sirenspull | Entries tagged with !: yukio tonegawa

[There may be something vaguely recognisable about the woman, perhaps in her fifties, who graces the Network this morning: a certain squareness of jaw, perhaps. Something in the sleepy droop of her eyes or the way in which the proud tilt of her head belies her rather matronly appearance, as if she couldn’t give a fuck about the fact that her suit obviously doesn’t quite fit right, or the fact that there are wisps of grey hair escaping from her rather hastily tied bun.

It might only be when she reaches for a cigarette, jams it between her lips and lights up in a series of very familiar gestures viewers realise just who she- no, he actually is.]

I want to state for the record that this doesn’t change a damn fucking thing. [It’s in the voice, too, Tonegawa’s usually smoker’s purr with a feminine edge. He sounds as pissed off as he looks- for one thing, this actually does change every-fucking-thing. For another, you try finding a pair of suit trousers to fit a forty-one inch hip at 6:35 am.] It is an entirely temporary setback, and if I catch anyone so much as smirking I will personally tie them to a telephone pole in Sector 10 with a sirloin steak hanging over their head and leave them there all night.

[The screen clouds with smoke as Tonegawa gives an irritated sigh around the cigarette, but it seems to do the job- he settles down.]

Now. To business. In light of recent disappearances, I’ve been looking for a few capable newcomers to fill the position of personal bodyguard. I can promise a healthy salary, and since they position will be held by multiple staff I won’t expect you to be with me at all hours like I have in the past. Why risk so much on just one person when I could have several to spread the weight? Particularly when our continued existence here is so tentative.

[He actually smiles, then, propping up one hand on his elbow and resting his chin on it; his tone softens, husky rather than harsh. It’s hard to say whether the change is wistful or some sort of active attempt to seem gentler, and truthfully he isn’t sure either. It’s unlikely that he’ll find another Chane Laforet, after all.]

It’s preferable that you’re affiliated with AGI, of course- but then, there’s little reason why one shouldn’t already be affiliated anyway simply on the grounds of opportunity. [pause] Another thing- no telepathic applicants, please. I’ve had enough trouble with that to last me a lifetime.

All interested parties should apply to Yukio [not ‘Yukiko’] Tonegawa at ‘Imperial Finance’ in sector three.

[ooc: art from here]

12second_orz

[The summer warmth seems to have made Tonegawa almost lazy when he appears on-screen, cigarette hanging loosely between his lips, shirt cuffs rolled up. There’s a sleepy confidence to the entire affair, a crocodilian sharpness lurking in still, murky waters.

He doesn’t bother to take it out when he speaks; the result is that his voice sounds huskier than ever, faintly slurred around the cigarette end.]

Let’s play another game. [His hand disappears off camera for a moment, and when it slides back in it’s holding a small, gleaming bronze coin, between his thumb and forefinger.] It’s interesting, isn’t it? How life so often seems to rely on the figurative spin of a coin- that little twist of uncertainty that can, just as often, herald the twist of the knife. [He pauses for effect.] I’m sure you all know this one, but for the record: heads or tails. Pick one. Of course, it’s not that simple.

[The smile appears then, a cool abbreviation of his usual shit-eating grin.] Let’s say, hypothetically, that those who pick the winning side will be rewarded from a fixed pot, which will be shared amongst any winners. Let’s also say that those who pick the losing side will suffer a forfeit. Your victory will inevitably punish those less fortunate than yourself.

There’s one final rule: for a price, I could secretly tell you the winning result and guarantee you a perfect solo victory. You reap all the rewards- and I reap all of the losers you’ve left behind.

[He chuckles silkily.] It’s your choice, Siren’s Port. Heads or tails?

12second_orz

[Any viewers couldn’t be blamed for not recognising the Tonegawa who appears on screen. Yes, he’s wearing his trademark smirk- but today it seems an accessory to the rest of his appearance.

He’s most certainly in his office and it’s most certainly early morning, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting on a pair of dramatic dark shades. He also seems to have traded his usual charcoal suit for a grey that at a glance only seems to be a shade lighter but which, as he moves to remove his shades, catches the light with an almost pearly sheen. The shirt underneath is black, the tie a striking scarlet- and on it glints a tie pin, silver with a flash of what could easily be a diamond.

Tonegawa himself seems in a similarly extravagant mood, giving a deep, knowing chuckle as he addresses the screen, and one gets the impression the delay was solely for the purpose of demonstrating his latest acquisitions.]

One man’s disappearance is another’s emergence. Karma can be a wonderfully accommodating mistress, you know. [His tone is at once conversational and (condescendingly) schoolmasterly, as if what his saying is patently obvious to anyone with a brain and he’s simply being generous enough to translate for everyone else.

He smiles broadly.] As matters stand now, I’d say that I’ve finally been recouped everything I’m owed- metaphorically speaking, of course. [directed firmly at those of you who owe him money still] A man such as myself deserves so much more than the common run; it seems only just that it should catch up with me at long last after the year I’ve had. The best for the best, you might say. And I’m undeniably the best- though I’m sure some might suggest otherwise. Their ignorance can’t be helped, I suppose, blind though it is. I’ve hardly been given the opportunity to prove myself.

Speaking of which [and the smile turns distinctly competitive]- would anyone be interested in a poker night at some point in the future? Just a little get-together for a few likeminded individuals- assuming you can handle defeat, of course.

12second_orz

[When Tonegawa appears on the feed, eagle-eyed viewers might notice that his nose is a little red and that he has a half-empty box of tissues on his desk. Looks like someone 'caught up' right into a cold.

His ~~dulcet tones~~ voice also sounds thicker than normal but he seems determined to retain some sort of dignity; indeed, his tone is less aggressive than faintly anthropological, as if he’s aiming for the nature documentary presenter effect.]

Riddle me this: why is it so difficult to find good help these days? Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one I can rely on, period.

All those exasperating little mistakes, the miscommunications, the incompetence: I shouldn’t have to micro-manage every fool in the building. I outgrew petty grunt-level house-training before I hit forty, and it seems ridiculous that I should be made to condescend to it now. Once again I find myself asking why so many men choose to behave like small children, waiting for their mothers to take them by the hand- is it ignorance or sheer laziness, do you suppose? I am, of course, fairly certain that I am not anyone’s mother.

[He’s drumming his fingers irritably on the desk-top now and as if on cue, someone off-camera hastily hands him a cup of coffee, which he deigns to accept with a steely look.]

One more thing. Contrary to whatever you might have heard from my secretary this morning, had you called Imperial Finance before ten AM, I have not taken a leave of sickness for the next week and I don’t fucking plan to.