Originally posted September 13, 2011
((An opportunity for everyone to come together and decide what to do next. You can read the whole thread here.))
Chance had arranged for an expansive suite of rooms for the group, sharing a common lounge and a number of private areas. Western style toilets sported all the modern conveninces of Japanese technology: heated, vibrating seats, and an auto wash feature he personally found a bit discomforting. By the time the group had arrived, the hotel staff had secured their luggage away in one of the relatively spacious bedrooms. Soon after they made it to the suite, plates of fresh sushi, edamae, and yakitori also appeared, along with a wide selection of beverages.
Chance had not arranged for the flowers. A large, if tasteful arrangement adorned the center table. He read the attached card quickly, then handed it back to Roz. "Watanabe," she breathed. "You told him you were coming?"
"Of course I did, Roz. I planned on visiting him,... After."
"What do the flowers mean?" someone asked.
"It's a reminder of a favor owed," Chance explained. "Yukiko's, my sister's, grandfather, although retired, maintains some influence with local... community groups. He owes me a favor, a big one." He paused, taking the card back from Roz and reading it again. "I'd prefer we keep this in our pocket, for now, and bring it out only if we need to. I'm open to suggestions if someone believes we should call in a marker."
Chance gathered a few tidbits on a plate and pulled a bottle of milk tea from a large ice bucket. He sat in a chair and quietly ate a few items before speaking. "Besides learning that Christian Pittard is a grade A jerk, what else do we know? What are our next steps?"
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