Cheap costumes, screaming kids, patting of tennis shoes, the squeaky wheels of strollers nearly overpowering the words 'Trick or Treat' over and over and over again trailed Jiyuuna the entire way to Reisei's office.  He dodged the costumes decorating that bland, blacka and white street, keeping close to the store walls, nearly feeling suffocated.  Why of all nights had Reisei called him, demanding he come to the office to talk about yesterday? Jiyuuna growled, lighting a cigarette in an ill attempt to drown the taste of blood from his mouth., to forget he no longer had a piercing.  Now, it was a cut, red and irritated, where Kurushimu had smacked.

By the time he reached the tall building, reflecting his image over one-hundred times, Jiyuuna had stomped on the cigarette, unfurling the last of its life on to one of him, going into the building before he could even watch the smoke flatten.  Stepping in he ignored the salary men with their cute outfits and headbands with ears and face paint and everything Jiyuuna passively snorted at on his way to the elevator.  Yet, once there, as the doors were closing he caught a peek at someone familiar, at Itami, drawn whiskers on either side of his nose and his eyes, obscured by some eye mask, staring ahead to exit the building.  Jiyuuna twitched as if he wanted to say hello.

Reisei's secretary smiled a greeting, telling him to go on in with her nurse outfit and exaggerating make-up.  Jiyuuna merely twitched a smile, knocking first and only entering when Kinjiru opened the door for him.  "Hello, Jiyuuna, dank you for coming." Kinjiru bowed, backing up to reveal Jae behind Reisei who lounged in his oversized chair.

"Sit." Reisei said, his eyes following Kinjiru who positioned himself back behind Reisei.

Jiyuuna followed instruction, yesterday in his head, clearly playing again.  "Yes, sir?"

"Kinjiru and Jae, please step outside." Reisei sighed, reaching in his drawer and pulling out a bottle of gin and one small glass.  The two lackeys glimpsed at one another, but bowed and left all the same.  "Now," he said, not looking up to watch himself pour barely any gin into the glass.  And he didn't say anything as he screwed the top back on and sipped at it gingerly.  "I called you hear about Itami." A smile unconsciously shadowed his face.

All the same, Jiyuuna remained emotionless, his heart thumping rather hard.  "Yes, sir?" He put one ankle on his other knee.

Reisei sipped the rest of the gin away, nearly slamming the glass down on his desk.  "He's to be watched for two reasons: One," he continued barely noticing Jiyuuna uncomfortably shift, the uneasiness of the situation affecting him like the restaurant, "to make sure he's not suddenly murdered by Warusa's gang."  He carelessly flapped his wrist, "And, two, to make sure," Reisei smiled, gleaming those fangs in the decorative lighting, "he doesn't go back to old habits."

The raptor blinked for more than a moment and opened them when he answered, "Yes, sir," he strained to keep his voice steady.

A moment, two moments, three moments, Reisei swiftly stood, fingertips still glued to the table.  Jiyuuna stood, blinking at him.  "Is that all?" The stunned, scared, apprehensive, regretful assistant inquired, staring back at Reisei, directly into his dark eyes.

"You don't want to know what to do if Itami breaks his promise?"

The assistant already knew, but asked, "What?"

"You--"

"Sir?" The secretary peeked her rainbow decorated head into the office, nearly startling the raptor.

"Yes?" The boss, surprisingly, patiently answered.

"Kurushimu is here," her voice seemed to a near whisper.  Maybe she was afraid.

Reisei closed his eyes to Kurushimu's name.  "Tell him he has to wait." He opened his eyes once finished.

In the background, just after the door clicked shut, Jiyuuna unmistakably heard Kurushimu's voice cuss toward the secretary.  Reisei sighed.

"I hate when someone doesn't make an appointment, but, like I said, he'll wait." Reisei sternly returned to his chair.  "Where were we?" He pulled out some thin cigarettes, lit one and expectantly stared at Jiyuuna for a reply.

For one, he reluctantly sat back down; hands on the wooden arms.

"Ah, yes," Reisei started as if Jiyuuna reminded him, "You don't kill him, you bring him to me." Jiyuuna knew it was the same thing, just with different hands.

"Please, please, I tried," ran through his head, "If you light my cigar, I'll make it quick," followed.  The raptor adverted his gave for less than a second.

As Reisei's smiled widened, so did his arms.  "And, the person who brought him back from the dead," Reisei winked, smoke fogging his face.

"Don't you know me?" Suddenly whipped Jiyuuna.  The assistant stood and broke apart the wafting smoke around him.  "Yes, sir," he said.

Reisei followed, standing himself, "Well, at least we're on the same page." He gestured one hand to the door, the other holding the cigarette to his lips.

Jiyuuna bowed, quickly walking to the door, but was stopped by, "Please tell Kurushimu to go home, I don't want him here today." Jiyuuna heard Reisei exhale.

Outside, the secretary sulked behind her curvy desk and the two lackeys immediately stood at the sight of the raptor.  He nodded and the two knocked then entered the office, without a word or another look.  Kurushimu on the other hand smiled at Jiyuuna, standing.  "Everything you fucking wanted?" He put his face in Jiyuuna's.  "Was it nice?" The red hair man could smell some type of alcohol on his breath.

Jiyuuna stood there.

Kurushimu grabbed him by the collar and Jiyuuna's feet scraped at the carpet while slightly backing up.  The secretary looked up with her neon green eyes.  "He doesn't want me in there does he?"

Jiyuuna hung there, by Kurushimu's fist.

"Fuck you, fuck him, and," he pushed his assistant away, "fuck you!" He said to the secretary who stood, hand hovering over something neither of the two could see.

Kurushimu sniffed.  "C'mon." He switched his attention to the raptor.  His claw forcefully grabbed Jiyuuna's wrist and completely led him out of the building only stopping and letting go when Jiyuuna could see himself a hundred times over.  His eyes were red, why?  Kurushimu, in the sunset, appeared pale, black eyed and he had a cut on the side of his lip.  Even though his wrist ached, he stood there, staring at the twitchy Kurushimu, determined not to show an ounce of pain, not like last night. Jiyuuna shivered, smacking his lips.  Unlike Jiyuuna, Kurushimu lit a thin cigarette, growling at the kids as they passed, curiously staring up at him.

"Do you think this is funny, do you think Reisei knows, do you think you're man enough to make fun of me?" Kurushimu cackled, leaning on the wall, his mirrored self.  "No, no you're not.  You couldn't be talking about me, you're afraid of me, you're fucking afraid of me!" He screamed, making some kids and their parents jump and usher themselves along.

Jiyuuna stared ahead, attempting to ignore this side of his partner.

Kurushimu paced, his feet not picking up.  The sound of scraping made Jiyuuna shiver.  "Was he talking about Itami and me?  Was he mentioning me?  You were so goddamn talking about me, weren't you?  LOOK AT YOUR FACE!” He shoved a finger on Jiyuuna’s sore lips.  “I'm next, aren't I?” He paused, tracing Jiyuuna’s lips before his eyes twitched to stare at his one-hundred reflections, wide-eyed, tweaked.  “We can't be talking here, you need to come with me." He then paced to the side of the road, hailing a taxi honking at a couple of kids.

Jiyuuna noticed more adults were submerging.  

Night life.