. I just assumed he was on duty for you, sir.”

Vincent laughed coldly in Quincey’s ear, and did it so loudly that Quincey had to pull the phone away from his ear.  He is one scary-ass mo-fo for sure.

“Son, he hasn’t done anything for me since that fiasco with the notebook and the botched assassinations.”  Vincent just assumed Tora shared with Quincey all the Clan’s doings, but that was far from the truth.  So Quince played dumb, as ever.

“Well, I’m not always his keeper. He goes to the gym a lot, you know, and has his own special...projects.” He wouldn’t DARE breathe word of his relationship with Poppy. ”But he is not here, and I have not seen him in over two weeks.”

The phone line was silent for several seconds. At just this moment, Poppy walked back into the room, and gave him a quizzical look. Quincey covered his phone, telling Poppy, “I have to take this, could you maybe make me some tea, hon?”  

“Of course!” She walked away, towards the kitchen, while Quincey put the phone back against his ear, and walked out onto his balcony.

“This is a problem, Quinceton. He has responsibilities, obligations to me and I cannot reach him. I do not tolerate disobedience. This Gyu character has already tried tracking him.  Since you have not seen him in two weeks, I am doing a more thorough investigation. I am this close, THIS CLOSE to declaring him a Clan ghost. But because of his worth to me AND to you, I am assigning Martin and his men to find him first. IF they find him, I may, I MAY let him live, if he has a valid reason for this vanishing act. Martin will be in touch to ask questions. Procedures, of course.”

Quincey was shocked, wincing at what his father just said. Again, even though he really put a lot of space between himself and the Clan, there was certain amount of Balthuman hierarchy and protocol that Vincent insisted he be conversant in.  But at those words, he was scared shitless for Tora. F*ck, a Clan ghost? That’s essentially a death sentence… Quincey stayed silent, and kept listening, waiting for his father to continue.

“I take it you have an alternate? If not, I can assign one.”

He gulped, and then replied, “Tora always has an alternate in the wings for me, just in case you need him. It’s taken care of.  I am of course at Martin’s disposal in any way he needs me—I will do whatever I can in order to get to the bottom of it.”

Quincey knew Tora hated Martin and his lackeys, but this? This was all beyond his control, so he’d have to tolerate dealing with all of them.

“I’m counting on you Quinceton.”  

After Vincent said this, Quincey then heard a soft click as the line was disconnected. He pulled on his hair, completely stressed out as a result of the conversation, and then walked back into the apartment.

“Everything okay, Quincey?” Poppy asked.

“Of course, honey! All good.” But Quincey had a look on his face that was contrary to what he said.

Oh f*ck, what can I possibly say to her? 

“Thanks for coming over. I think we’re done for now. I’ll be in touch, and will likely be in the office early next week. I’ll have Smithy take you home.”

“Quin—“ she was going to ask about Tora, again, but be more insistent this time. But Quincey cut her off, not giving her a chance to say anything else. 

“I have to make another call, Poppy. Smithy will text you when he gets to my door to take you home. Have a nice night!”  He walked out of the living room and into his bedroom without another word.  

Well fudge biscuits, there goes that idea. Poppy was just as exasperated as she was before she arrived.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Quincey immediately dialed Gyu.

+++++++++++++++++

Gyu was beyond nervous. He had never been to Vincent Balthuman’s office before in his life. All of his clan doings were almost exclusively with Big Bro.

Vincent’s assistant ushered him in a lavish room with statues, several couches, and fancy mirrors on the walls.  Vincent sat next to a small table, a glass of whiskey in his hand, with a half dressed woman standing behind him.

“Welcome, Gyu. I don’t believe I need any introduction.”

“N.. n… no, sir.  Very pleased to meet you.”  Gyu was nervous as f*ck.

“I asked you here today because I am trying to get a hold of Tora.  I can’t get him by phone. I will be speaking with Quinceton after we discuss things, but I need to know if you know where he might be or the status of his phone. I know you are the most tech-savvy individual in the Clan, so you should be able to track him in some way, yes?  And I will need you at my disposal until he is found. But first, do you know where he is?”

Gyu took a deep breath, and responded truthfully, “No, sir. I do not.”

“Do you have any idea where he might be? Any special initiatives that I might not be privy to that he is pursuing?”

Vincent stared at Gyu with cold, ice blue eyes.  F*ck is he awful!

“I only know that he was doing some tasks for you. I assisted him by finding individuals related to the notebook, but that came up with no one of substance.” 

A blatant lie, but he was loyal to Big Bro, and he wasn’t aware of what Tora might have already shared with Vincent about the whole thing.

“He has a few other things on the side, but he almost never gives me all the details about them, only if it involves technology, tracking, or research.”  

A half truth this time. F*ck if Vincent ever found out the real deal, about any of what he or Tora have been up to, he was dead.

“Well, this is a problem. When did you last speak to him?”  

“Um….two weeks ago, yesterday.”

“Really.  I am concerned.  Can you track him, using his phone?”

Gyu decided facts were best from this point forward.

“Actually, sir, we have regular check-ins, and he missed the most recent one. Because of that, I did run my standard SIM tracking program, but got no results.”

Vincent nodded, and Gyu continued.

“I have some other things I can do, ones that are more complex and will take some time. I’d be happy to do those as well.”

“Do it. You will contact Martin with any results. Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You are dismissed.  And, Gyu? If I find out you were not honest, if you are hiding him, you will pay the price.”  

Gyu was speechless, but wasn’t surprised at this statement at all.

“Understood.”

He left Vincent’s office, and as he walked up the street, he knew he had to talk to Quincey right away.  By the time he got in his front door, his phone was ringing.

He connected with Quincey immediately: “Yo, bro, we got a big problem. A big Tora problem.”

+++++++++++++++++

After leaving Quincey’s, Poppy, impulsive as ever, actually decided to walk over to Tora’s apartment. Since no one would talk to her, she could at least try and go straight to the source and see if he might be hiding from her or get some intel of her own. 

She texted Smithy, explaining she had some errands to run, telling him he didn’t need to give her a ride.  She’d find her own way back home. 

She arrived on his block, walked over to his building, and then climbed up all six flights of those stairs, up to his door.

She suddenly had a vivid recollection of that day when she first climbed those stairs, with food and medicine in tow, to check in on him after he collapsed the day before.  She blushed at the memory of him answering the door in a black tank top and yes, those grey sweatpants. Whew. Even sick, the man was beyond hot. She remembered throwing his blanket at him, telling him to cover up, since he might catch a chill. He was too distracting to look at, and it made her almost lose her nerve to stay and deal with him.

She knocked.  Silence. Utter silence.  

She also remembered how from the moment she arrived, he fudging flirted with her—incessantly. Luckily, she managed to mostly ignore him, since she was mostly reeling from the stress of what happened the night before. Her face then grew hot at the memory of their discussion, though, and how he let her express herself and, well, feel what she wanted to feel without any real judgement from him.  And that was not the first time that happened with Tora. He is most definitely NOT Julri.  

And those kisses? Wow. Just wow. That is some reward system, bro. Her face was a frigging tomato at the memory. She secretly loved the kiss-kiss motion he came up with, of course, and I think he knows this, too.  Every time since when he’d use it, she remembered those kisses that day. Mercy...

She knocked again, even louder.  Still silence.

“Tora, if you’re in there, I need to talk to you,” she said loudly. Crickets. Nothing. Na-da.

She sighed, figuring he wasn’t there or just wasn’t going to come to the door because it was her who was knocking. She slowly walked back down the stairs. This was quite contrary to the last time she skipped down those risers.  What was it she told herself, feeling that emotional validation? She said it out loud, something to the effect “F*ck Julri and his bullshit.” Oh yeah, that’s right.  She did say that.  But now her nerves were now even more frazzled. 

This didn’t accomplish a damn thing!  I am so worried about you—where are you, Tiger?

Chapter Text

Day Nine - Thursday

After connecting the call, Gyu listened as Quincey recounted his conversation with Vincent.  Gyu in turn told Quincey about his meeting. They discovered no real discrepancies between what he told them both, but it still left them with a huge problem, and a huge gulf—where the hell is Tora?

“Boo boo, what are these other things you can do tech wise?”

“Well, let me be honest. This should not be discussed further over an open phone line, in order to protect the Clan. It’s better we discuss this in person. Can I come over?”

“Of course! When do you think you will get here?”

“I can be there in about 20 minutes. Make sure no one else is there, not even Tora’s men.”

“OK—I’ll dismiss Smithy for the day. He won’t be happy, but that’s the thug life.”

Gyu did not respond to Quincey’s piddling excuse of a joke.

“Gotta go gather my stuff. Be right there.”

“See you soon, boo boo.

Quincey is now officially terrified.  What the utter f*ck is going on?!?

+++++++++++++++++

Poppy managed to catch the bus home, and arrived at dusk. She had wanted to start another painting in the waning afternoon light, one of Cordelia, but it would have to wait.  

She changed out of her work clothes, and then made a random decision. She texted Erdene and Jacob, telling them she was taking the morning off the next day.

Dene replied, right away. 

Dene: @Pops >> not a problem hon.  R u sick? Do u need anything?

Pops: @Dene >> nah, not really just need a mental health morning I think.

She decided to paint for a while as soon as she woke up.  She continued to feel so off, and creating art was one way she felt better, at least distracted enough to function. PING. Came another text alert, this time it was from Jacob.

Jacob: @Pops >> okay but can you still help finish these sales reports? Gil wants them emailed to him by the end of the day

Pops: @Jacob >> course dude!  I’ll be there at lunchtime.  TTFN

She closed her text window, locking her phone. While sipping her tea, she thought about texting Quincey. She wondered if he found any pictures of Cordelia. She would have checked social media, but she didn’t know her last name. That’s it, I’ll just have to paint her face from memory.

+++++++++++++++++

Gyu arrived at Quincey’s faster than he thought was possible, and they immediately sat down in the living room. Quincey quickly started talking. 

“Okay, boo boo. You wanted to meet in person. Can I guess why?”

Gyu put his finger to his mouth, whispering “shhh.”

He pantomimes how there may be eyes and ears paying attention. He wants to make sure that Quincey understands—they don’t want anyone to track what they are going to talk about or do concerning Big Bro.

Before Quincey says anything else, Gyu shows him the app on his phone. He's going to do a detailed sweep of the place, just to confirm it’s not bugged. He knows Big Bro has had to do this periodically, so Quincey knows the routine.

“Have at it, honey,” he murmurs in a low voice.

Gyu opens the app that scans for any type of surveillance equipment. He wants to be extra careful, so he takes his time and scans the entire place slowly, very slowly. He's that nervous.

Quincey is anxious, too, and while Gyu is scanning, he drinks at least two glasses of wine.

Where the f*ck is that asshole? I mean, what the hell? How did everything get so messed up so quickly?!?

Gyu finally declares the place bug free, so they can finally begin to compare notes, and decide next steps.

“There are lot of things to talk about and do, so if at any time you need me to review any of it or repeat anything, we can only do it while we’re here and in a space that is bug free. OK?”

Quincey nods.

“Okay, first of all, I need to set up a signal jammer. That way, we can meet consistently without me having to run this scan every time I come over. It might take me a day or two to find one that will work in this square footage.”

“Okay, boo boo. Now spill it, I mean more of it. Give me the deets.”

“To start, I want to do some technical checks, but no one, NO ONE can know that I’m doing these searches. It’s a huge risk, not telling anyone in the Clan, so I know you will be discrete, right bro?”  

“Of course” —Quincey nodded his assent. It’s not like he has ever been involved in Clan doings anyways.

“I did tell Vincent how I would be doing some of these checks, so I can share the basic ones with him and Martin, but the others? The others are going to be secret, just between the two of us.  And Vincent has already made it clear he will have me at his beck and call from this day forward. It’s all going to be very dicey to coordinate all of it.”

Quincey sat with his hand on his chin, looking thoughtful.  “I can help manage Martin.  But it’s gonna be tough, as you know Tora especially despises Martin and his crew.  And I would say that the feelings are mutual. I actually question whether or not this will be a ‘fair’ investigation at all, Clan wise.”

Gyu knew all of this, but continued. 

“Right, bro, and we will have to deal with it.  And this, this is for him.  After what you both did for me—I know this can only partially pay you back for it—“

“Boo boo, you need to forget about that—“

“Anyways, this stuff I’m going to do, of course it’s highly illegal. I don’t believe I’ve ever done this one thing for anyone other than myself, let alone anyone in the Clan.”

Quincey sat transfixed and then became curious. “What is it that you’re going to do?”

“First, I’m going to tap into his text history. It’s a huge invasion of privacy, typically involving a high level Clan edict, or in normal circumstances, a warrant, but given the threat I just got from your father, I’ll chance it.”

“Yes. The threat is real. I say go for it. And you know, Father told me he was on the verge of declaring Tora a Clan ghost.  But because he has such ‘value,’ he MIGHT hold off.” 

Gyu visibly paled.  “F*ck, are you serious?!?”

Quincey slowly nodded.  

“Anyways, I’m going to not only review content but avatars, names, dates, GPS locations, IP addresses, cell tower pings, anything that might reveal locations or identities. That’s just the first step.”

Quincey, while impressed, stated something they really need to think about sooner rather than later.

“OK—I will support whatever you want to do, of course. But before you explain anything else, we need to address another very important thing: what are we going to tell her?”

+++++++++++++++++

Day 10 - Friday

The next morning, she dressed in her standard painting attire, and after gathering all her usual stuff, went up to the roof, starting without delay. She put her phone on the ledge, just out of reach, so she isn’t tempted to text anyone. 

Putting dabs of orange, brown, and white on her palette, she grabbed a brush and got to work. Slowly, Cordelia’s smiling face took shape, with a hot red motorcycle propped up in the background.

In a lot of ways, Cordelia is completely different than I am, but I still feet a bit of fellowship, almost a sisterhood with her. I certainly did that night.  

Poppy suspected Cordelia might be non-binary, and certainly is a lot less feminine than most women.  

Maybe I need to do more paintings, then I will have a showing. HA! There’s so much stuff crammed into my brain right now, I could fill a warehouse if I painted it all.

She had set an alarm on her phone before she started, so that she knew when she had to go to work. It went off sooner than she expected. So much stuff to do, so she quickly tidied up and sped off to the bus stop. 

+++++++++++++++++

Gyu and Quincey met again briefly the next day, before Smithy appeared for duty, to plan on how they might coordinate Gyu’s egress to and from Quincey’s without anyone noticing anything untoward.

“I think the best thing to do right now is coordinate as much of this as possible from my place. I already have my preferred systems and security set up there, and what little I need to share, can be done during our planned visits.”

“Okay, boo boo. Perhaps the best thing to do is make these visits as random as possible.”

Gyu agreed, of course, and continued. 

“And I’m going to get you a burner phone, one you will only use for this assignment. It will be encrypted so it will be safe to use and share information. I may want to set up a smaller shop in your spare room at some point.  But for now, I can store the jammer there, and I will also hide an off-line backup server that I will upload data to in person periodically. It’s a little old school, but that fact alone will guarantee its security. Any other questions?”

“Not today. I am going to call Poppy this afternoon, as I have to schedule a few times to go to Giant Goldfish, but, as we agreed, I am not going to bring up Big Bro.”

“Tell me again what you’re going to say? We need to be saying the same things on this, bro.”

“We will tell her that he’s on a long-term assignment, and essentially incommunicado for the near future. A, a deep cover—yeah, that's it.  Deep cover. She knows that he’s in the Clan, so it shouldn’t be a stretch to share this without revealing much of anything suspicious.”

Sigh.  “It’s best this way. It’s not 100% true, but it’s not a lie either.”

They sat and stared at each other for several minutes.

“Boo boo, where do you think he is?”

“I don’t know, Quincey. I just don’t know. He’s just gone, and he’s, well, he is essentially a ghost. But I hope we can find him. I really do.”  

Gyu couldn’t possibly tell Quincey certain things Tora was up to, as he was told not to reveal any of it, though he may have to break his promise in order to find him, but none of it would have made him vanish.  

Let’s hope it never gets to that point, Big Bro, cause the shit will definitely hit the fan if I have to do it.

Quincey agreed. Even with the backup system Tora had put in place years ago, it is just so unsettling for him. He hadn’t been separated from Tora this long since he was, what, 8 years old? 

“I think the worst thing of all? He isn’t missing due to any Clan business. If he isn’t working for dad, what is he doing? Where the f*ck is he?!?”

Good question, bro, good question.

+++++++++++++++++

Poppy arrived at Giant Goldfish Publishing by lunch time. Before she did anything else, she called Quincey.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Editor!”

“Hi Quincey. Just wanted to know when you’d be in next week, to put it on our schedule.”

“Sure thing, honey. I thought I’d be in tomorrow for sure, but something has come up, so scratch that. I’ll be in on Tuesday for sure. We’ll talk then about scheduling the rest of the month.”

“Great!  Um, did you by chance find any pics of Cordelia? And I’d love to talk to her, you know, ha ha, woman to woman. Could I get her number?”

“Oh my gosh I forgot to look. And if you’re okay with it, I’ll have Cordy get directly in touch. “

“Oh, well, that’s fine Quince. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you Tuesday.”

Poppy took a deep breath, but before she could ask, Quincey cut her off.

“Ta-ta Ms. Editor.”

He disconnected too quickly.

Damn, that man is fast!  

+++++++++++++++++

Day 11 - Saturday

Alas, it wasn’t a particularly beautiful Saturday morning. It was quite grey and cloudy, with rain threatening to fall.  She had to put her easel and supplies back into the cramped but designated spot in her living room for her art. Then before she could even breathe, she had a flash of memory from when Tora was there for dinner, when they verbally sparred over her test canvas. It was one of the first times she realized how easy he was to talk to, and from that point on, their usual banter almost always put her at ease.

Why did I have to remember that right now? Sigh. 

Anyways, it is not the most spacious place to paint, but she knew she had to finish the portrait sooner rather than later.

Quincey had texted her the night before, saying he gave Cordelia her number with a note. 

Hopefully she’ll give me a call. 

He also sent along a photo, but she was standing at a distance and the resolution was a bit blurry. Poppy laughed at it, since it really didn’t show anything, guessing it was a covert snapshot. Poppy only knew it was Cordelia because of her orange hair and the fact that Quincey sent it to her.

Well, at least he sent something.  

She got to work, but it didn’t take long, as it was mostly done. She simply had to make some small corrections, and added a few highlights and shading to make it much better. Done. Another masterpiece, she thought wryly.

She focused on cleaning her brushes, and carefully moving a curtain around the easel, so the painting can fully dry.  

Suddenly, an unknown number was calling. Normally she would ignore, but she knew Quincey had given Cordelia her number, so she decided to answer.

“Hello?”

“Poppylan! It’s Cordelia, love! Quincey gave me your number and said you wanted to chat.  How are you, hon?”

“Hello, Cordy! I am so happy to get your call! I’m doing well, Quincey is certainly keeping me on my toes, that’s for sure.”

For almost a full minute they both chuckled knowingly at that fact.

“Yeah, I can see Blondie doing that. He sure is something else. Say, why don’t we get together? I’ll be back in the city in a few weeks, we could have dinner.”

“That sounds great, Cordy! I look forward to it.”

“Wonderful—it will be great to catch up. How’s the tiger boy doing? How did that all work out?” Cordy knew what Quincey was up to that night, but she wasn’t so sure Poppy knew, so she played coy.

Poppy flinched a bit, “Oh, fine. Not much to tell right now. And I haven’t seen him lately.”

“Ah, well enough about him. Tell me all about what you and Blondie have been up to since he signed that contract.”

The two of them chatted for another 15 minutes or so, and then Cordy excused herself, saying she had to meet a friend. After they disconnected, Poppy felt a little more cheerful. Poppy couldn’t wait to see her.

Maybe she’ll give me a ride on her motorcycle this time.  

+++++++++++++++++

That afternoon, Poppy picked her mail as usual and saw that the book she ordered on the royal family had arrived. 

Sweet! Some new reading material!

She walked back upstairs to her apartment, and began preparing her dinner. After she was done cooking, she fixed a plate, sitting down at her table. Before eating, though, she started sipping her wine, skimming the book’s table of contents and list of figures. She made note of several chapters that she specifically wanted to read, especially on the chapter on Asura, the Great Uniter, the kingdoms of the region, and Tsagaan, the King sent into exile. She flipped through the illustrations, most of which are in black and white, but paused to look closely at a few color ones and was fascinated. What particularly caught her eye was another, different portrait of Ulaan, one of him by himself alone in full armor, atop his war horse. Without any doubt, she can see that Tora has this same majestic face. 

She queued up Netflix, wanting to watch “Memoirs of a Geisha,” but it’s not available on the streaming service. She’ll have to find out if she can stream it elsewhere, the library maybe? Gosh I’m on such an Asian film kick, aren’t I? 

In the search results, she discovers something perfect to watch instead, given her focus on the exiled royal family—a Chinese series she hasn’t watched before, “Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures ,” a royal romance, and fires up the first episode. She soon drifts off to sleep, dreaming she’s a palace princess herself.

Chapter Text

Day 12 - Sunday

In the guard booth where he works at Poppy’s complex, Gyu sits in front of his laptop, booting up his data analysis software, a program he wrote himself. He made the decision to install another jammer and other safety features within the booth, without management’s knowledge of course, so he can continue to work on his hacking. 

He had just finished downloading Tora’s text messaging datastream yesterday evening after he got home from one of his many work shifts, so he hadn’t had a chance yet to review it. As soon as the software finished opening and he was on an encrypted WiFi connection, he began preliminary data analysis, focusing on the last seven days the phone had been active and receiving messages. He’ll do the same process on Tora’s burner eventually, but he’ll need to find it first, since he doesn’t have all of the information on it in his tech database, nor did it have any data stored in the cloud. It was used and purchased that way anyways, a throw-away phone, not meant to be so easily tracked or analyzed. 

The beginning sweep of the information ended quickly. He noticed that the last text received was on the same day he disappeared.

That really bums me out, Big Bro.  

And the last text Tora received was from Vincent. And it does not say much:   

Vincent: @Tora >> The usual place. 30 minutes.  

That is not a lot to work with.  

He realizes, then, that he will need to go back and review all the previous texts Tora had received from Vincent in order to compare them, to be sure they are consistent or not. He may even ask Quincey to help, as he is more adept in writing and words than he has ever been. But Gyu also admitted to himself he had a small bit of doubt, wondering if there were more to it, in its brevity, or if perhaps it was a bit suspect.

I wonder if this text, even the data on his phone, has been tampered with, especially since he’s missing.

He knows that the Clan has numerous secrets and uses a lot of different tools to divert from the truth. Heck, he’s even helped fabricate some of the false information used. So even if he couldn’t see it on the screen, he had a nagging feeling he’ll need to do a deeper analysis of the data, particularly on the actual phone itself and its metadata, if he can find it.

Whatever this text means, piddling as it is, it is enough information to report to Martin. He’ll share his suspicions and a more complete interpretation with Quincey later, at their next reconnoiter.

+++++++++++++++++

Day 12 - Sunday

Poppy slept in for a change, then ate a late breakfast. She spent the rest of the morning doing minor housework then lazed around her apartment, watching another episode of “Yanxi Palace.”

By noon, she got back into bed and started reading the book on royal history in earnest. Before she knew it, a few hours had passed by. She thought more about what she had just read—about Ulaan, the Great Uniter, also called King Asura, the Great Warrior King of the North, and the Northern Demon Asura, and his Queen, Yuwa, and the story of how the four warring kingdoms within the region were united under their rule.

The book contains only minimal information of course; Poppy knows that the story of “the Great Uniter” and the unification of the four regions and its kingdoms includes how Ulaan and Yuwa met and fell in love, and how Yuwa played a significant role in convincing Ulaan to end the war. 

It wasn’t that she manipulated or connived him to achieve this, but rather it was more—it was Yuwa’s demeanor, and, heck, her determination and philosophy of nonviolence and benevolence, that helped eventually convince him that violence and war were not the way. It was actually his love for her that helped Ulaan seek peace and unity—achieve an end to the war—that finally convinced the great warrior king to put down his sword. But much of that part of the story isn’t in the book though is it.

She then remembers a neat webcomic she read while doing her searches, a graphic retelling of the story, focusing more on their love story and the mystical legends of the Okuri Inu. 

I’ll have to find that link again and reread it. Sigh. I’m always down for some smut, but romance? Gosh, I’m definitely a sucker for that, especially interweaved with so much historical drama. A love story that truly shaped the region for years to come. 

The illustration contained in the middle of the chapter included a map of the region at the time, and Poppy marveled at its detail. One portion of the map had an asterisk legend, and a note at the bottom, saying “Ulaan consistently moved civilians from the north to adjacent conquered kingdoms in order for them to avoid drought and famine.” 

The map also included areas previously conquered by Ulaan. It marked the Qian-Li Kingdom, the strongest kingdom in Eastern Region at the time, as well as the Shan Kingdom, and several areas that Ulaan had already conquered or had previously invaded. Poppy remembered seeing a similar map in the webcomic, but that one highlighted the route of Yuwa’s caravan and other locations revealed within the love story, those that were not as important to the overall story of the uniting the regions.

The Qian-Li Kingdom had the largest army; in order to form a unified alliance against Asura, it was arranged for Yuwa’s older sister, Eldest Princess Yujen, be wed to the eldest son of the Qian-Li royal family. But apparently Yujen balked at the arranged marriage and escaped, so Yuwa, Fourth Princess, offered to take her place, as a stand-in, until she was located. Poppy understands that this was a common practice in royal marriages during these times, where a symbolic replacement would be sent in place of another. 

I know, of course, that the prince wasn’t going to actually marry Yuwa instead of Yujen; rather, the intent was for Yuwa to serve as a royal symbolic representative of the Shan kingdom.

She sat up, grabbing her laptop, and started typing up some notes about the story, adding the content she remembered from the webcomic. 

While traveling to the Qian-Li Kingdom for the arranged marriage, Yuwa’s caravan was raided by bandits. All of the Shan Kingdom soldiers are killed, Yuwa’s handmaid escapes, but she herself is captured and locked up, told that she is to be sold to the “Northern barbarians.” Before long, however, along the way south, the hijacked caravan meets a Northern soldier—a post-conflict, weary one—Ulaan traveling incognito. They immediately threaten him, of course, and he, being conqueror and warrior, decimates almost the entire group of bandits. Through some trickery, two of the remaining bandits convince Ulaan that their leader was hiding in a locked wagon. Ulaan, being thorough, decides that he will confront the leader, most likely to kill him. But instead of the bandit leader, he discovers the beautiful Princess Yuwa. Ulaan decides to take Yuwa prisoner and to take her to his camp in the North.

Why didn’t he just leave her? Because she’s a princess? Hmmmm... 

In order to protect herself, she tells the Northern soldier she is Yujen, believing that if she presents herself as First Princess, she will have more value and importance. They face some minor adversity (and engage in some heavy flirting, snorts Poppy, remembering the webcomic) during their journey. Ulaan and Yuma finally arrive at his Northern camp, and Yuwa finally realizes that he is, in fact, the Northern Demon, King Asura. 

Ulaan seems intrigued (and entranced) by her, even though she is literally the enemy. He agrees to release her and let her go back to the Shan Kingdom. Yuwa in turn discovers that Ulaan is not the savage barbarian king the Eastern kingdoms thought he was. He is admired and respected by his subjects, and fights alongside them in battle. Yujen is still considered missing, so Yuwa’s cover story remained intact, but only for a short time. As she spends more time with the Northern king, Yuwa decides that she can no longer deceive him about her real identity and tells him the truth. It is not long after she reveals herself when the plot to topple Asura was revealed. 

The Qian Li Kingdom viewed the Shan Kingdom as a strategic location and sought to build an even larger army of allied troops. Ulaan discovered that the Qian Li king was preparing to invade the largest civilian city in the West, and that for every day he did not surrender, one civilian family would be executed until none were left. It was also revealed that Yujen was already forcibly sent to the Qian-Li Kingdom and married to the prince. The Northern advisor planned the whole thing—the arranged marriage, the alleged disappearance of Yujen, the bandits, Yuwa taking Yujen’s place, the route of the caravan, and Yuwa herself. It was all done as an attempt to delay Asura’s return to his kingdom.

A lot of this happened before Yuwa even left her kingdom to travel. Wow!  

The allied kingdoms needed time for everything to come to fruition, so the unified army could launch their attack. At first Ulaan accused Yuwa of complicity, but she confessed she knew nothing of these plans, only that the Shan advisor coordinated the whole thing. She told Ulaan that he could choose to believe her or not, but it was the truth. 

Other writings she remembers reading implied that the Northern advisor specifically trained Yuwa to be different than her sister. 

She stops typing and thinks through more of the facts she has been able to confirm from the book.

Yuwa had not only a beautiful face, but a beautiful soul. Huh, it ends up the advisor was mistaken, wasn’t he. He taught Yuwa too well. He also didn’t consider that Ulaan wasn’t the uncaring savage ruler he thought he was. Ulaan was actually regretful, hating war and death, but ever dutiful, he still fought for his kingdom. But still, he believed Yuwa, and fell in love with her. He vowed to bring peace, for her. Lord, isn’t that the most romantic reason ever to end a war?!?

Eventually, the Eastern kingdoms were invaded by Ulaan’s Northern army, and the entire Qian-Li royal family was beheaded, with the exception of Yujen. Ulaan also allowed the Shan King to remain on the throne, and in return he asked for Yuwa, to be his wife, his queen.

I know that everything was planned by Shan advisor, and, interestingly enough, he was from the north. His plan actually succeeded in some respects, but ultimately it backfired. The advisor had planned on it all leading to the demise of Asura. But instead, it resulted in the region uniting under Ulaan, mostly due to Yuwa.

Getting drowsy, Poppy saves her work, closes her laptop, and shuts her eyes. Soon she falls asleep and begins dreaming.  

+++++++++++++++++

Poppy is riding in a carriage, dozing, when it suddenly comes to a stop. She looks down. She is wearing a beautiful dress and a warm white-furred cloak. She then hears shouting and the clashing of swords. Suddenly, her handmaiden appears at her open side window, informing her that they are under attack.  Poppy shouts to the woman to escape and to inform her father what is happening.

She seeks to escape herself, but can’t fit through the window, nor does she have any weapons with her in the carriage to defend herself. Before she can further strategize, a brutish man opens the back door of the carriage, leering at her, saying she will fetch a good price.

They’re going to sell me?

The man then grabs her, pulling her out of the wagon, and brings her in front of a shrewish man, with a long beard and mustache. He doesn’t directly address her, instead discussing her worth again (a fair price for the barbarians in the North?!?).  

They strip her of her warm fur cloak, giving it to their leader, and then throw her into an emptied wagon, locking her in, and then start traveling south. Ever feisty, she yells and screams a number of threats, but they do not listen to her.

She sits shivering, wondering if rescue might be imminent.  After some period of time, the caravan stops yet again, and she hears a man with a deep voice conversing with the bandits outside. She can’t really decipher what they are saying, but within minutes, she hears the sounds of swords clashing and grunts of men, mostly likely being cut down. Eventually it stops.

While mostly quiet now, she does hear one or two men conversing with the man with the deep voice. This man is now getting closer to the wagon, and realizes he’s talking about the leader being the one locked inside, when he doesn’t realize she’s the one who is actually trapped.

She hears a loud thump and scrape, as the lock on the back door is smashed. The doors are then opened by a large hand. Poppy looks up in shock: a handsome man with long black hair, black gauges in his earlobes, a large tribal tattoo on his neck, and lovely, beautiful amber eyes looks right back at her in awe.  

She wakes up startled and breathing heavily. Tora.

Chapter Text

Day 12 - Sunday

After waking from her dream, Poppy gets up out of bed, and goes into the kitchen, preparing her dinner. Clearly reading about Ulaan and Yuwa made her think even more of Tora—that’s why he appeared in her dream. 

I wonder what he’s up to and how he’s doing. I hope he’s okay.  I….miss him….a lot.

She makes a dinner of vegetables and tofu, and sits down with her laptop, deciding that she wants to find out more about the Balthuman Clan, particularly the part of their history involved with exiling King Tsagaan. 

Of course her web search brings up the same website she had found before, when she had her suspicions about Quincey.

What a memory! But she doesn’t want to dwell on that particular memory at the moment. Not after that dream.

She reads the website information again, but it is a bit sparse, as it’s a section of the Narin City records office.

So they’ve been in existence, in power, since the 18th century? Holy fudge biscuits!  That’s a long time. 

She goes back to her search window, and notices another book available to buy, this one about the history of the Balthuman Clan, one that is tagged to be about the royal family. 

I’m going to order this book, just for the hell of it. I want answers, dammit!  

She’s actually a little surprised in her veracity in her need to know more.

She knows that life has been much easier the past few days with as many distractions as possible. She is always immensely busy at work, of course, but still she needs to keep her mind as busy as possible, most especially when not working.

She also resolves to ask Quincey if there were anyone she could talk to about the Clan’s history. It’s doubtful that he will know anything, if there were any de facto historian, or that she’d even discover anything of substance anyways, but she is determined to find out more.

You won’t find out if you don’t ask, Poppylan!

She finishes her dinner, and decides to queue up one of her all-time favorite movies, “My Neighbor Totoro,” settling in for the night. As the credits roll, she shuts down her laptop, turns her lamp off, and pulls the covers up to her face, hugging her Tototo plush. 

That night she doesn’t dream.

+++++++++++++++++

Day 13 - Monday 

Quincey received a text late the night before from Martin, telling him they will be meeting the next day at 8 am.

He rolled his eyes when it popped up on his phone as he was getting ready for bed.

Typical. Infuriating, but typical. Man doesn’t even realize I have things I need to do, that I actually work for a living!  F*cking bastard!  

He had no choice but to text him back to confirm it.

It was now 7:58, and he’s now sitting in his living room, waiting, while Smithy stands out on the balcony, smoking, when there is a knock on his door.  

Quincey watches as Smithy hears the knock, comes inside, walking over to the door, then looks through the peephole.

“It’s him with two men. They’re Clan men.” 

“Okay, let them in.” Quincey moves to stand next to Smithy as the door opens, greeting Martin with the fakest smile he could muster.

“Welcome, Martin! Please come in, make yourself comfortable.”

Martin, and then Claude and Scharch, enter the apartment, and then walk toward the living room. They all sit, but are quiet for a few minutes.

Yep. It’s the douchebag himself, with his touchhole lackeys. I’ve made it this far in life, I can make it through one of these shit meetings with this bastard. 

“Alright, Quinceton. You know why we’re here, and what we want to know. Tell us everything you know, and don’t leave anything out.”  

Quincey can barely tolerate Martin as it is, but this f*cking superiority complex he’s giving off at the moment is making him furious. But he knows that in order to find Tora and keep him safe, he’ll have to dust off some of his acting skills and suck it up.

“You’re here about Tora, of course. Father informed me that I am to cooperate with you fully, which I will absolutely do, of course.”

Claude and Scharch look at each other, with a sneer on their faces. Quincey knows how much they both despise Tora. But in reality, he also knows they are actually pretty much terrified of him. Quincey also knows none of them like him either.

“Spill it. Tell me everything. NOW!”

“Well, Martin, I don’t really know anything more than you do. He’s disappeared. My Father thought he was working with me, while I thought he was working for Father. It wasn’t until Father really needed him when we all discovered he was MIA.”  

“Do you have any idea where he was the day he was last seen, before he disappeared?”

This was one thing Quincey did know—he was with Poppy, but he was NOT going to volunteer that information, even if it were the last thing he did. 

“No, I do not.”

“No matter, Vincent has informed me that I have access to Tora’s tech expert—what’s his name? Ronzo?”

“Gyu. His name is Gyu.” Quincey flinched at the use of the less-preferred nomer. 

Good thing Gyu’s not here, he’d flip a gasket!

“Gyu. Right. Anyways, I will be talking with him and will get him started to examine any technical angles, or advanced ways we might use to search for Tora.”

Martin did not disparage Tora as much as Quincey though he might, but he knew that it was likely too good to be true.

“And that disrespectful motherfucker better not be messing around. The Clan will not tolerate disobedience. But we will find him, come hell or high water, dead or alive. Do you understand?”

Geesh, sounds like my old man talking.

“Clear. Crystal clear.”

Quincey typically abhorred violence, but boy did he want to smack this asshole in the face, with gusto. Hmpf.

“Do you have any other questions for me, Martin? I have work to do.”

Martin gave him a nasty look. A completely disrespectful one.

“No, not now. I may have more questions for you in the future. Make sure I can reach you at all times.”

“Of course! As I told Father, I am at your disposal. Tora is a reliable, adept bodyguard. I want him back, of course.”

Claude and Scharch sat there looking at Quincey with disgust on their faces. They had not uttered a word since they arrived, but their body language and grimaces throughout the brief meeting spoke volumes. 

They hate his guts and want him to stay gone. End of story. Good heavens, this is just the WORST.

Martin didn’t say another word. He, Claude, and Scharch then got up and walked out. 

After the door clicked shut, Quincey sighed loudly. The jammer was not yet installed, and Gyu had not given him his burner phone yet, so there was not much he could do.  He’d have to wait until he saw Gyu again to figure out how to tell him about the meeting, what was asked, and what wasn’t.

Tora, what the actual fuck are you doing?!

+++++++++++++++++

Poppy woke up the next morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, raring to go to work. Despite her dream the night before last, the reading and writing about the royal family had her soothed, somehow. She ate a quick breakfast, packed her lunch, and ran out the door to make her way to Giant Goldfish to start out a new week, refreshed.

Within 30 minutes, she walked in the door, and Erdene greeted her before she could sit down.

“Hey, good looking, how was your weekend? What’d you do?”  

Definitely don’t bring up Tiger boy, thought Erdene.

“Well, I finished a painting I’ve been working on, and started reading this great book on the exiled royal family. How about you?”

Erdene starts in about her wild, boisterous weekend, clubbing with some high school friends who were visiting from out of town and a bunch of other things she did that weekend. 

Same ole Dene! I’m so tame, compared to her!

Soon, they both sit down at their work stations, getting to work. Poppy is completely concentrating on Quincey’s edits of a Lam book chapter, when Erdene comes waltzing up to her, quite excited.

“Hey, guess what! They just delivered the mock-up art for the new Lam book cover. I’m going to go pick it up downstairs. Do you want to take a look?

“Sure!”  

Poppy already knows what the artwork is—it’s the portrait Poppy painted for Mr. Lam; he had already asked Poppy if it was OK to use it for the cover. She is of course touched that he would want to use it. Erdene and others at Giant Goldfish haven’t seen it yet.

Erdene steps out the door, going downstairs to the building’s mail room, and is back within 5 minutes. Holding a large posterboard, she walks down the hall into the conference room, placing it on an easel. Then she calls Poppy and Jacob in to look it over.

As Jacob then Poppy walk in, Erdene begins to share how pleased she is with it.

“This is such a beautiful painting, Poppy! I love it!”  Erdene squeals, giving Poppy a little side hug.

“Yeah, you are pretty talented, Pops!” Jacob concurs.

“Thanks, guys!” Poppy is a bit emotional by the use of the portrait and the praise—so she blushes a bit.

“Well, Gil won’t be in any time soon, but he said the approval is up to Lam and you, and to a lesser extent Quince, but if you think it’s good to go, when we’re ready, we can go to press! I think I’ll leave this here for now.”  

They were in no rush, so she knew that Quincey would see it the next time he’s in the office and could approve it then. They all went back to their desks, returning to work.  

Poppy sits down, but can’t help but remember when Tora delivered the actual portrait to Lam at the airport for her. She remembered how she wasn’t even sure Lam would like it, and the interaction with Tora while she finished it on the rooftop?  She blushed at the memory of... that.

He showed up unexpectedly that day, that’s for sure. But his visits are never unwelcome.

They had quite a serious, tension-filled conversation about the picture he took of her. She knew he had already deleted it, but she had to know why he took it in the first place. Even though they talked and she got a little more information, she knows he didn’t tell her the full story. She wonders if she ever will know the full story.

Poppy sighs as she remembers how Tora offered to deliver it, and of course when he asked for (and got) his reward. After watching him tap his cheek, expecting a quick smooch there, she knows how much she surprised him, being so assertive, giving him that kiss on the lips.

He is such a good kisser, recalling his soft lips on hers. She may have never been so bold, if she hadn’t read that Secret Garden passage right before he appeared. She sniggered a little bit when she recalled shoving him down the stairs.

She knows she has a tendency to react in such abrupt ways when she’s flustered.

Julri, that shithead was just too predictable to take such chances. Julri made her question everything she did, say or do, so she would have never even thought of kissing him without asking or an invitation. He hated spontaneous stuff like that. But Tora was so not, Julri. SOOO NOT. 

She sat at her desk, still blushing, touching her mouth at the memories, when her phone started ringing. Back to work!  

I can't even begin to think of all those other kisses from him, or I will never get any more work done!

+++++++++++++++++

It’s late evening, and Quincey is relaxing, drinking a glass a wine when there is a light knock on his door. 

Who could that be at this hour?

He walks over, looking through to the peephole and sees Gyu. He immediately opens the door.

“Hey, boo boo, I wasn’t expecting you!”

“Hey bro, I have a present for you.” Gyu gives Quincy a long look, as if he didn’t want to elaborate on it, but to also emphasize it’s importance.

“A present? For moi?” Quincey gestures with his head for Gyu to come in.

Gyu hands him a plain white plastic bag, and Quincey looks down into it, and then back up at Gyu’s face with a questioning look on his face. What is this?

“It’s that thing you always wanted that you asked me to get, bro.”

Ah, I think it’s something we already talked about. Got it.

“Wonderful! I hope it wasn’t too difficult to find it.” 

Until we get everything to Gyu’s satisfaction, we’ll have to find ways to communicate, thought Quincey.

“Nah, not at all, bro. Can I come in for a few minutes?”

“Sure.” He gestures toward the couch in the living room, as he walks over to the kitchen for another glass of wine.

“Drink?”

“No, thanks. I just want to be sure you’re okay to use the gift I brought you, you know, to make sure it works?”

Ah, he wants to make sure I remember what it is, and perhaps we can compare notes.

“Sure, boo.”  He sits down next to Gyu, who pulls the burner phone out of the bag and turns it on, and hands it to Quincey.  He had put a handwritten note on the screen for Quincey to read.

The note reads:

I purposely dropped by without telling you to keep people off our trail. This is the burner I told you I was buying. Until I get the jammer installed, we should not talk, text, or call each other unless its meaningless to the Clan and to the search for BB. This is like a normal phone, and my burner is already programmed. We will have to come up with a system to share things w/o being obvious for the next couple days, even if we text or talk. I’m hoping with your skills, we can come up with our own code just in case we are compromised. Give me a big smile, then make sure to burn this note.

After reading the note, Quincey looks up at Gyu with a huge grin on his face.  

“Oh, honey, it’s perfect! It’s exactly what I wanted! Thank you!” Quincey locks his eyes on Gyu’s, making sure he can tell that he most definitely understands.

“And tell me about your day. Mine was dreadful! I had a visitor and, well, let’s just say it was a bitter reunion of a sorts.” Quincey continues to look directly at Gyu with a serious expression on his face. None of this is new information, so it’s safe to say it.

Gyu knows that Quincey would have to meet with Martin at some point, so he could only guess that’s who his visitor was that morning. Once they get all the security set up, they will have to talk more about what questions he asked, who’s working with Martin, and what they already know.

I think we are on the same page, bro, so for just a little longer, we’ll just have to do this, I promise it will get easier.

“Oh, that’s too bad, bro. Mine was spent at work, you know, drudgery watching people come and go. But luckily I have my laptop with me, so I can keep myself entertained.”  Gyu returned Quincey’s gaze, hoping Quincey knew what he was up to.  

Quincey nodded his head slightly, knowing that Gyu had his tech stuff to work on, and is considerably relieved that he has found alternate ways to keep at it, given that he had to stick with only working in his place, it would limit what he could do.

Got it, boo boo. You go, dude.

“Well, thank you for bringing this to me, and getting it so quickly. You know how much I needed this right away. Anyways, what about that other thing I needed, how long until you can get that to me as well?”

Quincey kept going, believing he and Gyu had known each other long enough to really know a lot of what each was thinking. 

He has to know I’m talking about the jamming stuff, so we can speak freely. 

“Oh, yeah, that. Well, I’ll be going. I have to check on the order, to see if it came in. I’ll text you when it arrives, so I can bring it to you without delay.”

Gyu walks over to the door, Quincey right behind him. Gyu reaches for the doorknob, and before he turns it, Quincey places his hand on his shoulder and squeezes.

“I want to thank you for everything. I know this is not easy, but I simply want you to know that I will do everything I can to pay you back for helping me.”  

“Thanks, bro. I’ll be in touch.”

Quincey walks into his kitchen, pulls a lighter out one of his drawers, and lights the note on fire, dumping it aflame into his kitchen sink, watching it burn to ash.

Gyu watches him do this, then opens the door and walks out.  

As long as we can find him, bro, it’ll be worth it.  So very much worth it.

Chapter Text

Day 14 - Tuesday  

As scheduled, Quincey arrives at Giant Goldfish.

“Hello, my lovelies!  Another day, another….load of smut!” Quincey smirks at his silliness.

It’s pretty infectious, his ridiculousness, thinks Erdene, smiling right back at him. Working with such a famous author is not what I expected it to be. At all.

Poppy giggles as well, but her mirth fades as she sees that it is yet again Smithy walking in behind Quincey. Before she can even think of opening her mouth, Quincey flounces his way to the conference room.

“Okay, ladies and gents, let’s get cracking!”  

As he walks through the conference room door, he sees the Lam book cover artwork.  

“Oh, Sugar Pops, this artwork is simply radiant! I love it! I approve it, of course. Dene Bean, can you be sure to let Lam know, hmmm?”

“Of course, Quince. And if you’re okay with it, can I keep the artwork here while we work? We don’t really have any other storage at GG, so I’ll have to find a home for it.”

“Oh fine. What if you framed it and we can hang it up on one of the walls in here?”

“That’s a great idea. I’ll look into that.” 

Why didn’t I think of that, thought Erdene. She really didn’t like all the inspirational shit currently hanging on the walls at Giant Goldfish. This artwork might make us look a little more legit.

Quincey is so happy after seeing the painting, and quite surprised to see the quality of it. He never realized how talented a painter Poppy is.

l She is good at this. My little Ms. Editor is a woman of many talents. I wonder if Erdene would be upset if Pops did a cover or two for my works. Hmpf. I’ll have to be careful about approaching her about that idea.

“Anyways, where is Gil, is here today?”

Jacob walks into the room, “Nope. He told me he’ll be working remotely until the foreseeable future. Didn’t give me a reason.”

“Hmmm. That’s interesting. You don’t have any idea why he’d be doing this?”

“Not a clue,” Jacob replies.

Quincey has yet to meet the man in person in all his time working with them, and his Clan sensibilities are starting to shift to high alert. 

I’ve been around Tora way too long not to recognize that something stinks. I’m going to talk to Gyu about it.  

“Is there any way we can Skype him, or FaceTime him? He is the director of this company, after all, and I’m the biggest client. And it’s a bit strange I have yet to meet him other than via camera.”

“I can ask, but I barely get an email or text response from him at this point.” Jacob, too, was getting a little put off by Gil’s standoffishness. 

“Okay, maybe a personal call from me later today will help? Anyways, we need to keep on schedule, so let’s get to work.”

Poppy didn’t say anything about the painting, Gil, or anything else, for that matter.  She is trying to be patient, SO PATIENT, but she is still just dying of curiosity.  

What I wouldn’t give to see that goof walk in the room wearing that outfit, the long-sleeved turtleneck, the hat, the boots?  SIGH. 

She knew why he obviously had to wear it, to cover his brand and other tattoos, to hide his Clan affiliation, and always in bodyguard mode when he shows up here. 

Poppy recalls that there have been a few moments, too, like the first day he and Quincey appeared, when he shamelessly flirted with her while he was on duty at Giant Goldfish. 

She smiles to herself, remembering that whole exchange between Quincey and Tora that day, especially how clueless, utterly clueless Quincey was with the sexual innuendo—the size comparison, snigger—that Tora was debating with him. 

That was so hilarious. 

Even she recognized how risqué this repartee was, for fudge sakes. And it was the first time Tora made that little two-finger kiss-kiss gesture at her. Gosh, she was red as red can be when he did that. She still gets that way, every time he’s done it after that day—that gesture never fails to make her flushed and bothered.  

And those illegal dimples!  AHHHHH!

Suddenly she hears Erdene call out to her, “Yo, Pops, you coming?”

“Sure Dene, be right there.”

Quincey is finishing up a text to Gyu just as Poppy sits down.

YM Quincey:  @Gyu>>Boo boo i have a task for you.  I need you to do a complete background check on Giant Goldfish, especially the director Gil.  Something doesn’t make sense. Can you do that for me?

Gyu: @YM Quincey>>you got it, bro. I’ll be in touch when I finish my research. TTYL.

By the time their work session is over, it’s late in the afternoon.  

“Hey, Quince—“ Poppy tries, yet again, to get Quincey’s attention, but to no avail.

“TTYL, fishes! See you again soon!” Quincey quickly leaves, ignoring Poppy, with Smithy walking out, not far behind.

GODDAMMIT. He did it to me again, that fudging pain in the ass. I’ve got to get some answers, and soon. You won’t get away from me again, QB Noyouko, you baby thug! 

+++++++++++++++++

Later in the evening, Poppy decides that she’s going to look into any local historical societies and museums in the area, focusing on both the Clan and the exiled royal family, and decides to start with what she’s found so far, so she goes back, again, to the link on King Tsagaan’s exile, finding and then clicking on the home page of the Narin City Historical Society. She finds a lot of material on the royal family, including a note about there being a permanent exhibit with artifacts dating back to Ulaan and Yuwa’s time. 

I have got to go see that. I wonder if Dene wants to go with me. 

Pulling out her phone, she sends a quick text to her:

Pops: @Dene >>hey any chance you want to go visit the Narin City Historical Society with me?  

Dene: @Pops>>well, dunna kno. I’m not really a stuffy museum type.

Pops: @Dene>>hey there is a huge permanent exhibit about King Asura. You have GOT to take a look.  Check out this portrait.

Poppy sends a copy of Ulaan and Yuwa’s portrait she saved on her phone.

Dene: @Pops>>WTH that looks just like Tiger boy.  OK, i am seriously curious now and have to find out more. Count me in.  We’ll talk tomorrow about deets, etc.  I got a date, so I gotta get ready. K? 💋

Pops: @Dene>>enjoy! See you tomorrow

Poppy closes her phone, and gets back on her laptop. She tries to find the section of the website giving hours and other information for visits, but doesn’t find anything. She does a little more of in-depth scan of the site, and finds a few bits of information on the Clan. She sees there is a text interface to ask questions, 24-7.  She opens a new window, and starts with one of question:

NCHS 24-7 Chat Window:

Greetings. Have questions on the history of Narin City? Ask away!

Hi, is there any information in your records about the exile of King Tsagaan and the Balthuman Clan?

I’m sorry, I can’t answer that question. Try again?

Do you have material on Ivan Balthuman?

I’m sorry, I can’t answer that question. Try again?

She’s getting frustrated.

Is the sky blue?

I’m sorry, I can’t answer that question. Try again?

What are the hours.

Thank you for your question. The NCHS is open Tuesday-Thursday, 9am-4pm and Saturday, 10am-2pm.

OK, that’s something I can use! Geesh. I can share this much with Dene tomorrow, so we can plan a visit.

Of course she didn’t get all of her questions answered, and she didn’t expect to, so she closed the chat window. She should have known it was actually an unmanned chatbot, likely set up to ask basic questions about hours, location, and so forth, just like her last question. If the question doesn’t fall within their specifications or within the coded keywords, you just get the standard “I can’t help you” answer. Typical.

She takes a shower, brushes her teeth, and sits down to watch something. She is of course seeking something to keep her in her Asian-cinema rut she’s been in lately. Anything that will distract me, frankly.  

With a quick search, she finds and watches the first episode of another show on Netflix, “The Untamed,” a Chinese show with subtle LGBT subtexts, about soulmates who unravel a dark mystery resulting a tragic past event. She wonders if Quincey knows the story, as its based on a famous Xianxia novel.  

If this show is good, maybe I’ll suggest that Quincey write some erotica based on it. That man has even more of a thirst for dirty stories than I do. She smiles at this fact, while clicking to start the first episode.

+++++++++++++++++

Later in the day, Gyu texts Quincey with as much of an update as he can, including how he’s found some stuff on Giant Goldfish.

Gyu: @YM Quincey>>hey got a few things for your on that company, Goldfish. It’s a lot to send via text. Should I come to you and give to you at home?  I’m on a shift, but could stop by tomorrow afternoon.

YM Quincey: @Gyu>>that’s fine. Why don’t you come by right before your next shift. 2ish? K?

Gyu: @YM Quincey>>good. I have some other things to talk about, but nothing necess before tomorrow. And that mutual friend of ours? such a reckless driver, ya?

Reckless driver? Ah, Tora. Well, he does sometimes go a bit fast, I don't know about reckless, but the dude can’t park to save his soul.

YM Quincey: @Gyu>>told the man to take it easy, but he never listens to me.  How that man hasn’t wrecked yet is beyond me. What can you do about it tho right?

Quincey wonders if the information has something to do with Tora and his driving—wait, is it about his car? It has to, but they still need to get that jammer installed before they can talk or text about it.

YM Quincey: @Gyu>>And he never manages to get a ticket either. Me? You know my deal—six accidents is six too many. 😋

Gyu wants to tell him that he’s found a couple other ways to track Tora—traffic cams, any virtual tickets (those unholy traffic cameras that give tickets have been recently installed in some parts of the city), and he wants to look for Tora’s car; after all, it has an on-board computer he can hack. 

The car can give me more GPS data that his phone might not contain.  Just more numbers to crunch, but I’ll take it. And we have to find the car before those assholes Claude and Scharch do. I have to believe that Martin doesn’t put all his eggs in one basket. He has to be conducting a parallel search of his own.

Gyu: @YM Quincey>>bro, you r too bad. I gotta go. No rest for us wicked ppl. Got 2 go Night

Every little piece we find out about Big Bro, the closer we get. If we get an inch, we get an inch. Otherwise, we have nothing. Hang in there, bro. We will find him.

Chapter Text

Day 15 -  Wednesday 

No news is...no news, and Poppy feels powerless to find out anything anyways. She has no real perception of how things work in the mafia nor anything of what Tora exactly does, other than his bodyguard stuff with Quincey. She knows he does have his own men—that was evident at the joint party at Fallen Angel.  

He has those men wrapped around his fingers. If he said “jump,” they’d ask “how high?”  And they really all think he's gay? Pfft. Pfft.  

But since she’s known him, Tora had always kept what he did from her as much as possible. She knows that he likely does bad things, really bad things, so ever since she found out, she couldn’t help but think of all the trope filled examples of mafia thugs in movies and television to fill her brain, imagining the worst. And she wondered how much of it was true, or if it even paled by comparison, or if it were not as bad (though highly unlikely).

It is possible that all that stuff is far from accurate. Gulp. I’m thinking it’s probably just as bad as I think it is, but much worse. But what task, what “job,” would he assigned where he'd be out of touch for two weeks, for fudge sake?  Sigh.  I guess I really don’t want to know anyways. But I’m still going to ask Quincey. And maybe Quincey can tell me more about himself, too. I mean two mafia families? I’m gonna make you spill your guts, QB!! 

After working her tush off, Poppy leaves Giant Goldfish to travel home. Her trip is uneventful as it has been most days, but periodically she has a sense that she is being watched or followed. She makes it home without any other issues, and as is her usual routine, she heats up dinner and gets on her laptop. She looks up mafia stuff, not really absorbing any of the information she’s reading.  She searches for a good Yakuza related film, melding her recent Asian movie kick and her looking at mafia lore. She finds a relatively recent film, Outrage. She watches for a short time, but it is subtitled and violent, and she loses interest quickly and shuts it off. She’s not really tired, even though it’s quite late, but since it is a pleasant night, Poppy decides to sit out on her balcony, as the sun sets over the river. 

Gosh it is just so beautiful tonight. This is one of the things that had me sold on renting this apartment. 

Her mind drifts, and she can’t help but recall that one night, with him, right where she's sitting.

Heck, what doesn’t make me remember him.

That exhausting night after chasing Lam, rescuing Benjamin, and the confrontation with Tora at Quincey’s. But it was how it ended, particularly that moment, him sitting where she is now, when he grabbed and held her hand. It felt so good to have a human connection at that moment, after everything she had been through the days before. 

Sure, he was practically a stranger, then, but he was just so good looking and a bit charming, so she indulged herself, letting him hold her hand. He’d done it so many times since she first met him. While he startled her quite a bit with his comments about climbing the fence, the sturdiness of the railing, and the lock on her balcony door, she realized it was the first time she could really be herself around him, especially when it was just the two of them. Her mind fills with a vision of his face, that look he gave her just after he told her he’d never held anyone’s hand before. Not scary, not upset, not judge-y, it was...honest? open? It was actually quite nice. Poppy slowly begins to blush and smile.

She sighs, and gets up and walks back inside to get ready for bed. Before she closes the balcony door, she looks out into the parking lot. Not a lot of cars or activity, as usual, but she smirks to herself and makes an exaggerated gesture to lock the balcony door behind her.

++++++++++++++++++

As he getting ready to leave the complex for the night, Gyu looks up from the guard booth door to see Poppy sitting out on her balcony. He understands that she doesn’t know as much as he and Quincey do.  

She doesn’t have a clue that he’s missing. Thank GOD she hasn’t asked me anything—yet. 

On his way home, he stops by Quincey's apartment. He'd already texted him that he’s on his way, and he’ll fill him in when he gets there.

When he arrives, Quincey opens the door before he knocks more than once.

“Hey, boo boo. What’s up?”

“S’up bro. Hey, you have a spare key to Big Bro’s apartment, ya?”

“Sure. He left it here in case he loses his keys, or, well, for any other emergency situation. You know, so I can hide the guns.”

Quincey whispers the last part, and Gyu rolls his eyes at this silliness.

I know he’s trying to make me smile, but geesh, NOT funny.

“Cool, cool.  I left my, uh, my...one laptop down there and I need to get it. It has that...file I need to read, you know, to be sure I haven’t forgotten the…” He's struggling to tell Quincey what he means without revealing the truth.

Gyu is trying to tell Quincey he needs that spare key, as it’s time time for a thorough search, if Claude and Scharch haven’t already ripped the place to shreds. Tora already has his own security measures, of course, but he isn’t going there to have a clandestine meeting. He is mostly seeking Tora’s burner and any other things that he may find in order to will give them a direction to turn to in their exasperating search for where BB might have gone.

“Ah, say no more, honey. Let me get it for you.”

He walks into his bedroom, and walks back out with a key on a plain silver ring. 

“Here you go. I hope you find what you need.” Quincy lifts his left eyebrow, hoping Gyu knows he’s onto what he needs to do.

I get it, boo boo—you must need to get in there to look for something, anything, ya?

“Hey, I got that last thing you needed me to get for you. Can I come tomorrow afternoon and show it to you?”

“Of course! I’m planning to be here all day. Text me when you get here.”

“OK. Gotta go look for that laptop, then. See you tomorrow.”

Gyu leaves, and Quincey desperately hopes that things will start to get much easier to do, when the jammer gets installed.

Once we can talk freely, maybe we can make some real progress.  That big meanie better be safe, wherever he is!

++++++++++++++++++

Day 16 - Thursday

Gyu was fast asleep after another long night, when the buzz of a received text on his phone wakes him up. He sits up, grabbing it off his nightstand. It’s from Martin.

Martin @Gyu>>Report.

Gyu @Martin>>I don’t have much. Reviewed phone data. Last text was same day he disappeared from Mr. Balthuman.

Martin @Gyu>>Find out more. I know you are capable. Don’t disappoint me.

Gyu @Martin>>yes, sir

He didn’t get any further response back from Martin, and was relieved. He couldn’t stand most of the Clan higher-ups anyways. He was thankful he had as much as he did to tell Martin. Of course, he wouldn’t dream of sharing more of what he’s doing, his deep dive into the data, nor his suspicions. Both he and Quincey are both being so careful of what they are doing to find Big Bro, so he’s relieved the jammer arrived.

I have to get that thing installed at Quincey’s place and FAST.  

He has some time before he has to go over to Quincey’s, so he grabs some leftovers out of the fridge, sits down at his desk, booting up his system, getting back to it, even for an hour.

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu shows up at Quincey’s at 2 pm on the dot.  He doesn’t waste any time chatting with him, he walks to the spare room, turning on the light, and gets started, first installing the server in the ceiling.  This doesn’t take long, and doesn’t let Quincey see it or where he’s installing it.

Next, the jammer goes in the closet, on top of a tray table. It’s not big, and the set up is simple. He’s so adept and practiced at installing this type of device, it takes less than 20 minutes.

He walks back out into the main part of the penthouse, and sits down across from Quincey, taking a huge breath in obvious relief.

“Whew! I don’t know if we could have waited another day. There is so much to talk about!  Anyways, if there has been anything installed here since the last time I scanned, the device will cancel it out, while still allowing us to use our phones and any other networked devices. Your WiFi will function normally as well.”

“Good, boo boo. I don’t need to know all the deets, just that it works, and I can be frank with what I tell you.  What a week! You first.”

“Okay, where to start.  First, I hope you understood that I wanted to look for Big Bro’s car, ya?”

Quincey grinned—“Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking!”

“Good, saves me a few words,” Gyu said with a huff of humor. “I want to find it, of course, as it has an on-board computer I can tap into and analyze. I need to find it before Martin and his goons do. There is a chance there is something else still there, too, stuff only you and I know might be important, so I will be taking perhaps a unique approach to find it.”

“What will you do?” Quincy is simply inquisitive in everything he does. It’s the writer in him and, well, he just has to know EVERYTHING.

“I’m going to do a scan of traffic cameras, you know, the ones they installed not far from Ares Street giving tickets on the spot? It records license plates, and with my mad hacking skills, it should be easy-peasy to hack that stuff.”

Quincey smiles, “Got it. Anything else?”

“Well, the car will be a challenge, as the data is more complex to analyze than a phone, but it will have data that the phone might not.  And I really need to find it before Claude or Scharch, because those f*ckers will rip the car to shreds, literally.”

“Those pigs… I despise those two Neanderthals.” Quincey sneered at the thought of them.

“And I want you to understand—you gotta believe that Martin is doing more than he is, he isn’t counting on just what I find. He’s probably got his own dog to do his bidding, one that won’t protect Big Bro like we are.”

Quincey has to admit Gyu is correct, unfortunately. 

“We now have the jammer, so things will be much easier now, but be sure if you text me anything related to this stuff, you do it HERE and on your burner ONLY. It will be protected here, but not elsewhere. I don’t trust a single motherf*cker in the Clan with this. Tora may be Big Bro, the Tiger of Ares Street, but there are a lot of men who would like him to be GONE, and don’t want him to come back.”

Quincey pales at this statement. “Really? I mean, I don’t know what Father has him do, most of the time. I mean, I think I can guess, but most of what I know is just what he does with me.”

“OK—a partial report on the texting data. The last text he received was the same day he disappeared, and it was from Vincent.  At least it appears that way, but I’ll be honest—given his disappearance, it’s highly suspect.  One of the things I need your help with is reading the past texts Big Bro got from Vincent. You’re a writer and can, you know, check out the words used in the past compared to the recent message. If there is a pattern, you’ll notice it I’m sure. But if it’s not like any of the others, we need to know. It could be a set up of some kind. I don’t know why I’m so suspicious, but hey, this is the Clan. Nothing is ever what it seems, most of the time.”

Quincey nods his head, “Sure, I can do that. Can you filter the data, so I only have to read the texts from Father?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll try. It’s a lot of reading, but we have to be sure. I still need to track the GPS data, which is just so time consuming. Even though I’m trying to track the most recent message, I have to analyze the whole dataset. That will depend on the settings on the phone, his account, and how many messages he’s sent in total. It’s a mountain of data, but it’s all we got right now.”

Quincey also realizes something else: “You mentioned in your handwritten note that we will need to come up with an alternate system to communicate. I think our system so far has worked, I mean at least for me. When you mentioned our friend the reckless driver, I knew what you meant! But it’s practical to do that, for when we are not here, in the company of other Clan members, and, well, when we talk about anything related to Tora with her, Poppy. She doesn't have a clue that he’s missing, only that he’s on assignment. I feel terrible lying, but I don’t think we have a choice at this point. “

“Yes, an alternate form of sharing information is prudent, Quince. And so far, we’ve managed to communicate some important shit, honestly.  And I’d say we avoid talking to Poppy as much as we can, although that might be hard for you, as she’s your editor.”

“True, but I’ve been sticking to business only for the past couple weeks, and if she has asked, I’m as succinct as possible. She asked if I knew where he was, and I just told her the truth—no. She wasn’t happy, but it’s for the best. But I’ll keep off the subject as much as I can, but it’s getting hard to put her off it. She’s...I think she suspects something is up, what, she’s not sure, but she’s a smart cookie, so she’ll keep us on our toes, more than the Clan, probably,” Quincey snorts. 

"And last night? I needed get into the apartment to look for his burner and any other things he may have stashed. I know him better than Claude or Scharch, so I know some of Tora's hiding spots. Didn't know if they knew about the place, to be honest, but wouldn't put it past Martin to find out about it, but they did. Found the burner and some other stuff--toilet tank. An oldie but goodie. But all the guns and ammo? Gone."

"He is NOT gonna be happy about that, but given the situation, I'll buy him a 100 more of them!" I know the dude is all "Guns N Ammo" but seriously, there are always more!

"The couch was slashed open and all the frigging stuffing was taken out and is everywhere.  All his clothes were shredded, and--"

Quincey winced at that fact. Dude was far from a fashion expert, but he was picky about his threads. Those vindictive f*cks!

"Well, everything, ANYTHING in boxes or drawers or cupboards has been dumped, smashed, thrown--all over the f*cking place. It's a complete and utter mess. But I found some stuff they didn't find, and I'll look at when I get home."

Those f*cktwats are gonna get theirs some day, mark my words. Quincey is normally not so cruel or vindictive, but targeting Tora like they are? Dude, I gotta do it--you are my brother, goddammit. CRAP, I'm channelling mom and dad right now--I am getting desperate. 

“I want you go to back as soon as you can and pack up everything, even the broken stuff, and bring it back here, so we can look at it carefully. Since Martin's lackeys have had their chance, f*ck 'em. Leave no stone unturned, so to speak. I'm not taking any chances. I'll contact his landlord and keep the rent up to date. I'll order some industrial totes, and we can store them in my spare room."

"You got it, bro. Right, I’m going to go download and backup the data I have so far on the server. I’ll be doing that periodically and will try to do it when we have our scheduled visits. And I think keeping them random is best for now. If I show up and Martin or Poppy or hell, even your Father is here when I show up, we’ll just have to come up with some excuses.”

“Good work so far, boo boo. I know this is so hard, and, hell I miss the cretin. I wish I knew what happened to him. I really do.”

“You and me, both, bro. You and me both.”

"And I do want to get that information on Giant Goldfish, but we'll do that next time?"

"Ohhh, right, I forgot to bring that with me. Definitely next time. Just wait to you find out."

Quincey is surprised at that comment. Now what?

Chapter Text

Day 17 - Friday

Just as Poppy walks into Giant Goldfish that morning, Erdene jumps on her back.

“Hey, woman, I think we need to have a club date, you and I, tonight. You in?”

Poppy sighed. She wasn’t really in the mood, but Erdene’s enthusiasm--and the big grin on her face--make Poppy change her mind.

“Sure, why not!”  She fakes her peppiness. Fake it until you make it.

“Alright, this boney bitch is ready to par-ty tonight!”  

Poppy can only giggle in response.  

“I’m thinking Club Miracle? It’s supposed to be hopping. I think Quincey can get us in. I’m going to text him now.”

Erdene dances her way back to her desk, with a decided pep to her movements.  She pulls out her phone to text Quincey:

Dene Bean @Quincess>> yo my good smut man, can u get Poppy and I into Club Miracle tonight? Rumor has it u got the touch. 

Quincey opens her text, even though he’s still not really awake yet, and sniggles a little. 

Sure I do. I’m kind of the owner, but I’m not telling her that.

He texts her back to confirm:

Quincess @Dene Bean>> Sure, DB  I have some pull. I’ll give the bouncers your names for VIP access. I may even join you. Dig?

Dene Bean @Quincey>> bless you my man, bless you. TTFN.

Erdene is thrilled. Yes, she shoots, she scores!

“We’re good to go, Pops. Quince will get us in--VIP access no less. Why don’t you come home with me after work, and we’ll get takeout for dinner, get glamorous together. I’m sure I have an outfit you can wear.”

“Sure, Dene. Sounds like a plan.” Poppy is just a little apprehensive, as she hasn’t been to Miracle since that night. THAT night, but dismisses her unease, at least for now, as Erdene is just so thrilled.

Then, they both smile at each other, and each goes to their respective desks to start the day.

++++++++++++++++++

At the end of the day, they arrive at Erdene’s apartment, with Thai food to eat for their dinner. After a delicious meal of Pad Thai and Panang Chicken Curry, they have a cup of tea and dig into Erdene’s voluminous closet.  

Erdene pulls out a short, flirty dusty-pink dress for Poppy to try on. It fits perfectly. The hem ends mid-thigh, and has ruffles on the sleeveless arms, and a wide ruffled hem. Poppy searches through Erdene’s shoe farm (She has so many fudging shoes!), and selects a pair of black velvet 4” pumps with a large bows on the front.

“Ooo, Fancy shit, Pops. Let’s pair it with a pretty pink scarf, or a necklace?”  Whatever. I just don’t really care.

Poppy did feel a bit better, and knows that a night out to let loose will be good for her.

“Thanks, Dene! I feel so free and raring to go!”

Soon, Erdene finds her own outfit, a backless sparkly nude-shaded thing with strappy clear pumps of her own. They both take their dresses off so they can do their hair and makeup.  

“And here is a clutch, so you don’t have to drag your suitcase with ya.” Erdene thinks Poppy’s purse is a monstrosity, but to each their own.

“Thanks, Dene!” It’s a lovely pink satin clutch with just enough space for her phone, money, and lipstick.

“When do you think you’ll be ready? I can call for an Uber.” 

“I should be done in, I don't know, 20 minutes?”

“Sounds good.” Poppy taps away on her phone and reserves a car in no time flat. 

“Done. It’ll be here shortly.”

++++++++++++++++++

They are dropped off at the barrier a block away from Club Miracle in no time flat, and they walk rapidly over to the entrance, going up the stairs. Just as Quincey promised earlier that day, the bouncer has their names, and they are ushered to the VIP section right away.

The club is quite crowded, much to Poppy’s chagrin, as she doesn’t always like such crowded places. She remembers how crowded Fallen Angel was several weeks ago, and this seems even worse. She scans the crowd from where she and Erdene are sitting, and notices several men, sitting on the other side of the lounge, wearing black suits who almost all have the same brand on their neck as Tora--the Balthuman “collar” as it were. So this is a Clan place, I’m guessing? Sigh.

Suddenly, Erdene squeals, and runs off toward the group of men. Poppy now notices that it’s Damien who Erdene sees, and who she hooked up with at Fallen Angel. There is obviously still some chemistry there. Good for her.

She notices Erdene is racing back over to her.

“Hey, Pops, looks who’s here--Damien! Anyways, I’m going to go dance with him, and who knows, maybe….”

“It’s fine, Dene. You go ahead. I’ll get a drink and wait here for you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Really, it’s fine.”

Dene just looks so happy to see Damien, how can I interfere? Let them reconnect.

Dene then walks rapidly back to Damien, and they in turn walk off into the crowd, towards the dance floor.

Hmpf. Okay, then, time for a drink.  She walks over to the bar, and orders a glass of white wine. The people around her are of course talking, and suddenly she hears something that makes her  stand still.

It’s two Clan men, standing at the end of the bar, right next to where Poppy is standing. They look her up and down a bit, and leer, but they are also talking to each other.

“Yo, did you hear about Big Bro?”

“Ya, that’s something isn’t it. What’s the deal?”

“No one knows. I mean the dude is an animal, always gave me f*cking grief, the asshole, so good f*cking riddance.”

The guy he’s talking with snorts but replies, “That bastard can definitely f*ck off if you ask me. Clan’d be better off without his nasty ass, so I hope he never comes back.”

What the fudge are they going on about? Never comes back? Good riddance?!?

She decides to keep listening, but before they continue, a very buxom woman with bright pink hair walks up standing between her and the two men. They stop talking, paying more attention to her. Poppy notices she’s wearing a very revealing top and tight blue jeans, nothing as fancy as the rest of the crowd.

“Hey, Candy, what’s shaking? Can’t wait for yer show,” says the younger of the two men, smiling at her. He’s got a ring in his lower lip, a couple posts in his left eyebrow, and several more rings in both his ears. 

At first the pink-haired woman ignores him, but then turns and smiles at him. “Hey, Clyde, doin' great. Do you wanna party?”

He rolls his eyes and replies, “It’s Claude, honey. CLAUDE.”  

“Whatever… You wanna party?”

“Course. Lead the way.”

The woman seems vaguely familiar to Poppy, but she can’t quite place where she might have ever seen her before. Poppy grabs her wine while watching the interaction.

She sure is...interesting.

Erdene and Damien then walk up to Poppy, and Erdene has a bit of a guilty look on her face.

“Um, Pops, would you be terribly upset if I hang out with Damien for a while? I mean, I know we promised to party, but, well….”

“Dene, it's fine. I’ll just finish my drink, and take an Uber home. I’ll pick up my stuff at your house Saturday afternoon? Sunday?” 

I don’t want to be here anyways.

Erdene gives Poppy a look of relief. “Thanks, sweetie! I owe you!” 

Poppy smirks back at her, nodding her head at Damien.  

Of course you owe me you boney bitch! 

Poppy goes back to where she was standing before, opening the Uber app on her phone. She tries to get one, but there’s a substantial wait.

Fudge biscuits! I forget there are a lot of people who won’t even pick you up on Ares Street!

She decides to look up taxis, and suddenly remembers a certain ginger-bearded taxi driver.  She emails him and crosses her fingers. 

What do I have to lose? I hope he remembers me!  

To her utter surprise, he actually emails her back within 15 minutes. He is technically off the clock, he says, but agrees to come pick her up, and will email her when he’s outside.

Awesome! One connection I’m glad I made. That gives me some time to finish my wine, and then I’ll make my way out the door.  I know I don’t want to stand outside for any period of time, as it's Ares Street, even if he’s going to be out there waiting for me.  

Blessedly, no one else bothers her while she waits.  Whew!  

What she doesn't realize, though, is that the second man still standing at the bar is watching her. He has long swept over bangs and a brand on his neck. Scharch. 

Twenty minutes later, she gets his email, walking out. She quickly takes off in the direction of the blocked street, and sure enough, there he sits, waiting for her. She walks up, getting ready to knock on the driver’s window, and he lowers it before she can.

“Hi, so glad you remember me!“

He smiles back at her, saying, “Hello, Poppylan. I was surprised to get your email. I just clocked off when I got your email, but, well, you know, I couldn’t live with myself if I left you on Ares Street!”

Poppy smiles back at him and gets into the back seat. Those memories of her riding in the cab mere months ago, and the aftermath of that night are just too powerful, and she doesn’t want to think about that night. She gives him her home address, again. He drives off, with Poppy wistfully looking out the window as Ares Street fades from her view.

++++++++++++++++++

Day 18 - Saturday

Poppy didn't really sleep well the night before, but ever predictable, is standing on the roof of her building, readying herself to paint again, as she's been trying to do every week. This time, she decided to paint an alternate version portrait of Ulaan and Yuwa, one based on her dream.

There is just something about them, something so… Alluring? Majestic? Fascinating? They sure are something, thinks Poppy. 

After making a light pencil sketch on her canvas, she starts painting, using the portrait saved on her phone to guide her. Slowly the face of Ulaan/Tora takes shape first. Instead of flowers on his neck, she adds the Balthuman brand. Instead of red eyes, she paints golden ones.  

Why am I so fixated on them? I have to believe Tora is descended from Ulaan. I wonder if he’s even seen a portrait of Ulaan. If he ever comes back, I’ll have to show him.  

That thought--if he ever comes back--echoes in her mind, and she feels so emotional.  She slips in that mode of thinking, again.  

When something... nice comes into your life… you never want it to end. But nothing lasts forever. That’s just how life is. Sometimes things are just...inevitable.

She takes a deep breath, and goes back to painting, focusing on the face of herself/Yuwa next, to make the hair and eyes brown instead of black. She’s so engrossed in what she’s doing, she doesn’t finish until the sun is setting in front of her.

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu picks up the totes from Quincey, and returns to Tora’s apartment to pack things up. He unlocks the door, walking in, setting the totes down, and sighs heavily.

This is just a f*cking mess. I don’t even know where to begin.

He decides to slowly walk through to look over the chaos again, so he can perhaps figure out a starting point. After about 10 minutes of scanning, he notices one of the drawers in the kitchen is tilted weirdly.  

That, Big Bro, is a sign from you. This is where I’m gonna start.

Putting disposable gloves on his hands, he slowly pulls the drawer completely out of the cabinet it's in, it sticks a little but with some gentle pressure, it comes loose. Claude and Scharch have already dumped it’s contents onto the floor, of course, and he’ll pack that up eventually, but what he wants to examine is the bottom of the countertop, above where the drawer sits, to see if Tora has hidden something there. It’s a common place for hiding things, and he’s astounded to think that the two dolts working for Martin had missed this spot.  

Lo and behold, he hits the jackpot. He finds another burner there, taped to the very back.  He puts the burner in his pocket, and examines the bottom of the drawer. At first he doesn’t see anything, but runs his fingers over the surfaces, being insanely thorough, and feels something in the middle, under the rail attached to the bottom. It’s a memory card under a piece of tan packing tape. It’s so well hidden you wouldn’t likely see it with your naked eyes. He carefully removes it, and places it on the counter. He’ll needs tweezers or something to tease the rest of the tape off the card, so as not to damage it. He keeps checking the rest of the kitchen, slowly, methodically. 

After another hour, he finds one more burner in the freezer, in a freezer bag wrapped in foil. Again, sloppy work by Claude and Scharch.  He removes it from the foil, wraps it in a dishtowel, and places it in his other pocket.  He keeps going. 

It’s going to be a long day if I keep finding so much stuff. Are these things that Tora hid, or could they have been planted for me to find? Doesn’t matter--gotta check em out, either way.  

Another two hours later, he’s done about all he can do for the day. He’s exhausted. He pulls out his own burner, texting Quincey.

GyuB @QuinceyB>>yo, bro. At BBs place and found some shit. Have more to do but will get to it tomorrow  let me know when i can come fill you in on GG

QuinceyB @GyuB>>ya? Fill me in tomorrow, say 11? Too early? Let me know.

GyuB @QuinceyB>>11 conf   c u then 

He signs off the burner, and stacks the two crates he managed to fill in the living room next to the shredded couch. 

Another day, another dollar…. Whew. I hope you're okay, Big Bro, I really do.

Chapter Text

Day 19 - Sunday

The next morning, Poppy wakes up suddenly, having slept hard. She didn’t have any dreams whatsoever, and still feels incredibly exhausted.

Yesterday, she was so wrapped up in painting that she completely forgot she left her purse at Erdene’s apartment. She texts Erdene, to be sure she’s home. If at all possible, she’d like to get her stuff back before the work week starts.  

Given it’s still relatively early, Erdene hasn’t replied yet. Worst case scenario? She brings Poppy’s bag into the office the next day. She has her most important stuff with her anyways. While waiting to get a response, Poppy sits and reads more chapters in the book on the royal family.

She becomes deeply engrossed in the reading, and before long, she’s finished the book. There were at least five more chapters that discuss the family in exile, those family members born after King Tsagaan. 

Ever curious, Poppy opens and boots up her laptop, doing a quick search of genealogy sites. She finds one of the most prominent ones and creates a free account. Conducting a search of the royal family, the site brings up a couple family names she never knew about. “Asura” is the name she uses for her search, the only one she knows about and expected to find. But there are a couple other ones she never heard of before nor expected--”Yeke” is one, another, is surprisingly “Noyouko.” 

Huh. As in QB Noyouko ? It’s a royal family name? Coincidence? I’ll definitely have to ask Quincey about that.

She lies back on the floor, book clutched in her right hand, thinking even more. She’s just so stressed and a little overtired.  

She starts musing more about Ulaan’s life, before meeting Yuwa, and she believes there are a great deal of parallels to Tora; she feels he and Tora have more than a little bit in common, not just in their dark looks and tall physique, but personality wise, and with the things they’ve had to do. 

Ulaan was a feared fierce stoic “barbarian” king who Poppy believed was misunderstood. 

He fought with his subjects. For his subjects, not himself. They never detested him, they admired him. He was a warrior king for sure, but he fought because he felt it was his duty, as king, not that he reveled in bloodshed and death. He did so to protect his citizens. He was not cruel. I can go on and on. Yuwa was his catalyst to change the landscape of the region. A muse? Maybe.

The same might be said for Tora, she thought, although she couldn’t confirm nor deny that Tora deals with death regularly. But Poppy feels marginally less naive now, even if Tora would never discuss such details with her, she had her suspicions, especially given his vanishing act.

Is he the same way? Is he misunderstood? Perhaps, but it’s more how he hides, doesn’t share or want anybody to know the “real” him. But I think he is kinda like Ulaan. I know he probably does bad things, but he’s such...such a regular guy, at least with me. I tried to tell him that!  He is a good man, I sense he has a pure soul, but maybe he just doesn’t recognize it in himself? Is he in denial? I don’t think he likes what he does at all for the Clan. I’m pretty certain he despises it, but is he powerless to do anything about it? Is he forced to do it? I think so, yes. And the way he’s always treated me is proof in the pudding. A good guy, perhaps one who is stuck in his own personal hell.

Her heart is just aching at these thoughts, and she doesn’t want to think about him anymore. So she gets up off the floor, getting back on her laptop, and starts another search for her own family, Wilkes, but there is not a lot there. She needs to talk to her Gran, to find out more. She knows her Gran’s maiden name, and her mother’s maiden name, but she wants to get more background from Gran herself, rather than reading half-assed information online. She’s visiting Gran--and Danae and Mirabelle--next weekend, so she’ll talk to Gran then.

Pfft. I don’t have much else to do at this point. I may be grasping at straws, but all I can do is think, think, THINK.

Checking her phone again and seeing that Erdene still has not texted her back, she gathers her painting supplies to finish her alternate portrait. There is not much left to do on it, as she finished so much of it the day before. All that’s left are some quick fixes and some tweaks, and feels satisfied. She leaves it to dry on the rooftop. She walks over to the ledge and sits down, staring out into the river as it slowly drifts by.

++++++++++++++++++

Day 19 - Sunday

At 11 the next day, Gyu shows up at Quincey’s to give him the scoop on what’s found out about Giant Goldfish, and to also give a report on what he’s found so far in the dregs of Tora’s apartment.

They sit down at the dining room table, where Quincey now has set up as a workstation, with manuscripts scattered on one end. He doesn’t have that many guests anyways, so what the hell. Smithy sits in the living room, watching something on television.

“So a lot of what I found is interesting, bro. You know, of course that GG got a huge investment, a big payday from Mr. Lam, and then they signed you on, of course.”

“Yes, I know all of this.” Quincey naturally knows what GG means, haha. And he’s feeling a bit sentimental at Poppy’s fortitude in seeking him out, even with Tora’s warnings, and signing that contract, sight unseen. The rest is history isn’t it.

“Ya, bro, but in truth? The company is now practically bankrupt. I found evidence that Gil has been embezzling money, to pay off gambling debts, and I'm guessing it's owed to the Clan. He has probably has a hit out on him. He's basically been in hiding, practically since Lam’s check cleared.”

Well, that is not what I expected. At all. With this tidbit, Quincey takes his inquiry into a new direction.

“What’s the breakdown of the ownership? Is there sole ownership? A board?” Quincey honestly didn’t know.

“There is a board, and Gil owns 49%.”

Huh.  

Quincey had a thought, a daring one, but with Gil’s bullshit, he feels a bit out of options. For a long time he had the thought to create his own publishing company, and this just might be the opportunity he’s been looking for. 

I’ve hesitated long enough, dammit, and if this isn’t a sign, I don’t know what would be.

“OK, boo boo. I have an idea, based on something I've been thinking about for some time, but first, I need you to find out the solvency of the organization. What would it take me to buy it outright, or at minimum, buy out the board?”

If he could do that, he would then own the majority share. Then he can confront Gil and buy him out too. Given his situation, Gil would be a fool not to sell. Quincey hated the Clan, but if he didn't have the best business sense, then he'd eat a plate of shit. His indoctrination to the Clan had been less than normal anyways.

To hell with the blood and guts, just give me a chance to make a plan. Come up with a plot. I'm good. Real good. Father has no clue about my skills, and I'm going to keep it that way.

Even though it’s likely the Clan would still whack Gil, he's going to go forward.

That’s Martin’s domain, that asshole. He can have 'em.

But he’s not going to share that fact with Gil, the fool. So then he could, de facto, own his own publishing company after all. The prospect of it is actually kind of exciting.

“I don’t think that information is public knowledge, at least I didn't find anything about it when I checked, so I’ll do my usual hacking.”

“Great. Let me know as soon as you find anything out. I want to move as quickly as possible. Now what did you find in the apartment?”

“I did my usual sweep. I found his burner, so that’s good. But I found some other stuff that I have back at my place, stuff that I need to look into more.”

“Oh, and what’s that?”

“First, I found two more burners. This is suspect, as I’m the only one who ever gives him burners, and he goes through them like potato chips. He always gives me the broken ones to dispose of. I always destroy them, so it doesn't make any sense for him to keep old ones. I’m thinking they are part of something he has hidden even from me, from us, or they are plants.”

Quincey nods, the tech stuff is beyond him, but it is worrying. 

What the hell could all that even mean? Keeping stuff from us? Christ, he may be an ornery f*ck and is less than expressive, but he tells me everything, even the smallest bit of whatever, as long as I ask about it.

“And I found a memory card. It was so well hidden, that I almost missed it. I have to load it up on my own encrypted card reader, and I’ll let you know if anything is on it. I filled two of the totes, and I need to go back and finish my sweep and pack up the rest of his stuff. That’s it for now, bro.”

Just more mysteries revealed, and less answers, at least as far as Tora is concerned.

++++++++++++++++++

Day 20 - Monday

Poppy, Erdene, and Jacob are all sitting in the conference room, as they prepare for the weeks’ staff meeting. Gil, ever absent, is going to participate virtually, again. He hasn’t come into the office for some time, since before Quincey signed his contract. But he’s the boss, so they can’t really do anything. Poppy and Erdene both have their suspicions, and are wary what might be really going on with him. 

Jacob boots up his laptop, connecting to the WiFi, and opens the conferencing software. Now they’re just waiting for Gil to sign on. 

“So, are we gonna talk about it?” asks Poppy.

“What do you mean?” No surprise, as Jacob is likely clueless as ever, but then again...

Poppy rolls her eyes. Erdene knows what I want to talk about. 

“I’m talking about the fact that Gil has not set foot back here in Giant Goldfish proper, not since we got the money from Lam and Quincey signed his contract. The last time we all saw him in person was when he asked about that blank notebook.”

“Oh yeah, right. That was pretty strange, wasn’t it. I know he has been making the circuit in conventions and stuff, but I never really cared. I know Quincey was asking about him recently.” Jacob likes being in charge when Gil is gone, so he’s a happy camper.

Before they can continue their discussion, Jacob’s laptop dings, signalling that Gil is connecting. 

“We need to talk about this, and soon.”

Gil logs on, greeting them all, but Poppy notices he looks haggard and unkempt. 

What’s going on Gil? 

The meeting starts, and they each give an update, but Gil doesn’t share anything. The meeting only lasts about 15 minutes. Gil logs off promptly, despite the fact that Jacob is part way through asking a question.

The abruptness of him disconnecting makes them all a bit upset. They sit there quietly, each looking at the other.  

“Okay, I think you might be onto something, Poppy. Now I’m thinking something is definitely going on with him.” The fact that Jacob is now very much alert to what just happened, to how odd Gil acted just moments before, is of concern.

What indeed are you up to, Gil?

++++++++++++++++++

The day progresses, and all of them at Giant Goldfish are fully engrossed in work.  

At noon, Poppy decides to take a walk, needing some fresh air.  Just as she leaves, Erdene hears the PING of an incoming text on her phone. It’s a group message to the Proj. P.P.C. Erdene giggles, and is thankful Poppy is not around.

Mirabelle @Proj. P.P.C.>>Yo, Dene. We’re coming to Moonbright to visit Gran & Poppyseed this weekend. Any news to report on the PPC front? 

Erdene @Proj. P.P.C.>>Really? Good. Woman needs a distraction right now. #truth  have some news tho. Brace yourself ladies. New dude on the scene and is a majestic f*ckable stallion, y'all. He. Is. HOT. 🔥 Let me show you. Pic does not do him justice. There is po·ten·ti·al·i·ty for him to erase that douche canoe from her brain. Narin City is not the famine I claimed it to be. For real.

Dene hits “send” and then prepares to send them a picture, the picture. 

It’s a covert photo she took while at the joint birthday party, one that she’s never shown to Poppy, and probably never will. It’s a photo of Tora and Poppy amongst a crowd of people at the Fallen Angel. It’s when they were all standing at the bar, ordering drinks. He’s standing in the background, and he is flat out staring at Poppy who is in the foreground. Erdene thinks he has an obvious expression of lust on his face, and she was there and witnessed it. That’s why she took the picture, for cripes sake! After the discussion she and Poppy had minutes before, about Poppy insisting that he couldn't have the slightest interest in her, Erdene wanted the evidence, this evidence that it is far from the truth. She remembered that he called out to Poppy, trying to get her attention, but Poppy didn’t notice or hear him. Is she really that clueless, that he is so obviously hot for her? I don’t know. We haven’t talked much since that night. But the girls, Proj. P.P.C., must have this knowledge!

Erdene @Proj. P.P.C.>>witness the stallion, ladies. Discuss and ask her about ‘em this weekend.😉

She watches her phone and then the bubbles appear, as she waits for one of the two to text her back. She thinks this pairing has substantial potential—it’s just that Pops is still reeling from her breakup with Julri. But Erdene has a hunch it’s reciprocal, and they are sweet on each other. She has hope, after all.

Mirabelle @Proj. P.P.C.>>🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

All those “hot” emojis make Dene laugh her ass off.

Danae @Proj. P.P.C.>>Damn, Poppyseed is holding out on us!!! There is hope for her yet! We will be definitely asking her about him. But we all know how the little squishee gets when we ask her about boys. We know how much that dick Julri hurt her. That and she freaks when we ask her about about, well, you know. Her sex life.

Erdene @Proj. P.P.C.>>No rest for the wicked. DO IT. Just don’t show her the pic, tho. I’m keeping that secret for now. Project PPC just might be back on track, ladies.

Mirabelle @Projc. P.P.C.>>K. More later. TTYL.

Erdene smiles to herself.  Yes, I’m gonna make sure PPC is definitely back on track.

Chapter Text

Day 21 - Tuesday

It’s another workday at Giant Goldfish, and despite yesterday’s meeting, Jacob, Erdene, and Poppy do not discuss it, nor what might be going on with Gil. Poppy tries several times to bring it up with both of them, separately, but they simply refuse, saying they don’t want to talk about it. 

She travels home that night, and is happy to find the book she ordered on the history of the Clan has arrived in the mail.  

Grabbing the rather thin package, she rushes up the stairs, unlocking her door hurriedly.

It’s rather...sparse isn’t it, she remarks to herself, as she rips the cardboard open.  And it is disappointing. It’s more a picture book than a manuscript, a real book. Not that she doesn’t love picture books, she has a few art books on her bookshelf, after all.

The book has a large Balthuman Clan crest on the front cover, and she flips through the few pages there are, a bit dejectedly. She puts it on her short table, deciding she’s going to hold judgement until she can really sit and pay attention to what she's reading.  

She heads off into her bathroom and takes her work clothes off. She pulls out and puts on one of her favorite pajama sets—the ones with the “donut ask me any questions” on the shirt, and all kinds of little dancing donuts on the pink shorts. She wants comfort tonight. 

Pfft. I always want comfort don’t I.

She heats up some leftover stir fry for her supper, taking it outside, sitting and eating it in silence on her balcony, while watching the sun set over Narin River. She feels particularly weepy, but not sure why. 

It’s been three weeks, that’s why. Sigh. Where the fudge is the joy in your life, Poppylan? 

But, she actually starts to psyche herself up, and suck it up a little bit.

Ack! What are you doing to yourself?

She starts to think of all the stuff that’s happened to her in the last three months, all the good things. And, well, there is a lot for her to list.

For fudge sakes, I just signed a world famous writer to a three-year contract, the biggest deal I could have ever made—did make—in my career. I have a job I friggin love, good friends, and… and…. Yes, I met HIM.

She sobs a bit, because, well, that’s life. 

Yes, I do have a hole in my heart, I know, but that’s only because I purged that rat bastard creep Julri out. He took up way too much real estate there, if you ask me. Now I’m becoming more myself now, am myself more than I have been in years. My heart is healing, bit by bit.

She continues to gaze out over the river, arms crossed, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. 

Just a little self-soothing, yes? 

She smiles and wipes the few tears that had slowly crept down her face while she sat there.

I know I need to take a bit more time to fill it back up, fill the hole, the aching hole, and to do it for me, and me alone. I know there are losses in life, that there are disappointments, and always will be. But I am alive, I have a roof over my head. I just need to take care of myself.  

Taking a deep break, she goes back inside, locking the balcony door behind her.

Don’t do it, Poppylan, don’t think about it. Get back on track, girl. 

It’s just a flash of memory, and before she succumbs to it, she gets back on track and pushes it out of her mind.

She grabs the Clan book off the table, then sits down in her bed hunkering down in the comforter, and opens it. She skims the table of contents, and there are only about five chapters. The first chapter is about Baron Ivan Balthuman II, the man who deposed King Tsagaan, and each subsequent chapter covers eras, rather than other Clan leaders. The most recent chapter only covers up to about 1970. Disappointing.

She still reads it, cover to cover, looking closely at all the photos. Nearly every Clan leader depicted has white blond hair and blue eyes. What a contrast to the dark raven colored hair and mostly dark eyes of Ulaan and his progeny of the royal family.

I really wanted to find out more about how Ivan specifically overthrew the monarchy. Guess I have to keep searching. And I need to figure out how I might approach Quincey to perhaps talk to someone in the Clan. Do they have their own historian? 

She knows that the stuff with Clan, anything to do with the Clan, makes Quincey incredibly uncomfortable, so any attempts to talk with him will need to be nuanced and well thought out. She also contemplates that it might even be the right time to ask him who the second family might be, as he revealed before, after that text conversation with Lam revealed he was not just Baby Thug Quincey, not just QB Noyouko, but Quincey Balthuman, who is not just Balthuman Clan heir, either, but heir to two mafia families. 

Time for you to reveal your secrets, Quincey. I’ve been patient long enough.

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu sits at his laptop, staring at the results that just popped up on his screen. He’s a bit shocked, stunned at what he’s discovered. He’s found Tora’s car. The search didn’t seem to take any time at all, which he found strange, but he’s also thankful. It was the first chance he’s had to sit down and actually get to work in a couple days, given what he’d found in Tora’s apartment, so he tried. And succeeded. 

It’s in Chīsana, a small town about two hundred miles away from Narin City.

I need to get my ass out there, ASAP. If I can leave at dawn tomorrow morning, I’ll get there by 10 am. That’ll give me some time to crack the onboard computer, download the data, and conduct a moderately paced physical search in the car itself.

He has to leave as early as possible, as he has a shift at the Black Swam. That and he knows the clock is ticking, as he has to covertly arrive before Scharch and Claude can discover the car themselves.

Big bro, you’ve been gone three weeks. I’m so happy to find anything, something that might help us find you.

Gyu texts Quincey that he’s taking a short day trip in the morning, nothing elaborate, and hopes Quincey remembers to check his burner with some sort of regularity. He’s not going to reveal anything via text yet. He wants to get some rest, so he can be fresh in the morning when he leaves.

He hears a PING, seeing Quincey send a quick acknowledgement.  

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy has dozed off while reading the Clan book, and her phone is going off, even though it’s on vibrate mode. She stirs, and grabs it, looking to see who may be calling. It simply says UNKNOWN NUMBER. For whatever reason, she decides to answer.

“Hello?”

Silence. There is nothing. No background noise, no breathing, nothing.

“Hello, is anyone there?”

Still silence. But then hears a very low click, as someone disconnects.

Huh.

Shivers go down her spine, as the eerie call creeps her the fudge out. 

Who the hell could that have been? Why did I even answer? You know, why Poppylan, get a grip. Sigh.

It’s definitely an unknown number, of course, from a town in the region she’s never heard of. Spam call? Robo-call? Perhaps. Not like she has debt collectors hounding her either. But usually those annoying robocalls aren’t so silent. They are generally quite annoying.  

But she doesn’t give the call another thought. She places the Clan book on the floor next to her bed, turns off her bedside lamp, rolling over to go back to sleep, not giving it another thought.

++++++++++++++++++

Day 22 - Wednesday

Gyu manages to get a good night's rest, despite his eagerness to get on the road to Chīsana. It’s going to be a bit of a challenge, as he knows it’s in a police impound lot.

He packs up his gear, specifically his mobile hack kit, a smaller, mobile jammer, gloves, other tools, and the spare clicker for Tora’s car. Thankfully, it’s not the only spare key that Tora keeps at Quincey’s.

F*cking genius idea. I need to do that, too. I’ll talk to him about it.

The drive takes four and a half hours, and he arrives in the small town at 10:45 am.  

F*ck I’m going be cutting it close, but I need to do this, whether I’m late for work or not. I simply need to get to it first, before those incompetent f*cks do.

He doesn’t believe they have found it--yet. He’ll share the find with Martin, eventually, but needs to check it all out thoroughly, first. 

He finds the police impound, and searches for any nearby traffic cameras. He doesn’t find any, as it is a small town after all, but the police impound has at least one camera running. He’ll zap that one, so he can climb over the back fence to do his thing. 

Within 30 minutes, he’s found the car, and it looks pristine. Not a scratch. He is careful, even though he’s already disabled the camera. Even though he’s wearing a mask, he knows he needs to be on alert, to be sure no attendants are on duty, or that anyone discovers him at all.  

Putting his gloves on, he manages to crawl under the car, connecting to the computer box on the axle between the two front wheels. Luckily it’s one of those cars where it is in an accessible spot. Some of them are buried under the engine, nearly impossible to access without either a certified mechanic or taking the entire engine out. Modern technology can actually suck at times.

He manages to connect and upload all the data from the onboard box to his secure cloud account. He’ll access it at home and analyze it when he can. Now, he has to do the physical search. Before he moves out from under the car, he scans the frame. No trackers, no contraband, he doesn’t find anything. Tora doesn’t really deal with the actual merchandise moved by the Clan, but he doesn’t put anything past Martin at this point. He moves back out from under it, and prepares to unlock the car.

Unfortunately the clicker is one that chirps, and hopefully no one will hear it. The car has one of those security systems where you have to use the clicker. If you unlock it with the key, it will set off the alarm. He most definitely does NOT want that to happen.

He hits the button on the remote, hearing the car’s requisite BEEP-BEEP. 

Loud as f*ck if you ask me. Nothing I can do about it.

He then waits for almost a half a minute to be sure no one appears. Thankfully, no one does. He opens the passenger side door, and first searches under the seats. His heart sinks when he sees that Tora’s glock is still in place under the passenger seat, where he always stashes it. 

Not good, big bro, not good.

He takes it out of its holster, keeping an eye out for any ammo stashed there as well, but doesn’t notice any. He makes sure the safety is still on, and places the gun in his backpack. He doesn’t want Claude or Scharch to have it, as they’d likely take it and use it to frame him for something, anything while he’s missing.

Next he moves to the glove box, there is a clip there, so he takes it, but otherwise, there is nothing there but the usual shit, stuff that doesn’t matter. He pulls the lever to open the trunk while he’s on the floor, so when he’s done inside the car, he can swiftly scan the trunk, basically the last place he’ll look before he leaves. 

He next looks under the driver’s seat and then the back. Tora is pretty fastidious about cleaning things up, so much of the rest of the inside of the car is spotless. Gyu thought about wiping all the surfaces down, to get rid of any fingerprints, but thinks better of it. If Martin does find it, he’d be suspicious if Tora’s own prints were nowhere to be found. Gyu wishes he had some sort of tech that could scan for them anyways, but there’s only the low tech option, and he cannot do that—he can’t leave behind the dust, nor does he have the time to do it anyways.

Most of what he finds in Tora’s trunk is the usual stuff he’s always keeps there--a variety of disposal supplies, an old rifle, no ammo for it though, a duffle with extra clothes, and a small hidden compartment under the spare tire, and that’s empty. 

He hasn’t locked the car yet, as he wants to do one more visual scan, from the outside looking in, as one more backup. He quietly shuts the trunk, and gets started with it.

He slowly scans, but knows he needs to get back on the road. He’s just about ready to hit the lock button when he sees something that makes him feel even worse than finding the glock. 

It’s Tora’s cigarettes, sitting in the cup holder. Is it an omen, or just coincidence? Gyu is not so sure which it is.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy calls Quincey at 10:30 sharp. She’d been putting the call off. Mr. Lam texted Poppy last week, saying he will be in town the weekend after next, and would like to have dinner with them. 

She hits the call button on her cell, and Quincey picks up after four long rings.

“Sugar pops! Morning love, how are you?”

“I’m fine, Quincey.” 

She’s okay, but not particularly chipper that morning, despite her self-illuminating session on the balcony the previous night, that and all the things she wants to ask Quincey.

“Anyways, Mr. Lam is going to be in town Saturday after next (DAY 32). He wants to have dinner with us. Is your schedule clear that night?”

“It should be, hon. Let me look.”

She hears him make some noises, not sure what he's even looking at, but waits for him to get back on the line.

“Sure, I can make it. Where do you want to take him?”

“Wherever you want. I don’t care in the slightest.”

“Hmmm, let’s do Clarks. K?”

“Sure.”

“Poppy, I’m still sensing you are upset. What’s going on?”

“Nothing, really. I do have some things I want to talk with you about, but now is not the time.”

“Oh, right. Whatever, you’ve got my digits, so ring me when you want to talk. I’m always available for you, you know.”

Poppy is thankful for him telling her that, she’s just feeling so off that morning. That and she honestly was hoping Quincey might suggest taking Lam somewhere else than Clark’s.  

“Right.”

“OK, spill, Poppylan. I can hear something in your voice. Tell me what’s got your knickers in a knot.”

Poppy sniggers at his use of such an archaic phrase. 

Really, Quince? Only a writer would use a phrase like that.

“It’s just…. Sigh. It’s just that Clark’s is not my preferred spot to go to right now.”

“Why ever not?”

“Did I ever tell you that is where I met Mr. Lam for the first time?”

“No, you actually haven’t mentioned it to me.”

“Yeah, and I have a lot of other memories, ones I…” She stops, as she’s suddenly emotional again.

“I remember seeing a lot of men wearing black suits, I think they were Clan men.”

“Probably were. That’s a common Clan gathering spot, Pops. You didn’t know that?”

“No, not really.”

She decides she has to stop bringing Tora up, especially since Quincey won’t talk about him, and has to stop perseverating about him. His absence is difficult enough. The fact that Quincey won’t talk either, makes it doubly hard. So she doesn’t say a thing about him.

“OK, well, are you still good with taking Lam there? It might be favorable to him, if you say you took him there before.”

You may be right, Quince. But those memories from that day are going to bombard me if we go there, I know they will.

“We have a little time to make a decision about it later. We also have to consider maybe he has his own ideas of where he wants to go.”

“True. Well, I have to go, now. Talk later?”

“Sure.”

She hangs up on him, not even knowing if he says anything else to her. 

Chapter Text

Day 23 - Thursday

Gyu got home from his shift late the night before, exhausted, deciding to spend most of the next day decoding the data from Tora’s car. He can tell the compiling will take some time, as it’s mostly numbers to be translated into some sort of usable form. After waking up, he starts the decryption program then gets in the shower.

Four hours later, he checks the program to see it’s still processing the data. It’s estimating four more hours until it’s complete.

This shit work always drags. F*ck.  

He is too agitated to sit and wait, watching the clock slowly tick down. He has to find something that will be more productive than this. He decides to leave the program running, and goes back to Tora’s apartment for more recon and packing.

++++++++++++++++++

Four hours later, Gyu is back home, just sitting down in front of his laptop, watching the clock timer wind down to zero. He managed to finish the sweep of the apartment, packing the rest. Grueling methodical work, of course, but blessedly, he did not find anything else of substance. He and Quincey are already planning to re-examine every bit of material, no matter how small, together. They both know how they can’t leave one piece unexamined.

As he takes a big sip of his energy drink, the alert blares, telling him the scan is complete. 

Next step? Cleaning it up so I can read it. This should be—will be a snap. Simple search and replace function, to insert some space between entries.

The search and replace function only takes what, 5 minutes, not even? Sweet! 

But now, now he has to find the data from the day Tora was last seen, the day he was with Poppy. Then, it will give him something helpful, likely GPS data every 10 seconds, maybe less? Every car has a different refreshment cycle, so he just has to figure it out. He works steadily into the evening, and finally he has a little bit of data, and it’s remarkable.

He can of course confirm the car was parked outside of Poppy’s apartment for several hours. Then it began to move to a warehouse, one located in a remote part of the Narin River. Then the data gets...interesting. Gyu doesn’t know what to make of this, but it’s not good.

He’s astounded to find out how for several days, it remained at that GPS location, outside that warehouse at the riverside docks for quite some time after he disappeared. In fact, it had only arrived in Chīsana the day before he discovered it there. This made Gyu’s skin crawl, making him highly suspicious. 

He picks up his phone, calling Quincey on his burner. He has to tell him about the other stuff he found anyways, but this? This is f*cking bizarre. Quincey doesn’t pick up right away, likely because the burner is either off or for some other reason. Not really relaxed, he leaves a voicemail message, hoping he doesn’t sound too panicked.

“Bro, got some news. Gotta fill you in about the car. Can you call me?”

Christ, I think I’m gonna throw up.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy is just busy enough she can’t think of anything beyond going home and sleeping. Seriously, Quincey and his beta readings are fun, but exhausting. 

The man is so fudging randy, and the stuff he comes up with? Whew! But I can take it. I’m actually kind of happy that I’m so tired. Then I don’t have to think.

But thinking about not having to think makes her sad. Oh fudge, that didn’t work, did it.

Before she falls further into her funk, her phone starts ringing. 

Who the fudge can that be at 9 at night on Thursday?

UNKNOWN NUMBER.

Shit. She knows she really shouldn’t answer, but, but….

But what if it’s him? What if he needs me? 

She knows Erdene will yell at her, but what Erdene doesn’t know, Erdene doesn’t know.

She swipes the phone to answer.

“Hello?”

Silence. Again. No background noise, no breathing. This time she notices a bit of a hiss, maybe of an open line?

“Hello?”

Still silence. The hiss continues on for another 10 seconds or so. Finally, the low click, disconnecting the call.

Huh. Twice in one week? Should I be worried?

Again, an unknown number, but a different town this time. A lot like a robo-call, but no one spoke.

I need to find out more about these types of calls. Make sure I’m on the Do Not Call list. Do I know any tech nerds I can ask? Jacob maybe?

She sets the alarm on her phone, and gets ready for bed. It will have to wait until tomorrow.

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu is just about ready to go to bed when Quincey finally texts him on his burner.

QuinceyB @GyuB>>boo boo, sorry i didn’t pick up.  B phone turned off. Whoops 😋 What ya got?

GyuB @QuinceyB>>got to the car. Maybe you can call me ya? Lot of stuff to txt to u

QuinceyB @GyuB>>k. Give me sec.

Within 10 seconds, the phone rang, and Gyu answers.

“Thanks, bro. My fingers are grateful. I’ve been on the computer for about 8 hours today.”

“Oh my. Anyways, give me the scoop on the car. You found it OK?”

“Ya, it’s pristine. I got in, dumped the data no prob. No tracking devices or stashes underneath. But I did find something.”

“Tell me. Just keep going. Good or bad, we need something, anything.”

“Right. First, the glock was there.”

Gyu heard the sharp intake of Quincey’s breath at that fact. He knows that’s not good.

“Had a clip in the glove box. Some typical stuff in the trunk. Rifle, disposal shit, standard duffle. Compartment in back empty. Nothing else unexpected. Don’t think Martin or his boys know about the car, yet. Do we tell him or not?  Oh, and one last thing, you tell me if this is substantial:  had a pack of cigs in the cup holder.”

Quincey is quiet, taking in all this information. 

“Cigarettes? I don’t know. You said he was summoned by Father? If so, I’d think it would be likely he’d take his smokes with him. I know doing that shit f*cking makes him nuts. He doesn’t tell me any of the details, but I always know how bat-shit crazy he gets when he has to go. For now, let’s be cautiously optimistic.”

“Right. Then there is the data from the car.”

Gyu pauses because he is still so upset.

“Go on.”

“I’ll spare you the details on how it works, but basically it gives GPS locations in bursts, like every 3 to 5 seconds, whatever the model might have in its specs. Tora’s car was shown to be at Poppy’s for a while, then it leaves. The timing matches the text information I’ve already found. But what is concerning, bro, is that it stops at the Sōko warehouse on the riverfront. It remained there up until the day before I found it Chīsana.”

“Oh my f*cking god, Gyu.”

“Exactly, bro. Exactly. Anyways, we will probably have to tell Martin about how we found the car, but not sure about what else to tell him. I think we should keep quiet about the GPS data and not tell him about finding the gun and clip. I grabbed them, as I didn’t want Claude or Scharch to frame him for anything when he’s not here to defend himself.”

“Agreed. I think we need to visit the warehouse and soon.  What else needs to be done, tech wise?”

Always something tech wise in this world, isn’t there, boo boo.

“Next up, I need to hack the traffic cam data. It will depend on how often they recycle their footage. We may be too late for that, but there is also the chance he got a ticket. That will stay in the system.”

“OK. Let’s not worry about what we’re going to tell Martin until next week. I want us to go to the warehouse, tomorrow? Saturday? Which day best for you?”

“Let me think. I need to check my shifts for the weekend. Can I let you know later? Oh, and I went back to the apartment. Didn’t find anything else, and everything packed in crates. I can bring them over next time we have a scheduled visit.”

“Sure, boo boo, I know it’s late. Text me whatever. I don’t have anything planned this weekend, no dates for the foreseeable future. My love life sucks.”

“You and me both, bro. More later.”

+++++++++++++++++

Day 24 -  Friday

Another Friday, and no Gil. Poppy decides she’s going to take the afternoon off, go home and finish packing, and it’s off to the train station to make her way to Moonbright. 

She’s traveling to visit Granny for the weekend, and is so excited that she’s going to see her cousins who are in town. Since attending flight attendant classes, she’s only gotten a text or two from them, and a few video calls, including the one on her birthday. It will be so good to see them in person for a change.

By six, she’s in her seat, luggage in the rack above her, and she’s watching “Bleach” on her phone. 

She recalls this is one the few shows she and Julri watched together, a few years ago. He talked during it constantly, so Poppy would always have to go back and rewatch any of those episodes. 

Annoying fudging dick.

She suddenly realizes that the last time she rode the train to Moonbright, she was traveling to visit Julri, excited and anxious to see him. That day, that vivid memory of finding him, lipstick all over his face, pants askew, and that skank Mimi, and then she’s just realized that day, that fateful day actually turned out to be one that changed her life, for the good.

In retrospect, after three months--and meeting Tora--she can now see it was a blessing in disguise. But that man, that creep is still affecting her—-still influencing her self-esteem. She’s working on it, Tora has helped too—bless him—but years of being in such a toxic relationship is not something easy to manage, nor something that magically gets better. She’s been cleansing her soul, getting lots of that emotional validation, too.

She decides that she needs to do more cleansing, and not just spiritual cleansing either. And she needs company to do it. She pulls out her phone, and sends a group text.

MsEditor/Pops @Quincey/Quincess @Dene/Dene Bean>>yo its me. On way to Moonbright.  I know you'll both miss my ass.  Anyways, when I get back, we need to declare a spa day. U in? 🍷👑💄💅🏽

Quincey/Quincess @MsEditor/Pops @Dene/Dene Bean>>oh you are so on, Ms Editor. Maybe next weekend? Or we can convince Gil it’s a work related retreat? 

MsEditor/Pops @Quincey/Quincess @Dene/Dene Bean>>🤷🏼dude is MIA today. TBD? 

Dene @Quincey/Quincess @Pops>>f*ck yes woman. Let’s do it. Tell D&M Dene sez 👋 

MsEditor/Pops @Quincey/Quinces @Dene/Dene Bean>>affirmative.  More soon. TTFN

She laughs long and hard at their text exchange. God they are just such good friends. I need more of that, for sure. She needs to remember to tell them both that she really wants to go to one of those places that scrape your skin, as she figuratively wants to slough off the memory of Julri and his f*ckery.

As the train rolls on, Poppy drifts off to sleep, dreaming of one of the best—and worst—days of her life, so far. She doesn’t realize how for the first time in weeks, she thought of Tora and wasn’t sad.

Chapter Text

Day 24 - Friday

Poppy’s train arrives at the station in Moonbright right on time, and Granny is sitting there waiting for her to disembark. Poppy runs up to her and gives her a big hug, and, to Gran’s surprise, starts to cry.

“Oh, my dear Poppylan, why are you crying?” She’s not crying over that no dick putz, is she?

“It’s nothing really, Gran. Just really miss you.” 

Whew. She doesn’t want to tell Gran how she’s weepy because she just remembered the last time she took a train to Moonbright, to visit Julri. She wants to burn the memory of that fudging creep out her mind.

“Well, I am so happy you are here!  Danae and Mirabelle won’t arrive for a couple hours, so you won’t likely see them until you wake up in the morning.”

Poppy sniffs a bit, but doesn’t respond.

Sigh. This girl….

“Let’s get you home, Poppylan. I want to make you some tea, and we can watch My Neighbor Totoro, yes? Your favorite?”

Poppy smiles at that. “Yes, Gran. That sounds heavenly, both the tea and the movie. And...maybe some ice cream, too?”

“You know I can’t tell you no, love.” Gran gives her a big smile. 

They walk out the station to Gran’s car to make their way to Gran's little yellow house.

++++++++++++++++++

Day 25 - Saturday

Poppy wakes up, smelling bacon and eggs. Walking into the kitchen, Danae, Mirabelle, and Granny are all there, rushing to get the kitchen table set, murmuring amongst themselves.

“Good morning!” Poppy says loudly, knowing it will startle them.

They indeed all jump at the sound of her voice.

“Poppy!” Danae and Mirabelle yell, as they both rush over and jump on her at the same time, knocking them all over onto the kitchen floor. 

“Oh, I have been so looking forward to seeing you, lil Poppy Seed Muffin!” blurts out Danae.

Poppy laughs out loud at this new affectation.  

“I’ve missed you guys, too. Video calling just doesn’t cut it, really.”

Shaking her head, Gran interrupts them.

“Alright young ladies, let’s sit and eat before the food gets cold. You have the whole day to catch up, too, you know.”

Getting up out of their puppy pile, and they all sit down, filling their plates, talking about what they want to do with the little time they have.

++++++++++++++++++

After a full day of gossiping, drinking, and fun with her cousins, Poppy is convinced that her cousins are more than likely to shift the topic of discussion, forcing her to face subjects that she could no longer avoid, specifically questions about her love life, post-Julri.

“So…. Pops… Have you found a new man, you know, to replace Mr. Non-Existent Weiner?”

Poppy is grateful Granny isn’t in around, as she promised her months again that she was NOT seeing any new “boys.” 

Well, technically it's true. We aren’t really a couple…and he is NOT a boy... but...

“Well, um, not really guys. I mean, I told Gran no new boys. And… and I have been working to spend some time by myself. I haven’t been myself for a long time; I need to focus on myself for awhile. Julri, he…. he…”

Poppy stumbles and mumbles, mostly because she didn’t want to rehash those events and things yet again—finding Julri in Mimi’s clutches, the gaslighting, and….meeting HIM. 

He's made her feel the opposite. He lets her express herself, acknowledges her feelings, and loves her rice balls. Hell, despite the fact she hurt him, he didn't walk away and let her have some time. And that’s just a start. But she’s still coping. She's getting better, thanks to him, but she has a ways to go.

Poppy is now very quiet and solemn, and Danae and Mirabelle feel a little concerned. 

“No need to continue about him, Poppy. We know all about it. And it’s so healthy for you to take care of yourself. But if you, I don’t know, met someone who could help you, or even distract you a little bit... I hope you wouldn’t pass up an opportunity if it presented itself.”

Mirabelle always made her feel better, but she doesn’t want to tell them anything else, at least not yet. 

Poppy smiles, but decides not to say anything more. She doesn’t want to admit it, but Tora’s disappearance has actually made some of those feelings resurface, doubting herself, that she’s done something wrong. She needs to rise out of that dark thinking, as there is so much she doesn’t know.

Doesn’t make me any less sad though...

“Hey, it’s time for us to go.” Danae broke the silence first.

They had already planned to eat at the Moonbright Diner, so they piled into Granny’s car and drove off. 

++++++++++++++++++

Quincey is pacing in his apartment after getting yet another cryptic text from his Father.

What the f*ck does he want? I have more important things to do! 

Granted, he hasn’t had any direct contact since that phone call, that horrible phone call when they discovered Tora is missing.  

Had to happen sooner than later, and who knows what Martin has been telling him.

There's a knock on the door, and Smithy does his schtick, looking through the peephole.

“It’s him.”

“Well, let him in. Let’s get this over with.”

Smithy opens the door, and gestures to Vincent and his two bodyguards to enter. Quincey didn’t recognize either one, but he wouldn’t--he spends as little time as possible around the bastard.

“Father.”

“Quinceton. It’s been too long, of course.”

“Please come in and have a seat.”  Quincey is barely, just barely able to act civilized. He is just too nervous.

Vincent sits facing the windows with his bodyguards at either shoulder. He sits and looks at Quincey for a few minutes.

Don’t you f*cking judge me you sanctimonious prick. I’m fine, thank you very much.

“Martin tells me you’re not making a lot of progress.”

Obviously, you dick.

“Yes, that’s true. But we have some leads. I’m sure Martin told you?”

“Of course. He tells me everything.”

“I will say that we--both Gyu and I--are taking this seriously and are doing everything we can to find him, and know we have Clan resources at our disposal. Please do not ever doubt that, Father.”

All Vincent does is stare at Quincey.

God, that man can be so unnerving. I hate this Clan bullshit.

“You know, Quinceton. I think it’s time.”

Oh no you don’t…

“Time for what, sir?”

“It’s time for you to step up in this organization. Take your rightful place. You’ve been...allowed your indulgences long enough.”

Nononononononononono… 

Quincey wants to show a strong face, but he can see some of his panic reflected back to him in his Father’s eyes.

“But I know you have just started the search for Tora, and I’ll allow you a little longer. I meet with Martin in six days, so you have that long. If you can’t find anything by then, I may have no choice but to find someone who can. Someone not so close to Tora and not so invested. And maybe you can come up with something, some way to show me your indulgences can benefit the Clan. Then maybe, MAYBE, I'll allow you to keep writing your...”

Quincey knows his Father cannot stand it, that he writes soft-core porn, smut. 

Like there aren't worse things happening in the fringes of the Clan, Father? Like the women at Club Miracle? Pfft. That’s okay, but not my erotica? F*cking hypocrit.

“Understood.”

“If not, if I’m not satisfied, then we will talk about your... elevation.”

Quincey is so shocked, he doesn’t say anything.

“Expect my call in a week.”

Ever the character, Vincent gets up and walks back out the door, bodyguards in tow.

It could have been worse, but still, it’s not good. Not good at all.

Quincey is utterly freaking out.

Oh, F*CK, F*CK, F*CK!!!  I am screwed!

++++++++++++++++++

After the long day he had the day before, Gyu wakes up late for once. The stress of driving to Chīsana, then discovering the GPS data took its toll. He knows he’ll have to set up a time to go to the Sōko warehouse with Quincey  either later that day or the next. 

Pfft, it’s more stressful to find these things that lead us nowhere, than finding nothing at all.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he gets out of bed and boots up his laptop. He knows there is more to do. He connects his personal encrypted card reader, and slowly slides the memory card from Tora’s apartment into it. Before he can blink, a request for a password pops up.

F*ck if I know what it might be. I don’t even know if this is his.  

So, he starts with something random, but perhaps something Tora might use. Tora, the tech-phobe that he is, would use something ridiculous, even after all the lectures I’ve given him over the years.

“Tiger”

Password not recognized. You have four more attempts. After five attempts, this storage device will be locked for 24 hours.

Hmmm… this might be more difficult than I thought it’d be… But it could be worse. Not knowing who set this up, and what security settings it might have...

“Goliath”

Password not recognized. You have three more attempts. After five attempts, this storage device will be locked for 24 hours.

Hmmm… What the hell, I have to try it… As much as I f*cking hate it...

“Ronzo”

Password not recognized. You have two more attempts. After five attempts, this storage device will be locked for 24 hours.

“Strawberry girl”

Password not recognized. You have one more attempt. After five attempts, this storage device will be locked for 24 hours.

Okay, that guess was really out there....

Gyu is feeling even more anxious now.  He has no idea what might happen after 24 hours. 

Will I even get another five attempts? F*ck it. I’m gonna ask Quincey what he thinks it might be.

He calls Quincey’s burner, and surprisingly he answers after one ring.

“Hey, boo boo. Just the person I wanted to talk to this morning! I was just going to call you about the warehouse.”

“Yo, bro. Hold on, first, I have a question for you. I’m trying to open that memory card, you know, the one I found at Tora’s? It’s password protected. I’m not getting the usual infinite options, I’m only allowed five attempts, and it tells me will be locked for 24 hours if I can’t guess it. I’ve tried four already. Any idea for potential passwords?”

Quincey is a clever f*ck, he’ll probably guess it on his first try.

“Huh. Kind of surprising, since Big Bro is so...low tech.”

“Believe me, I know that. I did consider that it might not be his, but I think it’s best to approach it as though it is.”

“Got it. Tell me the first four passwords you tried.”

“Tiger, Goliath, Ronzo, and Strawberry girl.”

“I’m impressed, honey. Good choices, but you should have called me first. What is it you always tell me about passwords? You have to--”

“Yeah, Quince, of course.  I tried the simple ones first. Tora always depends on me for this shit, so if, IF he did this himself, I’d have to think he would pick something he thinks is clever and perhaps something really good. Or even no one, NO ONE except the three of us would know it.”

“Well, give me a sec…”

Quincey was silent for almost a minute. Gyu was just going to say something, to make sure Quincey wasn’t disconnected when he spoke up.

“I think I know what it might be.”

“What?”

“Try Bobby. ”

Gyu types it in, and immediately knows it’s correct. 

“Jackpot, bro.”

“Sweet! That is a name only the three of us, well, the four of us know.”

Gyu didn’t say anything, but he was nodding his head.

“OK. I’m gonna take a look at this in a sec. When do you want to head over to Sōko?”

“Three good for you?”

“Yep. Later.”

Gyu spends a few minutes more looking at the memory card’s directory. The names of files seem interesting. He picks one at random and opens it.  And his eyes bug out. It’s a list of politicians and locations, as well as the name “Balthuman” all over the screen.

++++++++++++++++++

The three young women are laughing and snorting as they enter the Moonbright Diner. Poppy has to admit it’s nice to feel so good for a change. They have been telling her all kinds of stories from flight attendant school.  

All the power to them, thought Poppy, as I could never do that job at all. Pfft. Not pretty enough anyways.

Just as they get escorted to their table, Poppy hears a familiar laugh and freezes. Danae and Mirabelle didn’t hear it, but notice Poppy’s posture.

“What’s wrong? Poppy? Honey, is something wrong?”

Fudge biscuits. I really hoped I could avoid that jerk.

Poppy closes her eyes, and tells them: “Julri.”

“Oh no, we are not staying, Poppylan. We can go somewh--”

"No.”

Danae and Mirabelle look at each other, and then back at Poppy. 

“No?”

“No. I have to do this. Part of moving on has to do with acceptance, right?”

“Sure. I guess.”

They are both impressed by Poppy’s assertiveness and determination.

They continue to take their seats. Poppy just doesn’t care. She doesn’t ask to be seated as far away as possible, nor does she hide either. 

Well, I’m mostly over that fudging jerk. I can only hope he doesn’t see us. 

Just as the waiter hands them their menus, and she hears him.

“Poppylan?”  

Shit.

But she doesn’t engage him, ignores him totally. She looks at Danae and Mirabelle, sitting in the middle of the booth. Her tactic is to ignore him as much as possible.

I don’t owe that creep a damn thing.  

But of course that doesn't mean anything to him, and he walks over to their table. Danae and Mirabelle don't say anything, but both are giving him nasty looks.

“It is you. Where have you been? Gosh, you look really, really good. I’ve been trying to call you.  I am so sorry, bab--”

“I'm not your babe.”

“You didn’t even give me a chance to explain.”

“Ha, what’s to explain? That blonde bimbo’s lipstick was all over your face! Your pants were pulled down!”

“Mimi? Oh, I was just helping her, you know, tutoring her. She means nothing.”

“You’re right. It meant nothing. You are nothing. Now, I’m eating dinner, so see you around. Goodbye.”

Poppy can see that several of his friends are sitting nearby watching what’s unfolding.

“Now, c’mon, Poppy. I said it meant nothing. You should have called me to tell me you were coming to visit. I would have been ready. It’s time we talked about it. Let’s go.”

Poppy laughed so loud at his ridiculous statement. 

“You complete and utter asshole! I am going nowhere with you. I broke up with you months ago. And, you know what? I have a new boyfriend.”

Julri looks at her in shock.

“Yeah, that’s right. And he is a complete upgrade. Hell, he’s in the next stratosphere over you, you non-existent needle dick!”

“Popp--”

Julri’s face is beet red, but she is on a roll.

“Save it for Mimi. We are done. Have a nice dinner.”

He opens and shuts his mouth a few more times, but then hesitantly turns around to go back and sit with his friends.

Poppy takes a deep breath, and opens her menu.

“Okay, women, I want my usual. I’m fudging starved.”

Chapter Text

Day 25 - Saturday

Quincey and Smithy pick up Gyu at 3:05, and they immediately head out to the Sōko warehouse. 

Gyu is not at all optimistic, as it’s been three weeks since Tora disappeared, and almost as long since the car itself was last there, too. Who knows what they’ll find. But because they are trying to be as thorough as possible, they couldn’t NOT go there and try a search. They are thankful that Martin doesn’t know about it, and the fact that the car remained there for so long. While suspicious, it may be a windfall. Given their lack of any information, they can only hope.

The warehouse is located on the far end of the Narin River basin, so far away from Ares Street that it doesn’t make sense to be a Clan location. Sōko is an old defunct company which used to manufacture DVD players. It’s been out of business for 15 years or more, and after a quick scan of the public record, it’s been empty since then. The bank has never sold the property, not even to the Balthuman family. 

They pull up, and Gyu pulls out his mobile scanner, to make sure there are no cameras or other tech nearby. As expected, it’s a dead zone.

“We’re clear.”

They all get out of the car, and walk to the gated entrance. There may have been a padlock and chain on the gate once, but it’s long gone. It’s not a problem to get inside.

“Okay, let’s divide and conquer. Gyu, you take the guard booth, any offices you find, and the first floor. Smithy, you are going to walk the periphery, the fence. Look for any signs of a car parked near here in the past month--oil slicks, transmission fluid, and so on. Oh, that and cigarette butts. We should all keep our eyes out for those. I will go through the second floor and then walk the outside walls. Good?”

For a man who hates the Clan and wants to be far removed from mafia shit as possible, he is good at this.

The three men work until the sun starts to set. They do find some cigarette butts, but Gyu can’t confirm that they are not Tora’s brand. Smithy finds some oil spots, but there is simply no way to know what car left it and how long it’s been there. They did find a room on the second floor with a metal chair, sitting alone, with ropes hanging off it. There may or may not have been blood on the floor surrounding it.

F*ck I wish we could do some forensics-type shit, but we have our limits.

“Any way we can find out if this is a Clan disposal depot, Gyu?”

“I’ll get on it.”

“Otherwise, I don’t think we found anything substantial. But I want us all to think a bit. Why would his car be sitting here for three weeks, and then get moved to a small town recently? Tell me about any theories, no matter how silly, no matter how out there. ”

“You got it, bro.”

“Let’s just get you home. I know you have a late shift, ya?”

“Yep, I do.”

Gyu doesn’t tell Quincey, but he’s going to call his sister tonight. Maybe she can help. She has access to forensics that they don’t. 

They all pile into Quincey’s yellow car and drive off back to the city.

It can’t possibly hurt our efforts, at this point.

Day 26 - Sunday

The three young women enjoyed their meal at the Moonbright Diner. They sat for hours, staying for dessert and coffee.  Finally, they left to go home and watch a movie and simply be together until Poppy has to leave the next day. Luckily, Julri and his friends did not bother them for the rest of the night. In fact, they watched as Julri led his friends out the back entrance on the far side of the restaurant. 

They all fall asleep on the living room floor after watching “Turbo.”

Poppy is startled awake by Danae rolling over on top of her.

“Ugh, D, get off me. You’re crushing me!”

“Oh, my lil Poppy Seed Muffin, it’s just you’re so squishy.”

Danae grabs both Poppy’s cheeks and pinches them. For a few brief seconds, Poppy thought she might burst into tears. There’s only one other person who’s ever done that to her cheeks, calling them squishy. 

Deep breaths, Poppy, deep breaths. It’s a sign of affection. It’s okay. 

Somehow she recovers before the two of them even notice the distress she’s feeling.

“D, come on. We won’t have a lot of time for breakfast. Not if we want to do everything we have planned. My train leaves this afternoon.”

“Okay, Muffin, okay.” Ironically, Mirabelle hasn’t even stirred yet. 

That will be remedied, dear ladies, mark my words.

Danae finally rolls off her, and Poppy gets up and goes to use the bathroom. Taking several deep breaths, she really is trying to get her shit together.

Why is it that all these little things are the hardest to cope with? I mean, really.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Poppy comes back out to the living room, and tackles Mirabelle.

“Alright, Bella, you’ve slept enough.”

All Mirabelle can do is groan.

“I had a dream I was a fast-moving snail, racing with Ryan Reynolds. Oof. We stayed up way too late, girls.”

Both Danae and Poppy laugh at this.

“Oh, c’mon that snail is beyond cute, Bella. Anyways, let’s get cracking. We have to keep to our schedule, and then you’re gonna have to take me to the station. CHOP CHOP.”

++++++++++++++++++

Danae, Mirabelle, and Poppy are now sitting outside Moonbright station. They’re keeping Poppy company until her train pulls in on its way back to the city. 

“So, Poppy, I have to ask. Last night, when you handed Julri his ass, you mentioned you had a new boyfriend. Is he for real? Did you meet a new guy? Julri 2.0? ”

Oh, fudge, I was hoping they wouldn’t bring this up. Sigh, Mirabelle, Mirabelle, Mirabelle. You nosy snot, you.

Danae adds to it, though, further irritating Poppy.

“And you said, and I quote, he’s ‘in the next stratosphere’?”

Oh fudge is he. He’s in another universe, ladies. And just when I thought I was getting my emotions back in check. WHEW.

Of course, Poppy doesn’t know that they know about a certain tall dark and handsome man. Even so, she feigns ignorance.

‘C’mon you two. You know I only said all that so that f*cker would shut up and leave me alone.”

Danae and Mirabelle are shocked at her use of profanity. Poppy never swears, and she’s not smiling either. She doesn’t look happy at all.

What is up, Poppylan? What about the guy Erdene told us about? 

Danae is concerned, but continues.

“Right. Well, any man is better than that chump, am I right? I mean the way you put him in his place, it was masterful! You go, girl!”

But Poppy still doesn’t smile.  

Danae looks over Poppy’s back at Mirabelle. Something isn’t right. 

“Popp--”

They hear a loud whoosh and then--SCREECH.

They are trying to get her to talk more, but the train pulls in and comes to a sudden stop. Poppy pops up right up, and avoids their eyes.

“Gotta go. I’m so glad I got to see you, guys. Good luck with everything. Let’s plan another video call soon, okay?  LOVE YOU!”

She runs onto the train, and doesn’t even give them a hug.

“POPPYLAN!”

They are both speechless at her behavior. But before they can even think of following her on the train, to talk to her, it starts to depart. 

They can see Poppy sitting at the very front car, and she’s not even looking out the window, waving at them.

Mirabelle looks over at Danae with distress.

“What the hell is going on, Danae?”

++++++++++++++++++

Mirabelle @Proj. P.P.C.>>Yo, Erdene. Where u at

Erdene @Proj. P.P.C.>>Ladies, u got a report 4 me? Did she dish?

Danae @Proj. P.P.C.>>not exactly. 

Mirabelle @Proj. P.P.C.>>we saw julri last night and she f*cked him up. I mean it was poetry in motion.

Erdene @Proj. P.P.C.>> get the f out--rly?  I would have PAID good money to see that.

Danae @Proj. P.P.C.>>she did tell him that she had a new guy, he was much higher level, def an upgrade

Erdene @Proj. P.P.C.>>yas my Pops!!!! so did she tell u then

Mirabelle @Proj. P.P.C.>>no

Mirabelle @Proj. P.P.C.>>she said she made a fake boyfrd up to piss J off, but basically that there was no guy. When she said it she used the f word

Erdene @Proj. P.P.C.>>really? I would have thought she’d say something about him. I mean he is f*ckin gorgeous FFS -- you saw his face [[hot emoji]] and he is so into her   i*saw* it in his face

Mirabelle @Proj. P.P.C.>>well she wouldnt look us in the eye after we asked and didn’t even give us a hug goodbye. She seems very upset rite now What do you think is going on Dene

Erdene @Proj. P.P.C.>>I don’t know guys. Now i’m worried. Her train doesn’t come for another couple hours. will txt her then. Any other news let me know k?  

Danae @Proj. P.P.C.>>u got it. Ttyl

Erdene @Proj. P.P.C.>>same here  TTFN

++++++++++++++++++

The sun is starting to set, and the train is slowly rocking back and forth on the rails as it speeds on its way to Narin City.  Poppy feels so embarrassed at how she reacted to Danae and Mirabelle. What is wrong with me? Why did I do that?

After feeling so liberated telling Julri to fudge off the night before, and being with the most important people in her life, she thought maybe she had turned a corner, that things would be fine. 

But… but… it’s not. I think that moment, when she pinched my cheeks and she said how I'm so squishy? It’s like every bit of emotional pain I’ve locked away has been released. 

Poppy just couldn’t help herself. Her crippling self-doubt has been fueled by the fires of what has been happening for the past three and a half weeks. She begins to openly sob.

Did I do it again? Did I drive him away, too? Was it something I said? How I look? Am I too clingy? Am…I truly disgusting? Was it because I hurt him?

It’s not lost on her that she’s on the train to Narin City from Moonbright, and her memories are honestly not her friend right now. She was in a similar state four months ago. She can’t help but remember the details, riding the same route as that day, the first day she met Tora. 

She is vividly remembering him--his aura, the picture he took of her, the hoodie--and his face. She had been doing so well, not being sad, and mostly keeping him out of her mind. But after what she blurted out in the diner, and, yes, Danae’s squishy comment, she continues to sob, and for a long time, she is practically inconsolable.

Nothing lasts forever.

By the time the train arrives in the Narin City station, she’s gotten her crying under control, but she still feels rather crappy and really drained. She had planned to text Erdene to give her a ride home, but now that she’s a crying mess, she’s glad she didn’t. She simply cannot be under scrutiny again. She pulls out her phone and arranges for an Uber instead. She’ll text Erdene in the morning before work, telling her she’s home safe.

She gets home within 30 minutes. As soon as she walks through her door, she drops everything. She walks over to her dresser, pulls Tora’s sweatshirt out of her bottom drawer, and, putting it on, she gets into bed. It still faintly smells like him.

Whatever you’re doing, wherever you are, I hope you are doing okay. Because I’m not. 

++++++++++++++++++

After finding nothing at the warehouse, Gyu moves onto the next thing they can check out--the storage shed. It’s smack-dab in the middle of the Ares Street district.

The space itself is small, about 6x6x9. He gets there and luckily he knows the clerk, who won’t give him any grief in checking the space out. Some outfits require photo ID just to get in the building.  

He finds the slot, and finds a relatively new padlock latched on. He puts in the key, opens the lock, and then pulls up the metal shade. It is loud as f*ck, but offers no resistance at all. The space is smelly, dusty, and, much to his profuse disappointment, practically empty.

The only thing there is a small footlocker, about 5 feet in length. He lifts it, and discovers it’s light. A little too light, so he picks it up, and takes it with him, locking the whole thing up behind him.

He shoves the locker into his backseat, and calls Quincey on his burner, leaving a quick voice mail.

“Yo, bro. I got into the storage. All there is a footlocker. Gonna be bringing it your way. Let me know when you’ll be there. Later.”

He puts the key in his pocket, and gets ready to start his car. Before he can turn the key, Quincey texts him quickly: “Come now.”

++++++++++++++++++

He arrives in about half an hour. Gyu is not hopeful, as the locker is just so light. He’s not sensing anything moving around inside.

He solemnly rides up the elevator, then knocks on Quincey’s door, Smithy letting him in.

“Here we are, bro. Doesn’t even have a lock.”

They plop it down on the coffee table. All three look at each other, and hope that it will have something in it, anything.

They open it, but it’s empty. It’s beyond anticlimactic. They are completely exasperated by so few leads. They spend a long time talking about how maybe they can use forensics on some of the stuff they’ve found, perhaps looking at the footlocker and some of the other stuff from his apartment with forensics tools, including seeking fingerprints, gunpowder, and any other microscope evidence.

“You know you can hire a lab to do that stuff these days.”

“And how much does that cost? And what’s the turn around. Not that I won’t pay it, of course.”

“I think its an option we can’t discount. You know I can take care of any forensic tech stuff, but the science shit? I don't know nothing about that. I could ask my sister--”

“No! You know we can’t involve the police. Not even in this.”

Gyu mentally cringes, as he's already texted her about it. Whoops.

“OK, but can I ask if she knows the names of any private labs?”

“And what if she asks why you want to know? What would you tell her?”

“I’d tell her a half-truth maybe. I mean, she knows I work for the Clan. If I tell her it’s Club business, she’ll likely back off.”

“OK--but you cannot tell her what’s going on or what we are doing. There are Clan people in the police department, too, you know.”

“Of course. I’ll be as vague as possible. But I think we need to do this. We have no other choice.  WE HAVE ALMOST NOTHING, Quincey. And I’m starting to think Big Bro is really gone, and he maybe he doesn’t want to come back."

Chapter Text

Day 27 - Monday

Poppy and Dene are sitting in the conference room at Giant Goldfish, and Erdene asks her about her trip to Moonbright.

“Oh, it was so good to see Danae and Mirabelle. I mean, I told them our video chats just aren’t cutting it. Even though it wasn’t a long visit, it was a quality one.”

“What’d you guys do for fun?”

“Well, we stayed up late watching Netflix and fell asleep on the living room floor. Real excitement there.”

Erdene shakes her head at Poppy.

Not exactly Netflix and chill, but that’s good enough for her right now.

“Oh, and get this. We went out for dinner and just guess who we ran into.”

“Who?”

Poppy gives her a look saying, C’mon think about it.

“Oh, no, really, you saw Julri??”

“Yep. And I took care of him, let me tell you. He started in on his usual shit, tried to get me to talk to him so we could reconcile. I mean, the fudging nerve of that guy.”

Erdene is tickled pink, “You go, girl!”  

She puts her hand up, giving Poppy a high five. And of course Poppy reciprocates.

“Oh it felt so good to tell that creep off. I mean he was trying to tell me that the girl meant nothing, that he was only helping her study. I mean her lipstick was all over his face! And then he was telling me I wasn’t being fair, and said I should have called him to tell him I was coming to town, so we could take care of things. I mean the shit the man was shoveling was deep, Dene.”

“You know, I’m so proud of you, Pops, especially at how far you’ve come since that non-existent-dick prick cheated on you. You realize that it was because of that, because of his indiscretion that your life changed for the better? I admit it was a rough way to get it off the ground, to improve your life, but look at everything that’s happened since. But most of all, you’ve already acknowledged how you need to take care of yourself. I mean it’s just like you told me at Fallen Angel. You need to be by yourself for awhile, and you’re doing it. And you’re dealing with shit-ass ex-boyfriends, too.”

Poppy smiles at Dene, because she’s right, but then her smile fades.

My life did change for the better, after that day. And that’s because of him, too. I know that now. But I don’t know what’s going on with him, either. 

“Pops, you okay? You had a look on your face that’s got me kind of worried.”

Fudge, I gotta get control of these emotions. I don’t want to talk about it, so I think I’ve avoided the conversation, for now.

“It’s nothing really. I gotta get back to it, Dene.”

Poppy cleans up and goes back to sit at her desk, leaving Erdene behind.

What the hell, Poppy?

Erdene witnessed Poppy’s face shift rapidly from happiness and triumph to, what, despair? And it happened so fast. 

What the hell didn’t she tell me? I purposely did not ask her about Tiger boy, but clearly something is up. I’m going to call Quincey as soon as I can to get the scoop directly from him. And based on what Danae and Mirabelle told me, she didn’t tell me the entire story about dinner. But why? I suspect that he hasn’t been in touch with her. Now I’m worried that Poppy is going to get hurt again.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy gets home that evening at her usual time, and she sees Gyu sitting in the guard booth.

“Hey, Gyu, how are you? Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

“Hey, Poppy, I’m good. Just working a different shift. More often than not, I’m gone by the time you get home and when you leave in the morning. But today I had to switch shifts today, so you get the honor of my presence.”

Poppy smiles.

“So, I wanted to ask you. Have you heard from Tora at all? I mean, I’ve texted him and left him messages, but I haven’t gotten a response. Quincey tells me he’s on a job, and sometimes that happens. It’s just that it’s been almost a month. Is that typical?”

Not that I really know what a job might entail, but I am fudging desperate for information here!

“Um, no, no I haven’t Poppy. It’s just like Quincey told you. He sometimes gets these assignments, special ones, where he has to be incommunicado. Nothing he can do. Sorry I can’t tell you more.”

Poppy is dejected, and it shows on her face. 

F*ck, I’ll have to tell Quincey she’s asked about him again. I mean how much f*cking longer can we tell her the same story without it sounded fishy?

“OK, well thanks for letting me—“

Her phone starts ringing. As she’s pulling it out, Gyu can see that it says “UNKNOWN NUMBER” on the screen, thinking she’ll likely just hang up. He always does, as they are almost always robo-calls. But surprisingly she swipes and answers.

“Hello?”

He can tell no one is responding.

“Hello?”

Then she hangs up. 

“Dammit, I keep getting these weird calls.”

“Oh, and why are they weird? Aren’t they spam? I get them all the time.”

“I don’t think they are. I mean, I answer, and it’s just silence. During one of them, I could hear a hiss—like maybe its an open phone line? Then I hear a soft click, and it just disconnects.”

This puts Gyu on high alert.

Oh this is not good, Pops! I wish I had known about this sooner.

“What else can you tell me about these calls?  How many would you say you’ve received?”

“Three. With the one I just got just now, it’s three.”

“Okay, are they the same number?”

“No, each one is completely different. And from a different nearby town.”

“Anything else you can tell me? Time of day? Where you were when the calls came in?”  

“Um, let me think a minute. All three were received during the last week and a half. The first was at about midnight, and I was in bed upstairs. The second one was 9 at night, and I was here at home--I had just gotten home from a beta reading with Quincey at his penthouse.”

She’s a bit surprised, not realizing that all three calls came while she was at home. 

“What do you think it means?”

“I don’t know. Do you think there might be a time I can look at your phone, with your permission of course. I have some technology tools I can use that might help solve the mystery.”

“Well, you can have it right now. I mean how long will it take?”

“It might take a few hours. I can run it back upstairs either when I’m done or when my shift ends. Sound good?”

“Sure. And you can email me if you need to contact me about anything else or if you have other questions. I have my laptop upstairs.”

“You got it, Pops. I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks, Gyu.”

She makes her way to the stairway to head upstairs. As soon as the door closes behind her, Gyu pulls out his burner and calls Quincey.

It’s around dinner time, so Quincey doesn’t pick up. He leaves a voicemail.

“Bro, gotta talk. Poppy’s been getting weird phone calls the past week or so. Call me when you get this message. I think they know about her.”

++++++++++++++++++

Day 28 - Tuesday

Dene is sitting at her desk watching Poppy walk out the door. Poppy has decided she’s going for a walk today, so no lunch in the conference room together. As soon as Poppy shuts the door behind her, Dene pulls out her phone calling Quincey. After several rings, he finally answers.

“Hello?”

Cripes, he still sounds asleep.

“Good morning, oh great writer of smut, tis I, Erdene. WAKE UP!”

“Oh, hey, Dene Bean. Sorry I had a late night last night. Still in bed. What’s up?

“Well my man, I am calling to talk Tiger, if you know what I mean.”

Oh f*ck, she did NOT just say that. I am not prepared to talk to her, at all.

Quincey felt much more awake now.

“What about him?”

“Uh, about that birthday party and how he and Poppy are completely smitten with each other? I don’t know how much she’s told you, but—“

“Dene, stop. I have to tell you something.”

“Oh? Is it good? Am I gonna be happy? Cause if that asshole hurts her, I swear to godde—“

“Erdene, he’s missing.”

“What?”

“He’s been missing for almost a month. No one, and I mean no one has any idea where he is, or if anything’s happened. He’s just GONE.”

“Oh my goddess—and what has Poppy to say about this?”

Quincey doesn’t answer.

“Quincey, she knows, right?”

Silence.

“Quincey, what the f*ck is going on? She has to know!”

“We—I haven’t told her yet, at least not the full truth.”

“And why the hell not?”

“Well, it’s...complicated, due to his other job in...security. It’s a sensitive matter, and we can’t just tell anyone. Not yet.”

Erdene finds this highly suspect.

“Well, what do you know?”

“Almost nothing. The only thing we do know is the last time he had any contact with anyone was about 28 days ago. He was at Poppy’s apartment, left to go to work, and vanished.”

“Wow.”

“Poppy was the last person to see him before he disappeared.”

“Oh, f*ck Quincey. This is bad. Really bad.”

“Believe me I know. But we are looking, we really are.”

“OK, this is a lot to absorb, Quincey. I gotta go. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Erde—“

Click. Too late, she’s already disconnected.

+++++++++++++++++

Poppy felt that she just had to get out of the office today. The pace of work the past couple weeks has been grueling, plus dealing with Quincey’s eccentricities has been wearing on Poppy’s nerves.

The man is so irritating sometimes. UGH. 

Between the workload, Quincey’s weirdness, the funky phone calls, and still no word from him, the stress has just been building almost to a breaking point.  She decided that morning she needed to do something different to help distract her. She figured a long walk at lunchtime would be a good release—plus it’ll actually be good for her. 

Erdene has been pestering her to come to a yoga class or two, but Poppy has been putting her off. She is just not in the mood for it, at least right now. I mean she looked it up, as she looks up everything—just gotta do the research. And it does sound appealing, but she is trying to avoid meditation—thinking—for the short term. 

If I think too much, it...it isn’t good. But then again, I know what Erdene is trying to do. And she’s right—it’s all about finding myself, taking care of myself. Plus, I still have so much healing to do.

Poppy keeps walking for several blocks, and loses track of time. Suddenly, she sees something that seems awfully familiar. It’s a small tract of land with a tree on it.

Wait, I know this place. Have I been here bef—

Then it hits her. Oh my goodness, this is the tree. The tree!

It looks a little different during the day, and she can’t believe she almost forgot about that night. 

Smiling to herself, she remembered how reckless she was climbing that tree, and knew the moment she saw the cat and it’s predicament, she had to rescue it. 

Guess I’m just a sucker for the cute ones, right? 

She looks up into the tree, leaves wavering a bit in a light breeze, and could still see where that branch broke off, and smiles. 

She crouches down and runs her hand over the grass at her feet and laughs a little. She hears a meow, and looks over to the fence bordering the median to see a cat, a white cat. Could this be the same cat who she rescued that night? Likely.

She walks over to say it, giving the ears a little scratch. 

Oh, this is just too funny—you silly cat. You ungrateful little shit. Come to make sure I’m not gonna climb this tree again, or finally say thank you? Sorry to disappoint you—strictly a surprise visit.

Another day, another memory. It really was a stupid thing that she did, climbing that tree. And the odds he would be there to catch her? Astronomical, but it happened. 

With a little smile on her face, she sighs and gives the cat more one scritch behind its ears, then walks back across the street to head back to Giant Goldfish. Somehow for the first time in a while, a memory didn’t make her sad.

But I have to admit, what I wouldn’t give to hear his nice husky voice right now.

+++++++++++++++++

After Erdene hung up on him, Quincey could kick himself.

F*ck. She just surprised me, that’s all.

The anxiety and pressure of both not knowing and not finding any evidence of what’s happened to Tora is getting to him. 

He opens a text window to text her.

Quincess @DeneBean>>hey  Sorry to drop such a bomb on u right now  am very anxious and upset  can’t tell u too much right now tho

DeneBean @Quincess>i still think its wrong not to tell Pops  if you don’t and she finds out u have been lying she will never forgive u

Quincess @DeneBean>>I know I know  i will tell her but not yet  promise me PLS u will not say anything   You CANNOT pls   Besides maybe he will be back soon?  🤞🏻

DeneBean @Quincess>>ok but only under protest  so you owe me 👑 but i have to ask   Is there anything i can do to help   I think pops suspects something cause she’s been acting weird  well weird for *her* 😝

Quincess @DeneBean>>just do ur best to keep 🌺 calm  dont have GGP visit planned for awhile  its easier not to see her face 2 face  we are desperately trying 2 find anything   The fact that she was the last one to see him before he vanished? That’s rough DB. And just so you kno i don’t want her to know that   Maybe ever? 

DeneBean @Quincess>>😳 whoa u find out ANYTHING good or bad let me know  I will watch her from here and keep her as distracted as i can    u realize they really got it bad 4 ea other right? 

Quincess @DeneBean>>u have no idea 😔 gotta go

DeneBean @Quincess>>got it   TTYL

+++++++++++++++++

He’s walking a few blocks behind her when he sees her run across the street to a median with a big old tree. She crouches down smiling, and rubbing her hands through the grass. Then she looks up to see a white cat by the nearby fence and says something to it.  She walks over to it and pets it a little bit. Whatever. But she doesn’t stay long. Then she crosses back to the sidewalk, and is walking her way back, right towards him.

F*ck, I hope she didn’t see me.

He quickly ducks into the closest alleyway to hide, waiting for her to pass by. When she does, he slips back behind her and keeps watching. She walks for several more blocks, then enters a building with a restaurant, “Patio,” on the lower level. She is heading to a stairway leading upstairs. There is a sign with a goldfish, and the words “Giant Goldfish Publishing.”

He’s filing all this away for future reference. He’d been watching her for a while. It wasn’t until he saw her with that Balthuman f*ck and then Tora that the cogs in his head started turning. He felt like he knew her from somewhere, but where?  

Then one day when he was covertly watching her, he noticed she had two braids in her hair. Then he knew where he saw her before—she was that short chick with Lam, that day in Clarks.

And I hear she helped sign some kind of big contract with Lam.

He is starting to suspect that maybe, maybe she had a part in him losing his big prize. But he has to be careful, as she is too close to the two men he tried to avoid as much as possible. At least up until now.

I’m going to keep watching you, honey, and if I find out you had anything to do with it, you’re dead. Simple as that.  

He watches as she gets in the elevator, likely going back up to Giant Goldfish Publishing, and he keeps walking by the building slowly. 

Things are gonna change, honey, since Tora is MIA. Your protector ain’t here, and well, you cost me something dearly. I just have to be a little more patient. Make sure Tora doesn’t come back to f*ck me over. Then? I’ll have a new plaything for sure.

Scharch keeps walking with a smile curling on one side of his mouth. He is on the warpath for sure.

Chapter Text

Day 29 - Wednesday

Gyu arrives at Quincey’s doorstep for another data dump.

“Yo, bro. Here to dump what little I have.”

“Come on in, boo boo. This is getting bad isn’t it. I mean we can’t seem to find much of anything. What can we do next?”

“I think we definitely have to hire that private lab I mentioned, and have them look through some of what we’ve collected, the warehouse, the storage locker, the apartment, and maybe even the car.”

“Alright. I fought you on this, but I guess you’re right. Let’s take a chance.”

“My sister gave me the name of a good one. It’s the best in the region if not the country, and this one is sympathetic to the clan, if not on its payroll.”

Gyu doesn’t tell Quincey about the huge argument he had with his sister when he contacted her. He also believes she is hiding something from him, likely something to do with an investigation into the Balthumans. It’s all he can do but deny he knows anything himself, or that Tora is missing, and is caught between both sides more than usual.

“Well, if we’re going to have this company look at the car, we better do it fast. It’s the only thing I can give to Martin.  I mean we do have some things that they don’t know about, so if we can give them the car, it could just placate them while the lab does their thing.”

“OK—I’ll call them this afternoon and get rates and timeframes. We may need to have them help cover our tracks. I believe they are also good at fabricating fake evidence.

Quincey is shocked to learn about this, but it makes sense, especially for the clan. 

I mean if it’s not cleaning up shit, it’s making it up? Geesh, I hate this life, what little I’m part of it—and what little I know about it.  

“Well call me ASAP, as I have to get something for Martin today. And he’s meeting with Father tomorrow. You know he told me, again, it’s time.”

“Time?” 

“Time to ascend.”

Gyu actually pales at this statement.

“Yep. But said if I can come up with something about Tora, and if I can prove that my ‘distractions,’ are beneficial to the organization, he may let me off the hook.”

“That’s cold, bro.”

“Tell me about it! Anyways, contacting that lab is priority. If they can’t get to the car, we’re gonna have to let it go to Martin and his crew.”

“Hey, I need to fill you in on Poppy’s situation, too.”

“Right. So, she’s been getting some sort of spam calls or something?”

“I’m not convinced they are spam or robo-calls. They are crafted to appear that they are, but they’re not. At first I didn’t understand why Poppy doesn’t just block them. It was just random luck that the most recent call happened while she was talking to me.  Otherwise, who knows how much longer it might continue. Anyways, Poppy let me look at her phone, and I downloaded some of the data. Whoever is doing this, whoever might be tracking her must be mad talented, because the information is seemingly legit. If it is someone from the clan, they are a clever hacker. If not, no idea who it might be. I may actually clone her phone, so I can do more digging. But that’s strictly illegal of course.”

Quincey rolls his eyes at that.

Gyu, we’re in the mafia. Most of what we do is already illegal. What difference does it make?

"But I'm thinking someone in the clan knows about her, I mean that she's important to Tora, or that she's a civilian mixed up with you and him. I don't know. But I want to find out."

“Huh. If you can get her phone again, just do it. Make up some excuse. Tora would do it in a heartbeat if he felt she were in any jeopardy, don’t you think? And why do you think she’s answering the calls?”

“For the same reason she came to the guard booth—to talk to me about HIM. My sense is she’s only answering these calls because somehow he might be trying to reach her. Call it a hunch. That brings up another point, Quince.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

“When are we gonna tell her the truth?”

++++++++++++++++++

When Gyu gets home, he decides to re-examine Tora’s texting data itself, rather than the content. 

He decides he’s going to retrace the GPS data, particularly of the last text message. That reminds him of something else.

I need to ask Quincey if he has finished examining the patterns. I don’t envy him that job!

Tora’s phone uses wireless GPS, or enhanced GPS. As one of the prime tech guys for the clan, he chose these phones for them, for just the reason he’s tracking Tora—it can be traced to places where traditional GPS receivers can’t. So people can be tracked under thick foliage, inside buildings, and densely populated cities. It also tracks location faster than standard GPS systems. 

He’s feeling a bit of data fatigue—he’s been staring at numbers for almost a month now, and it’s becoming less and less helpful to them, no matter what he does. 

So he does the only thing he can think of this point: start all over again. This time, he focuses on the GPS data from that text sent to Tora from Vincent, or a least allegedly sent from Vincent. Since he’s focusing on a specific day and time, it doesn’t take him long. He’s so fatigued that he simply pauses his scan at 30 days prior, so he doesn’t have to wait hours for the complete scan.

He is quite shocked at what he missed the first time: the text did not come from the Balthuman home nor Balthuman headquarters—not at all. Gyu rechecks the GPS locations for both, even though he has both locations memorized.  

He looks up the GPS coordinates, and finds that the text came from a location within Narin City, but well away from Ares Street, Vincent’s home, Balthuman Headquarters, and any other Clan related properties that he is aware of, but he’ll look it up on Google maps to be sure. It simply could be that Vincent was in his car, or…? The patterns of the texts may be more important than not, so he sends a message to Quincey right away.

GyuB @QuinceyB>> Yo bro i forgot to ask how goes the analysis of text  u know language and patterns n shit  doing another deep dive into data right now

QuinceyB @GyuB>> I’m still working on it   Y?

GyuB @QuinceyB>> how much longer do you think it will take  i may have found us another clue  but depends on what your doing   don’t know if can really explain but had to txt u ASAP

QuinceyB @GyuB>> k boo boo  i’ll stay up all night to finish it by tomorrow  is that too late 😓

GyuB @QuinceyB>> no bro that perfect  just call when u r done k 🤘🏼

QuinceyB @GyuB>> k 

Gyu is a bit startled realizing what he missed, so he runs the data AGAIN to be sure. Same results. Now he just needs to look up where this location might be—and who might be there. It could be in a dead end, or it could be somewhere significant. Does he finally have a legitimate clue?

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy has a normal day, if there ever was such a thing in the last 30 days. 

When she got to the office that morning, Jacob jumped up saying, “Happy Hump Day!” and she wanted to fudging smack him. But she really couldn’t fault him—he doesn’t know anything about Tora, Quincey, the Clan, or anything else that’s been happening the last month. 

SIGH. And Gil is still MIA, and it’s getting more and more difficult to do things without him contacting us or showing up. I’m lucky if he responds to emails or texts at all. And those two still won’t talk about him.  

She arrives home that evening, and the guy at the booth is…not Gyu. Of course she really wasn’t expecting him, but had a glimmer of hope he’d be there. It would have been nice to see a friendly face. And she really wanted to talk to him more about her phone calls, but it will have to wait.

Oh Mylanta, I am bushed!

She makes herself a big tofu stir fry for dinner, and reads “Pride and Prejudice” for a while. Finally, she watches a couple episodes of  ‘Ashes of Love’ on Netflix, a Chinese romantic-fantasy series while sitting on the floor.

Finally, she gets into bed, turns off her light, and closes her eyes.

Her phone rings, and she goes to her dresser and picks it up. Again it is displaying the “UNKNOWN NUMBER” designation on the screen. For a few rings, she debates whether or not she should answer it this time, but before she can swipe to answer it, the ringing stops. She has no idea why she didn’t react faster. 

She gets back into bed, and settles in for the night.

Several hours later, she is fast asleep and dreaming about climbing that tree, the one she just revisited the day before. But this time she and the cat fall out of it, and no one is there to catch her. Needless to say it doesn’t end well for her, so she wakes up panting and sweating in utter terror.

No one catches me, and no husky voice either. She bursts into tears.

++++++++++++++++++

Day 30 - Thursday

Poppy wakes up the next morning a little tired, especially after her nightmare. 

What if I start a journal, or a dream diary with all these details I’ve been finding and processing, just so I can track them?  I can combine dreams, memories, and thoughts in one place, and then I can grill Quincey about them the next time I see him. Then maybe I won’t be burdened with all this stuff in my head.

That reminds her that she hadn’t scheduled a Giant Goldfish visit lately for Quincey. She has to call him to get that set up and soon. It makes working on his manuscripts so much easier. It’s increasingly important to connect with him, since Gil seems to be out of commission somehow—whatever it is that’s going on with him. She decides she may talk to Quincey about that, too, since Erdene and Jacob simply refuse.

She finds an empty notebook, putting the day’s date at the top of the page, remembering it’s been 30 days since she last saw Tora. While she has been making efforts not to be negative and perseverate, she feels depressed. 

She gets a pen and starts writing about the nightmare she had the night before. Within 15 minutes she fills an entire page about it. She also adds a note about the phone calls, knowing it will be helpful if they continue, as she’s sure Gyu will be asking about them again.

And, wow, that was surprisingly easy to do. Now I just need to do this every day when I wake up.

++++++++++++++++++

At lunch, she calls Quincey, but he doesn’t pick up.

She is so livid, she decides to go to his penthouse to confront him.

I’ve had enough of this bullshit, Quincey!

She takes the bus, and gets there in about 20 minutes.

Knocking on the door, Smithy opens it to let her in. Quincey is sitting in the living room with huge piles of paper surrounding him.

“Oh hey, Miss Editor, what’s going on?”

“I need you to tell me what the fudge is going on Quincey.”

“Whatever do you mean, Sugar Pops?”

She’s so upset, that she walks over to the closest stack of paper and shoves it onto the floor.

“Enough, Quincey! Tell me what is going on with him. NOW.”

“Honey, all I can tell you is that he’s deep undercover and incommunicado. That hasn’t chang---”

“Bullshit, Quincey. I call bullshit. Now, come ON. Give me the truth.”

Quincey has a look of alarm on his face, but doesn’t budge.

“Honey, it is the truth. That’s all I can tell you.”

“I think you’re lying to me. I don’t know why, but I don’t believe you.”

She’s so angry, that she walks out.

Quincey sighs at her rapid egress. 

Of course she’s right, but I just want to protect her, at least for a little while longer.

He picks up the papers she’s knocked over, and gets back to work. He has a deadline, after all.

++++++++++++++++++

Martin, Claude, and Scharch arrive at Balthuman headquarters. Martin believes the meeting will be a bust, since they have nothing. Certainly nothing from Quincey and his underling, Gyu. Or least they didn’t until first thing this morning. Quincey informed him that they found Tora’s car in a small town a few hours away. But he’s debating whether or not he should tell Vincent. But once he informs Vincent, he’ll have a team go out and scour it.

What he’s not going to tell Quincey, Gyu, or even Vincent, is that he has his own resources and his own ways to seek Tora out. 

F*cking ingrate needs to be purged anyways. From the moment that little shit he ran away as a kid to now, he's been a weak link. Why doesn’t Vincent see it?

He suspects Tora has been up to no good, up to something, ever since he missed those easy shots. 

The three men are escorted into Vincent’s office, and no time is wasted. As soon as they sit, Vincent speaks up.

“Quincey tells me he found something. What is it?”

Well, that takes the decision out of my hands. F*cking Quinceton.

“Found Tora’s car in Chīsana, about 200 miles away from the city.”

Vincent doesn’t really know what to think about that nugget of information, town has no bearing on Balthuman clan business whatsoever. 

“You’ll look into it fully then, right?”

“Of course. I’m assembling my crew now, and we’ll be there if not this afternoon, then tomorrow morning.”

“Get me a report on it as soon as it’s possible--good or bad.  Anything else?”

“No, and that’s my point. I think it’s high time we try something else.”

“What do you mean by that Martin?”

“I mean maybe assemble a clan team, one that isn’t so sympathetic to Tora.”

“Go on.”

“I mean, someone neutral. Who may have a slant or perspective that Quincey and Gyu don’t have--their relationship with him colors their thinking, their interpretation of what they find. They may think something is worthless, or they may think it’s significant. But what if it’s the opposite? And you have to consider that maybe, just maybe they’re protecting him.”

Vincent reaches over for his ever-present highball glass and takes a gulp.  

“I’ll allow it. I gave Quincey time, and while he did find the car, he hasn’t found anything else either. At least nothing he’s told me. And you’re right. He’s biased. And I have to protect clan interests. But I’m going to let Quincey continue with what he’s doing as well. For the same reason--he knows Tora and can discover things that others might miss. But protecting him? He wouldn’t dare.”

Martin doesn’t reply to this, as he thinks Quinceton is just as insufferable as Tora, but he can’t say it to Vincent, that’s for sure.

Of course he’d protect him. Isn’t that obvious? F*ck, most of the clan think they’re a couple, for f*ck sake!

“Understood. I’ll get you a report on the car as soon as I can.”

“You do that. Don’t come back to me until you have something of substance.”

I won’t be back until I can prove he’s betrayed you, Vincent. Mark my words. He’s a traitor.

Chapter Text

Day 31 - Friday

Poppy is beyond happy to be invited to Dene’s for a wine and Netflix sleepover. She needs it more than she thought possible. Between the bullshit from Quincey and the weird phone calls, on top of everything else, she needs some time to blow off some steam. Nothing like some time with her bestie and a good flick.  But then again...

“Let’s watch…"

Poppy is desperately trying to find the most distracting movie ever, but every single one seems to have some element in it that she is desperately trying to avoid thinking about. If it's marketed as a drama, it includes romance. If it’s sci-fi, it includes violence. If it’s fantasy, it includes mystery. 

Fudge, none of them are gonna make me feel better. 

“Ah, Dene, just pick one, I don’t care.”

She is desperately trying to hide her distress, especially trying to hide it from Erdene, and doesn't even know if she’s doing an adequate job of covering it all up. So what else does she do? She has another glass of Moscato.

“Ah, I don’t know Pops. I don’t have a clue what to pick, either.”

Their take-out dinner was eaten long before they even looked at film options, so what else was there to do but gossip.

Not sure if this is going to distract me whatsoever, but I have to say I’ve been curious.

“So, Dene, what’s the deal with you and Damien? I mean did you two break up?”

Erdene looks a bit shocked at this query. They’ve been seeing each other steadily since that joint party, but both decided they needed to do so under the radar, so to speak. So she hasn’t mentioned a thing to anyone, let alone Poppy.

“What do you mean?”

But Poppy just looks at her like she knows about it already.

“C’mon, Dene, you don’t think I know?  You are still seeing each other right, still dating, right? You can’t fool me. I mean the chemistry between you two? Mwah!”

Okay, maybe I’m a little too buzzed to be talking to her about this, but fudge it’s the truth! I want someone to be happy!

Erdene actually blushes. She never blushes, but she has to admit their little affair is exhilarating, erotic, and she may even be falling for the guy.

“Well, we’re, um, trying to keep in on the down low, you know?”

I think I do, Erdene, more than you know. Youwillnotcry. Youwillnotcry. Youwillnotcry.

Poppy just looks at her with a small smile on her face, but she can feel her efforts to control her tears are starting to crack.

Oh, F*ck, Pops, this is supposed to distract you, not make you think about him. But I want to know what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, so I’m just gonna rip the band-aid off and ask.

“OK—turnabout is fair play. What’s the deal with you and Tiger boy?”

Oh, she did not just ask me that.

Poppy just looks at Erdene, and there are definitely tears in her eyes. 

Oh, I just can’t keep all this emotion bottled up in me anymore. Not after that crap Julri pulled, and now... now… that he’s gone.

“I haven’t seen him in a month, Erdene. He just stopped texting me, calling me, visiting me. I don’t know what I did wrong.”

Oh, Poppy. You really don’t know, do you. I swear I’m gonna throttle Quincey, so help me.

“Poppy, I… I…. What makes you think you did anything wrong? I mean….”

“Quincey keeps telling me Tora’s job, his other job, is keeping him busy, that he’s incommunicado and can’t contact anyone. But I think… I….. I think Quincey is lying to me, and he’s helping Tora to avoid me. I think Tora wants nothing to do with me anymore, but doesn’t have the guts to tell me that to my face. Working with Quincey right now is honestly a bit excruciating, because the two of them are just so closely tied to each other.”

Of course Erdene doesn't know about Quincey, Tora, and the mafia stuff, and Poppy hasn’t shared anything too revealing. But the tears are now flowing openly down her cheeks. Hearing herself saying all of it out loud makes it much too real. 

“But what if Quincey is telling the truth? That he can’t contact you, for whatever reason. Did you ever think of that?”

But Poppy looks Erdene right in the eyes, and makes an even bigger confession.

“You know, I thought I was prepared to get involved with someone again. I told Tora that I needed some time, some space to take care of myself, and to get close to someone else again, to let him in. I shared with Tora just about everything about Julri—what he did, how he made me feel, and how…. how scared I have been feeling to allow myself to care, especially after meeting him. And he has been so supportive, so caring, so loving, at least until he disappeared on me. Ha, me and my silly sparkly nonsense probably pushed him a little too far over the edge. Stupid baby girl, with my sappy shit, inexperienced naive little fuck that I am.

Heck, I told him stuff I never even shared with you, but that’s besides the point. He’s done with me. And now I think I’m in even worse shape than when I found Julri in that bitch’s arms.

Dene is shocked, listening to Poppy increasingly denigrate herself, seeing how much of an emotional wreck she now is—when she doesn’t know the truth—not at all. The use of the “f” word cliches it. And the viciousness of her tone, telling her that last bit, how she views herself? Not good.

QUINCEY—I’m gonna rip you a new one, I swear to the goddess!

“You know the worst part of it, Dene? I think I am ready now. And I want him. I think I love him. And he’ll probably never know, not now. But I don’t think it’s in the cards for me, love, happiness, the whole package. I mean when something, or someone, nice comes into your life, you never want it to end. But nothing lasts forever, and that’s just a part of life. Sometimes things are just...inevitable.

Oh fudge, I just said that out loud didn’t I? 

“And I miss him, Dene. I mean, I know it’s only been a month, but….”

Poppy just dissolves into a crying, soggy mess, and Erdene doesn’t know what she can do to console her, other than pull her into her arms and hug her tightly.

++++++++++++++++++

After their meeting with Vincent, Martin texted Claude and Scharch before he even got on the elevator at Balthuman Headquarters. They were right there with him, of course, but they have their methods, at least his men had their methods, ones that were effective and efficient. He suspects Tora has his own methods, too, but he give give a rat f*ck about any of that.

The text wasn’t lengthy, nor did it need to be. 

Martin @Claude @Scharch>> rip it apart

He didn’t expect a reply from them, not at all. He’s already set up protocols with his men to do what he asks, no exceptions, and almost always, no response required. They know the only reason to contact him is to report any results. If they found nothing, he would expect nothing communicated to him. If they did make any discoveries, he would expect either a text, a phone call, or an in-person visit, depending on the level of urgency and where he might be.  

They already discussed going back to the Tiger’s lair, his apartment, and rip it apart again, to recheck for anything they might have missed. He raved at the two of them, telling them places they should have looked that they didn’t even consider before. So while he technically needed Vincent’s approval to go back, he decided to have them do it anyway. 

F*cking idiots. I hope you two f*ckers will learn something from this.

They also need to get the car. But the apartment first. The car will need a bit more of a coordinated effort. Since Vincent already knows about it, he’ll have to involve some of the other clan men in checking into it—getting it towed to a clan facility, taking it apart bolt by bolt, scrutinizing every little f*cking screw. There had to be something there to prove that shit’s guilt. Perhaps he’s grasping at straws, but he also knows how clever Tora can be. The fact that he has one of the best tech gurus under him is a factor he cannot ignore. 

The f*cker is probably twelve steps ahead of us already after a month.

Later that day, he’s getting ready to sit down at a table in Clark’s, to have dinner with Shing Ma, when he gets a text. He knows they must have found something significant.

Scharch @Martin>> its clean

Martin @Scharch>> explain

Scharch @Martin>> except for couch TV all stuff gone place is EMPTY

What the actual f*ck?!

Martin @Scharch>> my office in an hour

“I’m sorry Shing Ma, but something’s come up and I have to go. We will have to reschedule. I’ll be in touch.”

Shing Ma can’t do anything but watch as Martin gets up out of his seat quickly walking out.

++++++++++++++++++

Day  32 - Saturday

In the morning, Poppy wakes up with an excruciating hangover. With a groan she also remembers the confession she made to Erdene.  

I can’t believe I spilled my guts like that, but I guess there’s nothing I can do about it now.

After a big cup of coffee, some ibuprofen, and a little more quality time with Erdene, Poppy catches a mid-morning bus home, and decides to start a new painting.

She remembers how she found the tree again and that silly little white cat. She’s found a new subject for her latest creation! Poppy chooses it because of all the things she’s been remembering lately, somehow, this didn’t make her sad. She has no idea why, but given what she admitted yesterday, she needs to focus on something that doesn't make her even more upset.  

That plus she knows she’ll see Quincey tonight. She needs to steep herself in as much positivity as she can before she sees him again.  

They have a dinner scheduled with Mr. Lam tonight to share progress on the book project. She would rather cancel, but since Mr. Lam’s availability is sporadic at best, it can’t be avoided. She’ll have to suck it up, and deal with it. It’s not like she has to talk to Quincey directly, at least not very much, and she plans to use her acting skills to the max tonight, to provide a united front to Mr. Lam. He can’t know about any of their drama at Giant Goldfish. 

Gosh, I hope he doesn’t ask about Gil. Cause your guess is going to be as good as mine, Mr. Lam.

But she’s just so angry with Quincey right now. She knows he’s been lying to her, so she’s just going to give him the cold shoulder. But if he pushes her too far tonight, keeps fudging lying, she’s going to let him feel her wrath. 

++++++++++++++++++

They meet Mr. Lam at Clark’s for dinner at 7 pm sharp. Despite their best efforts, Mr. Lam can sense something going on between the two of them. It’s the first time they’ve met him, together, in person, but the tension can be cut with a knife.

What is going on with these two? 

“I just want to say again how thrilled I am, Mr. Noyouko, to finally meet you in person. I am flattered you are working with me and Miss Poppylan on this project. My wife simply loved your work, bless her.”

Quincey smiles at him, putting all of his flamboyant feminine charm into his interactions, hoping to counter the strain between him and Poppy.

“Certainly Mr. Lam. And I am pleased with our progress. We anticipate the project to be completed, oh, can’t remember--remind me, Poppylan—what did we decide?”

Fudging jerk, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you.

“Based on our progress, we anticipate another two months, not including proofreading, typesetting, graphic design, and publicity.”

“Splendid! Splendid! Tell me more about each of them, please.”

Oh, for fudge sakes!

“Yes, QB, why don’t you start explaining the proofreading process?”

Ha! Take that, you pain in the butt!

Quincey is just as good an actor as she is, but he does give her a look, and then starts to explain in his own unique way.

What the f*ck, Miss Editor?!?

Just as he starts to respond, she looks over and sees Gyu behind the bar. He doesn’t see her, and she’s not even sure he knows both she and Quincey are there, at all.  

But seeing him there stirs in her a memory that is so painful, she has to excuse herself to go to the bathroom. Walking into that bathroom, though, stirs up an even worse pang of hurt, and she is practically hyperventilating at all of it. She remembers how shocked she was at finding Tora there, after that awful day, before she even really knew him all that well. But he was there and really, he saved her life.

Will Mr. Lam get whisked away from me again? 

Not likely, Quincey is out there with him, after all. And no clan men are there tonight anyways.

But will he be there when I come out? 

Not likely. And that makes her so despondent, she collapses on the bathroom floor, swallowing her sobs.

She can’t bear to leave the bathroom, not quite yet, but she knows she has to go back, even if she’s an emotional wreck. 

He won’t be there to save me this time.

Chapter Text

Day 33 - Sunday

Poppy wakes up bright and early, even though it’s Sunday. 

She takes her time getting out bed, checking her phone for any calls or texts from Erdene or Quincey. She gets up to make a small breakfast of some tea and toast. After the dinner at Clark’s the night before, she simply has no appetite.

It took a substantial amount of her resolve and energy to walk back out of that bathroom, and finish dinner with Lam and Quincey. She has no way of knowing whether or not either of them could tell how upset she felt after her little bathroom breakdown, but honestly she didn’t care. 

She’s a little embarrassed at the intensity of her emotions, but there’s nothing she can do about it now. She knows that really the best thing she can do is to keep taking care of herself, even if it means acknowledging her true emotions at the same time. Swallowing her disappointment and pain will only make her unhappy, and it’s not healthy. 

Maybe I need to get in touch with my therapist in Moonbright again. 

Poppy went to a child therapist several years ago, first when her mother left the family, and then again after her father’s death. This therapist might be able to refer her to someone in the city, perhaps someone who specializes in abandonment issues? 

If it weren’t so awful, maybe I could laugh. But look at all the people who have...left me. Deep breaths, girl, deep breaths. 

She decides to pull out her “dream diary” notebook. She had felt so much better two mornings ago when she wrote her thoughts down in a diary entry, by hand, no digital interfaces, just word vomits onto the page.

She shakes her head, realizing how focused she was on the sleepover on Friday with Erdene, and then of course she woke up with a hangover on Saturday, so she’s already missed two days. 

Geesh, can’t even make it more than one day in a row. Pfft.

Opening the notebook to the next available blank page, she starts writing about her therapist in Moonbright and before long she fills one page, and a little more than that. She poured out words and paragraphs rife with emotions from her past—especially remembering how that therapist helped her back then, after her father’s death in particular, making her feel a bit more capable about managing some of her distress in the here and now. It’s not like she’s back to normal, she’s far from it, but sometimes just acknowledging there might be a problem is a step in the right direction.

Onward, Poppylan. 

Just then she hears the buzz of her phone. Looking at her screen, she sees that Erdene has texted her.

Dene @Pops>> grand morning to you luv   how r ya this fine morn   And how was din-din with Lam-kins & the 👑

Pops can’t help but snort at the crown emoji. How easily they started calling Quincey “Quincess”—I mean he is kind of a princess and prima dona. 

Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Pops @Dene>> went fine Q was a drama queen and 👑 for sure but managed ok Lam asked bout deadlines etc   All good on schedule etc etc.  BTW thanx 4 being there Friday  didn’t mean to be a 😭

Dene @Pops>> this boney bitch always got ur back, k u squishy u ❤️ lets do again soon ya? 

Pops @Dene>> k  next ⏱ not so full of angst less 🍷more 🍦perhaps week after next?  anyways gotta go  TTFN

Leave it to Dene to make me feel better, even with just a short text exchange. 

Between the diary entry and Dene’s check in, Poppy is feeling considerably better. Now she’s going to finish the painting of the tree, and she knows that too will make her feel good, given the subject matter and how calm she felt when she visited the tree, in real time. She’s pretty certain she’s going to keep this painting for herself and hang it in her kitchen.

++++++++++++++++++

The canvas is finished and now drying in the corner of her apartment, so Poppy gets out her laptop and surfs back to the genealogy page she found before. After logging into her account, she goes back to her account history, as she wants to reexamine the search data with the same names, the royal ones. She had been meaning to get back into this research, as it’s yet another outlet that helps keep her occupied.

I have no idea why I’m obsessing so much over the royal family. Eh, everybody’s gotta have multiple hobbies right? 

It’s been a few weeks since she last visited the site, but she did remember the alternate royal names she discovered. It’s an understatement to say these names surprised her when they appeared. She starts at the beginning, alphabetically speaking, beginning a larger search of the site using the first royal name, Asura. 

First she’s going to look at actual people linked with the name. Some of the data within the links jibes with the other information she found online (from the historical society website and blog) and in the book, but she is more determined than ever to travel to the palace. 

She’s curious to see it, particularly as there are royal “Asura” family members born as recently as 1996. While finding these names is a coup of a sort, there is not a lot of information about the whole banishment of the family from the Narin City region, other than mention of the royal palace. She actually finds another name connected with the royal family that she will have to investigate as well: Senshi.

++++++++++++++++++

It’s late in the day when Gyu hears the PING of a text alert, and opens his phone. It’s from one of the few tech contacts he’s made in the Clan. It is nothing more than a simple notification that Tora’s car has been collected and is now in the hands of one of the Clan enclaves specializing in vehicles and data analysis. 

Gyu reads it and winces a bit. Even though he and Quincey agreed to letting the Clan have the car, he had to wonder if the private firm they hired might have found something the Clan techs might actually miss. Given the thoroughness of the Clan protocol and process, it’s unlikely the car will remain intact. He’s not even sure the frame will even remain.

He pulls out his burner to let Quincey know. He also has another idea he wants to discuss with Quincey, one that is significantly risky, but he just thought of it that morning.

GyuB @QuinceyB>> just got notice they have car and will likely rip it to pieces looking for stuff   unlikely we will have a crack at any of it  not sure they will let me know anything or not   the txt i got might just be a one time deal ya?

QuinceyB @GyuB>> thx boo.  we knew this would happen   any news on other stuff?

GyuB @QuinceyB>> no report yet   they said it would take a couple more days   better to be thorough than slopp ya kno?

QuinceyB @GyuB>> yup. I am about done with language scan  can u come over tomorrow before shifts?  What time good 4 u?

GyuB @QuinceyB>> i can do 11?

QuinceyB @GyuB>> 10-4 c u then 

What Gyu doesn’t say in the text string is he overhead Claude make some comments during his shift at the Black Swan on Friday—Claude and Scharch returned to Tora’s apartment and discovered what he and Quincey had done. But some things will change, at least that is Gyu’s idea anyways, one that might better allow them to track what Martin and men are doing. Gyu is going to think about his idea more and if he still thinks it’s a good idea, he’ll talk about it with Quincey in the morning.

Day 34 - Monday

Gyu arrives at Quincey’s a few minutes late the next morning. He would have preferred a little more sleep, but given the unique situation, he could manage.  It’s now time to compare notes.

Once Gyu sits down across from Quincey and Smithy, he drops his first bombshell.

“OK. I’ll start. After a deep dive back into the GPS texting data, while Tora thought his last text was from Vincent, it’s more than likely, it really wasn’t. The GPS data shows it’s not from any affiliated Clan property or known hangout. Just so you know, Quince, Vincent would never have such Clan business take place anywhere else, not unless it’s a unique situation.”

“That might explain what I discovered—the language. I read through nearly all the texts on his account from the last four months, and there are not a whole lot of them between the two, but enough. And I had to read through about 1,000 printed pages of texts. Anyways, I focused on any sent from Vincent to Tora. While it was a clever attempt, and I do mean clever, the language patterns, or rather this one text differs from the typical patterns, likely confirm what you’ve suggested. The text he received is not the same as the others, not at all the same pattern or wording. It’s highly suspect.”

“So how can you tell?”

“OK. The text he received?  ‘The usual place. 30 minutes.’  Now I read through hundreds of texts from Vincent, and every other one is the same. The same phrases, but usually the time differs, depending where he has to go and a code of some kind that probably only Tora knows, mostly initials.”

Gyu is nodding his head, listening to the detailed information, impressed by the work Quincey has done.

“Anyways, phrases such as ‘Same routine,’ ‘usual collection,’ ‘complete recovery,’ and ‘usual plan.” There are a couple others, but it is oh so subtle. It’s very sly, I must say. If you weren’t trained in language or writing, you’d probably not notice it at all. I wonder if Tora even noticed. But do you see now? The differences?”

“No, explain it to me.”

“The one he received said the usual place. All the others, I mean ALL the others say things like cleanse, routine, collection, recovery, plan, etc. Now I want you to think about it. Place means location, spot, area, region. Cleanse is a bit obvious. But routine means process, actions, steps, job. Collection means gather, reap, take. Recovery means take back, claim, retrieval. Plan means operation, instruction, scheme, goal.  Do you see now?”

“Oh yeah. I do. Place is location, of course, but none of the others mention place but rather things Tora might have to do, yeah?”

“Exactly. This is the only text from Father to Tora that differs in this very subtle way. I’m starting to think that either Tora was distracted or involved in some sort of plot of some kind. Most significant of all is that there is no code or initials in that last message. So, where is, what is the usual place?”

“Well, I need to look into the GPS location of that last message. Based on what you told me, I have to believe it is NOT any ‘usual place’ that Tora would be going to. Very suspect.”

“I think this is information we need to keep between the three of us. We do not want Martin to know about it.”

Quincey looks back and forth from Gyu to Smithy, and they both nod their heads to concur. 

“Quincey, this brings up another idea I have, but it’s awful risky. But it may help us.”

“Shoot, boo boo, tell us.”

“I would like to get access to Martin’s phone, so we can track what he’s doing.”

Quincey’s jaw drops.

“Gyu, honey, are you f*cking nuts?!  Do you know the repercussions of that if you’re caught?”

“I know, I know, but it might help us know what else they’re doing. The reason why is I overhead Claude talking on Friday.”

“What was it about?”

“He and Scharch went back to Tora’s place, and they know what we’ve done. Martin can’t be happy about that.”

Quincey’s face paled a little bit.

“You have no idea, Gyu, or rather you probably do. Still don’t know why the man hates Tora so much but it’s the truth.”

“Anyways, if I can either put some sort of bug or perhaps even clone his phone somehow, I think it will help to know what they’re up to.”

“All I can say is you can try. I mean it’s been so frustrating having so little information. It’s infuriating. I guess the question is how to get access to his phone. I mean the f*cker has it next to him at all times. I don’t even know when he’ll show up here. But he does usually text me when he’s on his way.”

“I may have a way to clone it without him taking it out of his pocket. How much notice does he usually give you when he comes over?”

“One time he told me the night before. The next might have been, I don’t know half an hour before?”

“Let me do more research. And if I can, I’ll set something up so that you can clone it yourself. I’ll show you how.”

“Goodness, boo boo, you’re the tech genius. I don’t know. Will it be difficult to do that?”

“No, if I can manage it, I’ll make it a snap for ya. I already have some ideas, I just need to go home tonight and test it. We’ll have to move quickly, but I will likely set it up so that all you have to do is hit a button. Sound good?”

“I suppose. Anything else to report?”

“Not really, as I said last night, still waiting on forensics. Otherwise, we still have nothing.”

“Oh, well, isn’t that just f*cking depressing.”

“You know it, bro. You know it.”

Chapter Text

Day 35 - Tuesday

Poppy arrives right on schedule at Giant Goldfish that morning, and gets right to work. She’s reviewing a particularly long run-on sentence in the Lam book when her phone starts to ring. It’s yet another unknown number. She is still conflicted as to whether or not she should answer these calls anymore, so she again ignores it. After a frustrating hour of trying to edit the unwieldy sentence, Poppy looks down to notice that she has a voice mail message. 

Huh. That’s never happened before.

She opens her phone, and notices that while the number is unlisted, it is from someone within Narin City. So she opens the message to listen to it. The female voice is vaguely familiar. Then she hears the name—Inspector Lane.

“Hello, Ms. Wilkes. This is Inspector Lane from Narin City Precinct 12? I’m just following up on that complaint you filed back, oh, let me see, oh heck, I don’t have it in front of me. Anyways, we’ve basically exhausted all avenues, and there is simply not enough evidence to press charges, given we can’t even confirm the identity of the perpetrator. I wish I had better news for you, but I wanted to let you know. Have a nice day.”  

CLICK.

Poppy is so stunned that she pulls the phone away from her ear and looks down at it on her screen, to see if perhaps she’s hallucinating. She’s not. She plays the message again, and then she starts to laugh.

Are you fudging kidding me? Really? I forgot about that ages ago.

Poppy keeps laughing, and laughing, and laughing, and laughing... but suddenly her laugh starts to shift into messy crying that gets Erdene’s attention.

What the heck, Pops?

“Poppy, what’s the matter, hon?”

Poppy is crying so hard now she’s beginning to hyperventilate. 

“OK—I’m sending you home. Do you need a cab or an Uber?”

Hic. Hic.

While she still has some hiccups, somehow she manages to stop her hysterics, but only for so long.

Just tell her the truth, at least as much as you can. At least tell Dene what its about, who its about.

“I don’t know if I can even explain it. But it’s, it’s, it’s about him.”

The moment she says it, she starts to cry again. Now Jacob is noticing her obvious distress.  Erdene is holding her in her arms, rubbing her back, and looks over at Jacob, shaking her head.

Ah, it’s about Tiger boy. I have got to talk to Quincey. He’s got to tell her the truth. This is not helping her self-esteem. F*ck, we need to fix this, but how??

“That’s it Poppy, I’m rescheduling Quincey, and you’re going home.”

Poppy is so upset, she doesn’t even protest.

“Jacob, do you think you could call her an Uber, please?”

“Sure, Dene.”

Within 20 minutes, Erdene escorts Poppy out the front door of the building into the back seat of a small hatchback. 

“I’ll stop by after work, OK? I don’t want you to be alone tonight.”

“OK--thanks, Dene.” Poppy is still hiccuping and sniffling while she replies.

No sooner than the car pulls away, then Erdene pulls out her phone calling Quincey. He picks up after a couple rings.

“Dene Bean, heeellloo, darling. What’s up?”

“Quincey, I just had to send Poppy home. She got a phone call, a message, and basically had a breakdown. It had something to do with Tora.”

“Oh.”

“OH?!? For f*ck sake, Quincey, that’s all you can say? You have got to tell her he’s missing. She doesn't know this, believes he’s just avoiding her, and it’s destroying her. After the shit her last boyfriend pulled, I don’t think she can handle much more rejection, even if it is conjecture at this point. He didn’t just ditch her, he’s f*cking MISSING, Quince.”

Quincey is speechless, and doesn’t respond immediately. He has to admit she’s right. But he still has to be careful what he’s telling everyone, especially those outside the Clan. But maybe now he has to tell Erdene more than she knows--that way maybe she’ll understand why he’s so hesitant.

“OK, I guess you’re right, Erdene, but I need to be careful. And there are some things I need to tell you, but I...I…I can’t do that over an open phone line.”

Whoa, what is that about? 

“Well, I know we need to reschedule your meeting today, but maybe I can come over to your place, and we can talk more about this? I'm pretty sure Jacob can take charge of the office while I’m gone. Besides, I want to go to Poppy’s soon. I’m really worried about her, Quince. She’s not doing well.”

“Come as soon as you can. I gotta go.” 

Quincey hangs up, and Dene makes plans to do just that.

++++++++++++++++++

Erdene shows up at Quincey’s door within an hour. 

She knocks on the door, and Smithy lets her in. 

“OK, I’m here. Spill.”

The three sit down in the living room, and he just blurts it right out.

“Erdene, I’m in the mafia.”

“WHAT?!?”

“So is Tora, so is Smithy, here. I’m actually supposed to take over eventually--who knows when--once my father steps down.”

“So not only are you in the mafia, but you’re gonna….be a don?! ”

“Yes.  No sense sugar coating it. I need you to understand the complexities of what is going on, especially since Tora is now missing.”

“Go on. I’m listening. I’m assuming Poppy knows this?”

“Actually she knows about us being in the mafia. She’s known before I even signed my contract with Giant Goldfish.  Anyways, Tora is a...he’s a...he’s my Father’s enforcer, an assassin. I don’t know a lot about what he does, but he’s involved in the nasty stuff, to be honest. Smithy here, not so much, but Tora is a whole different beast, no pun intended.”

“So do you know anything, anything at all about why? Where? How?”

“Believe it or not, we know almost nothing. Now I’m going to tell you one more thing, and you CANNOT say a word outside this apartment. We have it set up--me, Smithy, and Gyu, you’ve met him, right? We have it set up so that no one can eavesdrop or record any audio in this apartment. Super secret extreme precautions. Anyways, you cannot repeat what I’m about to tell you.”

All Erdene can do is nod to Quincey, indicating he should continue.

“We are doing a bit of a separate investigation, one that the Clan isn’t exactly aware of.  See, we three men? We are all close to Tora, but many of the Clan men? They… they… want to take Tora out , honestly. My father is the only thing keeping safe, or at least was keeping him safe until he disappeared. The man he put in charge of the Clan’s investigation, his name is Martin, he hates Tora. He’s hated him ever since Tora was plucked from an orphanage when he was practically a baby. My father saw something in Tora, a savage kid, a tough cookie, but Martin saw a belligerent f*cker who’s a weakness. He’ll do anything to discredit Tora. Hell, he may even be responsible for his disappearance, but there is simply not enough information. We are beyond frustrated.”

What the f*ck am I saying? Safe is nonexistent in the Clan. But that’s the best way to explain it to her.

“Wow, Quince. Just WOW. That is a lot to take in. I guess I can see why you haven’t exactly told Poppylan the truth.”

“Anyways, that’s the situation, and we are at a standstill. There are one or two leads, but they are so small, it’s practically hopeless. In fact, I just got a text before you got here. I’ve got to meet Martin very soon, so you will need to leave ASAP. I can’t jeopardize you, too. But depending how our meeting goes, I will likely have to tell her the truth. Honestly, this is a complete and utter mess.”

Erdene can see that Quincey is practically in tears. 

This is just so f*cking awful, and I don’t know what I can do to help. 

"I gotta get back to the office, Quince. I think we need to talk more about this. I'll text you when I get to Poppy's tonight."

"Bye Dene. Talk to you later."

Erdene walks out, and Quincey whips out his burner to text Gyu.

QuinceyB @GyuB>> hey boo boo  got a mtg w Martin in about 20 minutes  i assume nothing new on yur end?  The get up is in my kitchen drawer so we are go on that end

GyuB @QuinceyB>> sorry bro  got nadda  should be a snap to hit the button and go  should take i don’t now 5 minutes or so to finish? so we will have to check in after Martin leaves ya?

QuinceyB @GyuB>> yes, for sure  im beyond frustrated boo boo  i feel so lost  i will txt u as soon as he leaves so you can come get the thingy   i hope it works its just so frickin risky  

GyuB @QuinceyB>> with the jammer installed he’ll have no idea what we’re doin  my tech skills are legendary dude dont ya got any confidence in me? 

QuinceyB @GyuB>> yes booboo your kung fu is good  more later he’s gonna be here any min  TTFN

++++++++++++++++++

Not 10 minutes after Quincey’s last text to Gyu, there is a knock on Quincey’s front door. Martin has arrived. Smithy opens the door and escorts him inside. Claude is with him. Quincey is standing in his kitchen, with the drawer next to his stove open. He quickly hits the button on the cloning device Gyu created to copy Martin’s phone, as they previously discussed. Quietly and slowly he pushes the drawer shut. Even though it’s not even noon yet, Quincey pulls a glass out of his cupboard, and pours himself a generous portion of Moscato. He’s gonna need it for another meeting with Martin.

Martin and Claude are sitting on the couch, with Smithy on one of the adjacent chairs. Quincey sits down on the other chair, facing Smithy.

“Well, Martin, we have nothing to report. You have the car of course, but really we have nothing else.”

Martin just sits there, watching Quincey sip more of his wine, with a bit of a disgusted look on his face. And doesn't respond for a few more minutes. It’s a bit unnerving. But nothing prepares him for what Martin asks him.

“Tell me about Poppylan Wilkes.”

Quincey has just taken a huge sip of wine which he almost spews out across the coffee table.  Somehow he just...just manages not to, and can’t help but have a flash of memory--that night at Gudrun's with Tora, Poppy, and Cordelia, when he spewed a mouthful of wine all over Poppy’s face.

FFFF***CCCCKKK!! Not my finest moment. And if I did that in front of Martin, I'd likely be doomed.

“She’s my editor.”

“And?”

“That’s it. Why do you ask?”

“Apparently the last place Tora visited the day he disappeared was her apartment.”

Oh, f*ck Poppy. How the f*ck did Martin learn about that?

“Huh. That’s news to me. As far as I know, they’ve only met through me, at her office. At Giant Goldfish.”

OOOooo, that is just a huge lie. But let’s see what Martin says to that. F*cking bastard.

“So you have no idea why he would be there?”

“No, not at all. She’s a civilian. He’s... not . What else can I tell you?”

Martin just stares at Quincey. And luck is with Quincey that day, because he has on the best poker face of his life. F*ck he could win the Oscar, honestly he is acting so well.

“Well, we need to look into her more. You say she’s your editor?”

“Yes. We’ve been working together, oh, geesh, what’s it been Smithy? Two, three months? It’s been such a pleasure, it’s gone by so fast!”

OK, bitch, rein yourself in, don’t overdo the drama for this f*ck.

“I’ll be investigating her more, Quincey. Just know this. Do you have anything for me?”

“No, other than the car, I’m afraid not, Martin.”

Martin and then Claude get up off the couch and leave, saying nothing else.  

Such a chatty motherf*cker.

Quincey gulps the rest of his wine, completely distressed at the new direction things are now taking. He pulls his burner back out.

QuinceyB @GyuB>> he’s gone i haven’t checked the gizmo but you need to get your ass here pronto drop everything  we have got to talk   and its not good boo boo :(

GyuB @QuinceyB >> have a shift in an hour how long we talking? 

QuinceyB @GyuB>> call in sick  its an emergency get your f*cking ass over here NOW

Gyu sees this message and gulps. 

What now?!?

++++++++++++++++++

FLASH FORWARD

Recap - Day 274 - Tuesday - Nine months after Tora’s disappearance (just for reference--this is repeating the prologue to Chapter 1 )

This postcard…. Poppy thought to herself.

The card just seemed to magically appear on her fridge door, under a random magnet. With a touristy photo of a luscious, beautiful blue beach, it did not have any message written on it, nor was it addressed to her. It was completely blank.

Was that there before? Did I just not notice it? It obviously has some reason being here, right? Why else would it be there otherwise? 

After a few minutes of staring at it, she began to have an unexplained, nagging sense that it had more significance than not, especially given the situation and her life at the moment. She suddenly decided what she was going to do, had to do. Right away, before she over-thought it or chickened out, she sent Quincey a quick text and asked if he knew a good travel agent. 

She sighed and admitted, I don’t think I could have made it this far if it weren’t for the work I’ve been doing with Quincey.

Working with him turned out to be one of the most interesting (and professionally speaking, perfect) things that happened to her in the past year, heck especially the past 9 months—he has been a lifeline. Well, there is that and a certain 6 foot something black haired tiger, too. One who she is desperately missing.

It was a bit exhilarating deciding to do this, on a completely utter whim, traveling to the exotic, beautiful locale on the card. Maybe that’s why it was on her fridge--she needs a vacation, right? To use a word she almost never does? F*ck it. What did she have to lose? She felt she had already lost so much in her life, the hell with it. 

Everything had happened so fast with Tora and then Quincey, but the many long weeks since that one day had been rough. Really fudging rough for Poppy. She did a lot for Gil and Goldfish Publishing, of course.  Especially during some of the worst emotional moments since her father died, notably when Julri cheated on her and now this. When something nice comes into your life… You never want it to end. She thought to herself back then. Indeed.

PING.  A return text from Quincey appeared: “Sure, Miss Editor. I’ll text u the info or I can set u up with the Clan jet. Thinking of you today, as usual. How r u?”

Bless you, Quincey, she told herself. She texted back a simple reply:

“OK. I will be in touch.”  She didn’t add this to her text but thought of asking him later, hey maybe going on a tropical getaway—wanna come? But she simply couldn’t engage in any personal conversations at that moment, as she began falling back into memories that simply hurt too much. Memories that she is still trying to cope with.

Day 275 - Wednesday - Nine months after “Day 1," the day after she finds the Postcard. (NOTE: SOME STORY SPOILERS but nothing earth shattering)

Poppy has thought about it all night, and calls Quincey to tell him her plan. She has to wait until it’s a decent time, at least a decent time to call Quincey. The man usually sleeps much later than her.

“Good morning, Sugar Pops. What say you this fine Hump Day?”

Poppy can’t help but laugh. He’s always so good at making me smile.

“So I’m calling about the text I sent you last night, you know, about the travel agent? And you said there may be a Clan jet, too?”

“Yes."

"Anyways, let me just say it: how would you like to go on a tropical getaway with me? I can’t possibly go by myself, and I already know Erdene is in the middle of several projects, you know this of course.”

“Why, Pops, I would love to run away, lover. Just you and MOI? Splendid, honey! And where to?”

“It’s called Siargao Beach. I’m going to email you some deets.”

“OOO, and where is it?”

“The eastern shore of the Philippines, facing the Pacific.”

What Poppy doesn’t tell him is that it’s the location on this postcard, this silly postcard she found pinned to her fridge just the day before. That she has some weird sense telling her to travel there as soon as she can. 

Women’s intuition is a funny thing, Quincey.

“Anyways, I will take care of the jet, sweetie. It’s the Balthuman jet, and I can afford it.  We won’t have to deal with any shitty airlines. Now that I think of it, one of my Father’s business associates has a place in the Philippines. I’ll have to find out how close it might be to this Siargao Beach. Maybe we’ll get lucky!”

“Sounds wonderful, Q. I appreciate you willing to come with me. Otherwise, I don’t think Erdene would allow me to go otherwise. We had a long chat last night, and she knows what it’s like for a woman traveling alone to such a remote spot. It’s just not done.”

“Of course, honey. And anything crucial for Goldfish is already being handled by Jacob and Erdene. You’ve done so much for us, I don’t see a problem with you taking a real vacation for once.” 

She hasn’t taken a break from work for months, not since he took over at Goldfish. He could kick himself. Weeks ago they discussed hiring more staff, but decided against it, but mostly because they were simply too busy to interview anyone. Nothing he can do about it now. Maybe when they return from this vacation, they can revisit this idea again.

“Anyways, I’m thankful for this Quincey. Do you have any idea how long it will take to make all the arrangements?”

“It will depend on whether or not this contact has a place near the beach, where we’re traveling, then we’ll know. It may take a couple days to get the number from Father. And it will depend on whether someone is staying there, and so on.”

“Ah, gotcha. I understand.”

She can’t believe it’s all coming together and so quickly. 

“And now, we have got to go shopping for clothes for the trip.”

“Of course, I know I don’t have any beach clothes, at least ones that will fit me. I haven’t gotten a new bathing suit since...high school?”

Quincey feels bad. They had an intervention for Poppy about a month and a half ago. He and Erdene were simply worried. She had lost weight, and her pallor had been noticeable. While she gained a couple pounds back, she is still skinner than either of them would like. The fact that she has no beach clothes that fit only makes him think of those desperate days when they whisked her away to a spa for a wellness retreat. No matter what, though, there is still a spark missing from her. He doesn’t know if she’ll ever get it back, but he’s willing to do what he can to make her feel better, more confident about herself.

“Oh my, we so need to get you a hot new suit, girlfriend! So, let’s plan on shopping this Saturday, OK?”

“Sounds great, Quincey! Love you!”

“Love you, too, Sugar Pops.”

After he hangs up, he finds his burner and texts Gyu. Even though it’s been months since Tora has been gone, they keep the jammer in his apartment running, and anything to do with Poppy, meetings, phone calls, and texts, they continue to use burners to communicate. Even though he’s been gone a long time, they simply won’t give up hope. Sure, there are still days when they are so distraught that they can barely function, but they won’t stop, never, not until they know for sure. They just have to know. 

Quincey already contacted Gyu yesterday, after Poppy’s inquiry. Gyu continues to be his go to guy about everything. He still doesn’t know where Poppy got the information on Siargao Beach, but wants Gyu to look into it as only he can, and plans to call his Father later in the day. He’s pretty sure that Miyagi Dōryō’s cottage is on the east coast of the Philippines, but can’t be sure where. He’ll have to connect with Erdene, too,  to go over any current projects and to talk in general about Poppy and this trip. He’s thankful that Erdene is supportive and does so much for Goldfish.  

QuinceyB @GyuB>> hey boo, following up from yesterday  get me all you know about Siargao Beach k? Email it to my photon inbox ya?

GyuB @QuinceyB>>you got it bro   anything else?  

QuinceyB @GyuB> Anything on Miyagi Dōryō would be helpful 2  thats it for now

GyuB @QuinceyB>> K bro  

++++++++++++++++++

After he signs off the text thread with Quincey, Gyu breathes in deeply and laughs, a huge grin on his face. He just has to keep the secrets from Quincey for just a couple more days. He’s kept the secrets for this long. What’s a few more days? 

Wow, this is really happening! 

Finally--f*ck, yes! 

And of course Quincey doesn’t know. Thank goodness he doesn’t, I mean, how could he?  He'd f*cking give it all away! 

Anyways, we planned it this way. I’ve done my job, and I’ve done it well. I’ve been working on my end for three f*cking months. I know they've been working on it for nine.  

I don't know how they managed it, but it'll be worth it. It’s all gonna be worth it. 

God I hope really hope so.

End of Part 1

Chapter Text

Day 35 - Tuesday

Somehow Gyu manages to call in sick for his shift. He may have also insinuated its relationship to clan business, but Quincey seems so insistent they talk. He arrives at Quincey’s right about the time he was supposed to start his shift.

Before Gyu can even knock on Quincey’s front door, it’s flung open in front of him.

“GYU!  Thank f*ck! Get your ass in here, pronto.”

Whoa, what the f*ck, bro? You are NEVER this frazzled. 

Gyu knows he met with Martin about an hour ago, but something must have happened, or been revealed during this meeting.

“Yo, bro, what gives?”

“Just sit your ass down. We have some things to talk about, and that’s putting it lightly.”

Gyu removes his coat and goes to sit down in the living room with Quincey and Smithey.

“So how’d the meeting go with Martin?”

“HA! Not good.”

“Whatta ya mea—“

“They asked me about Poppy.”

Gyu is shocked at this revelation. No matter what had been happening over the past months, he didn’t think anyone in the clan had an inkling about Poppy other than she’s now Quincey’s editor. Well, with the exception of some of Tora’s men. Even after the party, not everyone was aware of their relationship. At least it seemed that way…

“Focus, Gyu, focus.”

“Sorry, bro.”

“Anyways, the first thing out of that f*ckers mouth today? ‘Tell me about Poppylan Wilkes.’”

For someone at Martin’s level in the clan to be asking about her, especially outside the context of her work with Quincey, is indeed concerning.

“WOW. That’s...wow.”

“And. AND. He knows Tora was last seen at her apartment. But anyways, of course, I played dumb. I told him that she’s my editor. But I have no idea how he could know anything about her relationship with Tora.”

“Well, f*ck. How the hell did he find out about that Quince?”

“Smithy and I have been over and over it—we didn’t give him that information. Was any of that information included in any data or anything you handed over to him already?”

“Nope. I’ve been using the same protocol I’ve always been using. When Big Bro tells me mums the word, mums the word.”

“The bigger issue now is whether or not Poppy is now in danger. He told me he’s now going to be looking into her background. I mean I don’t think he’s going to find anything substantial, but the larger issue is how he knows Tora was with her before he disappeared and any repercussions.”

Gyu stops to think about it more. 

Who the f*ck… I mean how did Martin get that tidbit of information?

“Well, did you activate the cloning device? We need to check it out, pronto. To see if it worked. Maybe we can get something from that.”

“Sure, boo boo. It’s here.”

Quincey walks to the drawer in his kitchen, pulling out the device, and hands it to Gyu.

“Cool. Just to be sure, I’m going to rescan your apartment, and make sure the jammer doesn’t need a firmware update. We simply cannot be too careful. I want to check the software on all our burners. Now, I do have a data dump to do, so as soon as I’m done with that, I’ll take the cloning device back to my apartment and see what I can dig up. And if we are extremely lucky, I’ll clone his phone, so we can start to listen in on all his conversations and read all of his text threads. I need to tell you again, bro, this is a huge gamble we are taking doing this with Martin’s phone.”

Quincey didn’t understand some of the technicalities, but agrees that they simply need to be cautious about what they are doing. He can’t speak. He simply nods his understanding to Gyu who gets to work.

++++++++++++++++++

Two to three hours later, the relevant scans are done, the data dump completed, and Gyu is on his way home. He now knows has to call her. He now has no choice, and they are all at their wits end. It’s possible that some of the relevant information about the investigation into Tora has made its way to the police, and the one of the clan moles may have found it as well. 

And that clan mole probably buried it, but passed it on to Martin. Maybe Martin put them on alert to share any relevant stuff?  Sis will know.

As soon as he walks in his door, he pulls out his burner and texts his sister.

GyuB @SistaLane>> yo sis, gotta talk  ya got a sec? On my B

This is a standard communique with his sister to text him back on the burner he gave her over a year ago. She is a unique person—she’s really a good detective, but she’s been helping Gyu with clan stuff for a long time. And he knows she’s been trying to get Tora on her side for a while. She’s been working relentlessly to bring down Vincent and the clan, but it’s been almost impossible without an insider. And Tora has been persistently...resistant. 

SistaLane @GyuB>> k call u in 15

Fifteen minutes later, his burner rings, SistaLaneB showing up on the caller ID, and he instantly picks up.

“Yo, sista, thanks for calling me back.”

“OK, I’m gonna give you 20 minutes. I’m in the safe zone you told me about. Spill.”

“Well, long story short, Sis, Tora is missing.”

The line is quiet for a couple minutes.

“Wow. Really? How long has it been?”

“About five weeks.”

“Are you shitting me, G?”

“Nope. Anyways, the reason why I’m calling is, well, I need your special kind of help. Do you have any dirt you can give me? Anything at all? And I gotta believe the clan snitch in your ranks has been fed some information that, well, let’s just say I wish they didn’t know about.”

“Well, what do you know? Tell me what you got.”

Gyu spends several minutes explaining their efforts to trace him the past five weeks, relaying the frustration of not having a lot of information. 

“Let me check my sources and my files. I don’t have anything I can tell you off the top of my head. No missing persons report, I know that much. I don’t know for sure if the clan snitch in our squad is the same person. I know they are the bane of my existence, as any information collected disappears with regularity.”

“OK. How soon can you get back to me?”

“Give me a few days, G. And you need to come over for dinner soon, you hear me? The kids miss ya.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, sista, I hear ya. Anyways, I gotta go. Love ya.”

“Bye bye G. Talk soon.”

++++++++++++++++++

Walking back to her work station, Lane is a bit pensive after the phone call with her brother.  She’s impressed with how much Gyu and his friends know about Tora’s vanishing act. But unbeknownst to them, she has been keeping secrets. And its much too soon to reveal them. It’s going to be difficult to keep the information hidden, but it will be worth it in the end. 

I just hope he’ll forgive me.

++++++++++++++++++

Scharch wasn’t at the meeting with Martin that morning, Martin said he wasn’t needed. Frankly he’s glad. It’s giving him time to follow around this Poppy chick. 

He’s been hanging outside Giant Goldfish. He arrived early, knowing she’d show up at some point. After a couple hours, he sees her come back downstairs with a tall chick with purple hair, who is helping her get into an Uber. She doesn’t look too happy.

Waa, waa, boo hoo. Too bad so sad, ya bitch. 

He watches as the purple haired woman talks to Poppy, tucks her into the back seat, shuts the door, and watches as the car drives away.

And f*ck I can’t track an Uber. I’ll have to try again tomorrow. Need to find out where ya live. It’s just a matter of time until I get you, sweetheart...

++++++++++++++++++

Day 36 - Wednesday 

After the long emotional day Poppy had the day before, she’s back at her desk, raring to go. Seems a day of crying, ice cream, and Netflix helped. It helped a lot.

As Poppy is putting away her purse, she looks up to notice Erdene is not in the office yet. No idea why, but whatever. But since Poppy needs to make up for missing most of work yesterday, she gets started. It’s not long after she opens a chapter of the Lam project when Jacob arrives.

“Hey, Pops. Are you… doing better today?”

“Yes, Jacob. Thanks.”

“Cool, cool, cool. Um, I meant to ask you a question.”

“Oh? Ask away.”

“I wanted to ask you without Erdene lurking over my shoulder.”

Poppy snorts a bit at that. She loves Dene who is always protecting her from Jacob’s inane shit.

“Anyways… Tora is le Greek God, isn’t he.”

Poppy is startled that Jacob has now connected the dots.  

After all this time, he’s just now telling me?

For some reason, this makes her smile widely, and she giggles.

“Yes. He is. How did you figure it out?”

“Yes! I knew it! Well, when he first showed up here as Quincey’s bodyguard, I knew there was something familiar about him. But it didn’t really click until after the birthday party.”

“And thanks, Jacob, for keeping my secret about that night. And about that—you are the only one who knows. So it has to remain a secret, got it?”

“Sure, Pops. You know he speaks so highly of you, and said you told him nice things about me, too. Thanks for that.”

Poppy is surprised to learn this. Tora is such a surly man to begin with, so when she speaks up about the shit Jacob always gives her, he gets even grumpier.

“You’re welcome, Jacob.”

“Right. Anyways, have you seen him lately? I mean, he hasn’t come into the office with Quincey for awhile.”

“No, I haven’t, sorry.”

“Well, whe—“

“I gotta get to work, Jacob. Can we talk about this later?”

It took every effort for Poppy to not go ballistic and snarl at him. She has just gotten to a point where she’s functional, especially after that ridiculous phone call the day before, and Jacob just up and ruins everything. 

“Sure, Pops.”

Jacob can now tell that Tora is sore subject, so he goes back to sit at his desk.

She blinks back the tears starting to form in her eyes, and gets back to work herself.

Maybe at some point I’ll find out what’s really going on... and where he really is.

Chapter Text

Day 37 - Thursday

Poppy arrives at work earlier than usual, hoping Gil would finally drag his ass in today. Booting up her computer and checking her email, she’s disappointed to find another message from him, with the standard subject line.

FROM: Gil Bosu {[email protected]}

TO: Erdene Eris Sōzokujin (相続人) {eesozoku @ggp.com}; Poppylan Wilkes {[email protected]}; Jacob Otokonoko {jotokono @ggp.com}

SUBJECT: [GGP] Business as Usual Again Today

Good morning, guys. I won’t be in again tod—

Poppy doesn’t need to read it beyond the first few words, as it’s practically an automated message. It’s obvious now he will not be in AGAIN. 

What the fudge is up with this guy? I mean it’s probably nice to be able to work remotely but still..... And Jacob and Erdene still will not talk about it.

Even though Gil hasn’t physically shown up in the Giant Goldfish office for a while, she can’t deny how things have continued to run smoothly. Poppy simply wishes she could see him in person once in a while. She believes that there are simply some things you need to do in person in a work setting. Of course telecommuting is useful, but she’s always felt a bit traditionally about working in person and such work standards. 

It also seems to her that there is now just something off about Gil, and she’s had this vibe about him. It started right around the time they signed Quincey. Maybe she’ll talk more to Quincey about the whole situation, since Jacob and Erdene simply change the subject the moment Gil’s name flies out of her mouth. She and Quincey have been working well together. His eccentricity and wit mesh well with her practicality and serious work ethic. 

How I can possibly deny it—Quincey and I simply work best when we work together. 

She just wishes he hasn’t been so irritating lately, especially being honest about him.

And just like that—good mood gone. Sigh.

She does the only thing she can do. What’s she’s been doing for over a month now, the only thing that helps her cope with life. She gets to work.

++++++++++++++++++

That night, she sends a quick text to Quincey about Gil.

Pops @Quincey>>hey Q. I gotta talk to you about Gil. When might be a good time?

He must be out, as she doesn’t get a response from him. So while she’s waiting for a response, she goes back to dig into the royal family stuff again. She still hasn’t discussed what she’s found about the connection between the royal family’s exile and the Balthuman family with Quincey yet, but she’s been...distracted to say the least.  

Sigh. I don’t want to bother him with my petty little side obsession, but maybe it’s just the distraction I need? Hmmm…. I’ll ask him if he ever texts me back tonight.

She’s discovered the palace on the map, and can see it’s a bit far away, and it would take at least a day to travel there. 

I know—I’ll ask Erdene if she’s come with me. She probably doesn’t remember how obsessed I am with this stuff, though. In fact, we need to go to the Historical Society first. Then maybe I can convince her to come with me.

She gets out her phone, and starts a new thread with Erdene.

Pops: @Dene >> hey boney bitch, it’s me

Dene: @Pops>> sup Popplin fresh

Poppy has to snigger at the newest nickname. Honestly, if she didn’t have all these little things to make her laugh, what would she do? 

Pops: @Dene >> remember Narin City Historical Society? Ya gonna come with?

The three dots appear and disappear, appear and disappear.  Hmm… that a no?

Pops: @Dene >> Remember dis guy?  

She attaches a picture, but a very different one. Not the same one she sent three weeks ago. This one is even better. Poppy smirks as she taps on the head shot of Ulaan. Dude was seriously hot. Whew! She believes this will force Dene’s hand in the matter.

Dene: @Pops>> Whoa. I needed that reminder, Pops. Hot royalty 🥵👑 for the score. When do ya wanna go?

Pops: @Dene >> as long as the perm display on Asura/Ulaan is open, doesn’t matter. And i want to visit the palace too.

She has to think a minute to see when its open, but then she remembers. 

That’s right. I found out the hours didn’t I. She opens her files on the royal family, and quickly finds what she’s looking for.

Pops: @Dene >> for your info, NCHS open Tuesday-Thursday, 9am-4pm and Saturday, 10am-2pm.  So sat, ya?

Dene: @Pops>> sure lets do lunch then we’ll go drool over da 🤴

Pops: @Dene>> lets book it Dene  c u tomorrow BB!

All this discussion of Ulaan and the royal family has Poppy bringing up her search history. It’s been a while since she read anything, so she finds some of the links she saved the last time she read up on them. 

She spends half an hour clicking through the links when she finds an obscure link, one that’s practically priceless, at least to her it is. It’s a site that has photos of old scrolls written in Jōdai Nihon-go (上代日本語), one of the oldest forms of the Japanese language. They were translated by a scholar in the 1950s, and to Poppy’s utter delight, they are selected diary entries of Queen Yuwa. These entrries were reproduced in a periodical about ancient Japan.

She downloads copies and starts to read in earnest.

First she can tell that not all of the information is complete. It appears the original scrolls were heavily damaged, so there isn’t even a date, but given the subject matter, the scholar who located them could definitely discern the author and subject matter. She opens one at random. There are gaps in the writing, but she reads on. The more she reads, though, she gets very sad and quite weepy:

...asked again, and now I am filled with a grief so profound I can barely breathe. After the battle in the ….. ion,.....confirms what every other general has told me …... heavy losses in the battle at Olzii. But each one I ask utters the same—he has died in the battle. My heart feels a loss so…… I must now face the truth. Life may never be the same.

Poppy remembers now that for a long time, Yuwa was under the impression that Ulaan had died in battle. How fudging awful… She keeps reading, and she can practically feel the regal woman’s pain bleeding through the words she’s written. The next entry she reads was written about the time Yuwa has returned home after his presumed death:

….arrived back home to Shan Kingdom …. father and Yujen have bee… father has no idea, but Yujen likely knows my heart is broken. I cannot bring myself to tell her the truth, not yet. But every day I breathe in and out, I try to eat but have no appetite. I still feel so sick. I haven’t even been able to write in weeks. I cannot purge my mind of the memories, when Shan soldiers in league with Quan-Li men raided Ulaan’s northern camp. Shan sold…..abscond…. dragged me away before I could warn anyo….. I desperately hope those civil…...aged to escape before those horrible men burned it all to the ground. ...all I have left is his mother’s gown and memories of being with him, body and soul, his lips upon mine, his body holding me in such ….sionate embrac…… i feel we had a lov…. ages. 

Wow. Even with the gaps in what’s written, she finds a little nugget, something very private:

My last hope for a connection to him simply will not come to pass. ...ood flows like it does every cycle, dashing my hopes for a chil…. it was my last hope to bind me to him forever… Father is already discussing a potential arrangement with another allied kingdom, but the idea of being with another man sickens me. I do not know how I can be a bride, as my purity is gone. I must discuss this more with Yujen. She will likely aid me in seeking an appropriate match, one who may allow me to remain chaste for the re…. of my lif….

Whoa. That is something I never read about! She had hoped to have Ulaan’s baby?! And was facing the potential of being married off. Wow. How would that...work back then, when virginity was much more important than it is now.

Poppy then selects another entry, this one is pristine and intact:

Grand advisor has managed to aid me in ways I could not have foreseen, and I would never admit it to anyone, but I am incredibly grateful for his machinations. Still as I listen to how he and my father whisper amongst themselves, stopping whenever I am near, I sense there is something they are keeping from me, something to do with my alleged capture. I will not share my experiences or knowledge of my time in the North with him. What more could I offer them than what they already know about the Northern Demon Asura? The truth would only be denied. I hold the truth of who he is, who he was, in my heart. I will hold my memory of him within my mind so the truth about him will remain my deepest secret. Perhaps one of his older brothers will now serve as an admirable successor but it may be difficult to purge the legend he’s left behind. 

Advisor has always been a cunning man, and I know now he has taught me well. It’s likely there are palace politics at play all around me. Despite my detached nature, I also feign ignorance. I haven’t had the will to ask him or my father, nor even discuss it with my brothers and sister. But I feel myself getting stronger every day. My body breathes in and out, in and out. I continue to witness the passage of time, and I know how the pain residing in my heart is proof that I am still alive. So I go on. I could not have survived as long as I have without Advisor’s patience as well as how he has intervened with other palace officials. He has been fabricating a narrative, one to explain my condition the past several weeks. It has been through this story of his that I have had time to even process my losses. I know he has been telling whoever asks that I suffered a blow to the head, a blatant lie, but I cannot force myself to object and correct this falsehood. My handmaidens often witness my distress, and I can hear them talking about me. They know more of the truth than anyone else. I barely have the energy to look up at them as they speak to me, let alone think of anything more than existing. I still feel empty, barren, tired, and barely alive. They frequently find me in same sad state in my compound within the palace, mostly staring off into the distance. It will likely take me many moons before I can emerge, where I might be able to face scrutiny of others.

After reading this particular entry, Poppy realizes her own situation isn’t half as bad as what Yuwa went through. But Yuwa’s story had a happy ending. Poppy simply doesn’t know how her own story will end, not yet.

She was a remarkable woman. I hope there are entries written after marrying Ulaan and becoming Queen. And that fudging “advisor”—Pfft. That hideous man conspired to kill Ulaan. Wonder if Yuwa ever learned of his scheme or not, but it seems she had her suspicions, based on what she’s written in this entry.

Before she selects another one to read, she hears a buzz from her phone. Someone has texted her. Quincey? But it’s a number that’s unfamiliar, and despite the fact she’s been ignoring anything from unlisted numbers lately, she decides to read it. 

She’s pleased to see its from Cordelia.

<<Unlisted Number>> @Poppy>> hey Poppylan, it’s Cordelia! Just a reminder I’ll be in town this weekend and hope we are still on for din-din!

Before she responds, she adds Cordelia as a new contact, so she can continue to screen her calls and texts.

Poppy @Cordelia>> Hi there! Good to hear from you, and of course we are still on! And I have not said a word to Quincey—have you?

Cordelia @Poppy>> hahaha—not a word to Blondie. Anyways he and I have separate plans, so he won’t suffer a little separation. Where shall we go? Gudruns? Some place else?

She doesn’t want to go back to Gudruns again, but she can’t really think of any place that isn’t Clan affiliated or reminds her of him.  I can’t win. 

Poppy @Cordelia>> Gudruns fine, C. What time? 

Cordelia @Poppy>> 👍🏽 7 OK?

Poppy @Cordelia>> Perfect. And I have to ask—will I get a ride on you bike this time? 😜🏍

Cordelia @Poppy>> You betcha, hon!  I’ll def give u a ride… See you Saturday! 

Poppy @Cordelia>>YAY! Am Excited to 👀u!

Poppy closes the text exchange, and seeing that Quincey has not texted her back, she locks it, plugging it into its charger by her bed. She then shuts off her laptop, leaving it on her coffee table. While the diary entries are fascinating, she has to work tomorrow. She’s excited for Saturday, as she can’t wait to give Cordelia her portrait, although she’s not sure how Cordelia will take it home while driving a motorcycle.

I guess that’s just semantics at this point.

Lying in bed, she tries to think of other portraits she might paint in the meantime, then she slowly drifts off to sleep. She doesn’t notice the unlisted number calling her yet again, ringing several times before it stops. 

Chapter Text

Day 38 - Friday

Poppy is relieved for another week to be over, but is disappointed that another week has gone by and still no appearance nor contact from Tora. It seems as each day goes by, the more and more perplexed she’s feeling at his silence—and his absence.  

If there was something to it, wouldn’t Quincey have told me by now? Whatever.  

Arriving home, she doesn’t waste any time. She takes a shower, then reheats some leftover food. Sitting in front of her laptop, she’s contemplating what her Friday night might hold for her. Party time...NOT.  Then she hears the ding of her phone. It’s Erdene, trying to engage her to go out clubbing, but it’s fruitless. She simply isn’t in the mood. 

Dene: @Pops>> Yo ma sugar pops, let’s par-ty tonight?  Ya?!  Club Miracle? Fallen Angel… oo oo that new club on the west side?!  C’mon baby i need ya

Pops: @Dene>> u r relentless but I’m gonna pass Dene need to get my beauty sleep 😴 

Dene: @Pops>> sure? I mean there is some vino 🍷 w ya name on it woman and lots of hot dudes await you

Pops: @Dene>> ha ha u r too funny boney bitch I’m gonna stay in and go to bed 🛌 early. I’ll see u at cafe for lunch at noon sharp, dig?

Dene: @Pops >>ok luscious one. See u then. Nite

Sighing deeply, Poppy, opens her laptop, seeking to find some rather mindless entertainment. Of course she feeds into her Asian film schtick she’s been on lately. 

For now, she’s been managing her own dismay and anxiety via the drudgery of day-by-day monotony and minutiae—it’s actually been helping her cope in ways she hadn’t counted on. She’s gone from several weeks of wild adventurous times, then back to a boring, ordinary life. Well, as much as can be ordinary when working with Quincey. Working with him has been fantastic, of course, a dream come true. She never would have dreamed she’d be working with one of her favorite authors, but given how she managed to connect with him, she still has to cope with the specter of Tora whenever she talks to Quincey or works with him face-to-face. Even if his name is not uttered, even if he isn’t physically there, she feels he still looms large, due to his absence more than his presence. It’s very strange, but that’s how she’s been feeling the last month whenever she’s been around Quincey.  But increasingly Quincey has been distancing himself. Whatever happens going forward, she will simply have to manage it somehow. Maybe he will reappear, maybe not. 

He always told me that he lives in a precarious world, and how Vincent could assign him to jobs that he will never be able to tell me about. I may have to accept the fact that he’ll never come back. 

Focusing her attention on what to watch, she rents a copy of 47 Ronin, another Asian flick to put her to sleep. Even though it's not really her cup of tea, it works well and she falls asleep rather quickly, thinking of Tora the whole time. While she’s never confirmed he’s a fighter or a warrior, she somehow knows he’s adept at fighting.

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu is working his normal shift, and so far, it’s been the same-old same-old busy as f*ck shit, when Gyu gets the standard ding of an incoming text message. 

DING.

After he sees it’s from Martin, he yells out that he’s taking his break. Can’t ignore his text, no matter how f*cking busy we are.

Martin @Gyu>> report

Martin doesn’t know that Gyu is already monitoring Martin’s phone via his little nefarious program, but has to give Martin his poker face, literally and figuratively. Worst of all, he has nothing to report.

Gyu @Martin>> nothing to report sir

At least not with you, ya pompous f*cker.

Martin @Gyu>> unfortunate

Can’t get blood from a stone, dude. I mean, what the f*ck does he want me to do, make shit up?

Martin @Gyu>> and i need a dossier on the woman get it to me by tomorrow

Gyu @Martin>> understood

He exits the text thread, and closes his eyes. He knows he’ll have to do it, if he doesn’t it will be highly suspicious. It’s unlikely that the dossier will bring much of anything to light, given she’s a civilian. 

F*ck I hate that I have to do it. I’m so sorry, Poppy. 

Gyu is also incredibly anxious about what he and Quincey are going to do—checking on anything happening, after cloning Martin’s phone. Will it work? Will it reveal something they don’t want to know or is Martin more clueless than they are? Why isn’t there more information? He knows after his shift is over, he’ll be checking the cloned phone for the first time.

Let’s find out what this f*cker has been doing and saying before I tackle that dossier. I need to know what he knows first, before I throw Poppylan under the bus. Lucky for you, Poppy, I’m not going to roll over and play dead for the f*cker. Tora would want me to help you in any way I can. So I will.

As he’s already learned himself, she’s worth it.

++++++++++++++++++

Day 39 - Saturday

After a boisterous, fun lunch together, Poppy and Erdene finally arrive to visit the permanent display on Ulaan/Asura at the Narin City Historical Society. Watching Poppy practically run to the entrance of the exhibit, her obsession unfolding quite enthusiastically in front of her, Erdene is so happy to see her friend so enervated for once.

She didn’t really want to do this today, but she has been noticing how Poppy is a lot less perkier/feistier than usual, especially since Tora has been out of contact. She also decides they will indeed move ahead with the trip to the royal palace, after their discussion about it during lunch seems to have helped Poppy cope a little bit more.

She really needs these distractions. And f*ck, Quincey really needs to tell her the truth. I don’t know why he hasn’t said anything yet. Maybe something’s changed, and I don’t know all the details anyways. Goddess, it’s so frustrating!

Surreptitiously, Erdene started taking pictures of Poppy from the moment they arrived—documenting how much Poppy has been running around the exhibit, gawking at the weapons, the armor, and finally when Poppy stopped abruptly, standing still in front of the portrait of Ulaan and Yuwa posted on the NCHS website. Poppy remarks how it is actually a lot smaller than she thought it would be. Poppy is so distracted she doesn’t even notice what Erdene has been doing. Erdene has to laugh at Poppy’s antics. 

These are going to be great pics to share on IG, for sure. She is like a little kid, for Goddess sake.

As she begins posting selected photos, she looks back on others she’s put on the account in the past. She’s not as interested in any of the exhibits, not really, and not to the extent that Poppy is, that’s for sure. 

Erdene has been taking pictures of Poppy for quite some time, and doesn’t realize that, one, Poppy has forgotten about how much Erdene posts to Instagram (@LakshmiLotusGoddess), two, that the account is designated “public”—so anyone with the app can view her photos—and three, it’s also connected to her personal Facebook account, so the photos are “doubly” shared. A lot of her artist friends follow her on IG, and she recognizes them, but there are a couple followers who are a mystery to her. 

Erdene has been working to create Instagram and other social media accounts for Giant Goldfish, too. “Good for artistic connections,” she told Gil, and he never had any objections to it, so she’s been sporadically sharing things. She’s disappointed she can’t post pics of Quincey, but he’s given her permission to post any artwork for his works, past and present. As long as there are no photos of him or Tora included, nor any identifying information revealing his real-life persona, per the NDA, it's all fine with him. The Lam book cover painted by Poppy has already gotten serious traction. 

Doesn’t hurt that my dear Poppy Wop is the artist! Woo hoo!

With at least 5,000 followers, posts on the @GGP IG account have been liked and shared profusely, and contain hundreds of comments. Erdene has been gratified at its success. Nearly all the most popular posts have featured Poppy—one in particular, featuring Poppy engrossed in work at her desk, has gotten the most activity of all them.

I think she’d blush like a cherry tomato if she read some of the comments on these pics I post. And they’re popular because she’s so frigging gorgeous, for f*ck sake. When will this woman ever get it?

But they both have forgotten how, long ago, Poppy had given Erdene permission to tag her across all platforms, and Erdene herself isn’t even aware that she has not set up her personal account to only be available to her followers/friends. Poppy doesn’t even use her accounts, not since she and Julri split, but she never thought to delete any of them either. It just never occurred to her. 

Erdene has only tagged Poppy on five or six posts on her personal IG account—she posted a great one, a profile shot of Poppy during one of their private wine & ice cream parties. She’s thoughtful, with a small smile on her lips, and the lit candles make it seem as if she's glowing with her own golden light.

F*ck, she is just so damn lovely. 

She also posted a personal favorite, one she shot during the birthday party. She’s standing in front of the bar at the Fallen Angel. Tora is in the background behind her, several people between them. Erdene remembers how Poppy was unaware he was calling out to her, due to the noise. Erdene recalls noticing how he had been watching her several times that night, like she was the only woman in the place. The moment Quincey saw her picture posted on IG, he texted her, telling her she needed to edit Tiger boy out of the background, even if it was fuzzy. She did it reluctantly, even though she didn’t think anyone could tell it was Tora.  But she only took the picture in the first place in order to document what she saw, especially after the conversation she and Poppy had moments before she snapped it. 

Dude has it bad and it definitely shows in that photo, blurry or not. And she thought he wasn’t interested? I mean, come on, Poppylan, I had to document this for you! 

She sighs at this memory, and it’s a picture she’ll definitely have to share with Poppy, someday. Other photos she’s shared include the night out when Poppy wore the adorable pink outfit, a selfie of her with Poppy and Jacob, a photo of Poppy fast asleep on Erdene’s couch, and now a few of the really adorable ones of her roaming the museum.  

“Erdene, isn’t this just so fascinating?”

“Um hmm.” 

“Erdene! Come on, you have to see the huge portrait they have of Ulaan, it’s down the hall. Let’s go, sister!”

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.”

Who am I to dissuade this poor woman’s enthusiasm? ‘Sides this Ulaan dude looks so much like Tora, it’s friggin eerie. Makes me wonder… 

Neither notice the two men following them about 50 yards away.

++++++++++++++++++

Claude and Scharch have been following the two women since they ate lunch at some ritzy cafe, then following them to the historical society. Not really Clan locales, but they have a job to do. 

F*cking boring assignment, even if both these chicks are f*cking HOT. And I really like the one with brown eyes. She’s our target, right?

“So the brown haired one, you’re sure she’s the mark?”

Claude quietly asks Scharch this as they slowly walk well behind both women.  

“Yep.” Last thing he wants to do is chat with Lang right now. He needs to focus. 

Scharch has already noticed Erdene taking pictures during this particular stakeout, so he’s already whipped his phone out to check her account. In fact, he’s actually one of those mystery IG followers that Erdene has been clueless about, a relatively new one. He’s become obsessed in finding out anything about this chick, especially since he learned her name. He is dying of curiosity, since Martin’s goons discovered her name in the midst of their queries about Tora. He could have told Martin all about her, but he’s got his own secrets to keep and that's why he’s kept some of the information he knows to himself.

He already did a quick search for Poppy, and the results he read included a link to the website for the publishing company where she works, a tiny thumbnail of her profile picture appearing, and a few other links--some college she must have attended or something, and a story about a dinky little town up north, Moonbright. He also looked at any tagged photos on social media. Jackpot.  So far, the pics have allowed him to track her to the publishing company, some Clan properties, and a bunch of pansy-ass crap he could give a crap about.

He also readily connected the dots on her relationship to Vincent’s son--she works with him, Q.B. Noyouko. Small world! No wonder Tora has been on her like shit on a blanket. He has been suspecting there’s a lot more to all of it, especially the information Martin uncovered. None of it, especially any connection with the Tiger, will save her anyways.

It’s a shame--I still gotta whack ya, sweetheart. Seems you’re quite popular with the gents. Even Lang is horn dogging after ya. Pfft. My gratification is gonna be delayed, but it’ll be just as sweet. Soon as I get Martin off ya tail, my work will be back on track. I guarantee it. 

He’s skimming Erdene’s IG account as they slowly walk across the exhibit floor, to check if there are any other photos she’s posted since he last checked. He’s been periodically scanning her accounts for any patterns and locations to scope out, so maybe he can catch her alone. 

Ya been lucky so far, but I think you’re luck’s gonna run out sooner than ya think, honey. I guarantee it.

Chapter Text

Day 39 - Saturday

Poppy is standing in front of Gudruns all dressed up, a modest-sized, paper-wrapped portrait at her feet, waiting for Cordelia to arrive. She’s got her hair in pigtail braids and is wearing a yellow dress with a jean jacket. Despite her qualms, it is simply easier to suggest meeting here, as she thought Black Swan was too swanky and Alice’s is too...painful. Maybe they can have a glass of wine and laugh all about that night. She’s been meaning to ask Cordy if she was intentionally pestering a certain person to get a reaction out of them or not. She’s thinking the answer is a big fat, YES, and likely at Quincey’s direction too.  

Of course it was because of Quincey’s interference. He’s inferred that to me again and again. Stinking weirdo. He’s got a good heart sometimes, but for a guy writing best-selling romantic smut, he’s woefully clueless in real life. Bless him.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she’s been able to talk and think about the other man, him, even though she wishes she could find out more about what’s really going on, or what’s happened to him. She believes Quincey is deliberately withholding something from her, but has decided to continue her patient wait for more information, thinking Quincey will tell her when he’s good and ready. And she has to remember to think of Tora in the present tense, since she simply doesn’t want to believe he might be or could be….gone, GONE. There is a chance, there has always been a chance that he could be gone. He’s told her a few times that his life is dangerous—even if he hasn’t told her about what he really does. It could very well be that his work might have cost him too much. She knows she has to stop thinking about him, because she wants to enjoy the dinner with Cordy. It’s simply too easy to slink back into that pit of negativity she’s been digging herself out of for almost two months. THINK GOOD THOUGHTS.

Back to the night at hand. Hopefully Cordy will like her portrait.

Just then, she hears the standard ding of an incoming text message. It’s from Erdene.

Dene: @Pops>> K have to confess but before i tell u it’s not my fault really its not

Pops: @Dene>> let me think about it and what r u talking bout

Dene: @Pops>> like i said not my fault but he tortured me made me tell him

Pops: @Dene>> just spill it woman

Dene: @Pops>> kinda sorta told Q about your din-din w Cordelia

Pops: @Dene>> ah, yeah  we weren’t gonna tell him thats why he didn’t know about it  

Dene: @Pops>> you know how he gets he beyond nosy specially when it it comes to what u r up to

You got that right. Man is a nosy b*tch.

Pops: @Dene>> k thanks 4 warning me 🙄 at least now C and I can prepare ourselves for the good ship quintantic… 🛳 lets hope he doesn’t sink as fast  ttfn cordy will be here soon  give u a full Q 🤴👑 report tomorrow 

Hearing the whine of a motorcycle getting closer, Poppy closes the text window on her phone. She looks up to see Cordelia on her motorcycle, gunning the motor. Cordelia is just a block away, turning the corner. Before she knows it, Cordelia is pulling up right next to where she’s standing.

Taking off her helmet, Cordelia enthusiastically greets Poppy, orange hair flopping, light eyes flashing, and a big smile on her face. She doesn’t look much different than she did when she first met her months ago. 

This is just the thing I needed—to see that smiling face. Just like I remembered.

“Hi there, love.” Cordelia swings her leg off the back of her motorcycle, placing her helmet on the seat. She walks over to Poppylan and gives her a quick hug.

“How are you?”

Oh, I forgot how tall she is—just as tall as he is.

“Great, just fine, Cordy. Good to see you again. And before we go inside, I have to tell you—he knows we are having dinner tonight.”

Cordy shakes her head at the news. 

“Friggin’ blondie. I already made plans with him. He is so infuriating.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve been working for him for over four months, so I know.”

“The sky is blue, grass is green, and Quincey is a whiny bitch. Anyways, let’s go on in and have a stiff drink before he shows up. I know I’ll need it!”

Poppy laughs because of course Cordy’s right. 

“Well, I do believe there’s a glass of Moscato that has my name on it. Shall we?”

She holds her arm out to Cordelia, who puts her arm in Poppy’s.

“Certainly, milady.”

Poppy giggles, then grabs the wrapped painting at her feet, and they both walk over, sliding inside the front doors of the restaurant. They walk up to the podium at the front, and Poppy gives the maitre’d her name. But before the man can even look up their reservation, they hear a screeching voice call out to them.

“Sugar plum! Poppylan! You made it!”

They both groan. Poppy glances over to see Quincey sitting at the bar, Smithy sitting next to him. Smithy looks right at Poppy as Quincey looks over at them—he seems to be giving her a bit of a sympathetic look. 

He’s already here?! For fudge sake, Q? Really? And poor Smithy...

Quincey gets up from his seat by the bar and walks over to the two of them, air kissing them both on their cheeks. 

“Quincey. What a surprise to see you here.” NOT.

“Yeah, Blondie. And I have—we have plans to see each other later. ”

“Oh, c’mon sugar plum, I came because I misss yoooouuuuu.” 

Oh shit, he’s already had a few glasses. 

The host interrupts his snit to let them know their table is ready.

“Right this way, folks. Will you be joining them, sir?”

“Of course I will. And, c’mon Smithy, let’s go. Table for 4, please.”

Poppy and Cordelia look at each other behind Quincey’s back. They realize they have no real choice in the matter, and they both shrug their shoulders. Oh well. The maitre’d shows them to a table, and they all sit down. 

“A waitress will be over shortly to take your drink order. Enjoy your night!”

“Thank you.” Poppy is too excited to wait any longer.

“OK, I can’t wait anymore. Cordy, I have a little gift for you.”

She hands Cordy the wrapped portrait.

“Oh? What’s this Poppy?”

“Open it!”

Cordy reaches into her pants pocket and pulls out a pocket knife, then cuts the purple cord tied and wrapped over the paper. She pulls the cord free and then rips the paper off to reveal her portrait.

“I hope you like it. I had to paint it from memory. I forgot that you’d be driving the motorcycle, so I hope you can take it home.”  

“Poppy…. this... is... just beautiful! I’m flattered. So you do three jobs in one, and you paint portraits, too? And from memory? And I won’t have a problem taking it home. Don’t you worry!”

Poppy laughs, remembering how she said a little too much at their dinner months ago. 

Seems like just yesterday, but yet seems like years ago. SIGH.

“Good. And it’s...just a hobby of mine.”  One that keeps me sane. Don’t do it, Poppylan. Get a grip. GET. A. GRIP.

Of course Quincey has to ruin the moment, but it also distracts her from slipping into that morass, that pit of despair again.

“Oh my goddess, Poppy. I want it! Really, you should have given it to me. ”

“Blondie, shut it.”

“But sugar plum, I hardly ever get to see you. Why shouldn’t I have it?”

“Because, Quincey, she gave it to me.”

Poppy doesn't want to hear Quincey’s incessant nasally voice all night, so she decides on a whim to come up with something that might calm him down. 

“Quincey, really. But I have an idea—how about if I painted your portrait?”

“Moi? You’d do that for me?”

“Of course I would. I can even come over tomorrow and get it started. Would that make you happy?”

“Sure. But only if I can get a copy of this one, too.”

“I’ll see what I can do about that. But right now, I’m hungry and need a big glass of wine. We have lots to catch up on.”

Blessedly, at just that moment, their waitress arrives to take their order.

++++++++++++++++++

Another shift is beginning for Gyu at the guard booth, so he is starting to wade through the massive amounts of forensics data they received that morning from the clan’s private lab. He’s already texted Quincey to let him know he’s wasting no time, and beginning his review now. He's already sent the dossier on Poppy to Martin--it consists of one page. Just standard stuff, absolutely zip on police report, just family information, employment, etc. He didn't do an expansive search, since this is the standard dossier he's always done. But the forensic reports are more important to him right now.

Some of this shit is so detailed, I may need some help figuring out what the f*ck they’re reporting. But most of it is pretty straightforward and easy to read. But the chemical analysis shit I can’t even begin to fathom. Damn.

And even though there are a lot of reports, that doesn’t mean they’ll find anything. 

Whatever is going on, the complete and utter lack of evidence is stumping me, that’s for sure. I mean, whoever did this—made him disappear, or helped him disappear—they have to be the highest caliber creator and scene fabricator I’ve ever seen. And the clan has done some f*cked up shit, I have to say. A lot of bodies in unmarked graves too.

He opens the first report, and quickly sees it’s a report on the first of about 300 pieces from Tora’s couch alone. F*CK. Tedious, monotonous shit to slog through, but he and Quincey already agreed that they have to test everything. It could very well be that the little piece of chipped wood from the bottom of Tora’s couch has the crucial clue they need to crack the whole case open. 

Since he’s a quick study, he can tell that in most of the reports he’ll be able to tell whether or not it'll be worth reading. He’s thankful this private firm considers usability in their reporting, for just that reason. But the chemical analysis will need more careful scrutiny.

Most clan men can barely read, let alone understand all this shit. So they have to dumb-it-down just a bit, just in case.  

He can’t help but think of Tora and his “less than adept skill sets.” 

Big Bro would hate this shit, wouldn’t he.

There are some pieces that have fingerprints on them, but none of the names that come up in the results are outliers—of course most of them are Tora’s (most prevalent), but they include his (that’s a surprise, I've only been there twice), Quincey (place is a secret and according to Q, he’s the only other clan guy who knows about the apartment), and of course Claude and Scharch (they may have entered after Tora disappeared and before we scooped everything up? My guess at least), and a few unidentified ones, but that could even be a previous owner or tenant. He’s surprised the lab can even identify any of them at all, as most clan men have had their fingerprints erased—repeatedly—from all law enforcement and other noted databases. But then he remembers, this is a company that the clan uses, and he recalls that he informed them that this is indeed clan business. 

But some of the unknown prints could be anybody. F*ck, it could even be the guy who delivered it or put the piece of furniture together in the factory. He’ll run prints again, perhaps using a “legit” database, as a cross-check, because he simply doesn’t have any other leads to track down, other than the hundreds of pages of boring forensic reports. 

He’s actually surprised there are no fingerprints from Poppy, but then again, he has no idea if she’s even been to his place nor if she’s in any databases at all. He’ll have to check, plus her prints may show up on other other stuff they’ve tested. And he has soooo much more stuff to read. He’s starting to think he may just write a program to do some of the scanning for him. This would have to be more than just a keyword search. In fact, he decides to close the PDF he’s been skimming, and opens up a blank notepad screen to start writing some code that just might do the job for him.

++++++++++++++++++

Hours later, Gyu has written a pretty good beta version of an algorithm that will likely assist him. He’s gone back and forth from typing and editing lines of code to reading random reports. But he’ll have to tell Quincey he’s not found anything substance, yet. He pulls out his burner and shoots him a quick message.

GyuB @QuinceyB>> bro have only just started reports but nothing unexpected yet. Got 100s of pages to go gotta find some other places and things for us to look 4 anything I’m leaving booth to make my way home call me later

He doesn’t expect an immediate response, as he never knows with the burners or with Quincey’s odd sporadic schedule these days. But Gyu is still feeling pretty damn discouraged. It’s now been almost 40 days. 

They have so little to go on. And he needs to go home and skim over the clone device of Martin’s phone. He wishes he could search past messages, but the mechanism can only save data and messages from the day they cloned it on.

But where else haven’t we looked yet? What are we going to do now? And almost 40 f*cking days, big bro. Where da f*ck are ya?

++++++++++++++++++

It’s really late, and Gyu is falling asleep in bed when he hears his burner ring. It’s Quincey. 

“Yo, bro. It’s pretty f*cking late. Anyways, you read my text?”

“Yeah, boo boo I did. The reports, there’s a lot to read?”

“You have no idea. You thought reading all of Tora’s text messages was fun? PFFT. This is ten times worse. But I’m tinkering with some technical things that will make the reading go faster, and so I can spend my time on other things. And I did check the clone. Martin sent some interesting texts to Scharch and Lang, I’m guessing about Poppy.”

“What did he say?”

“Well, in a nutshell, I’m guessing some of what they’re talking about is information they already have—maybe they discussed it face to face or they texted about it previously.”

Gyu spends some time methodologically explaining to Quincey about the clone, how it works, and what it does and does not contain. 

“And I mean Martin sends these serious short messages—‘follow her’; ‘report’ ‘search it’; ‘at V’—that kind of thing. So we’ll have to check the clone more than once a day, and I may need your analytical writer’s brain to help figure out what some of the shit means. But I think we can tell from these messages that he’s having them follow her around, he’s asking for a report or reports of some kind, and I don’t know, maybe they’ve searched her apartment already or her office? Or are going to? Who knows. I’ve never seen any of them show up here while I’ve been working in the booth, so I can’t be sure. Doesn’t mean they don’t come at odd times either. But, Quince, it’s really just more of a waiting game, unfortunately. Sorry, bro.”

“Thanks, boo boo, for the report. I understand. I’m sure it's going to be more of the same every day. And what do we have to lose? Our own leads have essentially petered out.”

And maybe we have to face that fact that we’ve done all we can. 

++++++++++++++++++

Scharch has been standing in the alleyway next to Gudruns watching her for some time. The sun is starting to set, so his surveillance is coming to a close for the night.

She really needs to pay more attention. I mean, I been creeping on her for awhile and she’s barely looked up or anywhere in my direction. 

Then he watches as a tall guy pulls up right in front of her on a motorcycle. 

Pfft, tall ass man, but the Tiger don’t drive a cycle, does he?

Then he watches the man take off his helmet. Not Tiger. Thank f*ck.

Then the guy gets off the bike, gives her a hug, then smiles at her.

Oh, ya got a new boyfriend do ya? Interesting. Not gonna save ya, bitch.

At least he thinks it’s a guy. Tall, red hair, light eyes, and does he have...tits? 

Yep. I do believe so, not that I f*cking care. 

The waiting game will have to continue tomorrow, as he watches them both walk in the restaurant door and out of sight.

Chapter Text

Day 39 - Saturday 

The shit they talked about over dinner! Due to his ‘liquid courage,’ Quincey exerts considerable effort, working extra hard (for him at least) NOT to let the conversation drift to a certain tall dark and handsome figure, but eventually Cordy asks about him. How could she not, given what happened last time, and Poppy believes Cordy's honestly curious, especially after that disastrous dinner Quincey “concocted”--the ‘mafia’ confession, and how Tora collapsed, sick as a dog (pfft, not a tiger by any means), and then when Poppy and Quincey took the asshat home. Driving that car sure was fun though. When Cordy does ask, she’s startled out of her recollection of that wild night so she can reply.

“So what’s up with asshole?”

“Pardon?” 

“Tiger boy, love. How’s that going?”

Poppy expected her to bring it up, given their phone conversation, so she replies pretty much the same way, since she finds it’s simply best to tell her the truth.

“Ha. I haven’t talked to him or heard from him lately. In fact, I have no idea where he is right now.”

Quincey is stunned at Poppy's admission, when he hasn’t told her even an inkling of the truth, at least not yet.  And he notices how as she says this, she acts as if this whole situation--him not being there, her not knowing where he is--means nothing to her. But he’s guessing it’s far from the truth.

Bravo Ms. Editor, your performance is Oscar-worthy, I swear, cause I know you are very much bothered by his absence. 

“Anyways, I’m so glad we got together, Cordy. I know your time is limited, so maybe we can call it a night.”

Cordy is curious about what Poppy has told her about Tora, so she looks over at Quincey, who mouths ‘later’ realizing there is more to the story and gets the gist—he doesn’t want to talk about it, not now, not with Poppy here. She’ll ask him later.

If that f*cking asshole did something that will hurt her, I’m not gonna be amused, Blondie. 

They pay their bill, and walk out the front door to where Cordy’s bike is parked. 

“Well, love, we will have to do this again when I’m back in town."

“Oh most, definitely, Cordy. Not sure we can keep it from Quincey but we can try again!” Cordelia, you are a gem.

Cordy laughs. “Ta-ta, then. Blondie, I’ll see you soon.”

“I’m going to count the minutes, Sugar Plum.” Quincey’s face is flushed, and can't wait to have some alone time with her.

Cordy can’t help but roll her eyes. She wants to get out of here because he’s getting grabby, but has to admit she’s looking forward to yet another one of their rando-randy liaisons. She puts her helmet on, and takes off on her bike, the portrait somehow secured to the back.

“OK, Ms. Editor, let’s get you home. No protests. No need to call an Uber when Smithy and I are right here.”

“Fine, Quince. Let’s go.”  His shenanigans have never disappointed, and tonight was no exception.

As they drop her off, Quincey promises to send a car to pick her up in the morning.

“Is 11 too early? too late?"

“NOPE. Eleven is fine. But I can take a bus or an Uber, Qui--”

“Absolutely not, Ms Editor. Smithy will be here at 11 am sharp. Bonsoir, mon coeur.”

They watch as she makes her way through the gate and up into her apartment. They see her lights come on, and then Smithy turns them around to make their way back home.  Quince doesn’t want her to know she’s being followed, so that’s why he’s making sure she has a ride. In fact, he is thinking of doing it much more often, for safety reasons. He knows he’s got to step up to the plate to keep the busty little woman safe, if he didn’t Tora be furious. Besides, he is suspicious.

I don't trust Martin or his underlings, not one bit. 

++++++++++++++++++

From almost the moment she walks in the door, she knows she doesn't want to do anything. Dropping her clothes to the floor, she throws on pajamas, washes her face, brushes her teeth, and crawls into bed. She wasn’t sure how well she was going to handle that discussion, but when it happened, it went as well as it could have, at least on her end of things. It still exhausted her though, plus, well, there is the three glasses of wine she drank. 

But I had no other recourse but tell it like it is. And maybe someday Quincey will enlighten me.

Just as she drifts off to sleep, yet another unlisted number buzzes on her phone. She ignores it, rolling over, putting her back to the flashing screen, one lone tear streaking down her left cheek.

++++++++++++++++++

Day 40 - Sunday

The next morning she sleeps in, and wakes up with a slight hangover. She texts Erdene and gives her the scoop—Quincey was in fine form last night, tipsy, whiny and chatty—in other words, more of the same ole bullshit from the randy man. 

Pops: @Dene>> good morning sunshine time for your requisite Quincess report

It took some time before she can tell whether or not Erdene has read her message. 

Dene: @Pops>> lay it on me. I can handle it

Pops: @Dene>> he was there before we were, thanks for the heads up BTW, by the time Cordy and I arrived he was mostly drunk

Dene: @Pops>> goddess that man is something isn’t he  how are u? Did u have a nice din-din? KNow its not ur fav place

Pops: @Dene>> it was fine woman we talked for some time tho  

Dene: @Pops>> did * he*  come up

Pops: @Dene>> yep. I just responded the only way I could. I told them both the truth. Q has been avoiding me anyways, esp anytime i ask, so maybe now he’ll tell me something, *anything* for fudge sake…

Poppy can see that the message has been read, but three undulating dots appear and disappear several times. She’s not sure what’s taking Erdene so long to respond.

Pops: @Dene>> anyways Q was in fine form  he was mad i painted cordys portrait, so to calm him down I agreed to paint his i’m going there this morning  in fact i gotta get ready.

Dene @Pops>> goddess he’s just a prima donna isn’t he 

Pops: @Dene>> you know it  anyways gotta go 

Dene @Pops>> was it hard to tell the truth about *him*?

Pops: @Dene>> nah, it was fine Not much else to report. 

Not at all fine. In fact, it was fudging awful, but what am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to respond? 

She signs off before Erdene starts asking even more questions.

Pops: @Dene>> TTFN see u monday BB

Erdene seems to be asking lots more questions about how she’s feeling lately, so Poppy is curious. What’s the deal? Whatever. Since Smithy will be there soon, she has to get ready. Even though it’s a bit chilly out, she opens her balcony door and walks out, standing, taking several deep breaths of the cool mid-morning air and looks out onto the Narin River. She doesn’t notice the black sedan up the street, idling and watching her.

++++++++++++++++++

Smithy arrives a few minutes after 11 am, and whisks her off to Quincey’s penthouse apartment. She realizes it is a good idea someone came to pick her up, since she has to transport all of her painting supplies--the easel, a blank canvass, and of course her goofy Monkey backpack where she keeps most of her brushes and paint. She made an executive decision to select one of her larger canvases to paint Quincey. 

Pfft, the dude is larger than life isn’t he?

Then, after she walks in the door, she looks up to see him sitting in his living room. And she has to stifle her laughter at what he’s wearing. He’s wearing a Hawaiian style shirt with huge pink flamingos, a turquoise cravat, pink khakis, a white blazer and white mules on his feet. She hasn’t been there more than 20 minutes and he’s already told her about five times how it took an hour to get his hair just right.

And is he wearing...makeup? This man is hilarious. But I love him for it. 

She has Smithy help her move stuff around, especially moving the couch closer to the windows. Not exactly “secure” but since they are so high up it should not be that big of a security risk, and Smithy seemed to think it’s acceptable. She needs to have him sit in the best light. She’ll only have a couple hours to work, so she wants to have him sit in the best, brightest spot in the apartment. 

“OK, Quincey, I need you to sit in the same pose, no moving. Don’t do a weird pose, because I guarantee you won’t want to sit like that for two to three hours at a time.”

“Let me think a minute. OK, I think I got it.”

Quincey sits himself down, and puts his chin in his right hand with a slight smile on his face.

“Hold it. Let me take a picture, since I may need to finish on my own. This way I can complete the portrait from the picture. That’s what I did with the Lam portrait.”

“Can I talk while you paint, Pops?”

“I don’t see why not, just don’t move too much, OK?”

“You got it, honey. It was good to see Cordelia last night. And I’m still furious you didn’t give me her portrait.”

“Sorry, Quincey, I already promised it to her. And that’s why I’m here today. I’m going to bless you with your own.”

“OK, but I still want a copy of hers.”

She has to check and see. She may have taken a photo of it, but will have to recheck it. But she had limited time and light, so she’ll deal with that later.

“Being here reminds me of the night I met you, Quincey.”

Quincey smiles. Oh, yes, that’s right. That was some night wasn’t it. 

“Yes, you appeared on my doorstep, Benjamin draped over your shoulder, bleeding all over my carpet. Charming way to meet you, dear.”

Poppy smiles at how nauseated he was at the sight of blood. Pfft. Mafia progeny who can’t stand blood? Good gravy. Even I have seen more blood than that .

“Yes, and Benjamin never explained why he asked to come here, to you, rather than go home.”

“I have no idea either.”

And he doesn’t tell her about her hairpin, but knows she may bring it up. He hasn’t seen Benjamin since, and then he tried to call him without luck. What happened to him? Why didn’t he call me back? 

I need to ask her why the silly little thing is so important to her, or did she tell me already? Parts of the story are a bit fuzzy. In fact, I don’t recall what the hairpin even looks like. I need to follow up with the delinquent shit again. I’m almost certain he’s the one who has it.

“But, if I hadn’t brought him here, I’d never have met you, and well, I would never have learned you are QB Noyouko, and you would have never signed a contract with me, or rather Giant Goldfish Publishing!”

“True. All true.”

“Did I ever tell you that I met Benjamin because of Mr. Lam?”

“Hmmm… I don’t think so. Tell me more.”

She spends a considerable time retelling how she managed to track Mr. Lam to Ares Street and Club Miracle. Benjamin just happened to show up at the right time. But during her retelling and their subsequent conversation, they both dance around the role of the Tiger that night, though, each for a different reason. At moments, it’s a glaring omission, but neither has the heart to talk about him, for whatever reason. They both know they will have to talk about it eventually, but maybe not now, not today.

After another couple hours, Quincey professes he must get up and move.

“Ms. Editor, I think I’ve had it for today. How about I schedule an official work meeting with you for tomorrow, so you can come back to finish it?”

“Sure, I mean if Gil will let me. I mean I may need more than two sessions…”

“Pish-posh. There is no way Gil can refuse a request of mine. If he gives you grief, let me know, and I'll take care of him. Besides, we need to set up some beta-reading sessions, too.”

“Sure, Quincey. Sounds like a plan.”

“Smithy will drive you home. Why don’t you leave all your stuff here for now? No need to transport back and forth.

“Good idea, Q.”

She spends a few minutes cleaning her brushes, wiping off excess paint from her palette, and other tasks. Placing a drop cloth over the canvass, she finds an out of the way spot, tucking it away until the next day.

“Ready to go Miss Poppy?”

“Sure, Smithy. Quincey, I’ll contact Gil and let him know my plans for tomorrow.”

“Wonderful! See you then, Sugar Pops.” He gives her a weak hug and a few air kisses.

SIGH. It will be nice to get away from GGP, even for the morning.  

She keeps getting pitiable looks from Erdene and Jacob whenever she looks up at them from her desk. 

UGH. It’s not the end of the world for fudge sake. It’s depressing, I’m sad, sure, but I need to not think about it, about him for at least part of my day. 

She knows she’ll have to chat more with Erdene about the office morale, and she will work to whip Jacob into shape quicker than quick.

++++++++++++++++++

Day 41 - Monday

Another Monday of drudgery, but still busy as hell.

Poppy has been making some initial contacts with a few more authors, with a great deal of success, granted they are all new authors and all local talent. But after discovering that QB signed with GGP, it’s elevated their exposure in the city’s publishing realm. She and Jacob will divvy the names up, to set up meetings and, they ultimately hope, contracts. SCORE!

Smithy arrives at GGP escorting her back to Quincey’s apartment to finish the portrait. Just as she and Smithy are walking up to Quincey’s front door, it opens wide, Gyu on his way out.

“Hey, Gyu, how ar--”

“Gotta go, Poppy. See ya soon.”

Wow, that is a little...odd.  What’s up with him I wonder? 

No matter, since she wants to get as much of Quincey’s portrait done today as she can. She doesn’t want to make it a habit to keep coming here every day, even if he wants to schedule beta sessions. She may try and convince him to do those in the GGP offices instead. 

After several hours, Poppy shows Quincey the progress she’s made. While there is more to be done, the image of Quincey’s face is really taking shape.

“Oh, Ms. Editor, or should I say Ms. Artist, it’s fabulous, so far!”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Maybe you should do all my book covers from now on.”

“Pfft, c’mon Quince, we have our esteemed graphic artist on staff at GGP who can do that.”

“Hmmm. She can do all the others. I want you to be my exclusive illustrator.”

“You’re sweet. We’ll talk about it more. Anyways, I’ve painted a lot of other pieces. I may even sell some at the craft fair, but I think I need to paint more of them.”

“Not this one, honey. This is going right over there when it’s done.”

He points to a spot on his dining room wall that he’s cleared off, with recessed lighting and everything. 

Only you would hang your own portrait in your dining room so ostentatiously.

“I even painted one based on Ulaan, you know who he is, right?” 

“He’s an old king, right? Something like that?”

“Yes. And matter of fact Quincey, I’ve been meaning to ask you--what can you tell me about the royal family and the Balthumans?”

Uh, what now?

++++++++++++++++++

Prior to Poppy’s arrival, Gyu and Quincey sit down to quickly review Martin's cell phone texts.

“It’s just too vague, bro. I mean, I still can’t tell, but I can sort of make educated guesses.”

“Same style messages?”

“Yeah, like ‘S on P’; ‘F 24’; ‘T R M’--just way too weird.”

“Well, I can guess too, I think.”

“Sure, we can compare notes, I guess.”

“‘S on P’? Surveillance on Poppy? I’m just thinking of who we are dealing with, what they’ve been up to, if you know what I mean? Maybe if you can collate all of the texts, kind like you did for Tora, then I can review them for patterns again?  I have to believe any time their use ‘P’ or ‘PW’ they are referring to Poppy. ‘T’ may or may not refer to Tora or Tiger. Your guess just as good as mine.”

“Keep going. What else?”

“I believe ‘F 24’ probably means to follow 24 hours? I mean what else could it mean? It’s not like they have tried to kidnap her, question her, or, goddess forbid, kill her. I’ve made it clear to Father she’s not to be touched.”

“Good guesses, but they are just so random and shit. Anyways, I gotta go. Even though these are all a bit too cryptic to decipher, I gotta figure they are still focusing on Poppy a bit too much.”

“True. OK, boo boo. As usual, text or call if you find anything new.”

“You got it.” Not that there is ever much of anything to share these days.

Gyu gets up, opens the front door, and as he is walking through it, he looks up to see Poppy approaching him, Smithy behind her. She greets him, but he brushes past her, cutting her off. He doesn’t want to answer any questions, not even the easy ones.

“Hey, Gyu, how ar--”

“Gotta go, Poppy. See ya soon.”

Can’t talk, cause I ain’t got no answers. No answers at all.

Chapter Text

Day 42 - Tuesday 

Poppy arrives in the GGP offices the next day, and she’s getting a lot done--until Quincey calls her at 11 am that is. 

“Hello, my Sugar Pop, tis moi.”

“Um, I’m sorry, who are you, and what did you do with Quincey? Anyways you know I have caller ID on my cell, right?”

“Ha, ha very funny, Miss Editor.”

“What can I do for you, Master B--”

“EH--zip it, missy. No invoking the B name in the office, dig?”

“Right, I forgot for a moment, oh Master of All That Stinks and Shimmers.”

He laughs shrilly at her. “What the hell is up with you today?”

“Never mind. Anyways, you rang?”

“Right, well, we never did set up a beta reading session. And I have some chapters for SG V2 you should read before we meet. Do you want to pick them up?”

“Quincey, sweetheart, darling, light of my life--why the fudge didn’t you give them to me yesterday?”

“They weren’t done yesterday.”

“Can you email them to me?”

“Nope. They are handwritten love, you know I don’t type. Now these are my only copies, so you need to swear no harm will come to them. Or you won’t sell them to some porn site.”

“Fine. But you have to know, Porn Hub just doesn’t pay top dollar anymore. Tumblr or even Tik Tok is the way to go. Anyways, I’ll stop by on my way home to pick them up, but only if Smithy can give me a ride home. Otherwise, it will take me two hours by bus after rush hour from your place.”

“Not a problem, Miss Editor. Toodle-oo.”

CLICK. He hangs up on her. That man….

++++++++++++++++++

“She looked up at the sound of his husky voice calling to her from across the room, and when those beautiful caramel eyes connected with his own, an electric jolt went right to his coc—“

GROAN… You have GOT to be fudging kidding me, Quincey.

At first, Poppy really thought she might be imagining things. She knows Quincey has written Tora, or least men like Tora, with his features, into his other stories. But by the third time she finds a passage with events, places, and descriptions that seem quite a bit familiar—especially the erotic ones—she has to stop reading, fuming at Quincey’s gall. It’s one thing to read a description of Tora, but of her? And the two of them together, in a dark mafia romance? Fudge biscuits, she’s going to have a long talk with him.

She had several pages of notes from what she’s read so far, and there is a lot more reading to go. But those not so subtle, familiar references to her have made her put the brakes for the night. There will be no beta reading sessions any time soon. 

I mean he has to know I can recognize myself in his writing. 

Huffing and puffing at Quincey’s impertinence, she puts her notes and the manuscripts safely away. She settles into bed and watches YouTube videos about the royal family on her phone until she closes her eyes. It takes her awhile to fall asleep, though, and when she finally falls asleep she has a wild dream about what it might be like if she never met Tora or Quincey, but from Tora’s point of view. And including mystical elements. What?! It’s so weird and upsetting that she wakes up in a sweat. Oh. Mylanta. 

++++++++++++++++++

Day 43 - Wednesday 

Poppy gets to the office right on time. Just another Hump Day, of course, but she’s no less busy than any other day. The same old, same old means, busy, busy, BUSY for her. Besides, tomorrow is a work session with Quincey, if she doesn’t kill him first. Whenever he shows up at the GGP offices, he is a time-sucker, for all of them. It’s to her benefit to get caught up—if not ahead of the game—before he comes in. Waiting for a decent time to call him, she keeps herself occupied, re-reading the most recent Lam edits. The words—no randy bits to be found—are most definitely distracting her from the new Secret Garden stories, but only just.

Finally, her eyes burning, she gets up to take a break, running to the bathroom, then she tries to find a secluded spot to call Quincey. He has to be awake by now. Psyching herself up, she determines that the best place to call is actually back in the conference room. Erdene and Jacob are preoccupied with their own projects, so the chance of them eavesdropping are likely nil. Standing in the corner, well away from the door, she taps on his name in her contact list to call him. 

Here we go.

Ringing several times, she starts to lose her nerve. Just when she thought it might go to voice mail, he picks up.

“Miss Editor, what do I owe the pleasure?”

Whatever calm or fortitude she’d been trying to muster before call him just crumbles at the sound of his snarky, petulant voice.

“YOU.”

“Me? Me. Yes, I’m something aren’t I. Tall, gorgeous, and well, I don’t think Cordy would min—“

“SHUT IT. How dare you.”

“How? Well, if you want to get technical, I mean when a man and a woman—“

“QUINCEY. How could you do this to me, I mean it’s obvious.”

“Um, what’s obvious? The grass is green. The sky is blue. I’m hot and so are you.”

“Yeah, and I read a few of the stories last night, Quince, and I am so not happy with you right now.”

“I’m sorry, but why? Did I use the wrong color ink? SOB. Don’t you love me anymore?”

Fudging drama queen. 

“UGH. You are the most exasperating man! I mean why did you write them. Why did you writ—“

“Them. Define what or who, sugar. I mean you know I write about f*cking. So, can you elaborate?”

All Poppy can do at this point is growl at his insipid pandering.

“Oooo, is the Hamster rabid? Should I fear for my life?”

She winces at his use of that term, that pet name that only he uses.

“Why did you write me into your stories?!”

And why did you write me into scenes with him.

“Ah, I see you’re just as perceptive as always. And yes, of course I did, well variations of you, or what I have witnessed. You’re beautiful, sexy, and you have to know how men see you, right?”

SIGH.

“Goddammit, Quincey. You can’t think I’m okay with this. And why… why… why with him.”

She didn’t mean to, but she’s starting to get teary-eyed, her voice lowering to a mere whisper as she keeps talking to him.

“Poppylan, I... I… I…”

“I’m your editor, Quincey. You don’t think….” This time she does sob. The phone line is quiet between them for several heartbeats, and then Quincey finally speaks.

“I have to tell you something.”

She sniffs a few times, trying to get her emotions under control, but the timbre in which he’s now speaking brings her part way out of her emotional funk, but she’s still so fudging angry.

“What. What could you possibly have to tell me that’s going to make me feel better.”

“It’s about him.”

WHAT? She’s stunned. She’s so stunned, she doesn’t say a thing in response to the figurative bomb he’s just dropped. 

“Anyways, I just thought I should tell you—he’s not avoiding you, not by a long shot.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said, and I’m afraid I can’t tell you much more than that. Anyways, I’ll give you some time to cool off, and we can talk more. You’re beautiful, a desirable, f*ckable Hamster. Work time at GGP tomorrow, so ta-ta until then, Sugar.”

CLICK.

Well, this is certainly a new development. His reference to her as... f*ckable doesn’t even register. A part of her feels relieved to hear what he just shared, but then again, she still doesn’t know the full truth, and the mystery of where he is still remains. 

++++++++++++++++++

I’m gonna bust a gut, I’m so friggin annoyed. 

Gyu is so frustrated, he has to do something, has to keep trying. So he’s doing it again—he’s been going through the mounds of reports and data for what, the fourth time? He’s just trying to be sure there isn’t something he and Quincey missed. What else can he do? I mean, they have nothing. Even the clever little mini-program he composed and used to skim the forensics reports only yielded information they essentially already know about, so at least it confirmed some of the details. So he’s been picking random reports and reading them, word for word, to be absolutely positively sure. He has to hand it to whoever is involved—they have done an exceptional job. But not knowing is just the worst. 

He gets up out of his seat, stretching, wiping his hands up and down over his face several times. Even though he’s determined to go through all of the material again, so much of it is numbers and soooo boring. He decides to take a break, to refresh himself—and to wake up. He still has a shift later in the day, so he goes and picks up takeout from Alice. 

Hopefully she won’t ask any questions.

He’s never formally been introduced, but she knows just about everything about Tora, so she may recognize him or likely will know who he is. But he’s tired and hungry, so he picks up his food promptly, and she doesn’t even come to the counter. Looking bedraggled, it’s some unknown stray kid who waits on him. 

Kid’s just like him.  

After walking back into his darkened apartment, Gyu sits down with his takeout sushi. Sighing, he’s still feeling so discouraged. Still, he picks up a random piece of paper, and read its. Then, eureka, he finds it. He had completely forgotten it. 

Now I remember. It’s from when we found out about the text message sent that night—the fake one.  

Gyu decides then and there he’s going to go on a little field trip. He’s not even going to tell Quincey, at least not yet. He puts his sushi away for later, and plugs the GPS data into one of his map apps on his burner phone. While there won’t be any signal blocking protection driving around out in the city, it’s unlikely anyone would be watching him or tracing the burner anyways. He’s going to take the chance. He gets into his truck, and puts his burner into his phone mount, and the little red pin of the destination appears on the map somewhere...downtown?  Hmmmm…. As he starts the engine, he hits the “directions” button, and heads out.

++++++++++++++++++

“In half a mile, turn right onto Toraburu Street.” 

Listening to the directions while glimpsing at the dot moving on the screen, he’s not familiar with where the map app has been leading him, at first. He started out by heading into a section of the city he’s simply never been to, but then, block by block, the location begins to become familiar, and a huge sense of unease begins to settle in. 

“Arrived.”

Oh f*ck no.

He is stunned to now confirm where the GPS coordinates lead to, and he actually starts to panic. Sitting on the street, his truck idling, he now has to figure out what he’s going to do, what he’s going to tell Quincey, and--most of all--why here. Well, actually, he has a good idea why. In fact, he realizes that perhaps his sister has been deliberately keeping this--and perhaps someone else entirely--from him. But it’s a long shot. He’ll have to carefully talk to her and ask some questions. Then someone behind him starts laying on their horn, startling Gyu out of his thoughts. Before he can think anymore, he puts his truck back in gear, and rushes back home.  

++++++++++++++++++

Day 44 - Thursday

Quincey and Smithy sweep into Giant Goldfish for his scheduled work session with his usual fanfare. 

“Good morning, my compatriots! I hope we will have yet another productive work day.  And, before we even get started, I have to ask, yet again. Will Gil be joining us?”

All three of them look up at him, and Erdene is the one who breaks it to him.

“Alas, poor Quincey, that’s a negatory. He is working at home again today, and will not be able to Zoom with us either.”

Quincey has a disgruntled look on his face at the news. I mean it’s actually not news. It’s standard. He doesn’t know why he hasn’t acted on the information Gyu found out about him, but now maybe it’s time. He’s been so focused on Tora and the search for him that he’s practically forgotten about Gil. Right then and there, he’s decided he’s going to do something about him before his next planned day at GGP. He can still tell them all about Gil without revealing all the nitty-gritty details. 

“Let’s get started, mes amis”

“Sure, Quince.”

Erdene smiles at him on the way to the conference room. Jacob follows, nodding his head in greeting. But Poppy doesn’t even look up at him. 

Ouch. She’s still pissed isn’t she.

“Good morning, Sugar Pops.”

She looks over at him, and he sees her expression and winces. 

Oooo, that look. That's a scary look if I ever saw one. 

She enters the conference room, Quincey closely behind her. All of them seated at the conference table, Quincey primps his hair and doesn’t want to delay. 

“Right, where did we leave off, Erdene?” 

++++++++++++++++++

Two hours later, they decide to break for lunch. Poppy doesn’t even look up, she just walks out of the room and over to her desk to grab her tote bag. She wants to sit outside, alone, for a while. But Erdene stops her in her tracks.

“All right, sister. What gives? You’ve been quiet the moment Quincess arrived.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“C’mon, you know you can’t keep shit from me, girl.”

“Tsk. I’m going OUT, Erdene. Be back in half an hour.”

“Oh no you don’t--I’m coming with you.”

“Dene--”

“Nope. I’m going to find out what’s eating you before we sit down again.”

“FINE.”

Poppy walks out the front door, Erdene fast on her heels.

“Well?”

“OUTSIDE.”

Wow, she is really upset. What the hell is going on?”

They sit outside in their usual outdoor lunch spot, and Erdene can't wait anymore.

“Alright, Poppylan. What the hell is going on? And I know it has something to do with Quincey. Is it about hi--”

“It’s complicated.”  It's embarrasing.

“I’m all ears, doll. Tell me. I can handle the truth, believe you me. Who else can you confess to?”

Poppy sighs deeply, knowing Erdene will pester her until she spills her guts. Persistent boney bitch…

“I’m sure you know by now Quincey is writing content for Volume 2 of The Secret Garden.”

“Yes.” No, not really, but I want you to keep talking. But I do have a surprise for you.

“Well, he gave me the first draft of several stories to read, to make a first sweep, before we begin beta reading.”

Erdene nods, communicating to Poppy that she can keep going.

“Well, let’s just say he embellished some stories, and they include a character or two who seem awfully familiar to me. In fact, they practically are me!”

“Wow. He didn’t… did he?”

“Oh yes, Dene. He did. And they are…”

Poppy’s face turns red, remembering the scenes she read just two nights before. 

“Ohhh… some spicy scenes, featuring you? And were you alone in these spicy scenes, my sweet?”

“Um, no. Not alone, not in all of them, in fact, they include, um, well, um. I mean have you ever read any of his work?”

“Maybe one or two of the SG stories, but really, I’m not really a reader, I’m a doer.”

Erdene winks at her, trying to get Poppy to loosen up a bit, even though she knows how shy Poppy can be when it comes to talking about sex.

“Well, some of his stories feature both me and him.”

“Him? Quincey?”

Poppy gives her a look. C’mon, Erdene, who do you think?

“Oh, him. Tora?” Of course--who else?

Poppy flushes again, even redder than before. She really likes the man, doesn’t she.

“Oh, OH! So Quincey made stuff up about the two of you?”

“That’s the problem. Well, yes, it’s all made up, but one of the stories is actually a, and I quote, 'dark mafia romance.'”

Erdene thinks for a moment, and tries her best not to laugh out loud. That man has chutzpah doesn’t he.

“Anyways, I’m furious. I don’t know what to do about it yet, and I’m just too upset to talk about it anymore, so can we drop it for now?”

“Sure.”

“OK. Can I be alone now? I’m going to eat my lunch, and I’ll be back when I’m done. Make sure Quincey knows where I am, so he doesn’t send Smithy searching for me. I’ll be fine right here, safe and sound.”

“You got it. Ta-ta for now, love. See you in a bit.”

Erdene leaves her sitting there, knowing Poppy wants a bit of time and space. Neither woman notice the red-haired man sitting across the street, watching Poppy avidly.

Chapter Text

Day 44 - Thursday (continued)

“OK, so we’re on for Saturday, right?”

“Sure, Dene.” What fudging else would I be doing? Nothing.

Poppy had just walked in the front door, returning from lunch, and they are both walking back towards the conference room. Erdene had texted her moments before about having another wine and ice cream sleepover at Erdene’s apartment on Saturday. 

Apparently Damien is not available? Who knows.

Before Poppy walked in, Erdene had a sketch open on her tablet. She had been messing around with it for some time before their meeting with Quincey started, thinking she’d share it with Poppy for kicks, giving her some sort of distraction. She so desperately wants to cheer her up. But now, based on what Poppy just confessed to her, Erdene isn’t so sure she should share it, ever. It being a pretty well-fleshed out sketch she started a while ago. 

Did I already share it with Quincey? F*ck, I don’t remember. 

After Poppy and Erdene sit down, Quincey makes an announcement. 

“Now before we get started again, I have some news for you all. I’m sure this will be very exciting, as this will be my second big project with Giant Goldfish Publishing!”

They all just look at him, and his big smile falters a bit. He he. Really?

“You all should know about my first book, by now, yes? The Secret Garden?”

Erdene is the first to respond, and pretends she doesn’t already know what he’s going to say.  

“Of course, Quincey!” But I haven’t read it though.

“Yes! Thank you. And now? Now, I’ve begun writing Secret Garden Volume 2!” 

“And Erdene, dear, you’ve already given me a perfect cover illustration!”

Oh no, I did send it to him. Erdene gives him a weak smile. 

“Jacob, do your thing.” Quincey flings his arm in Jacob’s direction, and Jacob looks over at the two women as he powers the ceiling projector up, a huge smirk on his face. Erdene winces, knowing what he’s likely going to show them, but Poppy? Poor, poor Poppy is clueless.

F*ck, she is going to kill me.

“And… c’mon Jacob, what gives? --where is it?”

A blank blue screen is all that showing on the wall, with the words “no source” in the corner. 

“Hold on, I have to pair my laptop.” 

Jacob hits a few keys, then the blue “no source” display switches off, and with a flicker, a new screen appears, one displaying a drawing, one very familiar to Erdene. 

“Erdene, bless you woman, emailed me this a while ago, and I think it would be perfect as the cover to the new volume.”

Poppy has to turn around so she can see whatever it is being projected. And when she sees it, her jaw drops and her pale face blanches even more. She swiftly turns and stare daggers at Erdene. 

You have got to be fudging kidding me!

“I think it’s perfect, don’t you think so Miss Editor?”

Poppy is speechless. First the stories, now this? He is seriously pushing the envelope with me right now. And Erdene, you are a traitor!

It’s a well drawn illustration, really, even if it is supposed to be only a sketch. It features a tall dark-haired figure, standing next to a motorcycle, wearing a black leather jacket—looking suspiciously like a certain tall, dark-haired tattooed mafia enforcer Poppy knows all too well… The jacket seems an awful lot like the one Tora wore to their joint birthday party. It is so clearly inspired by real-life—him—but she’s more embarrassed by the second figure in the illustration. It is clearly modeled off of her. Standing close to each other and gazing into each other's eyes, she now starts to blush furiously. The second figure has long brown hair and is short, curvy, and wearing tight leather pants—and not much else.

“Now, now, Miss Editor. I see the look on your face. I love it. In fact, this image alone has already inspired one of the new stories. By the way, I’ve already given several stories for Poppylan to read, and we will be beta reading together, soon.”

Poppy is just soooo embarrassed, she places one hand over her eyes. 

If looks could kill, Erdene, you would be fudging six feet under. And no beta reading for you, QUINCETON BALTHUMAN!

“Time to get back to work, people, ándale. Jacob, I think you can turn the gizmo back off for now, honey.”

Jacob powers it down, and Poppy is thankful they can get back to work. Her bad day just got a whole lot worse.

++++++++++++++++++

He watches the two women talking for a few minutes, and just waits. 

Maybe I’ll get my chance.

But he knows he’ll have to be cautious. It’s the middle of the day, and right now there is a lot of foot traffic. After about 10 more minutes, he sees the taller one leave and walk upstairs. He holds his breath. 

Maybe, just maybe there'll be a lull. Too many f*cking people. Even if I do get a chance to snatch the bitch, I need to be cautious, and if I’m successful, I’ll need to come up with a cover story for Martin. 

Scharch has been parked on his ass outside of Giant Goldfish several times already--he shows up whenever he can all by himself and watches for her. More often than not, though, Lang is with him, so sometimes the surveillance isn’t as covert as he’d like. Most of the time that shit Lang is tolerable, but lately he’s been getting on his nerves, talking about her way too much. But he’s chosen this location, this spot across the street, carefully, checking for traffic and other cameras around him, seeking a blind spot or two. And he finds there is are just a couple narrow slivers of spots, and he’s sitting in one of them now. He tries to variate between them so no one will notice him. Even wearing a hat or a hoodie, he can’t take the risk of being recorded, and the same might be said for the times whenever Lang is with him, but that f*cker is lax. As a rule, Clan lieutenants don’t expose themselves quite so readily, so he may need to remind Lang he’s been much too obvious lately. But back to the issue, or rather person at hand--her...that goddam meddling bitch. And finally his luck changes.

Hot spit, she’s finally alone. Damn what luck. 

He gets to his feet, and just as he’s about to cross the street, a bus zooms by him, nearly hitting him, beeping its horn loudly. He he has to jump back onto the sidewalk to avoid being creamed.

F*ck, ya goddamn asshat motherfucking c*ntface BITCH!

But by the time the bus is gone, he looks up to see the front door of the building closing. F*ck, he’s lost his chance. It’s back to the drawing board again.

With a look of utter consternation on his face, he knows he has to leave, for now.  

Next time, bitch, maybe next time ya won’t be so f*cking lucky.

++++++++++++++++++

When the work session is over, Poppy doesn’t look up, engage with Erdene, nor talk to anyone. She walks out, sits down at her desk, then, checking the time, she decides, the hell with it. 

I’m going home.

As Erdene and Jacob watch, she packs her bag, grabs her phone, and just...leaves.

Ouch. 

Erdene watches as the front door closes behind Poppy.  Not long after, Jacob leaves, too, without a word, looking at Erdene with a bit of sympathy on his face.  

Quincey walks over to her desk to talk to her, while Smithy waits for him by the front door.

“Do you think she’ll forgive us, Dene?”

Erdene looks up at him, a grim expression on her face.

“I don’t know, Quincey. By the way, she told me about the stories, so the secret’s out.”

With a look of guilt on his face, Quincey realizes he has no excuse.

“I’ll fess up. It’s true. You know, I started writing some of the stories months ago, not long after the two of them met. I mean I could tell about them right away, and I witnessed a lot, too.”

“She and I talked about him at the party, and if I confess what she told me, it’s likely I wouldn’t be telling you anything you don’t already know. But she thinks he’s out of her league, and couldn’t possibly be interested in her.”

“Get. Out. No way!”

“Yes, way. A discussion for another time, Q. But I’ve noticed things--that night, for sure, so, yeah, I’ve witnessed a lot, too, between the party and a few times here in this office. In fact, the party gave me inspiration for the sketch, and I finished it before he did his little disappearing act. You know, she’s still recovering from her break-up, even though it’s been a few months now. And now, he disappears? I mean, she’s in a real low place right now, Quince. Ya gotta be a little less yourself, and more...gentle.”

“And I should tell you, I confessed, kind of, I mean I told her part of the truth.”

“But not all of it I’m gathering? Did you tell her you have no idea where he is? That he’s vanished without a trace?”

“Not that part, no.”

“Pfft. Really? So what did you tell her?”

“That he’s not avoiding her.”

“How is that better than telling her the complete story?”

“I don’t know--I panicked! I had to tell her something! No, that’s not true. It just flew out of my mouth, I was spinning my wheels after she yelled at me about the stories. I had to calm her down.”

“You really need to tell her the truth at some point, Quincey. Before too much longer, or she really won’t be able to forgive you.”

“You’re right, you’re absolutely right. In the meantime, I’ll give her some space. I gotta go, Dene. It’ll be fine. But I’ll tone it down. K? We good?”

“Sure, Quince.”

But I don’t think she is... 

++++++++++++++++++

Day 45 - Friday

Gyu has been stewing for two days, keeping what he’s found to himself. But he finally decides he’s going to talk with his sister again. He really needs to check in now, due to where the GPS data he found had led him. It’s the location that forces him to reconnect. He has no one else to talk to about it. He pulls out his burner and sends his usual coded text.

GyuB @SistaLane>> yo sis, me again. Can ya call? On my B

It takes some time until she texts him back. Who knows what she’s been in the middle of this time. He just has to wait, so wait he does. Finally he hears the PING of an incoming text.

SistaLane @GyuB>> sure call u in 10

Ten minutes later, his burner rings.

“Yo, sis.”

“Whats up lil bro?”

“Um, not much. Have been meaning to call. Have ya found anything on your end about him at all?”

“Oh, about Tora? Um, no. But I did confirm the Clan snitch is still the same guy, that much I know, but otherwise not a thing.”

Gyu takes a deep breath, and decides to just tell her. She’s the only other person who will know, for now, but he’ll have to have her pledge secrecy.

“Well, I found something... strange. ”

“Oh? And what’d ya find?”

“Well, I did a deep dive into his cell phone data. He got a text right before he went off the grid.”

“From who?”

“Big boss... allegedly.”

F*ck, I’m baiting her, but maybe she won’t know anything.

“What makes you think it wasn’t Papa Balthuman?”

“Couple reasons. First, the wording wasn’t the same. Boss usually sends the same message to Big Bro--all the time. Exactly the same. And this one, well, this one was different. Just different enough that my source could tell it wasn't likely from him.”

There is no way he’s telling her Quincey is his source, but that's besides the point.

“Wow. Was there anything else?”

“Yeah, actually there is.” 

He spends a minute or two explaining the GPS data sometimes embedded in different media and communication apps, and how he can adeptly access it. Then he drops his bomb.

“And the GPS data led me to a place I didn’t expect.”

“Huh. Where?”

“Azamuku District, Himitsu Street.”

After he tells her this, she’s quiet, too quiet. I thought so. She’s not telling me something.

“Anyways, it’s a bit of a mystery.”

“You tell anyone?”

“No, not yet. You’re the only other person who knows. And I’m going to keep it to myself for now. And I need you to do the same. Mums the word, Shisutā.”

Using the formal address for “sister” is a double-secret code they’ve used since he was a young kid. It tells each other, this is serious shit. And she returns their ritualized response, her acknowledgement.

“Wakarimasu (I understand). Anything else?”

He laughs, a bitter laugh in response.

“Ha, no. Sadly, utterly--NO.”

“Hang in there, kid. I know Tora means a lot to you. Anyways, I got to go before anyone notices I’m gone. Call if you find anything else or need info. I’ll keep my ear to the ground, Ani.”

And she hangs up on him.

She stands in the alley for a few more minutes after she hangs up, pondering that nugget of information he’s managed to uncover. She’ll provide as much information as she can from her side of things, sure, but there are still some things she can’t tell him, not yet. So she has to keep her secrets, for now, even though Gyu has now stumbled on one minuscule part of it. 

And I think he knows it, too.

She hopes he’ll keep it to himself, even though he says he's not going to tell anyone else, and since he invoked their little ritual code with her, she’ll do so, too.

Huh, my little Mausu, you are a clever little shit. 

She’s a proud big sister, for sure. But there is so much going on behind the scenes he doesn’t know, and can’t know. She's already argued with him enough times already, pissed she couldn’t nab Tora in her efforts to take the Clan down. Despite the earlier arrests and the shit that hit the fan around the rumors of a notebook--the notebook--surfaced, it’s been quiet. Even Goliath is incommunicado, but he doesn’t have any contact with Gyu or Quincey that she’s aware of, nor has he given her intel since...gosh when? She walks back down the alleyway and towards the precinct. 

Back to work. No news is … no news.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy woke up that morning in a mood. TGIF--not.  She pulls out her phone, sending Erdene a text, feigning PMS, ready to tell her that her cramps are too severe. She’s still too angry at her, at all of them. They think it's all just too funny, don’t they.  

Poppy @Erdene>> I'm calling in sick today, Erdene. 

Erdene @Poppy>> oh? you okay? got a bug?

Poppy @Erdene>> Nope.

Erdene waits a minute for Poppy to explain.

Erdene @Poppy>> and?

Poppy @Erdene>> And what?

Erdene @Poppy>> what are throwing up? migraine? broken leg?

Poppy @Erdene>> nope. getting a visit from Aunt Flo.

Erdene @Poppy>> ?

Poppy @Erdene>> Checking into the Red Roof Inn

Erdene @Poppy>> ?!?

Poppy @Erdene>> It's shark week.

Erdene @Poppy>> ?!??

Poppy @Erdene>> honestly woman  the red tide is riding high

Erdene @Poppy>> uhhhh, what?

Poppy @Erdene>> for fudge sake i'm PMSing end of discussion have a nice weekend

Erdene @Poppy>> oh what about Saturday?

Poppy @Erdene>> sorry gotta wash my hair

Erdene @Poppy>> uhhhh, c'mon ice cream is good for PMS

But Poppy never texts her back, and turns her phone off.

And that sketch? Ohhh. She blushes just thinking more about it. She’ll never tell Erdene, but there is a small part of her that really likes it.

Except for the lack of clothing on her “twin,” she likes it. In fact, she starts to remember him, that night at the Fallen Angel club, showing up on the street to pull her off of her feet, escorting her down the stairs, holding her hand so she didn't stumble, guiding her through the dancing crowd. Face red thinking of all that and the sketch, she decides to clean her apartment top to bottom, a multi-pronged task that will keep her occupied all day--and that will help her sleep well at the end of the day. But she realizes she should turn her phone back on, in case of an emergency, or if there's any news about him. Not that I want to talk to any of them.

Several times she hears the PING of an incoming text message on her phone, and at least once she hears it ring, but she’s not going to look at it until she’s done. While she does take a break for a brief lunch, she still doesn’t look at her phone, nor does she boot up her laptop. She debates taking some food to Gyu in the guard booth, but can’t be certain when his shift starts. Then she decides she doesn’t want to see him either, not that he's done anything to her lately, or anything at all, ever. 

Finally, she finishes, exhausted, with a sparkling clean apartment. She takes a shower, and eats a huge piece of leftover strawberry pie for dinner. She looks for another classic Asian movie to watch, and selects Seven Samurai. Falling asleep before it’s over, she wakes suddenly, after having a wild, weird dream where Tora is a motorcycle jacket wearing samurai, and she is his hot leather-pants wearing girlfriend. Not the mash-up she needs right now. UGH.

Chapter Text

Day 46 - Saturday

After the wild and weird dream she had the night before, it took her a while to go back to sleep. But Poppy still manages to wake up early for a Saturday.  She opens her eyes, resolving to spend another day keeping herself occupied, but first things first, she’s actually pretty hungry. 

It’s really not a good idea to have a piece of pie for dinner. 

So, breakfast first. And for some odd reason she’s in a better mood. 

Ooo, I think I do have some bacon in the fridge. SCORE! Wakey-wakey, eggs and bac-ey.

She really didn’t have anything planned, even though Saturdays are the days she plans the most chores and similar activities, often having to play catch up with them on off hours, and it’s also the only time she can really build in any sort of fun, and, most of all, she catches up on sleep; but most of all, it’s secretly also when she catches up on work, too. Since she spent the day before practically sanitizing her apartment, she now has waaayyy too much free time today. And too bad she cancelled on Erdene, but she doesn’t want to think about a lot of things that have happened lately. 

Anyways, she always prides herself on her cleaning skills, even if sometimes she doesn’t always pick up after herself. But she always tells herself that it’s better she lives in a space that looks a little lived-in, more a home than to live in one that’s a cold, sterile box. 

Like certain people. Ah, fudge, good mood gone…. You are NOT going to think about him today. Nope. Not if I can help it.

Vowing to distract herself from all the things that only seem to make her heart ache, she returns to the train of thought she was just on, namely what she’s going to do with herself all day. And of course she has to constantly push herself to do a lot of things. So of course she has to work harder to keep up with her clutter, but only because she lives in such a small space. Not quite the same level of intensity as her ‘clean sweep’ yesterday, sure, but she also needs the solitude it presents, just once in a while. It’ll be good to spend the day alone, too. Trying to move beyond her heart ache and sad memories, she pulls out a frying pan to get her breakfast started, humming to herself.

++++++++++++++++++

After making herself scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and green tea, Poppy sits down with a full plate to eat, deciding to look at her phone to check on the messages she received yesterday. After hearing all the activity on it last night, she wants to be sure there isn’t any “news” or important work-related messages. First she sees several texts from Erdene, most of them begging for forgiveness. She has to admit she likes Erdene’s creativity in her attempts to apologize, but she is still too upset to talk to her. The best one has to be a simple photo of a full wine glass next to a pint of ice cream. She wonders if she staged it herself, or managed to find a photo online.

Pfft. Nice try. Let her grovel for a while. 

There are also a couple from Quincey. He’s not apologizing, but maybe pretending the new Secret Garden stories didn’t exist, or have never been written, and acting as if it’s going to be business as usual. But in his last one, though, he’s demanding a beta reading session next week. 

This man is exasperating! No beta reading for you, Quincey. Not yet. 

Then she checks out the one missed call to find it’s yet another one from an unlisted number. Again and again she’s debated blocking all unknown callers, but since she has some meetings set up with potential Giant Goldfish contracts, she decides not to. Plus there is a small part of her that thinks these calls mean something, but she’s not sure what. But no voice mail messages, just another call from an unknown caller--the unknown caller?--and it unsettles her, but only for a moment.  

Poppy finishes her breakfast, and then realizes it’s a beautiful day to paint on the roof. 

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy opens her backpack to check her painting supplies. She seems to have plenty of everything, but some of her favorite tints are getting low. But she’s got more than enough to start painting something. After putting on a sweater, she throws the pack over her shoulder, then grabs her easel and a new canvas and runs up the stairs. Despite some bittersweet memories, the roof is still a refuge. As she sets up her easel, she takes several deep breaths as the sun shines and sparkles as it reflects off the flowing river. 

She’s already decided that she will do her best to paint every weekend, so she knows she’ll have to come up with more subjects/ideas. One thing at a time. For today, she has to sit and think for a while to come up with something, anything she can start with that day. Placing her cell phone on the ledge, she sits down with her back towards the parking lot and closes her eyes. She listens to noises around her, and they are soothing. Despite its location, this building is probably the closest she’s felt to being back home in Moonbright since she moved there. It’s the atmosphere, not the people she’s been missing more lately. She’s missing the familiarity—the streets and shops she’d visit, the monotony, the quiet. She can still hear city noises on the roof, of course, but the rustling of trees nearby and the ambient noise of the river more often than not filter out the horns, the noisy hiss of the buses, and it calms her.  

So what to paint today? Maybe another portrait, but who? 

And suddenly she has an idea. Despite how upset she is with Erdene, she grabs her phone and starts a simple web search for Greek goddesses. Scanning them, she focuses in on one in particular: Athena. Then she realizes she can paint Erdene as Athena, thinking of Erdene’s passion, artistic nature, and determination. She snorts when she reads that Athena is one of three “virginal” Greek goddesses, as that is NOT Erdene.

For inspiration, she does some image searches on her phone, and finds several already existing paintings. Athena is often depicted wearing a helmet and carrying a shield and a spear. Sometimes the shield has a snake adorning it, but more times than not, it depicts the head of Medusa, likely an homage to how she helped Perseus slay the snake-haired goddess. Not all aspects of Athena make her think of Erdene, but she’s made up her mind. She begins by sketching her thoughts on the canvas, including an owl (it was her bird after all), and an olive tree.  After some time, the sketch is done, so she pulls out her paints and begins to put brush to canvas.

She keeps painting for some time, rarely pausing, and by the time she takes a break, she notices that the sun is beginning to set behind her. She’s definitely losing good light. She’s nowhere near finished, but she’s completed a good portion of Erdene’s face and hair; surely it’s the first time Athena has been depicted with lilac hair and a classic Erdene smile. She’ll likely give this to Erdene for a Christmas present, or maybe sooner, but it will depend on how quickly she can finish it. 

And if I ever talk to her again. 

She packs everything up, and tucks the portrait away behind the tiny curtained off corner of her apartment. She hopes to find some time in the next few days to finish it.  

She doesn’t feel particularly hungry, but pulls out lettuce and carrots to make a large salad, adding some leftover grilled chicken. Sitting down at her low table, she rents Isle of Dogs, and falls asleep while it plays.

Poppylan has a vivid dream of herself as an avenging angel and Tora appears at the very end. She wakes up and can only think of HIM as he appeared in her dream, with a glowing red aura around him.

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu decides to take a couple days off--unheard of! But he’s frazzled and needs a break.

He pulls out his burner, hoping Quincey will be checking it as he’s asked him to.

Gyu @QuinceyB>> yo bro I am going off grid for a while, at least two hours  unless emergency I will be incommunicado

He doesn’t even wait for Quincey to reply, and he turns his phone off. He’s so tired, he can’t remember what protocol they’ve set up for emergencies, given the Tora situation. Thinking of Big Bro seriously depresses him these days, so he tosses his burner on the kitchen table, and turns on his gaming console. He’s going to get lost in the inanity of Grand Theft Auto until his fingers bleed--even though he secretly wishes Tora was online playing with him.

He’s been wandering the ludicrous landscape within one player map he’s been struggling to get through when a private message pops up on screen. 

QuincessQ>> yo boo boo need ya

GingerGod>> got it bro 

Just as he’s finished reading the note, he recalls how this is indeed part of their protocols, one the three of them set up years ago, as a way to privately connect but in a way they won’t miss. If Gyu hadn’t seen it, he realizes that Quincey would have likely already tried calling or texting him on his burner. Last case scenario, Quincey would have shown up on his doorstep.  He signs off the game, and gets up off the couch and grabs the burner, turning it back on. He sees Quincey has tried calling, then texting. He dials immediately.

“Yo, bro what’s up?”

“Well, don’t be shocked, but Martin just asked for another update.”

“F*ck, no rest for the wicked. Honestly bro, I haven’t looked at the cell tracking for awhile, so I guess I get back to it, ya?”

“Yep. He wants to meet us tomorrow.”

“What time? I have to see what shifts I’m working. And I honestly won’t have anything by then, since how many times have we told him—WE HAVE NOTHING!

Quincey can sense Gyu’s frustration, not only with the frequency they keep getting bombarded by Martin, but the utter lack of any avenue of inquiry.

“I feel you, boo boo. He said 11ish? Can you do that? And we'll just tell him what we always tell him. We got NADA.”

On a Sunday?!?

“I can but can’t stay very long. I have a shift at noon.” 

“You know the drill, and see you then.”

Gyu disconnects, pulling his hands through his hair with complete exasperation. He thinks about what he’s already shared with his sister and wonders how much she really knows. Is she keeping something from him or not? He doesn’t dare share any of that with Quincey unless it’s significant. He moves to his work station, gearing up for another long tedious session looking at numbers that blur much too often in front of his eyes. 

++++++++++++++++++

Day 47 - Sunday

Poppy gets up early, and before she can even do anything, she notices that she got a text from Gil who has never texted her before on the weekend. 

Gil: @Poppylan >>  hey Poppy i need you to meet with a new potential client today. Its a brunch meeting at meshiagare @11   local account no bells and whistles honest

Poppylan: @Gil >> no one else can go? 

Like you, dude? Where the fudge have you been lately?

Gil: @Poppylan >> unfortunately no   i need something to go my way for once and well its a matter of life and death

Well isn’t this fudging inconvenient… but life and death? Pfft. You have no idea.

She wants to beg off, saying she is still sick, but since she already called in “sick” on Friday, she realizes she should agree. Against her better judgement, she finally relents. 

Poppylan: @Gil>> um, sure  who is it? Can you send contract deets and location to me? 

Gil: @Poppylan >> thanks u r a lifesaver, literally.  You'll be meeting Rōjin Toraburu and I'll email you his contract. Small fry but good for us really  need anything else? I’ll be offline for the rest of the day. 

Poppylan: @Gil>> nope i'll text when meeting is over and can give you a full report tomorrow if thats ok

Gil: @Poppylan >> perfect thanks for covering for me

Poppy signs off, and sighs loudly. Even though she’s scoured her apartment and knew that her plans for the day had been wide open, she’s rather annoyed.  Before she can change her mind, she opens her laptop, logging into her email. Sure enough, there’s an email from Gil with a contract and company dossier for her perusal.  

He really is small fry, but since Gil asked me to go, the account must be important.  

She opens the dossier first, and skims it. Rōjin Toraburu runs a small press, Gekkō Gallery Press. It has the cutest gecko logo.  But she reads on. He’s contacted GGP, as he’s somehow learned about signing Q, and this is mentioned in the notes. 

How would he have heard about that?  

He’s now apparently looking to expand his reach and believes riding the increasingly mobile coattails of their small company makes sense. Their imprints are limited--some local manga and a magazine for...wineries? Surely a weird portfolio, but the manga seems the most interesting. Poppy opens a browser window and does a search for the manga, titled “Hen'na Hunks.” 

Ah, so this is a soft-core, semi-erotic manga!  And local no less!

There aren’t a lot of search results to go through, but what she finds is reminiscent of the stories she’s already read in QB’s Secret Garden. 

Maybe this will really be a good fit, given Quincey just announced GGP will be publishing the second volume of Secret Garden. Maybe Q referred him and now GGP will become the premier smut publisher in the region! 

She knows she’ll have to add all of these thoughts into her report to Gil.  She has no idea if Gil knows about QB’s famous stories or not. If not, he’s going to be educated relatively quickly, that’s for sure!

She then does a search for Toraburu, and finds a picture of him. He appears to be much older than Poppy, almost the same age as Mr. Lam, but this man is...quite handsome. 

Whoa. He’s fudging HOT.  So I guess meeting him will not be a hardship at all. 

At that thought, she giggles out loud. Before she can look for anything else about the man and his company, she sees that she has to get ready now or she’ll be late. It sucks bussing it on a Sunday, but it’s all bread and butter and will only make her profile at GGP even better.  She pulls out some of her most attractive outfits, choosing the outfit she wore that one night on Ares Street. Part professional, part sexy as hell.  She puts her hair in a tight bun, and runs out the door to catch the next bus. She never notices the black sedan sitting in the street as she runs to the corner bus stop.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy makes it to Meshiagare with plenty of time to spare. The place is nice, somewhere between Clark’s and the bistro where she met Lam. She waits in the foyer for the man to show up, and within 5 minutes of her arrival, he appears. She introduces herself before he can even approach the hostess. Holding out her hand, she speaks to him loudly, so he won’t miss what she’s saying to him.

“Mr. Toraburu?  I’m Poppylan Wilkes.  Gil Bosu from Giant Goldfish Publishing was not able to attend today’s meeting, so he sent me as the company’s liaison.”

The man looks at her with wide hazel eyes, and slowly smiles at her. He was wearing a tan overcoat over a casual suit. Not off the rack by any means, but it fit him...well.

Oh my goddess, the picture I looked at online did not do the man justice. He is a silver fox!  

She has to admit, she is excited to be negotiating a contract with him, and it’s just the sort of distraction she’s needed. Wait until she tells Erdene!

“Ms. Wilkes, very charmed to meet you.”

She holds out her hand, expecting him to shake it, but instead he kisses it, making additional eye contact with her, even more boldly at that.  

“Let’s have a seat and we can discuss a potential working relationship, shall we?”

“Certainly my dear, lead the way.”

He smiles at her, and gestures for her to walk before him. She can feel his gaze on her as she walks to the hostess, giving her Gil’s name.  They are seated immediately, as the place had just opened moments before. They are seated in a quiet corner, and Poppy allows the man to take off his coat and sit down before she says anything else.

“Mr. Torabu--”

“Waitress, bring us a bottle of 2000 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac. If you don’t have that, please let me know right away.”

He blurts this out, as the waitress is standing before them.

Ooooo kay. Wow. It’s not even noon yet, dude.

“Right away, sir.” The waitress runs off, and Poppy is a bit stymied.  But after a gulp of nervousness and a few deep breaths, she breaks into her spiel.

“Mr. Toraburu, it’s my understanding you are looking to collaborate with Giant Goldfish. Based on your queries, I have an idea of what that might encompass. Could you give me a little more information? It will determine whether or not it’s a good fit and whether or not the contract Mr. Buso drafted will be acceptable to you.”

“Well, what do you want to know?”

“Why don’t we begin with more detailed information and some of the basics, such as when your company was founded, how many imprints you house, your annual budget, employees on staff, any other information you might believe to be relevant--that would be a good start.”

He looks at her, and he seems impressed. Replying to her queries takes him several minutes. During his response, the waitress appears with a bottle of wine and a bucket of ice. It takes a moment to remove the cork. She takes Toraburu’s glass, adding a small amount and placing it in front of him to taste. He picks up the glass, swallowing the wine it contains. This is the only time he pauses while speaking.

“Ah, quite good.” He nods to the waitress who then fills both glasses.

“Are you ready to order, sir?”

“Not yet. Please come back in oh, I don’t know, 15 minutes please?”

“Very good sir.”

He then resumes talking. While she would prefer taking extensive written notes, she decides to listen and will recount the meeting later in the afternoon after she returns home. He gives her all the information she’s requested, with no surprises, but then he takes a hefty sip of wine.

“Does that suffice, Ms. Wilkes?”

“Yes, thank you. It is quite clear that a partnership between our companies will be a good fit. May I share the contract with you, and you can review it at your leisure? You can then inform Mr. Bosu your decision. Or if you want to make a verbal agreement, and sign the contract as a formality that will work as well.”

It’s then that he asks a rather personal question.

“It depends on one thing, my dear.”

“Oh?”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Wha-- he did not just ask me that.

“Ah, I don’t see…”

“I’m only asking as you are such a lovely young woman.”

Poppy begins to panic, as she’s never had to deal with such a bold attitude from a man such as him, well from any man, well, any man in this situation. Oh fudge, the whole situation is making her uncomfortable, hot silver fox or not!

She really couldn’t respond, and blessedly, the waitress approaches them again, citing the brunch menu and any specials.  They both decide on the special, and he continues his less than professional queries.  For the reminder of their meeting, he is a bit lecherous and flirts heavily with Poppy who, while flattered, rebuffs him as much as she can. She somehow manages to shift his attention back to the purpose of the meeting in the first place, and he is quite conducive to working with GGP, so she discusses information contained in their standard contract, pulling the copy she printed out of her bag. Even though he blatantly asks her out on a date, she manages to hold him off, deferring any definite answer to a later time. 

Dude, you’re attractive, sure, but just...NO.  

“I need to go, Mr. Toraburu, please let Mr. Bosu know your decision either way, but I hope you consider a collaboration. You can direct any questions or concerns directly to Gil. I appreciate your time on a Sunday. Good day.”

She excuses herself, and walks out the front door, turning right, walking down the sidewalk, not looking back to see if he’s following her, nor really knowing where she’s going. It’s the only reprieve she can find at the moment. The man is persistent! He wasn’t going to leave until he got an answer from her. She continues to walk briskly, hoping that the man isn’t following her. She finally sees a bus stop, and skimming the schedule on her phone she sees that the next bus will be there within minutes, and it will get her home in record time. She really lucked out.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy arrives home, exhausted. She peels off her outfit, putting on her “Avo Cardio” PJ short set. She knows she has to sit down and write an objective report for Gil, but the man’s flirtation really has her hot and bothered. It’s now mid afternoon, and fudge, she is ready to go to bed!  Before she loses her nerve, she pulls out her phone and texts Erdene.

Pops: @Dene>> yo where ya at boney b?

She can’t quite remember if Erdene had plans that day or not, so she didn’t expect a reply right away, but is surprised to see that replies right away.

Dene: @Pops>> just home nursing a hangover my lady  where YOU at?

Pops: @Dene>> just got back from meeting Rōjin Toraburu

Dene: @Pops>> oh and who might that be?

Pops: @Dene>> new potential contract  gil couldn’t go, so he suckered me into going.  The man is …..  How shall I say this adequately a SILVER FOX

Dene: @Pops>> oh do tell.  So HOT? 

Pops: @Dene>> oh yes. He’s the publisher of Hen'na Hunks   heard of it?

While waiting for Erdene to reply, she sends her the pic she found of Toraburu online.

Pops: @Dene>> check em out. Pic doesn’t do the man justice. But he’s a bit of a lech  kept trying to ask me out on a date

Dene: @Pops>> you met him? He is def foxy. Woof! Did u say yes?

Pops: @Dene>> of course not! Conflict of interest. I need to file a report with gil anyways. 

Dene: @Pops>> r u sure? you should have said yes even if he is a bit creepy and a cradle robber   or r u  reluctant to engage with any man?

Poppy pauses at that query. Erdene doesn’t mention him by name, of course, but she still wonders about him, where he might be, and feels “odd” about her fixation on him. But she also wonders if she is perhaps misunderstanding her interactions with men lately. Could it be she’s desperate for attention, and is believing all these men are truly interested in her, or is it her imagination?

Before she can even compose any response, her phone dings with another message from Erdene, and this one hits her hard.

Dene: @Pops>> need I remind u that you are a grown-ass woman, and since you haven't seen the Tiger in awhile, u don’t have anything to worry about. Besides, u 2 weren’t anything official anyways, right?

Pops: @Dene>> But this is a potential client, Dene. I think it's a clear conflict of interest to date the man, but I wonder if i’ll need to talk to Gil, so we can manage some sort of civil interaction with this man in order to get a contract signed since I will politely decline

She doesn’t share it with Erdene, but while she doesn’t want to lose the business, it still feels like she’s betraying HIM. It’s probably the first time in her life that she has been propositioned this way by a man (well, other than THAT proposition), and the bittersweet memory of those early days after meeting Tora actually makes Poppy want to laugh and cry. 

Dene: @Pops>> i see you're not answering me.  Whatevs  see ya tomorrow lovely flower!  

Pops: @Dene>> TTYL.

She logs off the messaging app, and moves to boot up her laptop. She sits down, taking extensive notes on her meeting, leaving out all the lascivious details she wishes she could forget. After an hour or so, she finishes her report, and emails it off to Gil. 

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy never noticed Scharch lurking outside of Meshiagare, even though he was right behind her up until she found the bus stop. He was so hopeful he'd be able to at least talk to her that he didn't see the bus pull up until it was too late and she quickly jumped on.  He'll just have to keep watching her as much as he can. It's only a matter of time until he gets his chance.

Chapter Text

Day 48 - Monday

Poppy wakes up and gets ready for work without any hesitation or delays. She just doesn’t want to think. She is still feeling the unease she felt yesterday after meeting with Toraburu. She knows she’s going to talk more with Gil later in the moring, so she’ll reemphasize the discomfort she felt with the man. 

Maybe he’ll assign him to Jacob? Who knows!

She arrives at GGP, and sees Erdene is already there. 

“Morning, Dene.”

“Good morning, dear one. Sounds like you had quite a day yesterday. What are you going to do?”

“Well, I’m meeting with Gil this morning, so I'm going to talk to him about it, or rather about him. Is he in yet?”

Erdene doesn’t respond, so Poppy looks up, seeing that look on Erdene’s face again. That face, the one they’ve been sharing amongst themselves whenever Gil pulls his crap.

What do you think? 

Poppy realizes she better confirm the meeting, as she doesn’t want to delay it at all.  She logs into her computer, opening her inbox. Sure enough--there is the same email he's been sending to all of them over and over.

FROM: Gil Bosu {[email protected]}

TO: Erdene Eris Sōzokujin (相続人) {eesozoku @ggp.com} ; Poppylan Wilkes {[email protected]}; Jacob Otokonoko {jotokono @ggp.com}

SUBJECT: [GGP] Business as Usual Again Today

...

Fudge! 

But this doesn’t necessarily mean their meeting is cancelled, just that it will likely be shifted to a video call. 

“Any idea when Jacob will be in? He needs to help me set up the conference room. Looks like our meeting has shifted to a videoconference.”

“He should be here any minute now.”

“Good.”  

She had hoped Gil might have read the report and emailed her back, but realizes that it was a Sunday afternoon when she sent it, so he may not have read it yet. 

Patience, Poppylan.

“Oh, Erdene, before I get started, I think we should talk about the visit to the exiled royal family palace. Don’t forget--we’re going this weekend, and it’s a two-hour drive by car.”

“Right. Well, I might have forgotten, but it’s all good. Damien is working anyway.”

“Well, maybe we can get a room? Spend the night?”

Erdene can tell by the look in Poppy’s eyes that she is actually pretty excited to go.” 

And she needs it, too. After all the bullshit lately? F*ck yes!

“Ooo, I like your thinking, missy! Let’s do it! My treat!”

“OK, but we’ll talk more about splitting the cost of the room later. You find a hotel and book a room if you can, and I’ll take care of the admission tickets. The website will also tell us the hours, so we can plan accordingly. Honestly, it will be good to get out of this crummy town!”

Good gracious, it is nice to see the woman smile like this! It’s been a while.

Erdene manages to find a moderately priced hotel and books a room for Friday night. Poppy logs onto the Narin City Historical Society website which has all the information on the palace. She finds a link to purchase tickets, and buys them. They are general admission tickets, thankfully, so even if they have to cancel or delay their trip, they won’t expire for at least a year. 

“OK--tickets purchased, Dene. I need to prepare for my meeting with Gil. At lunch we’ll look up directions online and finalize any other details. Sound good?”

“Yep.”

Jacob then walks in the door, frantic.

“Mornin’ my ladies. Sorry I’m a few minutes late.”

“Not to worry, dude. He’s not coming in again.”

Jacob audibly sighs loudly. 

“He sent his usual email.”

“Hey, Jacob? I have a video call with Gil in an hour or so. Could you set me up in the conference room, pretty please?”

Poppy looks at him, fluttering her eyelashes at him. Sucker.

“Haha, how can I resist that charm?  Sure, Pops. Give me a second to settle in first.”

Poppy is definitely in a better mood, and giggles in response.  She goes back into her inbox, to check for anything else to be done before the meeting starts. She’s hopeful she can reason with Gil to make some changes about this new account, particularly about dealing with this Toraburu dude. 

I think if Jacob learns about the manga, he’ll be all for it, even if it’s a bit Hentai… We’ll have to wait, I guess.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy texts Gil that their call will be routed to the GGP conference room, so he’ll know what connection to use. Jacob has adeptly set up his laptop to the projector, so all she has to do is wait for Gil to connect. The system will ping her when he’s connecting.

She sits down, patiently waiting. Before long, she hears the lilting chime of the video conferencing software indicating someone wants to connect. Despite his other irregularities recently, Gil logs in right on time. 

She clicks the “CONNECT” button, and Gil’s face appears before her larger than life.

Whoa, bro. You look… BAD.

She realizes that it’s been some time since he’s actually appeared on camera. Most of their meetings have been via phone. In fact, she can’t even remember the last time she saw him in person. 

Oh yeah, it was that day. He was acting so fudging… weird, too.

“Good morning, Poppylan.”

“Good morning, Gil. Did you get my report? And have you read it yet?”

“Yes, thank you. I read it this morning. So, what do you think, overall? Anything you haven’t shared in the report?”

What about what you think, Gil? I mean, you’re in charge!

“I think Gekkō Gallery Press will really be a good fit, given Quincey just announced we’re going to be publishing the second volume of Secret Garden. It has the potential to create a bit of a niche for us, as long as you are okay with that?”

Gil looks surprised, like maybe he didn’t realize we’re taking on SG2? 

“And what ‘niche’ market are we talking about?”

“Erotica. And I’m guessing that QB referred Toraburu to GGP for just that reason. With QB signing his contract, the work on SG2, and now a potential collaboration with Toraburu and his manga, it is the start of us focusing on a specific genre. This doesn’t preclude any other types of contracts, and Gekkō does publish a small winery mag. We’re just getting off the ground, so anything that will tie us more to QB will only offer us more opportunities. I mean QB garners national and international exposure, Gil.”

This is all in my report, for fudge sake. I mean come on, dude.

“But there are concerns, personal concerns.”

“And what are those?”

Poppy purposely did NOT put this information in her report, as she wanted to discuss it face-to-face. 

I guess on-camera will have to do. It should be okay, since we’re not recording this, right?  

She takes a deep breath and responds.

“Toraburu is….an interesting fellow. But he is a bit too friendly. ”

Gil smirks at her, but he has to ask. She needs to elaborate.

“Define friendly, Poppylan.”

“Gil, the man is a bit of a flirt. I mean, he flat out asked me if I was seeing anyone, and called me ‘attractive.’”

Doesn’t Gil understand? I suppose men don’t have to deal with this type of thing all that much, do they.

“OK--I understand. But if I approve the contract, you can manage to keep things professional, can’t you?”

He doesn’t want to talk about it??

“Well, I think maybe this is one account Jacob shou--”

“I trust you. You can figure it out. I’ll sign off on it, if he is conducive to the contract you gave him. Call him today, OK?  Jacob has enough to do. I have to go. You know how to reach me.”

Before she can even open her mouth to protest, he disconnects.

Well, that isn’t very helpful. And he was awfully abrupt. The mystery of Gil continues. Maybe I will ask Quincey what he knows about Toraburu and what he thinks I should do. I mean honestly. Erdene already gave me her opinion, traitor!

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu arrives on Quincey’s doorstep well before 11 am. He’s already explained last night that he wants to check the jammer’s firmware, run a complete scan, and dump any data he’s collected. He can do it all even after Martin arrives, so he’s not in a hurry. 

Gyu and Quincey don’t even talk to each other. They’ll wait until after Martin leaves. Gyu has just hit the button on his laptop to start the firmware update when there is a knock on the door.  Quincey nods to Smithy, who lets Martin and Lang inside. Gyu leaves the laptop in the spare room, and makes his way to the living room to join them.

It’s the same old thing, really and quite tiresome. They arrive, they sit, and Martin asks the same thing.

“Progress.”

“Just like I told you on the phone, Martin. We don’t have anything to share.”

Now, this time, Martin loses his shit.

“That is just not acceptable, gentlemen. I WANT ANSWERS, AND I WANT THEM NOW!”

Even Lang cringes at the hoarse yelling. 

“What the f*ck do you want, Martin? You can’t get blood from a stone, nor find a tiger who knows where to hide. And we don’t even know if he’s alive!”

“I need to tell your father something, Quinceton. I find it very hard to believe there is nothing.”

Quincey just looks at him, doing his best impression of his father’s famous icy glare. 

“Sorry, UNCLE. We have nothing. In fact, from now on, I’ll contact you if we find anything. Otherwise, let us do our thing.  I have other responsibilities, so I’m going to ask you to leave.”

Quincey is screaming inside, but uses his best acting skills. He can’t wait until the two clowns leave so he and Gyu can strategize. 

“Smithy, escort these gentlemen out, please.”

In a huff, Martin gets up with Claude at his heels. He walks up to the penthouse door. Smithy opens it, and the two men move out the door and are gone. 

++++++++++++++++++

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I need a f*cking drink! And let’s hope this will get that nasty man off our backs, for now.”

“I hope so, bro.”

“You find anything?”

“Nah, not in a while. I’m going to download the texts from Martin’s burner, and will work on analyzing that after my shift tonight. But what else can we do? Whatever happened, if he had anyone help him? It's all top-notch. No idea if anyone else involved are Clan affiliated or not. I don’t think civs would have that level of skill set, but who knows. I may revisit some of the other data (AGAIN). I feel like I have to do something, or I’ll go nuts.”

Quincey is now standing in his kitchen, pouring himself a big glass of red wine. He wasn’t kidding. Gulping some wine down, he looks at Gyu. 

“I know this has not been easy, and he’s… Well, I want to thank you for everything you’ve been doing. I may not say it enough, but please know I appreciate it. We’ll find him. I know we will.” 

Goddess knows, I hope we do.

So much of what is at stake is just something they don’t want to talk about. Tora may think he’s just an enforcer, a nobody, but he’s more than that--what he and Quincey did for Gyu, and how Tora does more than just serve as Quincey’s bodyguard. He’s a brother, a friend, and has acted as a shield to them both, protecting them from a lot of Clan crap. He just wishes Tora was here now, so he could tell him all of this. 

Hell, the asshole would shut me down in a heartbeat. I miss him way too much.

“Well, I know you have to go. You know the drill, same ole shit, different day, boo boo. Contact me ASAP if you need me.”

“You got it bro. Just need to check on the update and grab my laptop.”

Thankfully the update is complete, but he didn’t get a chance to download any data. Next time.

+++++++++++++++++

Scharch is sitting in his own man cave, his lair, contemplating next steps with her, after watching her meet with yet another douchebag f*cker yesterday. He’s just so frustrated, especially after just missing her before she hopped on that bus. There really weren’t many other passengers that afternoon, but it was too public. Buses have cameras, and he still has to be cautious, no matter if he were working for Martin or himself.  He’s still amazed that she has no idea she is being watched and followed. He has to admit, it’s kind of fun following her around. She’s just so innocent and pure, he can’t stand it. It actually excites him a bit. It’s a thrill he likes to cultivate, especially among women. 

His phone pings with an incoming message from Martin, in their own little code. He needs to report to Club Miracle ASAP. 

Soon, little flower girl.  SOON.

+++++++++++++++++

Tired as fuck, Gyu is back home after his shift, and after eating a noodle cup for a late supper, he gets to work. First, he grabs Martin’s clone and skims the messages he’s seeing. The activity is substantial. He knows he’ll have to read through every excruciating word, and skim through every dick pic and pussy pose the phone contains. The messages continue to scroll in even as he’s looking at it. 

Dude has more activity than I could possibly imagine. Seems like it all about the pussy. Sigh. Must be nice.

His gut reaction is to erase it all, but he knows he can’t do that. Martin will see it. So he’ll have to spend some time downloading it, and yes, reading it all. 

And looking at alllll those beavers. Damn, I should have done this sooner.

That isn’t the hardship though. Far from it. It’s how he has to look at the numerous pictures of Martin’s package. The dude’s cock is quite … impressive sure, but … maybe Quincey would enjoy this task more? Scratch that--that’d be even worse, since Martin is Quincey’s uncle. Ew. 

The things I’m doing for ya, Big Bro. You reallllyy owe me.

It doesn’t take long for the data to download. He then turns off the phone, and will have to figure out where the download leaves off and new texts begin. In reality, he’ll have to cope with overlap. Can’t be too careful.

He opens his text editor, and starts editing the algorithm in his custom scanning program. He wants to avoid most pictures, and filter out entries a few choice words. Even that might not work either, but he has to try.

Dear f*ck, do I hate this. 

Then he starts typing all the iterations for genitals he can think of. He’ll likely even miss a few. Then he can filter by sender/receiver. Finally, he’ll have to put some thought into other things to flag. But he knows a few already. And they’re names. Tora is first and foremost, plus his known name, Noyouko Yeke. There are a few others he’ll add to the list too, since Tora has had a few aliases over the years. Then he adds others--Poppy, Quincey, Vincent, himself, Claude, Scharch, Smithy, and Quincey’s other pen names. He’s already guessing he’ll notice a pattern or two, ones he’ll have to consult with Quincey about again.

Gyu saves his program with an alternate name, and launches it to scan the MARTIN1 database. He texts an update to Quincey and sits back in his chair, watching the program start its scan. It’s going to take a while for it to finish. 

+++++++++++++++++

Day 49 - Tuesday

Quincey wanted to give Gil the benefit of the doubt, and over the past several weeks, he's given the strange man more than enough chances. Every time Gil wouldn’t answer his calls, respond to his texts, or meet with him personally, he knew the death knell for Gil Bosu has slowly been gearing up. Gyu manages to find the man’s phone number, one that’s unlisted, and Quincey gets up early to call him. It’s a planned visit to GGP that day, and if he can get this call over with now, it will be easier to tell everyone the news right away. He doesn’t want any of them to waste any more time.

And thanks to Gyu’s work, Quincey now knows all about him, the heinous motherf*cker. Completed almost a month ago, the standard Clan-Level dossier is pretty damning for Gil. Quincey channels his mafia blood, and dials Gil’s number. He calls him using a simcard identifying himself as QB Noyouko. Gil will see he’s calling, and he’ll keep calling until he picks up. It’s likely that because he’s calling Gil on his secret line, he’ll pick up. 

He will be too curious, I’m guessing. You can’t avoid me this time, you asshole!

“Hello?”

“Gil, good morning, It’s QB.”

Silence.

“OK, Mr. Bosu. Don’t have anything to say to me? Well, I won’t mince words. I know all about you . And I have plenty to say.”

“Wh--”

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Too late, Gil. It’s just too late. I need you to come clean, fess up. NOW.”

“Who do you think yo--”

“Oh, Gil, honey. I need to make some confessions of my own. Besides, it’s not gonna matter after today. See, while you were off f*cking around, embezzling funds from the adorable little GGP, laundering money, blackmailing my friends, and all the other illicit little things you’ve been up to, including stealing, oh I don’t know, notebooks off of people’s desks? I’ve been onto you. I asked some questions. A lot of them. Hmm? Still have nothing to say? No? Well, while you have been getting your f*cking dick wet, I have been getting things done. In fact, dear boy, I am now the de facto new owner of Giant Goldfish Publishing--I’ve bought the majority out from under you.”

Quincey can hear Gil sputtering on the line. But Quincey does his thing. And f*ck, he’s even getting good at it! Even if he throws up afterwards.

“And (giggle) I have another secret I just have to share with you. My dear Miss Editor, bless her, probably never told you who I really am, did she. Well, guess what--QB Noyouko? That's not my real name; it is of course my pen name, one I’ve borrowed from a dear friend of mine: Tora Noyouko Yeke. I don’t think you’ve met him yet, have you? Trust me. If you did, you’d know him. Tall, dark, and deadly. Not only my good friend, but my personal bodyguard, you know. Now think a moment about my initials: QB. Isn’t there someone in this city, someone famous, someone with connections with those initials? Someone from a powerful family? Hmmm, why, yes, Gil, there is. Based on what I found out, I know you’ve met a contemporary or two of mine, sure. But, honey, I am the real f*cking deal. No guesses yet? Pussy got your tongue, man? I mean, you can’t guess? I thought you were a smart man, and I know you think you’re pretty savvy, but, you know what? You’re really not. Your ignorance is astounding. Let me introduce the real me: Quinceton Balthuman, heir to the Balthuman Clan, at your service.”

Quincey pauses again, hearing Gil breathing heavily, but he’s not saying a thing. And he’s not hanging up either. Quincey takes a big sip of water, as all that talking has made him thirsty.

Asshole is probably terrified. Boo f*cking hoo. Now to wrap this shit sandwich right the f*ck up.

“And you, you pompous mofo, are FIRED. Don’t bother cleaning out your desk. I already threw all your shit away. And don’t think that I don’t know what you were going to do to Poppylan, you complete buffoon. I’ll leave you with a brief warning: your days are numbered. You can’t run and you can’t hide. Ta, ta now.”

Before he spills anything else, he disconnects the call.  

Holy f*ck, I did it. And I don’t feel like vomiting this time! Whew! Hell, I think I need to get laid!

Quincey feels a bit relieved that the task is finally over. Now he can work on the next step: talking to his employees. And the threat at the end of the call is legitimate: little does Gil know, he is more than fired, as Quincey won’t do a thing to stop the hit out on Gil. OOPS. He has to figure out how to get what he needs from Gil before it happens, though. He’ll talk to Gyu about it, maybe he can send a guy over to take care of it? And how much does Gyu even knows about the notebook. There’s been so much going on and a lot of conversations. If Gyu doesn’t know already, he will now. Otherwise, Gil’s shenanigans are at an end. 

And so is he.

+++++++++++++++++

For once, Quincey is really early for his day at GGP. He’s just too excited. He and Smithy sweep in, 15 minutes before he’s expected, surprising Poppy and Erdene. Jacob is on a coffee run.

“Morning my ladies. It’s a big day today.” He walks into the conference room, a clear bounce in his step. Someone is in a good mood.

Poppy and Erdene look at each other. 

"What the heck is that about?" 

“I guess we’ll find out, Dene.”

They gather their things together, and wait for Jacob to appear with coffee in hand. He arrives within minutes, also surprised that Quincey is there on time.

“Morning, Quincey. I got you your usual--nonfat dairy free caramel latte decaf?”

“Oh, scrumptious, my man! It’s been a good day, and now it just got even better. Merci!”

“Now that the three of you are all here, I have a lot of announcements to make. This is not going to be an ordinary work session. And I’m not going to sugarcoat this, my honeys. It’s going to be a lot, so bear with me. And I want to finish before you ask me any questions. You with me?”

All three of them nod their heads.

“Off we go. First, Gil is gone. He’s fired. I will be acting director for the foreseeable future. Second, I am now the majority owner of Giant Goldfish. I own 51%. Third, you’re all going to get a raise. And lastly, I am giving you all a full week off starting Monday. You deserve it, after putting up with Gil’s shit. Now, any questions?”

The three of them are shocked into silence. And Poppy being Poppy is the first to ask.

“Gil is fired?”

“Yes. Because of regulations, I cannot disclose why, but the board gave unanimous approval to terminate his employment and to appoint me as his replacement. I know what’s been going on, and you won’t see him again.”

“And not only are you the owner, you’re now in charge?”

“Yes, isn’t it exciting?”

Oh boy. Quincey is now our boss? Holy shi-take mushrooms!

Poppy has other questions, but won’t ask those questions with Erdene and Jacob in the room. Clan related questions.

Jacob speaks up. “And we’re not fired?”

Erdene is likely thinking the same thing, but she’s been rendered speechless.

“Goddess, no. The three of you have been stellar, especially you, Miss Editor. You’ve snagged me after all. Now, is there any business we need to take care of on the Lam project or SG2 before next week?"

“Sure, Quincey. Let me bring up my notes. And we may have more questions, just so you know.”

“Of course, honey. It’s a lot I know. I look forward to working with the three of you to usher in a new era for Giant Goldfish Publishing!”

+++++++++++++++++

Day 50 - Wednesday 

After the multiple bombshells dropped by Quincey the day before, much of Wednesday is spent chatting and goofing off. Poppy had been asking the other two what their thoughts were about Gil for some time, but they never wanted to talk. While they still aren’t saying much even now, they are all just so distracted and share some stories that the others never knew about. She knows that the discussion will be continuing in the days ahead, for sure.

Sneaky ass creep. 

Poppy gets an email from Quincey, asking her to clean out Gil’s desk. He tells her he’s likely going to order himself new furniture as well. He also asks her not to look at anything she finds, not to read anything, but to just throw whatever she finds in a box, and bring it to his place when she can. He meant to do it after their meeting the day before, but he left right after it was over, completely forgetting. He also approves any time off request, and tells he they can order any other supplies they want.

The last 24 hours have been surreal, that’s for sure. 

But worst of all, it’s been 50 fudging days. Poppy doesn’t want to admit to anyone close to her, not even Quincey how she's been keeping track. She’s been closely counting the number of days since she last saw Tora. And Poppy has had it--she wants a better answer than she’s already gotten from Q. 

No more lies!

She makes her way to Quincey’s place without warning. Knocking loudly, she walks briskly in as soon as Smithy opens the door. She launches the cardboard box holding Gil’s meager desk contents at Quincey’s head. 

“Enough, Quincey. It’s been 50 days. 50 fudging days. Where is he? What do you know? ”

Despite his best efforts to hide it from her as long as he could, but now he decides to tell her the truth.

“I have no idea where he is.”

Poppy looks at him in shock.

“What?”

“He.. he… he’s vanished and we don't have a clue where he is. But we're still looking, Poppylan. I swear.” 

When Poppy sees that Quincey is now crying, she knows he’s not joking and how serious it really is. 

“And I know you have questions about Gil that you couldn’t ask with Erdene and Jacob in the room. Well, ask them.”

“What has he been up to, that might be Clan related?”

“HA! What hasn’t he? Gambling, embezzlement, money laundering, debts to loan sharks, blackmail, murder…”

“MURDER?”

“And he took the notebook.”

“What notebook? The blank one?”

“You probably don’t even know about it, do you? Anyways, it’s a big deal, and I can’t explain it right now, but know that Gil plays a big part in it where it is. Or rather, we don’t know what he did with it. It might actually have been in his desk. I'll check out the box when you leave. It's better you don't know too much about it anyways.”

He’s reluctant to share anything about the blasted thing, especially Tora's role regarding it, because no one knew about it except for a few of them, especially Goliath, Vincent, and Gyu.

And I'll have to tell you that without that notebook, things would be very different for you, Miss Editor. If you hadn't found it, you would have never met him or me.

“Come, sit down, have a glass of wine, and let’s talk more. There is lots more Erdene and Jacob don’t know, and can’t know.”

Poppy knows it’ll be a long night, because she wants to know everything.

Chapter Text

Day 50 (continued)

Smithy drives Poppy home from Quincey’s, and she spends the entire time in a daze, feeling more than a bit devastated, but at the same time is grateful to now know everything about him. Mixed blessings that’s for sure. She’s relieved to know he’s not avoiding her, but on the other hand, the truth is worse, he’s missing. Is it because of the Clan? Tora has never really told her exactly what it is he does for the Clan, but she can’t shake the feeling that whether or not it’s Clan-related, something has gone terribly wrong. She thinks back from the discussion with Quincey earlier that night, and it just produces more questions than answers.

“Come, sit down, have a glass of wine, and let’s talk more…”

She takes her coat off, and drops her bag and shoes by the door. Walking over to the couch, she sits down and watches as Quincey gets them both a big glass of white wine.

“You’re favorite, Moscato, isn’t it?”

She knows he is trying to distract her, but her resolve is firm. There is more than one answer she’s looking for tonight.

“Close enough.”

“So, I’m sure today was a bombshell. Anyways, I’ll just get to it, so this won’t be a long and drawn out conversation. I had Gyu do some digging into our friend, Gil Bosu—using Clan methods, mind you—and he is dirty, hon. Just like I told you. It’s not what he isn’t doing, it’s what he is doing.”

So, dirty, huh? Dirtier than being heir to two mafia families? Let’s here it, Q.

“Are you ever going to tell Erdene and Jacob the truth? I mean you had them both sign the NDA, but I think Erdene knows all about you. Jacob, I’m not so sure. But regardless of that, don’t you think they deserve the truth?”

“Not yet. Not now. I need to get things in order, that’s why I’m giving you all a week off. I need to finalize a few details, contact the board at some point, and, well, I need to tell my father. And then I’ll likely tell them more, and it will be under the NDA, so I should be covered.”

“So, you haven’t told him about any of it yet?”

Quincey grimaces, but she understands. She’s always sensed he is not the mafia heir his father wants him to be. Not by a long shot.

“Unfortunately, no. He already gives me quite a bit of leeway right now, so I’m hoping he’ll indulge me just one more time. Besides, Gil has never been a favorite of the Clan. He owes a lot of money, and I found out that he has some plans that, well, were concerning to me.”

“What sort of plans?”

Quincey doesn’t want to tell her the truth, not yet. But for now, he’ll keep winging it. He’s feeding her enough to keep her happy, but keeping the rather gruesome parts of it to himself.

“I can’t tell you a lot of it, as it has to do with the Clan. But he was going to bankrupt the company, and, well, he was going to blame you.”

“Me? Why me? I’m just a low fish on the totem pole.”

“Exactly. He was going to blame your inexperience and pass off his general incompetence as yours.”

“That rat bastard!”

“And that’s not all. All those times he said he was at conventions and meetings? Not true. He was at casinos, gambling with GGP capital. ”

“What a devious, decrepit dude. Wow.”

Quincey is hoping all of this discussion about Gil will distract her from the other elephant in the room, but no such luck.

“So tell me what you know about him.”

Again, he blurts out the truth. Well, most of it. Gyu has found a few nuggets, but none have been very helpful.

“Just that he hasn’t been seen in public since, oh, what day was it? I know it was a Wednesday…”

Do I tell her how we all know he was with her that night? That he was last seen near her apartment? I just can’t keep it to myself anymore. She won't’ be telling anyone anyways.

“The last place we know he was located was at your apartment.”

Poppy is stunned. That long ago? 

“How do you kn--”

“Just know we—and I mean Gyu and I—have our resources, and we have our ways of doing things. Unfortunately Father knows as well. But before you freak out, we are doing things separate from the Clan, in isolation. One example: we have set things up so no one can bug my apartment. We use burner phones--phones that no one can trace back to us. We, or rather I should say, Gyu, is using every bit of technical expertise he can think of to track him down.”

“And?”

“And, just like I told you. We don’t know what happened to him. It’s like his vanished off the face of the earth.”

She’s spent most of the last several minutes listening to Quincey speak, sipping her wine, but she didn’t have the strength to look up until now. She looks up to again see tears in his eyes, like she did before. And he can see that Poppy is just as exasperated as he is, but he continues with his transparency. Sniffing a bit, he continues.

“Now you need to swear everything I tell you to complete secrecy. You cannot tell anyone, take any notes, nor do any digging of your own, Miss Editor. Capice?”

“Yes, Master Balthuman.”  

Oooo, she’s got a bit of her sass on. There’s hope for her yet.

“It doesn’t mean you can’t come to me with any suspicions, ideas, or any other thing because you have to know we need everything we can get to help find him.  And now ‘we’ includes you, dear.”

But there is one thing he knows he will not tell her, at least not until he has to: that Martin and his boys are watching her. 

Maybe she already knows? I’m not asking, nor am I saying anything, either.

“Does that answer your questions? At least for now?”

Poppy sits and takes a big sip of her wine. She just looks so sad. They sit in silence for several minutes before she finally asks.

“Where do you think he is, Quincey?”

He looks at her, and he has to say it, because it’s the truth.

“I just don’t know, Poppy. I just don’t know.”

++++++++++++++++++

Back in the car, Poppy spends most of the trip back to her apartment sighing. Smithy is never one to talk anyways, but he always notices, in case someone asks. He has no idea what to say that could possibly make her feel better anyways. He has to be honest, too—he misses the big guy; Tora never bothered him, ever.

Poppy has been sitting there, gazing out the passenger window when she happens to look up at the passenger car mirror. There she sees a set of headlights shining back at her. Most of the time she couldn’t be bothered, nor would she pay attention. So she keeps zoning out for several blocks and turns. But then she notices that these headlights have been following them for the last three turns Smithy has taken.

“Smithy, I don’t want to alarm you, but I think we’re being followed.”

“Oh?”

“The car behind us has made every turn we have for the last several minutes. It’s possible they may have been following us since we left Quincey’s.”

Smithy’s Clan training shifts into gear, and tries to reassure Poppy.

“I’ll take care of it. But call Quincey so he knows.”

She pulls her phone out of her bag and calls Quincey. He answers, and before he can barely get “hello” out of his mouth, she blurts out their problem.

“No time. We’re being followed, Quincey. Smithy told me to call you.”

“How soon until he gets you home?”

“I don’t know, at least fifteen minutes? I mean, they can’t follow me to pull in behind the gate, but I have a really bad feeling.”

“Put me on speaker so I can talk to Smithy.”

She pushes the hands-free button, and holds it up to her left so Smithy can hear him talk.

“Smithy, do not let her out of your sight until she is behind her apartment door. Stay until you can confirm they aren’t following or if they are, until they leave, and let me know if Gyu isn’t in the guard booth yet. But, Poppy, I need you to remain calm. It could all be a coincidence, but, well, let’s just be cautious, shall we? I’m going to text Gyu to make sure he gets there ASAP.”

Shit, the one thing I didn’t tell her—that the Clan is watching her, potentially following her. I’ll wait to find out from Gyu the scoop before I panic anymore.

“Thanks, Quincey. I’m hanging up now.” 

“Talk to you soon.”

As soon as he hangs up, Quincy quickly texts Gyu, burner phones be damned. It’s an emergency.

YM Quincey  @Gyu >>  boo boo, are you at Poppy’s place yet? When is ur shift? Shit r u even working tonight?? 😣

It’s not even a minute before Gyu responds, but to Quincey, it seems to take forever.

Gyu @YM Quincey>> yes shift tonight   just got in my truck. Will be there in about 20 min

YM Quincey  @Gyu>>  Smithy is driving her but they are being followed not sure if they are C or not   need you to be sharp as possible tonight. Poppy is probably freaking out. I told her everything

Gyu is glad he hadn’t put his truck in gear yet. He knows it must be dire for Quincey to text in such a candid way on a regular phone line.

Gyu @YM Quincey>> i have no idea what you mean  I WILL TALK TO YOU LATER SIR   use the B please?

YM Quincey:  @Gyu>> right but emergency  TTYL

++++++++++++++++++

Quincey closes the text app on his phone, hoping that it’s all just a false alarm, but given the situation, he believes it’s highly unlikely. So now he’ll have to debate talking to her about it, or even telling her at all. 

This only makes me think my idea is a good one. I need to move ahead, now that I’ve taken care of Gil. 

After he found out about Gil’s plan to blame Poppy for the embezzlement—and other his crimes—Quincey has been worried about her personal safety. There wasn’t anything in the Clan dossier that indicated he might do something to her, or that’s he’s been threatening her life, but he doesn’t want to take any chances. 

From the moment Martin knew about her, and since Tora has been MIA, he’s been considering assigning Poppy her own bodyguard. But will anyone be appropriate?  It’s a bit urgent, now that it’s likely that Martin’s men will now know where she lives.  But will she be amenable?  He decides when he calls Gyu later that night he’ll have him start doing some research for him.

And I don’t think she will have a choice. 

++++++++++++++++++

Scharch sits in the passenger seat of the car following the woman, and he has to contain his annoyance. Obviously that f*ck Lang knows nothing about following marks. But he allows it, nor does he correct him, as he will continue to follow Poppy as discreetly as possible, even under the guise of doing so for Martin. He doesn’t want to give away secrets, in case he has to follow Lang, too. 

And when I finally get her? Oh the things I can do, the ways I can play with her.  F*ck, I cannot wait. And then I’ll take care of her. 

He has to shift his seat to adjust himself. The idea of getting a new plaything always has the same effect--getting him hard, fast. This is a different kind of mark, but it still gets him just as excited. And despite his frustrations, he knows he needs to be subtle, since his little side work involves stuff that Martin doesn’t have a clue about nor can he give her his usual grandiose treatment, at least not until he knows he’s whisked her away from under Martin’s nose. Not a chance. Martin has already asked him to check into her, and Lang is fully aware of her, too. Not a problem, boss. Not a problem at all. But he will have his revenge. Ultimately, he doesn’t think Martin will give a shit anyways.

++++++++++++++++++

Quincey texts Gyu on his burner much later that night, asking for a full report on his end, and telling him his ideas. He couldn’t really sleep all that well anyways.

QuinceyB @GyuB>> how’d it go. Were they still there when you got there?

GyuB @QuinceyB>> yes. Smithy stuck around, too. They had to know he was there. They stayed until Poppy’s light went out.

QuinceyB @GyuB>> ok.  Was afraid they would do that. I’m going to talk to Martin directly tom. Going to ask for a meeting. But you don’t need to be here. Smithy will be my back up one time only.

GyuB @QuinceyB>> 👍🏽 

QuinceyB @GyuB>> and I want to hire a bodyguard for Poppy, a personal one. I want to find one that is not in the current circle near father; a new guy, Clan is fine, but i have some other criteria.  Needs to be younger, available immediately, both to stay with Poppy and drive her back and forth to work if possible.  

GyuB @QuinceyB>> 👍🏽 

QuinceyB @GyuB>> Use some of the Clan protocols to screen as well; it will be helpful to have a pseudo-Tora right now.

Pseudo-Tora, what is that?

GyuB @QuinceyB>> 😳 wut

QuinceyB @GyuB>> means someone who is a lot like Tora—big, muscular, and can protect Miss Editor

GyuB @QuinceyB>> i’ll get started on this tonight.  Connect w me at some point tomorrow to report on meeting with M, OK?

QuinceyB @GyuB>> of course boo boo TTYL

++++++++++++++++++

Day 51 - Thursday

As he told Gyu the night before, Quincey texts Martin, asking him for a quick meeting that morning. Martin gets there at 11, with Lang at his side. Again, Scharch is not present. Quincey could give a f*ck if the man is there or not.

“I’ll be blunt, Martin. Are you following Poppylan Wilkes?”

“Yes. You know that. We’ve been following her for some time.”

“Why?”

“Because I believe she has something to do with Tora’s disappearance. She may know where he is. In fact, I believe it’s only a matter of time until she leads us right to him.”

Oh you delusional mofo…

“Well, I have to tell you, she is just as clueless as we are.”

“Bullshit. She knows something, I’m sure of it.”

“Alright. You keep on believing that. You’ve wasted enough of my time, now I need to ask you to leave.”

Martin gives him a look, one that seems part frustration and part curiosity. But doesn’t even respond. So, he gets up and he and Lang walk out with out much fanfare. 

Now Quincey is feeling agitated. He feels he and Gyu are just spinning their wheels, and, most of all, wasting their time. He calls his father, which is a rarity in and of itself. He never contacts his father on Clan business, but he’s put it off as long as he could. 

“Son, now what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Father. I need to tell you some things. Shall I come to your office and fill you in?”

“What’s it about?”

“Some developments having to do with my own personal situation, but they are Clan related.”

Quincey is not only going to fill him in about Gil, he’s going to go on a fishing expedition about Poppy. He’s not going to mention her over the phone though.

“Let me check my schedule for the day. I’ll get back to you.”

His father knows not to discuss too much over an open line. He’s old school; he prefers such discussions to happen face-to-face. Quincey only hopes he can meet with him today if at all possible. 

Chapter Text

Day 51 - Thursday (cont)

Vincent manages to finagle an opening for Quincey, or at least he says he has, so Quincey doesn’t waste any time and goes right to Vincent's office. Once he arrives at his father’s office, though, he sits down on the couch farthest away from Vincent. 

“As I mentioned to you on the phone, I have a few things to report, Father.”

Vincent looks at Quincey with a shade of annoyance on his face then gets up out of his seat. Walking over to the credenza in the corner where he keeps his liquor, he then pours himself a finger or two of whiskey. He takes a big sip, then finally speaks. 

“Go on.”

“I can’t remember how much I might have told you already, so bear with me. First, Gil Bosu. He’s a bad one. In debt to the Clan, and a real nefarious f*cker. He’s been  embezzling funds from Giant Goldfish. To refresh your memory, Giant Goldfish? That’s my new publisher. Anyways, he also was trying to frame Poppylan Wilkes, my editor. So, I bought out majority stakes in the company, and fired his ass. It’s likely that because of his debts, he has a shark after him, or even a hit. Don’t know, don’t care. So, not only am I a published writer, I’m now a publisher. “

He pauses. F*ck, does he already know about Poppy? I can’t remember. Martin sure as hell does. Has he said anything about her?

“So there’s that. Next, it’s about my editor, Poppy. Well, um, has Martin told you about her?”

Taking another substantial sip of his drink, Vincent acts blasé, and frankly Quincey is only there because of Gil’s Clan involvement and the shit with Poppy. It’s also a bit of a fishing expedition to find out what his father even knows at this point.

“Other than what you've told me, I know nothing about the woman.”

Huh, wonder why Martin hasn’t told him about her? Mixed blessings, that’s for sure.

Quincey decides, for now, he will not overshare anything about Poppy if he can help it—and any connections between her and Tora. He wonders if their unconventional relationship will ever be revealed, and if Vincent finds out, what that might mean for her. For now, he’s going to try and not to be worried.

“Oh, well, she’s my new editor, has been for months now, and she is simply wonderful. We work so well together. Maybe you’ll meet her some day.”

Shit, even if he doesn’t care one bit, I still have to know.

Quincey sits and waits a heartbeat or two. He’s straining not to gulp or sweat. Then, he’s happy to note…nothing happens. Well, almost nothing.

“Hmmm.”

Whew.

Quincey feels a bit more relieved. Vincent is acting like a dentist appointment would be more exciting. 

If he does know her or knows about her, I know he’d be behaving much, much differently at what I just said. 

If he had known of her, he’d either be outraged, or ask he’d something completely ridiculous. His father can be quite unsettling if he’s put in any awkward or unexpected situation. But now he’s acting tolerant, almost unmoved. Quincey feels lucky, so he’s going to proceed, knowing he’ll have just a brief bit of time before Martin spills the beans on what he knows about her. And who knows when that might be, given Martin’s methods, or how much he’ll even share.

This will serve as a warning, or at least I hope it will. Here we go.

“I guess my point is that she is quite important to me, so I need to know you will take her protection seriously. I consider her to be a de facto part of me, Father. So Smithy will guard her, and in fact I may hire extra security, at my own expense of course.”

His father looks up at him suddenly with his ice-cold eyes, like he’s insulted or something, but doesn’t speak.

“I want her to be protected, and anyone around her needs to be cautious with what they might do or say.”

Quincey needs to convince himself. Now that he’s said this, he can make certain claims to cover the truth. 

If Tora has ever been witnessed being with her, near her at all, I’ll say it’s because she is essentially an extension of me, right? Yeah, that will work. I’ll make it work. I hope Martin will accept my assertions, too, beyond what we’ve already discussed, and the fact I’ve been trying to steer him away from her. Damn, I gotta get Gyu working on that cell phone shit—I need to know what Martin and his men might know and NOW. 

“I’ll consider it. And, I guess I have to talk to Martin then.”

Quincey is startled when Vincent replies this way. He had been lost in his thoughts a bit, working things through, but is now very much alert.

Shit. It was a mistake to mention Martin. 

He has to believe Martin likely doesn't know more than he did before, but could kick himself for making the mistake of mentioning Poppy and Martin at the same time. Martin and Vincent will likely now have a frank discussion about her, and he knows he’s father will be trolling Martin for all the deets. But Martin can be a tricky bastard, too. It’s all a crapshoot in the Clan.

“Good. I guess that’s it. But I have to tell you, I have two new books in the works, one of my own, and one I’m ghostwriting. It’s abo—“

“Save it for your mother, Quinceton. I could give a shit about your smut.”

Why would I expect anything different from him? Oh well. I tried. I have to be careful after what happened a month ago. F*ck he may already be moving ahead with plans without even telling me. Wait—so that’s why Martin is laying it on thick. He’s the one taking over the search for Tora full time, isn't he. How could I miss something so obvious? And Father never called me either, and I’ve been too distracted to notice. F*CK, F*CK, F*CK .

There is no one he can think of who doesn’t know the Tiger, but the fact that it's Martin his father selected is just not good. Figures.

I wonder if Father will even say anything. He’s probably just f*cking with me like he always does. He groans and moans, but his ego is too big and he’s still way too powerful to step down. I don’t know what his deal is right now, though. But if there is a chance he does remember what he threatened me with, I’m basically screwed. Better to get the f*ck out of here.

A very small part of Quincey wishes his father would be just a little more supportive about his work, but then again, he still has his out from the Clan…for the moment. The memory of that awful conversation still makes him shiver. 

“Thank you for your time, Father. If there is anything you need from me, you know how to reach me.”

Acting disinterested and annoyed, Vincent dismisses him with a nod.

“Quinceton.”

Even with his sophistication and measured distance to Clan affairs, he actually handles most of these situations with the necessary type of finesse quite well. Today, on the outside he’s smiling and gracious, almost calm. But on the inside he’s far from calm. 

“Father.”

Meeting Smithy in the hallway, he moves to leave swiftly.  

“Vamanos, Smithy. Get me the f*ck out of here!”

I need a big glass of wine… and a shower.

He always feels slimy whenever he visits Vincent, especially in any “official” capacity. Periodically it’s tolerable, but that’s typically only if his mother is around, and that is simply not very often. And this day is no different than any other, except today he’s feeling particularly agitated at what he may have just stirred up.

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu is getting ready to leave for another shift at the Black Swan, rereading selected profiles of potential bodyguards to give to Quincey. He also wonders if Quincey is as worried as he is. Just how did Martin find out where Tora was the night he disappeared--with Poppy at her apartment? And will he find out that Quincey was not there with them at the time?  

Sigh. Not good, Big Bro. Not good at all. Just how did they figure it out? Is there a snitch in their small circle or is the source completely unexpected?

Gyu goes back to reading. Looking at the last dossier, he is simply not impressed with him. So he returns again to the second choice in the finalists. The second man is still the best one, an appropriate Clan affiliated man: Gādian Seishin. He’s read his file at least a dozen times, more than all the others. Even though he has narrowed the batch of files to about three, he keeps returning to this Seishin character. He needs to make sure Quincey will approve him, so he has to make his argument for the man as thorough as possible, and give Quincey all the reasons why he’s the best choice—why he's the one. 

No one else comes even close to this guy. 

They are going to meet about it soon. The man is young, practically unknown in Narin City, and former Juggemaffian.

Pfft. Some branch of the Serbian mafia based in...Scandinavia? Dude is certainly NOT from around here, that’s for sure. F*ck, he looks like a goddamn Viking.

He had to look that word up, Juggemaffian. While Seishin has been living in the region for many years, he’s only been in the Clan for three. And there just seems to be something about him that makes him the best candidate, but Gyu can’t quite put his finger on it. It’s helpful that he’s so new to the Clan he’d likely be far removed from Vincent’s orbit. He looks at the man’s picture again.  

He’s like the flip side of the same coin. Like, the complete opposite of Big Bro, at least in terms of looks. But I’m thinking he’s likely to be just as bad-ass as Tora. I think we’ll find out if I have my way. My instincts about this shit are never wrong. 

Gādian Seishin has very light skin, yellow-blond hair, and dark blue eyes. In the picture Gyu has, he has an light, orange-tinged mustache and beard. The blonde man appears bored, with his head tilted to the side, and he’s not even looking directly at the camera. There are plenty of details he’ll share with Quincey, to convince Quincey that Seishin is the one. He pulls out his phone to text Quincey about his success, and get the ball rolling.  When they talk, he'll have to remind Quincey that they have no idea if the man will even be available or willing to work with them--and Poppy.

Gyu: @YM Quincey >> yo, Q, can we meet? Got a primo candidate for u

YM Quincey: @Gyu >> oh goodie. That was fast i hope he’s a treat! 😉 but I can def meet tomorrow. OK boo boo?

Gyu: @YM Quincey >> sure but only in the early afternoon. 1 ok?

YM Quincey: @Gyu >> can you email me deets? I want to read up b4 tomorrow - one is AOK

Gyu: @YM Quincey >> will do c u then

Gyu exits out of the texting app, and moves to his laptop. He composes a quick email to Quincey, attaching the blonde man's dossier and hits send. 

ONWARD.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy is glad the day is over. Work was details upon details upon details non-stop, but nothing earth-shattering. Smithy drops her off at home, and she jumps out the car, not even saying goodnight, and quickly runs up the stairs to her apartment as fast as she can. The moment her front door closes behind her, she flips the deadbolt. Then she starts stripping her clothes off, walking to her dresser to get out her new pajamas, a cute little shorts set that says “I Avo Little Crush on You.” The avocados adorning them have pink hearts instead of pits and one of them has a little mustache. Just too utterly cute. 

Thinking of what to eat for dinner, she is still processing what happened the day before--and reeling about it all. While work was tedious, at least it kept her distracted—until now at least. Now she’s not feeling so hungry after all, as the stark facts actually make her feel nauseous. Tora missing, the stuff with Gil—she still can’t believe he’d frame her for his stupidity—and finally the Clan men following her home? Poppy feels there is probably a whole lot more to all of it that Quincey is not telling her.

Is he trying to protect me? Likely. But he seems pretty upset that Tora is nowhere to be found.

She gives up finding something to eat, so she takes a little time to pack for the trip to the royal palace the next day. She and Erdene want to leave right from work, and she feels lucky that Quincey doesn’t seem to remember what they’re doing. 

With all the garbage he’s had to deal with lately, I think I can understand his forgetfulness. I wonder if he’ll ask me to cancel it if he remembers what we’re doing. Too bad, we’re going. Let the creeps follow me there. Erdene and I will be together in a public place, so I’m not worried, not really…or am I?

Resigned to the fact that someone is following her now, directed by someone in the Clan at that, she wants to write an extra long diary entry about it, but after pulling her laptop open earlier and with a blank screen in front of her, she couldn’t seem to write anything at all. She keeps thinking about how, for whatever reason, Quincey hasn't been exactly forthcoming. Why hasn’t he told her anything about who it was last night or who he thinks it was, other than it’s someone from the Clan?

Sighing, she throws her favorite sneakers on top of the neatly folded clothes in the case, then zips it up, setting it by the front door. She doesn’t want to forget it in the morning. She won’t forget it if she has to move it out the way to get out the door!  She giggles at herself, as it may seem too ridiculous to do this, but there have been days when she’s forgotten important things, and she doesn’t want anything to marr this trip. 

She moves back into the living room to find her phone. She picks it up, checking for notifications, but she sees she has no new text messages nor missed calls. She refuses to open her email—she can do that at work in the morning. So, feeling a little unfocused, she crawls into bed, and starts searching for something to watch before falling asleep. But after spending almost 20 minutes trying to find something, anything that interests her, she gives up. She almost tapped on “Pride and Prejudice,” the movie version with Keira Knightley—her favorite adaptation of all—but she chickens out. 

Finally, she has an epiphany—music! I’ll make a road trip song list! She spends maybe a half an hour, giggling, listening to excerpts, then finalizing the soundtrack. Some of these songs she’s either never heard before or it’s been awhile since she’s listened to them. The list is peppered with favorites. She’ll likely never tell Erdene that several of her picks have been featured in some of her favorite animated movies. But they’re good songs! 

Feeling a little more relaxed now, she gets up, brushes her teeth, then returns to bed, turning off her bedside lamp. She sets an alarm on her phone, puts it on the bedside table, and pulls her covers over her head. She can only hope she falls asleep quickly. Thank the Goddess she’s going on that trip with Erdene. For some reason, the night feels just a little too unbearable. And could her life get any worse?

++++++++++++++++++

Day 52 - Friday

Both Poppy and Erdene spent the entire workday distracted and excited, eagerly waiting for it to end. They are both simply waiting for the clock to wind down so they can leave. Each woman has their own reason for taking this trip, but they are both in agreement—they both very much need the distraction.

Just as the clock hits 5 o’clock, Erdene jumps up.  

“Stop, put your pencils down—it’s go time, Pops.”

Poppy laughs at Erdene.

She always knows how to make me laugh—and when I need it. Goddess bless this boney bitch for being in my life, honestly.

“Let me save my work first, woman. I can’t just run out the door, well, let me correct myself, I want to run out the door, but I have to save my work, clean up my des—“

Erdene groans at her. 

“Of course you do. You and your 550 notebooks, your 9,000 gel pens, and those friggin’ post-it notes? Geesh!”

Poppy recently found the most adorable avocado post-it notes on Etsy. The pink post-its now have serious competition!

“Awww, don’t diss the avo! They rule!”

“Poppy, you are just the sweetest, most dorkiest woman I’ve ever met. Of course the Goddess blesses your avo notes. And the strawberry ones. And the pink ones, too, of course. All hail Poppylan, Queen of All that are… well, You get my drift, right?”

Now Poppy is laughing so hard her face is getting red. 

“Stop, STOP [laugh]! Ooof, I can’t breathe. Anyways, give me a minute to save this file. Quincey’s edits on this particular Lam chapter have been a challenge to work on today.”

“Sweetie, Quincey is a challenge. You know that right?”

“Of course. Quincey is… Quincey, after all. Five minutes, tops, OK?”

“I’ll be awaiting the Post-It Queen at my car. Then we are off!”

“Pfft, you’re too funny, Dene. And I can’t wait!”

"Five minutes, or else!" 

Erdene smirks at her, and then walks out, with an obvious pep in her step, leaving Poppy sitting at her desk to do her Friday ritualistic things. She saves the Lam chapter file, knowing it needs much more work next week. She also makes sure she closes all her open emails, and then finally she reviews her to-do list for Monday. She has to admit, she’s appreciative at just how long her task list seems to get every day, but worries she’ll get too busy. But for now, she’s done for the week. She gets up, neatens up the mess on her desk, and then grabs her purse. But she stops to make sure she has her phone and charger. Despite the getaway, she has to have a way for Quincey to contact her, especially about him. Seeing that both items are there, she smiles and runs to meet Erdene at her car.

Poppy opens the passenger door, and jumps into the seat. Poppy and Erdene then squeal at each other.

“ROAD TRIP!!”

“Oh, did I tell you? I made us a road-trip soundtrack, you ready? It’s quirky, it’s fun, and all Poppylan Wilkes, so get ready!!”

“BRING IT ON, BABY!! Woohoo.”

Poppy pulls up the song list on her phone, and connects to the wireless sound system in Erdene’s fancy ass SVU, some sort of BMW? An x-something? They supposedly have the best safety rating of its type. Anyways, Erdene has the nicest car. Poppy can barely afford to take the bus at this point in her life, so she’s going to enjoy this luxury to the fullest extent on this trip. 

Suddenly, the chords for “Born to be Wild” start to blare out of the SVU’s speakers.

“Ha, ha, HA! Perfect!”

“Let me know if you can tease out my theme.”

Poppy smiles at her, and then they both start singing along.

“Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Looking for adventure
In whatever comes our way…”

The guitar riffs are pumping, just like their hearts, and they both laugh. They feel particularly enervated to be on their way.  

Chapter Text

Day 52 - Friday (cont).

“Poppy, this is honestly the most fun that I’ve ever had driving since, well, ever! Your road trip soundtrack is fantastic!”

“You are very welcome. Really, I just picked one song to start, then did some searching online for any other ultimate road trip songs. I found all kinds of suggestions. Once I had my choices, I searched for them on Spotify, and since it let me listen to sound bytes of each one, it was a snap to confirm they were perfect, and pull the song list all together. You know, the theme of it, right?”

“Hahaha, we’ll it is a road trip soundtrack.”

“Yeah, sure, but a few I threw in simply because they are some of my favorites. I also wanted to listen to something completely different, you know, not my usual indy-pop.”

“I hear ya. Oh, there’s a strip mall over there, and I see any number of places we can stop for food. Do you have any preferences? Or do you not want to stop?”

“No preference really, but I do need a bathroom break, then a really big drink of something.”

Erdene pulls into the strip mall, announcing her intentions. She’s just not in the mood for crappy junk food, but she is in the mood for some decaf coffee.

“If it’s alright with you, I’m just going to go through the Starbucks drive thru.”

“Sure, but I still need a bathroom break.”

“Oh, snap, that’s right. Let’s pull in then. You go use the bathroom, and I’ll place our order.”

“Perfect. If they have it, I’ll have a Strawberry Crème Frappuccino, please. If they don’t have that, just ask for anything strawberry flavored, and I’ll like it.”

“You got it, sister!”

Erdene pulls her BMW into the first spot she sees, and they both jump out and enter the shop. It’s past dinner hour, but far from closing time, so the line is short. It doesn’t take Poppy long to do what she needs to do, so she meets Erdene back at the counter before their order is placed.  

“I’m just gonna grab a few things that I may snack on, Dene. Be right back.”

Poppy walks towards the register where there are always kitschy little things to buy, and picks up some Pocky sticks, an all natural granola bar, and a tin of chewing gum. By that time Erdene is standing next to her and places their order. Poppy notes that the Strawberry Crème Frappuccino is indeed available, and whispers to Erdene, “Get me the biggest one they got! And whipped cream on top!”

Erdene just smiles and shakes her head. That woman loves her sweets.

Their order is pulled together quickly, and then, before they leave, Erdene takes her own break. Holding onto their drinks, Poppy waits for her by the front door. Before long, they are moving out the door, and as they get back in the SUV, Erdene speaks up.

“OK, we are about two-thirds of the way to the hotel. We have about another 90 minutes of driving.”

Poppy looks at her, beaming. 

“Coolcoolcool.”  

Pfft, she is so goofy!

Erdene is thankful for the traffic slow-down, and she easily pulls back out on the highway. But Poppy doesn’t turn the music back on. She’s decided now is as good a time as any to talk with Erdene about the recent events at Giant Goldfish. 

“So, Erdene, I’ve been to ask you. What do you think about the big changes at work? You know, Gil’s out, Quincey’s in. I mean, I wonder what it’s going to be like with Quincey as the BIG BOSS.”

Erdene doesn’t say anything…at all, and Poppy was really hoping she’d speak up. She goes on.

“And what do you think about the whole deal with Gil?”

“Well, I’ve long been suspicious that something was up with him. I mean, for the past several weeks he’s been MIA. But then bringing you on? That, honey, was solid gold—the best thing he’s done since I can remember, but…well, I really didn’t think Gil was all that bad.”

Poppy then understands now. She begins recalling the conversation she had with Quincey just two days before.

Erdene has no idea what Gil was trying to do to me, or anything at all, and I can’t even tell her about it.

“And Quincey? In charge? We are in for some fun times, Miss Poppylan Wilkes.”

Poppy smiles, because it will be fun. But it’s also going to be a lot of work on her part.

“That it will be. Quincey sure is a character, isn’t he?”

Poppy wonders how much Erdene knows about Quincey’s mafia connections, but isn’t going to ask about that, at least not now. And then, as if he knew they were just talking about him, Poppy looks down to see Quincey has just texted her.

Quincey: @MsEditor >> Ms Editor, where r u? I wanted to talk to you about something. 🗣

She doesn't want him to know, or rather remember, that they are traveling and doing it without any security, so she is careful with her response, and then decides to make something up.

Poppy: @Quincey >> I’m out with Erdene. 💃 Can it wait?

Quincey: @MsEditor >> ooh want company? Where r u?

She doesn’t respond. But she sees he rapidly texts her again.

Quincey: @MsEditor >> But I suppose it can wait until the morning. Can i send Smithy 2 pick u up?

Poppy: @Quincey >> um, can we talk Monday maybe? I’m kind of busy for the rest of the weekend.

Quincey: @MsEditor >> 🥺 what don’t u luv me? Honestly I really am a good dancer.

Poppy: @Quincey >> GROAN. 🙄 I’M BUSY, DUDE. Unless its an emergency, TTYL.

Quincey: @MsEditor >> no 🚨, so no worries. Talk 2 u whenev? 

She doesn’t even reply to that, so she closes the texting app and puts her phone away.

Of course the man wants me at his beck and call! Well, he can take a flying leap! Fudging gaudy flamboyant pain in the butt!

Erdene looks over to see a weird look on Poppy’s face. It likely means only one thing, or someone rather.

“Quincey?”

“Yep.”

“He sure is something, isn’t he.”

She wanted to talk with Erdene more about Gil, and is honestly surprised by what Erdene just told her. And Poppy wonders if Jacob is under the same impression, or if he might have a completely different perspective or not. 

So among the three of us at Giant Goldfish, only I know the truth?!? Figures.

“You have no idea.”

++++++++++++++++++

Quincey wanted to talk to Poppy about his plans, all of his plans—to not only hire a bodyguard for her, but ask her, at minimum, to move in with him, but hasn’t gotten a chance—yet. Quincey had been contemplating getting her out of her low-level crappy apartment for the last few weeks. F*ck, he wanted her to move into his spare bedroom—-or even another apartment in his building, And he knows he really should tell her much more about who is tracking her—and why. But right now, it seems she’s out partying with Erdene, but where?

Club Miracle? Fallen Angel? Who knows. I should be relieved, in a way. So, good for her.

Actually, there is a part of him who wants to go out and find her, to find both of them, but decides not to. He’s already given them the week off and things have been particularly hectic, not only around the time he spilled the beans, but when he shared the other big news, and the harsh reality that he had to finally get rid of Gil. 

That f*cker is a bad seed. I mean, much more than me, sort of, well, I think for sure. Whatever. I really do wonder if they’re at Fallen Angel. Hmm… on that note, I’m going to have some fun.

He, too, needs to let off some steam. He opens his phone, and quickly finds the number he wants, and hits the call button. The phone rings several times, but finally someone picks up. Quincey barely gives the person a chance to say anything past a quick “yeah?” 

“Hey, Pumpkin. It’s me. How’s business? Certainly sounds good.”

The voice on the other end is loud, but happy—and the music in the background is even louder, as expected.

“Mmmm. Say, you up for some fun?”

He’s pleased to hear an immediate positive response. Smiling, he’s so pleased his night is coming together. It’s early, so he has plenty of time to get himself ready.

“All right then. I’ll let you get back to it. Three am, closing time I’ll come and get you, Pumpkin. And I cannot wait.”

He hangs up, smiling even wider. Then remembers the meeting he had with Gyu early that day about the new guy. Gādian Seishin… 

He also remembers the detailed dossier Gyu emailed to him. He’s grateful at how quickly their plan is starting to come together. 

This just may work out, at least for now.

And he’s grateful Gyu managed to contact the man, and a meeting has already been set up with Seishin for the following Wednesday.

Gyu’s right—the guy is a ringer. He’s most definitely opposite in looks to Tora, but appears pretty damn hot in his own way. It remains to be seen if he’s just as brutal, though. 

When they met earlier in the day, Quincey and Gyu talked for quite some time about the Clan men who are still following Poppy. Both of them had been hoping that Martin and his goons would have stopped by now. What did they know that they didn’t? And he is still reeling that they know what they do!

“Bro, it can’t be anyone else but Martin’s guys, and I’d guess it’d have to be his favorites, Scharch and Lang. He wouldn’t trust any low-level goons.”

“You know Father doesn’t appear to know a thing about her—yet. But…”

Gyu can tell from Quincey’s voice and his demeanor that something recently has gone wrong.

“What? Tell me.”

“Well, I was trying to find out how much Father knows, and I made a little faux pas when I talked with him the other day. I went to see him, to fill him in on Gil and Giant Goldfish when I happened to mention her and Martin in the same sentence. I mean, he said he didn’t know who she was, or likely he doesn’t remember her, but then he mentioned he’ll be talking to Martin about her, so, well, there you have it.”

Gyu winces when Quincey starts to say all this.

“Well, is it better that you told him about her, or Martin?”

“Me, of course. I’d never tell him anything beyond her being a civilian, how important she is to me, as my editor…and about her connection to him.”

“Right, you and I know that. And Martin? Isn't he a son of a bitch? I mean, I’ve heard things. Anyways, do you think he’d keep shit to himself? Keep info away from Vincent?”

“That f*cker is seriously beyond nasty, boo-boo. I wouldn’t put it past him to keep most of it to himself. You remember Father threatened me? Suggested he’d find someone else to look into Tora’s vanishing act? Well, I think he forgot. Until I spoke up about her. And I think the “someone else” is actually Martin. And that just makes things a complete f*cking mess. Anyways, this makes our next step all the more important.”

Gyu pulls out his laptop then, opening the dossier on Seishin. He also has extensive notes to remind him about all the important things he wants to point out about him to Quincey.

“So, I take it you read the dossier?”

“Yep. The guys seem legit and, well, perfect for what I have in mind—ON PAPER, boo-boo. I know you. You have some things? Just tell me everything, don’t spare me anything, big or small.”

“Bro, he’s the only one who will work. I mean, sure, I narrowed it down to three men, but I kept returning to this guy again and again. I didn’t waste any time searching for anyone else—that’s why I texted you. Anyways, let me read you my notes. I didn’t want to forget anything. Bear with me, you know some of this already.”

“Go on.”

“Gādian Seishin is from the Juggemaffian, the Serbian mafia, the branch located in Scandinavia. He’s specifically from Oslo, Sweden. Um…so he was born there, but didn’t live there full time. He moved between the province and Oslo on and off, up until he was 19, when he permanently moved up north. He then moved to Narin City when he was 22, and joined the Clan then. He’s now 25. He is adept in multiple forms of martial arts, including jiu jitsu, karate, and kung fu. He is less efficient with long-range arms, and much more proficient with blades and knives—Scandi and Puukko type ones are his preference. Good for stabbing through sinew and bone, not slicing and dicing, slitting throats, although, let’s be real, it’d be fine slitting throats, as any kni—.”

“Gyu, honey?”

“Yeah?”

”Focus.”

“Sorry. Some stuff we need to know wasn’t included in the dossier. Like, we’ll have to ask him whether or not he carries a side-arm or not. Let me know if you have any questions of course. Back to it, though, he is a low-level enforcer, mostly working with Tsudzukeru Hikui (低い-続ける), a newer lieutenant who in turn is responsible for most of the Clan dealings at those casinos on the outskirts of Narin City.”

Quincey nods his head, liking what he’s heard so far. But he needs Gyu’s opinion more than he needs facts.

“So explain to me why you think he’s the one.”

“A couple reasons. One, he’s a new guy, mostly unknown. So new it’s likely he is far, far from Vincent’s purview or even Martin’s. You saw the picture—he’s like the complete opposite of Big Bro, in terms of looks. F*ck, he looks like a goddamn Viking warrior! He’s not quite as tall as Tora, but pretty close—6 feet. I read his file so many times, Quince, and I just have this feeling. And you know, more often than not, my instincts about this shit are never wrong.”

“So, a Viking, huh? You don’t think he’ll stick out?”

“Even if he does, it’s less important that he stick out, but more important that he’ll take care of Poppy. I don’t know if he has any branding, there certainly isn’t anything showing in the photo, but hopefully he doesn’t. Then that way, he will look more like a private bodyguard than a goon. It’s uncommon to have looks like his in the Clan, present company excluded.”

Quincey smirks a bit at the sly reference to his own white blonde hair and green eyes. Uncommon? I’d say exceptional. 

“Gādian. Seishin. it. is.”

“As long as you’re happy with him, Bro, I’ll make the call before I get to work. I can get his number, no sweat.”

“I have no doubt you will connect with him, boo-boo. And you’re right about his looks. I do want some discretion. If he is a little too obviously Clan, it will be a huge red flag to Martin—and to Father. But I can see it now—he’ll look much more like private security, won’t he.”

“Exactly.”

“Let me know when you’ve sealed the deal, boo-boo, or rather get his ass here, pronto. And Gyu? You’re still on duty at the guard booth at her place, right? I mean what else can we do to protect her?”

And just what would Tora do?

++++++++++++++++++

Erdene and Poppy arrive at their hotel, and they are both too excited to do anything, really. But then again, it is simply too early to go to sleep. 

“So, my dear Miss Wilkes, I saw a grocery store not far from here. What do you say we have a little GNO*, but in?”

“Ooo, you mean one of our ice cream and wine deals? Twist my arm, I dare you!”

“Haha, no I will NOT twist your arm, but what do you say?”

“Moscato, pink if they have it. Rocky Road or…Strawberry Cheesecake? Is that an appropriate response?”

“I’ll go get it, you find us a good royal romance to watch, dig?”

“I’ll be awaiting your return with baited breath, your majesty.”

Erdene walks out the door, a smirk on her lips, while Poppy turns on the smart TV in their room. She’s happy to see that she can simply log into her own Netflix account. 

“Sweet! Let’s see what I have in my list…”

She finds several options, of course. There’s Reign, about Mary Queen of Scots; The Crown, of course. 

What about “Outlander”? Not really about true royalty but Sam whatshisface is HAWT. Wait, didn’t I watch some cute show about a princess not long ago? That’s right—“Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures.”

Sure enough, she finds the show and waits for Erdene to return. GNO—or rather GNI—is primed and ready to go from her point of view. 

++++++++++++++++++

Erdene is back later than she expected, so she feels bad.

“Sooo, sorry, Poppy for the delay. For some reason the store was hopping, and—don’t laugh—I had a hard time finding the ice cream section. And then I had to find plastic spoons. And then the wine selection was kind of bad, so I asked for the closest liquor store. It was almost ready to close when I pulled up. So I gave the guy puppy dog eyes, and thank the Goddess, he took pity on me. So, I’ve got you your pink moscato my dear, and I got my pinot noir.”

“Pffft. Really? No worries. We are footloose and fancy free tonight, Dene, so I don’t care. I have a royal princess show queued up, got us a bucket full of ice, and have two glasses primed and ready for some vino!”  

“You are just the best, you squishy, you!”

The two spent time getting their wine poured, and settled on the floor between their beds and each had a pint of ice cream in their hands. Poppy had strawberry cheesecake, and Erdene had cookies and cream. Poppy put on the first episode of Yanxi Palace, even though she already watched it. She had forgotten the plot, it had been so long since she watched it, so she decided she’s just going to rewatch it. 

“Oh, this palace shit is making my brain hurt. I’m pretty sure it’s not brain freeze from the ice cream, and it’s much too soon to have a wine headache.”

Poppy just laughs. 

“It’s also hard to read all those subtitles, too. But the story is interesting, don’t you think?”

Not really.

“I suppose.”

Both women quiet down and watch more of the Chinese drama, taking turns between sipping and scooping, and soon the ice cream is gone. Now they are both feeling pretty tired.

“Hey, Pops, I’ve been meaning to ask you…”

“Yes, Dene?

“Have you heard anything about him?”

Poppy quickly looks over at Erdene, realizing she can only mean one person. So she looks away and doesn’t respond.

“I mean, anything? About Tora?”

“There’s nothing new to share right now.”

Erdene can now see Poppy seems to be getting a bit emotional, as her eyes are watering. Poppy decides to share what she knows now to be the truth—what Quincey revealed to her.

“The only thing I really know, Erdene, is that he’s gone. In fact, Quincey just told me on Wednesday that he has no idea where Tora is right now.”

Erdene feels somewhat relieved, but at the same time, she can see it’s very distressing to Poppy. She knows she has to pretend she doesn’t already know that he’s missing.

So he finally told her. Thank the Goddess. But….

“Yeah, and, you know, I kind of miss him. Do you know it’s been over 50 days since I last saw him?”

“Hmmm…”

Yes, Poppy, I actually do know. I have eyes, you know. And you are seriously tipsy, so I have to be careful. F*ck, I”m pretty tipsy, too.

“Course after everything I went through, I was a bit upset that he ghosted me. I mean, I thought maybe I took things too far, at the Angel that night, at the party? I kind of hurt his feelings, Dene. But then again he was really nice about it. He didn’t act like he was bothered, after we left, but then again I was pretty drunk, so I can’t remember every detail…”

Poppy is rambling a bit, and Erdene has no idea what happened between the two that night, she was too engrossed with Damien. But she has to admit she’s curious about it. Poppy hasn't said a whole lot about their relationship, or even if she thought they had one at all.

“And?”

Poppy shrugs her shoulders, and continues.

“I don’t know. But I have to admit, Erdene, I really like him.”

Really? You don’t have to tell me, girl. I can tell! 

Erdene has to smile widely at Poppy’s little confession, even if it was already obvious that Poppy is more than a bit smitten, but she wants Poppy to keep talking, in case she gives away any other little tidbits. 

Poppy giggles. “And he’s a really good kisser, Dene. I mean really GOOD. And soooo good looking. Pfft, I told him that, too. But I don’t know if he’s really interested in someone like me, a short pudgy little nerd.”

Uh, he absolutely is, sweetheart. I saw him staring at you that night. And the sly looks he gave you at Giant Goldfish. Seems like their relationship might consist of two shy people who are perfect for each other, but they just don’t know it yet, or can’t admit it to each other.

At that moment, she is so tempted to show Poppy the picture she took of him that night, staring at Poppy with rapt attention, but decides not to, since Poppy is clearly drunk and who knows much of their conversation she’ll even remember tomorrow. And now she can see that Poppy is getting sad again, and, alas a bit teary eyed.

“I mean, Julri always sai—“

That f*ck rat bastard is not worth your tears.

“Alright, Miss Editor, time to cut you off. Let’s not bring up that name right now, OK? And we want to enjoy ourselves tomorrow, so I’m cutting you off, sugar.”

Poppy sniffs, nods her head, then gets up off the floor.

“Let’s get our PJs, and—oh, hey, why don’t we try to FaceTime Danae and Mirabelle? Aren’t they just waking up for the day in Germany?”

“Hmmm… what time is it now? I’ll check online to see the time difference.”

Erdene can see how flushed Poppy is, and realizes it’s a good strategy to distract her, to get her out of her funk. 

“Um, it’s 11:30 now.”

“So, it says Germany is 7 hours behind us, so it’s now — wow, you’re right. They are just waking up for the day. It’s 6:30 am there.”

“Let’s call them quick!”

Poppy opens her phone to place a video call on her phone, looks up Danae’s number, and hits the call button.

They connect, and before long, Poppy is smiling and laughing again. The two women do look like they just woke up, but didn’t hesitate to answer, thinking maybe something was wrong.

“You okay, Poppy?? Is Granny okay?”

“Gran is fine as far as I know. Erdene and I are on a bit of an expedition.”

“To where,” says Mirabelle, standing behind Danae’s left shoulder.

Smiling, Erdene waves over Poppy’s right shoulder at the two women.

F*ck, that reminds me—I am way overdue with a P.P.P.C. update…

“We are going to visit the royal palace tomorrow. You know, the exiled family?”

She proceeds to speak rapidly with them, telling them all about the research she’s done, how she and Erdene already visit the Narin City Historical Society, so they decided long ago to come visit the palace.

“Well, Poppy, this is all grand, but we just got out of bed, so we need to get ready for class. We have a big day today—we are doing some sort of terrorist drill.”

“Good luck then, my loves. I miss you!”

“Bye girls!”

“Let me now when you will be back in the country—I hope it’s soon!”

“LOVE YOU! Bye, Erdene!”

The women all blow kisses at each other, and Danae disconnects the call.

“Ah, those two always know how to make me feel better.”

Exactly, girl. Exactly why I suggested it. 

“I don’t know about you, Pops, but I am definitely ready for some shut eye. I call dibs for the bathroom, first.”

“Go for it.”

Poppy plops down on her bed, and closes her eyes. She remember that portrait of Ulaan, and feels eager for the morning to come. She can’t wait to see it front and center, and in person. 

Then I’ll really know whether or not Tora is descended from royalty.

She feels tired, so she closes her eyes, waiting for Erdene to emerge from the bathroom. Before she knows it, though, she falls fast asleep.

Chapter Text

Day 53 - Saturday

Gyu continues to research and process… and then re-research and re-process all the data he’s collected so far. Even if it is a time-sucking process, he has to try something. This time around he adds a few more keywords he’s thought of since the last time he worked with it, and he does it because they are desperate—they still have nothing much to go on—yet. Then, he realizes maybe he does have an ace up his sleeve. He’s going to consult his secret contact at the Justice Department.

It about time to ask for a solid. I think I need to just do it and tell Quincey later. Not even sis knows about them. It never hurts to have more than one perspective on such things, things I can’t get answers to; if I can get some funds from Quincey, I’ll make it worth their while.

He pulls up the information he needs. His secret contact, Asuka Rei, is トランスジェンダーToransujendā—transgender. They are also what some might call a high-functioning autistic person, but Gyu thinks they are just a flat out f*cking genius. The two of them met years ago, at some tech gig associated with school, and he knew from the moment he met them, that Rei has seriously mad tech skills, surpassing his, but only just. He does have some pride, but Rei? Rei knows their kung fu; Rei is a f*cking alpha geek. He contacted them once before when Rei first started working with the Justice Department, but that situation was small potatoes. But this is not so small, and, f*ck, it’s pretty goddamn personal.

And he would never, ever reveal their identity, so he’ll just tells whoever asks the bare minimum about Rei, even someone as close to him as Big Bro. He decided before it was better that way, so they can both have plausible deniability if they ever get caught. They decided to give each other pseudonyms that no one would ever be able to track down. Gyu named himself “Yūrei Orenji006”— Orange Ghost. Silly, but apt. Rei chose “Kimera Atamagaī8”— Clever Chimera. He sends off a coded note to Rei, and hopes he’ll get a response soon. 

Help me, Kimera Atamagaī, I think you're my only hope.

++++++++++++++++++

Little does Gyu realize, though, his sister actually knows Rei as well, but not by their hacker name. Shortly after Rei receives the coded call for help from Gyu, they alert Lane, not realizing that Yūrei Orenji006 is Lane’s little brother. But Lane knows an awful lot about Gyu, she has to, in her line of work, and because she’s that kind of big sister, too. She knows that Yūrei Orenji006 is her Shisutā. So when she gets an alert from an unlisted number, she engages them, buy only because she doesn’t want anyone dealing with the current project to clog up her legitimate phone line. Whoever it is, it’s someone from a very small pool of possibilities. 

Unlisted number =>> Yūrei Orenji006 just contacted me

Lane =>> not on this line

Unlisted number =>> understood, the usual?

Lane =>> yes give me 5

Lane closes her cell, and goes to find one of many secret burners she’s had to keep over the years. She has to guess it’s one of her moles, justice? Clan? CIA? She’s not sure. But she has a hunch who it might be, given the code name. So she moves swiftly to the same spot she’s been using when she connects with her brother on his burner. She pulls out burner #5, awaiting the call. Then it rings with a special ringtone, “Secret Agent Man” to indicate who might be contacting her.

Well, well, well. Long time since I spoke to them.

To prepare herself, she waits a full 5 seconds before she answers. “Speak.”

“You saw my message. He wants my help, but didn’t say what with.”

Lane knows exactly what Gyu needs help with right now. F*ck, we really are having a great deal of success with the project—so far.

“Help him out, but report back to me what he needs, what you find, the whole shebang. And whatever you find, tell me FIRST. ”

“You’ll pay me the usual?”

“Of course, unless your price has gone up. And if it has, well, shit, just let me know. I’ll cover it.”

“Understood. I’ll be in touch at some point, probably later today? Tonight?”

“Sweet. And use the code next time, if you're gonna call my main number, dig?”

“Dig.”

Rei doesn’t even give them a chance to say anything else and just hangs up.

Ah, Shisutā, you are getting pretty desperate now, aren’t you. And I guess this part of my plan is definitely going to be put to the test—let’s just find out if it can withstand the scrutiny of Asuka Rei. 

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy is fast asleep, but then hears a low noise. She doesn’t move, and then hears something again, so she slowly opens her eyes, and starts to wake up.

Ugh, what—where am I?

She blinks her eyes several more times, and then hears more noise. Then she remembers where she is…

How could I forget? Oh, my head!

She groans at her pounding headache.  

“Rise and shine, doll. It’s time for coffee, yes?”

“Ugh, Erdene. Give me a moment. And what time exactly is it?”

“Nine am, sweet. I got up an hour ago, but thought you could use a little more rest, so I let you sleep. I left some Tylenol and a big glass of water on your bedside table. First order of business? Take the pills, and drink the water—all of it. I would have made you do it last night, but when I came out of the bathroom last night, you were out cold. I mean you were lightly snoring. I tried to wake you up, but you just rolled over and kept right on snoring. I threw a blanket over you and went to bed myself.”

“Gosh, how embarrassing!”

“It’s all good, P. Um, I already took a shower, and went to get some coffee. The breakfast buffet downstairs will be open for about another hour, so if you want a good meal, you best get moving.”

Poppy sighs, grabs the Tylenol, and after throwing the pills in her mouth, she gulps the water down. Given how her head feels, she hopes it won’t take long for her headache to get better. She doesn’t know if Erdene has a hangover or not.

“Yes, I have one, too, but it’s not too bad.”

Poppy then moves swiftly back and forth from her luggage to her bed, laying some things down, then moves into the bathroom to clean up, so they can get on their way. She knows a hot shower will do wonders. It almost always does. 

Erdene is already dressed in a wide-leg, sleeveless black pantsuit, with a kimono style blush pink cashmere sweater. She has on a pair of black, flat shoes, called “Tree Breezers.” Her hair is pulled up into a simple high and tight ponytail. She’s got light makeup on her face—some eyeliner, mascara, and a light pink blush on her cheeks.

F*ck, these shoes are sooo comfortable! I need to get a few more pairs.

Erdene peeks at what Poppy has selected to wear, and is glad to see the woman has bought something new for a change. She won’t contest Poppy’s desire to wear the same ole goofy sneakers she’s been wearing since Erdene’s met her, what over six months ago already?

Ha! Time has just flown by. And today, I’ll let her have her pseudo-Keds. She’s allowed, but thank f*ck she’s wearing something a bit more mature today. I am going to be taking lots of pictures, after all.

Erdene gets a kick out of Poppy’s fun clothes most of the them and most of the time, but also knows when Poppylan wears the nice stuff, she looks downright foxy and rocks her curves in a very good way. She fingers the soft, terra cotta colored Henley blouse Poppy picked out to wear. She also notices Poppy’s rather plain bra and underwear, and thinks she’ll have to take her to get new lingerie, soon. 

And this shirt will definitely look fabulous with her coloring. 

Poppy has paired it with a pair of white “ex-boyfriend” slim jeans. Erdene knows it’ll look great with the top. And Poppy also brought a really nice patchwork style jacket she mentioned to Erdene that she found at a thrift store. Erdene sneaks a peek at the label, because, well, she has to admit, she is a label snob.

Amiri? Whoa.That’s expensive…and it’s a men’s jacket, isn’t it? But you’d never really know it anyways. F*ck, I guess Quincey might wear something like this, but he sure as hell would never fit into a medium, that’s for sure. But man, this woman is styling!  

The jacket is turquoise with lots of colorful embroidery, so paired together with the earth-toned Henley and her white jeans, it’s gonna look really good.  

Poppy emerges from the bathroom rather quickly, and Erdene watches as she begins to get dressed, as if she only has 5 minutes. She was getting ready to tell her to slow down, when she notices Poppy is putting her feet into her sneakers. She can feel the energy coming off of Poppy—she simply cannot wait to see all the regal shit, can she? Pulling her hair into one long braid down her back, Poppy’s ready to go. But she doesn’t seem to have any makeup on.

I guess she’s going to go au naturel? F*ck, who am I kidding, she doesn’t need it really, does she? She is just so goddamn gorgeous!

“Let’s roll, Dene!” So off to breakfast they went, with minutes to spare.

++++++++++++++++++

Despite some seriously strong coffee and a hearty breakfast, the two women still feel a bit hungover. They leave the hotel and arrive at the palace in less than 20 minutes. Erdene parks the SVU at the far end of the almost full parking lot.

“Wow, I didn’t realize it’d be so busy already. It’s not even noon yet.”

“I know, but it’s worth the trip, Dene. C’mon, let’s go!”

Erdene laughs, watching Poppy run swiftly through the parking lot to the front entrance. She’s planned this trip so long ago, and Erdene knows how much it means to her to finally be here. They pay the entrance fee—a donation really—and then stop to make a game plan. 

“I want to see everything, Dene. Are you ready?”

“Of course!”

Not really, but this is for you, Poppy.

“You know the first thing I want to see, Erdene?”

She responds, and Poppy blurts her answer out at the same time: “The portrait!”

“According to the map, it’s in the main hall. Let’s go!”

She grabs Erdene’s hand, and starts dragging her to where she can only guess the main hall is—Poppy hasn’t even given Erdene a chance to look at the map she has in her hand.

“Look!”

Erdene sees Poppy pointing ahead of her, and now she can see it across the lobby, and the thing is MASSIVE!

Holy shit, that is just gorgeous! 

The picture Poppy texted her weeks ago does not even remotely do it justice. And this is completely different from the one they saw at NCHS, too. This one has to be at least 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide. As Poppy described before, it’s a portrait of Ulaan the Great Warrior King, and his queen, Yuwa. And Ulaan most definitely resembles a certain tall, dark, and handsome mafia enforcer now that she’s standing mere feet from the portrait. Compared to the other portrait at NCHS, this one is just mesmerizing.

No wonder Poppylan is nuts about all this royal shit—and this warrior king.

Some of the details in front of her now simply were not as evident in the photo Poppy shared or even the other portrait at NCHS.

How could it?

With a serious look on his face, the man is standing tall and proud, and his long black hair is pulled off his face and flows down his back all the way to his calves. He has his right hand on the arm of the massive dark throne, where the petite woman is sitting next to him, and his left arm is tucked behind him. But damn…that look on his face? That just makes him even more…whoa…

F*ck, this dude is just fucking beautiful, man. 

She didn’t notice it before, but the man has red eyes, not the amber ones she might have expected. And on his neck is tattooed with red-pink peonies, from his chin down to the tops of his collar bones. The robes he’s wearing have fallen open, showing off a bit of his chest and the top of his abs; they are bright red, embroidered with golden dragons. And the woman? 

F*ck, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle—she looks a lot like Poppy, except she has long black hair and dark shining eyes. Shit, does Poppy even see the resemblance?

The woman is sitting up straight on the dark wooden throne, hands held together in her lap, in a way Erdene could only describe as properly. Her hair, too, is quite long, completely flowing free in and amongst her robes—she too is wearing red and gold embroidered robes, as well as a white cloak with fur at the collar. She’s so tiny her feet hang over the seat, ankles crossed, and they don’t even hit the floor. Her eyes are bright and shining, and she has a small smile upon her lips. 

Yuwa was her name—that means doll, doesn’t it? And damn if she isn’t a f*cking beautiful one at that. 

“Isn’t it magnificent? It was painted not long after they were married. They may even be wearing their wedding garb.”

Erdene had already pulled out her phone the moment Poppy stopped right in front of the portrait to start taking pictures, but now she starts taking photos in earnest. She wants to capture the look of wonder in Poppy’s face, so she tries to get one or two close-ups.

“Oh, Dene, take my picture with my phone? In front of it?”

“Of course, doll.” I think I may have a new nickname for you, Pops.

She quickly snaps a few, and hands the phone back to Poppy, who is bouncing up and down on her feet. 

Damn her enthusiasm is infectious. I love it!

She’s not going to tell Poppy that she's already taken several shots, just like she’s been surreptitiously taking pictures of Poppy, in all kinds of situations, for months. 

Poppy sighs, but then pulls out the free guide. 

“Let’s take a look at the map, so we can plot out the rest of our day.

“Sure, P.”

While Poppy begins to scan the guide, Erdene pulls up the pictures she’s taken. She selects one or two and texts them to Quincey. 

Dene Bean @Quincess>> Yo, check it out. 👀  remind ya of anyone?!

Quincess @Dene Bean>> huh? Wait where the f r u right now?

Dene Bean @Quincess>> royal palace did u look at these?  Who do they remind you of Q?!!?

Quincess @Dene Bean>> wait wait wait you’re WHERE?  Not good, Dene B. No security! SHIT Y didn’t she tell me???

Dene Bean @Quincess>>  🤔 no idea but RELAX we are in a public place, no one following us that I know of

Quincess @Dene Bean>> who is in the portrait? And f*ck he looks just like big bro… wow.

Dene Bean @Quincess>> Q the photos don’t even come close to how good this portrait looks. He does look like Tora. And the woman looks an awful lot like Poppy.

Quincess @Dene Bean>>  but who r they?

Dene Bean @Quincess>> Ulaan the Great Warrior King and his Queen, Yuwa

Quincess @Dene Bean>> 😮 gtfo really??  

Dene Bean @Quincess>> and look at Poppys face, man 

Quincess @Dene Bean>> she is just too precious did u post to IG for GGP? If not so do so

Dene Bean @ Quincess>>> done and DONE 😉 ttyl 

Erdene smiles as she reviews her draft IG post, and tweaks a few words and fixes a couple typos, but before Poppy can notice what she’s doing she hits the post button. Her favorite is a close up of Poppy looking up at the portrait, a complete look of awe on her face.

“You know, I’ve been trying to track the royal family tree, post exile, and I’ve managed to get as far as the Balthumans—yes, them—sending King Tsagaan into exile. I managed to track some names affiliated with the royal family—Noyouko, Yeke, and a few others. And Ulaan was also known as the Northern Demon Asura, He was quite legendary. But really, their love story, the really grand love story of these two? MWAHH. You must promise me, Erdene, to read this awesome webcomic I found written about them—Asura’s Bride. It isn’t long, but it’s just so beautifully done.”

“All right, doll, I will check it out.” 

And Noyouko, isn’t that…Quincey’s pen name? Hmmm…..

Poppy has to stop herself, because she wants to spend more time wandering the exhibits. She knows she can tell Erdene more of the nitty gritty details another time.

“I think I have a game plan, we’ll make up our own guided tour. Let’s go back to the entrance and just make our way from there to the far end, making a complete cycle. I’ll check off everything as we go, so I’m sure I won’t miss a thing. I’m pretty sure the rest of the place is closed off to the public.”

“Lead on, doll. I’m ready and raring to go.”

Poppy gives her the brightest smile, giving her proof that this is one of the best ideas she’s had in weeks to get Poppy out of her funk. 

++++++++++++++++++

After a full four hours, Erdene is exhausted. But finally, FINALLY, everything there is to see has been checked off Poppy’s list.  

“All right, doll, I’m toast. Can we head back to the hotel now?”

“What? Oh, yes. I think I’ve seen everything, although I have to admit I need to come back again soon. Maybe I’ll bring Quincey. You think he’d like this place? I would think given the exiled family’s history, he’d get a kick out of it.”

Erdene smirks, because of course he would. He likes all this showy shit, doesn’t he?

They start to make their way back to the entrance, and Erdene has to be infinitely patient—Poppy stops periodically to gaze at a trinket or two, then a portrait of someone named Subarashī, and many other trivial things, until, finally, they walk back out the palace doors. 

Just as they reach the bottom of the front steps, the two women look over to what seems to be a side entrance, just one wing of the massive palace. There's a huge black SUV with tinted windows waiting at the curb. Suddenly, several people walk out, and one of them is a rather tall woman with long black hair walking briskly. Erdene and Poppy stand there, gawking at her. She’s only about 25 yards away, but they can see how regal she certainly looks. For whatever reason, she notices them, glancing up in their general direction. They are shocked to see this woman has that almost the same regal face as Ulaan, but much more feminine—with beautiful amber eyes.

Chapter Text

Day 54 - Sunday

Driving back to their hotel, Poppy and Erdene are a bit stunned. But finally, Poppy can't keep quiet.

“Did you see her, too?” Or rather, do you see what I saw?

“See who, doll?”

Poppy gasps at Erdene in a bit of exasperation. 

“C’mon, Dene. Her. The woman who walked out the royal palace, who looked right at us. The one who could, in essence, be his twin!”

“Oh, right. Her. Yes, I noticed her right away. I mean, she looked at us, no doubt about it. So, doll, exactly how much do you know about the current royal family?”

“Almost nothing, Dene. I’ve been a bit focused on the royal family ancestors, you know, Ulaan and Yuwa mostly.”

“It is interesting. I mean, the women’s black hair. And the eyes.”

“Makes me realize I do need to do more research, Dene.”

“That you should, doll.”

Their discussion drops off, and they remain silent as they finally pull back into the hotel's parking lot. They get out of the SUV and enter their room, visibly worn out. They sit down on their beds, and Erdene speaks up first.

“Whew! You sure are a dynamo, doll! It was all I could do to keep up with you today. Did you see what you wanted to see?”

Erdene knows Poppy literally saw everything, but she has a sense that there might have been something Poppy missed, somehow.

“Oh, yes! But I would like to come back, and I don’t know, maybe bring Quincey? I think he’d love all of this.”

But who knows if I could even get him to come!

“Well, if he acts anything like his usual self, he’d likely make it complicated, Pops. But it can't hurt to ask him.”

He adores you, doll. And right now? He’d do anything to make you happy. C’mon!

“Well, I’m going to send him some pictures I took today, and maybe that will convince him. If he doesn’t see the resemblance between Ulaan and Tora, then…”

Saying his name aloud startles her a bit. She hasn’t said it in weeks. Poppy realizes she might have a look of shock on her face, and hopes Erdene didn’t notice. But now she doesn’t feel like talking anymore, so she sighs, falling back onto her bed. She knows they’ll have to decide what else they might want to do for the remainder of the day, if anything at all, but she’s going to let Erdene figure that one out on her own.

“Think about what you want to do for dinner, or we can order room service? I’m game for just about anything, Dene. But for right now, I’m just going to shut my eyes for a few minutes.”

Poppy rolls over, closes her eyes, and within minutes, falls fast asleep.

++++++++++++++++++

It’s now we’ll past dinner time, but Erdene decides she’s going to let Poppy sleep. Quietly drinking what’s left of the wine from the night before, she sits and texts Quincey an update on their day, saying she did not see anyone tailing them, and how excited Poppy had been the entire time. She knows he’s likely going to read Poppy the riot act for running off without telling him what she was up to. Taking a particularly large sip, Erdene wonders what might happen next for Poppy—and for all of them. All of the stuff with Quincey now owning Giant Goldfish and what little she knows about what happened to Gil is still… surprising. 

Sigh. What a f*cking mess, Quincey. 

And she couldn’t help but notice the look on Poppy’s face that appeared after saying his name out loud, earlier—Tora. She really wishes they could find out what happened to the man, but it’s likely he is not ever going to come back. Quincey and Gyu are working their asses off to find him, but Erdene isn’t hopeful. His loss will be a bit devastating for Poppy, and it will be difficult to accept, sure, but she knows Poppy is a strong woman. 

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy and Dene wake up early, and after a quick breakfast, they check out of their hotel and drive back to Narin City. On their return trip, there's no snappy joyful music, nor do they really chat all that much. At one point, Poppy does notice a car that might be following them, but doesn’t tell Dene. She never noticed anyone following them at any other point during their weekend getaway—until now. Were they following them all along? Or did Quincey sic men on them when he discovered they were out of town? She’s going to have to talk to him about it. For now, the car is keeping its distance, and frankly, she doesn’t want the drama. She decides to pretend they aren’t there. By the time they stop for gas, she lost sight of the car anyways.

Before long, they arrive back in the city.  Erdene drops Poppy off at home, and Poppy has to express how grateful she feels.

“Erdene, thank you so much for coming with me. I really needed this trip.”

“Of course, doll! It was great to get away, wasn’t it? Maybe next time we’ll go, I don’t know, somewhere west of here? Maybe shopping in Hiroshima or Okayama?”

“Hahaha. Sure, Dene. You can pick the destination.”

“Great. Sounds like a plan. And I have to ask—what do you have planned for the week?”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you forgotten our new boss has given us the week off?”

While saying this, Erdene holds up her phone, shaking it to and fro, showing Poppy that her email app is open. Poppy still seems puzzled, though, so Erdene has to prompt her.

“Check your email, doll.”

Poppy opens her own email app, and there it is, an email from Quincey. Poppy starts reading and openly sighs. She did forget.

FROM: QB Noyouko {[email protected]}

TO: Erdene Eris Sōzokujin (相続人) {eesozoku @ggp.com} ; Poppylan Wilkes {[email protected]}; Jacob Otokonoko {jotokono @ggp.com}

SUBJECT: [GGP] DON’T FORGET—YOU HAVE A WEEK OFF

Good morning, my minions! 

Just a friendly reminder that you all have the week off! 

Go wild! Visit your family. Go clubbing. I don’t care, but NO WORK!

See you a week from today!

Enjoy! 

QB 😙

Oh, for fudge sake. I think this is just ridiculous, but whatever—he's the boss now.

“I have no idea what I’m going to do Dene, I completely forgot.”

“Hey, we can have breakfast one morning, how about…Wednesday? That good for you?”

“Perfect. Honestly, I could do any morning, Dene, since I had planned on going to work every day! UGH. If you want to do anything else, let me know. My schedule is…clear. And I know just the place to go to for breakfast. I’ll text you the info.”

Pulling back out through the gate at Poppy’s complex, Erdene waves and smiles at her. She knows Poppy will likely do some work this week anyways, but she hopes she doesn’t do too much. 

“Ta-ta, doll. See you then!”

++++++++++++++++++

After texting him the moment he woke up, Gyu knocks on Quincey’s front door, visiting for a quick check in and “data dump.”  

Smithy opens the door promptly, nodding as he lets Gyu enter.

Quincey is sitting on his couch, his favored notebook in his lap. He’s still in his pink leopard print pajamas, and has thrown on a mauve silk dressing gown over top them. He has his favorite slippers on his feet, too. Gyu has to smirk at the comfort level he always seems to have.

Man, he sure has a weird style. But that’s bro for ya.

“Hey, boo-boo. Just sent off an email to my crew.”

From the start, Gyu has been in on all the shit with Gil—and the takeover of Giant Goldfish, but he still has to remind himself about these recent events and the repercussions. He believes Big Bro would have a cow at all of it, but he’d still be there front and center—especially if Poppy is involved, if he could, which makes his absence even more baffling. He and Quincey haven’t yet had any really deep discussion about the disappearance in awhile, with all the shit going down with this Gil f*cker, GGP, and protecting Poppy. 

“So, go get started on your techno shit, then come give me an update on things, K?”

Gyu just nods, and heads back to the server to do his thing. He plugs in his USB, gets the process started, then heads back to the living room to talk with Quincey.

Sitting down, he sees Quincey scribbling down one last thing in his journal, then he shuts it, placing it and his gold pen down onto the coffee table in front of them.

“So, what’s up, Q?”

“Any word from Sheshin?”

“Um, no. I called the number I found for him and left him a message. He has not called me back, though.”

“Hmmm. Just concerned.”

“Beyond what we’re already worried about?”

Quincey laughs, but it’s one of those sardonic, almost more of a shout than a laugh.

“HA! You know where the two women were over the weekend?”

Gyu is guessing he means Poppy and Erdene. I mean, who else would he be referring to? 

“They traveled hours away, visiting some royal palace apparently, and they went without my knowledge—and no protection!”

Gyu’s eyebrows shoot up after learning about their escapades. Perhaps Poppy is not aware of what’s really been going on?

“Bro, how much does she know about all of this? Does she even know Clan men are watching her?”

Quincey gives him a WTF type look.

“Don’t you remember? The shit that went down this past week?? The whole reason for finding Gaga man?”

D’oh! Of course she knows! How could I forget that? F*ck, I was there when those shits appeared, practically on her doorstep!

“After all that’s happened, she just took off? F*ck, I know she’s feisty—now I know she’s goddamn gutsy, too!”

“I mean she may have asked me some questions about the royals a couple weeks ago, but didn’t realize she planned a trip though. And I have to believe someone followed them when they left the city. Erdene texted me while they were there, saying she didn’t notice anyone, and, f*ck, while Erdene is a bit savvy and street smart, these are Martin’s goons we’re talking about, boo. You and I both know all about that kind of Clan shit. And I think Poppy purposely avoided telling me their plans. The woman is just exasperating!!”

“And all the more reason to get Gādian on board, if at all, bro. And he will be our best option at this point, I mean hiring him as her bodyguard will allow us to control things a bit better. And we’ll be able to do so in a way that Martin’s men might not know we’re completely onto them, but in all likelihood, Martin already knows we know anyway, after all, didn’t you just confront him about her?” 

“True, and I agree, having Gaga—I mean Gādian—come on board will play a huge part in deflecting some of Martin’s scrutiny—hopefully. I think we need to move things up. Can you get him here tomorrow, or at the latest, Wednesday? We need to hire Gādian ASAP.”

“I will make more calls, Bro. But we won’t know more about getting the man onboard until we talk to him. And I mean, what if he says no?”

“Pfft, he cannot say no to Quincey Balthuman, honey. Not if he wants to keep his Clan standing. Time for me to step up just like dear old dad wants me to…well, maybe not exactly the way Vincent Balthuman wants.”

Gyu nods his head, listening as Quincey tries to assert himself a little bit. 

“Shit, boo, what’s going to be really frightening is telling her what I’m doing—what I’ve already done. I mean, I’m not asking her permission exactly, but she is an obstinate sassy one. I worry that it will take something completely drastic and awful happening to get her to come to her senses. So, get the man here as soon as you can, boo boo. I will keep my schedule open until I see him. Understood?”

“Understood. Gotta check on my upload, then I gotta get to work. I will call Sheshin first, of course.”

“Thank you, Gyu.”

Gyu walks down the hall to finish up in the spare room, but before he walks back out, he calls and leaves a new voice message with Gādian, urgently asking him to meet with them the following morning. Taking a deep breath as he continues to speak, he’s doing his best to adequately relay the urgency of their situation—and the authority of Quincey’s lineage—which should compel the man. He’s likely going to be hired on the spot, but they won’t know anything until they meet Gādian in person, and he considers their offer.

The man will have to know by now—he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. The Balthuman heir commands it, after all.

++++++++++++++++++

After a lazy evening, Poppy is finally in bed, preparing to settle in for the night, when she thinks again about the royal love story of Ulaan and Yuwa, particularly the time when Yuwa believes Ulaan to be dead for several months (and Yuwa is beyond distraught).  

She pulls up a few of Yuwa’s journal entries she downloaded just two and a half weeks previously and starts reading them again. Now that she knows the truth about him, that he's missing—and likely dead—the entries resonate a bit more with her, and they pack a powerful punch. She smiles slightly, remembering how some of the entries have large gaps in them, but since she knows their story, can tell what Yuwa was likely trying to work through. But it’s one particular intact entry that makes her eyes water, because now she can really relate to what Yuwa had written—and how she had been feeling at the time:

Grand advisor has managed to aid me in ways I could not have foreseen, and I would never admit it to anyone, but I am incredibly grateful for his machinations. Still as I listen to how he and my father whisper amongst themselves, stopping whenever I am near, I sense there is something they are keeping from me, something to do with my alleged capture. I will not share my experiences or knowledge of my time in the North with him. What more could I offer them than what they already know about the Northern Demon Asura? The truth would only be denied. I hold the truth of who he is, who he was, in my heart. I will hold my memory of him within my mind so the truth about him will remain my deepest secret. Perhaps one of his older brothers will now serve as an admirable successor but it may be difficult to purge the legend he’s left behind. 

She takes deep breaths when she sees a bit of parallelism. Yuwa had to deal with secrets, too, from her own father and the Grand Advisor. Poppy has had to deal with Quincey’s secrecy, and even if he revealed some of them, there are still several things he hasn’t told her. Poppy has her own secrets, too, and, well, she knows more than she should about Quincey, but she doesn’t know as much about him, though. She keeps reading.

Advisor has always been a cunning man, and I know now he has taught me well. It’s likely there are palace politics at play all around me. Despite my detached nature, I also feign ignorance. I haven’t had the will to ask him or my father, nor even discuss it with my brothers and sister. But I feel myself getting stronger every day. My body breathes in and out, in and out. I continue to witness the passage of time, and I know how the pain residing in my heart is proof that I am still alive. So I go on. I could not have survived as long as I have without Advisor’s patience as well as how he has intervened with other palace officials. He has been fabricating a narrative, one to explain my condition the past several weeks. It has been through this story of his that I have had time to even process my losses. I know he has been telling whoever asks that I suffered a blow to the head, a blatant lie, but I cannot force myself to object and correct this falsehood. My handmaidens often witness my distress, and I can hear them talking about me. They know more of the truth than anyone else. I barely have the energy to look up at them as they speak to me, let alone think of anything more than existing. I still feel empty, barren, tired, and barely alive. They frequently find me in same sad state in my compound within the palace, mostly staring off into the distance. It will likely take me many moons before I can emerge, where I might be able to face scrutiny of others.

She had almost forgotten this particularly bittersweet entry. It doesn’t have a date, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t really matter, as Yuwa’s story—Yuwa and Ulaan’s story—ultimately has a happy ending. She wonders if anyone around her has been observing her own bit of sorrow, despite her considerable efforts to hide it. And while she might definitely relate to what Yuwa had been going through at the time, Poppy, too, feels a bit of resolve amongst her despair at her own situation. But…

Is he... is he DEAD?  

With a few tears running down her face, Poppy thinks again of the regal woman with amber eyes she and Erdene witnessed at the palace. She now knows at some point, she’ll need to revisit whatever information she has on the exiled royal family, and talk to Quincey about them, too. She wants answers about the relationship between the Balthumans and the Asura Royal Family.  But there is so much else going on and while it may take some time, she won’t soon forget this particular bit of historical drama. Soon though she is fast asleep, dreaming. She’s walking through a lush jungle, while a tiger begins stalking her—one with amber eyes.

Chapter Text

Day 55 - Monday

Sitting in the dim light of his living room, wearing only his robe and slippers, Vincent has been stewing. He’s actually been thinking about everything going on for the last several days now, but this morning he’s finally decided. He needs to meet with Martin about a lot of things, but most of all, he’s overdue for an update on the Tora situation. He hasn’t really been pressing Martin all that much since he told the man to simply FIND TORA. Now it’s time to get a bit more out of Martin, and Vincent has given Martin more than enough time—almost two months—to do whatever he wants in their search for Tora. 

Time to pay the Piper, Martin.

But the moment Quincey mentioned the woman, this Poppylan Wilkes, and how important she is to him, Vincent became instantly alert, and all kinds of “red flags” began to pop into his head. But no matter what Quincey might not have said, or even what either him or Martin may end up telling him, Vincent is now quite curious. He's definitely going to ask more pointed questions about Quincey’s “editor,” and he just may seek answers from his own Clan sources. 

Quincey, Quincey, Quincey. You made a big mistake, son. 

And Vincent realized the moment Quincey uttered her name that she is likely involved in ways he hadn’t foreseen, and, frankly, she is a bit of a surprise. He can’t help but speculate that perhaps she’s much more than Quincey’s editor, that she’s involved in unexpected, different ways than Quincey has let on—in fact he’s wondering if she isn’t in fact part of much, much more—especially Tora’s disappearance, f*ck, maybe even that blasted notebook! 

Could there be something more going on between her, Quincey, and Tora? Quincey more than likely knows much more about Tora than he’s shared, that’s for certain. Years of gut instinct tell him that he can’t count out any scenarios, any possibility. His status as a Balthuman, the Vincent Balthuman and head of the Clan—hasn’t been secured by being so facile or dismissive. Now he’s wondering if there is more of a direct connection between Tora and this woman, and maybe Quincey is covering it up.

Vincent has no idea what this Wilkes woman even looks like, so he is actually a bit intrigued about such a connection, that Tora would be interested in any woman at all, let alone one who is likely a civilian and quite average. Not that he ever encouraged any such thing, but he knows that Tora might perhaps have had a periodic dalliance or two of a more…carnal nature. He is aware that the tall, dark younger man has had countless women throw themselves at him, Vincent has never witnessed Tora ever acknowledge any of them, let alone engage them. And he’s heard all kinds of gossip about how Tora and Quincey are involved, but that idea is just ludicrous to him. 

He knows the two men are certainly close, and not just due to necessity either, but their relationship, any relationship they have is more like brothers than lovers. Besides, despite Tora being assigned to Quincey, Vincent steps in randomly for his own purposes, keeping Tora sufficiently occupied in ways where there isn’t exactly a lot of opportunities for f*cking of any kind anyways. Vincent does this—operates this way, so the brooding man won’t have distractions of any kind, as they would only be a hindrance to the Tiger’s effectiveness. And there have been a few times when he simply cannot tolerate Quincey and his f*ckery, so he had taken Tora away from him, just to spite them both, and to keep Tora on notice. He should never EVER forget his place.

But honestly, whatever Tora and his son do together—might ever do—doesn’t bother him. They won’t even concern him, as long as any such shit doesn't interfere with Tora’s true purpose, his real role. Tora is a living weapon, a tool—his lethal instrument—one that serves Vincent well in keeping the Clan under his control. Even the recent shit with the botched hits, Vincent knows the man won’t dare f*ck with him, figuratively and literally. At least not that he’s ever witnessed. 

And Tora’s disappearance is downright baffling to him. Any other absence has always been explained, sometimes well planned out ahead of time, or in some cases, unexpected. But Tora always knows his place. 

Shit, even when Tora had that stint in jail, he knew what to do, what the protocols are in such situations—do nothing, unless provoked, and simply keep your mouth shut.

Even though he’s puzzled about the big man's vanishing act, Vincent now suddenly realizes he may not like what Martin will discover, might have already found. He is now starting to feel a small sense of dread, like a shadow of a glimpse of a warning that something isn’t right with Tora’s absence. He needs to know all of it, and he needs to know NOW. Hell, weeks ago, he made noises about declaring the man a ghost, but ever since he assigned Martin the task to find Tora, he’s been waiting, thinking that perhaps Martin would have better luck finding Tora than Quincey. He’s been avoiding the issue, but now that this Wilkes woman is on the scene, he needs to know exactly what the situation might be between the two of them. At that thought, Vincent pulls out his phone and types out a concise text to Martin.

Vincent Balthuman @Martin >> Tora status, my office 11 today

Vincent watches for a moment or two, then sees three dots appear and disappear and appear again, rapidly before disappearing again. He knows Martin has just read his message, and is composing his response. He now waits for the reply, the acknowledgment he expects, that Vincent’s message has been received, loud and clear. He sits waiting, and he’ll sit and wait however long it takes the junior man to reply. Finally just before the five minute mark, it arrives.

Martin @Vincent Balthuman >> understood 

After receiving Martin’s prompt acknowledgement, Vincent puts his phone down and returns to his bedroom. Taking off his silk robe, he kicks off his slippers, then slips back between the sheets, moving towards the voluptuous blond still fast asleep. Time for a morning libation of the best kind. But just as he reaches out to stroke the blond’s arm, he pauses for a moment. 

Martin had better start coming up with answers—and fast.

++++++++++++++++++

Martin received Vincent’s message just as he was waking up. When he heard the obscene noise, he instantly realized the message is likely important, since Vincent contacted him so f*cking early. And he has to admit that specific sound really grates on his nerves. He chose it purposely ages ago—Suspense, it’s called—so he’ll always know when it's Vincent calling or texting him. It’s fitting that the noise irritates him so much, just as Vincent has been pestering him much more lately, especially since he’s been tasked to find Tora. Martin knows he has been summoned.

F*ck, what a way to start the week… And I can guess what it's about.

Now he has to decide what he’s going to tell Vincent, if anything at all.  Whatever he does tell him shouldn't—can’t be outright lies, though. He needs to spend a little more time to contemplate all of it—pull together what he’s found, what he thinks might have happened, and what his theories are, about Tora and the woman, even if omitting information is essentially the same as lying.

Maybe Vincent doesn’t even know about the woman yet.

Still, he’ll need to figure out what information to reveal and what he’ll keep to himself.

Sipping espresso, he’s been sitting in his living room for almost an hour, doing just that. Reaching up to stroke that f*cking brand on the left side of his neck, he takes a deep breath then slowly let’s it out. He's finally come to a decision. 

Martin is going to give Vincent at least part of the overall story, what he and his boys have discovered about Tora. His investigation has produced very little so far, practically nothing beyond what Quincey and that mutt found. Shit, he can’t even remember the kids name.

Goo or something? Doesn’t f*cking matter.

And pacing the woman under surveillance hasn’t produced a damn thing, other than demonstrating how much the woman is all over the place and her connection to Quincey. Martin is actually frustrated by this particular avenue of inquiry in their search for Tora. So far, she hasn’t led them any closer to the Tiger—yet. He’s not going to give up, though, as he's still convinced she’s involved in some way. He just knows it. And he’s just decided he is going to flat out lie a bit, but only about the woman. Adding to the complexity is how close the woman is to Quincey. When Quincey confronted him, he was a bit surprised. 

Quincey knew what we were up to, right? I mean he had to when I asked about her, rather bluntly if I remember correctly. And I still don’t trust that so-called tech expert guy, I mean he’s one of Tora’s boys and he’s in thick with Quincey, too. What’s the likelihood that the dossier the man produced on the Wilkes woman has been doctored or is grossly incomplete? 

If he asks for it, he’ll offer the piddling little profile to Vincent, since as far as he knows she’s clean on paper. He’ll tell Vincent that much as well, but perhaps he will omit his personal suspicions—for now.

Martin keeps waffling, though, changing his mind rapidly about what he will or will not report. And he has no idea why he’s considering not telling Vincent certain things, since if he does conceal anything, it will likely come back and bite him on the ass.  

Gulping down the dregs of his coffee, Martin has to think more about maybe changing his story. He gets up off the couch to prepare himself for what will likely end up being a dog and pony show. 

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy wakes up and feels both pleased and dismayed to have the whole week off. She is also still reeling about the Giant Goldfish Publishing “coup.” She really wants to talk more with Erdene and Jacob about all of it, together, but decides it will have to wait until they are all back in the office again. She’s also still processing the visit to the royal palace—and the woman she and Erdene saw walk out in front of them. 

She makes a mental note to revisit the websites she found and reread of her royal family notes, yet again. There has to be more information on the current family, so she should be able to find out the identity of the regal woman with long black hair.

Who knows—maybe she really is a Princess. That would actually be pretty damn awesome!

But then she realizes she needs to find something constructive to fill at least some of her free time, so she's decided she’s going to paint as much as she can—all week long. After making tea and some toast for breakfast, she makes a full inventory of the supplies in her old reliable monkey backpack. After comparing the bits she has tucked away on her shelf—mostly paintbrushes, and zipping open the backpack, she discovers her paints are almost gone.

Wow, I didn’t realize my supplies are so low. If I’m going to have a painting marathon, I will really need to replenish my stock. And I only have a couple small canvases left, too.

She doesn’t have a lot of money, so there is really only one place she can shop. Looking up the bus schedules, she sees there is a bus that will take her straight past the usual “big name” store within the hour. In order to catch it, she just needs to walk up to the corner of her street. It never crosses her mind to inform Quincey about any of this. It’s a rather mundane chore, and it’s a quick bus ride up one of the busiest streets in the city, in the middle of the day. How could it possibly be risky?

She gets ready quickly, throwing her phone, wallet, and a foldable portfolio case into an oversized tote bag. It’s been awhile since she’s had to shop like this, but knows she’ll need the portfolio in order to carry her new canvases home. The portfolio case, when full, will be a bit unwieldy, but the canvases are relatively light. Of course she could easily order them online, but then it would cost a lot more, and there is the potential for packages to be lost or damaged. 

Poppy actually feels better getting out of the house—and forgetting about work, too—even if it’s just for a few hours. Walking briskly up the street to the corner, she arrives and only has to wait a mere 5 minutes before the bus she is waiting for pulls up.  She’s lucky, as the next available one is not scheduled until early afternoon. As she expected, the ride takes 15 minutes at most, even with frequent stops, sometimes at every corner, since it’s rush hour.  But if she walked, it would take nearly 40 minutes, and since she’s shopping at the big-name discount store, she can afford the fare.  

She was delighted to find out that not only does this bus pass by the store, it’s the early bus which pulls in right in front of the main entrance. Looking out of her window, she sees a crowd of people ready to get on. 

This must be one of those park and ride sites. Makes sense. 

As Poppy gets off the bus and walks over towards the store entrance, a black car nearly hits her, scaring the crap out of her. She’s so rattled, she looks up and stares at the driver. For a few heartbeats, she feels a bit of panic, but then the driver beeps his horn at her, startling her, so she moves on to the store entrance quickly. Even though the incident is unsettling, she enters the store, grabs a cart, and starts seeking out her supplies. She’s been there before a few times, so she manages to quickly find everything on her list, plus a few goofy decorations that make her happy. 

It’s at this point during her excursion, that Poppy notices two men lurking not far from where she’s standing and, well, they certainly do not appear to be shopping, that’s for sure. They are both wearing black suits and ties, and sunglasses indoors. She starts to walk toward the front of the store, and then sees that they are in essence following her. So she begins to wind her way through the aisles haphazardly, trying to evade them. It’s when almost hits one of them with her cart, when she realizes that one of them seems awfully familiar. Panicking a bit, she quickly makes her way over to the checkout aisle, all while scanning her phone to find out when the next bus will be, desperately hoping she read it wrong earlier that morning. She’s upset to note the next bus will not be arriving for some time. She sneaks a peek behind her to see the two men about 10 yards away, staring at her. She knows Clan men have been following her around the city a few times, but this is just too close for comfort. Her budget will take a hit, but she can’t wait that long for a bus, nor does she feel comfortable walking home. Maybe she should have listened to Quincey. But right now, she is feeling a bit panicked.

That does it—I’m getting an Uber. 

++++++++++++++++++

For once, Gyu has an early shift at Poppy’s complex. He finagled it as a result of sheer luck, as the day guy needed some time off apparently. He’s tired, but knows taking this shift will mean a block of time between jobs that doesn’t normally happen. He may even be able to fit in a substantial nap before his shift at Clark’s.  

Since the day before when he and Quincey chatted about hiring Gādian and Poppy’s overall security, he’s decided he’s going to go ahead and install a jammer in her place. He had an extra one anyways, and while he and Quincey haven’t exactly talked about installing it, he believes it’s just another logical step to make sure she’s safe. Maybe he’ll set it up so it will help them keep tabs on her. Maybe. He threw the jammer in his backpack on his way out the door, hoping that he’d get the opportunity to take care of it, even though Quincey gave her a week off. He’s pleased to watch just as he’s sitting down in the booth for his shift, he witnesses Poppy leave her apartment, and it’s a bonus that she didn’t even notice him sitting there.

Perfect. I don’t think I’d have a chance to do this otherwise. I mean, I think Quincey will agree it’s a precaution we need to take.

Gyu waits several minutes to make sure she’s out of sight, then swiftly climbs the stairs to her floor. Walking up to her door, he listens to make sure no one is around, then quietly picks the lock and enters Poppy’s apartment. He makes a quick assessment of the layout.

Wow, I never realized how tiny this place is.

It doesn’t take him long to find a spot in the ceiling as the optimal location to install the device. It’s really the best place, a joist near the WiFi router installed above her bed. He has to be creative and move the bed around to access the ceiling, though. It doesn’t appear the woman owns a single chair. But he’s able to move her coffee table, and stand on it, so it’s manageable. Before long, the jamming device is tucked away, turned on, but he doesn’t activate it—yet. He places the ceiling tiles back in place, and he moves the bed and coffee table back where they were. He seems to recall there is a way to activate it remotely. He can do that from his seat downstairs in the parking lot.

He needs to talk to Quincey first, to tell him what he’s done, but believes he will likely agree that’s the least they can do at the moment, even if they end up hiring Gādian. It’s simply another contingency plan. If they do decide to activate it, he won’t have to worry about finding the time to re-enter her apartment, unless his memory is incorrect. And Quincey can decide whether or not to discuss it with her, if at all—to tell her he thinks she should institute the same protocols for her apartment as they’ve been using for Quincey’s place. They may have to tell her the truth behind the Clan surveillance. And whatever else they may find as they continue their search for Big Bro. 

Gyu sneaks out of her apartment, and just as he sits back down inside the booth, he sends a text to Quincey about what he’s done. Then he witnesses Poppy arriving back home in an Uber, looking a bit frazzled. That was cutting it close! He watches as she drags a large bundle behind her into the apartment building door on her way upstairs. 

She certainly looks upset.

Then he sees the black sedan slowly drive up to the gate. He doesn’t see who it is behind the wheel, but it doesn’t stick around. Is the same car he saw there a few nights ago? Likely. Did she notice them following her? Also, likely, given how she was acting a few moments ago. Just then his phone rings, and he looks to see it’s an unknown number. Immediately distrustful, he almost blocks the call. Then he remembers the person he’s waiting to hear from: Gādian Seishin. He answers swiftly—

“Hello?”

++++++++++++++++++

Standing outside the Jōhin Casino before his shift, Gādian Seishin smokes a cigarette as he listens to another voice message from this Clan… person, Gyu somebody. He sighs, thinking it may be another crank call, like the first one. That message he completely ignored. It was Clan related, sure, but a bit vague, and he thought maybe one of the goons in his squad were pranking him. But now as he listens to the name uttered in this new message—Quinceton Balthuman—and knows he will have to find out if the assignment is for real. If it is, he knows can’t possibly say no.

If the position is in fact legit, it’s perfect for him, to get much closer to the inner workings of the Clan, certainly more advantageous than any other job he’s had in the Clan since his undercover work began. I mean to work that close to the Balthuman heir? 

He listens to the message again. This one is more detailed, formal, and revealing.

“Hello, this message is for Gādian Seishin. I called and left a message with you last Friday, but I’m afraid our needs have changed. To recap, I am calling about an opportunity that will be quite beneficial for you. Please know Quinceton Balthuman will only consider those with the best qualifications, and based on what we‘ve learned about you, Mr. Balthuman considers you the perfect candidate for this assignment. We would like to talk to you as soon as possible, Monday, if you are available. Please call me as soon as you receive this message. My number is—“

He stops the playback. Of course he has to find out more, to see if it’s legit. He taps in the number, and calls this Gyu character back. He’ll waffle a bit, saying Hikui will give him grief, but that’s only because he doesn’t want to seem too eager. The lieutenant he’s been working with is so green, that he can make up whatever story he wants about this Clan assignment. And Hikui is a flat-out pussy, so he can leave whenever he wants. The casino is dead this time of day anyways, especially on a Monday. The phone rings a couple times, then he hears someone pick up.

“Hello?”

F*ck, I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.

++++++++++++++++++

After a brief conversation with Gādian, Gyu hangs up, then immediately texts Quincey. 

Gyu @YM Quincey >> just connected with Gādian Seishin. He can meet us today at 3 pm, between my shifts. 

YM Quincey @Gyu >> how did he seem on the phone?

Gyu @YM Quincey >> he’s a man of few words, Q. Remind ya of someone?

YM Quincey @Gyu >> um yeah actually seems familiar 😐

Gyu @YM Quincey >> gotta go. Lots of other stuff to talk about re: PW. We’ll talk in person tho

YM Quincey @Gyu >> k.  ttyl. 😘

Gyu rolls his eyes at Quincey’s kissy face emoji, but he is just so pleased to get Seishin in the door so quickly. He only hopes their luck continues.

Chapter Text

“Wasn't it heroic enough, just staying alive when life got this hard?”

~Susan Vaught - Super Max and the Mystery of Thornwood's Revenge

Day 55 - Monday (continued)

After briefly connecting with this Gyu character, Gādian reopens the voicemail message he initially received and listens to it again. After paying closer attention to the first sentence or so, he can now confirm that he is indeed being summoned by none other than Quincey Balthuman. The Heir to the Balthuman Clan. He stops listening to the message and puts his phone back in his pocket. He lights a cigarette and starts pacing back and forth. Laughing out loud a bit, he is simply astounded at his luck. He now has a meeting set with Balthuman himself in just a few hours. 

F*ck yes! 

Gādian knows that he’ll have no real problem getting out of the assignment with Hikui and will thus be able to escape the utter boredom he’s been dealing with at the casino. But he also knows he will have to act more like a Clan man than before, just a little bit, and can’t appear too eager to take on whatever Balthuman needs him for. F*ck, he doesn’t even care what it might be—this assignment is something he could have never have foreseen in a million years. He has to admit he’s curious, as the Gyu character was a bit vague in describing what Balthuman wants him for, merely emphasizing the timeliness of the situation. 

Huh. I guess I’ll find out what I’ll be doing in a few hours.

He knows he has to have to connect with his NCP contact right away, since this is news, such good news, and they have to be informed ASAP, not just about the meeting but that he’ll likely accept whatever tasks he’s going to be asked to do. Gādian will tell them that if by some chance they need him to decline, he’ll need to have any contrary directives communicated to him clearly and immediately, due to the timing involved. He already knows that after the call he just had, he’s going to have to limit his direct communication with NCP for a while, protocols be damned. 

He also needs to make sure he gets his story straight before he talks to any other Clan people, because he seems to recall that before he moved to the area and took on this risky assignment, his overall dossier was heavily doctored by the NCP, crafted to look particularly good—and significantly better—certainly beefed up in his favor, making changes such as emphasizing his real-life yet minimal involvement within Juggemaffian, highlighting his particular fighting skills, hiding some of his other secrets, like his stint in military intelligence, and a few other things based on his suggestions. Being so deep undercover has its risks, but he’s pretty adept at what he does and remains confident. No one needs to know any more than he’s willing to share. Before he forgets, he pulls out his burner, brings up his NCP contact, and texts them. 

GS @NCP>> potential assignment directly w Q Balthuman  no reason to say no but if u need me to decline i need to know b4 3 pm today when I meet with him  need new protocols of when i can contact u etc

He’ll need to move quickly on everything, so he’s more than pleased his contact gets back to him immediately.

NCP @GS>> move ahead no issues on our end  contact us in 48 hours for update will have new protocol by then

GS @NCP>> understood   send QB dossier and my own for review  need to get all my facts straight

He realizes it would be a good idea to get a copy of his own Clan dossier again, so he knows what they know. And it wouldn’t hurt to know all there is to know about Quinceton Balthuman as well, before he meets the man. 

NCP>> @GS: acknowledged. will have this to you within the hour

The text exchange takes no more than a minute. As he finishes up, he stubs out his cigarette. His shift is about to start, so makes his way inside the Jōhin Casino to check in with Hikui. He has to tell him he’s been summoned by Quinceton Balthuman, and he will be leaving his shift early. Hikui will likely doubt his word, so Gādian expects him to confirm it. 

Pfft, let ‘em. What do I have to lose? It’s just more time away from the f*cknut they always pair with me here. 

Before long, he’s in front of Hikui and starts his spiel.

Showtime. 

+++++++++++++++++

Martin promptly arrives at Vincent's office at 11 am on the dot. He doesn’t want to waste any time, so he makes his way in without delay and immediately sits down across the room from Vincent, already expecting they’ll have quite the chat. He realizes while Vincent almost never has to spell out what he wants of him, even so, he’s curious as to why he’s been summoned. It has to be because of Tora. 

That thug is just a thorn in my side, even if he's likely out of the picture.

Vincent speaks, and breaks him out of his reverie. Martin knows he has to focus whenever he’s around Vincent.

“Martin.”

“Vincent.”

“Good to see that you’re prompt as ever. Drink?”

Martin nods his head in response, and gets back off his feet after Vincent gestures towards the ever-present bottle of scotch sitting in its usual spot. 

Goddess, this man always has a tumbler within his grasp whenever I meet with him in this room. But it’s the good stuff. Always, so I’ll never turn any of that down.

Martin pours himself a hefty serving. He knows he’s going to need it. He takes a big sip, and sits back down.

“Right, well, let’s get to it. I know you’ve been doing your thing, Martin, as you always do, as I’ve asked you to, and I know you’d inform me if you found anything important, but, well, I need a bit more this time. I mean, I want results, Martin. Am I clear? What progress have you really made about Tora.”

Martin has long ago perfected his Clan demeanor, even though there have been more than enough moments where he’s been furious, scared for his life, amused, or annoyed. But he didn’t get as far as he has by being so blasé or transparent. He doesn’t express anything, as ever. 

“You know what I know. What else can I tell you?”

“Of course. I expect no less from you, Martin. I certainly appreciate the daily updates, but well, those updates don’t really report much of anything. So I want to know, straight from you: What’s really going on? Any progress? Any leads?”

Vincent already decided this morning that he may or may not bring up the woman right away. He’s now waiting to see if Martin will volunteer this information himself. He’s been dealing with Martin for years. The man always thinks he can hide things from Vincent, but Vincent always knows what’s going on, anywhere and everywhere in the Clan. Besides—his intuition is almost never wrong. So, for now, he’ll allow Martin this bit of leeway, as long as it doesn’t hinder Clan operations—or the search for Tora. He’s already guessed that Martin will feign ignorance. 

Maybe today I’ll be pleasantly surprised, but otherwise, Martin needs to be put in his place once in a while. Thus, the grilling this morning. What’ll be, Martin? Truth? Not likely.

“As I said, you know what I know. We’ve found his car, where he was when he was last seen, flipped his current apartment, and that’s it so far. Oh, and I’ve consulted his men, including Quincey, and well, there’s still not much to report yet. Possibly a tech angle—that may be fruitful. And I’ve assigned two of my men, and they’re solely dedicated to the search until we find him.”

“Almost two months and nothing? I simply can't believe he’d vanish without a trace like this. And have you checked the graveyards?”

Vincent makes reference to those particular areas that the Clan have used for body disposals, not including the obvious ones. While he doesn’t want to believe someone would place a hit on the Tiger, he has started to wonder.

“I haven’t. I think if anyone had the audacity to whack Tora, if they succeeded, they’d make an example of him, maybe do things to make us believe he suffered, I don’t know, like deliver pieces to us, send video clips or something, rather than hide him in the woods. But I guess we’ll need to hire the Gravedigger to do some excavation either way. I have some other ideas.”

“Do it. Top priority. And please share anything else, Martin. I mean anything, regardless how ridiculous or minor. I’ll be the one to decide it’s importance.”

Martin sees the look on Vincent’s face and almost shudders. The Clan’s “Gureivu Digā”—the Gravedigger—is a craven man, one he’s never liked to call upon, but there have been very rare moments in time over the years where his particular gruesome services have been required. Just as all Clan men are taught proper body disposal techniques and protocols from Guri, he is also an expert in finding dead men, too. F*ck, the man is educated, too—a forensic anthropologist. Never saw a man more enamored by all the goopy disgusting shit that can happen to a human being, be done to a body in his life. Man has never failed to inform Vincent how his men have died. 

F*cking uncanny bastard. I sure as hell hope the Gravedigger is still operating. F*ck, I wonder if the man has been training his replacement, if he has any acolytes. No man lives forever, after all. 

But if Vincent wants the Gravedigger to work his magic, it’ll happen. Since he’s already told Vincent much of the truth, Martin is still hesitant about bringing up the Wilkes woman, but only because he doesn’t have any substantial information on her—yet, just his own personal hunches about her. He still wonders about a relationship, if there is one, between her and Tora, and if she has anything to do with his disappearing act. He already decided on the way over to Vincent’s office that he’ll confess what he knows ONLY if Vincent asks. Just as Martin opens his mouth to express his frustration on the progress, Vincent does just that—he brings up her name. 

“Poppylan Wilkes.”

Martin has to restrain himself, almost wincing at the women’s name. 

“Yeah? Am I supposed to know who that is?”

“Her name came up in a discussion with Quinceton. He informed me that she’s important to him, and wants her under Clan protection. I know now, of course, that she’s his so-called editor, but now I’m curious whether or not she might have a connection to the situation, particularly to Tora. So you don’t know anything about her?”

F*ck, he knows about her? Maybe?

“Not familiar with her, so what do you want to know?”

Okay, so I just changed my mind and lied. Whatever. 

Martin is having a hard time keeping a straight face, as he almost rolled his eyes. Vincent must have noticed something, maybe a flinch? F*ck. He stares at Martin for several seconds, pensive as usual. Then Vincent takes a rather large gulp of the scotch from his glass, and then he gives Martin what he’s really wanted all along—carte blanche, official Clan approval to check into the woman, or rather to continue watching her. 

“I want you to look into her for me. Now, I know she’s a civilian, and spends a lot of time with Quincey, so we need to be careful. But I know you have your ways. Be discreet, but you know what to do.”

Yes, I certainly do. He doesn’t need to know I’ve been onto her for awhile now. I wonder whether or not Quincey is even aware she’s being followed by my men? Quincey is a piece of work, and I can never tell how much he’s observed or learned from his old man. I’m almost certain he’s onto me and my guys, so, I guess it won’t hurt to confirm what he knows.

Martin takes a big gulp of scotch as he ponders what else to tell Vincent, if anything at all.

“That’s all for now. Keep texting me the usual updates, and contact me immediately if anything substantial surfaces. And report when you’ve engaged Guri”

Martin nods, and drinks down the rest of scotch. This meeting couldn’t have gone any better than he had expected, even though Vincent has likely caught onto to some of what he hasn’t shared with him. Martin nods to Vincent, and he gets off the couch to leave. He doesn’t even say goodbye. Now he knows he can continue to have Scharch and Claude watch her without any undue oversight, unless there is something else to do. He realizes that Vincent will likely give him grief if he doesn’t get a report right away. It doesn’t help that he hasn’t been able to find the f*cker, and following the girl has been pointless so far. But maybe, just maybe she will be key to finding him. He simply can’t help but believe she’s a factor. As he travels down the elevator, he calls Claude.

“Get me Gravedigger’s number. We need to excavate the graveyards, stat.”

During their brief meeting, neither man admitted to the other their honest opinions, one option, the worst in Vincent’s eyes—that Tora has perhaps turned traitor. But it’s unthinkable to Vincent, and Martin believes it’s much more likely. They both considered it briefly from their differing perspectives, naturally, but neither man has any real evidence to the contrary, not yet anyway, nor did either express it to the other. So for now, they won’t consider anything else.

+++++++++++++++++

Quincey is sitting on the couch in his living room wearing his least bodacious clothes, well, some of what he considers his least flashy clothes. He’s already argued with Gyu about his appearance for this brief meeting. Quincey is convinced he should just be himself. Gyu seems to think he should behave and appear more like a typical Clan man, a mafioso, than act like himself, at least for this initial meeting.

Pfft. The nerve. 

And he won’t drink scotch, either, as Gyu suggests he do, so he’s got a glass of chilled white wine ready on the coffee table in front of him. He has to admit, his new double-breasted beige silk gabardine suit is quite stylish. He convinced Gyu that wearing it is completely appropriate—“It’s f*cking Ralph Lauren, boo boo. Classy.”

He paired the suit with a plain white Tom Ford oxford shirt and a lavender silk paisley tie. He’s wearing beige loafers and no socks. He doesn’t have enough time to style his hair properly, let alone fuss any more over what he has to wear.  What he really has to focus on is how he’s going to act in front of Gādian.

Gyu showed up half an hour early just to coach him a bit. He knows, though, that he’ll do the same thing he did the time when he confronted his former publisher. That was f*cking traumatizing, but the memory of how Tora supported him to deal with the f*cking jerk who was robbing him senseless makes him feel a bit sad. So he pushes that part of the memory aside and listens to what Gyu has to offer that he hasn’t already considered.

“You’ve watched your dad in action enough, bro, so how hard can it be?”

Quincey just stares at Gyu with that look, and it gets Gyu flustered every time. In fact, the look reminds him way too much of Tora.

Sigh. Does Quincey not realize how much of his own personality is actually f*cking scary?

“And Smithy, I need you to stand behind me, be all hovering bodyguard like, k?”

Smithy nods at Quincey. Then Gyu speaks up again.

“You’re clear on what you’re going to say?”

Quincey rolls his eyes, and responds to Gyu with an exasperated tone.

“Yes, boo boo. We’ve gone over it a few times already. It's a rather simple request. I need a bodyguard for my editor. All the same shit I told Father, too.”

Quincey can tell Gyu is just as nervous as he is. Hell, the only one in the room with real experience with any of this is Smithy, but he most likely won’t do any talking. He’s just do an appropriate amount of lurking.

“Right. Don’t…elaborate like you do in your writing and don’t flake out on me either, bro. Most especially, don’t get all… fruity. Got it?”

Fruity? What the f*ck does that mean? Oh, right. 

Gyu looks at him with a bit of guilt on his face, but Quincey also understands why Gyu mentioned it. He has to tone down his flamboyant ways. Whatevs. 

“Fruity? Really, boo? Anyways, I mean if he starts working for me and guarding Poppylan, he’s gonna find out all about me and what I do for a living, smut and all. But I promise, for today’s meeting I’ll make sure to appear legit. I am Quinceton Balthuman after all.”

“And remember, Q, we don’t know if he’ll say yes, so I suggest you press. Use the Balthuman name to get him to concede. That’s really the best strategy. I gotta believe he wants to move up in the Clan, so this job is a clincher for ‘em.”

“Look at you, Mr. Smarty Pants. And I thought you were just a geek.”

Gyu gives Quincey a snarky look, but before he can say anything else, they all hear a quiet knock on the front door. Mr. Seishin has arrived.

“OK, Smithy, let ‘em in.”

Quiet as ever, Smithy walks over and opens the door to let Gādian Seishin into the apartment. Leaning forward, Quincey grasps his wine glass and takes a big sip. Quincey then sets the glass back down, leaning back as he watches Seishin approach, Smithy following behind him. Quincey has to admit the Clan dossier photo doesn’t do the man justice. At all. 

Sweeettt f*ck, this man is a fox. 

The man’s blonde hair is hanging loose, down to his shoulders. He has a light beard on his face, and his blue eyes are bright and clear. He’s wearing a standard black Clan suit, but no tie. And he makes it look good. Real good. He’s definitely muscular, but not quite as tall as Tora, but he sure does have the same je ne sais quoi that Tora’s always had.

Goddess, he’s practically a blonde Tora. He’s f*cking perfect.

Quincey realizes he’s got to stop ogling the man, or he’ll blow his cover.

“Mr. Seishin. Please, have a seat.”

Quincey knows he doesn’t need to introduce himself, so as soon as the man sits down, he doesn’t waste time with any formalities. 

“I’ll get right to my request, Mr. Seishin. I need a bodyguard for my associate. You fit the bill, to a T. I can’t put it any other way than to ask—when can you start?”

Seishin stares at him for a moment or two then finally responds.

“I need a little more information about the job, Mr. Balthuman.”

“Right. Strictly bodyguard duty. For now, daylight hours, no overnights, seven days a week. Transportation is part of it, so you will need an armored vehicle. If you don’t have one, i will provide one for you. You’ll be more than adequately compensated, of course. But just for clarity’s sake, you won’t be guarding me, directly, though. I have Smithy here for that.”

Quincey gestures with head towards Smithy who is stoically standing behind him to his left. Gyu stands to his right, but he doesn’t introduce him, not yet.

“It’s guard duty for my…assistant. And I need you to start as soon as possible.”

Quincey doesn’t want to give away too much yet about Poppy or his work either, and GGP, so he watches as Seishin sits quietly again, and can’t think of what other information he might need. He senses that Seishin is still a bit reluctant. He also won’t say anything about Tora either, not unless something drastic happens. That will be a strictly need to know subject, as he, Gyu, and Smithy already decided.  The seconds keep ticking away, so Quincey starts to feel nervous. He has to seal the deal, after all.

Time for some improvisation. Forgive me, Gyu.

“Jōhin Casino, right? I mean, you’re working with Hikui? I feel for you, bro. Hikui is just a bit too green for that position if you ask me.  And working under him must be just such a drag. Who you paired with, Heddo, that shithead? Or maybe, Chikira? That f*cker will talk your ears off.”

Quincey is really doing a stunning job, piling things on. Gyu has no idea where QUincey is getting his information or if it’s even correct. 

F*ck, maybe Quincey’s making all this shit up. But then again the dude has a mind like a steel trap.

Gādian clears his throat, but still doesn’t speak. Quincey has no idea why the man is so reluctant to respond or even talk to him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Hikui about the job, today in fact. You have to know agreeing to this job will advance your standing, Clan wise. And, well, it’s me, so…. you start tomorrow”

And, yeah, it’s me, how can you say no, asshole? 

“I don’t know if I can start that soon. I need to—“

“Trust me. I will take care of Hikui. He wouldn't dare defy me. I’ll take care of that low-life.”

Finally, Quincey sees Gādian nod his head. 

“Okay. I’m in.”

“Splendid. Either Gyu here or I will contact you once I’ve spoken to him. I assume we can reach you at the same number?”

“Yes.”

“Smithy, please see Mr. Seishin out.”

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Balthuman.”

Quincey nods his head, then feigns indifference, putting on a show as the blonde man leaves. Unless something completely unexpected happens, the blonde enforcer will be on the job before the sun sets tomorrow.

Chapter Text

“There must be another life, she thought, sinking back into her chair, exasperated. Not in dreams; but here and now, in this room, with living people. She felt as if she were standing on the edge of a precipice with her hair blown back; she was about to grasp something that just evaded her. There must be another life, here and now, she repeated. This is too short, too broken. We know nothing, even about ourselves.”
     ~Virginia Woolf

Day 56 - Tuesday

Lying in bed, Poppy stirs awake late, well, late for her, thankful for once that she doesn’t have to get up quite so early. Frankly, she’s feeling exhausted, as she spent a good portion of the night tossing and turning instead of sleeping. She’s also feeling equal parts indecisive and frazzled—she doesn’t know if she should tell Quincey about what happened to her at the craft store the day before or not. Is she overreacting? Should she be worried? Of course, she knows she's being followed, but why, exactly? Perhaps she needs to have a heart-to-heart discussion with Quincey, at least confront him about the situation. She has her suspicions, of course, but they haven't actually had a conversation about it, yet. 

 Just another day now that I work with Quincey, right? Sigh.

Staring up at the ceiling, he lies in bed for awhile longer until she finally decides it's time to get up out of bed, even though It’s still quite early. She sits up, stretches, and decides she’s going to wait before she says anything to Quincey, or even begin a discussion about the Clan men following her. Feeling a little bit in denial, wanting to avoid such a difficult conversation, she gets up out of bed then moves into the tiny kitchen, making herself a cup of coffee. As it brews, she stands and looks out the window, trying very hard not to think about anything at all. Blessedly, her coffee is ready before long, so she pours a hefty amount into her silly "I Don't Give a Guac" mug. She doctors it as usual with milk and sugar, then after taking a huge gulp, she sighs in complete contentment.

Ah, coffee. Nectar of the gods....

She decides to get back into bed, and feels she really could use a distraction, so she’s going to read for awhile, and something completely different. Well, almost. Poppy heads back towards her bed, and pauses near her bookshelves, seeking out a random title, one of her old smut books, one she hasn’t read for a really long time.

Something not authored by the illustrious QB Noyouko, please and thank you.

She takes her time and manages to find an older one, almost a classic in her eyes, and pulls it down off the shelf. She smirks a bit, remembering the plot as one that is rather risqué, even compared to Quincey’s standards. Book in one hand, coffee mug in the other, Poppy lazily walks back to her bed, getting in and hunkering back under her comforter, ready to read for a while. She doesn’t even check her phone for messages, and before she even finishes her coffee or gets through the first chapter, she falls back asleep.

++++++++++++++++++

Martin wakes up early, and before his feet hit the floor, he grabs his phone to text Scharch and Lang, summoning them to an in-person meeting within the hour. He decides not to move out of bed until he gets a response from both of them, even if he has to wait for several minutes or even an hour.

F*cking asshats. They better get back to me right away if they know what’s good for ‘em.

He knows they’ll likely be a bit ticked at being asked to meet so early, but he doesn’t give a shit. He’s just as irate at their apparent lack of progress, so he doesn’t want to waste one more damn minute, especially not after the tense meeting he had with Vincent the day before. 

Claude had texted him Guri’s number the afternoon before, so he reached out immediately. But as Martin expected, he didn’t actually connect with the man. All he got was a very cryptic recording, and left an equally cryptic message of his own, one in code. Nothing unexpected. Now he has to wait. That is simply how things with Guri works. Always. Martin didn’t have the guts to tell Vincent that he considers excavating the Clan graveyards to be a waste of time, but if that gets some attention away from his focus on the woman, all the better. While he wished he’d thought of it himself, it’s all good at this point. If it helps to divert attention away from him, all good. Martin knows that Guri has protocols, and would never ever lie about his findings to Vincent. He laughs a bit at the notion of Guri being bribed or persuaded. Not a chance in hell. 

Soon he hears a series of dings on his phone. He looks to see that it’s Claude who has replied first. 

Good.

He knew Scharch would be the straggler. 

Typical. That weird f*cker always makes me wait.

So, he texts back a quick acknowledgement to Lang, and continues to lie in bed, eyes closed and goes over what little they have again and again. He waits more than 20 minutes before he hears another ding. Scharch has finally responded.  Sending a quick snarky reply, he gets up out of bed and girds himself for the shit storm he’s going to dish out to his men.  

++++++++++++++++++

The day before, Gyu had to scramble to find the number for Hikui, Gādian’s second-rate lieutenant, after they met the stoic man. They knew the moment he walked in that he'd be perfect. He had already dug up the Clan info available on this man, but not much beyond the basics. Luckily it didn’t take too long to get the man’s cell number. Then he listened in as Quincey called the dude, and felt a bit proud of how well Quincey exerted his Clan standing for one of the few times in his life, or rather, his rather remarkable acting talents. Gyu recalls the best parts of the conversation on his way to his shift.

Gyu had watched and witnessed Quincey go on to emphasize to the man on the other end of the line exactly who he is, and how he requires Gādian Seishin for a personal assignment. 

“Listen, Hikui, you know who I am right?”

I mean, what the f*ck else didn’t that asshat not understand, Gyu thought at the time.

Gyu could hear the man on the other end of the line sputter and stutter quite loudly. 

“End of discussion, Hikui, in fact, there is no discussion. Do you have any idea who I can sicc on you, tomo?”

It doesn’t really matter at this point how much this guy is shaking in his boots, or how Quincey really isn’t all that involved in Clan business, right? 

Soon enough Quincey had gotten tired of the babbling, and finally tells Hikui if he has any problems with pulling Gādian off the casino duty, he can talk to his father and disconnects. 

“Whew. Glad that crap is done. So, how’d I do boo boo?”

Gyu knows he smirked at Quincey’s playfulness, and gave him a thumbs up.

“I mean the man had the audacity to question me? Anyways, text Mr. Googoo, tell him he’s all set. Tell him, ‘You’re hired.’ Let’s try and set a time to talk with him in more detail ASAP, but in the meantime I want him to meet Poppy tomorrow afternoon. Please make it happen, K?”

Upon calling him earlier in the day, Quincey had admitted to Gyu how he knows he’s been placing a lot of work on Gyu’s shoulders the past two months, but damn, he’s just so desperate to find Tora and now, more urgent than ever, keeping Poppy safe. Gyu didn't really have anything to say in response, since he already told Quincey he owes both him and Tora more than he could ever repay. He can't help but recall the rest of the conversation they had just that morning. 

“Did you get a hold of Mr. Googoo?”

Quincey, you are such a frigging weirdo. Mr. Googoo? Really?

“Yep, but I leave it up to you to call Poppy. Sorry, bro. That’s on you.”

You know she will not be happy with ya.

“Yikes. You’re a big meanie. Oh, alright. I’ll call. What time did you tell Mr. Tall, Blonde, and Hot?”

“Ummm, I think 3, as that is before my shift at Clark’s. You want me there, yeah?”

“Oh, yes, I do. And that’s perfecto, boo boo. You rock. Miss Editor has the whole week, so it shouldn’t be an issue for her.”

“Yeah, well, that’s all well and good, bro, but you better call Poppy now, bro. Before I can set up any other meetings, especially with Seishin, I need to recheck my work schedule, but we can probably get something arranged soon. Maybe next week, when you go to GGP? Easier for you two, right?”

“Hmmm....  Ah, oh all right. I'll call her now, geesh. Wish me luck, boo. If you don’t hear back from me, send out a search party, K? Woman is brutal.”

No shit, bro.  

“You can handle Poppy, boss. C’mon!”

“OK, ok, ok. You’re right. Tata. Laters."

++++++++++++++++++

Not long after giving Scharch terse, overt instructions via text message, Martin is now raring to go. So within minutes, he’s all cleaned up. He’s now had a healthy breakfast well before his two top men come inside his penthouse. Soon he hears a light knock. Usually his personal bodyguard would be arriving by now, but he doesn’t need him yet today, thus the purpose of getting Lang and Scharch here early in the day. He looks out the peephole of his front door to see it’s the two men he’s expecting, standing together, so he opens the door to let them both in. The two men walk at a sedate pace through the doorway into Martin's living room. 

“Boss,” Lang mumbles to him as he walks past. Scharch doesn’t say a word.

Martin shuts the front door, and walks over to sit back down in the living room, as the men stand waiting for him. He’s not in the least bit surprised to see that the two men arrived at his door at the same time. And he has to believe they more than likely talked when they came up the elevator together. Typical. And they don’t look as put together as he does, but then again, those two bozos usually sleep in much later in the day, as they almost always work late hours.

“Take a seat.”

Scharch and Claude look at each other, then reluctantly sit down across the room from him.

“Report?”

“Nothing new, boss.”

“See now that’s a problem, boys. That’s exactly the reason why Vincent called me into his office yesterday.”

Martin had already decided to inform them about his meeting with Vincent with a bit of gravitas in his voice, and now he’s going to watch their reaction, though, thinking it will help the situation, and emphasize the gravity of the situation. They don’t dare f*ck with him, that’s for sure. Watching them both for a reaction, he isn't surprised, as only Lang seems a bit taken back. Scharch is unmoved.

“Yes, I was summoned.”

“What did he want, boss?”

Damn. Lang always seems slow. But he has his good points, right? He’s got so much to learn, though.

“What do you think, you f*cking nitwit?” Scharch blurts out.

“Now, now, Scharch. Seems we still need to educate Claude a bit more in the finer details of working in the Clan. Am I right?”

Claude looks at Martin like he’s got a screw loose. He knows all too well what working for the Clan is like. But he has to admit at this moment, he’s a bit clueless, as he doesn't typically do any work with civilians.

Martin methodically and calmly explains what happened the day before, giving them a truthful report after his meeting the day before with Vincent, how their surveillance is more critical than ever. He imparts how what they are doing will now be scrutinized, by none other than Vincent himself.

“I shouldn’t have to say this but let me be crystal clear—no fuck ups, no mistakes. Just results. Vincent is now paying attention. Who knows what he’ll pick up on, let slide, or maybe, just maybe, he’ll intervene. Do we want that? F*ck, no!”

Claude speaks up, then, arguing that this particular avenue of inquiry—following the Wilkes woman—hasn't worked out so far, that they have yet to find any evidence of the Tiger being involved with her, nor has she really done anything other than interact with young Balthuman.

“She hasn’t proven to be anything more than a distraction. I can’t find no connection between her and the Tiger, so far, boss. I mean I’ll do whatever ya want, but so far, all I can figure is that she’s working with young Balthuman now.”

Martin lets the man talk, but he really doesn’t care about his opinion. There are no other clues, plus he doesn’t care what Claude thinks anyways. He’ll continue listening and then he’ll make his own judgment as to whether or not it’s relevant. But he’s trying hard not to lose his temper. So he simmers, waiting for Scharch to pipe up and give his thoughts. Scharch always has radical ideas, so he’s actually a bit eager to find out what the weirdo has to say.

But for once, Scharch just listens, as he already has his own agenda. He’s not going to say a word about what his perspective might be anyways. 

Martin also informs them about engaging Gravedigger to excavate the Clan graveyards. Claude pales at this news, knowing he may be called upon to assist. But Scharch? He has quite the grin on his face--he f*cking loves that morbid shit. 

BRING IT ON! If I can get in on finding that f*cker’s corpse, it’ll be gravy at this point. Even if they don’t find him, I’ll have lots of fun. “Gureivu Digā” is a motherf*cking legend. I’d give up following that little bitch for a chance to see Guri in action.

“Alright. I think I’ve said enough. Do your job. Now get the f*ck out.”

Claude and Scharch nod their heads, get up, and leave. They know what they need to do, above and beyond business as usual.

Moments later, Martin hears the door clicks shut behind the two men after they leave, and sighs. Soon his bodyguard will arrive, and he can start working on all the other Clan work he needs to address. He only wishes the search for Tora could be more fruitful, whether he’s alive or dead, traitor or prisoner, ghost or corpse. Unfortunately only time--and luck--will tell.

++++++++++++++++++

Waking up from her power nap, Poppy has to admit she’s feeling well rested and, frankly, a whole lot better. The moment she opened her eyes, she realizes it's a prime day to paint, even if the days are getting colder. So after a long, hot shower, she's now standing out on her roof. Today, of all days, she is truly drawing a true blank on what to paint. It's now early afternoon, and she has been staring at the blank canvas placed on the easel in front of her, making no progress. Usually she either decides the subject of her paintings well ahead of time, or can easily come up with something without much thought, but today she has to admit she has been too distracted the past few days.

Before she even drank her coffee and started reading her pervy tome of choice, she paused, counting the days since she last saw Tora. Didn’t she just do this? Anyways, the fact that she’s even doing it, again, keeps doing it at all, makes her sad. Poppy knows she’s been a bit fixated on the man, but she has to admit her life sure has become interesting since she met him that day outside Moonbright. And then meeting Quincey? Finding out he’s one of her all time favorite authors? Working with him, even if it was more than odd how it all transpired. 

She simply can’t believe how different her life has changed in just a few months—and her life just seems to keep getting more and more interesting! Then she spends a few more minutes recalling how humiliated she felt from that one day, the day changed things for her, forever, that horrible situation. First finding Julri in the arms of someone else, crashing her scooter, the whole reason for her being in Moonbright in the first place.

Fudge, I thought I’d never think of him *ever* again. Julri. Why oh why did I think of that horrid man-child right now ? UGH. What a buzz kill!

One man she wants to forget, the other, well, she doesn’t really want to forget him, no matter what the situation might be. Sighing loudly, she knows she has to stop perseverating over the thought of both of them, especially over the man she hardly knows. Just when she needs a distraction, she realizes what she will paint, something completely fun. She’s going to paint a portrait of the Giant Goldfish crew, sans Gil, with Quincey in his place.

Poppy smiles at her ingenuity while playing with the ring she randomly put on that morning, now on a new chain, hanging loosely around her neck. She hasn’t worn it in quite some time, but she has pulled her dresser drawer open periodically over the past several weeks, just to make sure it's still hidden and safe there. She has checked on it during moments when she’s felt particularly overwhelmed or distracted, and that’s been happening lately. A lot. In fact, she’s been doing so more and more since Tora went MIA. But of course she’s only worn it at home a few times, and she will make sure to carefully put it back before too long. She has to keep it safe. For now, she stuffs it under the collar of the long sleeved t-shirt she's wearing.

Poppy realizes that wearing his ring around her neck is about as close to him as she can get right now. She remembers asking Tora during their birthday party if it was OK to wear it, him breaking the chain she brought, and telling him how it made her feel to wear it. But she gets sad when she thinks of how the rest of the night went down. Not everything that happened that night was a pleasant memory, but even though it ended with her more than a little drunk, and their relationship much less defined than ever, they had kind of, sort of finally moved forward, just a little bit, when he disappeared. 

And now he’s just…gone.

Realizing it’s not doing her any good to feel so melancholy, Poppy forces herself to shift her perspective back to the fun idea she has for her latest painting, so she hunkers down, starting to sketch the GGP group on her canvas. While doing this, she doesn’t notice the car that’s parked by the gate downstairs, with two men inside, watching her as she stands in front of her easel on the roof. She’s sketching a bit of Jacob’s face when she hears her phone ring. She looks at the screen to see that It’s Quincey calling.

Why’s he calling me? It better not be work-related!

“Hello?"

“Hey, Miss Editor, how are you this lovely afternoon?”

“Relaxing, Quince. Not working, that's for sure. What’s up?”

“Well, I…have...something...to...tell...you.”

Oh, fudge! He’s talking weirdly, pausing between words. I’m not going to like what he’s going to tell me, am I… 

Poppy audibly gasps, thinking that perhaps he finally has news about Tora. But then she realizes whatever he has to say may not be what she thinks it is, so she should play it cool, and not overreact. He could be telling about any number of things. No matter what he tells her, though, she knows she has to gird herself for potentially anything, good or bad.

Deep breaths, Poppylan. He could be talking about anything. Now I'm definitely sure I’m not going to tell him what happened at the craft store. But what now, Quincey?

“Yeah, what?”

“I’ll just come right out and tell you: I…have…hiredapersonalbodyguardforyou.”

Quincey blurts out that last part so fast, she almost couldn’t understand him. But within seconds she realizes what he just told her.

“You did WHAT?”

“Now, now--don’t get upset, Popp—“

“And you didn’t think you should talk to me first, ask my opinion on the matter before you did this?”

She’s well aware of the Clan men who’ve been following her, so she has to admit the stuff that happened the day before was very unsettling, but she also feels hiring a bodyguard might be a bit drastic. But before she can protest, he pipes up, trying to explain.

“C’mon, honey. Think about it. All the stuff with Gil, what he was going to do… And the Clan men who have been following you, not on my orders, by any means.”

Poppy shivers a bit just at the memory of all the stuff that has happened around Gil. She knows that man has been MIA, as well, but that doesn’t mean he’s necessarily out of the picture. She just doesn’t try to think of the slimy man too much. 

"Yeah, we need to talk about him more at some point, Quincey."

“Yes, of course, but not right now. Plus there's the fact that my father knows about you now, too, so…”

“Oh, he does, does he? And why should I care? I mean is this a problem?”

And what exactly does he know about me??

“Sweetheart, he is the Vincent Balthuman. The head of a F*CKING MAFIA Clan, the biggest one in the region, Poppylan. And I’m his likely successor, sweetie, so, yes, I’m slated to take over. That means I’m going to take care of those around me, especially you, my precious lil bean.”

“But—“

“End of discussion, Miss Editor!”

Poppy had already set her pencil down at this point, and from the moment he told her about hiring a bodyguard, she's been pacing the roof, knowing that once Quincey has made up his mind, she’s never had success so far in changing his mind, not really. She is not so sure she can dissuade Quincey that a bodyguard is not necessary, no matter how incensed she feels.

“Fine, but I want you to know that I am utterly pissed off right now. I am completely against this.”

“Noted. Anyways, his name is Gādian Seishin, and you’re going to meet him in about an hour, we’ll be there at 3 o’clock. I’ll email you deets. Ciao, Bella!”

“Quin—“

Before she could say one more thing to him, he hangs up on her. Now she’s even more pissed off at him.

She stops her pacing, looks up at the sky, and growls aloud at her frustration. 

Oooooo, the nerve!

She picks her pencil back up, thinking she should get back to sketching the GGP portrait, thinking it might just calm her down, but she realizes she’s just too frustrated to continue. She puts away her supplies, throwing them back into her backpack, then grabs her canvas and easel, then carries it all back down the stairs and into her tiny apartment. 

So this Gādian dude will arrive to meet her in an hour, huh…. I guess I have no choice now.  Doesn’t Quincey realize this is a blatant violation of my privacy?? Besides--the dude is probably hideously old, scarred, or even some obnoxious creep. I don’t suppose he could find a female bodyguard, could he? There are so many questions I have.  Gaaaaa! I FUDGING HATE THIS!  

Poppy now has to admit she’s more than just upset, she’s flustered. By the time Poppy puts away her canvas and backpack full of supplies, she decides to sit down and boot up her laptop before she does anything else, as she has to see if the information Quincey promised is waiting in her inbox. Of course it is. In fact, Quincey already had Gyu send her something before he even called.

Typical.

The email contains exactly what Quincey promised--and the details include enough of what he wants her to know about the man, needs her to know about this bodyboard, Gādian, who is (surprise, surprise) a Clan man, so that alone is something she needs to understand. And, in the interest of transparency, the email contained more information about Seishin than she expected, including a picture of the man.

Okay, so… maybe not so old and ugly after all. Actually, he’s far from it. Dude is…kinda hot, but also a bit intimidating. Whatever. Hard to tell from such a small photo anyways. Guess I’m going to find out!

She decides to get off her butt and freshen up a bit before they show up, and she wants to make sure her tiny little apartment is at least neatened up. Despite everything going on, she certainly doesn’t want to make a bad impression.

What do I know? Maybe hiring a bodyguard is a good idea. And who knows, maybe he'll be a nice guy—and perhaps this Seishin person will be just the distraction I need right now.

++++++++++++++++++

Scharch and Lang have been sitting outside the Wilkes woman’s apartment for a while when they finally notice her walking out onto the roof. She spends the longest time just standing there at the roof’s edge, staring at something in front of her that they can't see, then she gazes off into the distance towards the river. He keeps watching as she snatches something up and then focuses on whatever it is. He has no idea what she’s doing up there.

He and Lang had never really discussed any particular strategy in their approach to following her, not at any length, and Scharch had already decided that he'd let Lang take the lead, mostly letting the junior man make choices moment by moment, depending on their other duties, but now, after their impromptu meeting with Martin earlier in the day, Lang thought it’d be a good idea to check on her before they did anything else or made other plans. While it was a good thing they are lucky to finally have eyes on her at home, Scharch is not really sure watching her right this moment has any real purpose. 

They were so close to her the day before, but she caught onto them much too quickly and made her escape. Not that they’d actually do anything to her in such a public place, but who knows when she might have a rendezvous or phone call that may break open the mystery of Tora’s disappearance. Besides, he wants to keep watching, in case she has any particular routines they don’t know about yet. Someday, he might have an opportunity to grab her, on his own, so Scharch sighs, realizing he has to remain patient. Taking a back seat while Lang takes charge gives him the opportunity to observe, and make his own plans.

So she’s a smart bitch. But f*ck does this woman dick around. Whatever. I’m not giving up on ya, sweetheart. Your time will come.

He can’t believe she hasn’t noticed them yet, sitting right outside the gate. He can't believe how lax the security is at this dump; so far, no one has confronted him, even that kid who works with Tora. That in and of itself is something he's been pondering. But for now, he's content to watch her, as is. But for the past couple hours, he's been rather bored, sitting there waiting for anything of importance to happen, so Scharch takes his eyes off of her, looking off towards the river himself for a few minutes. But then Lang smacks him on his shoulder, to make sure he’s watching. They both watch as she answers her phone, talking to whoever it may be on the other end of the line, then they witness her start pacing, seemingly agitated by whoever may be on the other end of the call. Soon enough, she disconnects her call, gathers her things, and goes back inside.

They sit in the car for a moment or two, hoping maybe she'll come out the door, but she doesn't. Then Lang speaks up, declaring, “Time to go.” 

Scharch doesn’t object this time, since he can’t think of any obvious reason to stick around right now. They have no idea if she’ll be leaving, if at all, making it difficult to hide their presence. Besides, he doesn't like to stick around when that red-headed kid shows up. He needs to find out that kid's schedule, so and--and they--can work around it. So he nods his assent, and Lang slowly turns the car around, and they drive away. Scharch knows he and Lang will need to talk more about what they’re going to do next, including the potential of working with Guri. 

Just another day in the Clan.

++++++++++++++++++

As anticipated, Poppy hears a loud, brisk knock on her front door at 3 o’clock sharp. She takes several deep breaths before walking over to open the door. After she unlocks the deadbolt, she swings it open, Quincey stands there, right in front of her, and she notices two other men standing behind him, one of whom is Gyu. It’ll be a tight squeeze for all three of them to come inside, but there isn't really much she can do about it at this point. In fact, she can’t ever recall Quincey ever visiting her here before.  

“Poppylan, darling!”

Poppy looks Quincey up and down, in all his grinning glory, before giving him a bit of an annoyed look as he stands there, waiting in her doorway. She’s desperately trying not to roll her eyes. And of course he’s wearing quite the gaudy outfit. 

Ostentatious as ever. Sigh.

“C’mon in, Quincey. Gyu.”

She cringes as Quincey gives her a light hug, then she moves out of the way, thus allowing them access into her humble little abode. She nods at Gyu as he walks in, and finally gazes up at the blond man as he walks in, and has to admit his picture doesn’t even remotely do him any justice. They walk further into her flat, towards her tiny living room, and after locking the door, she turns to look at them standing there, taking up all of her space. She is definitely wishing they could have met at Quincey’s place. 

“Poppylan Wilkes, meet Gādian Seishin. Gādian Seishin, meet my employee, my editor, and my dear friend, Poppylan Wilkes.”

The blond man just stands in her tiny apartment, arms crossed in front of him, staring at Poppy. Moments later he nods in greeting, but doesn’t smile or even speak. He’s a pretty tall man, about as tall as Quincey, who is no slouch himself.

Man’s practically a Viking.  A hot studly Viking. Damn. But…brrrr…. What a chilly reception. Whatever. It’s not like I should be expecting anything different, nor is he here to be my buddy. Sigh. He’s big and muscular, but not as big as…

Quincey speaks, breaking her out of her reverie.

“Anyways, Gādian will come and pick you up here every morning, bring you to work, transport you to whatever meetings or tasks you might have off site. In other words, he will stay with you during the daytime, and then will drop you off at your door at the end of the night.”

“What about weekends?”

“He’ll be with you pretty much 24-7, seven days a week. And if you need to go anywhere—grocery store, library, office, whatever, he will drive you. I think we will skip nights for now.”

Pfft, goodbye privacy. Thank goodness it’s only during the day. Ugh.

Poppy doesn’t say anything else, mulling over what Quincey has just revealed. Part of her feels inhibited, as she really wants to discuss more of this with Quincey, without Gyu and the other man’s presence, but most of all, she is still a bit irate.  

“Well, the only thing I have planned so far this week is breakfast tomorrow with Erdene. Otherwise, I’ll be here at home as much as possible until next week. I have the week off, remember?”

She looks at Gādian as she says this, hoping the man will put some effort into communicating with her. She notices Quincey smiling at her, but the frosty blonde man just stands there, arms crossed in front of him, listening and watching as she and Quincey converse.

Gosh that man is so annoying! Now I have to deal with this crap? 

“Right, anyways, he starts tomorrow morning. Just be sure you tell him what times, where, and who from now on. Anyways, we’re off, Miss Editor—Ta-ta! Gentlemen.”

She looks at Gādian, and decides she's only going to tell him minimal details. 

“Brunch, 10:00 am tomorrow, Chō Bistro. That’s it for tomorrow. Pick me up, oh I don't know, 9:30ish?”

She sees the tall blond man nod in confirmation, but he doesn't say anything in response. Poppy shakes her head at him, then, all she can do is watch the three men then leave, walking back out her front door. Gyu didn't even say a word to her. Weird.

This is going to be fun. NOT.

++++++++++++++++++

Leaving Poppy’s minuscule apartment together, Gādian is a bit stunned. He slowly follows the two men back down the stairs. 

What the f*ck just happened? Is this just a glorified babysitting job? I need to know more. But not sure what to ask. 

The three men move out into the parking lot, and he notices Gyu and Quincey look over to a man not far from the frond door, likely Balthuman's driver and perhaps personal bodyguard. He's obviously waiting for them to return. Gādian starts to walk towards his own SUV when he feels someone put their hand on his arm to stop him.

“Hold on.”

Gādian of course stops, then turns, putting on his best poker face. He hopes he'll get a few answers, but now knows he has some more prep work to do. Since he still has his part to play and needs to know much more about the current situation, he’ll see what Balthuman has to say. The meeting they just had with the Wilkes woman was so brief, he knows there just has to be more about her and the reasons she needs a bodyguard than what he’s already been told, which isn't much at all. Looking right at Quincey, he lifts his eyebrows, waiting for him to speak. Balthuman takes several deep breaths before he says anything.

“OK. First, I expect regular reports, Seishin. You’ll send them to Gyu here on my behalf. I believe you still have his number. I want to know if she so much as f*cking breathes, ya get me? Nothing too complicated, it’s all rather easy. But I want to know everything. I mean it. You dig?”

Gādian winces internally and manages to keep his composure, realizing he can’t so much as flinch at whatever the Heir asks, no matter how annoyed he may feel. He keeps looking at Balthuman, slowly nods his head, awaiting likely further instructions. The man is a bit….flighty at best, not at all what he expected, especially after he watched him interact with the young woman. 

“And I know it will be a bit different watching a civilian, but you need to know…”

He waits as Balthuman again pauses, scanning the area, likely making sure there are no people around. Balthuman continues, but he isn’t speaking as loudly. They all know he really shouldn’t say such things out in public, out in the open, but he’s guessing the man needs to place the right amount of emphasis on what he really needs from him. That’s fine, and he has to admit, and he has to admit, he is more than a bit curious about the spunky short woman who is his new assignment.

Certainly beats working at the casino. She’s certainly…different. 

“Look, I’m not going to tell you much, it’s all need to know, but for now, you should know--she’s already under Clan surveillance, and frankly, I honestly don’t trust the f*ckers. They are not following her for her protection, that’s for sure.”

Gādian is now on full alert. The implications of what Balthuman has just said must be related to him, the Heir, right?

She’s being tailed? By the Clan? Why? What is it he’s not telling me? This changes things a bit. Just what is her relationship to him and why is he so worried about a mere civilian?

“Anyways, I can’t tell you any more than that, but since you’re now on board, you’ll know them when you see them. Nasty f*ckers. Anyways, if the parameters of this job change, Gyu will let you know. I just need to know I can count on your discretion on all accounts and make no mistake--you work for ME. She’s feisty, and she may be a bit of a challenge to deal with, but she must be kept safe, at all costs. Do not disappoint me, Seishin. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Gyu will be in touch. Refer any concerns to him.”

Balthuman doesn’t waste any more time, and all Gādian can do is watch as he and this Gyu character get into the SUV in front of him, and then quickly drive away.  He now knows he’ll have to get a dossier on the Wilkes woman, pronto. There is more going on than what he’s been told--it’s just a matter of finding out what it might be.

++++++++++++++++++

After the three men leave, Poppy realizes she needs to connect with Erdene about their brunch the next day. She’s already plotted out where to go--Chō Bistro, the restaurant where Poppy met Mr. Lam and sealed the deal of a lifetime. She pulls out her phone to let Erdene know the details.

Pops: @Dene>> hey there, boney woman. We still on for breakfast 2morrow? --or how bout brunch instead? Got the perfect place.

Poppy waits for a response. She is happy to see Erdene responds within moments.

Dene: @Pops>> u know it, Sugar Pops. where and when, baby. brunch AOK w me.

Pops: @Dene>> 10 am, Chō Bistro. I will txt u directions. 

Poppy looks up the trendy bistro on her phone, and sends the directions, as promised. She’s actually excited to go back there.

Dene: @Pops>> interesting choice.

Pops: @Dene>> yup. Did u know this where i sealed the deal with Lam?

Dene: @Pops>> 4 real?

Pops: @Dene>> you betcha. I'll tell u all about it tomorrow. 

Dene: @Pops>> got it. What u doing tonight?

Pops: @Dene>> nothing. Lots of nothing. Hahaha.

She decides not to tell Dene that she’s actually going to do some more writing and research work on the royal family, but nothing in-depth. It’s work but sort of not work. Whatever. She has several more links to explore anyways, what better time than now? Pops hears the ping of a response from Erdene.

Dene: @Pops>> Good 4 u. I have a date with D, so don’t wait up, honey.

Pops: @Dene>> spare me the deets, woman.  TTYL.

She closes out her message app and locks her phone, and decides to get ready for an early dinner. She has already chosen not to tell Erdene about Gādian ahead of time, but she has to admit it will be entertaining to witness Erdene’s reaction to him when she meets him tomorrow. Poppy smirks at the likely reaction--yes, he’s a good looking man, but she doesn’t know a thing about him. But she knows what Erdene will likely say and do.

I wonder what, if anything, Quincey can even tell me about the guy? If he’ll tell me anything at all? Who knows. Cripes, is there even a bodyguard “protocol”? Am I even allowed to ask him questions? 

Wednesday nights are usually quiet anyways, so this night is really not much different than others. But she does start to wonder what having a bodyguard will be like, and if it will put a cramp on her style or make her change her ways. Poppy sighs deeply. 

Just what have you gotten me into this time, Quincey.

Chapter Text

I am not a before.

I am not an after.

I am here now—

Learning, struggling,
l stumbling, and loving—

Now is the masterpiece.

Growth is the juicy
consequence.

~Sarah L. Harvey

Day 56 (continued)

Texting Erdene about their brunch had thankfully only taken a few minutes. And Poppy still has soooo many questions for Quincey. She really thought there would be so much more to meeting this “bodyguard” than just a mafia-tinged sort of meet-cute. Well NOT really a meet-cute. Plus she realizes that the hot rage she felt the moment Quincey called her and spilled the beans has now all but dissipated. After two months of Quincey’s shenanigans on top of everything else, Poppy honestly has no idea what will happen next. But still…

I can’t expect anything but the unexpected.

Despite where her thoughts went, Poppy has to admit after the three men walked back out her door, she felt an eerie calm, which is a bit surprising.

Poppy sighs deeply. Instead of dinner, she decides to make some green tea. After it’s brewed and ready to drink, she sits down in front of her laptop. But after turning it on, she sits in front of it for some time, not even looking at it, instead staring out into space, her mind going blank for once. 

Somehow, Poppy breaks out of her reverie, flabbergasted at how long she had actually been sitting there. Despite the fact that she wasted a bit too much time spacing out, Poppy vows to spend the rest of the day pursuing anything and everything to help her forget what went down with Quincey and meeting this Gādian Seishin dude. So she decides to prepare dinner after all. Once that was done, she dished out a hefty bowl of food for herself, hunkering down to spend the rest of the night in bed, to either read or stream something decidedly good or even different. She so needs a huge distraction right now.

She managed to narrow down her diversion for the day to either binge watching Castlevania or finding something to read. But, really, none of the books on her shelves nor any of the websites she landed on seemed distracting enough at the moment. 

Despite the lure of the anime, she tried to find something else much more novel to watch. Spending much too much time in her long internet search, she backed up, recalling a database of Asian mafia films (oh, the irony, perhaps an unconscious choice?). After only moments of skimming it, she decided on “The Yakuza Papers Collection.” After reading the description, she thought the films were part distraction and, in complete irony, perhaps part research. The description alone was fascinating:

“While The Godfather romanticized the American Mafia in the early 1970s, Kinji Fukasaku's five-film series known as The Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honor & Humanity revolutionized the Japanese yakuza film with unprecedented intensity. A post-World War II epic that broke Japanese box-office records, this complex, utterly authentic cycle of gangster films replaced the popular ninkyo or "chivalry" films of the '60s with jitsuroku, an entirely new breed of gangster film that rose from the ashes of Hiroshima and post-war reconstruction, depicting a meticulously detailed "alternate history" that had been ignored by the "official" factual record.”

She got through half of the second film when she was finally able to fall asleep.

Day 57 - Wednesday 

No matter how late she stays up, whether or not she has the day off, or even when she’s sick—Poppy can never really sleep in past a certain time. Not really. Not when she’s so fretful. So, right on schedule that morning, even without an alarm and staying up way too late watching those yakuza dramas, her eyes pop open pretty close to her usual wake up time. Poppy has to admit, though, she still feels pretty well-rested, given the situation. Somehow the 50s era mafia dramas didn’t distress her, in fact, they finally helped her fall asleep. Poppy decides to stay in bed, contemplating her life’s newest direction. 

Poppy has been dealing with so much the past several weeks, and as a result, there are moments where she feels she simply can’t keep up with all the changes; at the same time, she has an ominous feeling—as if there is likely to be so much more ahead of her. But this newest situation? 

Sigh. Oh yeah, like I almost forgot about that for a moment… 

Poppy admits she is still just a little bit miffed at Quincey, especially at how abruptly he ran off the day before, so she knows has to talk to him more about the whole idea of a bodyguard, no she needs to talk to him about the situation, and what might have happened that made him think it was a solution, and soon. She suspects there is so much more going on than simply thinking of her safety. 

Even after all the sudden drama around the hiring of this Gādian Seishin dude, good looking or not, somehow she feels pretty much resigned to what it might entail, at least so far. There are simply too many unknowns, and she really has no idea what it will be like, beyond the many mafia stereotypes and her own fear, rational or not. 

I guess I’m gonna find out, aren’t I?

But above and beyond all of that, Poppy feels downright weird not being at work. She’s also glad she had the brilliant idea to meet for brunch at the same bistro where she met with Mr. Lam, the moment that, with utter luck—and a whole lot of guts—Poppy closed the deal of her career, heck, her life. Smiling and pleased with herself, Poppy gets out of bed to make herself a quick cup of coffee, and once it’s brewed, she decides to just sit, to contemplate what might be happening, going forward. And about the rest of her day.

Why she remembered the location for brunch, she doesn’t really know, but as it’s a place that has such good memories for her, she knows going there is a good choice. Besides, she may have not shared much of how she signed Lam to a book deal with Erdene. And meeting with Lam, after that fateful day outside of Moonbright and all the other pieces of the puzzle, was just one more moment before things frankly went to hell. But she doesn’t want to travel down that memory lane, not now. She is going to do her best to stay positive, sharing all the good things about the work with Mr. Lam. But now, she’s getting antsy. Donning one of her cutesy t-shirts, a pair of khaki capris, and her favorite sneakers, she is now feeling just a bit anxious. Poppy has been ready to go for a while now, as it’s already 9:31 am. 

Where the heck is he? I told him the time and place, didn’t I?

The clock ticks by for a few more minutes, and she’s about ready to call Quincey when, finally, there are a few quick, loud knocks on her door.

Pfft, about time, dude!

She opens the door, and the solemn blond man is standing there, waiting. Right. She doesn’t have a clue how to interact with this guy, but for now, she’ll humor Quincey, and just try to be herself as much as possible, at least for now. He is wearing a black suit and tie, and she has to admit he is awful handsome, trying hard not to stare at his ice blue eyes.

Damn, if only he would smile.

“Ah, good morning. I was just going to call Quincey to find out how to get a hold of you. Anyways, let’s go. Erdene will be waiting for me. You remember where we’re going, right?”

Gādian doesn’t say anything to her, simply nodding his head in affirmation. Then he gestures for her to walk down the stairs. She doesn’t want to waste any more time, so Poppy walks out the door and down the stairs. He follows right behind her, maybe a little too closely, but whatever. She realizes she is simply going to have to get used to this type of behavior. UGH.

Mere moments later, they reach the parking lot.

“Uh, my car’s over here.”

He points towards a black Jeep Cherokee that looks to be a few years old, if not a decade or two, parked right outside the front door of the building, all straight and proper. At first she isn’t sure how he got inside the complex, but then realizes Gyu probably gave him the gate code. At least she hopes he did. It’s not like she was going to ask Gādian, but she has to admit she is curious. And then for a brief moment, she remembers Tora’s fancy red sports car and his propensity to never being able park it between the lines. She smiles and almost laughs at the ridiculous memory. She doesn’t want to dwell on that, or other memories of him, for long though. Gādian is standing waiting for her, holding the right rear passenger door open for her to enter. Poppy knows she’s running late, so she has to focus. But she pauses as she’s getting in, and asks him.

“You remember, we’re going to Chō Bistro, right?”

“Yes, Miss Wilkes. And buckle in. Please.”

Well, that’s a bit of progress. At least he's a bit of a gentleman. Maybe? I can handle that much at least. But then again, he’s here to make sure I’m safe.

She gets in and puts her seatbelt on. Click.

“All set. And please, you can call me Poppy or Poppylan.”

He doesn’t respond, though. Putting the car in gear, he promptly approaches the gate, enters the code again, and drives back out again. 

The whole trip to the bistro felt just a tiny bit awkward, and even though she swore she’d be her usual ebullient self this first day with him, Poppy feels a bit too shy to start even the most basic sort of conversation. It was probably the longest 25 minutes she’s spent in a long time. She occupies herself by texting Erdene, telling her she was running late. 

Pops: @Dene>> hey BB I’m running late k?

Dene: @Pops>> no prob sweet  late myself  

Pops: @Dene>> 😄 CYA in a few

Dene: @Pops:>> gotta ❤️ public transportation

Poppy doesn’t even bother to respond to Erdene’s last message, knowing she’ll have to share more at some point. But not quite yet. She even begins to wonder what Erdene will have to say about Gādian. 

++++++++++++++++++

Not a whole lot of time has really gone by since that day when Poppy met Mr. Lam at Chō Bistro. Even with the chill in the air, the place didn’t look all that different. In fact, most of the trees surrounding the walkway up to the door are still green; that made her smile. Poppy shoots off a quick text to Erdene to tell her she’s arrived, and Erdene texts her back before she and Gādian even get to the door, saying she’s waiting inside.

Whew. Here we go.

Gādian opens the door for her, and she enters, scanning the tables to find Erdene excitedly waving her over. She has to wonder if Erdene has even noticed Gādian walking in behind her, following her as she walks up to greet Erdene who has a huge grin on her face.

“Hey, girl! I took the liberty of ordering us some mimosas!”

Poppy immediately senses Erdene’s usual infectious cheerfulness, and grins right back at her. Now this is just the distraction she really needed. She only hopes Erdene will “color between the lines,” so to speak, and not bring up subjects better left alone. But if Erdene does, she’ll have to manage. She always does. Still, Erdene does her thing so well, so she’s pleased at how things are already helping her out of her funk.

“Sweet!”

Poppy still feels a bit nervous since it’s Gādian’s first day, and she still has to remind herself that she will simply have to get used to him being on her tail throughout the day. Heck, he’s going to be stuck with her just about everywhere she goes, if she understands what little Quincey's told her. She’ll draw the line, such as having him follow her into the bathroom, that’s for sure. She thinks he’s already unsettling as it is, and only, what, a half an hour has gone by? Poppy doesn’t even notice where Gādian is inside the bistro, but then she watches as Erdene glances over Poppy’s shoulder. She sees the look on Erdene’s face, which in turn makes her wince a bit. So Erdene has obviously noticed him, and realizes now that he must be standing right behind her, or somewhere glaringly close. Erdene then gives Poppy a look like what the f*ck girl… Poppy just looks right back at her with a sorry expression.

Later, Dene. I promise. 

Since she wants to distract her, Poppy begins to tell Erdene about that day, when she used her own personal experiences in order to connect with Mr. Lam. And for some reason, she leaves most of the details out, particularly how a certain tall handsome man had a role in the whole thing. The story is a long one, so they drink many mimosas before Erdene declares she needs to leave. Poppy has no idea if Erdene could tell she was leaving some of the details out, but maybe, just maybe she’ll tell Erdene some of those other details in the future, but for today, it’s enough to placate Erdene and keep Poppy from drifting into things better left unsaid. For now.

++++++++++++++++++

After returning from brunch, the rest of Poppy’s day is pretty uneventful, even if having Gādian sit on the floor in her tiny little apartment felt beyond awkward, and Poppy remained tipsy for some time. She didn’t believe having him just sit there was the best use of his time, literally spending every moment with her, even if it was part of the gig. He did periodically get up to either smoke a cigarette on the balcony or use the bathroom. She did a lot of reading in bed (there was no where else to sit), and when 6:30 comes around, he nods his head and leaves without saying a word. What a day. She was beginning to get a wicked headache, not being able to fully relax, nor sleep off the buzz from all those mimosas she drank.

Not long after Gādian leaves, though, she moves to sit out on her balcony to watch as the sun finally slides below the horizon. She survived the first day with him, but hopes it will become less uncomfortable as she gets used to him being around. And vice versa. While she has to admit the man is quite attractive—definitely not an old lecherous creep at all. But he is seriously lacking social skills, that’s for sure. Something she’s going to have to rectify, at least to some extent.

Poppy sits for a while, listening to the night sounds of the city and the faint gurgling of nearby Narin River. Then she recalls that night, standing on her balcony with Tora, and holding his hand, and that made her smile. When Tora shared how no one had ever held his hand, ever, she remembered he had a look on his face—part awe, and, to her surprise, a bit of, what, innocence? She couldn’t believe a man like Tora would have never held someone’s hand before. Instead of asking him why, she took a moment and placated him in her own way. Why, she doesn’t know. The whole incident made her wonder what kind of childhood he might have had. Maybe she’ll ask him about it, someday. If he ever reappears. She sits there awhile in the brisk night air, basking in the ambiance for quite some time. 

Later that night as she gets into bed, Poppy realizes that whenever she remembers the little bits of time she spent with Tora, or reluctantly talks about him, doing so actually keeps her memory of him alive, even though more often than not, doing so also makes her a bit sad. But doing so is starting to make her feel better since she still doesn't know if she’ll ever see him ever again. But she’s thought about him enough for the day. She has enough to worry about, let alone dwelling on memories, good, bad, or whether or not they were about him.

So she pulls out her phone and starts to compose a text message to Erdene, knowing it will likely start a long thread about Gādian. Based on how Erdene reacted that morning, seeing him, she will most definitely want to know more about who he is, why he’s been hired, and well, yes, she’ll have to agree that she knows he’s puretty damn hot. She sends the message, but after waiting a few minutes, blessedly, Erdene doesn’t actually respond. Poppy knows she’ll have to answer all of Dene’s questions. More than likely, she’ll respond in the morning. And hopefully that will happen before Gādian arrives for the day.

Closing her phone, Poppy grabs her laptop, and starts watching “Spirited Away,” her second favorite Hayao Miyazaki film, after “My Neighbor Totoro.” 

++++++++++++++++++

Scharch is just so f*cking frustrated, as he still hasn’t had a chance to surveil this chick on his own for a few days. But as of today, he can see that Poppylan Wilkes now has some new blond f*cker with her. And while he doesn’t seem to have a Balthuman brand on his neck, he exudes a Clan atmosphere. Clearly she now has a bodyguard.

He had been wondering when she and the Balthuman shit would notice them following her, and it seems their cover is blown. Martin is insistent to keep tabs on her, still thinking she has something to do with the Tiger’s disappearance. Martin also seems to believe she will eventually lead them right to Tora, but he’s doubtful. She hasn’t led them to him so far, and nothing she’s done has even hinted at being in touch with him. Martin also doesn’t know about Scharch’s own agenda either, and he wants to keep it that way.

He is seriously baffled as to why there hasn’t been any rumors whatsoever as to what might have happened to the Tiger. There are always whispers among the Clan men about anyone who veers off the path. Usually if a Clan man goes “off safari,” you hear rumors of such things, some of them stereotypes (cement shoes, shallow graves in the woods, or sleeping with the fishes, getting a plot in the Clan’s graveyard), but there is usually someone who talks or knows something. But with the Tiger? NOTHING. He guesses that’s the reason why Vincent is so agitated. Could he have escaped? Unlikely. But he’s got more important things to worry about. 

Just who is this new blonde guy anyways? He has to admit, he’s a bit rattled by the blonde man’s sudden appearance. In fact, he neglects to inform Martin about him directly. Normally, anyone who appears like this is reported instantly. But he doesn’t know if this man’s appearance is a one time thing, or something, or rather someone who will complicate things.  

++++++++++++++++++ 

Gādian leaves Poppylan at her apartment, not saying anything, He just nods then leaves, shutting the door behind him quietly.

He has to admit, she’s a pip.

At least this assignment won’t be boring.

He knows now he is most definitely in the best position for him to be in, much closer to the inner workings of the Clan than he’s been since his undercover work began. He is more than a double agent, after all. The pretty petite woman he’ll be guarding is of course a civilian, but she has clear and close ties to the Balthuman heir, so he’s a bit curious about her, even if she isn’t his true assignment. After meeting her and spending the first full day with her, he knows he’ll definitely have to contact NCP, giving them his status and an update. He needs to negotiate new protocols now that he’s been placed so close to Balthuman. He knows they will be pleased with anything he can report at this point.

Easy peasy. Right?

Chapter Text

Day 58 - Thursday

Poppy is sitting at home early in the morning, just biding her time, waiting for Gādian to appear, and has been randomly finding and reading all kinds of stuff on strawberries online. Otherwise, her morning so far has been unremarkable. She hopes today will be better than the day before. Some of the information on her all-time favorite fruit seems to be repetitive, but some of it is also interesting, unique, and…surprising:

“Strawberries represent happiness and purity.”

“The Cherokee regarded it as a symbol of good luck.”

“Strawberries may portend a forbidden desire, or that someone they know has a secret.”

“They have been viewed as a symbol of honor and purity for centuries.”

Huh. I just think they taste good. 

Poppy is on the verge of losing interest; reading the same information over and over is getting tedious. Then she spots something that perks her right up: there’s a strawberry festival two cities away in three weeks! Seems strange to have a strawberry festival this time of year, but who cares! Poppy knows she has GOT to go. 

I wonder if I can convince Erdene to come with me. 

She needs to have someone fun who will go with her—attending alone with Gādian would likely be a buzzkill. She can’t think of anyone else but Erdene, so she pulls out her phone and texts her immediately.

Pops: @Dene >> hey BB  sorry i know its early but i have a random thing I want to ask you.  u home? Can u call me?

Poppy sits and waits for almost 15 minutes for a reply, but sees that Erdene hasn’t even read the message yet. She knows it’s early, and Erdene is likely not even awake yet, given they have the week off. Poppy sighs, feeling a bit impatient.  

Of course Gādian will be arriving soon, and Poppy has already decided she’s going to do some grocery shopping, whether she really needs something or not. Knowing Gādian will be practically underfoot, again, Poppy just wants to do SOMETHING that will get her, them, out of her minuscule abode. Yesterday was just…weird. She believes she won’t be able to relax in her own home with him there. One afternoon of him sitting on the floor watching her was a bit much.

Poppy hopes everything will get a little bit easier when she gets back to work, but wonders if she will have to explain to everyone who Gādian is and why he’s with her. Thinking of this happening as well as the potential for even more logistics, makes Poppy feel agitated, and her ire at Quincey is starting to completely reignite. Poppy knows that she and Quincey will need to have a frank conversation about how much they can reveal about Gādian, among many other things. Weeks ago when Tora appeared with Quincey at GGP, her colleagues knew he was there as a personal bodyguard. But Poppy has to believe that maybe Quincey’s already worked these particular details about the new bodyguard out? She’ll call him after Gādian leaves for the day, to discuss this. Rather than wait for a call from Erdene, Poppy elects to send another text message.

Pops: @Denes >>   Guess u r not awake yet. No worries. Just want u to go with me to this thing in three weeks. It’s a 🍓 festival! How cool is that? Anyways we can 🗣more this weekend? Or Monday, K? Have a good one!

Just as she sends her message to Erdene, she hears a knock on her door. Sighing deeply, she knows a long day is ahead. 

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu hopes someday, some beautiful, fine, wonderful day, he won’t have to work so much. Cause, damn is he tired. And now? Someone is calling him. At 9 o’clock in the frigging morning. 

I just got into bed an hour ago or so, for f*ck sake!  

Groaning, he reaches over and grabs his phone. Through bleary eyes, he sees a number he doesn’t recognize, nor is it in his contacts. For a split second, he almost ignores it. But then, he realizes who might be on the other end of the call—could it be him? 

Could it be Tora?

Gyu quickly answers the call before it goes to voicemail.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Chūjitsu.”

Oh f*ck…that voice… 

Gyu has never gotten a direct call from Vincent Balthuman before, not since joining the Clan. And he has and is now very much awake.

No wonder ya didn’t know it was him--he isn’t programmed into ya phone.

“Yes, sir, good morning, Mr. Balthuman, sir.”

“Now, now. Relax. This is just a call to have a friendly chat. Anyways, I hope I haven’t interrupted anything.”

Just sleep. Wonderful, restful, much-needed sleep. Sigh.

“No, not at all, sir.”

Gyu has to put all of his energy into making his voice steady, but honestly, Vincent’s call is way out of left field, and has him shaking in his boots. Gyu wonders how things might have turned out differently had he not answered the call. Maybe it wouldn’t matter, but then again, this is Vincent Balthuman on the line.

“Good, good, because, well, I need to know the status of your investigation. I know we haven’t spoken for some time, but I wanted to get any current information straight from you. In fact, I may ask for information more often.”

Gyu gulps. He does remember meeting with Vincent, weeks ago, and Vincent had actually texted him before. He realizes now that he might have made a mistake not to add Vincent as a contact into his phone right away. 

“Of course, sir. I understand. Whatever you need.”

He can hear Vincent Baltuman chuckle a bit on the other end of the line.

Yeah, I ain’t stupid. I can’t afford to piss this man off, that’s for sure.

“So, Mr. Chūjitsu, I may have a lot of questions for you, but I’ll try to make this quick.”

Vincent doesn’t waste any more time, and begins to ask Gyu all kinds of questions about what they’ve found, about several things Gyu knows they’ve already shared with Martin, and, of all things, requests a Clan profile of Poppy be sent to him directly via text. Gyu knows enough to not volunteer anything new, especially anything he didn’t already tell Martin. He most definitely has to send Vincent the same information on Poppy that he shared with Martin. Gyu behaves and reacts the same way he did all those weeks ago in Vincent’s office. Tentative in some things, truthful in others. Gyu has to believe Vincent already knows much of what they’ve discussed. 

Perhaps he’s trying to find out if he can truly trust me. Maybe Martin doesn’t want to share? Maybe Martin isn’t sharing?

Before long, Vincent is done, and there are several seconds when the other end of the line is quiet. Then Vincent speaks again.

“I expect regular updates from now on. Contact me directly. No one else, for now. And tell no one.”  Click.

He is a little surprised at how friendly Vincent sounded during the call, but only just. Vincent had to have been fishing for something, maybe Martin’s not giving him enough information? Gyu wonders, though, about the sudden focus on Poppy--what exactly does Vincent already know about Poppy, if anything at all? Gyu is a bit perplexed, since he’s already reported all the same information to Martin. Then he realizes it may have to do with Quincey. He’s overtired so he can’t quite recall any previous discussions about Poppy. Maybe it will all come back to him once he gets more sleep.

Who knows! And why the f*ck has he suddenly contacted me directly? What happened to reporting everything directly to Martin?

No matter what, Gyu knows he’ll have to inform Quincey about this latest development. Dealing with both Vincent and Martin will be a bit of a challenge, despite what Vincent has asked for, but Gyu realizes he likely doesn’t have a choice. 

He also wonders how long it will take until some of the scrutiny on Poppy will drop off. Since Gādian was just assigned yesterday, and it was his first day, there is no way to know if much of anything would have even changed yet. 

Sighing, Gyu stumbles out of bed to piss, knowing he’ll have to text Quincey on his burner. He will need to discuss with Quincey the phone call, and a few other things he had been thinking of, such as how often Gādian should report to them, and anything Quincey might have already shared with father, so they can get their stories straight.

Did Quincey even tell Vincent that he hired Gādian? 

Gyu certainly didn’t volunteer that tidbit during the call. The whole thing felt sort of like a don’t ask, don’t tell situation. He stumbles back to bed, collapsing back into it, ready to go back to sleep. His eyes won’t stay open, so he realizes the text to Quincey will just have to wait.

I wish I could just one day without so much f*cking drama. 

Within minutes, he is fast asleep again.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy had begun her shopping trip intending to draw it out as long as possible, and, now she’s sensing an irritated vibe from Gādian, believing he is beginning to get annoyed with her. 

Pfft. Too bad, so sad. 

Really, Poppy didn’t necessarily intend to do anything to get a reaction out of him. Not at all. She’s simply being herself. And that’s all she’s going to do, like she told herself yesterday, on Gādian’s first day. In fact, Poppy has decided that going forward this attitude will be her mantra: Be yourself, Poppylan. Be yourself. Even after all the crap Julri pulled on her, she is still learning how to stand up for herself and slowly her confidence is increasing, but really? Working for Quincey has already forced her to adapt. And the only other person in her life who has even come close to how Julri manipulated her is Gil, and well, he’s MIA isn’t he.

But this morning, she’s behaving just a little bit out of the ordinary, perhaps pushing herself a little. Poppy honestly despises spontaneity, but since she started working with Quincey, and of course after meeting Tora, she’s had to become a little more comfortable with things changing, sometimes very quickly, and certainly has had to deal with some very different situations. Gādian is just the most recent example. 

Probably the only thing she’s deliberately doing differently this morning is that she’s purposely doing things differently. One by one she’s been making random decisions if at all possible. It’s so not like her not to have a plan, but she did cobble together a list of things to buy, beyond those standard grocery items. She’s added quite a few things she’s been meaning to get. Some things on her list are only available in certain specialty stores, items she hasn’t bought for awhile, or could only be purchased at particular places she’s wanted to visit but couldn’t for whatever reason. One such store, for example, would require taking a bus with way too many transfers, into a neighborhood maybe just as bad or even worse than Ares Street. Okay, she also included some potential crazy-ass stuff she could do in that part of the city in order to use up as much time as possible, but she doesn’t know if she has the nerve to do them. Those places and things are still "TBD."

Scanning her list one more time, she smiles as she closes the cover of the goofy, red panda-themed composition notebook she found that morning. She's happy that she found it amongst all her papers and notes haphazardly thrown in the bottom drawer of her dresser. She’s pretty sure she bought this particular notebook for college, thinking the design might be less “girly” and just a smidge more “scholarly,” but only just. For whatever reason, she never used it. She had many others that were full of notes. Poppy realizes her other notebooks may or may not be in her drawer, and organizing this drawer will be just another task, one she’s not going to do with the blond behemoth practically looking over her shoulder. Poppy also wonders if in fact they may be in Gran’s attic, back in Moonbright. She’ll have to look for them the next time she visits.

Now, though, the shopping expedition is almost at an end, and it’s only 11:30 in the morning. Poppy had hoped to stretch the expedition far longer than that.

Fudge biscuits!

They had just arrived at the grocery store closest to her apartment, just outside her neighborhood. This is not the store she visited with Tora, but rather the only real full-bore grocery store closest to her apartment. 

Now Poppy realizes this last part of the excursion may be another opportunity to kill more time. She already determined that this store was the best one to visit last, since most of what she needs to buy has to be refrigerated, or is frozen, and shouldn’t sit in the car for long.

Moments after Gādian pulls into a parking space, Poppy jumps out of the SVU, walks to the front entrance, and grabs a cart, entering without even looking to see if Gādian is behind her. Of course she starts at the front of the store, slowly walking amongst the produce, stopping several times. She meticulously examines each vegetable or fruit, before either putting them in her cart or putting them back. She also pauses periodically, deciding how much she can spend, or how much she can really store in her shoebox-sized apartment. Sometimes the choices she makes are due to one situation, not enough space, sometimes the other, not enough money, or for both those reasons. Poppy has already spent quite a bit of her measly budget and then some thus far today, so her rapidly emptying bank account has forced her to whittle down her shopping list. Poppy has already decided, though, she’ll check out each and every thing on her list anyways. 

She finishes with the produce section and starts going down the aisles one by one, taking her time. In some respects, she’s putting on an act, like she hasn't memorized where everything is located in the store already. She soooo wants to drag it out as much as she can. All of a sudden she has a vivid memory of that one night, shopping with Tora, remembering he felt uncomfortable being there, for the most part, but he was tolerant of her need to shop. She giggles, remembering Tora spewing strawberry juice all over her that night. Her spontaneous hug definitely caught him by surprise, that’s for sure. So many things happened that night. Following Mr. Lam to Ares Street, everything Benjamin did, saving her butt, meeting Quincey for the first time, all of it. 

Since she felt bad at all the running around, Poppy decides to make some friendly overtures. So far she and Gādian haven’t had much of any discussion, so maybe she needs to be the one to take the first step. She has to at least try.

“So, tell me what kind of food do you like?”

Silence.

“Anyways, I could make us lunch when we get back.”

“That’s not necessary, Miss Wilkes.”

“Really, it’s no bother. I’ve been told I’m a good cook.”  

“No, thank you.”

Poppy is neither surprised nor disappointed at Gādian’s response. She’s doing her best, after all. 

Pfft. At least he’s being polite about it.

She can’t help but smile to herself, remembering Tora again. He had no qualms whatsoever letting her cook for him and enthusiastically ate her food. Most of all, he appreciated and admired those tiger-shaped rice balls she fashioned for him. Not that Tora was a ray of sunshine either. She almost sniggered out loud, remembering the broodiness she often had to deal with since she met him. 

“Okay. Um, I think I’m ready to check out now.”

She hasn’t made rice balls in awhile, and had hoped to break the ice by making some for Gādian, perhaps making them in a simple shape. She’s only known Gādian for a couple days, so she doesn’t have a sense of anything about him. Poppy’s only impression of Gādian so far is that he’s flat out unfriendly. 

Sure he’s hot, but….

Poppy tries to recall her first take on Tora, too, and she has to admit, when she first met him on that train, he scared her a bit. Then he took that god-awful picture, and, well, the rest is history. But Gādian isn’t around to do anything but watch over her, while Tora’s motives…well, she’s still not 100% sure what Tora’s motives were at the time. But as far as Gādian is concerned, she doesn’t know how to act—she’s never had a bodyguard before!

The few times she’s tried to engage with Gādian, he’s barely responded to her queries and has now declined her offer to cook for him. In fact, she thinks it's odd that he hasn’t even eaten the few instances he’s been with her. Other than smoke breaks on her balcony or outside the car, she hasn’t noticed him do much of anything else. 

Crikey, does he even use the bathroom?!? 

They get home, and Gādian offers to bring everything up from the car, so Poppy can work on putting things away. She knows she’ll have to find places for several things. The process takes Gādian almost 20 minutes, but Poppy is still dismayed when she realizes not a whole lot more time has really gone by. FUDGE!  She decides she’s going to paint on the roof again for the rest of the afternoon. There is more space up there for Gādian to “hang out,” and since it’s a pleasant afternoon, sitting up there certainly won’t be a hardship either. 

I have got to think of more things to do so we aren’t stuck in this apartment on weekends!

She’s more determined than ever to talk to Quincey about the whole situation. In the meantime, she’ll explain.

“Okay, I’m going to put all of this away, make some lunch, by the way, my offer still stands--you are more than welcome to join me. Then I’m going up on the roof to paint.”

Poppy doesn’t even wait for a response. In fact, she just ignores him, noting he’s just standing there by the front door, watching her. She’s going to behave as if he wasn’t even there. So, she fires up her laptop, queues up some high energy music, and then starts to dig into the first of her purchases, and begins putting everything in its place. 

Gādian doesn’t react or say a word. Then, Poppy notices that he finally moves, walking out to the balcony, most likely to light up a cigarette.

Well, there you go. 

Poppy believes the rest of the day might not be so bad, after all.

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu finally wakes up early in the afternoon, not long before his alarm was set to go off. Despite Vincent’s unwelcome interruption earlier in the day, he had managed to fall back into a dreamless slumber, and slept like a baby. As he wakes up, he yawns and stretches, recalling he has to go to work in a few hours. He can’t even remember the last time he had a full 24 hours off. Too often he has to function with four hours or less sleep. Blinking several times, he remembers the call from Vincent. He takes a deep breath, and slowly lets it out. Time to text Quincey. Gyu digs out his burner and composes a quick message.

GyuB @QuinceyB>>  yo, call me ya can. Got some interestin to tell ya  

He hits send, wondering when Quincey will read his message or if he’ll even respond. He sends a second message to follow up.

GyuB @QuinceyB>> dont know if ya got my earlier message but we gotta talk, I need to go to work @4  i’ll try to check in before I leave

Gyu tosses his burner back down on his bedside table, and heads to the bathroom to get ready for his day. 

++++++++++++++++++

Gādian walks out onto Poppy’s balcony, as he most definitely needs a break. Lighting a cigarette, he takes a long, deep drag from it, then slowly exhales. He places one hand on the railing and leans on it, gazing out over the Narin City River. Despite being in a lively section of the city, it’s surprisingly tranquil here. The river is twinkling in the midday sun, a sight he doesn’t see very often. 

Gādian sighs deeply. He has to keep reminding himself of his ultimate goal: to get as close as possible to the Heir, and for whatever reason, this woman is very important to him. He also has to recall that this assignment is the closest he’s been to Heir since he’s left home and agreed to this audacious and outrageous plan. Even while deep undercover in the Juggemaffian, he never had to deal with so much… so much. At least with his assignment in the Juggemaffian--the “Yugo Mafia”--he kind of always knew what to expect. But this guard duty shit? with a civilian? He slaps his left hand over his forehead, and slowly wipes it down his face.

Ah, f*ck me.

This woman may just test his patience, in fact, so far today, she’s done just that; he’s about at his limit. And he’s only half way through his second day. Of course Gādian knew dealing with her would be different, but he didn’t know it would be quite so…exasperating, dealing with a woman, with this woman. Gādian is so thankful he’s more than experienced in controlling his emotions and his expressions. He could have rolled his eyes a dozen times, but he managed to keep up appearances and not break character. And the day isn’t even half over. Then again, compared to the mind-numbing, monotonous job at the casino, this new one is far from boring; it's honestly a complete 360.

At least working with her will be…entertaining.

Poppylan Wilkes is quite the character. More often than not, shes acted like a f*ckin’ ferret on caffeine, overwhelmingly nauseating sweet and positive. But she seems quite intelligent and behaves with a bit of assertiveness and decisiveness, creating a quasi balanced individual, at least from his standpoint. When she offered to cook for him, of course he had to decline. He only just met her, and besides, Gādian knows he needs to keep his distance from everyone involved, all or nothing. And he has to wait and see how close she is to Quincey Balthuman. Even so, Gādian has to chuckle to himself. He still has so much more to learn about her. He has to reconcile what she seems like on paper to how she is in real life. How many times did she talk to herself, giggle, or prance around that morning? And that shirt she’s wearing? A completely dorky one--unicorns eating cotton candy or something. And how much sparkly shit can one person need, for f*ck sake. After the fifth stop that morning, he guessed that perhaps she planned to make the morning stretch out as long as possible, doing all kinds of things to avoid going back to this closet-sized apartment. He has to smirk at the whole situation.  

He finishes his cigarette and goes back inside, to sit and watch while Poppy finishes putting away her purchases. She’s already stated her plans for the rest of the day, so he’ll have to acquiesce. What else can he do?

++++++++++++++++++

Once Poppy finishes putting away everything, she quickly eats some lunch. Then, she spends some time checking and rechecking all her painting supplies. Of course Poppy replenished most of them just days ago, but she never really organized them properly; she was simply too upset after what happened that day.  

[Shudders] Those Clan guys sure did give me the creeps.  

Finally, she makes a selection of tints and brushes, stuffing everything into her monkey backpack, then she grabs the canvas she was working on the day before last. Without saying a word, Poppy exits her apartment towards the stairway to the roof, assuming Gādian would follow. Without even noticing him at all, she selected the best spot with the most light, then she zones in on her routine, and this familiar process will be all that she could think about from then on. 

After several hours, Poppy finally puts down her palette and brush, then stretches. The sun is starting to set, so now is the best time to stop and go back inside. She’s nearly finished with the GGP portrait she had mostly sketched out on her canvas, pre-Gādian. All she has left to do is to put some finishing touches on it, then it will be done. Sometimes the painting process is quick for her, like today, but sometimes her paintings take several sessions to finish. Poppy has to admit she’s immensely thankful that the afternoon went much more quickly than the morning. In fact, she almost forgot Gādian was even there with her. She knows she will have to do this a little more, especially since this activity really helped her to kill time, and she didn’t feel so crowded. 

She has no idea what Gādian did the whole time she worked, since she was pretty focused on the canvas in front of her.  

She scrapes some excess paint off her palette into an old can. Poppy knows she’ll have to properly clean all the tools when she’s back inside, but for now, she wraps everything in a rag. She stuffs the wrapped palette, her tools, and her brand-new paint kit back into her backpack. Gādian is smoking while he watches her gather everything together. The last thing she does is to carefully take the portrait off the easel. She has no qualms asking Gādian for help, since she obviously can’t carry everything.

“That’s going to be it for the day. Could you please carry my easel for me?”

Gādian nods his head.

“Thanks.”

She tromps back down the stairs, and in no time she’s at her front door, Gādian just a few steps behind her. Poppy sets the portrait down, leaning it against the wall while she pulls out her front door key and unlocks the door. She picks the portrait back up and goes inside. Gādian enters behind her, then closes the door and locks it. She takes the portrait to the corner she uses to let her paintings dry. 

“Um, thanks. Can you set the easel down over here?”

Gādian does what she asks without saying a word.

She sets it up behind the curtain, and places the canvas on it.   

Poppy still feels a bit unsettled having this strange man hovering over her, but it is what it is. 

Whatever. And only two days have gone by. UGH…  

She cleans her supplies, and by the time she’s finished, Poppy realizes it's dinner time. And time for Gādian to leave. Thank the goddess! 

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu waits for quite awhile, and Quincey has still not called. He can’t decide if he should go ahead and call Quincey or if he should simply wait. He hears a ping on his phone, and wonders if Quincey is finally texting him back, but alas, he realizes this text did not appear on his burner, so the message is likely not from Quincey. It’s that same unlisted number again. Gyu realizes he still didn’t add Vincent’s number as a contact on his phone.

F*ck, I have got to do that!

Unknown Number:>> I need that dossier.

Gyu:>> on its way

Gyu pulls up the doctored dossier on Poppy, the one he’s already shared with Martin, and texts it to Vincent without delay. Then he takes a moment to update the “Unknown Number” to “Vincent Balthuman.”  

Man, I really need to talk to Quincey.  

Gyu sighs, and after looking at the time, he realizes that it's definitely time to leave for work. Even now, there is still so much they don’t know about Tora’s disappearance, even if they’ve  rehashed what they know, or don’t know, every single day. They will keep doing it. They have to do something.

I owe him that much.

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy makes herself a luxurious dinner from all the exotic groceries she bought that day. She’s going to savor this rare treat, as she’s not likely going to make the dish again for a long, long time. And now that Gādian has left for the day, she can relax a little, too, so she puts on her pajamas. She’s so thankful tomorrow is Friday. But also realizes she’ll have to figure out what she can do to get out of her apartment tomorrow, as the weather forecast is calling for rain. Because of this, she won’t be able to paint up on the roof again. There certainly isn’t enough room to set up everything inside. Then she has a brilliant idea—she’s going to go to the office tomorrow, vacation be damned! In fact, she’s spent so much of her budget, that she is thankful that Gādian will be driving her to and from work for the foreseeable future—-until her next paycheck, she’s flat out broke!

After she finishes eating and puts away her leftovers, it’s still early evening. So, she starts to sort the bottom drawer of her dresser for kicks and giggles. Before long, she has to stop. Cleaning out all these random papers and assorted junk is going to take her longer than she anticipated. She finds a paper she wrote for one of her college English classes and re-reads it. She can’t believe she wrote something like this. It’s almost as if someone else wrote the paper, not her. Then again, it was an assignment for freshman comp, so she was, in essence, a newbie at the time.. Smirking, she throws the document back into the drawer, which is still quite messy, and then brushes her teeth. Poppy has already decided she’s going to get into bed, cue up Naruto and binge watch episodes until she falls asleep.

++++++++++++++++++

Vincent quickly grew annoyed at this Chūjitsu character, because hours went by after he spoke to the man and he was still waiting for the information he asked for. He had to remind the little shit to send it to him, whatever details are available about Quincey’s "little editor." Vincent doesn’t know the man well enough to trust him, even if he is one of Tora’s men.

From the moment Quincey uttered her name just days ago, he just knew there had to be something significant about her. And he put that sentiment to test rather plainly in how he asked Martin about Miss Poppylan Wilkes: 

“Her name came up in a discussion with Quinceton. He informed me that she’s important to him, and wants her under Clan protection. I know now, of course, that she’s his so-called editor, but now I’m curious whether or not she might have a connection to the situation, particularly to Tora. So you don’t know anything about her?”

It’s been what, four days? 

Vincent is certain Martin flat out lied to him that day, and not just about the woman. Because of Martin’s deception, Vincent is now going to do his own digging; do some things his way for once. Of course he told Martin to look into the woman, and gave him a bit more of an assertive ultimatum to find Tora, but he’s still been stewing every day since that day. 

I shouldn’t have given Martin so much leeway for this long. That ends now.

Sure, he expects Martin to stick to his usual ways of doing things, but he wonders if Martin is aware he has a tell, an expression he makes when he’s lying. And Vincent most definitely knows that Martin was far from truthful about her--and about Tora. He already knows Martin has men following her, but he also realizes Martin has been keeping information from him all along, so Martin will likely keep deceiving him. Why else would 60 days go by and nothing of any substance has been revealed about where Tora may be? Vincent has methods to his madness, after all. And he has to admit he’s beyond paranoid.

As soon as he texted Chūjitsu to follow up, though, his phone chimes, as he gets an immediate response. There isn’t much to read though, much to his disappointment. He had to be careful not to let Quincey or Martin in on how much he already knows about Poppylan Wilkes, or how much he’s going to find out, but he is curious what the woman looks like.  

He takes a rather large sip of his scotch and sighs skimming the skimpy document. Vincent enlarges her picture on his phone, and even though it's a bit pixelated, he can see she’s a pretty girl. And there is something familiar about her face, but he can’t quite place his finger on it. She’s college educated, and grew up in a small town a few hours away, Moonbright. 

From what I can tell, she’s pretty f*cking young.

He realizes he’ll have to get more in-depth information than this; there is no information about her family at all. There aren't even any details on her vital statistics. There has to be a reason why Quincey connected with this woman and the company she worked for, it didn’t just happen randomly. There is definitely a story here.  

Who can I have dig into this? Maybe it’s time to hire my personal lawyer. My Hōritsuya knows all the dirty tricks I always need to stay as head of the Clan. He can do a deep search on the woman.

Of course, Quincey shared all that unsavory shit about his new smutty publishing company, how Bosu is bad news, and was a bit surprised when Quincey bought out the company. Whatever. His money to waste. But there still had to be a connection made directly with this woman, before he was signed. 

If he didn’t think this Wilkes woman was important, he’d let the lack of details slide, but given Martin likely has his reasons for lying to him, it seems more than likely that she’s been involved with Tora in some way, thus with Quincey, too, in ways he doesn't know yet, and now he can’t ignore her anymore. 

Vincent would like to know how much she knows about Tora and Quincey’s real identities as well as the “family business.” He really wishes Quincey would take more interest in the Clan, instead of peddling his filth. Quincey has been taught to be discrete about separating his vocation and his inheritance, so to speak, but he would prefer Quincey were more hands-on.

Now Vincent is convinced more than ever—he needs to call his lawyer, pronto. Much of the information he’s looking for about Poppylan Wilkes is simply a matter of public record--birth certificates, and so on. But his lawyer has one of the best investigators money can buy. He will dig up whatever dirt there is about her and her family from the last century.   

Vincent gulps down the rest of the scotch in his glass, opens the contact for his Hōritsuya and hits the call button.

Chapter Text

"It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. I was so preposterously serious in those days… Lightly, lightly – it’s the best advice ever given me…So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly my darling…"

~Aldous Huxley - Island, 1962

Day 59 - Friday

Thank the Goddess it’s Friday!  Sort of…

After two particularly excruciating days at home, or rather mostly stuck at home, Poppy wakes up at her regular time in the morning, deciding that she’s going to go into the office, vacation be damned. The transition from complete freedom (for the most part) to having this…hot blond man hovering over her has already begun to take its toll. 

So when Gādian arrives shortly, she’s going to have him drive her to the Giant Goldfish Publishing offices, even though she knows she really shouldn’t. She’s mentally debated all kinds of pros and cons, but eventually she feels justified in her decision to go to work—from how helpful going there will be for Gādian (in the long run) to how she can get caught up work before the next week even begins—that, and well, perhaps maybe a few less believable reasons.  

Standing by her balcony door, showered, dressed, and ready to go, Poppy pauses a moment more, thinking how far she’s come since moving to the city, and only after just a few months. She still can’t believe how her life has essentially taken off a bit. Poppy also recalls how studious she was in college, never missing classes, knowing she’ll need to get a job, how difficult it will be to make a career out of writing, but now she can decipher just how the shift to her first-ever full time job has really been an adjustment. A really tough one. But now, though, she can’t believe how much her life has changed (sayonara, Julri), and where it’s now headed, all thanks to one chance encounter. That and a certain tall broody man who is still MIA. 

Sighing, she feels sad. She’s still trying to avoid thinking about him, but there are simply too many times he’s snuck into her thoughts without even realizing it. Thankfully she is broken out of her reverie when she hears a light tap upon her front door. Gādian has finally arrived for the day. She lets him and quickly tells him about her plans for the day. 

Gādian doesn’t blink an eye after Poppy nervously blurts out her agenda. He doesn’t say much of anything either; just gestures to the door, and mumbles, “After you.” Once they are in his car, she gives him the address. Surprisingly, the drive takes only 20 minutes, and as they get closer, Poppy finally points out the building where GGP is, and then tells him about parking options. Gādian takes a few minutes to park, but he manages to find a pretty decent spot, given it’s the prime time of the day for people to be commuting, arriving for work, and gobbling up all the primo spots.

Once they arrive inside the building, the atmosphere is slightly eerie as Poppy unlocks the GGP front door and lets them both into the quiet, dark space. She never realized how the presence of her co-workers really livens up the place. She has a brief moment when she remembers everything that’s happened to date at GGP—and the fact that Gil set her up to fail, signing Quincey as a client, now Quincey’s status as new owner, and…Tora. 

Whew. ONWARD, Buttercup.

Poppy turns on all the lights, walks over to her desk, and throws her bag down.

“So….this is where I work. Mr. Balthuman, Quincey, is the owner, but he doesn’t always come into the office. But I work here, sitting at this desk, pretty much Monday thru Friday, 9 to 5. It’s kind of rare that I have time off.”

Gādian says nothing in response of course. He just stands there, arms by his side, with that same stone faced look on his face, but with his rather lovely blue eyes on her.

Get a grip, Pops. 

“Anyways, Quincey mentioned something about replacing the door, maybe putting in one with a window? I know this door doesn’t really seem that secure right now.”

She doesn’t volunteer any other relevant facts, ones such as how they usually keep the door unlocked until the end of the day. Not one of them locks the door, even when they use the bathroom or go out for lunch.

I’m sure that information would go over like a lead balloon. I think those days are over, that’s for sure.

“I’m going to check my email and perhaps do a little work, so you can… I don’t know, sit at Jacob’s desk or any of the other workstations and do your…thing. Oh, and feel free to look around if you want.”

As she says this, Poppy points to Jacob’s desk, located adjacent to the front door. Then, she realizes she likely won’t get hear a peep from the solemn man, so she doesn't wait much longer for a response. She just starts doing things she’d normally do when she arrives at work, all while keeping Gādian in her peripheral vision. She first checks on her plants, seeing they all need to be watered. She makes a mental note to do this before she leaves. Then Poppy attempts to neaten her already pristine desk, so before she knows it, she sits down, turns on her computer, and logs into her email.

Before she starts in earnest, Poppy wonders if Gādian might say something to her, maybe commenting about her working on a day off or even about how Giant Goldfish is lapse with their security, but she notices that he simply stands there for a few moments, remaining silent, then finally walks slowly over to Jacob’s workspace, takes off his jacket, pulls out the chair, and sits. So far, he’s a bit predictable. She remembers the first time Tora appeared here, how he went over everyone’s desk from stem to stern. And he was a bit brisk with Jacob, at first. She smiles at how he teased her that day and her checks grow pink as she blushes at this particular memory.

Whew! What a flirt he was that day!

Poppy doesn’t want to think about him yet again—or any of the other informational bombs that were dropped on that crazy day—so she’s eager to get deep into her email, and before long, she’s completely forgotten Gādian is even there with her, and those wild, but not so distant memories. 

She also feels she’s been away from work far too long, and there are certainly a lot of things she can take care of before Monday, and hopefully Quincey won’t find out what she’s up to; she knows she’s not even going to tell Erdene what she’s up to, so it’s her own little secret. Sort of…

Poppy does wonder if she will have to ask for another front door key for Gādian, for security purposes. In fact, maybe she should remind Quincey about his proposed security measures. 

Along with sooo many things to talk to him about! UGH!

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy has to force herself to stop, or she’d sit behind her desk for the entire day. Really, she should enjoy part of it, somehow, some way. But how might she do that? She has no idea. She keeps working until finally she actually becomes too distracted, worrying about being caught. As a result, she finds she can no longer concentrate.

Fudge biscuits. Oh well, I’ll just deal with what’s left on Monday.

Satisfied with what she's already accomplished, Poppy tells Gādian she needs to water her plants, so he nods his head, and follows her as she goes back and forth from the office to the bathroom in order to water them all. He seems a bit tense, but…whatever.  Finally, she’s done, so she sits back down at her desk again, scans her email to make sure she hasn’t left anything undone or open, then logs off of her computer and shuts it down. 

Before she can even get out of her chair, she hears a ping on her phone. Poppy is hoping it’s maybe a text from Erdene, responding to her text from the day before, but no, it’s not from her. It’s from Quincey. OH FUDGE. Not now!

Quincey is asking, no, demanding, that all GGP folks celebrate with him, even though technically they are still “on vacation.” And of course he wants to go to Fallen Angel, of all places.

Quincey @Dene Bean @MsEditor @JDude >> Hello, my lil minions! Did ya miss me? HA! Anyways, ⏱ for a party, yes? Tis the ☀️ of a new GGP! B at the Fallen Angel 10 pm 2night. Consider it required, y’all. Bring ya 💃 👠 girls! TATA

And before she can stop herself, Poppy groans out loud in response to the exchange, reading the series of texts again, just to make sure she didn’t misread them. Well, of course she didn’t. 

And Quincey also tells her privately that Gādian will need to come with her. 

Quincey @MsEditor>> and Ms Editor pls bring Master Googoo with you 😉 he can’t refuse some OT, now can he… HAHAHA srsly if he gives ya grief, let me know

Poppy has no idea if Quincey ever mentioned working after hours to Gādian. Poppy hopes it won’t be a problem, but doesn’t really care. She does care that all she really wants to do is go home, dismiss Gādian, and crawl into her bed and konk out. But, noooo.

And Master Googoo?!? What a fudging flake! He must mean Gādian, right?

She rereads the responses from the others. 

Dene Bean @Quincey @MsEditor @JDude>> oooo  cannot w8! C u soon!

JDude @Quincey @MsEditor @Dene Bean>> can I bring my gf?

Quincey @Dene Bean @MsEditor @JDude >> sure why not? More the merrier! As u were, ladies. And gent. 😘 TATA

In response to her noise of displeasure, Gādian looks up from his phone at her, and she can see he has a look of concern on his face. His reaction is… surprising. 

Pffft. At least I know he’s paying attention.

So, she has to explain, and break the bad news to him.

“Well, I hope you didn’t have any plans tonight, because according to Quincey, you have to work. A mandatory company outing. Have you ever heard of a place called Fallen Angel?”

Gādian shakes his head no. 

“Haha—you’re in for a bit of a treat. Anyways, I’ll tell you some more on the way home. There’s a bit more time before I have to be there. And I also have to eat something and well, get ready.”

And figure out what to do in the next several hours, hours she was hoping she could change into her sloppy jammies, eat ice cream straight from the carton, and binge watch Outlander. Damn you, Quincey! 

Poppy rechecks that her computer is indeed completely off, then grabs her bag and walks over to the door, ready to leave.

“After you,” she says to Gādian, who gets up, puts on his jacket, and steps out in front of her, to wait in the hall for her. Poppy turns off all the lights and makes sure the door is locked behind her. 

They walk outside, and Poppy is still amazed at how Gādian found such a good parking spot on a Friday. He unlocks his SVU, then ushers her into the backseat. Once she’s buckled in and he’s behind the wheel, Poppy tells him a little bit about Fallen Angel, where it is and some vague things about how it’s a dance club, etc., etc.. She really doesn’t want to go, but she knows if she begs off, Quincey will pester her to no end. 

Maybe I can figure out a way to leave early? Tell Quincey I have a headache? 

Once they arrive home, she’ll need to shower and get ready, and, in no uncertain terms, she needs privacy to do that. Besides—even though it’s only 4 o’clock, they don’t even need to be at Fallen Angel for a quite awhile, as she explains. It gets awkward when Poppy has to make him understand what really needs to happen eventually.

“So, I hope you understand. And could you please just wait in your car? Or out in the hall? In fact, you can go home and come back at 9:00 to pick me up. Maybe go eat dinner? Feed your cat?”

Why the fudge did I say that, but what else can I do? I can’t have this strange dude hanging out here for another four or five hours, let alone watch me get dressed!

Poppy feels completely embarrassed, implying her need for privacy, and she hopes she doesn't have to explain any further. She simply can’t shower and get dressed while he’s in the apartment with her—there is isn’t even close to enough room, there is no way in hell she’s going to do any of that with him sitting right there by her front door. Bless the Goddess, he responds as she’d hoped he would, at least partially.

“When the time comes, I’ll wait in the hall, Ms. Wilkes.”

Of course you will.

“It’s up to you whether or not you stay—you certainly can change your mind.”

Poppy hopes she isn’t coming off as bitchy,  but honestly, she can’t help it. While she still feels a bit irritated, Poppy finds a book to read and hunkers down in her bed. It’s still uncomfortable with Gādian just standing there, so she knows she’ll have to deal with it. And she must come up with some alternatives to staying at her place on the weekends, if he’s going to be there with her, hovering….watching her. Eventually, he sits directly in front of the apartment door. She doesn’t envy his likely discomfort.

Poppy doesn’t really want to go back to Fallen Angel, but Quincey wants them all there for whatever reason—oh right, the reason for their vacation. And they’re going to the Angel, as Quincey does seem to have some pull with the owner. But they are going, and he won’t take no for an answer, despite a few texts from Poppy, trying to beg off. 

Poppy reads his only response to her multiple entreaties, and feels on the verge of a hissy fit, as if it will do her any good.

Quincey @MsEditor>> no can do, hon bun.  I must have my Ms Editor with me to celebrate my good fortune.

++++++++++++++++++

Sitting on her floor, again, Gādian is not amused. At least when they visited her office today, there was a bit more space, and he had an actual chair to sit in for awhile. Just as he’s getting as comfortable as he can, he realizes at some point he’ll need to piss, too.

That’s just great. And the woman doesn’t even own a f*cking chair to sit in, just a pillow? Which she hasn’t offered to me. F*ck! And this apartment is about the same size as my bedroom, for f*ck sake!

But recalling what happened earlier in the day, Gādian smirks a bit at how the woman acted, especially while she was working on her computer. He has to work really hard not to snort at the memory of her antics.

Does she even realize how much she talks to herself?

Honestly, she had been acting kinda silly, even a bit cute. And the shit she had in neat piles all over her desk? Her stuff seemed all color-coded and, well, shiny.

But while they were there at Giant Goldfish, he remained on high alert, so he didn’t even take a cigarette break until they left the building for the day, while they got into his SUV to drive her home. 

Even though it seemed they were the only ones on the floor while they were there, he was still incredibly nervous, especially when he escorted Poppy back and forth from the bathroom, so she could water the plants around her desk. And while she filled her watering can, he manages a piss, a long steady stream that almost made him groan out loud. But he was still outside the ladies room door before she finished. Too many years of surveillance and limited access to anywhere to take a leak has trained his bladder to hold much more than it should. But he’d still been feeling anxious, as who knows if those Clan f*cks were hiding somewhere in the insecure space.

Regardless of any anxiety, he feels it is helpful for him to know where the business is located, especially where she sits and her routines, the best route to drive from her apartment to the busy city block where the office is located, and, most importantly, what kind of security is currently in place, which he can already tell is pretty sparse. 

He pulls out his phone, scanning the latest document he placed within his notepad app. Earlier, he had taken a little time to type up a few notes, written in code, just a list to remind him of some things for him to do—especially how he needs to find out more about this Giant whatever publishing company, especially anything NPC has on it. 

He tries to recall when he first agreed to take the assignment if Balthuman really said anything about any aspect of this—the company, how he managed to acquire it, or any other information on this, what’s it called? “Giant Goldfish Publishing”? He doesn’t remember anything other than who is involved in the assignment, not these types of details.

He also realizes he should ask who else works for Quincey and take a personal look into any potential security concerns, Clan involvement and so forth, from his standpoint, and with his sources. He won’t take any chances sending any messages while he’s in the room with her, but knows in his off hours, he’ll have to make contact with his NCP point person to ask about this publishing entity—and get more relevant information overall. 

The publishing office space is not that large, and for the most part, the desks are all relatively clean and tidy. While sitting there, he had noticed a few inspirational posters hanging on the walls, but not much else. 

She did suggest he check the place out when they first arrived, and Gādian is surprised she didn’t offer to give him a little tour. Given the little woman's propensity for detail, she’ll likely get to it eventually. 

It’s only been a couple days, but he can already tell she’s a bit predictable, especially since she’s a civilian. He’s spent many years immersed in first the Juggemaffian, then the Clan, but still, Gādian simply wasn’t expecting… this. He looks up to notice she’s still reading. His undercover work is certainly going to be…different from now on, that’s for sure.

And now he has to go to some nightclub with her? Geesh. He decides to switch gears and start a quick search on the place—“Fallen Angel.” He’s been living in the city, how long? Long enough, but still, he’s never heard of the place. There aren’t a lot of search results for him to look at, other than some so-so Yelp reviews and a few other sparse Facebook posts and blog entries. Between the dearth of information and how Poppylan had described it, he is leery about going.

He did find a rather provocative preview image on one site, a photograph of a group of scantily clad women standing in front of a huge glassy, angelic-appearing statue, sparkling in some sort of dark room. There is likely a story about the hulking piece that appears to take up a lot of space in this club. Ishrikhara it’s called? Huh. Never heard of ‘em.

He starts to read some more of the text and realizes that whoever wrote the story hasn’t really elaborated on who this Ishrikhara “entity,” angel or not, might be. There must be something about the place, and this winged, carved thing that appeals to Balthuman. Why else would he choose to take his staff there with him?

More research to do, I guess.

The thought of having to go to a place like this bar honestly is making him nervous. Clubs have never, ever been his thing, undercover assignment or not. But since both Poppy and the Heir will be going, he can’t refuse, plus he’s just started the bodyguard job. Gādian realizes that he’ll have to discuss overtime with Balthuman as well. Worst of all, he wonders if Balthuman even realizes how the place is really quite vulnerable.

Next thing he knows, she’s trying to get his attention, telling him it’s time for her to eat dinner and get ready. He knows she’ll offer to feed him, which he knows he’ll need to decline. He remembers an energy drink in his SUV, so he’ll just grab that and have a quick smoke.

Perfect time for a break anyways. My ass hurts.

He nods at her, and heads out the apartment door.

++++++++++++++++++

True to his word, he is patiently waiting for her after she eats her dinner and gets ready. She should feel guilty for taking so long to get dressed, but she doesn’t really care.

Poppy spent almost a half an hour alone just going through her meager wardrobe before selecting something to wear. Any other time, she might text Erdene for ideas or even connect with her someone, asking to borrow something. Erdene did, after all, find some really nice things for her after cleaning out her closet. 

Poppy manages to find an older skirt, even though it's shorter than she usually wears, and pairs it with a newer, flowery top. She’s also decided she’ll wear her sneakers, rather than heels. She wryly remembers Quincey telling her to wear her highest heels the last time. 

Anyways, she decides not to wear that dress she wore for her birthday party months earlier. She took her sweet time showering, drying her hair, styling it, selecting jewelry to wear, wishing she still had her hair pin, until finally, she feels she’s ready. 

She doesn’t even care if they arrive late at this junction. 

“Let’s go.”

Gādian tromps down the stairs, Poppy following a few steps behind. They both get in the SUV, and they’re off. He parks in a garage nearby the glitzy club, and they manage to make it on time, and somehow, by sheer luck (or not) they meet Quincey on the street as they walk up to see the very long line of people waiting to enter. Quincey flutters  over her rather casual outfit, and then in a stroke of luck, ushers them all to the head of the line, skipping past those many, MANY people waiting. Poppy feels bad, as the line extends to the end of the block and beyond. The perks of being a Balthuman, Poppy guesses.

After they arrive, Poppy extracates herself from Quincey’s side, and makes a beeline, hiding behind the statue of Ishrikhara, quickly sitting in the far corner, so she can gaze into the aquarium. She doesn’t even care if Gādian is behind her or not.  

She sighs, remembering how she sat with Tora in this exact spot several weeks ago. Of course Poppy didn’t want to be there tonight, or at all, because she didn’t want to remember—but she’s here and she does recall more bits and pieces from that night. Even though she came by to look closely at the statue again, trying to remain positive, taking pictures of the massive statue for her portrait, she feels unsettled. Things have really changed in such a short time. Perhaps she needs to have a little dialogue with the angel herself. That makes her laugh a short, sardonic laugh. Right.

Then she realizes that tomorrow, or rather at midnight, Tora will have been missing for 60 days. Two months. She is just so fudging baffled and still so sad about his vanishing act. She wants to move on, accept he’s gone.... and maybe she will, eventually. But she’ll never forget him. Easier said than done, really. But now that’s she there, with a huge crowd, loud music, and that beautiful, sorrowful statue nearby, she realizes being at Fallen Angel is not fun for her, at all. Not this time. While watching the fish swim sporadically near her, she strokes the glass tank, in much the same way she did before in those few awkward moments with Tora sitting by her side. She starts to think of excuses, any excuses to get the heck out of there.

++++++++++++++++++

Quincey watches Poppy run off the moment they enter the cavernous dance club, and sees her go and sit by herself. He’s feeling a bit dejected himself, and it makes him more determined—he’s got to find him, or at least find out what happened to him. If not for himself and Gyu, and for her, too.

He really feels deep down in his bones that Tora is not dead, but there is simply no evidence of either him being alive—nor his death. He’s even heard rumors of the Gravedigger checking out all the Clan dump sites. That makes him shudder unconsciously. 

Ah, Father, you and your incessant paranoia. I suspect you ain’t gonna find jack.

Distasteful, sure, but perhaps everyone around him is more than just a bit desperate to find something, anything to do with Tora right now, any evidence of where he might be or what might have happened to him. 

Quincey hasn’t shared his suspicions with anyone yet, not even Gyu, but he’s been starting to wonder—did Tora leave? 

But why would he do this, and not tell me?  

Quincey has to admit that something else might be going on, and feels a bit hurt that if that is the case, why couldn't he be trusted to know the truth? In the meantime, he’ll do what he can to live his life without Tora—and take care of Poppy, now that’s she front and center in just about everything. Tora dragged her into the Clan stuff, even if he intended to completely sever ties, and then Quincey further contributed to all of this in his own manner, bringing her into his life, too, so he needs to man up and protect her, especially since Tora remains MIA. Besides, maybe none of this wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t acted so radically, trying to be a matchmaker for the pair. SIGH. All the pros and cons are making his head spin. Hiring Gādian is really a prudent act, but the danger she’s in is far from over. Dealing with Clan goons alone is a trial, and—

ENOUGH! I need a f*cking drink—a massive one!

Just as he gets ready to speak to the bartender, he feels the buzz of an incoming text on the phone is his pocket. He’s gotten another text from Martin, who is asking for an update.

Speaking of Mephistopheles…

He looks over at Smithy, who is at his elbow, rolling his eyes. He holds up the screen, showing a preview of the text he just got. Smithy has a look of sympathy on his face.  Quincey may need to tell the man to f*ck off at this junction, but he knows that despite his irritation, he has to act as the Clan dictates he act. But f*ck, for the night, Quincey decides to ignore the man’s text—for now. He wants to forget all his troubles even if it's for a brief time. The older man is such a pest!  He has a life to lead, FFS!  Thus, the reason he’s dragged her and the other GGP peeps out for a night of distraction…and fun. And yes, to celebrate a new “chapter” of all of their lives. Quincey looks up to see a flash of red hair—just the person he really wanted to see that night.

“Hey, Pumpkin! So good to see you!”

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy continues to sit for quite some time, sipping the sodas that G has been supplying her, avoiding any alcoholic drinks. She hasn’t moved from her secluded spot, as she continues to watch the fish swimming in the aquarium, but now, for whatever odd reason, she’s feeling an eerie sense of peace. It is what it is. Despite efforts by Quincey and Erdene to get her up off her feet to dance, her heart just isn’t in it and begs off. Now, it’s suddenly midnight, and someone makes a loud announcement about some weird ritualistic dance or something to the clubgoers who all hoot and holler in reply. She wryly smiles to herself. 

Just another day, right?  

She doesn’t even notice a man lurking in the corner, watching her. Gādian stays in the background, hating every moment as he lurks in the club not far from Poppy. Then he notices a man watching her, but before he can even approach him, he’s already gone. 

++++++++++++++++++

The hooded figure has been watching her for awhile after she arrived with Quincey Balthuman, an older man who seems somehow familiar, and a tall blonde man who he doesn’t know. He is rather puzzled as to what this petite woman’s connection to Quincey Balthuman might be, and vows to find out. His own amber eyes sparkle a bit as he remains in the shadows, watching her on the other side of the massive sculpture. He has no idea who this other blonde guy might be either, security maybe?

Does Balthuman have a f*cking girlfriend? Shit, I thought he was gay!

But then he suddenly realizes he’s been spotted. Before anyone can intercede, though, he bolts, running through the crowded dance floor, up the stairs and out of the club before the blonde can get anywhere near him. And now he has more questions he needs answered. Most important of all:

Just where the f*ck is Tora?

++++++++++++++++++

even if you go for it and it 
doesn’t work out, you still 
win. you still had the guts 
enough to head straight into 
something that frightened 
you. that type of bravery 
will take you places.

~The Better Man Project

"If I could not be peaceful in the midst of danger, then the kind of peace I might have in simpler times is meaningless. If I could not find peace in the midst of difficulty, I knew I would never know real peace."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

“The beginning is always today.” 

~Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Day 1 - Tora (flashback)

It had to be tonight, didn’t it. F*CK.

He knew it the moment the text appeared on his phone; Tora feels a bit shocked. But then he realizes with both excitement and dread what the message means—it’s really happening. It’s go time. 

F*cking finally. 

Tora should have known that when things finally did change, when something really happened, he’d be contacted right away, and he knew that could happen at any given time, even one as inopportune as now. All the details of his arrangement with Lane had been settled long ago—well before that f*cking notebook, before he even met Poppy. 

Lane’s grand plan, and his role in it, has been a deep dark secret for some time, his secret, one with an incredible amount of risk. No turning back now. Lucky for him, he manages to keep a blank look on his face when he gets the message, but doing this takes an enormous effort. While he feels like the king of poker faces, working for the Clan, he is still trying not to react while he’s with her—let alone let Poppy know how much he’s freaking out internally. And then to not tell her anything at all, why he has to leave. He’s kept plenty from her already, but this? Somehow this time, the secret feels different. All of it is a big f*cking deal.

Thank f*ck he told her about being summoned at any given day or hour, for work. That and he may have exaggerated about using a special ringtone. Tora told her a little fib about it—that tone, it's not really the one he’s assigned to his Clan work at all. This particular weird as f*ck tone is one he chose months ago, right after he made the deal. He knew it had to be startling enough to shock him into awareness, so he could remember what he needed to do. And he realizes right now, in this moment, he’s making such an incredible chance on the whole thing. Still, the odd noise emanating from his phone is quite unsettling. It takes him a moment to comprehend what is happening, and the jarring squawk has served its purpose well. He has to leave. Immediately. Go time.

But Tora really wishes he could have had just a little more time with her before this thing started, but something crucial must have happened, forcing them to move up their time table. He had almost forgotten about everything or at least tried to—until Lane tried to call him that night. Yes, THAT NIGHT. He realized not long after her call that something must have changed right then.

But the clock had really started to wind down then and there, but he of course kept it to himself. He did his best to ignore Lane’s calls. F*ck, he’s surprised she didn’t show up at his front door, but she knows better.  But now? Now he has no choice. He’ll also need certain other memories of that night at Alice’s, among other recent ones, to sustain him, perhaps for a very long time. Most definitely those certain memories of her. For sure.

But worst of all, he wishes he had at least kissed her one more time, f*ck knows he wanted to and more than once, many, MANY times, but he finally realized he can’t stay away from her. At all. And although doing that had been excruciating, he has been letting her take the lead on any one-on-one interactions, as they’ve been spending a bit more time together, trying to keep her as far away as he can from Clan bullshit. Those rare moments weren't anywhere near enough to suit him, but he’s been trying to be so patient with her, at the same time still trying to keep his distance, given his personal situation working for Vincent, for the Clan. Some days he felt he could wait forever, others he felt couldn’t wait another moment to see her. Even though he thought making a clean break would be for her own good, really, then Quincey certainly threw a wrench in that strategy! And while he had to keep his cover, doing some of the nastiest shit ever for Vincent, he also was grateful for the time he had to stick close to Quincey, which was most of the time. And thus, now, he was close to her, too, and that certainly wasn’t a hardship, not really. Not a f*cking hardship whatsoever…

So Tora endured, doing a bit more of those reviled things always required from him and not flinching, not one f*cking bit when Vincent grew paranoid at some of the shit he’s been pulling with the help of Ronzo, trying to rouse Vincent in ways he couldn’t possibly have expected to do a year ago. 

Vincent—that f*cker. I’ll be happy to be rid of that f*ckface, that’s for sure. What a price to pay, though.

In a flash, he knows now things will never be the same. He’ll have to be much more patient.

Because time’s up.

At the last second as he’s walking out her door, he looks back at Poppy, making sure to look her directly in her eyes, and gives her that kith-kith hand signal. Not that anything could ever take the place of how her lips feel on his. F*CK. Seeing Poppy blush in response to this simple little private gesture between them will comfort him for a while, will have to be a source of strength for who knows how long. Keeping his shining eyes on hers as he slowly closes the door behind him, once it’s closed, he then quickly moves down the stairs. His distress is so high that his fingers are already itching for a cigarette before he hits the parking lot. 

And the whole endeavor, this massive undertaking has its purpose. And he’s not just doing this for himself, he’s now decided that what he’s doing—what he’s likely going to have to endure—is now just as much about keeping Quincey safe, protecting Ronzo, and yeah—keeping her safe, too, no matter the cost. But most of all, he’s doing this to get OUT. For himself. He can’t possibly feel guilty about the thought of freedom.

As Tora drives to the designated rendezvous point, he can’t help but feel anxious and smokes nonstop. Before long, he arrives at the empty, remote warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Lane chose this location, definitely an odd one when he was first informed, but now that he’s arrived, Tora now understands the rationale for meeting at this location. Besides, he’s not the one in charge. This is simply where Lane instructed him to go a long time ago. Tora has no idea if he’s been followed or if anyone has seen him at all that evening. He simply remains as calm as he can, driving around the dark, isolated parking lot as steadily as he can, trying not to draw any attention to himself circling around to be absolutely sure he hasn’t been followed then finally moving to the farthest dark corner from the road. He’ll be lucky if no one will track him, whether he’s been caught on traffic cams or even something else. But he can’t worry about that now. Even if they do find his abandoned car, he’ll be long gone to wherever Lane is going to send him.

He turns his car off. The whole area certainly seems like its been deserted for a very long time, perhaps even decades. Now he has just to wait for someone to pick him up, trying so hard not to think any more about Poppy. He hasn't been this unsettled since Lane and her men caught him that night over a year ago, and holding him on some trumped up, bogus charge. But something affected him that night, after kneeling on that nasty hard concrete for so long, in a disgusting back alley off of Ares Street, wrists handcuffed behind his back, and he has to admit was incredibly f*cking incensed. Then Lane approached him, had him whisked away to some random, secluded spot, and then dropped a bomb, sharing her radical f*cked up scheme, and somehow in that moment, it simply became his breaking point. He decided then and there that enough is enough. 

He is taking such a huge risk in doing this, but f*ck, he takes a risk walking out his front door every day anyways.

Let Vincent squirm for once, I mean really squirm.

Leaning against his car, Tora listens to the peepers and waits. Now he’s going to have to be beyond patient.

I only hope this f*cking shitshow doesn’t take too long.

****End of Part II***

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: ”It's not true”

Summary: Poppy's having a tough time, but a postcard stuck to her fridge gets her thinking--she really needs a vacation.

Chapter 2: “Tell me I've been lied to”

Summary: The first part of Poppy’s journey starts close to home, as she visits the Fallen Angel club, and also starts to remember many things that have happened to her over the past year.

Chapter 3: “Cryin' isn't like you”

Summary: Poppy continues to go down memory lane during her journey, but still no word from the Tiger. Where the fudge is the man?!

Chapter 4: “What the hell did I do?”

Summary: The days tick by, and there are more memories for Poppy to deal with, but still no Tiger. Things get more hairy, as Vincent makes an appearance, making demands, naming names, and threatening Tora, even if he’s nowhere to be found.

Chapter 5: “Never been the type to”

Summary: Gyu and Quincey strategize on how they can find Tora, and decide not to tell Poppy he’s missing. Poppy connects with Cordelia and finds more information on the royal family.

Chapter 6: “Let someone see right through”

Summary: As the search for Tora’s whereabouts begin, Gyu downloads his first batch of Tora’s cell phone data, finding the last text received, allegedly from Vincent. Allegedly. Poppy hunkers down to read the book on the royal family, starting with the story of Ulaan and Yuwa.

Chapter 7: “Maybe won't you take it back?”

Summary: Poppy continues her research into the exiled royal family, and she particularly wants to know more about the Balthuman Clan. She shows up to work after the weekend, and sees the artwork for the Lam book cover—a picture she knows very well. Quincey meets with Martin, and Gyu brings Quincey a burner while they seek alternate ways to communicate until they are completely safe and secure to do so.

Chapter 8: “Say you were tryna make me laugh”

Summary: Another new week at Giant Goldfish Publishing, another work session with Quincey, but Gil remains aloof and MIA. Quincey decides to sic Gyu on some background research on the company—and Gil. Poppy seeks to visit the Narin City Historical Society and its permanent exhibit on Ulaan and Yuwa’s reign. Gyu thinks of another way to track down Tora, but he and Quincey still need to wait for their secure systems to be installed.

Chapter 9: "You didn't mean to say, 'I love you'"

Summary: Poppy laments the lack of information about where the Tiger might be and has another fond memory. Gyu and Quincey finally have some security to openly discuss what they're doing, their progress, and how they need to keep what they know from Poppy.

Chapter 10: "I love you...and I don't want to"

Summary: Poppy and Erdene go out partying at Club Miracle. Gyu goes to Tora's tossed apartment, for more searching and clean up, finding some things he didn't expect to.

Chapter 11: “Up all night... on another red eye”

Summary: Poppy muses about what she views as similarities between Ulaan and Tora, and starts the process of looking into her own l family tree. Gyu and Quincey discuss the Giant Goldfish dirt uncovered, and the stuff Gyu found in his search of Tora's apartment. The Giant Goldfish trio laments the absence of Gil, yet again, and begin to suspect he's up to something.

Chapter 12: “I wish we never learned to fly”

Summary: Poppy receives the book she ordered on the Clan, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. She genuflects a bit, having a self-epiphany—vowing to put herself first as much as possible. Gyu finds Tora’s car, far away from Narin City. Poppy and Quincey make plans to host a visit with Mr. Lam.

Chapter 13: “Maybe we should just try, to tell ourselves a good lie”

Summary: But GPS data never lies, which Gyu and Quincey find out, unfortunately. Poppy gets another weird phone call and escapes to Moonbright for the weekend.

Chapter 14: “I didn't mean to make you cry”

Summary: During her visit to Moonbright, Poppy spends some quality time with Danae and Mirabelle; Poppy sees Julri for the first time since that horrible day.  And Julri is more than just a memory, he’s still a fudging jerk. Quincey gets a visit from dear old dad. Gyu and Quincey take a crack at accessing the memory card found at Tora's apartment, and make plans to visit the Sōko warehouse.

Chapter 15: “The smile that you gave me, Even when you felt like dyin'”

Summary: Gyu, Quincey, and Smithy visit the warehouse. Danae and Mirabelle chat with Poppy after her liberating confrontation with Julri. Poppy travels back to Narin City, and has a vivid flashback of her train ride home--the first day she met Tora. Gyu visits the storage locker rented by Tora.

Chapter 16: “We fall apart as it gets dark”

Summary: Erdene gets a report from Poppy’s Moonbright trip. Quincey confesses to Erdene that Tora is missing. Gyu finds out about Poppy’s mystery calls. Poppy takes a walk down memory lane, literally, but doesn’t realize someone is watching her.

Chapter 17: “I'm in your arms in Central Park”

Summary: Gyu and Quincey lament lack of significant leads, so they go the forensics route. But Gyu makes a discovery that may give them a small clue they desperately need. Poppy starts a diary, and confronts Quincey. It's been 30 days, and she wants to know something, anything. Martin and his boys meet with Vincent, and decide to begin a side investigation.

Chapter 18: "There's nothin' you could do or say"

Summary: Poppy and Erdene have a sleepover, and Poppy shares her distress. Martin and his men make their own discoveries. Poppy and Quincey have dinner with Mr. Lam, and more painful memories emerge.

Chapter 19: “I can't escape the way I love you”

Summary: After introspection, Poppy returns to her dream diary. Both Gyu and Quincey find clues, but they are small ones. Poppy does more digging on the royal family, finding another name to research. Gyu has a daring plan to help them track what Martin is up to. They lament the lack of any real information to help them find Tora.

Chapter 20: "I don't want to, but I love you"

Summary: Poppy gets a surprise phone call. Quincey spills his guts to Erdene, and meets again with Martin. We have a refresher back to Day 274 when Poppy finds the postcard, and then the following day when we learn a little more about Poppy’s plans to travel. And Gyu is the ultimate secret keeper...

End of Part I

Chapter 21: “Listen, seeing you got ritualistic”

Beginning of Part II

Summary: Gyu and Quincey discuss the repercussions of what Martin knows about Poppy. Gyu calls his sister to get her help. Jacob admits he knows Tora is le Greek God.

Chapter 22: “Cleansin' my soul of addiction for now”

Summary: It’s now Day 37, not that she's counting (but of course she is). Poppy is still annoyed at Gil’s continued absence at Giant Goldfish. She arranges to visit the Narin City Historical Society with Erdene. She finds and reads some diary entries written by Queen Yuwa. And she confirms dinner with Cordelia.

Chapter 23: “Cause I'm fallin' apart”

Summary: Poppy begs off partying with Erdene and stays home for another boring Friday night. The two women finally travel to the Narin City Historical Society checking out the Ulaan exhibit, which cheers Poppy up considerably. Erdene takes lots of pictures, posting them to her Instagram account. And while they wander the exhibit floor, they don't realize they are not alone.

Chapter 24: “Yeah, tension between us just like picket fences”

Summary: Poppy and Cordelia meet for dinner and Poppy gives Cordy the portrait she’s painted of her—and of course Quincey shows up. Gyu starts the tedious work of reading forensics reports, even if he feels a bit hopeless.

Chapter 25: “You got issues that I won't mention for now”

Summary: Poppy's dinner with Cordelia and Quincey ends on a wistful note. Poppy begins Quincey's portrait. No news about Tora is... no news.

Chapter 26: “Passionate from miles away”

Summary: Quincey has begun writing for a new volume of "The Secret Garden," and his stories feature characters who appear quite familiar to Poppy. Gyu re-examines all the evidence collected and finds a forgotten detail, so he goes to find it.

Chapter 27: “Passive with the things you say”

Summary: Quincey officially announces that a second volume of "The Secret Garden" is being written, good news for the Giant Goldfish team (or is it). Quincey shares a racy sketch drawn by Erdene, one that makes Poppy blush. Scharch is still on the prowl, waiting for a chance to snatch Poppy. Gyu drops a hint to his sister about his recent discovery, not knowing if it means anything to her or not.

Chapter 28: “Passin' up on my old ways”

Summary: Poppy is well rested after an extra day off, but gets corralled into meeting a prospective new client for Giant Goldfish on a Sunday no less, one she never expected. Gyu tries to take some time off, but it doesn't last very long.

Chapter 29: “I can't blame you, no, no”

Summary: Gyu and Quincey continue to be hounded by Martin, despite the fact their efforts are still not yielding any results. And big changes are coming to Giant Goldfish Publishing! And after 50 days MIA, Poppy finally finds out the truth.

Chapter 30: “Listen, hard at buildin' trust from a distance”

Summary: Poppy and Quincey talk about Gil and the bombshell about Tora. Poppy realizes she’s being followed, but by who? Quincey wonders if he should hire a personal bodyguard, given the situation with Gil and his concern for her personal safety.

Chapter 31: “I think we should rule out commitment for now”

Summary: Quincey tells Vincent about Gil, and how he is the new owner of Giant Goldfish Publishing. Gyu finds what he feels is the perfect candidate for Poppy’s bodyguard. Poppy is still reeling after finding out the truth, being followed, and all the crap with Gil. Poppy and Erdene take off for the long-awaited trip to the exiled royal family palace! ROAD TRIP!

Chapter 32: “Leavin', you're just doing that to get even” 

Summary: Poppy and Erdene travel to the exiled royal family palace, and en route, they finally talk about the stuff with Gil—and what it will be like to have Quincey as the boss. Quincey and Gyu meet to talk about the potential new bodyguard, and it seems to be a go, as long as the man is available—and willing. 

Chapter 33: “Don't pick up the pieces, just leave it for now”

Summary: Poppy and Erdene spend a full day touring the palace, making sure they don’t miss a thing. Gyu laments the complete and utter lack of anything to look at or do in the search for Tora, so he decides to try something completely radical. Lane has secrets within secrets of her own.

Chapter 34: “They keep fallin' apart”

Summary: Poppy and Erdene discuss what they’ve just witnessed at the palace. Gyu and Quincey decide they want to interview the new potential bodyguard ASAP. Poppy rereads select journal entries written by Yuwa, those written when Ulaan is reportedly dead.

Chapter 35: “Passin' up on for my old ways” 

Summary: It’s all about connections! Vincent wonders about who Poppy might really be, and sets up a meeting with Martin to find out what he might know—and get a long-overdue, in-depth update on the search for Tora. In turn, Martin is quite undecided on how much he’s even going to tell Vincent about his investigation. Gyu takes steps to provide additional security for Poppy, and manages to connect with Gādian. And Gādian himself has secrets of his own. 

Chapter 36: “I can't blame you, no, no, no, no”

Summary: Gādian is pleased to be summoned by Quincey Balthuman for an assignment. Vincent and Martin have a chat on the Tora situation. Quincey and Gyu meet Gādian, and while playing up a mafia persona, Quincey is certain Gādian is the man for the job to guard Poppylan.

Chapter 37: “I got my eyes on you”

Summary: Martin meets with Claude and Scharch, making a point to re-emphasize the importance of their work—to find Tora and continue watching Poppy closely. Quincey informs Poppy he’s hired her a bodyguard of her own, and she is not pleased.

Chapter 38: “You act so different around me”

Summary: Poppy is reeling after meeting her new bodyguard. And after day three of no work, Poppy is feeling both bored and distressed at the turn of things. Thank the Goddess she and Dene are having brunch! It’s Gādian‘s first day and already things are awkward. Just great…

Chapter 39: “I think there's something”

Summary: Poppy realizes she needs to find more things to occupy her time, because she is simply bored to tears. With the new bodyguard hovering over her, there's likely to be a damper on most efforts (and on her comfort level). And for these reasons, she needs a distraction or two. Or ten. What she really wants to do is to get back to work! Gyu gets a phone call he was NOT expecting. Vincent doesn’t trust Martin, so he’s going to do his own digging.

Chapter 40: “I think there's something, baby… Um, trying to think of the right thing to say”

Summary: Poppy decides to go to the office despite the fact she’s technically still on vacation. Quincey insists the Giant Goldfish staff go out on the town to celebrate with him. We finally get an inkling of what’s going on… sort of.

End of Part II

Chapter Text

“She wasn’t doing a thing that I could see, except standing there, leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.”
~ J.D. Salinger

BEGINNING OF PART II

Day 60 - Saturday

Finally, Poppy visits the local craft fair. As she wanders through the different tables and tents, once in a while she sees someone with blue hair in her peripheral vision. She wonders if Gādian has noticed him as well, but doesn’t want to let on. She also realizes she doesn’t currently have any way to contact Gādian when and if they get separated and realizes she needs to rectify this as soon as she can, despite the fact she didn’t want the man to be her bodyguard. And whoever this blue-haired man is, she can’t seem to find him now that she wants to point him out to G, nor does she have the foggiest idea of who they might be. All this time her focus drifts to the blue haired man, not noticing there is someone else watching her.

She knows someone talked to her about a man with blue hair, but can’t quite remember all of the details. Was it Tora? Quincey? Gyu? Two months ago? Three months ago? Yesterday? Never? UGH. 

After lazily walking amongst the booths at the fair, she sees a lot of independent artists selling their works. She considers perhaps opening her own stall, to sell her paintings. Goddess knows she needs some sort of hobby outside of work, and painting has always relaxed her.

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu and Quincey talk more about Tora and their search progress, after Quincey shares Martin’s recent request and ways they can keep Poppy safe, even with the addition of Gādian. They both lament Vincent’s request, too, and wonder what if anything has changed. Perhaps there is some dissent high in the ranks of the Clan? They discuss the idea that perhaps they can assign either another bodyguard, a covert one that she won’t know about, NOT Gādian. Or maybe a security guard for GGP? Otherwise, their pursuit for any new clues is slow, in fact, it’s ground to a halt. There is simply nothing. No news is no news. Perhaps they simply need to get on with their lives, but realize that Martin and Vincent will continue to make queries.

They don’t have ANYTHING to share anyways. But Martin in particular is just so insistent. It’s frustrating as can be since they all want the same thing, but for very different reasons. Quincey knows Martin has it out for Tora for reasons he doesn’t know or understand. Vincent’s motivations might have to do with his fear of Tora defecting, but can’t be sure. Quincey and Gyu sit and ponder what to do next, and finally, Quincey admits they need to stop their search, for now. There are simply no leads, and perhaps they have to let Martin take over.Not quite two months have gone by, and Tora has never, ever been out of touch this long before. Neither one says it out loud, but they are both losing hope. 

Gyu feels he can’t come up with a single reason or argument to the contrary. Finally, though, they agree that they will keep trying, but scale back their efforts to weekly reports, or as needed. Neither wants to admit defeat and declare the man dead.

Quincey tells Gyu that he has to visit the manager of Tora’s apartment building, as rent is due, again, and the lease is up for the year. Tora had no emergency contact, of course, but apparently the man reached out to Quincey, as he has not been successful in connecting with Tora. 

No shit, dude. 

Quincey has already decided to renew the lease and will continue to pay Tora’s rent until he has proof of where he’s gone...or they can confirm he's dead. He and Gyu plan to seal it up as is. They may need to talk in the days ahead about whether or not it makes sense to store more materials there, but that’s debatable since Martin’s men already know about the place and may go back. Quincey simply isn't ready to let the place go. 

++++++++++++++++++

Poppy doesn’t notice Scharch following her every move at the fair. Gādian notices him, but Gyu has already briefed him about how Martin has men following Poppy. What G doesn’t know is that today, Scharch is on his own. For whatever reason, Lang couldn’t make it today, so Scharch has some leeway in what he can do and how closely he can follow the bitch. 

Scharch has heard more whispers about her on Ares Street, that she was indeed there the night Lam eluded him. It’s not like he doesn’t know this already though--all the inquiries eventually lead him to this Benjamin kid, and he wants to get more of the truth from him. Then he discovers the kid is connected to Candy. Not the end of the world, but it’s just one more complication he doesn’t need. He can try to talk to him, but he also feels he doesn’t have any choice but to stay away from the kid. It only serves to make him go ballistic, so he’s now on the warpath, Tora be damned. He doesn’t want to make a scene with Candy, as he is trying to keep his own surveillance on the down-low. 

++++++++++++++++++

Gyu is tired. Working yet another shift at Clark's is just... grueling. He's so overdue for a break, then he notices two of his least favorite people plop down and ask for their usuals:  Lang and Scharch.

F*ck, can't these asshats leave me alone?

Soon enough, he'll be rid of them, but for now he quickly gets the men their usual drinks and plops them down in front of them. He wants to get as far away from them as he can. But suddenly, he hears something said that he never expected.

"I'm tellin' ya, Lang, the bitch... [sigh]. That bitch now has a bodyguard."

"Yeah? When did this happen?"

"You tellin' me ya haven't noticed, ya f*ckin' moron? It's been at least a week now."

"No, sorry. Haven't noticed."

"Yeah, yeah. Probably cause ya got your peepers focused on her, don't ya, Claude? You always act funny when tits are involved."

Lang doesn't respond, and Gyu stands there, cleaning glasses, wondering who they're talking about. But he doesn't have to wait long.

"Yeah, yeah--I know you're lusting after that Wilkes bitch, hard, aren't ya?"

Gyu freezes.

Did I just hear what I thought I heard?

"What can I say? She's hot, dude."

"Okay, I'll admit she has... something about her. I could have a lot a fun wit someone like her, that's for sure. Like I said, those tits... But, her days are numbered, I guarantee it."

"Whoa, dude, all we have to do is watch her, right? I mean, ahem, what ya playin' at? Martin just wants to make sure she ain't talkin' to Yeke... Right?"

"Yeah, but I got a feelin' she's the reason Lam got away. I wanna find out the only way I can."

Gyu can hear the nastiness evident in the tone of Scharch's voice. 

What a f*cking creep...

"Yeah, bu--"

"Just never you mind, Lang. Let's just say I'm payin' close attention to her. You don't need ta know more 'n that."

Right at the wrong time, Gyu's called down to the other end of the bar to serve another Clan goon, and by the time he's back, the two men are gone. He wishes he could have eavesdropped a bit longer, but realizes that what little he's heard is enough: for whatever reason, Scharch seems to be gunning for Poppy. But why? 

++++++++++++++++++

Day 61 - Sunday

After visiting the craft fair, Poppy is more determined than ever to paint more. She feels so inspired by all the vendors and nearly every one seemed to be doing brisk business. 

While she’s been painting more since she moved to the city, she wants to build up an inventory. She prefers painting portraits of course, but realizes those are all quite personal and important to her. But anyways, regardless of what she paints, the process has been part catharsis, part therapy, and hell, creating something concrete beats stewing in her own juices, so to speak. 

She’s been awake for a while, a cup of green tea in her hands when she decides today she’s going to plop down on the balcony and start painting the view. 

Gulping down the last of her tea, she hears a knock on her door. Gādian has arrived for the day. Sighing, she puts her mug down, walks over the door to let him in. The man is technically a stranger, a Clan affiliated one, too, so she is still well outside her comfort zone. But Quincey, being Quincey, just had to hire him, didn’t he.

DAMN, damn, damn you, Quincey!

But she has to find a way to deal with the whole situation, so she decides she can’t do anything else but be herself. She greets him with her usual effervescent energy. He’ll just have to deal with it.

“Good morning!”

He, unsmiling as ever, nods in greeting, then slowly enters her tiny apartment. After Gādian takes his shoes off, she speaks up, telling him about her plans for a lazy Sunday, at least as far as she’s planned it all out.

“Anyways, I’m not sure of my plans for the day, but for now I’m staying put. I’ll be out on the balcony. You know, you really don’t have to sta—”

He interrupts her before she can continue. This actually shocks Poppy a bit, since he’s barely said two words to her at all since she's met him. He’s really only been on the job a week, but each day she’s been telling him what she has planned or is going to do, and he just…nods his head.

“Not a problem. I’ll… I’ll sit right here. Just tell me if you ya plans change or ya need to go anywhere.”

He’s pointing to the only place within her minuscule apartment where anyone can sit—on a pillow, on the floor, right where she usually sits when working on her laptop. Poppy doesn’t think he’ll be very comfortable sitting there for any length of time, but she’ll be damned to suggest otherwise. No way he’d let him sit on her bed. Besides—there is nowhere else. Poppy still feels a little embarrassed at how tiny her place is, but there isn’t really anything she can do about the situation. She sighs, and decides she needs to address communication first, especially after seeing the mysterious blue-haired figure at the fair—and at the crowd at Fallen Angel, too.

He is supposed to be taking care of me, right?

“By the way, I need to get your number.”

She watches on as he freezes, not expecting that reaction. She thought maybe Gyu already gave him her number anyway. Guess not? She reaches out with her phone in hand.

“I mean I may need to get a hold of you in case my plans change, if we get separated while we are out and about, or, well…if something happens.”

“Oh. Right.”

Really? You’d think that would have been the first thing he would have done when he met me last week was discuss ground rules, communication, expectations…ask me if I have any questions. But...no… SIGH. 

“Here. Just put your digits in, I’ll text you back and you’ll have mine. K?

He seems reluctant, but does as she asks, taking her phone, rapidly putting in his number, then handing her phone back. She quickly texts him back. His phone dings. 

See? Wasn’t that easy as pie for fudge sake? Why is he acting this way? I know this is all new for me, but he’s acting…I don’t weird. Whatever. 

Later, when he’s gone for the day, Poppy knows that she’ll pull up his number and give him the rudest label she can think of when she creates a contact for him. It’s one little part of this whole fiasco that she has control over.

“Anyways, I’ll be right outside if you need me.” 

Poppy grabs her stuff, and heads out to sit out on the balcony, leaving the door open, letting a light breeze flow inside. Once her easel is set up and her backpack at her feet, Poppy looks up and out over the Narin River. The morning is a bit brisk, even though it’s late summer. She knows before too much longer, the day will be much too hot to sit outside. But she smiles, noticing that the view from the balcony is practically the same as the view from the roof. 

Sighing, she looks down at the backpack at her feet. Like the rest of her place, there is barely room to spare out there, after the easel and herself. She doesn’t have a choice but to lay out her paints in a haphazard way on the balcony floor. Anyways, she’s always loved that view. Gazing at the empty canvas she’s just placed on her easel, she has a memory, recalling the banter with Tora about how easy it would be to climb up and break in, and with a pang, when she held his huge hand then he admitted he’d never held anyone’s hand before. They hadn’t known each other much at all, but to her it was such an intimate moment. She shakes her head, knowing she really shouldn’t be thinking of him. But everywhere she goes lately, memories of him follow. How long will it be until those memories fade? She has no idea. But he’s been gone almost longer than she’s known him, so really, she has to get her shit together.

He’s gone. Remember that.

She knows that if she wants to have a stall in the craft fair, she’ll need to paint much more, and more of those need to be generic pictures, so however this particular painting unfolds at the moment on that day, it will be a nice addition to the start of her meager stockpile.

+++++++++++

Gyu wakes up late morning, much earlier than he planned. His shift at Clark's ended at an ungodly hour, and while he couldn't sleep as much as he wanted, he knows he has to talk to Quincey about what he overheard the night before. He pulls out his burner, hoping Quincey can chat.

GyuB @QuinceyB>> yo, bro. Can we talk? 

Gyu waits some time before Quincey replies. He lays in bed, waiting for a response. He knows he needs to remind Quincey to check his burner more often, and hopes Quincey heeded his recommendation to keep the sound on, so he can hear if Gyu calls or texts. He also understands how much partying Quincey partakes in, especially on Saturday nights, but hopes Quincey is home—and sober. Gyu is almost asleep again when he hears the DING of an incoming text. 

QuinceyB @GyuB>> Ah, not right now. But can talk for a few min in about an hour.  K?

GyuB @QuinceyB>> got it. but heard some shit at Clark’s last night.

Gyu waits almost a minute until he finally gets a reply.

QuinceyB @GyuB>> got it. give me 5 min

Gyu is relieved that Quincey gets the message: it’s important. He gets up out of bed and makes his way to the bathroom to take a piss, splash water on his face, and prepares himself to tell Quincey all about the crap he overheard the two Clan men spewing practically in his face. Just as he finishes brushing his teeth, he notices his burner is ringing. He spits into the sink, and answers.

“Yo.”

“Alright. So…”

“Scharch and Lang were parked right at the bar in Clark's for quite some time last night.”

He doesn’t have to explain much else. Quincey knows Gyu works at Clark’s quite often, and it is a prime Clan meeting spot. So Gyu won’t mince words.

“Ah. And what exactly did you hear them talk about?”

“Poppy.”

“POPPY?!”

“Yep. First, they seemed to be quietly talking about a target of some kind. I kinda tuned out a lot of what they were talking about. Lang was mostly bitching about how useless their assignment was, but then Scharch started in. Ya know how he gets. Mouthy f*cker.”

“Go on.”

“Yeah, he started going on and on about ‘some bitch,’ and Lang protested at Scharch calling her that, believe it or not. But then he dropped her name. Now that made me pay attention, that’s for sure.”

Gyu takes a deep breath and continues.

“The way he was talking, seemed to me maybe he’s narrowing his current focus solely on Poppy, and maybe on a personal level.”

“What makes you say that? I mean what was it he said that made you think he’s out to get Poppy?”

“The shit he was bringing up, for one. I mean calling her a bitch certainly wasn’t pleasant to hear, but he talked about her like he might have a personal vendetta against her because of something she did. I had to be careful though, bro, as I had to keep working, so I only heard bits and pieces, but what I did hear? Like I said, seems that f*cktwat is particularly fixated on her. I'll spare ya some of the gruesome details, but I don’t like how he talked about her at all.” 

“Do I even want to know what he said?”

“No, ya don’t, bro. I’m sure I flinched once or twice, but neither of the two shitheads seemed to notice, at least I don’t think they did. But I mean, even if Scharch is acting on Martin’s behalf, some of what he said, what he commented about the situation is… off.”

“Even I know Scharch doesn’t have the best reputation. Even by Clan standards, he’s a f*cking creepy ass. Have you heard anything else, through the Clan grapevine?”

“Not really, just the same as what they were saying, honestly. That and what G has reported so far. He’s confirmed she’s being followed but do ya think G realizes what it might mean? Should we share anything with him?”

“Probably not, but let me think about it more. But for now, can you brief him on the situation, just that he should be extra vigilant? I know I’m putting another burden on you, boo-boo, but you are more...conversant in the Clan stuff than I am.”

“Sure. I’ll talk with him about it the next time he checks in. Anything you don’t want me to tell him?”

“Just make sure Googoo is extra vigilant of him, Scharch, and explain to him everything you can about that asshole.”

“Right. Man speaks for himself, am I right?”

Gyu hears Quincey vocalize and shiver audibly over the phone line.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Oh, and Q? I overheard one other thing from another goon last night, and more than likely, it may be relevant to Tora.”

“Oh?”

Gyu knows this bit of news is not good, but has to share it. 

“Ya father has enlisted Gureivu Digā.”

“Oh, snap. You mean they’re…”

“Yes. I don’t know how long ago, nothing beyond he’s officially on the books right now, or if they’ve started or found anything.”

“I guess it was inevitable, boo. I mean, pretty logical, given the situation. And let’s just hope that GD doesn’t find anything. Or anyone.”

“You and me both.”

They are both silent, each trying not to think of the unthinkable—brooding, strong Tora buried deep underground, dead. But nothing is ever guaranteed in this world. Not even the best of them are immune from such f*ckery.

“Anyways, I gotta go. Keep me posted, K?”

“You got it, bro. Later.”

++++++++++++++++++

After hanging up on Gyu, Quincey sighs. He needs to send his latest liaison on his way out the door, so he can think.

Oh, Poppylan. 

And the news about the Gravedigger is a bit haunting. He knows that they are likely looking for Tora’s body. 

Goddess, I hope they don’t find him. He can’t be dead. He just can’t be.

Once his date is out the door, Quincey makes himself a mimosa. Smithy shows up, and parks himself on the couch. Quincey briefs him on what Gyu has just told him, asking him to keep his ears open and report any information he might find out about Scharch—and Poppy. He’s involved Smithy in everything since Tora vanished, so he needs to know everything, too.

Sipping his drink, Quincey has to wonder why Scharch, of all Clan men, might have an obsession with Poppylan. Of course Martin himself has been fixated on her, but otherwise, Quincey is clueless. 

The only other situation that may even remotely have any sort of connection between Poppylan and the Clan is that one night... maybe? He spends several minutes recalling when he met Poppy for the first time, appearing on his doorstep with an injured Benjamin on her arm. He also recalls with a wistful smile how Tora reacted to her sudden appearance and then how he shuttled her away that night without explanation. Tora's infatuation with the busty brunette was more than evident. The rest is history. In fact, he really should ask her more about that night, beyond what he already knows. Couldn’t hurt at this point.

+++++++++++

Poppy spends as much time as possible on her balcony painting, until it simply gets too hot. She then decides to stay inside and catch up on multiple projects. It takes a lot of work, but she finally insists that G could go home. She couldn’t stand having him stand in her front entryway any longer, watching her in such close quarters.  

Once he leaves, she turns on some music and takes inventory of her groceries. Finding some veggies that seem to be in serious need of rescuing, she makes a potluck stir fry which she eats over some leftover rice. She finishes her dinner, and reads a chapter or two of one of her favorite books, Little Women. 

Later that night, Poppy watches Parasite before falling asleep. She finds the themes in the film highly relatable.

+++++++++++

Tora - Day 10  (flashback)

Tora has only managed to survive the week before by sleeping as much of the time as he could (which ain’t much), while somehow remaining relatively vigilant. In a lotta ways, same old, same old, but now he feels a bit anxious; he could be discovered at any moment. But finally, Tora somehow manages to relax enough to sleep more than four hours a night. Probably the first time he ever felt even remotely rested, but only just, and he’s been having pretty vivid dreams... and nightmares.

The two men who have been guarding him are a complete mystery. He’s not sure if they are NCP or something more, maybe even mercenaries. So far, he knows the same two men have been interacting with him every day, mostly by their physiques and their rigid behavior. They don’t say too much to him, which is a good strategy. He’d do the same, he is doing the same. He has to admit the two are  hulking brutes, just as big and muscular as he is, mostly. 

Pfft. Figures they would have to get some big ass mofos to watch over someone like me. 

But he has no idea who they may be—they are always masked, always carrying AKs. They speak to him sporadically but cautiously, and he detects perhaps some sort of voice techy shit being used—like their voices are being altered somehow. Again, smart choice.

If things get f*cked, they have all that, what do they call it? Ah, that’s it—“plausible deniability”—that works both ways, f*ckers. Except they’ve seen my face, as of course they know who the f*ck I am. They've addressed by name, after all.

He’s trying to eat his dinner. But the f*cking food has been abysmal, completely tasteless and utter shit. He’s debating whether or not he’s going to speak up about it or not. Tora is a big guy, and he can’t last much longer on the pitiful amounts of crap they’ve been feeding him, even if his activity levels are drastically reduced. What he wouldn’t give for some of Alice’s sushi. The first day, dinner was a bowl of rice and a meager piece of boiled chicken breast. The menu hasn’t improved much at all since then.

F*ck, what I wouldn’t give for one of Bobby’s home-cooked meals, especially those awesome rice balls. 

He wishes he still had his old cell phone right now, and as far as he knows the crappy little thing still contains the photo he texted to Ronzo and Quincey of the Tiger rice ball Bobby made him that night. The thought makes him smile. He never did figure out why Poppy reacted the way she did when he took a picture of it. Doesn’t she know he texted the picture anyways? Shit, he paid more attention to the view he got down her shirt that night. Whew. What a view that was… Moments remembering the few good things in his life, like meeting and then being with Poppy, are what help deal with the monotony. He actually blushes a bit at that particular memory. 

He’s now somewhere well outside Narin City, but he doesn’t have a clue where. They did a decent enough job shuttling him here, similar to the night he disappeared—moving him at night, and the cargo van’s windows weren't just tinted but covered, and he figures this was done to not only hide him from outside eyes but to keep him from observing where he is being transported. 

And the ride was an uncomfortable one, again. Even though he had the back of the van to himself, he definitely felt like a piece of meat, with barely enough space to sit, let alone room to try and stretch his legs. All he could do was sit his ass on the floor, legs bent, feet flat on the floor, arms draped over his knees, taking deep breaths. They took particular care in their speed and how they drove, how cautiously they turned each corner. Certainly an improvement compared to those times in the past when he’s been thrown in the back of NCP vehicles. Nothing comfortable about being shoved in, hands cuffed behind ya back, and bolted to the floor. Ah, the good ole days. 

I’m precious cargo, after all. Pfft.

At first, he tried to pay attention to how long they were driving, how many turns, but he lost track. He was just too nervous to remain alert for very long. He could make some guesses, but they went particularly slow.

And this new location and the room he’s been relegated to remind him way too much of those days when as a boy, Vincent kept him contained, especially those times he was actually locked away in a cage. He’s not actually being kept in a cage now, of course, but the thought that he can’t leave, can’t call anyone, can’t even see Quincey, Gyu, or her—those most important to him—makes the situation nearly unbearable, and barely any time has passed either. 

They've been nice enough to provide him with cigarettes, but generic ones and only so many, and of course he had to leave his phone behind. Channeling what little tech information he’s learned from Ronzo over the years, he did his best to wipe any data he could think of before leaving it behind, except that picture. He couldn’t delete that. 

They have provided him with some nondescript black clothing, and it's a little too small. But he can’t be expected to keep wearing the same f*cking jeans and shit every day. He’s been debating whether or not to cut the pants they gave him into some shorts.

He’s allowed access to a disgusting bathroom on a lower floor at least once a day, but there is only a rusted sink with cold water and a bar of clear soap that leaves a funky residue on his skin and in his hair. 

Fine, luxurious f*cking accommodations. Not.

He’s attempted to wash his clothes, once or twice, but the soap doesn't easily rinse out and most of his garments never seem to dry out either. He still does it, as the menial task is just that—tedious and helps fill the time. That and since they always seem to take him there in the morning, the cold water helps to cool him down after having illicit dreams of Poppy nearly every night. 

Some ole shit, different day.... 

He’s hoping at some point, they’ll give him something, f*ck ANYTHING, to occupy his time. The lack of detail has been bad enough. Lane said she’d fill him in when the time came. Now he just has to wait until that happens. In the meantime, he’s bored out of his f*cking mind. He starts doing anything to get his body moving and to distract him about what he is actually doing. And how f*cking dangerous it is—and will be. He’s going to try and take a look around somehow, maybe at night when he knows the guards are less active.

Otherwise, he doesn’t really do much else but think, spending a good deal of his energy trying to be rational, wondering how he’s going to survive moving forward with Lane’s grandiose plans. 

This morning he’s decided what he’s really going to do. He knows it's the only decision he can make. He’s going to do what he’s been doing for most of his life—the. same. f*cking. thing. Survive. Doesn’t mean he likes things this way, but he doesn’t have much of a choice.

He knows he may be forced to do things he doesn’t want to, and he’s already had some doubts, but to help process the enormity of what Lane will ask of him, has already proposed to him, and whatever he may have to do—to handle whatever she may throw at him, he’ll latch onto his past and utilize his unique coping methods. His hands-off, detached approach will certainly help him manage the rough moments. He's just used to operating solo. That will be an adjustment, if ad when he finds out what Lane wants him to do. Besides, he’s been putting up with Vincent’s shit for so long, living the way he has, doing things he himself despises, he knows he’ll manage the coming days just fine, because for the most part, this time, he’s the one making choices, or rather someone who’s on his side will be making them. And maybe he’ll be lucky—working with Lane will likely be the lesser of evils. So maybe he won’t have to hurt anybody or deal with any other Clan bullshit.

He’s more concerned about how everyone will react to his disappearance, and may have so far. But he knows he cannot indulge himself with such thoughts, not yet. It’s just too soon. 

He has no idea what Lane needs him to accomplish, what her ultimate goals might be beyond taking Vincent down, and he realizes he has no clue how long it will take. Of course Vincent is a nasty motherf*cker and needs to go, but doesn’t Lane realize there’s probably a line of men a mile long, waiting to take his place? 

Not my problem.

Maybe when everything is all over, no one—at least those who are important to him—will want anything to do with him anyways. But then again, why is he doing this if not for them? It better be worth it. The whole f*cking situation is a gamble, no matter the outcome.

Chapter Text

Tora -  Day 15 (flashback)

The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.
~Leo Tolstoy

I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.
~Abraham Lincoln

Still in the same dank warehouse, he’s managed to successfully sneak out of his room twice. The first time he snuck out, he turned left, followed the dimly lit hallway to its end where a grimy, multi-paned window looks out on a flat rooftop and an expanse of rolling hills. The drop from the window sill is almost 10 feet, but he’s a strong man, so it wasn’t too difficult to manage it. After lowering himself as far as he could, he then dropped, crouching, easily landing on his feet. He walked over to the edge of the roof, then sat down with his legs hanging over the side.

He couldn’t see much since it was nighttime and the moon was dim, hanging just over the horizon. A wan, sole light shone far off to the right, illuminating what seems to be a narrow paved road. Otherwise, there are no other street lights and no discernible parking lot, just a whole lot of darkness. There’s no way he can really tell how tall the building might be and how far of a drop it might be if he were to take a flying leap over the edge. That wasn’t his plan, anyways, not really. Not unless something went terribly wrong. But he tries hard not to think this way. While he’s already resigned himself to whatever it is he's signed up for, so he knows it would be fruitless to try and escape. He has to keep rationalizing why he‘s made this choice though. Not an easy way to think through life, but it’s only been a couple weeks. The whole concept of freedom, and life away from the Clan, is still much too… alien for him.

After several minutes, he could start to see some twinkling lights in the distance, likely civilian homes, maybe even farmhouses, he guessed. He is far, far away from the city, that’s for sure. He could hear crickets chirping, and the air had that chilly crisp feel to it, so he didn’t linger too long. He smoked a few cigarettes then made his way back inside—which was not as easy, of course. Even though it was quite dark, he used his lighter to look for something to help him crawl back up, and managed to find a pipe within his reach, so he jumped up, grabbing it, then swung himself back up towards a crevice directly below the window. By sheer force and due to the length of his arms, he was able to grasp the windowsill and swing himself up and back through the narrow window If he weren't in such prime physical shape, he could have never made it back inside. But he’s thankful to know about the spot. If they keep him there any longer, he knows he can come back out—escape that far—to get some fresh air.

Tonight is the second time he’s exploring, now a few days after discovering the rooftop. When he emerges from his room, he turns right instead. He walks down the hall moving door to door, checking to see if he could access any of the other rooms in the rather lengthy hallway, but most are locked. But then he finds one room that is not, and in a moment of sheer luck, the doorknob turns easily in his hand. But the door is obviously warped and hopelessly stuck in the door frame. In fact the door is so stuck, he has to slam his shoulder into it a few times before it finally springs open. After he barges his way in, he pauses, thinking the guards must have heard him make a racket, even though he tried his best to do it quietly. But then after several minutes of waiting, standing still, holding his breath, no one appeared, so he starts to explore the room at a leisurely, sedate pace. Not that it’s going to take him all that long. 

The room itself is relatively small. There’s a decrepit looking, ancient steel desk with nothing on it placed smack in the middle of the room, but there’s no chair. He doesn’t even attempt to open any of the desk drawers, as he figures they would make way too much noise. He notices at least one file cabinet in the corner, and decides maybe he’ll explore it later, and then, he sees an teetering old bookshelf, with, thank f*ck, several books still on it. He’s not really that much of a reader, really, but this? This is f*cking gold to him, here and now. Better than staring at the walls, that’s for sure.

He’d been sitting around yet again, waiting and, he feels, wasting his time—twiddling his f*cking thumbs for any directives, anything to do for, what, another how many days? It’s just uncomfortable, sitting in that f*cking room most of the time, so the urge to explore the place and see what he can find has been compelling. He’s done daily calisthenics until his body aches but still he has time to spare. 

First the rooftop view, now this? Sweet!

Now he’s found a few books to keep him occupied for a while. So, he’ll take most of them back to his room. It’s obvious no one has been inside that office for years, maybe even decades. The amount of dust tickles his nose, and the smell of must and mildew is starting to give him a headache. A few of the books fall apart as soon as he touches them, so he leaves them alone. He grabs a bunch of the rest of them, stuffing them inside his zipped up hoodie and heads back up the hall. He’s already been pushing the envelope, being gone so long.

After he quietly closes the door to his room behind him, he sits down on his cot and pulls out the books one by one, reviewing the titles, savoring what he’s found. He’s found ten in total, and they are, well, interesting. They are yellowed and a few of them are smelly, make his throat hurt and his head throb even more. 

A couple of them are pretty beat up, and one seems never to have been read. Whoever occupied the office made some odd choices, some amusing, some fascinating, definitely a deep thinker. Three or four of them seem to be about what, philosophy? And one interests him above all the others: The Art of War, a book all about the Chinese military.