Under New Management (Attn:Jacob)

The building was empty at the moment and a sign was posted on the front saying that it was closed for renovations and would be open again soon. She couldn't afford to keep it closed for very long; people were bored easily and would find somewhere else to spend their time and money. The staff needed to be paid and right now she was paying them for more training but soon she would want a return on her investment. Some people she had kept, plenty were top notch to begin with. Everyone could use a refresher course on technique and an update on the innovations in their particular place in entertainment. Plus they needed to know about the changes she was making and what was expected to be different from before. New policies would probably be much like the old but everyone needed to be aware of them. They weren't complaining; they still had jobs and were being paid to learn. Most considered it a mini holiday.

The security guard at the front stepped aside and opened the door for her and Jacob. Akahana moved past and into the dark building. She reached back for her companion's hand and led him carefully through the vast darkness that was the empty night club. There was no need to turn on the light, enough was coming through from various appliances, charging construction tools and other things for her to see well enough to weave around obstacles.

Once they had reached the back and into the more private area, Akahana found a room and flipped on the light. It was the office and there was a desk that faced the door, a sofa along one side wall and a mini bar along the other.

"Something to drink?” She looked over the selection and poured herself a glass of orange juice and vodka. Holding the glass up, she indicated she could make another or give him that one.

"If you are sure this is what you want.” Akahana turned and gestured toward the sofa. "then I would like to take you as a familiar.”

She sat down and looked over at him. "If you have any further questions before that happens.” Akahana spread her hands. "now is the time.”

Aishe_NPC 10 years ago
Jake knew this club. He'd passed it before on the streets and, of course, it had a reputation. High class. Serious money in here. He noted the sign on the door and he could only assume that, since the security guard didn't even bat an eyelash at her entry, Akahana was someone in charge.

His hand in hers was nice, and he was grateful for it in the darkened building. He could make out dim shapes in the faint glows of charging lights, but Akahana seemed much more confident than he. He wondered just how much better her eyesight was. Ran had said their senses were keener but as he couldn't really remember what being human had been like, he didn't have a baseline for comparison.

Soon they arrived in a private room, an office with some very nice furniture and a little bar. Akahana gracefully mixed a drink and offered it to him. Maybe he would have wanted the alcohol to fortify himself another night but tonight he didn't think he did. He wanted to remember this clearly. He shook his head.


"I'm fine, thanks." He smiled softly, still feeling almost euphoric.

When she gestured toward the sofa Jake crossed the room and sat, not sure exactly how they might proceed from here. He felt his heart pattering quickly in his chest when she said she wanted him as a familiar. His face broke into a smile.


"I want to be one," he said. "To be yours." Now that he'd met her, not just any vampire would do. Akahana was beautiful. Kind, soft-spoken, a true lady.

Could she be concealing another nature from him? Yes... the thought had crossed his mind. But he had seen Ran with Mina and he didn't think Ran would steer him wrong.

She joined him on the couch and invited more questions. He thought, and came up with one.
"Does it happen immediately?"

Was it something she just did? He'd been bitten before and enjoyed it, much to his surprise. But obviously he wasn't a familiar now. He looked down at himself; he was wearing a long-sleeved, collared shirt.
"Oh. Should I..." He gestured at his sleeves, plucked at he front of his shirt. She would know what she wanted, of course, but he was eager to start off properly.

"And is this where I would be working? Or do you have other businesses I can help with?"

He was interested in her holdings. Was he to be her personal accountant, or just work with someone higher up? Jacob enjoyed what he did. He was being offered the opportunity to expand his horizons in ways he had never dreamed possible, but he did want to be an accountant, too. He wanted to dive in, immediately be useful, learn everything at once.
Akahana Yoshida 10 years ago
"No, not immediately.” Akahana leaned back against the leather couch and tilted her head sideways to look at him. "We have to be careful. Making a familiar is an exercise in restraint.” She took a sip of her drink and then explained further. "To create the bond a vampire must drink from a human three times within a certain period. There is probably a specific hour mark that someone has done some research to figure out but the accepted general rule is once every night for three days.”

"The difficultly is in not taking too much so that you leave the human you are hoping to make a familiar sick, or worse.” Giving him a reassuring smile, she said. "The best way to make a familiar is to not be hungry when you do it. I am well fed and well practiced.” That was another good thing about running several businesses with plenty of people involved, they offered a ready supply of blood. "But I would advise plenty of fluids and vitamins and stay away from strenuous activities for the next week or so.” She didn't want him passing out on a gym floor or worse falling off the side of a cliff after getting dizzy.

Akahana couldn't help but smile at Jacob's earnest attitude. She set her drink down on the side table and then leaned over to take care of his shirt. Plucking at the buttons with slow deliberation, she watched him.
"You should relax.”

Moving closer to him, she bent down to his neck and ran her lips lightly along it. Not lifting her head, she answered his question. "I have other businesses. I am sure you can help me with many of them.”

Leaning back, she asked him a question of her own. "Do you wish to be a personal assistant or just an accountant? If you are interested and have the time to spare then you can accompany me more often.” She would see him plenty if he simply wished to be her accountant and take care of her material affairs but if he wanted to help in other ways then he could be at her side for much of the night.

Akahana ran a hand down his chest and listened to the beat of his heart while she enjoyed the feel of his skin beneath her fingers.
"What do you think?”
Aishe_NPC 10 years ago
Jacob was taking in everything Akahana said with wide-eyed fascination. No wonder Mina had been so enthralled by this process... and she had, he realized, literally been enthralled. He wanted this, and it seemed like Akahana wanted him too. To be useful to her, to have this chance to learn from her, made his heart pound.

Of course, her closeness did that too. She had set her drink aside and was gently undoing his shirt buttons.
"Fluids. Rest. No strenuous activity," he repeated, although he felt his lips twist with self-conscious irony at that last statement. He blushed; he was pretty sure his body was stressed out right now. When she added 'relax' to the list Jacob coughed a soft, embarrassed laugh and glanced down pointedly.

"I'm trying." He'd do whatever she said, but the situation they were in had been exciting from the start, and had not gotten any less so with her proximity. He was hard as a rock and as she bent and touched her lips to his neck he sucked in a harsh breath of arousal. Jake closed his eyes and tried to force his hands to stop clutching at the wrinkles in the upholstery of the couch.

She pulled away and he heard a little sound of protest issue forth from his lips, but she was only asking him a question, which made him almost unreasonably happy. She actually cared to hear his opinion - Jake didn't think she would bother asking if she planned to simply subjugate him and make him some kind of mindless slave. Her solicitation of his opinion while her slender, elegant hand caressed his chest was distracting.

Still, he forced reason and logic the the fore of his brain and gave it half a second of thought.
"I want to help you with everything you need," he said a little breathlessly. "I have a few more weeks of college before finals and graduation. After that I can do anything."

He didn't have the free time she might desire of him, if he were going to ace his finals, which he wanted to do. He had a 4.0 average so barring a natural disaster he would graduate but he did have pride in his accomplishments too. He wanted to keep those straight A's. Once he graduated though, wouldn't mom be thrilled to know he was already employed? If she never saw him because his schedule was odd, well, it shouldn't much matter. Jake was in favor of that, really.

He looked into Akahana's golden eyes and smiled almost peacefully in spite of what she was doing to him physically.
"Teach me, please," he murmured. "Show me what I need to be for you."
Akahana Yoshida 10 years ago
"That is not the kind of stress I was concerned about.” Akahana smiled at Jacob's glance downward. "I meant worrying about being perfect. There isn't a score being kept here and you don't fail familiar school for being nervous.”

Jacob answered her question about what he wanted to do and when his school ended. "Well I think I can manage for a few weeks until you finish college, with highest honors, I'm sure.” Akahana smiled at him. He had mentioned before that he tried very hard to be good enough and she suspected that was in everything a child could have responsibility for, grades, chores, hobbies and sports. "When you are done then we can go out and celebrate.” She moved her hand away from his chest and slid it up the inside of one thigh instead, stopping just short of anything too exciting. "or stay in and celebrate...or both.” She would reward him for a job well done for certain. There would be no doubt that his academic endeavors were appreciated here.

Looking back into those deep brown eyes that were fixed on her own, Akahana smiled softly and slid an arm around him, pulling him close and then wrapping the other around him as well.
"I will happily teach you whatever you want to know but there is something I want you to understand, truly understand.” She arms tightened around him protectively as she continued. "You are already what I need and want, Jacob. I know it will probably take some time to sink in but I hope you will come to believe me eventually.”

Akahana continued to hold him close, sliding up more comfortably behind him so that she could rest her cheek against his as she spoke. "Later, I will want you always by my side. Listening and observing will be your most important skills. My clients are important people who occasionally forget themselves when dealing with matters of entertainment.” She smiled against his cheek and turned, giving it a little kiss before continuing. "unwise utterances, straying glances and other such minor details are important to me. I watch for them and so should you.” He had probably been more interested in knowing what she wanted in a sexual partner but her tastes there were many and she was sure that Jacob would be entertaining in bed, in good part because he was willing to let her run the show. It was much easier for a trained courtesan to make sure both people had an excellent time if the other party realized who the conductor was. It was not impossible the other way but it required that the controlling moves the courtesan made to be a little more subtle.

"One of the first things I am going to require is a place in the city and when you are done with school then I would like you to talk to an agent and set up several listings for us to go review. I will give you a price range and a list of necessities when the time comes.”

She considered other things that he needed to know as someone who was going to be around her constantly. The night with Ran came back to her suddenly and reminded her of his worried expression when she was dazzled by the lights in the ball room. "Something to be aware of, I do not do well with pulsing lights.” Shrugging slightly, she explained in a way that he would best understand. "I believe that I would have been diagnosed with epilepsy had it been known about at the time. I still seem to occasionally have some effects from it.” Or perhaps because she was turned after a severe fit some things lingered with her for purely psychosomatic reasons; there were things about vampire creation that they still didn't understand. "I dislike dogs, especially large ones.” Jacob was unlikely to need to save her from a dog but he might need to save someone's pet from her. If it got in her face then she was likely to kill it before she thought about it.

"When you are able to be with me then you will be able to learn my habits like what I tend to do in the early evening or on different days. You will keep my schedule for me, know how I like my tea and other things. There will be plenty of opportunity to serve, I promise. Both in bed and out of it.”

Her hand slid back down to caress the bared smooth skin of his chest. She did want him, more and more with each passing moment. There was something about him; he was interesting, unique and perhaps a little bit fragile. Hana didn't doubt there was some steel there as well but it could snap with a few more relationships like his mother's, leaving him broken. She didn't want to see that happen and already she felt protective of him. However, patience was a virtue and they had just begun to get to know one another. "But not tonight.”

Tonight would be special because it was the beginning of their relationship, a deeper bond than simply sex. This night would be purely about that. The physical would come soon enough.

"For now, just this.” Akahana leaned back down to press her lips against his neck. Her arms tightened around him once more. Small sharp fangs pressed against flesh as she slowly pushed them downward. The moment needed to last, for the both of them. She let the blood well up into her mouth, tasting it slowly with a gentle swipe of her tongue, savoring the taste of Jacob. Only then did she suck down harder to draw more from the tiny wounds; Akahana took her time enjoying each small swallow because it would need to end soon. Swiping her tongue once more across the bite, she then placed a final parting kiss on his neck.

Letting out a long sigh, she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Happy with your choice?”
Aishe_NPC 10 years ago
All Jacob could hear in his head was a constant stream of babble. This situation had to be to good to be true. It had to be. Akahana was soothing, sweet, kind, caring, everything he could ever ask for. She clearly knew what she wanted and how to get it; her confidence and self-assurance were amazing.

Although she told him not to worry about being perfect, her demeanor only made him want to be more perfect - for her. She would teach him, though. She would teach him and he would learn to be everything he wanted and needed. Hell, he would have been a familiar even without any sort of bond but he was a very willing participant. It only made it that much more real.

She offered to celebrate with him and his heart jumped into his throat. His mother had not offered any such thing; all she could talk about was what contacts she had and who he should start sending resumes to, where he should look for internships, that sort of thing. Jake didn't want any of that. He wanted this, here, now, and it wasn't just because he wanted to thumb his nose at his mother. He needed this. Sucking in a gasp of air lest he forget to actually breathe he nodded and smiled shyly at Akahana.
"That would be... fun."

Fun didn't even begin to describe it. It would be incredible. How did you celebrate your graduation? Oh, nothing big. Just spent the night in the company of a beautiful geisha. Seriously.


"I believe you," he murmured at her wonderful words, "but I'm never going to stop trying to be everything I can be for you."

Her arms came around him and he gave a soft sigh, just short of a little moan. Akahana's words only grew more intimate, as she spoke of things he would need to know in order to care for her and serve her. Jake wished he had a pen and a pad so he could start taking notes. Everything she said in that soft, smooth tone he tried to commit to memory, to replay in his head when he wasn't as feverish with desire for her.


"I can talk to an agent whenever you want. Now, if you like," he said. That wouldn't take too much time from his studies, getting the ball rolling there. "I'd be happy to."

He noted her epilepsy, laying one of his hands over one of hers and squeezing. He would do his best to help her avoid situations like that. Dogs, too, he would be on the watch for. Jake had never had one; they were too much of a distraction. So he didn't have a soft spot for them or anything. Then she mentioned his staying with her. Knowing her schedule. Learning her tastes. It was like balm to his soul; how could this beautiful woman have no one like that to do these things for her? Jake wanted to be that person, felt indescribably lucky to be that person. he found himself praying fervently that she wouldn't change her mind, that nothing strange would happen to change the direction they were headed in.

He felt her lips press against his neck and he closed his eyes, already anticipating the pleasure. When she bit gently, he hardly felt the brief, minor pain. It was overrun immediately by ecstasy as her tongue touched his skin. He did moan this time, trying to keep himself in check. Then her mouth closed down more securely and she sucked on his neck. He shuddered with the joy of it as the sensation struck him to the core. He bit his lip, shifting his hips, tensing as he tried to stave off what he felt was inevitable. With each small suck he quaked, hoping she knew it was going to happen... he was too aroused to resist. At the third light draw on his neck he felt stars explode in his head as every muscle clenched and he came intensely with a choked cry. The feeling raced along every nerve he had and he felt like he might pass out with the amplitude of it, but he was able to open his eyes seconds, minutes, maybe hours or days later to find her holding him, talking to him.

Jake pressed his hand over hers again, catching his breath, too floored by the experience to feel embarrassment or shame at the moment. He only heard Akahana's words.


"Oh God, yes," he breathed. "As long as you are, I'll be happy."

Jake turned his head just a little to see her a little better.
"Akahana... ma'am... what do you want me to call you? Akahana-sama? Or... Akahana-Ue? -Dono?"

Jake could not find a term, in current use or from history, that seemed high enough for Akahana. Perhaps she did not wish to be referred to in Japanese. Maybe Miss Yoshida was more appropriate, or simply, 'Mistress.' He didn't know, and that was the first direction he wished from her - how she wanted him to address her. It was important to him that he always be assured of according her the proper respect.
Akahana Yoshida 10 years ago
Jacob was making it incredibly difficult not to want him immediately. Hearing him climax and feeling him shudder beneath her was wonderful and she longed to bring him to that point again. She told herself that she would do so soon enough and perhaps next time she would watch him as he came.

"I am quite pleased.” Akahana snuggled him close, thrilled with his reaction to her bite. That it would be pleasurable was without a doubt but the fact that he found release from it made her very happy. It also boded well for their future together.

She was already considering ways to entertain Jacob when he asked her another question. It was a wise one to ask and she expected from his knowledge of several honorific titles that he had at least some knowledge of Japanese. Given what she knew of his mother, Akahana suspected it was more than a passing knowledge of the language.
"Sama will be appropriate unless there are specific circumstances.” There might be a time when they both had to play a different part or a time when she should be called by a different title in order to send a certain message to a specific guest. "Many of the Americans in a...well not quite the same role but a lesser version of it, call me Mistress. You may use that title if you prefer. I certainly prefer it to Madam.” Though that title would be accurate as well and certainly had been in the past.

Closing her eyes, she leaned against him for a moment simply enjoying his weight against her and his clean masculine scent.
"I bought this place not too long ago. There is going to be some changes to its interior design. It is very modern now but I think with the name Babylon that it needs to evoke the middle east and the exotic luxury and sinful excess of the ancient city.” She didn't understand this whole heaven and hell Christian thing that didn't fit in with the Babylonian mythology.

"I want to make it appealing to more people than those here to watch naked dancers as well. I just haven't entirely decided on how to do that.”

With a sigh, she sat up a bit and then scooted out from behind him. Akahana stood and then turned to Jacob. "Take your pants off and follow me.” She turned and scooped up her drink from the table before heading to the door. There, she stood and waited for him to comply.
Aishe_NPC 10 years ago
Jake nodded as Akahana answered his question. He would be pleased to refer her to both ways, with the honorific -sama and the formal, if slightly old-fashioned English term. They both suited her. "Yes, Akahana-sama," he acknowledged, a content smile upon his lips.

She leaned into him and he allowed himself the luxury of resting back against her, still unable to believe what was happening but too relaxed, too sated to refute it. He was definitely here, and if Akahana changed her mind tomorrow this was still the best night of his life.

When she told him she had plans for the club he nodded, unable to feel a little excitement. Renovations were a financial nightmare. Plans came and went, details had to be added or subtracted at a moment's notice. Things always popped up. Here, he could definitely be of immediate use to her. Jacob was incredibly well-organized and if she trusted him to handle her finances he could make sure that aspect of her plans met with no hitches.

He wished he could offer any kind of suggestion for how to do what she wanted and make it appealing but Jake's experience in those matters was limited and practically nonexistent. Besides, she hadn't solicited suggestions from him. He suspected she knew many ways to do what she wanted, and it was just a matter of deciding which ones would work here.
"It sounds like it's going to be beautiful," he did say. Her description of it certainly sounded pretty. Like paradise.

They switched gears then, and Jake stood to comply with her request, reflecting briefly that he certainly hadn't ever done that before. Watching her cross the room to the door, and the directive she'd given him (something in her tone of voice, maybe), sent a twinge of lust through him again and he flushed. He pulled his pants off and covered himself modestly as he made to follow her, hoping to God there weren't any security people inside. Fortunately his now untucked shirt helped cover him up.

He wished she would bite him again. He understood now why she'd said he should rest. Jake wanted her to drink again so badly that it wouldn't have mattered to him if she drained him practically dry. He could easily become addicted to her bite.
Akahana Yoshida 10 years ago
This time Akahana turned on the lights for him. She smiled when he covered himself for some semblance of modesty. If he continued to live around her and the people that she dealt with every night then he would soon be strutting around naked with pride and ease. It made it that much nicer to see him genuinely awkward now. His attitude was so fresh and earnest, unlike the jaded vampires and escorts that she dealt with so often. Akahana hoped he didn't lose that attitude for a very long time, or if he must lose some of it, then at least not all of it.

They moved down a hall and into another room. Flipping on this light revealed several industrial washing machines and dryers as well as a machine for dry cleaning the more delicate clothing that the establishment used.


"Toss them in one of the machines.” She trusted he knew how to do his own laundry, at least she hoped so. Personally she hadn't used modern machinery in her life. The last time she cared for her own clothing was a very long time ago. As a geisha of her standing, Akahana had servants who cared for her household needs and as a member of Anantya that was normal as well. It was a good thing that Mahesh understood that about her from the beginning. Perhaps she should get Jacob to teach her how to use the machines at some point. If she ever needed to play the role of a housewife then it would be imperative that she know how to do laundry, or the role of a young college student or anyone modern without access to servants.

She walked into the next room and began looking through the racks of clothing that lined the walls with neatly organized labels by type and size. Akahana might not be good at cleaning clothing but she was excellent at picking it out and judging size. Running her hand down a pair of beige leather biker pants that should fit Jacob quite nicely and look perfect with his blonde hair, she pulled them off the rack. The pants were washed and textured to appear well worn and the seaming added a bit of rock and roll bad boy vibe to an otherwise tame colour. She pulled a skin tight simple white henley as well. He could dress them up or down, add a jacket or a different shirt and accessories for a different look. Right now she was trying to find him something that he could get home in and something that kept her from taking advantage of his half naked state.

Mugging was probably the lesser worry, if she were honest with herself.

Akahana walked back to the laundry room and laid the clothing out on a machine. Yes, she should probably not watch him take the rest of his things off and squirm into a pair of skin tight pair of leather pants. She should probably go into the other room but what she should do and what she was going to do were entirely two different things.


"I am afraid this was some of the tamest clothing to be had.” As one should probably expect from a strip club. "Unless you wanted a very nice police uniform with velcro closures.” He would have looked hot in it, probably unconvincing at his age but still pretty hot. The pants would work better and they felt nice too.

((OOC: I will get to the other thread tomorrow but it is late, or early, someone insisted on shopping for Jacob in this thread and it took some time to find what she wanted. *sigh* ))
Aishe_NPC 10 years ago
Fortunately it was a short walk, and they wound up in a laundry room to Jake's profound relief. He obediently threw his boxers and briefs into the washing machine, glad once again that his shirt was long enough to afford him at least a little coverage. Hastily he located the detergent and, with a little bit of studying, managed to figure out how to get the industrial machine running. It wasn't very different from the ones at home.

Akahana had gone into the next room over and he waited, since she hadn't indicated he should come along. It wasn't long before she returned, with a pair of leather pants and a white shirt. He looked at them with interest; he had worn leather before and actually liked it. It wasn't this nice, though. His had been more... well... pleather.


"Uh... no, that's wonderful. Thank you, Akahana-sama." He addressed her formally with pleasure. It was nice to call her that. He accepted the clothing from her with a polite bow from the waist and turned away to dress himself.

The pants were tight, but leather was supposed to be. He was a little surprised that they fit so well; Jake wasn't terribly short, but he also didn't exactly have the musculature most of the male employees here probably did. He wriggled a little to get into the pants but didn't have too much trouble with them. He'd thought his shirt was all right, but if his new Mistress wanted him in the white henley, that was what he would wear. Without a second thought he stripped his shirt off and pulled the white one on. It was also very tight; he could actually see the piercings in his chest through it, and they weren't all that prominent.

When he was finally covered up he turned back to Akahana. Jake still couldn't believe he was here with her, and that somehow he seemed to match her needs. Bowing once more from the waist he remained there, saying,
"How else may I serve you tonight?"

It wasn't a contrived question. Jake did want to serve her. The question was meant in the most genuine sense. He understood from Ran that it sometimes took an actual bond to create subservience in a person but for Jake, that state was what he actually wanted. He felt more content, more secure, right now, than he had in a very long time, his only current anxiety coming from his eagerness to do more for the woman in front of him.
Akahana Yoshida 10 years ago
Akahana nodded at his thanks and smiled. She then sighed inwardly when he turned away from her to pull the pants on. The little shimmy dance was still entertaining, if slightly less tempting, but that was probably for the best.

She waited until he was done, noting the fit of the clothing with satisfaction and another wave of desire. The piercings that she had seen and felt before now showed through the delectably soft, almost sheer cotton of the light weight henley, proving that there was more to Jacob than what most people saw on the surface. The soft fabrics of the shirt and pants were both inviting to the touch and as a sensual creature, and one for whom objects told stories, it was difficult for her to keep her hands to herself.

Jacob bowed before her and asked how else he may serve her tonight. A very loaded question with a very tempting answer so close to being spoken. Akahana stepped forward and ran a hand up Jacob's chest, brushing one piercing with her thumb as she enjoyed the smooth fabric and the warmth of his skin so easily felt through it. Her hand journeyed next up his neck, fingertips lingering on the place she had bitten him earlier, and then up into his hair.

Pulling him closer would be so easy.

"You can go home and get some rest.” She smiled down at him and lifted his chin up to met her eyes. "I can give you a usb with the finance information for the club if you want to take a look at it and I will see you tomorrow night.”

Akahana let him go and took a step back, if she didn't then she might change her mind. "Eight o clock at club Eternity.”

She turned to lead him out of the building. Pausing at the door, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "Thank you, Jacob. I am very glad you chose me.”

((OOC: Akahana out pending response. ))
Aishe_NPC 10 years ago
Jake held his position, enjoying the feel of Akahana's caress, until she made it clear with her gentle hand that she wanted him to look at her. He did, meeting her beautiful eyes with a barely suppressed shiver of delight. She was so damn gorgeous.

"Yes please, Akahana-sama," he answered when she offered to send him away with some of the information he would need to begin his new job. He would study it until he knew it by heart, the better to be useful to her as soon as possible.

When she stepped away he felt a little stab of disappointment that she didn't want him for the rest of the night. He had hoped... well, that was to say... he couldn't really wrap his head around it but it seemed unfair that he should have enjoyed her so much when she seemed to get so little from him in return. Perhaps that wasn't how it worked, though; it wasn't Jacob's place to say.

She did tell him, before he went on his way, to meet her at Club E the following night. His eyes grew slightly wide at the name of the very exclusive club. There was no way Jake or any of his friends would ever have been able to get in unless, perhaps, they made reservations a year or so in advance. But Akahana did seem like one of those extraordinary people who probably had a standing invite. They probably begged her to put in an appearance, come to think of it.


"I'll be there," he promised, just before she floored him by thanking him. Jake couldn't have been any more shocked by that.

Staring at her, he had to think of something to say. He couldn't. Finally he just blinked and said the first thing on his mind.
"There's no one else in the world."

How could you meet someone like her, and not immediately be enthralled by her? It didn't matter if she were trained as a geisha, a courtesan, had all kinds of schooling... you couldn't learn that sort of presence. She was everything Jake wanted. She'd have to beat him away with a stick if she changed her mind, and he thought even then he'd come crawling back for more.

She kept his thoughts occupied as he headed home, information in hand, wondering if this was how Mina felt about Ran. At least he had someone to share this feeling with... and in three nights' time it would be even better, he supposed, although now he felt like he was on top of the world.

((ooc: Jake out))