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Author Topic: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Ten (11/28)  (Read 24683 times)

Offline rndmnwierd

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapters Five and Six 6/27
« Reply #40 on: June 29, 2012, 05:21:44 PM »
Dang, what an informative omake. Sayu is definitely headed for trouble... And yet I'm depending on her to uncover some truth!

Offline Quietriot

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapters Five and Six 6/27
« Reply #41 on: June 29, 2012, 05:28:48 PM »
Ahahah oh man I dont know if I've recovered yet from the last updates XD

Okay, you've convinced me, Sayu's gonna be a badass. XD but it's like a bloodhound sniffing around a bear trap laced with peanut butter, okay? Eventually... Something real bad is gonna happen. I don't trust that there will be a "nice" ending. I DON'T TRUST ANYTHING!  :catglare:

Have a fun break from writing amidst all the busy-times coming up~ :heart: we'll be patiently (pfffft no XD) waiting for the next chapter~

Offline darkacex99

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapters Five and Six 6/27
« Reply #42 on: June 29, 2012, 06:00:45 PM »
Oh lord sayu is starting to dig her own grave and risa's gunna push her in when she catches her :panic:


Oh and i hope you have a good weekend :thumbup
« Last Edit: June 29, 2012, 11:26:27 PM by darkacex99 »

Offline mochi.rini

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapters Five and Six 6/27
« Reply #43 on: June 29, 2012, 08:40:48 PM »
I'll assume the worst when it comes to "nice" endings o.O 

nuuuu Sayu~  There's a reason no one's told you what's going on~  you're gonna die now Dx  curiosity killed...the bunny~  :catglare: And I can't believe the pandas are meth lab scientist people :O  You just come up with the worst crimes lol

Since you'll have a busy week, have an awesome weekend~ :D
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Offline kjpop

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapters Five and Six 6/27
« Reply #44 on: July 04, 2012, 06:49:09 PM »
After reading everyone's responses, I'm pretty much lol-ing from all the "SAYU'S GONNA DIE" conspiracy speculations ahha Am I really that evil, guys? xD Can't I write nice, happy things, too? xDDD And sayu's like my baby in this story, why would I wanna hurt her? *devil horns* lol

Slightly long chapter ahead! Looking forward to more speculation!!
-----------

Chapter Seven: Genesis

Day 132


Today, the record spun along its axis to play the dated 60's hit Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel, an odd and carefree tune of melodious nonsense that sharply contrasted the tension in the room. The warden stood by his window, eyes closed and fingers twiddling about as he rocked on his air guitar to the quirky riffs of the retro track. The man had just offered his guest his sympathies and delivered her, what he considered, a pleasant alternative to her present situation.

"We like you, Takahashi-san. You've given none of the staff any trouble, and though the circumstances that have led us to this conclusion were unfortunate, we trust that you will be more than pleased with your new accommodations at the reformatory's educational facilities. Besides, there was an agreement between officer Niigaki and myself: We felt as though your corporate brilliance was being wasted in your former position at the cleaning facilities. You will find yourself a bit more at home in this new area."

-------
Day 133


With the two female guards presiding over their journey to the distant halls of the educational facility, Ai wondered if there was any likelihood that other inmates had been transfered to this sector of the reformatory as well. If she recalled correctly, Niigaki-san had shouted quite a long list of fellow inmates' names during the torturous shoot-out a few days ago, and surely she wasn't the only one with a decent educational background capable of whatever the duties called for with her new position. This section of the penitentiary did not seem to frequent many guests, and Ai herself wasn't even aware there was such a thing as an educational facility within a prison system. She was shocked enough learning that a "prayer group" existed, but there were many things left undiscovered within the walls of the reformatory.

But what if she wasn't so lucky? What if this was just another, more private location that would threaten further bouts of abuse and harassment?...But then the convict realized she was in the midst of two guards that have proven they were capable of showing some sense of morality, despite their cold facades...and didn't the warden say that he and the head guard herself agreed on this particular arrangement? She had no choice but to trust their judgment for the meantime.

The trio finally reached the end of the unfrequented hallway and crossed through oak double doors into Ai's relocated space. Her eyes wandered in awe of the various shelves lining the walls of the room, ornamented with dented paperbacks and worn hardbacks, and magazines and pamphlets littered about on scattered tabletops and wooden seats. The rich amount of sunshine that leaked in from the windows spaced between the bookshelves of the area was a welcoming sight, and the woman that emerged from the maze of towering shelves was even more so.

As the woman came within range, the head guard turned about face to address the convict. "Takahashi-san, this is Kamei Eri. She is the librarian here at Project Morning and from now on you will do as Kamei-san orders for your occupational time at the reformatory. Whatever Kamei-san says, you do. Do you understand?"

Ai nodded, eyes darting from officer Niigaki, to officer Michishige, then to her new supervisor. The woman seemed much kinder, if her lax smile didn't give that away from the get-go. Compared to the battle-hardened officers standing at either side of her, the new woman had an easy way about her. The clothes she wore were dainty and casual, her hair dyed to a rustic brunette trimmed to rest just above her shoulders, and her eyes stared lazily at her, vacant of any hints of anger or ill-will. Indeed, compared to the guards, this woman was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Eri walked forward to extend a hand in greeting, a lazy smile fixed upon her lips. "It's nice to meet you, Takahashi-san."

The convict took the friendly woman's hand in her own, marveling at the smoothness of her skin against her calloused, jail-hardened digits. A rush of childish insecurities began to course through her the longer the librarian held her hand. It had been so long since she had taken the time to care for herself, and oh how she selfishly craved those times of self-pampering. These were simple pleasures that were no longer within reach, for now...

"If there are any problems, Kamei-san, you know how to reach us. I can't imagine there will be," Risa stated, pacing her way through the oak double doors. Sayu trailed slowly behind her as her own eyes scanned through the educational facility, taking in every book, every detail. Wheels were turning, and as the dark-haired officer closed the oak double doors from the outside of the room, her eyes met with Ai's for the first time since their confrontation at the cleaning area. The guard hoped for once that the woman could sense that she was on her side, instead of the law, but the look of distant fear in the convict's eyes clearly displayed her failure in doing so.

Ai didn't even realize that the librarian had taken her own hands and replaced them with books in the convict's hands. The unexpected weight in her grasp forced the convict to clumsily drop the books to the floor, and in her own embarrassment, Ai dropped to her knees to gather them back with fidgeting fingers. The librarian knelt down beside her, placing a calm hand over Ai's, placating the inmate's unnecessary anxiety over the accident. With books gathered in one arm, Eri used the other to lift both of them back to their feet.

"There's nothing to worry about, Takahashi-san. You're safer here," Eri said, her soothing words and actions easing the tension from her companion's fidgety and tight grip on the books she just handed her. "...I read your files and officer Niigaki had warned me that you might behave this way, but I promise I'll take care of you." But her words did little to pacify the convicts nerves, evident in the way they continued to shake.

"...I suppose it wouldn't help to know that these incidents have since quelled down long before your arrival?" the librarian asked with a nervous giggle. Her humor wasn't appreciated. "Ever since officer Niigaki had taken the position as head of the guards, the reformatory and infirmary had to deal with less assault cases by the day. She really cleaned up the place, you know. Before her, the attacks happened nearly every few hours so it seemed..."

The librarian trailed off purposefully, to make sure Ai was all ears. Once she had gotten the inmate's attention, Eri led the both of them through the lined shelves of the library to continue with their organizational duties. "Prior to working here at the educational facilities, I was an intern at the medical lab and reformatory's infirmary. Before Niigaki-san took charge, the amount of victims we had to attend to never seemed to dwindle, but none of the medical staff questioned it. We simply couldn't. Our job was solely to help these women return to working condition, regardless of how alarming it was to discover the bruises, signs of battery, and even possible cases of pregnancy...

"But after that fiasco, everything had improved ten-fold, really. The number of women that came to the infirmary for anything other than the usual medical check-up had been reduced to single digits, and even then it was only every couple or so months. At that point, the medical staff was unnecessarily overflowing, so I was transfered here to the educational facilities," the kind librarian said with a smile.

As she was handed a few paperbacks that required indexing, Ai's curiosity unearthed itself as the dusted cogs of her mind ran together like clockwork once again. "And what happened to those women?"

Eri led the two back to the main desk so she could label the books accordingly. She eyed the inmate warily, wondering if this was overstepping her boundaries as a semi-authoritative figure at the facility. "Well, a few are still here but most of them have been released on parole and are living new lives outside these walls. But as you can imagine, some others did not fare as well." Her eyes fell upon the nervous convict, now standing in silence and staring blankly at the floor as her mind curiously ticked and attempted to make sense of something. It was a look that was all too familiar to this librarian.

"I can't read your mind, but I have a feeling I know what you're thinking of...And let me just advise you right now: don't even think about it, Ai-chan. You're still an outlaw yourself."

-------------
Day 210

The sun had barely risen, and even then, the convicts that lined the western wing of the reformatory were still granted a few more minutes of sleep prior to the morning roll call. Had it not been for the ruckus in cell #1111, all eyes would have remained closed and captured in the land of dreams.

"Does mama know what her little angel does? Does she know how her daughter earns a living?" The rebel inmate used the chain connecting her handcuffs to place a choke hold on her commanding officer, trapping the woman inside the closed jail cell with her strangling grip. "Is mama proud of what a pathetic coward her baby has become?"

The head officer struggled against the convict's crafty use of her metal bindings, fangs beared as she fought desperately to regain control. The guard turned the tides, using the convict's momentum against her, and kneed Reina square in the gut, blowing the wind right out of her. With the loosened death grip against her throat, the head officer gasped to revitalize her airways, then swiftly side-swiped the rebel at her feet, causing the woman to crash straight onto the concrete floor. Risa placed a booted foot against the convict's chest, pressing her weight just slightly against Reina's sternum before taking her gun from its holster and pointing it to the fallen woman.

"I could kill you..."

Reina could feel the heel of the guards boot burying itself practically through her ribcage. Already weary from her long hours of punishment, the rebel woman forced a cheeky grin on her lips as she grunted, "Go ahead and put me out of my damn misery."

With a final push of her foot, Risa let go of her hold on the inmate and exited the cell. "You don't deserve that satisfaction."

Meanwhile, ears in a foreign cell internalized every word of the violent exchange.
--------

Day 229


This was a risk she was willing to take. Of course, taking advantage of her supervisor's kind nature was something Ai had never wanted to do, but the librarian's words had sparked her need to be informed. The meddling was not necessarily driven to fulfill self-enrichment, but it was deemed necessary. After she had heard how these previous assault cases were kept under the rug for years, reduced to a topic of hush-hush nonsense, Ai was reminded of her own unwanted sexual encounter. How quickly the warden and the head guard acted to correct the wrongdoings of their staff was alarming, so calculating and precise. Why else would officer Niigaki make such a show out of that brutal murder of the patrolman? It must have been to provide her and the other inmates a sense of false security, it just had to be. Murderous people like the head of the guards could not be capable of projecting genuinely kind intentions. Impossible. Furthermore, the injustice of properly handling these cases by these supposedly "authoritative" figureheads had re-awakened the events of primary injustice that had led her to this damned place to begin with. Life was not fair, but she would be damned if fate thought she would not seek retribution for the curse that was cast upon her.

It was an audacious task, but an imperative burden she was willing to bear. Perhaps it would grant her the freedom she deserved, but rather than dreaming up a scenario that might be unlikely, Ai toned down her ambitions for a smaller-scale possibility, one more likely to pull through if she could manage to have the appropriate people cooperate. She knew she could trust some choice inmates off the bat, while a few others would take some convincing. Ai couldn't waiver, not now. As the only inmate with the closest chances to access these secure files, she was the only one with key to taking this vile facility down. For the sake of revenge, for the sake of justice.

While Eri had gone to organize some freshly indexed books in the labyrinth of shelves and printed documents, Ai stealthily entered the librarian's office where the lone computer of the facility was housed. If she could only access these documented files, perhaps she could find the evidence necessary to put her plans into action...

"Good luck deciphering the encryptions, Ai-chan."

Ai tore away from the computer screen to find that she had been discovered by Eri. Fuck, caught red-handed and without anything to show for it.

"I had a feeling you would try something like this, so I coded the computer to ensure that no one could gain access into these files, not even the warden nor Niigaki-san. I saw from your files that you had taken part in some computer code encryption scandal as well, so I made sure these codes were much more sophisticated."

The librarian walked over to the convict and patted her on the back. "Look, I'm on your side here, but I can't give you everything on a silver platter. I'd get fired, you know." She winked at the inmate, who calmed down considerably since her surprise discovery. "If you manage to surprise me and break in, I'll be sure to erase any of the search history if ever the case is brought up in front of the warden or any other members of the higher staff. It'll be our little secret."

---------------

"I need your help."

The hackers and the contraband girls looked up from their trays of gruel to stare blankly at the requester. "With what?"

Ai took a seat beside the hackers and dropped her tray carelessly in front of her. She checked to see if any of the guards were within their area before stuffing her hand down her shirt to take out a crumpled piece of paper. As she smoothed out the wrinkles of the scrap sheet, pieces of a digitized code were revealed one by one. Airi and her group stared at the document, not quite sure what to make of it, while Koharu all but grabbed the piece of paper from the center of the table, pulling Aika in closer so she could examine the code scribbled on as well.

"How did you get this?"

"From the computer at the educational facility. I have no idea what it means, but I need to somehow figure it out to get access to the actual computer. It's a just a block of numbers and letters that I can't make heads or tails out of."

Aika scrutinized the piece of paper further before asking, "And if you do get through the computer, what exactly are you searching for, new girl?"

"I need the medical records and the archived files of all the inmates here."

The group stared at their latest addition with wide, unbelieving eyes. "Are you fucking crazy?! You're digging your own grave, Aichan!" Maimi whispered harshly.

"We need to shut this place down, and those files have all the evidence we need to do this," Ai spoke, perfectly confident with her reasons as she helped herself to the rice on her tray.

"But what if your supervisor catches you? There's no way she would let you get away with that. She'll definitely tell the warden, and you'll definitely have to suffer a worse punishment sentence than Tanaka," Saki deduced. All eyes were on Ai as they awaited her response, not necessarily caring about what she had to say, but more interested in trying to talk her out of this act of chivalrous stupidity.

"I trust Kamei-san."

"Kamei..." Airi pondered, pointer tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Why does that name sound so familiar...?"

"Who cares!? The point is, Takahashi-san, you're head is on the line here. You can't trust everyone in prison, especially the authority here. Not everyone is as nice as we are, didn't we warn you from the beginning?" Chisato questioned, her voice threatening to escalate into a full yell tone.

"We'll never get anywhere if we don't take risks."

"And risks get you killed around here. You're a dead woman walking, Aichan..." Mai whispered, while the rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement.

Koharu and Aika slammed the piece of paper back on the center of the table. "We've figured it out!...Airi can we get a pencil or something?"

The contraband woman tilted her arm down, and through the sleeves of her uniform, a pencil propped itself right into the palm of her hands. After handing it to the hackers, the duo went to work on scribbling complex code languages on the backside of the crumpled sheet.

 "This isn't the entire code, we're guessing; that'd be too simple. So we need you to take control of the command for us, and input the following code EXACTLY as you read it," Aika instructed, slamming her index finger against the instructions.

"If you make so much as one mistake in the input code, the computer will most likely stay in a permanent lock-down state, and there's going to be little else we can assist you with," Koharu said, handing Ai the piece of paper. "Since this is only part of the code, we're going to need you to act as our middleman. Write as much of the new code as you possibly can, every damn thing you see on that computer screen, and we'll decipher and deliver new instructions for you to encode. You'll be stuck in that facility twice a day, so with a little work, we can crack through this code in no time."

"You're all crazy," Saki commented.

"Hey," Aika uttered, directing the points of her chopsticks toward the contraband member. "You guys can get away with having your fun every single day. It's about time we have some fun around here, as well."

--------

And just as the hackers had promised, Ai, Aika, and Koharu were able to untangle the web of encryptions in about a week's worth of time. It was only expected that Eri's coding skills would be sub-par to that of the master hackers at the penitentiary. With Eri turning the other cheek towards the end of Ai's shift at the facility, the convict would have to work fast if she wanted to access all the appropriate files necessary to set her plan into action.

The first day she had cracked the code, Ai wasted no time in delving into officer Michishige's personal files. Much to her chagrin, however, there was nothing of interest located in her personal records, aside from being a newcomer to the penitentiary compared to Niigaki-san. The following day was dedicated into delving into her contraband group's files. Each of the five girls' weren't lying with their stories, but one particular notice on each of their records made Ai uneasy. Moving on to the hackers, Ai had found the duo was also telling the truth about their misdeeds. Likewise was found with the bombers.

The last of the convict files she perused was Reina's. As she skimmed through the personal records, it had shocked Ai to read that the woman had been at the penitentiary for about 10 years now, much longer than any of the other convicts in her circle, or most of the current convicts at the penitentiary in general. The details of her crime were nothing drastic, but still inexcusable to any official of the law. The recorded details of her punishment during her sentence were horrifically obscene and frequent. If anything, this provided Ai with a better understanding of why the yankii acted the way she did, as well as the meaning behind prison punishment at the reformatory.

Before Ai exited out of the convicts' archive folder, a name had caught her eye. She had seen this same name under the folder for inspectors and law enforcers, so she wondered if this just happened to have been an overlooked mistake in documentation on Eri's part. Curiously, however, the convict clicked the folder titled "Niigaki Risa." With that single click, everything she thought she knew about the heartless head officer was shattered, crumbling to the ground with each new detail she uncovered. Just how many secrets did this damn penitentiary hide?

As the convict reached the end of the head officer's criminal records, Eri emerged inside the office. "I'm assuming you've found everything you're looking for?"

Ai stood from her seat to allow Eri access to the computer to clear the search history data. "Do you happen to know anything more about Niigaki-san and Tanaka Reina-san?"

While the computer shut down, Eri stood upright again and faced the convict with a confused look. "Were the records lacking in the information you were looking for?"

"Well, not really. It's just that, I recall you said something about being here for quite a period of time. And you talked about some sort of incident that took place before officer Niigaki came into her position. What her files showed me were her misdemeanors as a criminal and her honors attained as an officer, but nothing about how or why."

Eri sighed and looked at the clock. There was still plenty of time before she could release her convict for dinner, so time could be well-spent through this. Knowing Ai and her persistence, attempting to talk her out of digging her nose deeper into these matters was a losing battle. The librarian instructed her company to take a seat beside her in the office. "It all started 10 years ago..."

-------

And the next chapter is a history lesson lol Project Morning Reformatory 101~ We'll finally get to learn about Reina, Risa, and maybe the warden and all the other goodies hidden at the prison. Lots more H!P cast members popping up fosho!!! So really, no more detective work after the next chapter...maybe lol It's more like story time, with hidden tidbits of useful information haha Just another one of my warnings that no one really seems to mind: im bringing back the torture and senseless violence with the next chapter lol bewareeee~

I wonder who you guys think I'll be killing off this time xD And give yourselves a pat on the back =] you've made it halfway through the madness!!!

Offline kawaii beam

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Seven 7/04
« Reply #45 on: July 04, 2012, 07:11:41 PM »
im like totally spazzing and rolling around on my bed and banging my hands against the wall! WHY DID U STOP THERE?! D:

btw rndy says she refuses to comment on this chapter LOL
« Last Edit: July 05, 2012, 06:18:47 AM by kawaii beam »
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Offline darkacex99

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Seven 7/04
« Reply #46 on: July 04, 2012, 08:00:00 PM »
Oh mah gawd secret doors are bein opened  :panic:

Quote
I wonder who you guys think I'll be killing off this time
hmmmm :? I monder myself too

Cnt wait for the history lesson in the next chap O0

Offline Quietriot

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Seven 7/04
« Reply #47 on: July 05, 2012, 03:46:06 PM »
Gah, omg, why. Why would you stop there. You big troll. XD i just kinda threw my hands up after reading this one like, wtf am I supposed to say XD though at least it's a bit of a breather in between all the violence and ohnoes going on XD I now predict Eri will die tho. Someone will find out she's helped. If Tsunku is like Blue, Eri's gonna be Blondie. Them's my speculations. Though I still don't think Sayu will fare well either. XD the question for me here isn't really a matter of who's gonna die, but rather when. Lol

Also:

Quote
Koharu and Aika slammed the piece of paper back on the center of the table. "We've figured it out!...Airi can we get a pencil or something?"

The contraband woman tilted her arm down, and through the sleeves of her uniform, a pencil propped itself right into the palm of her hands. After handing it to the hackers, the duo went to work on scribbling complex code languages on the backside of the crumpled sheet.

Bahahahahahah I died laughing here. I bet it prob wasn't as funny to anyone else but Airi is now the human vending machine to me XD

...Hurry up with the next chapter please. ;^; Else I bring my stories to a screeching halt. XD

Offline mochi.rini

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Seven 7/04
« Reply #48 on: July 12, 2012, 11:41:31 PM »
omake or next chapter plz  :twothumbs

It all started 10 years ago??? Geeeeeeeeez that's a long time ago....:O  that's a long time to be a criminal....

Geez, first Sayu is being all nosy, and now Aichan?  DO YOU PEOPLE HAVE A DEATHWISH OR SOMETHING?  :panic:
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Offline kjpop

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Eight 7/14
« Reply #49 on: July 14, 2012, 10:15:03 PM »
Anyone order a huge serving of angst with a double side of torture and criminal intent, topped with a generous helping of depression and suicidal thoughts for dessert? =P 

But seriously, I have a feeling people are going to start questioning my sanity after reading this chapter. It's pretty dark. So warning: please don't read if you can't handle the not so subtle implications of depressing/suicidal thoughts, torture, rape abuse, etc. I kind of took all the horrible things and shoved them into this chapter. And it's a long one, too. Sorry >__< It's the final hurdle though, good luck.

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Chapter Eight: Advent


Niigaki Risa. Age 19. A university student double-majoring in philosophy and psychology. She wasn't too terribly brilliant, but what she lacked in intelligence, she more than made up for with her go-to attitude. During the several hours she dedicated to the various odd-jobs she worked, Risa would happily go about doing what she was paid to do while memorizing the words of Kant and Freud. When she waited tables, she engaged in awkward conversations about the id and ego to her customers, who often came back another day to continue their intellectual banter. While she washed dishes, she would read her lecture notes taped up to the walls above the sink. As she walked home in the dead of night, she would pop in her earphones and listen to the day's lectures she recorded on her phone. Indeed this was a woman that worked hard in all aspects of her life, with the strongest of will and self-discipline.

But why would a young university student allow all her time to be preoccupied by such serious matters? Youth should be spent having fun with friends and engaged in hours of mindless self-indulgence, right?

After work, Risa would usually be off well after hospital visiting hours. Thankfully, the medical staff took pity on the girl and let her break a few rules to come visit her terminally ill mother. Years of smoking finally took its toll on the maternal Niigaki, and she was suffering from stage 3 lung cancer. The chemotherapy and preventive surgeries were incredibly expensive, and Risa was having the hardest time just paying the apartment bills. Her mother's leave of absence from work forced the girl to pick up the slack, but apartment and hospital bills and tuition costs were piling up, and it was getting more and more difficult as the cancer progressed closer and closer to the serious stage 4.

It would have been all too easy to drop out of school to work full-time to support her mother, but to earn a university degree was the only thing the woman ever asked of her. Even at the ungodly hours of three in the morning, Risa would share her thoughts on those philosophical or psychological matters that held no real meaning to her mother, but just seeing the woman smile so proudly as she talked was comforting.

However, the time came when grades slipped. Her tiring work hours prevented her from keeping up with the demanding course load and sleep would often win the battle over self-discipline for her studies. Sometimes she'd slack off work unintentionally, and her managers would often scold her and threaten to fire her if she didn't get it together. At university, her friends and professors were growing concerned over the increasing amounts of absent days. At home, she would have to answer to a screaming landlady for all the grace periods she let fly by without paying a damn cent off their rent. The time had come to drop out of school. With that gone, she would be able to work more, and at least pay rent. At nights when she came home from work, Risa would share whatever she had read from the few philosophy textbooks she kept, to at least leave her mother with the reassuring impression that she was still hard at work on her college degree. That smile was all that kept her going.

The period of semi-smooth sailing drew to a close Risa had been excused from the restaurant that provided her with most of her funds. The other jobs she worked did not pay her nearly enough, and unfortunately no businesses in the area were hiring. As Risa drunkenly complained about her financial situation over dinner to her former university friends, the boyfriend of one of her companions had pulled her aside after the get-together and offered her a solution to her problems. Now sober, she processed his proposal with some doubt. It had surprised her entirely to think of this man as a thief, but that's what he was. Nothing too major, just the occasional breaking and entering, avoiding all those houses with dogs of course. How else could he afford his girlfriend's high maintenance tastes?

But times were growing tougher and her mother was getting weaker without the necessary chemotherapy to combat her illness. It was a small price she had to pay, but it was for her mother. It was always for her mother.

The first few times were difficult, but Risa eventually slipped into her sleuth role with ease. Before she knew it, she had more than enough money to pay the hospital bills and even go back to university. However, one night she and her partner got sloppy. Caught off guard by the sudden emergence of the homeowner and his pistol, both of them had gotten caught and arrested. After several nights of interrogation, Risa had unfortunately been discovered as being responsible for the various break-ins recently reported around the area. Though it was hardly a severe case or crime, the only facility willing to take her in was the all-female penitentiary in Yokohama, known for housing high profile female criminals.

When it was time to be shipped off to the penitentiary, Risa was surprised to be joined by another female in the police car. Her light brown hair was unruly, as though she had just come from a brief scuffle with a cop, and through her bangs were a pair of wild, misshaped eyes. The woman was smaller in stature but carried her chained up self with notable pride. Their eyes met briefly when the woman finally came to acknowledge her.

"Heh, good to know I'm not the only one being sent to this hell-hole."

The woman smirked and extended her handcuffed hands forward, jutting one hand forward over the other for a shake. "Tanaka Reina. Master thief. Who are you?"

Risa maneuvered her own cuffed wrists to accept the shake. "Niigaki Risa."

The smaller woman sank back into her seat, cuffed hands behind her head as the car began to speed off to its destination. "So what'chu get caught for?"

"Robbery."

"Ha! How long have you been at it?"

"Less than a month."

Risa blushed as Reina laughed a little more loudly than necessary, warranting a stern glare from the driving officer through the rearview mirror. Reina flashed 6 fingers. "I've been at it since 6. Started off by literally stealing candy from babies. After I dropped out from high school, I ran away from home and lived in abandoned factory houses and stole my way through life. The only reason I got caught was 'cuz I was stupid enough to take some idiot on as a partner. That dumbass is the reason why I'm here. I'd probably still be out and sleeping in warehouses otherwise, ya know, living the high life. That's why you should never trust anyone besides yourself to get the job done."

The duo had arrived at the penitentiary in due time. Before they crossed through the gated entrance, they were met by a strict-looking woman. Her lips were tightly pursed and her eyes condescending through her dirty blond fringe. The rest of her hair had been bound in a simple ponytail that hung limply behind her head. Her raspy voice introduced her as the head of the guards at the penitentiary, Nakazawa Yuko. All while she had been directing the two of their daily schedules and duties (with Risa placed in cleaning services while Reina was in the factory mill making highway road signs), the duo had followed in silent awe as they took the rundown facility in. Not once did they meet the warden.

Before long the two girls had been stripped of what they wore and were hosed down to be cleaned. After tossing them their uniforms, the head of the guards had the girls parade through their wing stark naked, with the rest of the female inmates watching them as they marched solemnly to their cells. Catcalls and raunchy propositions for sex in the shower stalls were shouted, but the two marched on by. That evening, the inmates had put on quite a show with the taunting words they whispered into the night.

"You won't make it here. You'll die in here. We're gonna get ya. They'll feed ya to the dogs."

Being new additions at the penitentiary was not easy. They were often referred to as "fresh meat" by the other inmates, who took turns ganging up on the both of them, separated or together. And often, the two had put on a good fight, but were beaten into submission, and it was not until they were bleeding thoroughly that the head of the guards would come to the rescue and beat the other inmates to match. Because of these daily confrontations, the two girls had no choice but to turn to one another as a shoulder to lean on, their personal pillar of support. An odd friendship bloomed in the battlefield for their lives.

It had stayed this way for a good year. The one inmate nicknamed Mikitty often cornered one of them in the shower stalls, and her croonies would surround her while she did more than cop a feel. The one inmate the officers called Johnson was often too high off whatever she got her hands on to be much of a threat, but her murderer companion Abe Natsumi was anything but friendly. Yasuda Kei was the loner arms thief that the duo only ever saw during recreational hours, usually off in her own corner creating makeshift knives with the pieces of scrap metal she horded from the same factory facilities she worked at with Reina. The Ishikawa, Yoshizawa, Makoto trio did not seem to want much trouble with the duo, but they did not make their time in prison any easier. It wasn't until an intervention by the penitentiary's beloved comedian swindler Yaguchi Mari that most of the inmates treated the new duo with some type of respect, though sexual advances from Mikitty were painfully unavoidable, regardless of how valiantly they resisted.

And it had taken another 2 years before the duo had been welcomed into the motley crew's inner circle, once again thanks to Mari. The older women had shared their plans of escape. It had been well-thought out and various aspects of the escape were already completed and primed for the prison break. Time was the only thing they waited for.

"Notice how chief is knocked up? We'll wait 'til she delivers. Then she'll be too tired and hospitalized to do anything about it," Nacchi noted, stabbing the vegetables on her tray with her chopsticks.

The duo conversed between themselves during their recreational period one day, paying careful attention of the head of the guards as she walked around the grounds with her bloated belly. Reina had mentioned something about being excited to get out here, despite not having much to return to once she was free. Niigaki, on the other hand, had more pressing matters to attend to. Though she was allowed to contact her mother through letters filled with fabrications of supposed university life, the responses had stopped coming recently and it worried her to no end.

"We'll get out of here, Risa, just you wait. Then you'll see your mama, just watch!" Reina said with a triumphant smile.

Risa heaved a sigh and smiled in response. She was glad to have met Reina, and only wished the circumstances from which they met had been different. "I hope you're right, Tanakacchi."

The little thief patted her on the back and flashed her a rare toothy smile. "I know I'm right. Just wait. And besides, if anyone's gonna get out of here alive, it's the two of us. Helluva lot faster than those old hags, right? I got your back if you got mine."

"Til the end?"

"Til the end."

------------
On the night of the escape, everything had gone as planned. All Reina and Risa were instructed to do was to run, "run like the fuckin' wind" as Johnson put it. Kei had everyone in the circle armed and ready with her makeshift knives. Though they seemed ineffective in comparison to the guns the guards wielded, once the lights were out,  the difference was hardly distinguishable.

And she was right. Once the lights were off and the locks of all cells magically popped open (as to how, neither of the girls were told in detail), out they ran with knives in hand. The few guards that scattered the interior were quickly taken care of and the members of the inner circle had managed to navigate their way to the exit gates of the penitentiary with ease.

What they failed to prepare for was meeting Nakazawa at the gate with her battalion of guards. Everyone was under the impression that she would be absent for the remainder of the month after having delivered her baby, but here she was in the flesh, armed with a gun in each hand. All she had to do was open fire, and the rest of the guards followed her lead.

One by one, the inmates that had gotten this far were falling to the ground in the barrage of fire. Risa and Reina did what they could to run the opposite direction to the other gate. It would be a tougher wall to climb, but it was better than getting shot down with the rest of them. They jumped over dead bodies, dodged bullets blindly, and cried out whenever the body of one of their own fell from peripheral view.

Before she knew it though, a white light flashed before Risa's eyes and the last thing she saw was Reina falling right on top of her.
---------

Without any indication of time in this isolated cell of total darkness, Risa had no idea of the hour, day, month, or even year. All she knew was that about every hour or so, Nakazawa Yuko would enter her solitary confinement cell and beat the living shit out of her, just enough to make her bleed, open up old scars and make some new ones. Another hour would pass and this time a group of men would be the ones paying her a visit. And for an entirely different reason.

Yuko was nowhere in sight and her desperate cries seemed to be absorbed by the cold walls of her confined cell. Sometimes it was one by one, other times more than that, but still Risa hated getting visits from these men the most. In the darkness, she couldn't see their faces. She could only hear their voices and feel their filthy hands as they touched her, not even undressing her in their haste. None of them had been gentle, but some were more abusive than necessary.

"Stop that crying, bitch. I'll make it hurt. You smell like shit, bet you look like it too. Dumbass broad, what would you do if I killed you right now?"

She lost track of time, lost track of the beatings and the rape. Before long, it had been just routine. Eventually the crying and the pleas stopped, but the abuse unfortunately did not. Yuko had stopped visiting, and as time drew slowly onward, Risa was only entertained by her unwanted male visitors. She had been subjected to this torment for a year. Risa had been broken.

One day, the slide slit opening on the door let in some light from the outside world, fanning itself into the darkness to reveal the shallow eyes of a broken inmate. The opening slid to a close, and the door opened soon after. The sheer amount of sunlight that spilled through was enough to overwhelm her eyes, and naturally Risa covered her face and scooted to the darker corner of her box-like space. As her eyes acclimated to unnatural sunlight, Risa could see a posh-dressed man standing before her. She wondered if it was time to undress herself again.

But instead the man came forth and unlocked the chains that bound her. "I'm the warden at this penitentiary, Niigaki-san. Tsunku."

When the inmate did not respond, he continued.

"I read over your files, Niigaki-san, and I stumbled upon some information. You seem to have a mother at the hospital right now, and in critical condition no less. It must be tough for you not being able to support her, hmm? Might I offer you a proposition? You'd be wise to accept it."

"What would that be?" her voice croaked, a harsh memory of what it used to be.

"I will be more than happy to help you cover your mother's medical fees, and then some... on the condition that work for me as the head officer at Project Morning. Due to your time in confinement, many things have eluded you. For one thing, since that foolish escape plot your fellow inmates pulled, the penitentiary has been under heavy scrutiny by government officials. They also, for what ever reason suspect fowl play. As they should.

"What you do not realize is that I have a business on the line here, Niigaki-san, a sideline expenditure that allows me to reel in excess profits simply because I can. And luckily for you, it was only now that you had to suffer the consequences of your actions and my business. Successful trafficking is particularly hard to come by, regardless of how many desperate girls are on the loose in Japan. More often than not, they cannot handle what they get themselves into and run amok, costing their employers their careers and business ventures because they themselves lack the will and discipline to overcome the pressures of the real world.

"Thankfully at this penitentiary, I have various women at my disposal. Wretched women that have done horrible things, so why would the government care if I do what I do to them? However, the government doesn't seem to agree with my views on this, so things need to change around here. Which is why I'm approaching you with this offer. You will no longer be subjected to the kind of abuse as your fellow inmates, and only the inmates deserving of punishment will have to suffer the consequences of their actions by partaking in my business. If you suspect any abuse from the guards, you are free to dispose of them as you please. We don't need horny bastards like those working within these walls and earning us suspicious glances from government officials.

"We will take on the guise of religion to add to our validity as a reformatory. God seems to be a universal crutch for these sorts of things, after all. And if any government officials were to come knocking at our door, what better excuse than the bible to dispel any suspicions? The justifications are written plainly in a book as old as time! But even if they are not convinced, all you would have to do is your business and deny any and all allegations that come your way. And in exchange, you are granted financial support for your mother's hospital care. If you agree, I will have her transfered to the best medical facilities in the world, with only the best doctors at her disposal and round the clock medical coverage from the entire hospital staff. Doesn't that sound splendid?"

"...And if I disagree?" her voice cracked again, from the several hours she had gone parched without the proper kinds of fluid to quench her thirst.

The warden tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I could very well kill you right here and now, but what a waste your body would be. My clientèle has grown quite fond of you, after all. No no, I'd keep you here, alive. We can play this game for as long as you'd like. Then perhaps after some time, I will come visit you and tell you how I personally went to visit your mother and had her killed."

Risa's generally unfeeling eyes finally filled with life after hearing the threat, standing up to her feet ready to strike if further instigated. "But why me? What happened to Nakazawa-san?"
------------

When you lack the nerve to rise above, to fight the wrongs so plainly set in front of you...When the law becomes a lie, what's left to believe in?

In slid one bullet, followed by another, and another before she was forced to rotate the cylinder to fill in the remaining empty slots of her personal revolver. After satisfactorily leaving not a single slot unfilled, the head of the guards spun the cylinder to a close, locking it safely into place with a click of the hammer. She wordlessly stood from her seat, and using her free hand, dragged the wooden chair she sat upon to the center of her office.

Then, ever so slowly, she padded over to the far east side of her office where a wooden crib leaned against the wall. Inside lay her son, no older than 5 months, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he awoke. He peered up through his wooden cage, through the bar crevices that kept him safe and sound, to smile at his mother. It was a smile so kind, so innocent and unaware. Naturally it brought a tear to his mother's eyes.

This boy was the bastard son she birthed for that wretched man who raped her after she discovered the truth. Her disgusting scarlet letter reminder of how weak she was, how afraid she was to expose him. He was a five month burden, the single life that lived in lieu of those countless lives she took. All for the sake of the man who was too afraid to get caught and lose everything he supposedly worked for.

"Kill them all," he said. "Don't let a damn woman free."


She watched as the little boy reached his pudgy arms up into the air, goo's and gaga's filling the quiet room as he urged his mother to carry him in her arms. But before the cries elevated into something more distressing, the woman shot five rounds. Five rounds for her selfish satisfaction of ridding the world of the single life that man cherished beyond his own. Five bullets for the guilt that stole the sleep from her wearied mind and guilty soul at night. Five holes bore into the innocent mound of flesh that she could never honestly love, that she wanted to hopelessly save from the living in such a horrific world.

The woman then walked back to where she left her chair at the center of her office. Above her was a sturdy oak beam foundation that held a portion of the ceiling in place. Hanging around the beam was a thick piece of rope, looped loosely at its dangling end. Steady hands tugged against the rope to make sure it was held firmly in place. After deeming it so, the woman pulled the chair to rest directly beneath the rope. She climbed the chair, stood to face the rope, and slipped her head through the noose.

Carefully scooting her feet to rest a step short from slipping completely off the chair, the woman took the revolver to her mouth. There was still the 6th round.

Bang. And only the chair tipped over to the floor.

------------

"...A premature termination of her contract. She has regrettably departed from this penitentiary...permanently -" Tsunku paused to lament, or at least give the convict that impression.  "Now, what do you say?"

"...Is Reina still alive?"

"Oh yes, the rambunctious one," he said with a smirk and tinge of amusement in his tone. "She was captured and placed in solitary confinement as well. Barely hanging on these days..."

"Will you kill her if I agree?"

"Oh heavens no," he chuckled to himself as he turned to make his exit. "That's for you to decide, commanding officer Niigaki."

------
Happiness is gonna cost you extra lol

I scare myself sometimes with the things I write. But seriously, this is it for the torture and devastation. If I haven't scared you away completely, all the chapters from now on are more of a mind game than blatant evil. I promise. I swear. DON'T GOOOO~ COME BACK~~~ THE HEAVY IS OVER, I PROMISEEEEE!!!! ;__;


That said, I think I'll be taking a break from this fic for a while. The heavy is taking its toll on my well-being  :O
« Last Edit: July 14, 2012, 10:29:07 PM by kjpop »

Offline rndmnwierd

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Eight 7/14
« Reply #50 on: July 14, 2012, 10:39:15 PM »
Omg I'm walking out the door right now, must read and comment later~!~!~!

EDIT: Back!

Man, it is pretty heavy.... And more than a tad horrifying at that one part, but to me, having some sort of answer is worth the squick. So much begins to make sense and yet, I have so many more questions. Though, I understand that this is hard to write, considering how hard it is to read in some places.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2012, 03:16:03 AM by rndmnwierd »

Offline darkacex99

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Eight 7/14
« Reply #51 on: July 14, 2012, 11:46:44 PM »
Juss woke up form my nap to find u udated YAY!!!

Omg this chapter was.....AWESOME!!!!! Luving the angst!!! Oh lord risa went throught soo much, now i know why she was so brutal on that officer that raped ai

It took me a while to realize that yuko was the one who commited suicide, im kinda slow To realize the obvious sometimes :sweatdrop:

Risa and reina were guud buddy buddies in the past so i wonder wat causes risa to beat up on her all of the time...never the less aweosme chapter u havent scared me away but u have actually drawn me in  :cow: keep up da aweosme work
« Last Edit: July 15, 2012, 05:54:32 AM by darkacex99 »

Offline kawaii beam

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Eight 7/14
« Reply #52 on: July 15, 2012, 12:35:34 AM »
 :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic: :panic:

u know i want more but my brain's full of panic D: congrats u are the queen of making risa's life suck megga butt lol
please visit kawaii-chan's avie's and siggies!

Offline Quietriot

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Eight 7/14
« Reply #53 on: July 19, 2012, 05:15:10 AM »
Finally I think I have the heart to comment here. All of my feels all over the place...  :panic: So we finally have our Tanagaki backstory. And it's rough, man. Though after everything else it fits lol Poor Mama Niigaki T_T and then the failed escape... And I can't really even touch on Yuko's case...

My big question after that tho is why is Risa now such a bitch to Reina? Seems terribly undeserved from what we know up to this point. I have several theories, in order of which I think is least to most likely the case: a) The obvious, Reina's done something we don't know about; b) Reina grew to resent Risa's new position and fostered some ill will between them or; c) It's one of those cases where Risa takes over because if she doesn't she knows it could be so much worse.

Or maybe I'm not reading closely enough XD STILL, ready for the next part and especially the easing up of the heavy. Even if only a bit XD

Offline kjpop

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Eight 7/14
« Reply #54 on: July 20, 2012, 06:47:44 AM »
rndy - im sorry >__< this chapter is like lightyears better  :thumbsup

darkacex99 - ill provide some clarity for tanagaki soon~

kiwi - i take that title with pride~  :P

fimface - +1 =] just cant say which theory haha soon though~

Who's ready for some awesome? How about less crazy twisted violence? I know I am xD Gotta admit, it was weird as hell not writing any heavy for once, but it's a nice change and it's one I'll definitely enjoy getting used to for the rest of this story. Hopefully you guys will feel a bit more relief as you read. There won't be anymore giant warning signs for you to read after all xD

Now that all the heavy has been delivered, it's time to get Ai's plan going, ne? =D Let the mind games begin!
----------

Chapter Nine: Revelation



Day 350


Over the course of the day, each member of the contraband crew stood on their own separate times before a panel of sharply-dressed, stern-looking officials whom the girls had seen once or twice before. This seated group of people were a mix of men and women of considerable age, positioned in a half-moon formation, with pens and papers in their grasps. As the guard delivered his convict to the center of the half-circle of tables, he promptly made his exit, closing the door behind him to leave the inmate alone with these officials.

"Have a seat."

All too familiar with the pleading process, Airi and the rest of her crew would follow instructions obediently on their own respective summoning times.

"Suzuki Airi-san. Your records state that you have served five years here at Project Morning, a good quarter of your actual sentence," said one man to the far end of the circle. The others silently examined the papers in their hands.

Airi nodded.

"Do you feel you have been rehabilitated?" asked a woman this time, seated directly in front of the convict's line of view.

Now, the first time Airi and the rest of her crew had been presented in front of the committee was about 3 years ago - only two years into their sentence. Personally, the girls had been shocked to even be considered this type of presentation in front of the board and two years for their level of crime committed hardly felt sufficient. And unsurprisingly, the members of the board shared the same sentiments and rejected the group's request to be released on at least parole.

Three years later, and the convict hadn't changed her views on being released on parole; Airi was sure the rest of her group felt the same. She felt it stupid on their part to even consider releasing them all at once. It was as if they had been setting a trap to reel them all back inside all over again. But what the hell, right? Time to jump back to the real world and make a living; prison auctions were just chump change after all.

"Yes, ma'am, I can honestly say so. With the help of the Lord, I believe I have." Airi flashed a cute little smile, snaggly tooth and all, just for good measure.

That day, five files were stamped and re-sorted into the parole files, on five separate occasions.

----

Dinner that evening had quite literally turned into the somber scenario of the last supper the girls had just finished discussing two days ago during their "prayer group" meeting. The coincidence was almost too uncanny.

"So what time are you girls leaving tomorrow?" Koharu asked between bites from her meal.

"No idea, they never said. Probably early morning," Mai responded rather eagerly. Obviously someone was rather thrilled to be leaving.

"Any idea where they're shoving you?" Ai asked.

"Nope, not a clue. They'll probably separate us, though. I mean it only makes sense," Saki replied.

"But we'll probably find each other anyway," Chisato said with a wink. The rest of the contraband crew smiled at her foresight.

"Even if that means breaking parole? You just got out of here, I really don't want to see your mugs again so damn soon," Aika groaned. Maimi socked her playfully from across the table, and the two began to bicker their last verbal exchange.

With a forlorn smile, Ai watched the typical battle rage between the hackers and the contraband members for the last time. Tomorrow, the table she shared with Aika, Koharu, and these departing convicts, and Reina on rare moments, would be no more. On a less sentimental note, having these five women gone from the walls of the penitentiary meant she would have to quickly revise her plans to make due without them...or perhaps use them from outside. Somehow.

Airi caught the older woman in deep thought. Smiling, the snaggle-toothed convict patted her on the back and snapped her attention back to reality. "Don't miss us too badly, Aichan. We'll be a lot closer than you think."

"And how exactly will you manage that," Ai asked jokingly, nudging the younger woman with her elbow.

"We have our ways, right ladies?"

The group paused from their little hubbub on their side of the table to flash some deceptive smiles, only to quickly return to their usual argumentative showdown.

"Anyway, it's a shame we couldn't stay long enough to help you out with your crazy plan. It would have been awesome to see it pull through. But Ai, we'll be around, and we'll find ways to help you. And I'm sure you'll find out ways to reach out to us if you need help. You're pretty crafty for a non-criminal, you know."

The two girls exchanged smiles, but the subtle moment of mutual camaraderie was interrupted by the noisy bell signaling the conclusion of their final mealtime. As the convicts lined up to return their trays and fall into single file for delivery back into their cells, Airi poked her head through her line formation to grab Ai's attention as she stood in her own line.

"Just don't forget to say your prayers!"

----

Day 387

Nearly a month had passed since the contraband crew's departure, and admittedly Ai was finding it relatively difficult to deal with. No, she wasn't subjected to frequent bullying and fighting like other convicts now that her "crew" was gone. She just found it rather lonely. Conversations over meals were much quieter, if at all existent, and leisure time was even worse. With a tiny pebble back in her hand, all Ai could do during these times was walk around the grounds, plotting silently and observing as she tossed the rock up and down.

Her path crossed briefly with the head of the guards'. Despite that one horrific night when the woman revealed a brief act of kindness through her actions and her words, Ai was still frightened to death by the commanding officer. These days, the head officer was hardly ever instigated by anyone, so that demonic nature hadn't made an appearance in quite some time. Just knowing that anything can make her snap was reason enough for everyone - guards and inmates alike - to steer clear of her and maintain their absolute best behavior.

The uncharted path Ai walked led her unknowingly to the wall where Reina often stood on guard. To her surprise however, it seemed as though the snarky little yankii had some company. Three women had surrounded the girl, taking turns kicking the fragile-looking body crouched on the ground. As Ai walked closer, she could see the women spitting and spewing insults and threats at her as well.

"The hell makes you think you can tell us to 'fuck off' like that, eh Tanaka?" shouted the blond haired female. She wasn't grotesquely large, but in comparison to the figure on the ground, she looked so. Her other two companions remained quiet for the most part, but were relentless in their beatings. One had short black hair and the widest pair of eyes Ai had ever seen. The other had long brown hair tied up into a simple ponytail, and the buttons of her orange uniform seemed as though they would pop any moment now, struggling to contain her overflowing bosom.

Partially out of stupidity and partially out of her damnable sense of justice, Ai threw the pebble in her hand square against the back of the blond woman's head. Before the rock could even meet the ground, the frightening woman had her sights set straight on Ai, and eventually the two other women stopped their torrential beatings and joined in.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

The familiar sense of fear crept down slowly to her legs, locking them into place as the trio marched ever closer. "J-j-j-just leave her-r-r a-a-alone." Ai cursed her own pathetic voice.

"Or what?" asked the blond as she smacked a fist into the palm of her other hand.

"Saito! Miyoshi! Okada! Screw off before I come over there and make you!"

The women all turned their heads to the source of the voice. The phantom Michishige appeared to have materialized from thin air, and was currently walking towards the scene with her baton in hand, ready for any confrontation from the rowdy inmates.

"Tch, let's get out of here ladies. Bitches ain't worth shit."

As the trio dispersed, so did the junior officer. Finally the feeling was regained in her legs, and Ai walked over to where Reina was still crouched over on the ground. Dirt, spit, and scuff marks stained her orange uniform to a grimier shade of brown. She covered her head protectively with her tiny hands and stayed that way for some time until Ai broke the silence.

"Hey, it's ok now. You're safe."

The yankii opened an eye to peak through her arm shields. Seeing Ai there, without another body in sight, Reina staggered her way up onto two unsteady legs. Ai walked over to offer a helping hand, but was swatted away by the yankii's own grubby paws. "Screw off, I don't need your help."

As the yankii brushed the dirt off her uniform and attempted to make her appearance more decent to no avail, she noticed that Ai was still standing there, just staring at her. Having the woman there made her increasingly more irritated, and so she shot her a glare and shouted, "What? Do you want me to get on my knees and grovel? To thank you for saving my pathetic ass? I said screw off!"

Reina stomped her way over to where Ai was rooted, grabbing the collar of her uniform into her fist and pulled her dangerously closer. While the yankii glared her down, Ai just stared silently. She quietly took in all the cuts and bruises that marked the younger woman's face, down her neck slipping inside the white fabric of her undershirt, only to peek through the rolled up cuffs of her orange uniform. It was hard to ignore the look of cold hard steel in her eyes. The history was all there. All the hurt and suffering was set plainly in the depths of her dark, raging orbs.

"I know everything about you. You don't need to keep building these walls, Reina."

Reina's grip on the collar relaxed, caught off guard by the woman's words. "What did you just say?...Oh wait, that's right. You got transfered after that rape incident. Workin' in that library and havin' those computer geeks help you with some hacking crap. Heh. You must think you're some hot shit or something."

Ai continued to stare into the yankii's cat-like eyes, betraying no signs of fear or any emotion for that matter. Just staring. "I can help you get out of here."

"Oh you can, can you?" Reina released the older woman's collar from her grip with a hearty laugh. "A wannabe hotshot and a dumbass. I've been here long enough, Takahashi. I've seen it all. Women with more guts and more intelligence than your monkey brain could even imagine have all tried and fuckin' failed. And what did they get? They got dead, shot, tortured, whatever your simple little mind can dream of. Don't let that occupational transfer get to your head, monkey brains. You're nothing special. Just another shit stain on that warden's shoes."

As the yankii walked away with another laugh, Ai interrupted her. "You're right. I may not be the smartest, bravest convict at this penitentiary. I never aimed to be something that I was not or ever will be. I'm average, maybe even less than. But there's one thing that separates me from all those women that tried and failed. It's the key to our gateway out of here."

Reina paused in her tracks and turned around. There she was again, just staring at her with this subdued fire in her eyes. "And what would that be?"

"You."

----

Day 400


"Oh, officer Michishige, what a nice surprise! It's always good to see you! Is there anything I can help you with?"

Ai peaked through the spaces of the bookshelves to find Eri engaged in an amicable, one-sided conversation with the dark-haired officer. Odd. That woman hadn't stepped a foot inside the educational facilities since she and Risa dropped her off here for the first time. What business could she have here?...Did she hear anything about the plans?

Impossible.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to take a look at the computer archives for some information, requested by officer Niigaki...Where is Takahashi?"

Eri smiled and pointed to the rows of bookshelves as she began to lead the officer inside her office. "She's somewhere stocking the books as ordered. Now if you'd just follow me..."

The convict's eyes met with Sayumi's hard stare just for a split second before she ducked down behind the pile of books already on the shelf. Much like her senior officer, this one also instilled a sense of fear in her bones, though she had done nothing in cold comparison to her superior. There was just something about her that made her...there wasn't a word for it. She remembered how there was no information of value in the junior officer's records, and the fact that this woman could be a dark horse at this penitentiary that could make or break her plans. Only time would tell.

But as for the penitentiary archives, what reason did officer Niigaki have to access those records? What was she looking for?

It didn't take long for Eri to emerge from her office, alone. The librarian caught Ai's eyes through the wooden shelving and the two exchanged confused looks of concern regarding the matter. Ai deduced that the officer did not elaborate on why she needed the records, and she would have to wait until she made her exit before she could confront Eri on the matter.

----

It would have been a lie if Sayu told herself she was content with the information she had gathered from her run-in with the two Chinese chef scientists. However, the chances of finding free time to discover new evidence to feed her curiosity grew slim as of late. Her commanding officer had found several things for her to do all of a sudden and so coincidentally. It was as if Risa knew what she was up to, but she couldn't tell for sure. For now, she had to take her chances. The junior officer relieved herself from her post at the cleaning services to one of the higher ranked male guards whom she felt could be trusted to not divulge to Risa her present whereabouts.

And now here she was, sitting in front of the computer that held inside its complex wiring of discs and circuitry a simple stepping stone closer to the answers she was looking for. Sayu turned to face the shelving she could see through the slit of space left by the officer door. As she watched Ai fumble clumsily with a pile of books handed to her by the librarian, she wondered if the woman had any access to this computer and the files it contained. Not that the convict had any real reason to pry through confidential information, but appearances could be so deceiving.

Finally the screen loaded and revealed the various folders of documents and records. Everything was sorted by the tenures of the various wardens that controlled the penitentiary. Clicking through Tsunku's files, she found that everything was further subdivided by working personnel and inmate information. She had to act with great haste as meal time was fast approaching. Sayu skimmed through various guards' files, at least the ones she had been well-acquainted with. Unsurprisingly, Risa's files revealed nothing she didn't already know. Ito Ryousuke's files were nowhere to be found.

Switching to the inmates records, Sayu found that the contraband crew's files were no longer under the archives, along with the 9 juveniles. Paying special attention to Ai and Reina's records, she took in all their information through skittish eyes. A particular detail on Ai's file flicked the lightbulb in her head. The junior officer made a mental note to pay another visit to the Chinese chefs again that evening.

Satisfied with what she had found thus far, the junior officer began to close off the windows of all the accessed files until a familiar name under the convict profiles folder caught her eye. Niigaki Risa? Was she reading that correctly? She clicked the file and read through the report with care, mentally memorizing every detail down to the last period. Recalling Reina's file specifically, the dark-haired officer noted that various points of similarity in their respective reports.

A knock on the door had taken her attention away from the computer screen. It was the librarian.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but it appears to be lunchtime now, officer. Would you rather stay here while I escort Takahashi-san to the cafeteria?"

Sayu stole a final glance at Risa's report before shutting the computer down. "No, that won't be necessary, Kamei-san. I'll take her myself."

No indeed, nothing at this penitentiary was what it seemed. What more of an incentive to delve through the grime and unearth the truth? The officer waited for the clumsy inmate to stand at ease by her side before leading them silently through the halls to the dining area. She watched the convict nervously tap her fingers against the side of her uniform with her head down and eyes staring at the floor tiles while she walked.

Takahashi sure was a peculiar one, the officer thought. Just too peculiar to be here. Perhaps tonight, she would finally solve at least one mystery case on her list.

-------------
Oh ho ho~ what am I cookin' up in my kitchen? xD This is turning into one of those Russian dolls. Like you think you got one layer down, but nope~ haha

« Last Edit: July 20, 2012, 06:54:08 AM by kjpop »

Offline gracula

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Nine 7/20
« Reply #55 on: August 12, 2012, 10:51:57 PM »
Leaving my mark here so as I can find my way back.

I missed you tooo.

"I'm still blaming Sayu for my lolicon tendencies now." ~Essy

Offline kjpop

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Chapter Nine 7/20
« Reply #56 on: August 28, 2012, 03:43:16 AM »
I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack ;)

Dialogue in italics indicates Chinese lol

Omake III

Day 400

Was her survival outcome worth trying to tackle two birds with one stone? As the junior officer navigated her way to the cafeteria's back room kitchen that evening, she decided it was too late to back out now. Que sera sera they always say.

"Well, well Lin Lin, look what the cat dragged in."

Sayu shot the two chefs a glare as they snickered between themselves, exchanging jokes in their native tongue. She could care less if they were mocking her. If it helped them comply, it was a small sacrifice she was willing to pay. "You don't want to see me and I don't want to see you, so let's make this quick. Does the name Ishii Kazuo ring a bell?"

"Hmm," Jun Jun tapped her temple with the end of the spatula she was cleaning. "You might have to refresh my memory, officer."

The junior officer had no time to play games for the evening; Risa had ordered her to take her evening shift for some reason and time was ticking. She produced her gun from its holster and pointed it straight to the older chef.

"Jesus Christ, you really oughtta stop using that thing!!"

"I just find it hard to believe that murderers barely even know their victims."

Lin Lin released her dishes into the dish and ran to hover protectively in front of her companion. "We're not told anything more than what we're ordered to make. If you want to know something specific, give us the approximate age and body measurements of the victim, and we'll be able to help."

"Ishii Kazuo. Age 61. Approximately 82.5 kg. Departmental head and supervisor at Ishiguro Corp. A failed murder attempt victim of poison after consuming green tea."

The two chefs dropped their guards and the officer returned her gun. She had only 20 minutes left.

"Oh yeah, 'White Collar.' Used to be one of the warden's highest paying customers," Lin Lin recollected.

Customers? What? The obvious look of confusion on the officer's face signaled the two Chinese chefs to elaborate on the subject.

"You mean didn't know? Warden used to run a whorehouse out of this place, but after that huge all-out escape attempt a few years back, the national justice department added their own security personnel to the staff for a while. Guess he had to cut his business down after that scare. But now that things have gotten a lot quieter, business is still quietly booming behind the scenes."

The minute details from the chefs account on the 'escape' matched up with what she had read from the prisoners' files. For now however, baby steps would suffice. 17 minutes.

"So how'd you do it? And why?"

The chefs returned to their washing stations as they recounted the orders for the case with pride. Jun Jun began, "Ishii used to hit up the penitentiary for a good time with a few of his buddies. And with their high income, Tsunku-san made sure to keep them coming back. To this day, that sort of business is taken care of over at some abandoned house far away from the penitentiary, supposedly. We've never been."

"But Tsunku-san most likely leaves out the details to his customers. You know, that they're fuckin' around with inmates. You'd think the orange uniforms would give that shit away. Anyway, we were told Ishii somehow found that out and threatened to out the warden if he didn't stop," Lin Lin added.

"Well," Jun Jun continued, "Niigaki-san came down one evening to tell us we had a case. Apparently Ishii was a avid tea drinker and we were ordered to make it as painful as possible. Tetrodoxin with a touch of ricin for good measure in a green tea gift package masked as a present from a woman of his, a long-time love affair."

"So, Takahashi-san wasn't responsible?"

"Didn't we basically just say that? Why are you bringing her up all of a sudden anyway?" Lin Lin asked.

"Because you two are the reason she's here in the first place."

The officer departed without another word to return to her graveyard post. The walls of this foundation were crumbling and slowly revealing the monsters from behind closed doors. For now, case file Takahashi was closed. Impressive, she thought, because she still had 5 minutes to spare.
-------------

Ho ho ho, what goes around comes around, baby.

Offline darkacex99

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Omake III 8/27
« Reply #57 on: August 28, 2012, 05:11:47 AM »
 :shocked: are my eyes decieveing me?!?!? UR BAKK!!!! :cow: i thought u would never update again  :cry: im so glad i kept checking for udates  :cathappy: welcome bakk


Wow detective sayu is on a roll XD she know

Offline Quietriot

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Omake III 8/27
« Reply #58 on: August 29, 2012, 06:02:32 PM »
I will be back to comment on both this and the last chapter ahakenakfkandkakhwhwhahs  :cathappy:

Offline kjpop

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Re: Quid Pro Quo - Omake III 8/27
« Reply #59 on: November 21, 2012, 04:27:56 PM »
So guys. I'm alive. Expect this to be finished before the new year? :O DONT FORGET ABOUT MEEEEEEEEEE TT___TT

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