Who: Yuriko Oyama and Turin Turambar What: Giving the tour When: 9/3 Where: Yuriko's club, Okugata, in Huntington Beach Rating/Warning: PG13, implied mental illness issues, FTB sex Status: Complete
Yuriko had gotten a hold of Dr. Hussein and made an appointment for the following day. Today, she had plans. She’d asked Turin to meet her here, at the club space, so she could give him the grand tour. The decor was almost complete, after all. The next step would be the inner workings - kegs, taps, electronics, stereo systems. The fun part was in place.
Turin was a little tired from being in the middle of an armed robbery at a convenience store at 1am, but he was more than happy to see Yuriko, and see the place that she was going to call her own. He drove up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
Yuriko saw his car drive up and came out to the front door, smiling as he got out. “こんにちは, Turin! How are you?” He didn’t look good. “Is everything all right?” She was hopefully the same as always on the outside, just moving a bit slower.
“I had a long night. It’s nothing to worry about.” It had actually been pretty exciting. And dangerous. He’d handled that broomstick well...
“As long as you are all right.” Yuriko kissed him gently, one hand on his cheek. “I feel just like myself, though slower and somehow ... sluggish. But I have an appointment for tomorrow, if you were inclined to worry.”
Something had woken up in Turin last night. He thought it might actually be a good thing. There was a lot less self-doubt in his posture. He slipped his arms around her. “More dreams?”
“I am fairly sure that I am part machine.” Yuriko said it fast, and said it simply, so there could be no misunderstanding. Somehow she just ... knew.
“Like a terminator?” He asked, curiously.
She blinked a bit, then laughed. “Perhaps, yes, if I understand the term correctly. But I just ... I begin to grow angry at these dreams.” Not even scared, really. Angry. What would be next?
“They’re changing you. More than mine change me, more than they change others. It doesn’t strike me as fair.” And part of him wondered what could happen to her personality.
“It is not.” Yuriko ground out. She looked up at him. “I have made precautions. If ... something unthinkable happens.” Her eyes suddenly seemed shiny, and she looked away. “But I refuse to bow to it, to lie down and wait to die. I will have my business. I will have love, even if for an abbreviated time.” She hoped it was not abbreviated, but what could one do?
“There’ll be no need for those precautions.” Still, he wasn't so sure of his words, and he was more or less worried that circumstance would take her away from him. That was usually how it worked.
She could tell he was unsure. “Is this fear because you think your unfortunate luck will interfere, or fear because you believe I will snap?” She couldn’t help but get more upset. “Logan said I should be checked out - he seems to believe I will go insane. I cannot have you fear me, Turin.”
“Logan is being an asshole,” Turin snapped, bringing a hand to his face. “I can’t help but think my luck will bring ruination and downfall, but that isn’t going to turn me away from you.”
She blinked at his profanity. “If that is how you see it, that I can manage.” Yuriko said quietly. “If you have faith in me, I can be comforted by that. I do not accept your ill luck, I only accept a fear of what my dreams can wreak.”
“You are not the monster you dream about. I wouldn’t worry about it.” He touched her face.
“I try not to, if only because you worry enough for the both of us.” Yuriko wrapped her arms around him gingerly, unsure if her arms were stronger. “I love you. I would not have agreed to your proposal if I did not.”
“When do you want to do the wedding, anyway?” He asked, kissing her to try to lighten her.
“I would like it sometime during the holidays, but I would be willing to change. I just need time to get something suitable to wear.” Yuriko smiled. She wanted to be a Japanese bride.
“I’m ready whenever you were.” He wanted a ring on her finger while the getting was good.
“Perhaps a month?” That would be enough time. “There is something I would like to order from Japan. Beyond that, I need very little.” She smiled a little. Besides, it would be very little time for the dreams to wreak any more havoc.
“A month then.” He looked around. “Now show me this place that you want to call your own.”
She kissed him first, long and solidly, damn whomever might be watching. “Please, come with me.” Yuriko led him down the long hall toward the back rooms.
“I love you,” he said, with an absolutely stupid grin on his face. He let her lead him along.
“I love you, too.” She felt lucky that he still loved her. “You are one of the lights of my life, Turin.” She squeezed his hand before going into tour mode. “First, the backstage. Enough rooms for the ladies to dress, a break room for security and an office for me.”
“You’re the light in mine.” He was still grinning stupidly. “Break room?”
“Security is required to receive a break during their shift.” Yuriko shrugged. “Easily surmountable.”
“That’s good. Ladies probably need a quiet place away from everyone every now and again too, I’d think.”
“That’s what the dressing rooms are for. And my office.” Yuriko chuckled. “I required a sanctum of my own.” They headed down toward the stage area. “This is where the ladies will go to wait to go on stage. At any given moment, one lady is on stage and the others are with other clients - talking, pouring drinks, et cetera. Acting as a hostess, not a stripper. And my ladies are actual dancers, not just wiggling around a pole.” She didn’t have anything against stripping as a job, but it wasn’t what she wanted in her club.
Turin grinned. “I can think of a few things we could do in your office. What kind of dances do you think you’ll do? I mean besides traditional Japanese ones.”
She laughed. “Me? Oh, on the extremely rare occasions I would dance, it would be traditional. I am the mama-san; the protector of these women. If a customer becomes rude, and their own agency cannot evict him, I most certainly can.” Perhaps, her inner voice whispered to her, it might actually come in handy to have these powers, in that regard.
“I meant your ladies.” But he couldn’t wait to see her dance. His hand slid down her back, to her backside, then back up again.
“Oh.” Yuriko laughed. “I am sorry; I think my English is only 99% perfect.” She liked that he was sticking close. It took her mind off this doctor’s appointment; it helped her remember things were relatively good. “I give my ladies free reign to dance how they wish, as long as it complies with the law!”
He wanted to stick closer, and they were semi-not-in-public, so his hands were a little wandery. He wanted her to know she was still attractive despite the scars, and the cybernetics. “That ought to be diverse.”
“Agreed.” She rather liked his wandering hands. “I cannot obviously hire only Asian girls, so that will help, as well.” Yuriko leaned back against him, chuckling. There were workmen around, and it amused her that he was being daring. She appreciated it, frankly.
“Maybe one of those seven veils thing, if that’s not a western invention,” Turin replied, kissing her shoulder.
“That is allegedly the dance performed by Salome at the execution of John the Baptist.” Yuriko smiled. “But perhaps a dance with Middle Eastern flair, yes.” That was a good idea.
She led him toward the final area, the stage itself. Coming out of the wings, she gestured at the audience space, which was slowly being painted and rewired. “Capacity in here is one hundred ten people, so it will be hopefully busy, but not frenetic. I like the colors, and the decorator did an exquisite job making it appear Japanese without resorting to cliches.” No shoji screens, no “Oriental” print. Just low, wide windows, cool colors and on one wall, a trompe-l’oeil effect of Mt. Fuji, but it was hand painted and subtle.
“This is really nice.” He looked around, and then up, where the lighting would be installed. “You picked a fantastic place, Yuri. You should be proud.”
“I am.” Yuriko kissed him gently. “And if I have to put up with the dreams, at least I may make my waking life as wonderful as possible.”
“Good. You’ll turn this into something special, and be able to control your own destiny.” Turin knew all too well what it was like to not have control over his own future.
“That is my goal.” She leaned on him. “I give you carte blanche to use this as a setting for a book, by the way. As long as the murder is solved!”
“The murder will be solved, and with the help of the beautiful owner.” He tilted her chin up and gazed into her eyes. “After some initial suspicion, of course. It will turn out to be a girl who took her own life a hundred years ago.”
“Fascinating.” Yuriko smiled softly, nodding. “I still think one day you ought to take a tour of supernatural Japan, or something of that nature. You would be interested in our myths.” In the meantime, she took his hand. “If you like, I can show you my office. It may be the one room in this building that is totally complete. It’s even wired for internet already.”
“I think I’d enjoy that.” He just hoped he didn’t find any OTHER sisters he’d slept with. That would be awkward. It was how he’d met Nienor after all. “Lead on.”
Yuriko took his hand and led him back down the hallway, past the workmen and the piles of wood and steel. She opened the door to her office and ushered him in. It was furnished in the same cool colors, but the furniture was modern and sleek. There was a comfortable couch made of fawn-colored leather, and she sat on it, inviting him to do the same. “I fell asleep here earlier.”
“I don’t blame you,” he replied, looking around. He took a seat. The couch was almost too comfortable. “I’d never be able to concentrate. It’s not cluttered enough.”
“I’m sure it will become cluttered.” Yuriko climbed into his lap, smiling. “Give it time.” She kissed him, generally pleased. “Thank you for standing by me.”
Turin grinned at her. “I’ll stand by you always, as long as I can draw breath.” Bold words, but he was feeling bold.
“I hope you can keep that promise.” Yuriko said. But then she kissed him again, a little deeper, a little more passionately. Christening the office didn’t sound like a bad idea right now. She’d taken a hesitant bodily inventory earlier, and none of that appeared to be cybernetic.
Turin’s mind and body responded almost instantly. He pulled her tighter against him, his hands gentle and yet insistent. This was a way he could reassure her. This was how could show her she was still human.
Yuriko appreciated that he didn’t stop her, didn’t question her or make her focus on what was happening. Sometimes you just wanted to forget. She was on the pill, and this place was her dream, and at least she had him.
He hadn’t actually come prepared, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment- he just wanted to experience her, in her place. And this was her place and not his. He was just a visitor.
“I have taken precautions,” she told him before lifting her skirt. There was no need for him to worry about anything unforeseen. Even though he would. “For you, I have all the optimism you lack.” She had faith that everything would work out for him, whether with her or not.
“Shh...lets stay in the moment.” Turin kissed her, and pulled her close.