log in progress: TP5 Tachibana-Innana

[shattermelt]

There was only one name left on his list. Kippei had been avoiding it for weeks now, but he did have to talk to the woman sometime. He had been going to ask her to come in for a meeting like everyone else he'd talked to so far, but now, he had changed his mind. Normally he had no interest in the purpose of her establishment, and hadn't wanted to deal with any propositions she might be obliged to offer when he did talk to her--it wasn't the way he preferred to deal with that particular need, on the rare occasions when he bothered to at all. It was, in the end, simply another kind of tension, and he would rather not let go of any kind of tension too often. Staying on the edge tended to keep you alive.

Just now, however, he rather thought he could use it. Something completely different, something to lose himself in to forget, at least for a while, a certain useless attraction to a slim mechanic that seemed to be haunting his thoughts with painful persistence far more often than he would like. It was high time to talk to the Madame about more than one kind of business, he thought.

So he set out for Brown section, knowing more or less where he was going, although he'd never been to that specific area before. The shuttle landed fairly near the Blue Angel, which was convenient and probably by design, he noted wryly. He wasn't sure if she would talk to an ordinary customer herself, but he had heard that ambassadors generally got her personal attention. That suited him just fine at the moment, so he entered the place with rather less unease than he'd anticipated, finding it less distasteful when he actually had need of it. Now to see if the Madame could help him, with either or both of the reasons he was here today.

At the Blue Angel, things were mostly quiet. It was early in the evening, and most of the guests who were there had come to relax after a long day's work. Reading or playing games in the small, private lounges, getting a massage or a bath in the even more private facilities, or just cooling it in the bar with a few drinks and laughs together with the hosts and hostesses du jour.

A tall, dark-haired beauty of indeterminable age glided towards Kippei when he entered, and greeted him with a smile and a polite bow. "I bid you welcome to the Blue Angel, Ambassador Tachibana-sama; you honour this establishment with your presence. My name is Noriko, and I am the mistress of ceremony here this evening. Anything Your Excellency desires, please let me know and we shall do our utmost to provide."

He nodded briefly at her, paying little attention to her words... she wasn't the one he was looking for. He looked around, noting the quietness of the place... apparently a slow night, which was good. He didn't see anyone he recognized, which was also good, althought that of course didn't mean that no one recognized him. Not that he cared.

"I need to speak with Madame Innana," he told the hostess. "Is she here?" He didn't know where else she would be, but he supposed she might go out sometimes. Some clients preferred to have her come to them, didn't they?

"Of course," Noriko murmured. "Madame is always here for the most honoured guests, please follow me." With another slight bow, she turned, touching the communicator on her hand briefly and lead Kippei in through a pleasant labyrinth of short corridors, many doors and sudden turns. The Angel was carefully designed and furnished to provide a maximum of privacy at all times. The only big room was the combined bar and dance hall, the rest was a maze, though always elegant and refined in decor and lighting.

They came to a halt outside a nondescript door; or it would have been it it had been in Green Sector rather than Brown; where Noriko touched the panel to request entrance. It was granted immediately, and when the door slid open, Noriko stepped inside and announced His Excellency the Ambassador of Fudoumine, Tachibana Kippei to see Madame Inanna.

From a comfortable and rather expensive-looking lounge chair, a woman rose. A red-head with long hair, most of which was falling free down her back, but some of which was shaped into ringlets around her face. She was slight of build, short of stature and moved like a goddess, barefoot, in an ankle-length, green dress that hugged the right places and wrapped in secrecy the even more right places. With a brilliant smile and brown eyes glittering with humour and life, she swept across the floor to receive her guest. "Welcome to my humble establishment, Your Excellency. Please, do come in."

Kippei just nodded, moving into the room and inclining his head in acknowledgement. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but it hadn't been this. She looked young and she was fairly short, but she moved with the grace and poise of a much older woman. Not classically beautiful, but lovely all the same, the striking red hair a pleasant contrast to her warm eyes and pale skin.

"Thank you," he answered gravely. "I am pleased to meet you. I had intended to make your acquaintance before this..." Which wasn't really true, but he had known that he was going to and it was really only his own reluctance that had kept him from doing it sooner. "I apologize for my neglect," he finished simply, aware that here was a place where he could do with a little more diplomacy than he was accustomed to. The wry thought occurred to him that she was probably better at diplomatic games than he was.

"Oh, good heavens, my dear Ambassador," Inanna laughed easily. "You have nothing to apologise for, least of all to me. I make a point of keeping myself up to date on the goings-on here at the station, and I know life is always dreadfully busy for the officials. Please, have a seat if you will and tell me what you would have to drink? If you are hungry, it will be my pleasure to arrange a proper meal for you -- Fudoumine style."

She gestured around the comfortable room that was furnished in colours of earth and forest; designed for quiet relaxation. Over in one corner, there was even a small house altar dedicated to the Mother; a popular goddess among the Fudoumine women. Inanna thanked her years of training in her business for being able to keep up her impression of a bright, carefree courtesan when all she really wanted to do was wrap herself around her brother and never let go ever again. Oniichan, her heart called out, thudding painfully in her chest. He was really there, and he was real and he looked so much older than she remembered him. So many cares weighing on him, shadowing his eyes and tightening his mouth -- a mouth she remembered as laughing more often than not. Smiling at her antics, smirking when he teased her. Oh, Mother please lend me strength enough to do this. He must not know me. Not now...

Slightly bemused, Kippei did as he was told, taking a seat and looking around the comfortable room. Pleasantly furnished, tasteful and showing the mark of a woman's hand. She had obviously chosen much of it herself. It reminded him of home, and he abruptly stopped looking. Whatever else she was, she was Fudomine at least.

"If you have some tea that would be nice," he agreed. "I am not hungry, thank you." He felt awkward, uncertain of the 'rules' for a social visit such as this, eager to move on to something more businesslike. "I am sure you are aware I have been contacting Fudomine residents on this station. I wanted to ask you some questions, if I may?"

Inanna smiled, nodded and bustled off to arrange his tea. She knew very well what his preferance had been back in the day, and hoped it hadn't changed during the latest war. Returning with a tray upon with sat two cups and a pot of the finest Kyushuu porcelain, Inanna arranged his tea neatly in front of him, then poured for herself. The rich, heavy aroma of the tea spread out in the room like soothing balm. "I am indeed aware of it, Your Excellency and you may ask me anything you like. And please, Ambassador, it is not necessary that you keep all stiff and proper here with me. After the Commander's Chambers, this is probably the safest place on the entire station. I have my honour invested in keeping my guests safe and comfortable, so do feel free to relax and be yourself. This is not the Council Chambers."

Kippei nodded absently, ignoring this directive. Relaxing wasn't something he did, unless he was alone in his own rooms. But he took a cup of tea, surprised and pleased to find that it was his favorite kind. Taking a sip while he organized his thoughts, he let the warmth spread through him, thinking that perhaps he should find some of this to keep in his own rooms. It had been awhile since he'd had it.

"I wonder," he said meditatively, "if you could tell me what is your position regarding the current politics? I assume you keep an eye on the representatives from all systems... do you still consider yourself Fudomine, or are you entirely neutral?" Not that he would blame her if she was... he wondered, though, if she would even give him a straight answer on that.

Yep, that was Tachibana Kippei alright. Blunt and to the point. Inwardly, Inanna grimaced at the question, but outwardly training once again came to her rescue and all she offered was a small, secretive smile over the rim of her cup. "Mm. My position regarding current politics..." Well, it mostly involved soothing aching shoulders, backs, tempers and . . . other kinds of aches, discussing various agendas, possibilities, treaties, schemes and ideas, agreeing or politely and for the sake of discussion disagreeing with whichever guests she happened to be entertaining at the time. All of which Kippei would probably rather not hear.

There wasn't much she could do for her brother, no matter how much she wanted to, but at the very least she could give him as much honesty as was possible under the circumstances. "My stance is . . . reluctant. I am, and I do appreciate that you may find this both preposterous and offensive, both Fudoumine and neutral. My heart is with Fudoumine, but my home is here on the station. I have been here since it opened, and it has become a part of my mindset. I will do business with anyone, and I do mean anyone, as long as he or she conduct themselves well. In this I follow the philosophy of Tenipuri Five. It doesn't prevent me from playing favourites on occasion, but I keep that very much under the table. My integrity as the owner and mistress of the Blue Angel is absolute."

He nodded, inwardly somewhat surprised. It was more honest of an answer than he had been expecting. Not strictly neutral, then, but unlikely to be of any great help to himself. If she was telling the truth, and he shouldn't take that for granted, but Kippei found himself trusting her, without really knowing why. As far as she had said, what she said was true.

He also found himself oddly wanting to warn her, to tell her to be careful, that her neutrality wouldn't save her.

"Don't forget who you are," he told her, giving her a stern look. As if he had the right to lecture her, but he wasn't trying to command her. She was still Fudomine, and she could still be in danger. She deserved his protection, or at least his advice of caution. "Don't forget that you are Fudomine. Don't trust them. You can't trust the Rikkai. You may be neutral but they are not, and they may be happy to use you but ultimately they still want you dead, same as the rest of us. Don't forget that."

The feeling of trust, that strange certainty that she would not betray him, made him say more than he might have otherwise, more than perhaps he should have. His mouth twisted wryly. "I apologize for being so frank. Apparently Ibu is not the only one who causes me to be too free with my opinions," he muttered, mostly to himself. Raising his voice again he continued, "I meant only to tell you to be wary of taking diplomats at face value--but I am sure you know this." He shrugged dismissively, hoping that he hadn't misjudged her completely.

"You don't say," Inanna murmured, quirking her mouth while trying very hard not to laugh out loud. Really, warning a courtesan to look past the masks was . . . just like Kippei, really. "I am fully aware that people, yourself included, want to use me for various things. That is in fact an important part of the business I run, and I am intimately aware of both this and my identity." Which is quite different from the image I project, but you will never know the extent of this, she added silently to herself. "It is very kind of you, but please do not worry about me, Your Excellency. I cannot afford careless naivety in my line of work." I trust noone, not even you. The closest she came to trust was with one Ibu Shinji...

Kippei frowned. He wasn't worried about her, of course. And she was perfectly right, her job would require her to trust no one. He knew that. He brushed aside the lingering feeling that he ought to protect her, remembering that she was well able to take care of herself and, unfounded feelings of trust aside, potentially a danger to him as well.

"Of course," he agreed, giving her a wary nod. And he was wasting his time here, she couldn't or wouldn't help him and he was feeling restless. Damn Shinji for being one of the few people on this station who could help him, when Kippei would like nothing better than to forget his existence. Attempting just that had proven to be very difficult indeed. Impossible. Not that he had tried everything yet... he gave Innana a speculative look, which hardened shortly into a coldly determined expression. The idea of using her...services was distasteful to him, not because she was unattractive or because it was morally wrong, but merely that it implied a desperation that he preferred not to admit to under the circumstances. It was using her, yes, but that did not bother him as such, either--it was her job, and she was well compensated for it. It was, however, to him a rather...messy way to solve the problem--too many loose ends, too many variables he did not control.

Shinji had asked him if sex was a mission for him, and it was. And like any mission he preferred it to be as discreet and on his own terms as possible--and while he did not doubt her discretion, it remained a fact that this was a public establishment and very much not under his control. And much as he would like to think that he could, he couldn't afford to trust her. That had been until now at least, his only requirement in a sexual partner--someone he trusted, usually a friend, not necessarily a close friend but someone he would count on to watch his back. Fudomine or not, Innana did not fall into that category. Standing, he gave her a polite half-bow and said gravely, "Unfortunately, I don't believe I do wish to make use of you, Madame. Thank you for your time."

Inanna observed the shifting looks passing over her brother's face, guessing at his thoughts and feeling a sting in her heart. Even though it wasn't aimed at the real her, the cold, hard look of something too close to distaste hurt. It was not a look she had ever wanted to have from him. But she knew pent-up frustration when it was all but howling at her, so she rose as he did and stepped around the table to lay her hands on his arm. Ann was dead and the reincarnation named Inanna had very few scrouples left when it came to the carnal arts -- incest was nothing to her. Kippei was still her brother, and he was hers to help in any way she could. Direct politics and espionage were mostly out of the question, but soothing tension was well within her scope.

"Fortune has nothing to do with it, Ambassador, it is your choice. But will you not stay a while longer, now that you've come all this way? I see your responsibilities weigh heavy upon you, and you're weary. Let me give you a massage or at least a good backrub?" She smiled softly and looked up at him with warm, brown eyes while her hands, small and soft, yet still strong, moved carefully down to take his and caress it. "There's a divan over there. Come on, it'll do you good." Inanna's voice lowered to a soft murmur, full of hidden promises.

His eyes narrowed, giving her a look full of wariness and he fully intended to pull stiffly away and leave immediately, because he didn't want what she offered and he didn't need it, either. Massage indeed, and it could all too easily turn into more, because that was how this kind of game was played, but Kippei had no interest in playing and wasn't all that sure he knew the rules if he did. So of course he was going to coolly but politely tell her no, thank you, and walk out of here. Now.

Instead he found himself following her, letting the gentle hands guide him to a comfortable seat, not really knowing why. Not really thinking at all, a kind of blankness in his mind as he mechanically allowed her to push him down, arranging him to her satisfaction. Feeling numb and suddenly just tired. Why not? Might as well. Easy. Just easy. No fighting for once, no immediate threat, her warm look promising a chance to just let go, for a moment, a tiny space of some kind of relief. Brief. No strings attached. To feel good instead of ratcheting up another notch of hypertension to keep him going, cold and alert and alone and sore as hell, inside and out. Why not?

The memory of soft brown eyes seemed to be clouding his judgement, the quiet voice wrapping around him and lulling him out of the unease, the edginess that rose in him at the idea of giving up, giving into anything, even something as innocuous as this, without a fight. It had been a very long time since he'd allowed himself to indulge in anything so... comfortable, and just for once it couldn't hurt. It wouldn't happen again.

It hurt Inanna deep down inside to see Kippei so close to breaking. He had clearly been meaning to walk away, but didn't seem to be able to make himself. It was rare, even on this space station, to see someone in such dire need of a time-out and she was determined to make it the best time-out she could. Starting with the promised massage.

She met no resistance when she removed his shirt, but the sight that met her nearly made her weep. His back was riddled with scars; ugly, ragged traces of some kind of blast that must've hit him with brutal force. Shrapnel or broken glass or what, she had no idea. Either way, she couldn't allow herself to be visibly affected by it. Inanna made him lay face down on the divan, which really was a cleverly camouflaged massage bench, complete with a pneumatic height adjustment system. From a cupboard, she fetched a small bottle of oil and then she removed what seemed to be half of her dress, leaving her in a mid-thigh length tunic, sleeveless and low cut.

"Your shoulders are very tense, Ambassador, so this may hurt a bit at first," she warned, while warming a dollop of oil in her hand. "But once I get past the worst knots, you'll be good. All you need to do, is remember to breathe and try to relax." With that, she spread the oil over this shoulders and down his back with firm, practiced strokes before she started an extremely thorough kneading.

Mother, the agony his muscles must be in, Inanna thought to herself as she wrestled with one steel-hard tension after the other. Eventually, she had to climb up and straddle over his hips so she could sort out his lower back. "Almost done with this side, Ambassador," she told him softly. "If you'll turn over, I'll take care of the front, too."

Kippei snorted at the warning. All of him was very tense--he was long used to it. And she was right, it did hurt, but he was used to that too. He lay still and silent as she worked, gradually relaxing in spite of himself as her surprisingly strong fingers went to war on the knots in his muscles. He was a bit surprised too at how good it felt, to ease the strain of impossible tension in his body--he couldn't remember the last time he hadn't been sore down to the bone, his body strung out to the point of pain by sheer tension. It had become, like so many other things, simply something he lived with.

It was warm, too, heat spreading through the abused muscles as they were ruthlessly forced to release themselves into a more natural state of rest. The weariness that lay always beneath the surface crept up swallow him whole now that he no longer had the immediate stimulant of pain and stress to keep him alert. He struggled to push it back, trying to remember where he was and this was not a place he could let his guard down. Not a place that it was safe to fall asleep, no matter how easy it would be when lightness of that relieved tension made him feel weightless and drowsy, the heat of lingering pressure points all over him almost indistinguishable from her weight on his lower back.

It was, he discovered, very hard to move, and his movements were slow and sluggish when he did as he was told and shifted onto his side, pushing himself up with a weary hand and rolling over, frowning at the slow response of his body. He didn't like it, the warm languid feeling that held him in a hazy, dreamlike state as he settled back with a sigh, closing his eyes more out of necessity than will. Dammit. He knew this was a bad idea. Forcing them open again, he watched as she went back to work, a frown of concetration marking the effort it took to focus at all.

Inanna was satisfied with how Kippei's body gave in to her ministrations, even if his mind was clearly protesting. That he, who had a will of pure steel and endurance beyond most people, was losing his battle with fatigue concerned her greatly and made her even more determined to bleed every last bit of tension from him this time. Knowing his stubborn mindset, it would be a while before he returned. If he ever would...

With method and precision, Inanna pulled, poked, stretched and kneaded every muscle of his torso, while cleverly rubbing herself over his crotch whenever she moved. Kippei's body responded entirely on its own accord, the urge as old as life itself and ever at war with death. She idly pondered whether she should keep her clothes on or not, but decided that it wouldn't matter. Kippei was too far gone into the space between day and dream, so he wouldn't care either way.

With her fingers she pulled the last of the frowny tension off Kippei's face and left his scalp and hairline breathing and with better circulation than there'd been for years; and then she slid down, undid his belt and his trousers, gently coaxed his cock out and up, wrapped her hand around it and took it into her mouth. It wouldn't take long, she knew. He was barely conscious, so instinct and biology would rule his act. It didn't stop her from using her considerable skills to the fullest, though. Inanna still had pride, even if her life here was founded on a lie.

His eyes kept falling closed, and with a sinking feeling he realised that he had no idea how he was going to manage to walk out of here. He didn't think he could move, and he was so close to sleep already that it took him several minutes to come to the realization that not all of the heat spreading through him was due to muscles pummeled into submission by small hands, but the inexorable stirring flickers of arousal caused by her movements as she brushed against him. He was fairly certain this was intentional, but he was too out of it to be really annoyed at the moment. And with the lack of strain and focus that normally kept his thoughts under tight control, other things were becoming harder to ignore, like the memories of a certain mechanic and some recent dreams in which his body had informed him exactly what it wanted--and been mercilessly ignored, until now. One could only want so badly and get so frustrated before giving into the need in one way or another.

Innana for her part seemed to be taking it out of his hands entirely, whether he responded or not or did anything to relieve that particular tension as well, and while he was not grateful, he was forced to admit that she was probably right about it being something he needed, and if he was paying for it anyway he might as well make the most of it. It wasn't like he could have stopped her at this point, being only hazily aware of exactly what she was doing, other than the fact that it created an unaccustomed rush of heat and pleasure in his system, which ordinarily in and of itself would make him wary.

As it was he simply lay gasping and digging his fingers into the surface beneath him as the dark heat overwhelmed him and took him under, his eyes closing inevitably for the last time without even time to be angry or annoyed or alarmed at being so thoroughly wiped out by this gentle adversary.

Dark, quiet, warm, sated and filled with something nearly approaching peace, for the moment, Kippei slid into blackness with little more than a sigh that might have been relief.