Let's try that again...

[evillurks]

Now that he's growing accustomed to having her as a true agent again, Myra's recovery in her own world puts The Shadow slightly short-handed. He finds his own wheezing a severe liability whenever stealth is needed, forcing him to rely on other agents for quiet investigations. The alternate solution, and one he struggles to uphold, is to be supremely diligent in taking care of himself except when he truly needs to take to the streets firsthand. The restriction grates on his nerves, and coordinating agents to do some of the footwork takes up more time.
He is careful, following the unexpected incident in ancient Japan, and he is also busy. The drug market has gone fairly quiet, but there is a definite gradual increase in violent crime. Arresting the individuals involved seems to have no impact on this slow crescendo. The network is spread wide and thin, scratching the ground for clues. After a matter of days, The Shadow has done all he can do about the matter. Once again he must wait, sift the city through his agents, and hope some vital puzzle piece comes to light. On this break from work he recalls a social obligation. A morning outing has him arriving at the Rettigue apartment with sake and scotch. The place has been abandoned the past few days, but that means there's no paperwork to tidy. The grand spaces and spartan furnishings should make it a comfortable place for a blind man to visit.

When the sake is warm and the cups set out, he sends off an invitation, and then laughs quietly at his own unfamiliar attempt at hospitality.

Comments

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow picks up his own cup, the piercing eyes scanning his visitor's health. The clothes conceal much, but he also studies Ichi's face for any subtle clues. "The Nexus Clinics are pre-programmed into the PINpoint, if you're ever badly hurt. The doctors there are... mm. Doctors are never pleasant, but they have medical technology above and beyond anything I've seen."

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

Ichi seems a touch paler than last time, nothing particularly concerning, but noticeable upon The Shadow's close inspection. Ichi settles his right arm on his knee, but doesn't lean on it like he did when they last met.

"I'll keep that in mind." Ichi's distrustful of physicians, mostly because they expect him to tolerate their poking and smelly remedies. He sips the sake, uttering a low sound of approval and thoroughly impressed with the quality. "Wow, this is good." He chuckles. "Not that I'm surprised you have good tastes, Shadow."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Doctors are unpleasant indeed, and The Shadow is very selective about which ones he trusts. His recent choice of physician isn't even technically a doctor, but a nurse, yet one he trusts more than anyone else in the Clinics. He notes the paleness and the posture without comment.

"I have expensive tastes. I spent a long time impersonating a very wealthy man, and it ruined me." He smiles faintly, but ruefully, the expression coming through the words. "He always preferred bourbon, though." The past tense is not for Lamont Cranston's current state of being, although he has no illusions about his former agent's failing health. The past tense is because due to health complications, Cranston was restricted from drinking quite a few years ago.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

He laughs pleasantly at The Shadow's comment about being ruined by the rich living.

"Not necessarily a bad thing to enjoy the finer things. Just an occasional inconvenience." Technically, Ichi lives well outside his means, but his gambling tricks help fund those habits...

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

"Hm. It's a bad thing to get used to." He hasn't forgotten how heavy that purse was, more so than can be explained away by the PINpoint.

"I prefer scotch, and that's no better, but I bought some so you could try it." He sips his sake, and glances around his own apartment. Spartan though the place may be, it is by far the most expensive of his apartments, and that he keeps several for the purpose of his various aliases says much about the wealth he's made playing with investments.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

"Scotch?" The word is odd on his tongue. "I'm definitely willing to give it a try. I wasn't disappointed by martinis." Unfortunately the Nexus has already begun to slowly corrupt Ichi with its great plethora of drinks. He sips at his sake, trying to politely empty the cup so he can try some of this scotch.

At this point, Ichi's senses have adjusted to the new location and finds himself rather intrigued with the plush flooring beneath him. The room has a unique smell, but he can identify the scent of teas and The Shadow's own unique signature, a type of scent that works itself into any place that is lived in for a while.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow laughs, softly and briefly, bemused that the Nexus has already beaten him to the punch in introducing Ichi to foreign alcohol. "Gin and vodka. They're all right, and they pack almost as hard a kick..." The Shadow does not, on his own, drink often. He was forced to imbibe quite a range of things to maintain the impersonation of Cranston in his younger days, however.

There is an oriental rug beneath him, and hardwood floor beneath that, but the rug itself is so large that he has yet to feel the bare floor yet. The large space echoes from hard surfaces and high ceilings.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

Ichi sighs as he finishes his drink and smiles in a way that says a thought has occurred to him.

"Heh, Shadow-san. I thought you might be amused at this: I ran into a couple thugs a few days ago. They asked me what I was doing working with a ninja. Seems you really put quite a scare into 'em."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Lingering over his drink, The Shadow takes a swallow before answering. "But not scare enough to keep them off your back. I didn't do you any favors leaving men alive." He reaches for the scotch, peeling back foil with his thumb, sake still in his other hand. "I've borrowed some of my tactics from the ninja, but they must not have gotten a good look to mistake me for one."

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

"If it hadn't been them it would have been others, eventually." He shrugs this off.

"No one questions a man in black at night. Even yakuza try to keep away from the ninja if they can." Absently, Ichi scratches at the spot where his bandage is. He winces briefly, but ignores the apparent moment of pain and rubs at it instead. "If they even think they see one, they usually try to run."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

"If you've seen a ninja, then theoretically either it's too late, or he's not very good at it." The Shadow swallows the last of his own sake, and opens the scotch to pour a finger's-width into Ichi's cup. "Some people prefer it with ice..." He takes his neat, of course, just as he takes his coffee black.

"I could give you a tube of- some salve, to keep that from getting infected." An education into antibiotics and the mechanics of such things on a microbial level can wait for another day.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

Ichi takes a sniff and his eyebrows raise up. Potent, is the word that comes to mind, and he takes a careful sip. It burns a little, but he likes it and smiles broadly before taking another sip. This, is a drink he'll savor slowly.

"The doc put something on it. Stank and stung, but cleaned it up." He set his hand on the bandaged wound now, trying to will away the itch. "I'm just not a very good patient, so I keep irritating it."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Accustomed to the drink, The Shadow switches his sake cup for a heavier tumbler, pours a measure in, and takes a healthier swallow. The various clinks and the subtle sounds of liquid may be telling to the blind man. To The Shadow the burn is familiar, and strangely welcome. It's been a long time since he tasted scotch, since drinking is merely a social occupation to him, and he does not socialize much.

"It's a physician conspiracy that if it smells, hurts, or tastes terrible we'll be all the more convinced it works. Doctors are a necessary evil, but don't tell mine I said so." He is thinking of nurse Branigan, who would probably simply roll her eyes. "I suppose I'm not a very good patient, either. If you ever do go to the nexus Clinics, don't tell them I'm the one who recommended you there."

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

"I just might. It might keep them from being too nosy, eh?" He smiles and sips again. Ichi has another new favorite drink. "Either that, or they'll tie me down." He sets his cup down long enough to mime his hands being bound. With a wry smile he starts to untie his arm coverings. If he's going to relax, he might as well do it while not appearing ready to disappear at a moment's notice.

"You know, your timing is impeccable." He works at the uninjured arm first. "Not only was I alone on the road, I just cleaned up earlier today."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

"They haven't tried tying me down yet, but the last time I was there I think they were considering it." Certainly he felt restrained during such tedious procedures as the MRI. The lengthy tests wore at his patience, and as a result his glowering grew into the kind of menace the doctors won't soon forget.

"It's luck. I've always been blessed with extraordinary luck..." Settling back on the couch and feeling more Cranston-like than he has in a long time, The Shadow swirls the remaining scotch in his glass and watches the arm wrappings come off.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

The blood showing faintly through Ichi's bandage is fairly recent, as he saw the doctor earlier in the day, and the wound had been cleaned, and bled slightly. Even for all his senses, he wouldn't be able to tell anything beyond the bandages were visible. He works at the coverings on his legs that have yet to get much dust on them at all.

"That luck was very helpful last time we met up." The clothing is set to the side neatly, next to his sandals. Ichi settles back into a crossed-leg position and picks up the cup again. "I don't think I properly thanked you before you disappeared."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

From long experience and the skill of his own senses, The Shadow is quick to gauge how old the bloodstains are and whether or not it may still be bleeding. He can make a guess at what was put on the wound from the scent as well, although he's more familiar with Chinese herbs and ointments.

"It comes in handy. I have luck to thank for my still being here. There's been more than one deathtrap I escaped only by sheer chance." His casual tone hints at just how many deathtraps he's been in. "Your gratitude was apparent." A trace of amusement enters his voice. "I'm just sorry my luck didn't extend to helping you dodge them altogether."

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

The faint smell from the uncovered bandage brings to mind something usually meant to treat minor infections. It's more of a home remedy, appropriate for Ichi's time period.

"I got out alive in the end." Ichi frowned and took a larger sip of the scotch. He was getting used to the burn. "That's enough for me." Better than he could say for the men they cut down. "But I still owe you."

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow frowns mildly, thoughts loosened by the drink and the conversation. "I do nothing I do not choose to do. I appreciate your gratitude, but I'm not in the habit of believing anyone owes me anything. But..." He takes a slow gulp and sets his tumbler down on the table with a sigh. "My world is not your world. What is it you feel you owe me? What would ease your conscience about the matter?" This time his tone, like his usually impassive face, is more difficult to interpret. Ichi's humility is unfamiliar, despite his knowledge of the cultural background. It irks him mildly to be tied to anyone by any debt, when he is used to thinking of himself as such an entirely independent being.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

"See, that's what I keep trying to figure out." Ichi scratches his head in frustration. "I keep thinking about it, and I have nothing really to offer, and it's driving me crazy. I have enough bad karma as it is, I try not to leave any debts unpaid, but this one has me at a loss."

Ichi's very clearly flustered at this riddle he's been posed. Between talking to The Shadow, and now spending time in his rich living area, he knows money isn't the answer, and it's not like he can help solve any of the man's problems. He'd become one if he tried. Ichi had never had this happen before.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow pours another measure of scotch into his own tumbler, and clinks the bottle very lightly against Ichi's sake cup in an offer. It seems for the moment he has outpaced the blind man at drinking. The second sigh rattles very faintly, deep in his chest. His brusque manner seems to have put his newfound ally ill at ease.

"I don't like debts. I could have walked away from the fight." PINpointed away, at any rate, but he assumes he will not be called on this technicality. "If you had asked me to stay and fight, I might feel obligated, but you did not. When I saw a fight coming, I threw myself into it not just for your sake. However morally maladjusted it may be, I like to fight. I chose to take part, knowing you were probably capable of defending yourself, because the rush of battle called to me." His voice drops slightly, in both tone and volume, but it gains a bitter edge. "What I fight these days isn't so black and white anymore. It was almost a relief to know who was in the wrong and strike a killing blow without doubt and regrets."

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

At the clink on his cup, Ichi reaches out, finding the other tumbler on the table and holds it up for The Shadow to fill instead. He listens to The Shadow's words, finishing off his cup and then holding the tumbler with both hands, almost like he would a tea cup. His face looks dark, but not quite troubled as he remains silent for a few moments, mulling over the words. He takes a healthy pull from the scotch and gives a short, frustrated huff.

"If it truly meant that much to you..." His hands explore the texture of the tumbler as he speaks. "Then I guess I don't have much choice but to consider it paid." He doesn't sound particularly happy about it, but he can think of no alternative.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

Obligingly, he pours an equal measure into Ichi's tumbler as he did his own. The glass is heavy and solid, roughly twice the size of the sake cups. As he pours there is a slow release of breath, and he winces as a soft wheeze betrays his relief.

"It would mean a great deal to me not to have you feel beholden." While he has not lied, his speech was deliberately intended to turn the situation to an angle where Ichi will not feel there's a debt to be paid. From the swordsman's expression he knows he was not entirely successful in that.

[blind-masseur.livejournal.com]

The Shadow's words help, but it will take Ichi some time to accept the debt as paid. He will not, however, press the issue any further with The Shadow, nor will he pursue it.

"Thank you." The words are quiet as he gives a bow from where he sits. His head gets close to the table top, but never touches it as he sits upright again. He's not entirely certain what to say now, all other chatter that he usually resorts to seems a bit secondary after essentially being absolved of the debt.

[evillurks.livejournal.com]

The Shadow, for his part, is relieved to have the matter resolved no matter how clumsily. "You're welcome, and thank you." He takes a swallow of liquor just to buy himself a moment to think.

"You're in my world now, and at a disadvantage. For me, your world is in the past, and knowledge of history gives me a footing there. Here, we're half the world away and centuries into the future. You must have questions...?" Being a man of insatiable curiosity, he tends to expect that trait in others.