Whispers in the Dark

Yoka Sake often lamented the phrase dressed to kill being used to describe evening wear.

It was early evening, and Yoka was sitting on the second floor patio of a nicer but not expensive restaurant that overlooked a canal-lined street. She was not dressed to kill; if she had been, she would have worn something tight-fitting and black to hide the blood stains. Instead, she was wearing a dress the color of sunset that was surprisingly modestly cut, though it did hug her rather ample curves. Her shoes were open-toed heels and her jewelry consisted only of the many bracelets that she wore over her left arm. Her dark hair was pulled up into a loose bun held in place with a set of hairsticks, and strands of it fell to frame her face including the dark-rimmed glasses.

She was waiting for her guest, though Yoka was uncertain is the Miss Valentine would show. After all, Yoka had a messenger send the request to meet at this small restaurant only three days earlier. It was not a lot of time to prepare, which was exactly what Yoka wanted.

Yoka was not a woman to be messed with, and while the Whispering Devils hadn't reached out towards the Cross Fox yet, Yoka knew it was only a matter of time. This was not her first time dealing with gangs.

Her back was against the corner of the building and the verdana, giving her an ample view of the street below, though that did not guarnatee she'd see the woman coming. She had no idea what this Miss Valentine looked like, after all. Yoka had simply told her the location of where she would be, and that Yoka would be at the only table with orchids.

She took a sip of her drink and waited.

And instead of wondering about the diplomacies ahead, Yoka wondered if it was too early in the day to eat creme brule.

@Wizard Pikachu

Yoka's guest arrived and slid into the chair across from her.

Yoka assesed the woman briefly, offering a smile as she tilted her head and lifted her drink as if to say, ah yes you caught me. Truthfully, Yoka was trying to figure out what the other woman might be that she was capable of just jumping up onto the balcony. Yoka loved a good entrance, so she had to give her points.

"Yes, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Valentine," Yoka said. She handed the other woman the drink menu and said, "Would you like anything? It's on me."

Yoka leaned back in her chair and took another sip of her shirly temple. She was relaxed with this meeting, as though she'd done it a thousand times before, and maybe, Yoka realized, she had. She was losing track of how many times she had done this. The whole thing gave her a sense of Deja vu.

"I won't take up too much of your time," Yoka said, and she cut to the chase. "I've been on the island for a long time. I like to take it upon myself to meet some of the newer business owners to welcome them. It is my understanding that you're the owner of a certain Devil's Whispers?"

"Scotch it is then," Yoka said, and when the waiter came over the midst she ordered one for the other woman. The alcohol here was fair, not great, but not the worst Yoka ever had. She was still debating about that creme brule.

She listened to the other woman's concerns without raising an eyebrow. Instead, Yoka took a long sip of her drink, and played with the little plastic sword stuck in the edge of her cherries.

"I can assure you, I have enough ventures of my own that I have no desire to take on someone else's," Yoka said. Her voice was cool and calm, with no source of irritation. She spoke the same way she might as if she was on a planner lunch date for literally any other reason.

That changed when Diane mentioned the rumors about Yoka and only getting the information on her dresses. Yoka gave a long sigh.

"It is frustrating, isn't it? I can assure you, I've had my share of adventure, but someone something as minor as clothing can dominate more of the discussion than what else I've accomplished," Yoka said. She twirled the straw in her drink, the ice cubes clinking together.

Yoka leaned forward and lifted her eyebrows, a flash of mischief skirting her amber eyes for just a moment. She said, "I can also just tell you now, the rumor about the bear is entirely false. The bear was a distinguished guest, he was not there to be wrestled."

Yoka sat back in her chair once more and said, "I am the owner of The Cross Fox in the island's underground district. I'm sure you can put together the other reason i'd like to talk to a fellow business owner. There are a lot of people on this island who have vested interest in keeping their establishments safe. I'm not much different."

Ah, so Miss Valentine knew what she was.

That was the only logical conclusion Yoka could draw from the other woman's comment. Fox god was too specific. So that led Yoka to believe that she'd found out plenty of information on Yoka and was just withholding what she knew. Interesting. Yoka was pleasantly surprised. Thinking the only rumor about her was her clothing had bothered her more than she'd like to admit.

"Ah, partnership is perhaps a bit beyond the scope of what I was thinking, though I'll admit, it's not an unpleasant idea," Yoka confessed. She took another sip of her drink and pulled out the plastic sword that held the cherries in it.

"You see, The Cross Fox has been around for a very long time," Yoka began. "And I would like to make sure it stays that way. Competitors come and go. The market here can be fickle."

She shrugged and popped one of the cherries into her mouth.

"This isn't a very large island, but there is plenty of business to go around, so there is no need to step on each others toes," Yoka said. "It's just a matter of understanding what clientelle you're looking for."

She swallowed and then pulled the cherry stem out of her mouth. it was tied in a knot, predictably, and Yoka set this on her plate and motioned to the waiter for another drink.

"So what I am proposing is simply that we do our best not to step on each others toes, although if I hear of anyone in my business that would benefit from yours, I would be delighted to send them your way," Yoka said. "I've been doing this for a long time. I'm past the point where games and threats are fun. I don't see why we both can't succeed at what we're doing."

"Despite popular belief, The Cross Fox is exactly what it advertises itself to be," Yoka explained. Being in the underground meant that a lot of people assumed the club was a front for something shadier. She was constantly fielding complaints that her dancers wouldn't sleep with the clients, who somehow mistook her club for a prostitution ring. And then there was the whole backlash from hentai nights...

Yoka shook her head.

"We're strictly an entertainment facility, but what people do on their own time is up to them," she explained. "Really, being exactly what we say we are is a bit of a boon to facilities such as yours in that it makes any threats or claims difficult to prove when there are legitimate business operating in the underground."

Yoka shrugged.

"I employ other security for my person and some select staff, but all things considered, we are what we are. We do have a lot of folks who use our premises to conduct meetings, though..." Yoka admitted.

When the other woman extended her hand, Yoka took it. Her grip was firm but not crushing. It was the type of handshake that came from someone who didn't need to intimidate others to feel confident.

"I am indeed looking forward to this as well," Yoka said. "I like when things go smoothly."