Description: Geese has Ken brought to a very exclusive meeting to discuss his special needs situation. Can Howard abscond with Orochi's pawns, or will chaos threaten the best laid plans?
"Thank you." Ken easily puts the shirt on and buttons it up, trying to smooth it out. He glances at his reflection in the guards sunglasses and nods his head. "Let's do this."
The US Champion allows himself to be led up towards the box seats, obviously aware that he could be walking into the worlds worst trap, but then again, if this is infact Geese Howard, he'd have to find this out for himself.
Really, if certain parties wanted Ken /dead/... the best ambush likely would've been with the fellow bloody on the floor of a trashed mall, clearly coming off the end of a bender and getting taken out by the druglords he owed money to. Oh, one doesn't want to be -that- Ken Masters. In our universe, however, perhaps more oddly.. Geese Howard waits in the box seats calmly, indeed. He's looking out over the stage, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Suit jacket is slung over a nearby seatback, the reputed crimeboss sitting, the picture of relaxed, poised alertness in finely tailored cloth. One glance surveys the guarded caution in Ken's stance.
"Come, Mr. Masters, I assure you... I am not an avenging spectre. At least, not one after you. There are others, though, after your blood." Geese leans forward, in the darkness, turning to face the Ansatsuken firebrand more fully, eyes gleaming in the shadow, voice a low warning. "You can feel it, can't you. That edge on your mind, your vision... it's all going out of control." There's a pause, and Geese's features are illuminated by the lighting of a long, relatively thin cuban cigar, another offered over to Ken as the match is shaken out. "I can help you. We have to put a stop to this before those who are doing it succeed fully - some of them are the same as those behind the war in Southtown. It was not /my/ doing, as they would have you believe." The words are, if anything, heartfelt. Albeit intense, direct, defiant as well.
"Huh." Ken seems to be rather surprised that Geese is infact, sitting here, seemingly alive and well. "Call me Ken, Mr. Howard. We're both successful businessmen, who understand that things usually are never what they seem. So let's not be so formal with this."
Ken moves to take a seat near Geese, staring down at the stage below, as if he were waiting for Geese to try and put on some form of show for the Ansatsuken master. "You're supposed to be dead, yet here you are telling me about things I already know. The war in Southtown a while back is still a sore subject for some people, so we both know that getting the real story of events is usually rather difficult when people aren't that willing to discuss it. Not to mention, there are plenty of stories about yourself that have been flying around as well, on top of the fact I just had a very interesting car ride with a member of an organization that has in the past caused myself and those close to me tremendous suffering and annoyance. So I'll ask you this - What would you gain from this?"
"Every now and then, Ken..." Geese observes simply, "Things are precisely what they appear. Sometimes, those are the times one must be.. most alert." There's a slow, calm smirk with this, the cool focus of someone who just may /have/ survived death. On more than one occasion. "Whether people realize or speak of the monster that staged that debacle and tried to murder me is still in their midst... is irrelevant next to the fact that he /is/, I'm afraid. Backed before by Shadaloo, by 'R', by the NESTS Cartel... atrocities perpetrated on a city to gain power for one man, one man who continues to delude those around him in his mad quest for his lost sister..." There's a frown that looks almost sad as Howard looks away, and shakes his head. There's a few reasons he's been a successful tv personality for some time. It's unlikely the irony in his words escapes him, but he doesn't show it for a flickering instant.
"As to what I gain from /this/? The world is in upheaval, Ken. These cultists and worshippers of dark power threaten to use it to decapitate us all, in essence. I don't know about you, but I prefer /our/ kind dominating this globe, Masters. ... there are darker things than any one of us locked away in lost millennia. I am not keen on being /usurped/. ... and your power can yet become /strength/, we can follow it... learn what is important. Then tear it out by the roots and watch the frightful growth wither and die." Really, it sounds a little crazy... or like he's been practically /waiting/ for this to come, and is pretty psyched up for it.
"You'll have to pardon me if I still remain skeptical. It's not often I have the chance to talk to a dead man, Geese." It seems Ken is trying his best to keep an open mind, only to find it rather hard to completely get a grasp on all of this. He leans closer to the railing of the boxed seats, as if the severity of it all were slowly starting to sink in. "I prefer to not lead, nor follow, but march to my own drum. That's where you and I differ in our paths Geese. Yet, you're right about one thing."
A glance is given towards Geese once more before Ken starts to chuckle slightly. "What is the name of this person? I agree it needs to be wiped out because if Shadaloo, 'R', NESTS or any other organization gets ahold of what is inside me, then we can see things getting a lot worse. It's bad enough that there are others infected. We don't need people who can clone and mimic getting ahold of it."
Geese rises slowly, smoothly, from his seat with a heavy, even draw of breath. A swell on the ocean. The large blonde eyes his smaller American counterpart and frowns slightly, "I'd hope at the least, you can see I'm not dead. You know you can't trust the word of the people who ravaged Southtown, however. The man who chummed the waters, the man who tries to assert himself in my place... is Kain." The single name is spoken as if Ken -has- to have heard of Heinlein, Howard's dearest brother-in-law. "He's turned into a true sociopath. ... if he wasn't before."
A hand gestures dismissively, as Howard steps out from the seat, tapping his cigar absently before taking another puff, eyeing Ken anew. "Walking your own path is strength. Refusing to see when your path is already being manipulated is /not/. You are not yourself, Masters. You think you have /more/ power, I suspect. Think you're unstoppable - but you've already lost focus. Slip further, or work -with- me to stop it. If I wanted you dead, or for some sick experiment, I would simply /do/ it." There's a smug, almost scoffing smirk that accompanies the crimeboss' declaration.
"I told you. You're preaching to the choir with that one Geese. I /know/ there's something wrong with me. Unfortunately, you yourself have to admit my options on finding out what is going wrong are rather limited." Ken starts to rise from his chair, his hand moving to run through the still messed up hair that rests upon his skull. "Now what? If we work together, then I'm sure we could get to the bottom of this, but what has me worried is the reputation that you have built for yourself. I do however, know that as a martial artist, you still have a sense of honor. I want your word as a martial artist that until this is over, you will play by the rules."
Ken turns to stare at Geese, his hand extended out towards the larger man, knowing that this is a true gamble. Even the most fallen of true martial artists still have a semiblance of honor within them, and will try to adhere to it if asked to. "We stop what is going on, and then from there, we re-evaluate where things stand on the other levels. I know that things can be changed for the better, however I want it done the right way. I'm sure we can come to a middleground somewhere with that at a later date, but for now..."
There's a long list of abrupt and destructive things one can do with control of another person's limb. It's a fairly good bet to assume that Geese has at least skimmed that list in its entirety. It always makes it that much more impressive when he just shakes someone's hand, a simple firm gesture. These moments actually exceed the others, generally speaking - but the smashing glass and screams make the other kind more memorable! "I very much wish to discover the truth behind what has happened to you... and the others. We can indeed dismantle this conspiracy, and perhaps even 'save the world'..." Geese seems a little bored by the prospect, of all things, "while we're at it."
Howard releases his grip and considers, puffing his smoke and shaking his head, "I need you focused, ready. You need to follow your own senses back so we know which way to turn. Get cleaned up, meditate, you're no good to me gone feral." There's a trace of challenge in the tone, and words, likely quite purposefully laced there.
Log created on 20:25:57 04/02/2011 by Geese, and last modified on 19:28:58 04/03/2011.