[FFML] [fanfic][lime][dark][Yotsuba&!] Pretty Neighbor 2nd Visit, Chapter 22: Torako & Exposition!

[Mythril Moth]

Much as I hate to have two largely expository chapters in a row, in this 
case it was necessary. So....

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TORAKO & EXPOSITION!

by Mythril Moth

based on Yotsuba&! by Azuma Kiyohiko

subsequently based on the "Pretty Neighbor" Yotsuba& doujinshi series

no permission asked or given

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There had been changes, recently, in Jumbo's confinement.

Ever since allowing him to hear the horrifying story of her first outing as 
a dangerous sociopath, Asagi had abandoned the physical torture 
entirely--and for the most part, was now utterly neglecting him, rarely 
bothering to pop her head in for a few minutes to make some irritating 
remark.

He'd been moved to a completely different room. Rather than tied naked to a 
bed, he had been given rather comfortable silk pajamas which were obviously 
tailored to his size, and had been installed in a fully appointed suite with 
a bed, chairs, a sofa, a television, and even his own private Western-style 
bathroom. Maids brought meals three times a day, and he was allowed to 
request things such as beer and snacks.

Most importantly, he was no longer tied to anything whatsoever, and they'd 
stopped drugging him. He was still weak, sore, and tired from the lengthy 
period of torture and chemical debilitation, but he felt strength and 
vitality gradually returning.

Of course, Asagi had cautioned him, up front, about the terms of his new, 
more comfortable confinement. Any escape attempts would be punished 
severely. Any attempt to harm Asagi herself or Takako would result in 
castration. Any other disorderly conduct on his part would result in Saiko 
working him over with her fists.

He had, of course, asked Asagi why her overall treatment of him had changed. 
The answer had not been comforting:

"Oh my, oh my...Takashi-kun, you are now my husband. We are going to be 
together for a very long time. As infuriating a beast as you are...I see 
potential for improvement. Yes, I think in time, you might actually prove 
useful to me. But if I simply break you down, physically destroy you, 
mentally exhaust you, well...then you're useless to me. So we're going to 
try something a little different. I think you'll come around in due 
time...in fact, I look forward to seeing what I can mold you into."

Now, three days after the change in his accomodations, something new had 
been introduced. Something horrendous and repulsive beyond description.

The large, state-of-the-art television set in his suite was usually under 
his control, with just about all the entertainment choices a man could 
desire. However, at periodic intervals during the day, the set would 
automatically tune itself to a closed-circuit camera in a featureless room. 
In this room, various women in Asagi's employ--and sometimes even Asagi 
herself, or perhaps Takako--would engage in repugnant, obscene, abhorrent 
sexual behavior with small children, usually boys, mostly around eight or 
nine years old. Whenever the TV set was overtaken by this horror show, he 
couldn't change the channel, mute the set, or turn it off--he could only 
endure the monstrous behavior on display, and pray silently that the 
children being abused for his "wife"'s amusement would have the justice they 
deserved.

He knew, of course, exactly what Asagi was playing at: she was trying to 
brainwash him.

All in all, he decided, he preferred the beatings.

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

It had been several days since Miura had told the others what she had 
learned about Asagi's rise to power. Nothing especially interesting had 
happened, and nobody seemed to want to ask for more information about Asagi 
and her gang. In just a few days, Ena and Miura would be going back to 
school. Lengthy discussions and arguments among the Koiwai family had led to 
the conclusion that everyone, not just Miura, needed to know as much as 
possible about what Asagi might be doing at present, where she might be, and 
what might be happening to Jumbo.

Just before sundown, Torako and Miura emerged from the vacant Ayase 
residence as usual.

"Torako-san," Koiwai called to the young woman, who was headed towards her 
car.

"Yes?" Torako asked, approaching the corner of the boundary walls.

Glancing around warily, Koiwai quietly said, "Miura told us some of what 
you've told her about Asagi."

Torako nodded. "Yeah, she told me."

"Well, the only thing that was really discussed was how Asagi got her 
resources..." Koiwai grimaced. "After that, none of us were really in the 
mood to hear anything else."

Torako nodded, looking away uncomfortably. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I 
was pregnant with Yotsuba when I heard that story, and...considering how I 
wound up that way in the first place..."

"Ugh, I didn't even think about that," Koiwai said. Shaking his head, he 
continued, "Anyway, having let that sink in for a while, I think we--all of 
us, not just Miura--need to pick your brain for more detailed and current 
information on Asagi's setup."

Torako nodded. "Yeah, I was kind of hoping you'd start asking questions."

"You realize you could've told us anything you felt like telling us at any 
time," Koiwai pointed out.

The younger woman shook her head. "When it comes to this kind of shit, 
you're better off not hearing it until you're ready to hear it. So until you 
actually ask, I assume you're not ready."

"That makes sense," Koiwai nodded. "Anyway, come have dinner with us, and 
you can share--"

"If we're gonna talk about this stuff at your place, I gotta go back to my 
apartment for something first."

"Okay, no rush."

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

When Torako returned, she was carrying a small sports bag. As soon as Koiwai 
let her in, she motioned him to silence, then pulled a small device out of 
her bag and began waving it around. He raised an eyebrow, following her as 
she slowly moved through the house.

Near the air conditioner in the living room, her little device started 
flashing a yellow light. She reached into her bag again and pulled out 
something that looked like a very small smoke detector, affixed some 
double-sided tape to the back of it, and stuck it to the wall.

"What--?" Koiwai asked.

"Shh," Torako said. "I'll explain when I'm done."

Torako moved through the entire house, waving her little gadget around. 
Every time the yellow light lit up on it, she'd pull another one of the 
little white disc devices out of her bag and stick it to the wall. Her 
curious actions caught the attention of the others, and by the time she'd 
explored the entire house, every member of the household was following in 
behind her.

When she finished, she exhaled deeply. "Okay, we can talk freely now."

"What do you mean, talk freely?" Fuuka asked. "What're those things you're 
putting all over the house?"

"Jammers," Torako explained. "White noise emitters. They screw up audio 
pickups so all they catch is dead air."

"Audio picku--" Koiwai stared at her. "My house is BUGGED?!"

"Of course it is," Torako said. "You didn't seriously think she wasn't 
listening in on you guys?"

"SHIT! We gotta get rid of that crap NOW," Koiwai said, on the verge of 
panic.


Torako shook her head. "Don't bother. She'll just have new bugs planted. And 
probably punish you for removing the first bunch."

Yotsuba was looking around in confusion. "I don't see no bugs," she said.

"Not real bugs like cicadas, Yotsuba-chan," Ena explained.

Torako crouched down in front of the little girl. "Asagi has little 
microphones hidden all over this house that listen to everything anyone 
says."

Yotsuba's eyes widened. "She does?!"

"Yep."

"Look," Koiwai said, "I'm REALLY not cool with the idea of that bitch 
hearing every damn thing we say."

"I'm not either," Torako said, "and if I thought it'd do a damn bit of good, 
I'd sweep the house. But do you really want to give her an excuse to pull 
something nasty on you? Because I guarantee if you sweep out the bugs, she's 
gonna be pissed, and she's gonna get even. And then she'll put new bugs in."

"Not if we watch out for--"

"Takako does the bug work," Torako said. "You won't catch her in the act no 
matter how hard you try." She grimaced. "Since I've been part of Asagi's 
setup, I've only ever caught Takako following me once. And that was by sheer 
dumb luck." With an apologetic sigh, she continued, "I know it sucks and I'm 
sorry, but for right now, you just have to live with it. I can set up 
jammers when we absolutely need to block her out, but they only last about 
two or three hours and they're way too expensive to keep replacing."

A long, dreadful silence followed that pronouncement.

"So basically, everything we say, that sick bitch listens to," Fuuka 
muttered.

"Not everything," Torako said, shaking her head. "Truthfully, most of what 
goes on in this house bores the crap out of her. Takako skims the recordings 
for anything Asagi might want to know about, and then deletes everything 
else." She sighed. "I'm sorry I had to tell you guys this, and I know how 
violated you feel, believe me. But the best thing to do is just go on with 
life as usual, and pretend the bugs aren't there unless you think someone's 
about to say something Asagi damn sure doesn't need to hear."

"Which is any and every word we say, as far as I'm concerned," Fuuka said, 
scowling.

"Yeah, what Oneechan said," Ena agreed.

"Just be thankful there aren't any cameras," Torako said. "In fact, that's 
probably what she'd do if you swept for bugs. You've already seen the kind 
of damage Asagi can do with a camera. Do you really want to risk her 
deciding to stick a pisscam in your toilet? Or worse?"

A very long silence, as everyone turned green.

"I didn't think so," Torako said.

"You mean she'd watch us go potty?" Yotsuba asked, wide-eyed.

Torako winced. "Ugh, I'm SO sorry, I just blurted that out without 
thinking..."

"Because that's really really really REALLY gross!" Yotsuba said.

"Yes, Yotsuba-chan, it is," Ena agreed, shuddering. Miura silently moved in 
to embrace her.

Koiwai sighed. "So, basically, we just have to let her keep listening in on 
us, is that it?"

"I'm sorry, but yeah, that's about the size of it," Torako replied. "And now 
we have about...maybe an hour and a half before the jammers die, so we'd 
best get down to business."

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

Asagi had begun coming into Jumbo's suite for about half an hour every 
evening to regale him with her exploits of the day. It was simply another 
form of psychological torument on her part, and one Jumbo could far more 
easily ignore. Today, however, he had decided to try a new tactic himself.

"Asagi."

Unaccustomed to Jumbo actually speaking during her visits, Asagi blinked at 
him. "Yes?"

"Why don't we talk."

"Talk?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Yeah. Talk. It's something people do that involves mouths and words."

"You still have that dry wit," Asagi commented, arching an eyebrow.

"I'm trying to figure you out," Jumbo said. "I'm trying to understand what 
created something as twisted as you. Frankly, nothing about you makes sense. 
Call it morbid curiosity, but I'm just wondering exactly what makes you 
tick."

"Oh my, oh my...you're seriously going to try to psychoanalyze me? You're 
going to sit there and pretend you give a damn, while hoping I will spill 
some deep, traumatic secret you can turn into a weapon?" She rolled her 
eyes. "Please. Stick to flowers, Takashi-kun."

"Dammit, woman, I'm taking an interest in you. When was the last time 
someone did that?"

Asagi flinched. "That...actually almost stung," she said with a mild frown. 
"But then, my jealousy issues aren't exactly secret, are they?"

"But jealousy alone doesn't create the kind of psychotic monster I'm looking 
at," Jumbo said. "And everything I know about your family...I'm just not 
seeing where this black, twisted evil came from. So I'm just trying to 
figure you out."

Asagi nodded thoughtfully. "I see," she said slowly. "So, you're interested 
in hearing about the dark secrets of my past, about the tragic trauma that 
turned a sweet, innocent, well-adjusted schoolgirl into a sadistic maniac?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Asagi leaned close in. "Well, it's a very interesting story..."

She leaned very close to Jumbo's ear, so close her breath tickled his ear 
hair.

"I was BORN an evil, sadistic, murderous, petty bitch," she whispered. "And 
I love every minute of it."

Jumbo felt a sharp pain as Asagi bit his ear hard enough to draw blood. She 
stood and strode away, cackling.

*Well, that was a waste of time,* he thought darkly.

The closed circuit TV kicked in, and the sobbing cries of a little boy 
filled the room. Jumbo closed his eyes and silently wept.

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

"Okay, so basically what you guys wanna know about, is what kind of setup 
Asagi's got right now, right?" Torako asked.

"For starters, yeah," Koiwai said.

Torako nodded, stubbing out her cigarette and starting to light a fresh one. 
She paused in mid-light, and looked up. "Oh goddammit, I've been sittin' 
here smokin' and I keep forgettin' Fuuka-san's pregnant..." Sighing, she 
closed her lighter and pocketed it, then crammed the unlit smoke back in its 
pack.

"Thank you, Torako-san, I appreciate that," Fuuka replied.

"You shoulda bitched me out about that," Torako said, shaking her head. 
"Anyway, let's see..." She looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "First, 
places she might be at any given time."

"Yeah, that's the most important thing right there," Fuuka nodded.

"Well, she's only got one hideout here in town, and it's the condo we got 
started in. Don't count on catching her there, she thinks of it as a filthy 
hovel now and won't set foot in it unless she has to. She's got a place out 
in Nara. Pretty damn well hidden, too; they built a fake temple over it. The 
Kyoto hideou...no, wait, she torched that one when one of the maids spilled 
wine all over her new dress..."

"WHAT?" Ena asked, as she and the others stared at Torako.

"Yeah, she had a pretty decent little mansion about twenty or so kilometers 
outside Kyoto. Good-sized house, beautiful garden, about a dozen domestic 
servants. On her last birthday, Takako bought her a new dress, and at 
dinner, the maid spilled a really expensive bottle of wine all over it." 
Torako sighed. "She got pissed, I mean really pissed. They threw all the 
house servants in the wine cellar and locked it, then burned the whole 
goddamn thing down."

Everyone stared at her, sick with horror.

"I tried to talk her out of it," Torako said with a sigh. "I even tried to 
argue her down to just killing the one maid who did it. But she was already 
in a really bad mood..."


Koiwai coughed. "So, the condo here, the fake temple in Nara, and...? 
Anywhere else?"

"Yeah, she's got a place in Tokyo," Torako nodded. "In fact, I'm pretty sure 
that's where she's been ever since she left town."


"'In Tokyo' doesn't help much," Koiwai pointed out.

"I'm getting there," Torako said. "There's an upscale neighborhood in Adachi 
City, about a half dozen mansions belonging to really really rich families."

"One of which belonged to the guy Takako was 'seeing', and she inherited it, 
right?" Fuuka guessed.

"Right," Torako nodded. She scowled. "She loves to summon me up there when 
she wants to annoy me, because she knows I hate going anywhere NEAR Adachi 
City."

"Oh? Why's that?" Ena asked.

"Because I might run into my sister, and I really, really don't want to," 
Torako replied with a grimace.

"The sister you told us about, that was kind of your parents' favorite?"

"Yeah," Torako nodded. "She's a high school PE teacher there now." She 
shifted uneasily. "Naturally, Asagi knows that, so she calls me up there and 
then she runs me all over town doing stupid little bullshit errands, just to 
see if she can trigger a random encounter with Anesan." With a sigh, she 
added, "She damn near got it one time, too, but Anesan was hauling some 
drunk chick around and didn't even notice me."

"What *would* happen if you ran into your sister?" Fuuka asked.

"Hell if I know," Torako replied. "I don't think she hated me the way our 
folks did, but...if she saw what I turned into after I got kicked out, then 
she'd know Mom and Pop were right about me, and I just don't want to deal 
with that." She sighed. "Besides, I spent so many years being a bitch to 
her, I...just don't know if I can face her now."

After an uncomfortable silence, Koiwai coughed. "Okay, so she's probably in 
Tokyo then."

"Yeah. I can't realistically see her keeping Jumbo-san anywhere else for 
this long."

"How come?" Ena asked.

"Because wherever she's stashed Jumbo, Saiko's gonna be there, and 
Saiko's...well, not exactly all that portable."

"SAIKO?!" Miura cried in alarm. "You mean she's got THAT thing sittin' on 
Jumbo-chan?! FUCK!! You shoulda told me that!"

"I figured you'd work that out for yourself," Torako said. "I mean, isn't it 
obvious?"

Miura hesitated. "Well...yeah."

"What's a Saiko?" Yotsuba asked.

Torako rummaged around in her bag and pulled out a worn-out old folder. 
Opening it, she flipped through some stuff in one of the pockets before 
pulling out a photo and plopping it on the table. She passed it first to 
Koiwai, who stared in revulsion before passing it along.

"THAT is Saiko," Torako said. "I don't know if she's Samoan or what the hell 
she is, but she's mean, stupid, freakishly strong, and has the most 
obnoxious, irritating dialect I've ever heard."


"She's also 200cm in diameter," Miura added.

"Yeah, there's that," Torako nodded.

"She's REALLY huge!" Yotsuba exclaimed as the photo reached her. "And really 
ugly!"


Fuuka looked nauseated. "Where and when the hell did Asagi meet a freak like 
that?"

Torako shrugged. "Hell if I know. She came with the house, I think. In any 
case, Saiko is pretty much the main reason Miura-dono needs to be able to 
sneak around unnoticed."

"BullSHIT," Koiwai declared. "There's no fucking WAY we're sending Miura in 
there NOW--"

"It's not your decision to make, Niisan, it's mine," Miura said flatly. "I'm 
gonna go in, kill Asagi, and save Jumbo-chan."

"And get squished by big, round, and ugly," Ena muttered. "I'm with Oniichan 
on this one. We've gotta have a better plan."

"Hey, Tigey?" Yotsuba suddenly piped up.

"Yes?" Torako asked.

"Why's your hair turnin' green?"

Everyone tensed up and looked at Torako. Indeed, the roots had grown out 
enough that the green hue was unmissable.

Torako hissed out a self-depreciating curse. "Dammit, I forgot to dye," she 
muttered. With a sigh, she said, "I dye my hair black, Yotsuba-chan. My real 
hair color is green."

"Like me?" Yotsuba asked.

"Pretty close to it," Torako said.

Yotsuba sat back, face screwed up in thought.

"So besides that Saiko creature and Takako, what else do we have to worry 
about if we have to face Asagi on her own turf?" Koiwai asked.

"A dozen or so assorted bodyguards, a couple other subordinates that are 
higher on the food chain, that kind of thing. Oh, and that damn shotgun."

"Shotgun?" Fuuka asked.

"Asagi herself is weak in a fight, that's why she has so many bodyguards to 
do that for her," Torako explained. "But she's not defenseless, ESPECIALLY 
at the Adachi City base. That's where she keeps her favorite toy: an assault 
shotgun."

"Oh good lord," Koiwai muttered, facepalming.

"Is that...is that bad?" Ena asked. "I don't know anything about guns..."

"It's pretty much as bad as it gets as far as personal firearms go," Torako 
said. "To find something nastier you'd need to move up to miniguns."

"Okay now seriously how the HELL did she get a goddamned ASSAULT WEAPON?" 
Fuuka ranted. "I mean what, was it a Christmas present? White Day? What?"

"She found it in a box of Cracker Jacks," Torako quipped dryly. At 
everyone's blank stares, she sighed. "Seriously, I don't know. She might 
have stolen it, she might have traded for it, bought it off the street, 
sucked off a bunch of terrorists..." She shrugged. "Your guess is as good as 
mine."


"And irrelevant," Miura said. "Doesn't matter HOW she got it, the point is, 
she's got it."

"Exactly." Torako's watch beeped. "Jammers are dead. Show's over." She stood 
up and bowed. "Thank you for dinner. I'll be taking my leave now."

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

"Asagi-sama," Takako began, "there is a matter which bothers me."

"Hm?"

"Five years ago, did you not make it absolutely clear to Torako the terms 
under which her child continues to live?"

"Yes, of course."

Takako frowned. "However, recently, Torako has not only become disobedient, 
she has outright rebelled against you."

"Yes, she is allied with our enemies," Asagi nodded. "I have been keeping up 
with current events."

"Of course, Asagi-sama," Takako said. "It's just...I'm somewhat puzzled as 
to why you have--"

"Why I haven't killed Yotsuba?" Asagi asked.

"Yes," Takako said. "Far be it from me to question your judgement, of 
course, but..."

"I don't care that Torako's gone rogue. I'm tired of her anyway, she's 
completely boring and a pain in the ass."

"Well, she was the last of the 'slaves' left over from the old days," Takako 
said, nodding.

"Right, and I don't really *need* that kind of servant anymore, since 
everyone I have now is loyal without needing...incentive." Asagi shook her 
head. "So I just don't care enough about what Torako is doing to hang that 
particular threat over her head anymore."

"But there's more to it, right?" Takako asked.

"There are...other reasons," Asagi said slowly. "First and foremost is that 
I simply do not wish to kill the child."

"You've killed younger children than her before," Takako pointed out.

"Yes, I know. I'm not going soft or anything, I just don't want to kill this 
one, is all."

"How...capricious," Takako remarked.

"And setting that aside, even if I were of a mind to do so..." Asagi 
frowned, drumming her fingers idly on the table. "If I kill Yotsuba, that'll 
end any chance of swaying Takashi-kun over to our side. And it's just too 
much, the temptation to see what would happen if I can turn him into an 
utterly depraved monster..."

"I personally feel you're wasting your time with that endeavor, but I defer 
to your judgement."

Asagi smiled. "And the last reason...I enjoy listening to her cry when we 
hurt her."

"It is pleasant, isn't it?" Takako replied, licking her lips.

Asagi nodded. "And there are oh so many terrible things we can do to that 
family to make Yotsuba-chan cry..."




==================
Mythril Moth
www.mythrilmoth.net