Hosenka was a blast from the past for Tomoe, and he could simply never get over it. As he walked through the actual and legitimate Joyan soil of Sakura Alley, saw the ruffians and their gang operations in the Crimson Quarter and tasted the traditional and genuine Joyan cuisine of the Cabaret Crescent, it all felt so familiar to him. With his experiences throughout the city, it truly felt as if he was home.
"Disgusting.", Tomoe muttered, spitting onto the pavement as he now found himself outside of a prestigious hotel within Hosenka's Sultry Heights.
The rain from above descended like bullets, which when clashing with Sultry Heights' layers of mist from its prestigious hot springs all across the district, created a unique and enigmatic atmosphere. It also caused the crimson cutthroat's red mane to droop with the weight of the added droplets. He wasn't the type to use any products, so something as simple and as natural as strong wind or a torrent of rain could alter his hair significantly. He walked briskly towards the place he was to meet his comrades, and finally he was at its doors. Without hesitation, he pushed them open and moved inside. Thankfully the doors complied without much effort, and he was dry - or at the very least, he couldn't become more soaked than he already was.
Immediately he found himself in a well-lit and elegantly decorated lobby; Joyan decorations, of course. Empty suits of samurai armor stood, eternally on guard but eternally without their original wearers. Katanas were displayed neatly and tenderly inside glass cases. Artsy masks of various designs and symbolism rested along the walls. Scrolls in Joyan depicting the words of famous philosophers and war generals were contained within glass cases near the displayed weaponry.
"These guys know their shit. Gettin' all these display pieces together must've cost 'em half the price of the whole son of a bitch just by themselves. The rich know how to budget, eh?"
The place was known as the Kurikara Hotel, a place that boasted a fusion of Joyan and Fiorian architecture. The building on the outside looked very much like a traditional Joyan castle, and the decorations on the inside were certainly of Joyan origins, but the interior design more closely resembled a Fiorian manor or estate. It truly was the results of the modern world catching up with tradition, and that was a blend that Tomoe didn't hate; rather, it was to be applauded for its grand ambition for trying something new.
Not a single decoration interested Tomoe. Not really, anyway. He was called here for some kind of meeting, and it was a meeting that he would arrive to. The details were hazy, as apparently it was something to keep relatively hushed about until everything was official. Apparently it was mandatory for Mr. Tanaka to attend, but he didn't really know why - after all, Aegis always handled the social, economic and political sides of things. More than that too, probably, but Tomoe couldn't be bothered to pay attention for the majority of the time.
He approached the receptionist beyond all of the fancy ornaments and artwork at the very opposite end of the entrance doors, about 30 meters away.
"Hey, I'm Tomoe. Tomoe Tanaka?", the Joyan spoke lowly after approaching the well-dressed man in a suit and tie on the other end of the desk.
The man nodded his head expectantly, and dug into a drawer of his desk to retrieve a small silver key. He placed it in the palm of the swordsman's hand, and looked up at him with a knowing stare as if he was in on the whole thing.
"Room 705. A VIP suite! You'll find yourself catered to with the full excellence of our staff, Mr. Tanaka. Enjoy your stay, and call upon us with your room's communication lacrima if anything comes up!", the receptionist spoke, a jovial tone in his voice that may have hinted at more things than Tomoe was willing to acknowledge openly; nevertheless, the message was understood loud and clear.
"Uh. Yeah, gotcha. I'll call if I need a beer or somethin'. You guys have beer? No, whiskey, maybe?", Tomoe replied with uncertainty in his voice, clearly not accustomed to dealing with someone speaking to him on a more formal level.
With a nod of confirmation from the receptionist, Tomoe was off. He ascended the stairs of the hotel, seeing more Fiorian designs and architecture after leaving the main lobby. Upon reaching the seventh floor, his legs admittedly feeling a little tired with the sheer scale of the hotel, Tomoe had finally arrived. 705 was a room close to the stairs, thankfully, so all it took was a ten second walk from the stairs to make it to the room labeled 705. It seemed their meeting place was a VIP suite on the highest floor of the massive hotel, and all Tomoe could wonder was what was funding this meeting.
Livin' in a place like this in Joya, I'd have probably stayed. Damn, what was I doing with my life then? Robbery? Oh, yeah, right. Robbery., Tomoe thought with a chuckle escaping him, cracking himself up.
He grasped the key labeled "705" in his right hand and turned the key to the door it belonged to. Stepping inside, Tomoe would stay alert in case this was a setup for something bad. He had his pocket dimension ring on as always, so despite walking around in his regular Joyan casual attire, he was always ready to shift to combat with the full extent of his arsenal. He'd take every step carefully as he entered room 705. Maybe it was the luxury or maybe it was how much the Joyan design reminded him of home, but Tomoe Tanaka was not a happy camper just yet.
It was time to see what this meeting was all about, as he was just on time for it.