A colorful AU!

[crab_rangoon]

The world is gray. Always gray. He had thought once, as a little boy, that the emergence of color would be a wonderful thing. He used to dream that finding that person, that getting to see everything in brilliant Wizard Of Oz technicolor would be something he would always cover until it happened.

But after Ishwari, after the betrayal and the loss, after Ajay and Lakshmana left to America after Mohan's failed assassination attempt, Pagan just gave up on that dream. Love, he decided, was just for those who have given up on themselves. Not worth the trouble.

Yuma became the face of Kyrat after that and Pagan stepped back, letting her handle the death threats and the rebels and all of the bullshit that he just didn't want to deal with. Pagan ruled from the back, tempering Yuma's impulsive bullshit with a cooler head, though no less ruthless. However, the arrangement left him free to roam the world, taking care of his business in Hong Kong and the mainland unmolested. His father might not have had the desire to rule the Triads, but Pagan sure as fuck does. Even if it means he has to go and do things himself.

It's this reason, chasing spineless Hong Kong assholes, that lands him in Japan. He has a small security detail that walks the crowd, but otherwise Pagan is by himself as he walks the streets, checking his phone for his victim's last location.

Comments

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan holds up his hands at that. "Well, I am sorry you were interrupted. I did see the aftermath of that fight."

He looks at his nails a moment, deliberately nonchalant. "Where is it you're living now?"

[lone_horse]

He just shakes his head.

"Nowhere solid," he says honestly, and Pagan can probably see it, feel it: he's just terribly earnest. Imagining him lying is... difficult. Withholding, certainly; he doesn't seem to want to speak more than is necessary. But an actual lie seems unlikely.

"Hotels. Safehouses. I work for the government now. In exchange for the safety of my children and the people I care about."

And there it is. Rightout. No hiding, no run around.

[crab_rangoon]

And that, Pagan decides, is absolutely unacceptable. But. One problem at a time. "Well, that won't do. Because I'm not living here with a dead man who works for the government, of all things." He shakes his head. "That's a problem for another day."

It might be presumptuous to assume that they're going to be together, live together, stay together, but Pagan isn't entirely sold on the feelings of a soul mate, but he is quite committed to ensuring that nothing happens to him.

[lone_horse]

It says something that his eyes go a little wide… but he doesn’t argue.

“And your business in the city?”

[crab_rangoon]

He checks his phone. "Should be over very shortly. Once my little problem is taken care of." He smiles at that, standing up to rejoin him on the bench. "Oh. Also, none of this Min name. Call me Pagan. I westernized it for a reason. I don't need another reminder of my father, please."

[lone_horse]

It's clear in his eyes that he has a good idea about what could happen to such a person. Not squeamish, this one.


"If you tell me about who you're looking for, I might be able to help...Pagan-san."

[crab_rangoon]

Better. He takes out his phone and scrolls through the pictures before finding one of a man who's had a few too many hits to the face. "This man," he says, pressing their shoulders together to show him. "Lau Chiu," he mutters. "Though I doubt that's the name he's going by around here. I sent off some of my guards earlier to continue the search. I don't want him dead. He's my sister's cousin."

[lone_horse]

A nod, and he doesn't make any assumptions that anything Pagan just said is the truth, but he's glad to hear he wants the man alive.

"Do you know his habits? His vices? Is he a gambler?"

There are places he can get to that Pagan almost certainly wouldn't be welcome in, even now.

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan thinks a moment as he pockets his phone. "Of course he's a gambler. That's why he's in this predicament," he tells him. "Why? What are you planning on doing?"

He gives him a poke in the shoulder. "Are you planning on doing something?"

[lone_horse]

He sways, not ridiculously so, but enough that it's clearly a gesture of already-fond acquiescence, and raises a single eyebrow at Pagan.

"There's more gambling dens here than the tourists know about. If he's in deep? He's probably at one of them. I can get you there." He glances towards the door. "You'll have to leave your guards behind, though."

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan scoffs. "You'll be putting yourself at risk. Absolutely not. No second rate cousin is worth that. We'll flush him out another way."

[lone_horse]

That's another raised eyebrow but he doesn't push, doesn't fight. Instead, he'll reconsider it and tilt his head the other direction.

"I can give you a contact who can find him in minutes. He already knows I'm here. No one can hide from him."

[crab_rangoon]

"Better," he admits. "Now. Let's get into that bottle you brought. After all this, I need a drink. And a smoke."

[lone_horse]

Kiryu holds out a hand for his phone; he'll put in the number if Pagan gives it to him. The other hand holds out the bottle for him to take: Yamazaki 18. Definitely not the cheap stuff.

[crab_rangoon]

"It's in English," he warns, but finds the right setting for him before handing his phone over. In exchange, he takes the bottle and holds it out to him. "Listen, I can speak it. I can't read it."

[lone_horse]

A small huff of amusement; a phone is a phone. He can figure out the symbols, at the very least. He'll take a moment and dial the number and it only rings once before he's speaking. The Japanese here is a little faster, but Pagan can probably pick up the name of his cousin, the detalis he'd given, and that Kiryu considers this 'doing him a favor' as opposed to the other way around.

Then he pauses and says quietly 'whiskey' before he walks over to get glasses from the minibar for them.

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan leans in to listen, but he can't catch too much of it as he's more focused on opening the bottle. Whiskey is revealed and he stands up to follow, sliding his gun from the holster around his waist and placing it on a nearby table. If he's going to drink and relax, then he's absolutely going to relax.

"Thank you," he tells him softly.

[lone_horse]

The phone conversation is quick and soon enough, Kiryu's handing it back to Pagan with a nod.

"He'll call you back as soon as he finds him. His information comes in real time."

Absolutely not a blink at the gun being pulled out or put down. Instead, he's holding a hand out for the whisky.

[crab_rangoon]

He holds the bottle out towards him and pockets the phone. "Wonderful. So we have some time. But you know, once he finds him, my business here is done."

He had allotted an entire week for this wild goose chase, but he's only been around a single day.

[lone_horse]

He nods.

And... doesn't seem like he's going to complain. Or argue. Or tell him he shouldn't do... anything, really. Oh, his heart drops into his shoes at the way Pagan says it and an echo of that shows in his eyes for just a moment, but he pushes past it. Nods again as he pours out for himslef. It might be an extra finger or so.

"I figured."

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan watches him, sees that expression, and something inside of him breaks a bit.

Oh this is hardly fair. He claps him on the shoulder. "That just means you have to figure out a way to entertain me for the remainder of my stay, hm?"

[lone_horse]

Kiryu doesn't see that, isn't looking because he's focused on what Pagan said. Some way to entertain him.

"Cards, darts, pool..."

His eyes wander towards the rest of the room and it says something about his life experience that instead of saying the obvious, he says "a fight?"

[crab_rangoon]

Pagan takes a drink and blinks as he looks down to the glass. "A what?"

Damn, that's good whisky. He takes another drink and tilts the glass towards him. "You're more Yakuza than you think you are."

Pagan did not say, nor did he imply, no.

[lone_horse]

“I’m an old gokudo,” he answers with a mild correction, “and I’m not half the saint my reputation makes me out to be.”

Don’t think he didn’t notice that lack of a no.

“We could go out to the batting cages. The mahjong parlors,” and there’s a twist to his lip that says he knows that’ll be both too familiar and frustratingly different, “dinner, drinks. Karaoke.”

[crab_rangoon]

He shrugs at the difference.

"First. Your man gives me my man. And then you can take me all over this city," he says, placing the glass down onto the table. "And until then, you can stay here and wait. Or get your weapons. Up to you."