Description: Duke arranges a considerably less violent meeting with Kurow overseeing the opera Don Giovanni. Plans are made, evil scheming is accomplished, and Rugal makes a delightful cameo.
'Ready to show up for an opera' is often mutually exclusive with such other conditions as 'aching all over,' 'being assaulted by former Shadaloo Elites,' and 'attending to business.' However, a gap has finally shown up in Kurow's schedule, thanks to his promptness in getting this week's attempt at learning about a few new fighters out of the way (without much reward this time, due to Saturday Night Fight's sometimes unimaginative booking). The weekend, for once, is completely free -- and the youth has decided to indulge the man he met outside that shrine a little over a week ago.
It's been a truly long time since Kurow did something like this. The last time he went to an opera couldn't have been less than eight years ago -- with his sister, of course, among others. (If Yurika knew she was missing out on going to the opera /now/, she'd likely be irritated beyond even what the younger Kirishima's emotional manipulation might be able to handle!) Perhaps that's part of what's placed him in the opera house's VIP seating...
... or perhaps -- like always -- it's just business.
This isn't Bernstein's first visit to the Il Paradiso since its opening weekend not long ago. He has, at times, even conducted business within the VIP box before an evening's show. It's hard finding entertainment befitting a cultured arisocrat such as himself. Conventional passtimes such as movie going or sports viewing just don't really hold much interest for the German crimelord. But opera? Now that's something Rugal can sink his teeth into.
VIP seating only for one such as he. Hobnobbing it with those who purchase the seating on the main floors isn't among his pasttimes either. All it would take would be some poor slob trying to bump his way past the tyrant on his way to his seat and then all hell would break loose. No, it's best for everyone that he sticks to the box.
His normal signiture orange-red suit suffices as appropriate clothing for the setting. That's the nice thing about that - he's never underdressed for any occasion. And if it gets to be too constraining for some situation (Such as a random need to inflict violence), he can always just rip it off as he is so often wont to do. He had arrived early, sinking down into his chosen seat, elbows against the arm rests, hands clasped together loosely in front of him. Ah... there is no better way to relax after a hard day of running a criminal empire than this. It's impossible for him to not notice the presence of an aura familiar to him. Even with all the distractions of the entering audience before the show, he can detect the presence of the young prodigy from Justice High. A single glutaral 'heh' is allowed. Good to see the boy has refined tastes for how to pass his time.
There is a saying, that one can always 'mix business with pleasure.'
Il Paradiso opera house is the very shining definition of this idea.
There was no hurry or impatience in the waiting for Kurow's arrival. Duke has been understandably busy even since his confrontation with the young man a week or so ago -- business in Metro, and mountains of men crashing through walls of strip clubs, have kept him quite reasonably occupied. Thus, when word was sent that the Kirishima boy would be arriving to the opera house today, there was no real rush to greet him. For now, the young man stays relatively alone in VIP booth. Below, the opera plays: Mozart's Don Giovanni, an opera praised as one of the best of its time -- and perhaps one of the greatest interpretations of the legend of 'Don Juan.' Alone, but certainly not without entertainment -- if Kurow can appreciate the arts.
He is not alone for long. Halfway through the first act, as the wedding scene commences below, a tall form enters the VIP box Kurow resides in. Almost casually, the individual sits besides the Justice student, his attentions almost entirely focused on the opera. Yet, the dark skin, the long scar across his face, and that dark, highlighted hair are all unmistakable; though Duke wears a far nicer, all-black tuxedo attire that does well to hide the thick, jagged scar on his neck, his presence is still unmistakable.
"Kurow Kirishima," Duke begins, eyes focusing on the opera as it unfolds. "So you finally decided to show up." He says nothing beyond this, however. For now, he watches the opera, his gaze only briefly moving to the VIP box where Rugal resides with a calm stare. He always knows when those of importance attend his operas. Always.
Kirishima has never been much for movies, and sports are an interest he has more out of necessity as a high schooler than out of any real, great love; in this respect, as in many, Rugal and Kurow have a fair bit in common. The youth's list of passions has never been very long, even in simpler, younger times. Like many other men before him, his first love is his 'work,' such as it is.
The youth (who is, for the record, dressed in a very nice white tuxedo for the occasion, rather than his usual modified Justice High uniform) looks first to Rugal, giving him a smile and a nod when he spots him. It's good to see a familiar face, after all, when in a part of the world one holds little love for. However, his primary pursuit here is business, as usual, and he can't spend too much time exchanging smiles and nods.
When Duke arrives, Kurow's full attention lands on the large man with the thick scar, and he gives a respectful nod to the man before turning his own eyes back to Don Giovanni. "It was a busy week," he says, nodding. "I had a few... unfortunate encounters -- shades of the past." He lets the conversation hang on that note for a long moment before adding, "It's good to see you again."
There is a nod of acknowledgement from Rugal as Kurow notices him. But otherwise, Rugal seems content to let the young man conduct whatever business he may with Duke. That the boy is out exercising connections such as that is good to see - even more important than his appreciation for the fine art of opera. Thinking back on the open invitation he had received from Geese's man when they fought, Bernstein begins to contemplate his connections with the opera house. Surely he's more than just a very interested patron...
Shades of the past?
"It's a good idea to eliminate those 'shades' before they become more than a nuisance."
It's advice that Duke unwittingly has failed to utilize in the past, but the words are mainly simply there to lead in to the reason why either of them are here -- business. Whether Kurow chooses to heed it or not is none of his concern. The Syndicate Lieutenant's gaze shifts from Rugal's booth to the opera as it unfolds, taking into consideration Kurow's words with little more than a thoughtful 'hmph' exhaled from his lips.
"I've had my share of business to attend to as well," Duke offers. Likely, had Kurow come earlier, Duke would have been otherwise occupied. It has been a very, very busy week. He offers nothing more than that, though; whatever 'business' he had to deal with, could be up to Kurow to guess.
Attention focused on the opera, Hell's Executioner nonetheless speaks effortlessly to Kurow, "Of course, you're probably wondering why I invited you here. The pieces should be easy enough for someone like you to put together. But if you haven't figured it out yet..." Duke leans back in his seat, resting elbows against either armrest and clasping large hands together in front of him, long fingers interlacing. "... I'm interested in doing business with you. I think we both have a mutual enemy." A pause.
"Southtown's king, Geese Howard."
Kurow can guess what sort of business Duke has had; after all, they're not dissimilar in some regards -- though their backgrounds and fighting styles are spectacularly different, they do share certain... occupational pursuits. And there are only so many things that those occupational pursuits lead to.
Like Duke, Kurow keeps his eyes on the opera even as he speaks with the other man; he needs to savor the experience, after all. "Well well. It definitely appears we have something to discuss, if nothing else -- though I could've guessed you wanted to do business with me when you left your card," Kirishima replies, his own somewhat off-handed tone mimicking Duke's effortlessness. Those grey eyes follow the opera as carefully as a man's ever could, only occasionally darting around to examine the audience or Duke himself.
"Tell me, then -- just what /is/ your quarrel with Howard? Is it just that you want his power... or is it something more personal?" Not technically a business question by any stretch of the imagination, but an important one anyway -- it is good to know the motives of an ally, after all, so as to avoid unknowingly earning their ire.
The two men are, indeed, leaps and bounds apart in many ways... but similar in the only way that matters for arrangements such as these. Ambition. The very thing that drives lesser men to certain greatness. Of course, when individuals who share such ambitions work together, they ultimately end up in a conflict of interest. Yet...
... might as well reap the benefits while they last.
"I have nothing personal against Howard," Duke explains. "He's just in my way." A simple, and utterly truthful reply. Beyond Geese being his single greatest roadblock to what Duke wants, he has no personal vendettas against the man. And it reflects in the cold sort of apathy in the man's dark brown eyes as he watches the opera; there's nothing there to be read. "As long as he's alive, I can't get what I want. And there's only one solution to a problem like that." If someone or something is in your way... it is eliminated. As simple as that.
"But you have other reasons for disliking him, don't you?" the enforcer questions as that intense gaze shifts momentarily towards Kurow. He knows. He remembers the vehemence in the young man's voice when he learned Duke was part of the Syndicate. "You don't have to give me your reasons; I don't care about them. Geese could have killed your brother or destroyed your family business, or just stand for everything you despise... it's not of any consequence. You're talented, though, and I'm sure you're a resourceful person. What I suggest is simple: we work together to eliminate a common enemy. Geese Howard, and any of the dogs that value their paychecks more than their lives."
The day when Duke and Kurow outlive each other's usefulness will likely be every bit as bloody as the circumstances that get them to that point. But that day is a long way off, and for now, neither can say he bargains from a position of power -- which may be one of the things that serves to unite them, for now. Both of them see the same thing -- Geese Howard's empire. And both want to do the same small set of things to it.
"Fair enough -- it's best not to mix business with personal concerns, anyway," Kirishima says, to Duke's reasons. He can certainly respect that -- after all, too many in the world focus their dark ambitions around their personal concerns, and too often it ends up toppling their empires or at least scaling them back. This is a lesson Vega never learned, and now Shadaloo is, at best, wounded, and at worst, dying -- all because one man put his 'destined battle' ahead of his business.
Hearing that Duke doesn't intend to ask for Kurow's own reasons is something of a relief -- and it certainly tells him a lot about Duke. The man is straightforward, direct, brutal, just as his style would dictate... which, in Kurow's mind, indicates that when the time comes to turn on him it won't be /exceptionally/ hard, at least. He could easily have the element of surprise, for a brief moment. "All right, then. Any plan that takes Geese Howard and his dogs out of the picture is a plan I'm willing to aid in. ... though I'm sure you've thought it out farther than that."
Direct. Brutal. But certainly not oblivious or dense. Duke is not one who lurks in the shadows and pulls strings from afar, but then -- he wouldn't be in a situation like this if he did not understand and appreciate the value of planning and manipulation. He knows well what kind of person Kurow is, just because -- in terms of ambition and hunger for power -- Duke is much the same. The only question is, how far Kurow's ambition will take him relative to Duke's own... and when that ambition is going to be a problem that necessitates action.
"Oh, I have. And it will take time and patience to complete. Geese Howard hasn't maintained all that power he has with so many enemies because of dumb luck. He has a strong power base. And to knock him off that throne of his... we're going to have to unsettle that base, first." Duke's plans for doing so? He doesn't explain, at first. But there's a reason he worked to be positioned here in Metro, one of the cities Geese's hold is strongest in. All things that will fall into place, soon enough.
The ambitious enforcer shifts briefly in his seat as he returns his attention to the stage, as the first act starts to reach its conclusion. His lips pull into something of a wry, cold smile as his right hand lifts, pressing against the collar of his dress shirt where his scar rests beneath. "Of course, this is going to require more than just you and me. Geese has so many enemies it's hard to keep track of sometimes. Like Kain Heinlein and his big friend, or..." Duke's gaze shifts briefly over to Rugal, considering. "... maybe some other German crimelords don't appreciate Howard. Who knows? But it'll be important to find all of them, and give the means the little push needed to started dismantling Howard from the ground up."
The youth notices the scarred man running that hand over the location of his scar; he thinks he remembers him doing that /last/ time, too -- it's something of a strange habit, and one that Kurow takes note of. Perhaps inquiring about that ancient wound would be a good idea -- later. This is the first time the pair have met to do something other than tear each other apart -- perhaps it would be best to avoid asking about anything that might be a little contentious.
Kurow gets a faint surprise when he hears Duke begin to talk about Heinlein, Grant, and apparently Rugal -- it's unusual to see that the connections Duke has been making are so much the same as the ones he himself has sought out, but then, not too much so. Perhaps, he thinks to himself, Geese's enforcer deserves a lot more credit than initially thought. "Of course. I've been trying to cultivate a few connections of my own... and of course, I'm not in this business by myself, either."
Pausing as the first act ends, he says, "In fact, it may be time to... no, never mind. I'll explain when I've decided on that part for certain -- it may be best to leve her be for a few moments, yet... between the two of us we /do/ have a great deal of resources already." At times, Kurow has a tendency to think aloud -- a bad trait on occasion, but often not the worst. "You've been looking into doing business Heinlein? Tell me what you've found out."
A good thing to hold off on asking, indeed. While Duke has more control than to punch Kurow out of a VIP booth in his own opera house, asking something about the scar across his neck would likely not end well for the ninja -- sooner or later. The scar is a tool that's useful in conjuring up rumors that add to the man's notoriety... but it's a tool that he hates just as much as he knows how useful it is, for whatever the reason.
Fingertips drift away from Duke's neck soon after, large hand placing itself on the edge of his armrest. "You'd be surprised how many people come to you when you work for the person they hate." Usually, they come to try and disrupt Duke's business or just abuse him. But pain is something he's learned to effectively deal with long ago, and his rapidly rising position in the Syndicate earns him just the attention he wants, from Geese's allies and enemies alike.
Like the man he finds himself engaged in conversation with now. People begin to filter out of the stands below as the first act ends and intermission begins, flowing out to the atrium en masse to haughtily discuss haughty rich things. Duke has yet to move, however, instead leaning forward and crossing one leg over the other as he focuses on the blank stage. "Heinlein came to see me, just like his friend the 'Martyr of Might' and Bernstein. Heinlein is different now -- his flames. They're..." His sentence trails, looking for the right word, "... more focused. I met Grant only a few days ago. He's a very... interesting person. But I've proven my worth to them. It's really only a matter of time before they start to make their move against Geese, whether he sees it coming or not." Or so Duke would believe. And if they don't? Well... a gentle -nudge- in the right direction couldn't hurt anyone.
Kurow has never been good at focusing on a place where no action is happening. Perhaps a lesson he took to heart all too well -- focus first on what your senses tell you. If it feels as though they're not telling you everything, /then/ look elsewhere... but focus on what you can see, first, rather than what's in the dark. After all -- once one's senses are attuned enough, it's unlikely that something none of them have anything to say about is really anything to worry about. This is why he looks first over to Rugal yet again, as the man's name comes up, then to Duke himself as he continues.
"I tracked down the Martyr and battled him not long ago -- not too long after the one with you, in fact," Kirishima says, with a nod. That's all he says about it; after all, 'the man busted me down to my component parts in under a minute' is perhaps not the most glowing recommendation of one's own skills. "In a way, he's fascinating -- he's truly given everything else up in the name of pure power. I can't say I respect it, but I imagine for an enforcer one couldn't find a better pick. Heinlein's smart, certainly -- very calculating, very talented." The news that he's become stronger comes as no surprise; after all, to say the /least/, Kain seemed like he was going places when the two crossed paths.
"That's five, then -- of us, I mean. Every bit a match for Howard's men, too, I'd say..." He pauses -- he isn't sure how much Duke will truly have on something like this, but it never hurts to ask. "So, then. What insights can you offer on what we're up against, in any field? I imagine working with them has given you quite the interesting vantage point."
"He's certainly got raw power on his side," is Duke's take on the 'Martyr,' and that is about it. The man hit Duke harder than anyone has ever hit him in his entire life. However -- Grant's assumptions about Duke's skills and nature cost him dearly, which is something to be said for the masked man's unnecessary amounts of overconfidence. But Duke reserves any verbal judgments of the man for himself. Likely, Kurow had an entirely different encounter than the one that Hell's Executioner ended up having. "He's at least good at destroying walls needlessly." Whereas Heinlein -- Heinlein might prove more of a problem than any of them in the long run.
But Duke draws back once more, eyes shutting as his lips twist in an almost thoughtful frown, large arms crossing over his chest. "There's only a handful to really be concerned with. Ryuji Yamazaki is an assassin-for-hire that Geese has on retainer. I'm sure you've heard of him. He's brutal and crazy, but he only has loyalty to money. Pay him enough, and I'm sure he'll forget about Howard's enemies for as long as necessary. He doesn't have any strong ties to the Syndicate other than the fact that Geese gives him a big paycheck." A hand waves in the air dismissively. Yamazaki certainly has Duke's respect for brutal efficiency and practicality (in a manner of speaking), but isn't a concern as far as ambitions.
"Mr. Big is a thug. He only pretends to be loyal to Geese, because Geese could rip him apart and get away with it. The second that things look like they might be too dangerous to his personal wellbeing, I don't doubt he'd make a run for it as quickly as possible. I don't doubt he probably entertains some thoughts of taking over the Syndicate too, but he lacks the drive to do it. He's a thug with a lot of power on his hands." And really, one of the primary competitions for the very thing Duke wants. He doubts the man would be intelligent enough the Syndicate for long if he got it -- but it still makes him a problem. "If you ignore him, though, he'll become an issue. He's got a weasely craftiness."
But then -- there's one thing to be concerned of: "Billy Kane." Duke says the name with a certain amount of contempt in his voice, standing up from his seat and moving towards the edge of the booth as he does so. "He's fiercely loyal to Geese, and he's probably the most powerful person under Geese's wing. He won't leave Howard's side until he's dead, or Howard is -- and if you leave him alive after taking out Howard, I don't doubt he'll make sure you follow shortly after. He has a lot of respect in the Syndicate. Probably because he's not a jackass. But of all Geese's dogs... he's the one with the biggest bite of all of them."
"Yamazaki, I know of -- he's quite the fighter, but that seems to be about all he has going for him, and Big... tch." Kurow has little to say about the Chrome-Dome Don, it seems, doubly so after that disgraceful showing at World Warrior -- so he lets Duke's words stand by themselves. "Kane... ... the British man? I'm a little surprised that, of all people, he's the one that's the most loyal -- but then... I suppose he'd have the most to lose from a regime change. I suspect Kain's enforcer can handle him -- they must not be that far apart in skill."
Kurow starts to go over everything that Duke's said, more slowly, in his head. He needs time to put all of it together, more than anything -- on their own each Southsynd enforcer is a relatively simple man to understand, but the group dynamics are what's of real interest to Kurow. After all, if the circumstances are good enough, it's possible that Geese's men could be made to tear /each other/ apart, leaving Southsynd soft and ripe for the taking, in /theory/. In practice, as always, no plan survives contact with the enemy... but a good one might carry through far enough to be considered a success anyway.
"Hmm... quite the list of enforcers Howard's got -- but not everything is decided by simple strength of arms," Kurow says. "What do you know about Geese's business ventures, both legitimate and otherwise? I understand they're massive, but -- do you know of any real weak points there? There has to be some way to cut him off at the knees without simply breaking and entering."
"Yamazaki isn't a stupid man, but he's not ambitious, either. Whoever ends up paying him the most is likely the person who's going to be in control of him." Which isn't saying much, considering just -how much- Geese Howard is actually worth in terms of business and monetary value. Duke shakes his head simply here. Of all of Geese's men, even those low level grunts who fear him enough to do anything he asks... only Billy Kane has any real semblence of loyalty. "If there's anything Kane really has going for him, it's that he's tenacious. He's a cockroach... just like Geese." Just, Geese happens to be an exceptionally powerful cockroach. The same concepts apply. The man just refuses to die.
"Geese's business is strong, and it's what really makes the Syndicate thrive," Duke explains, waving a hand through the air. "Legally, Howard has dipped into a number of things, from entertainment to consumer goods, and it's just the same on the criminal side. Arms deals, drug deals, gambling -- you name it, the Syndicate probably has a hand in it. Bernstein has a larger market for weapons, but Geese has his hand in every cookie jar you can think of. The problem is..." Duke's hands shove into his pockets, gaze trailing back to Kurow as he looks over his shoulder, "... Howard has himself firmly embedded in the community. The public adores him, and everyone who knows who he really is can't get the evidence to prove it. He has too much influence, especially in Southtown." He stops here, to let this all sink in.
"He's 'king' for a reason, after all."
There's silence for some moments afterwards, until Duke returns to his seat. Pressing against the chair comfortably and nonchalantly, he lifts a hand to crack his neck in an idle gesture. "You won't beat Geese in a mind game, or trying to undermine his authority. You can only shake him up a little bit and hope its enough to catch him off guard and eliminate him. The only way you'll ever dethrone Geese Howard... is if you kill him. And make -sure- he's dead."
Just as Kurow suspected. Really, he just wanted to see if an insider had a slightly different perspective -- but what Duke is telling Kurow now is pretty much what he thought from the start. There's no way to kill the body of Southsynd, no way to beat it and force Geese into making some less-than-perfect decision that ousts him. Chop off the head -- that's the only way.
Not that Kurow minds this too much, of course; killing Geese Howard is something he's always wanted, even if he has to share the honor with others. Even if those others will all inevitably stab each other in the back, returning to more base loyalties once they have no common enemy. The youth digs his nails (unusually sharp as they are) into his seat at the thought of Geese's influence -- over the heart of Japan, no less. Still, however, he keeps the actual expression he shows Duke impassive, detached. It's better that way, for both of them.
"I have no qualms whatsoever with murdering Geese Howard," Kurow starts, deriving no small amount of fulfillment just thinking about it. "... so long as I don't have to do it /alone/. I don't think any of us except perhaps maybe Heinlein or Bernstein could handle him alone, and even that would be uphill. We'd have to go into it with an excellent plan -- one with no room for failure, and no possibility of his dogs coming to save him." Kurow knows one thing, if nothing else. This is going to be a long-term operation. "Big would probably roll over if he knew his own assets were secure for the future. That seems like the sort of man he is."
'Long-term' is a way of putting it lightly. Duke has been striving for this goal for years now; were it as easy as simply barging down the man's door and shoving him off the roof of his tower, he would have done that by now. As Terry Bogard had so helpfully proved, that kind of tactic only helps in getting rid of Howard for a few months at best. Not an effective long-term strategy in the slightest.
"There's no questioning that killing Howard is going to be difficult. But then, that's what all of this is all about. Rugal may have some vested interest in seeing Geese dead, but I doubt he'd view it worth the risk to start up a war with the Syndicate. Kain, though..." Duke ponders over this. Likely, any help Rugal may or may not offer wouldn't be too direct, just as much as Duke has to operate behind the scenes -- if for entirely different reasons. Kain, however -- "He could have a fairly good shot at killing Geese, though I wouldn't trust him to do it alone." And odds are, he'll have his own plans for what happens afterwards, goes unsaid. After all -- so does Kurow.
And so does Duke.
But this planning is all something that cannot be achieved immediately. It will take a long time to work at it, to wait for the opportune moment and grasp it before it is out of reach. And that may be for a very long time yet to come. Duke says little more, however, save to offer a brief, "Big won't prove much of a problem if his own investments are secure. He's not the type to stick his neck out for anyone based on concepts like loyalty." Big, after all, looks out for '#1.' As Duke lifts out of his seat, people begin to filter in -- the opera is about to start again. And as they enter, Duke begins to turn -- to leave. "Unless you have any other questions... I have other work to tend to. I'll be in contact. And enjoy the rest of the opera... the second act is the best."
This has been a fruitful conversation, Kurow thinks to himself -- having an inside perspective on one of the organizations he most wants to bring down is quite the boon, and one he wouldn't give up for many other things. The night has been constructive, if nothing else -- even if that did mean coming out to Metro City.
For a while, Kurow just takes in the information he's been given; if anything, what this motivates him to learn more about is /Kain's/ motives. After all, Kain seems to be almost as much of a threat as Geese is -- and is very unlikely to simply step aside, even moreso than Duke. And trading one such master for another, in Kurow's eyes, isn't really progress... and he can tell that Duke isn't too keen on the idea, either. "If you need to attend to business, then by all means," Kirishima says, gesturing toward the exit. "This has been an enlightening conversation, Duke -- I hope many more are to come... try to keep your wits about you. Southtown is not a very forgiving place, and neither is Metro City."
Turning his eyes back to the stage, he adds, "... and I'll keep that in mind."
Duke then pushes Kurow out of the booth, because Duke is a dick. DA NAAAAAH. The End.
Log created on 19:39:01 07/21/2007 by Duke, and last modified on 11:23:09 07/22/2007.