T&T Fanfiction: Broken Wings (Part 1/5: The Kite in the Puppet Show)
Characters (full series): Tackey, Tsubasa, Nagase and Kitagawa
Genre (full series): AU, angst, fluff, friendship, romance and light smut
Rating: NC17
Summary: When two broken souls are joined together by lies and deceit, can there be salvation within?
Note: For Imai Julia. Story is updated daily.
Part 1/5: The Kite in a Puppet Show
Tears, he wishes he has them. They were his father and half-brother after all. But does he really care - no.
Inside the large mansion, there is an air of solemn respect. The soft chants of the Buddhist monks and the occasional ringing of their holy bells permeate the silent crowd. Outside, close to 1,000 men in black and a procession of black Mercedes and other foreign luxury brands, with tinted windows, line the streets.
The eldest surviving son of the family, a young man little over 20, kneels dutifully by the two coffins. The guests pay their respect and he bows deeply back, polite but emotionless. Except for a handful few, everyone is a stranger to him. But it doesn't matter. He's only there for show. Only not too long ago, he's nothing but a blank slate in the Takizawa 'family', an unrecognised illegitimate child. But a plane crash changed everything.
The horrific death of both the godfather of Japan's largest crime syndicate and its second-in-command - his eldest son, dealt a heavy blow to the already corroding hierarchy of the once all-powerful conglomerate. Internal power struggles, competition from rival gangs and the increasing pressure from the National Police Agency to curb their influence have all taken a toil on the long-revered Takizawa-gumi.
........
A yakuza's life is not what Takki had expected for himself. But what did he expect for himself? Nothing really. He has no special talent or grand ambition. His life was like a kite set loose, until a storm caught up to it and swallowed it whole.
The adrift kite soon finds himself tied down to overwhelming responsibilities. Although he's only a puppet on show, it's an elaborate show. He's now the 'head' of a 17,500-member strong nationwide organisation with 2,500 businesses that grossed over $460 million annually. While he makes up for his utter lack of knowledge in the family business by attending hands-on lessons in 'Introduction to the Yakuza 101', the newly appointed second-in-command, Nagase-san and 12 other leading bosses in the 'family' run the show.
With businesses ranging from sophisticated gambling and loan-sharking operations to heavy investment in sports and entertainment industries, Takki is kept gainfully distracted. One day, he would be visiting Ginza to check out their 'water' business: bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The next day, he would be inspecting establishments in the fields of money-lending, construction and real estate. And another day, Takki would find himself wining and dining with the representatives of Japan's largest corporations: Ajinomoto, ANA, Hitachi, Kirin Brewery, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Takashimaya, Toshiba, Toyota, etc. All of them pledged to continue their support in the form of corporate payoffs. ANA, in addition, is happy to continue offering discounted air fares to the gang members. The family business might be sleazy but it has its perks.
Today, Takki is scheduled to visit the entertainment wing of the business. Takizawa 'corporation', being big on entertainment, owns many movie studios and production houses, from big names that produce international blockbusters to unknowns churning out amateur AV titles.
'Stop being such a wuss and stick it in!'
'See, it's not rape if she's already so wet and begging for it.' To prove his point, the lighting guy casually wriggles his fore and middle fingers into the exposed pussy. The spaced-out and semi-naked girl in school uniform doesn't protest.
'And she's just right too, not too tight or too loose,' he smirks and licks his fingers.
'Look, if you don't do it, we could easily turn this into a gang rape GV,' the director finally threatens.
With the threat turned on him, the young actor rouses into action. He gives his limp penis a few half-hearted jerks, then laguidly approaches his victim.
'What's going on here?' Takki queries sternly, trying to sound important. He's still overcoming his initial shock.
Seeing the VIP, the director quickly assures that it's all very innocent. They were merely role-playing. The girl isn't really a schoolgirl they had just picked up from the street to be drugged and raped. She owes them money and can't pay up. This is simply a payback. Even the young actor is one of them. He's a new yazuka recruit and this is simply his initiation ceremony.
Takki says nothing but throws the director a disapproving glare. He often employs that cold, hard scrowl, which he finds rather effective in coercing common lowlives into submission. To pacify him, a lunch break is hastily declared, and a change of actor quietly arranged.
..........
In the private room of a yakitori restaurant, two young men of about the same age sit on opposite sides of the low table, quietly sipping sake and carefully avoiding each other's gaze. From the corner of his eyes, Takki sizes up his company. There's something different about him. He doesn't belong with the roughnecks.
'What's your name?' Takki asks softly.
'Imai. Imai Tsubasa.' He sounds guarded but there's fire in his eyes.
'I'm Takizawa. Takizawa Hideaki.'
'I know.' For the first time, the young man gazes fixedly at Takki, unwavering and undaunted.
Like a moth drawn to the light, Takki is intrigued. Why does this stranger hate him so much? What did he ever do to him?
It's no surprise that despite his title, few in Takizawa-gumi regard him kindly. At the funeral, there were perhaps a few sympathetic glances from the old guards, those who still believe in obligations and traditions. But they, like their magnificent, full-coloured neck to calf tattoos, are fast disappearing.
'You know, I'm new too. We rookies ought to stick together.'
Next up, tomorrow, Part 2/5: The Hands that Touched Me.
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