Jia needed to meet this new associate as soon as he could. He wanted to tie up the last of the loose ends in Hong Kong before he could settle down. Within a few days, Soryo contacted him and let him know of his associate. Afterwards, Jia held a meeting with all of us to tell us what he knew. He sat on top of his desk, his feet not coming down too far from the floor as he lit a cigarette and waited for us to settle down. Once Jo closed the door behind him, Jia exhaled and turned slightly to pick up his crystal ashtray as he said,

"Soryo's associate is due in town tomorrow evening."

We nodded as Tai said,

"What's his name?"

"Kumo."

We looked at each other as Akio said,

"Kumo?"

Jia shrugged as he said,

"Damned if I know why his name is Kumo, but it is. Anyway he's due in my city tomorrow evening. I plan to take him to dinner, talk to him, see how he works. Soryo trusts him and I trust Soryo so...it can't all be that bad."

Tai nodded as he said,

"Who's picking him up?"

Jia shrugged, tapping his cigarette against the ashtray as he said,

"Jo, why don't you do it."

"Sure."

"Mikkie if you're not busy, accompany him."

I nodded as Jo said,

"Jia, what's this guy look like?"

Again, Jia shrugged as he said,

"Soryo said we'd know him when we see him."

Since we wouldn't pick up Kumo until tomorrow evening, Jia gave us the rest of the day off. Jun and I went to have lunch afterwards, then bumped into Jo who was on his way to get his hair trimmed.

"It's too long now." He said as he messed with a few of the tied up ends.

And even though his hair was tied up in twists and knots, it still fell over his shoulder in dark blood red, black roots forming at the top of his head. Jun nodded as he said,

"Get your roots done."

Jo nodded as he sighed and dropped his hands down and said,

"I haven't had time to worry about my hair lately. So it turned to this mop."

Jun laughed slightly as he said,

"Get it trimmed, get roots done. You'll be fine."

Jo laughed slightly and went on his way as Jun said,

"Wonder why he grew it out so long in the first place."

"Baby has his reasons."

I didn't say what those reasons where. After all, it wasn't my place to say. After a quick walk, Jun decided to meet me later so we could play poker together. He was slightly annoyed that he lost to Aoki...Jun didn't really like loosing so he was going to practice. I waved to him as I caught up a cab back to my apartment. That night as I was getting ready to shower before Jun came over, tying my hair up and walking around my apartment with my shirt open and my pants about to be undone, the doorbell rang. I knew it couldn't be Jun. He would have called. A moment later, my cell phone rang and rushed to my room to answer.

"Hai."

"Yuurei."

"Oh, hey Kazuki."

"Open the door."

"Huh?"

"I'm at your door."

"Why didn't you call me sooner?"

"I did call before I came over."

"Stupid fox."

I hung up as I went to the door and opened it, seeing him standing there with some take out in hand. He put his cell phone away as he stepped in, putting his arm around me as he leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"How's my Yuurei."

"Filthy and about to shower."

"Have plans?"

"My partner was going to come over for poker."

"Now I see why I should have called."

"You can stay. Just...if you want to eat you better do it now."

"How come?"

"Jun's a glutton."

"Ah. Sou ka."

"I'll be back."

I went to shower and then dressed as I came back out to join Kazuki for a brief dinner. In the middle of dinner, Jun called and said he was on his way. Once I hung up, Kazuki looked at me and said,

"You sure you don't mind if I'm here while your partner is?"

"No. Jun knows about you."

"Ah. I didn't want to embarrass you."

"You don't embarrass me."

"I know you're not big on public affection. Well...it doesn't even have to be public. So long as it's more then us in the room. You freeze up."

"I can't help it. I was raised to believe you should do that behind closed doors."

He nodded as he said,

"I understand, but then again you were never too vocal about me anyway."

"I don't have the need to announce to the world who I'm seeing."

"Good point."

I set my tea cup to the side as I started picking up the dishes and bringing them to the kitchen. About fifteen minutes later, Jun arrived. I opened the door for him as he came in, taking off his shoes as he saw Furukawa.

"Ah...good evening Furukawa."

Jun bowed his head slightly as Kazuki waved to him and said,

"You can call me Kazuki when we're outside the office."

Jun nodded as he went over to the table and said,

"It was hell getting over here."

"Did you eat already?"

"Why? I can go for more food."

"I'm just asking." I said as I rolled my eyes.

Jun took off his coat after he reached into the pockets to retrieve his pack of cards as he said,

"Then why even bring it up?"

I shook my head as Jun then said,

"Kazuki, you play cards?"

"Not really. What are you two playing?"

"Poker. My associate cleaned me out last time we played. I think I'm getting sloppy."

Kazuki laughed slightly as he said,

"I didn't know you knew how to play poker Yuurei."

"I do lots of things you don't know about."

He nudged me as Jun laughed a little. Jun decided to teach Kazuki how to play, just to make things interesting. We played for hours, talking every now and then, Kazuki getting to know my partner a little better. They laughed with each other as they exchanged cards, Jun taking a joking manner with him. Kazuki didn't mind it, he rather enjoyed Jun's company. Around one that morning, Jun checked his watch and said,

"Shit, I better go. It's getting late and I'm hungry."

Kazuki laughed as he said,

"Are you always hungry?"

"Constantly." I said.

Jun smiled slightly, stacking all his cards together and said,

"Hey, I'm a growing man."

"I think you stopped growing in your twenties."

He frowned at me as he said,

"Whatever, I'm still hungry."

Jun finished collecting his cards as he said good night to Kazuki then to me as he left. The Kitsune looked at me as he said,

"You going to bed?"

"I don't know...I guess."

He nodded as he ran his hand through his hair as I shut off the light in the living room and went to bed, Kazuki following me.

After doing nothing since yesterday evening, the next evening, I was getting dressed, getting my things and calling Jo as I asked him to pick me up so I could accompany him to the airport. Almost an hour later, the both us stood at the airport gate, waiting for the arriving flight from Bangkok to land. Jo had trimmed his hair, but barely. The tips didn't fall over his shoulder as much any more, but they did stay over his shoulder, even tied up. His hair was once again that deep, dark almost blood red color once more. I held a cup of coffee in my hand, taking periodic sips as Jo said,

"Is it me or did anyone else how much yakuza look a like?"

I thought for a moment seeing how true that was considering most of us wore suits of black or gray, both varying very little either a dark gray or a silverish gray or a black pinstripe suit and we all wore ties and dress shoes. Except for the very few like Toki who dressed like a free lance yakuza and Shikou who dressed like he was modeling in Japan somewhere, most yakuza did look a like.

"What's your point?" I asked.

"Well, thinking on that, how are we suppost to know this guy from any other suit and tie that walks out of the plane?"

"Hm...good point. But Jia did say we would know him when we saw him."

"Jia's insane."

"True. But he's right most of the time."

"True."

As the plane began to unboard, we watched out for the potential associate. I kept seeing the usual faces, the same bland and often cheap looking suits and ties walking past us. I did see a young face but it didn't strike me as someone that would work for Soryo. The plane was nearly empty and Jo and I were beginning to wonder if we missed him. I rolled my eyes thinking about how we would get bitched at later for failing to pick up an associate. Just as I was about to say something to Jo, in the last crowd of people, a young face emerged. He was dressed in all black, his black glossy looking hair falling around his fair face, sunglasses covering his eyes as he walked out. I noticed a ring of onyx on his right ring finger and what looked like a wedding band on the other. As light struck him, I noticed his full length coat and pants where made of leather. He reached up to his face, removing the sunglasses with a toss of his hair as hazel eyes searched the area while he licked his full, lush lips. Jo and I both said at the same time,

"That's him."

We walked over to him and I noticed he was about the same height as Jia and Toki so I was once again smaller then him. Jo reached him slightly better as he said,

"Kumo?"

Hazel eyes fell upon us as he said,

"Yes."

Jo nodded as he said,

"I'm Akui, this is Ghost. We work for Jia of the 36 Moons."

"I was expecting some of you. Is Jia around himself?"

"No, we were just sent to pick you up."

He nodded, his hair making soft scratching sounds against the back of his black leather coat as Jo and I then escorted him out once we picked up his luggage.

We brought him to Jia's building that same night. Once Kumo went to settle down in the lobby Jo leaned down slightly and said,

"Where are the trio?"

"Not here."

"Thank God."

I nodded in agreement as I called Jia and let him know that Kumo was here to see him. A few moments later, Jia and Tai arrived from the elevator as he walked over to Jo and myself as he said,

"So?"

I gestured to the sofa as Jia looked at him and said,

"Damn."

Kumo smiled slightly, a mischievous look on his slightly innocent looking face as he got up and said,

"Jia?"

"You're Kumo?"

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

"I'm in my twenties."

"Early?"

Kumo laughed slightly as he reached up to his hair and tucked it back behind his ear revealing a small row of earrings going half way up his ear lobe. Jia then said,

"What a pretty little face you got."

I noticed how scary Jia got when he saw something he liked. He reminded me of Toki. Anyway Kumo laughed as he said,

"I don't think Soryo sent me here to be hit on by you Jia, although I don't mind it."

Jia smirked slightly as he invited Kumo up to his office, Tai close behind. Jo and I looked at each other once they left as Jo said,

"Notice he came unguarded?"

"Who would believe he was of any threat?"

"True."

Jo and I then sat down in the lobby to await further orders.

Sometime later, I wasn't sure of how long since I dozed in and out of sleep and Jo was on the other sofa, knocked out himself, the elevator doors opened as Jia, Tai, Gabriel and Kumo stepped out. I sat up right away and then got to my feet as I saw Jo was still dead to the world. I looked around for a second before I saw the small ball that some time ago Toki and Akio were tossing back and forth. I picked it up as I threw it with some strength, pegging Jo on the head as he woke up quickly and looked at me angry. I looked over as he saw Jia and got up quickly. Kumo had a serious look on his face, still speaking business wise with Jia. Once they approached the sofas in the lobby, Kumo finished up as he said,

"So...we will finish up tomorrow yes?"

"Yes. I was going to take you to dinner, but I lost track of time."

"It's okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jia nodded as he then looked at me to escort Kumo to his hotel.

Kumo was silent for the most part, but he reminded me of a child with his innocent face and soft hazel eyes. He also fidgeted once we were in the cab, his hand going down to stroke the thigh of his leather pants as he reached up to his hair and brushed it back. He then reminded me of Toki, who was also incapable of sitting still unless it counted. Once we reached the Imperial, I helped him with his luggage as it was brought inside. Kumo then thanked me as I bowed my head slightly to him and went on my way back. Over the next few days, all the business heads and Furukawa ended up going over everything with Kumo. Kumo already knew Hong Kong however and didn't need too much explaining over the land. All he did need to know was about the Owners of the Game. As all of us sat in Jia's office a week after Kumo's arrival, the pretty spider still in leather, the binding material accenting all his curves so Toki, Aoki, Akio and Jo weren't really paying much attention. He tucked his hair behind his ear as Jia said,

"There's two of my associates that have free roaming privileges and that's Nabatone Toshimasa and Wu Xiao Tien. They're the Owners of the Game. They run my casino in Kowloon."

"The biggest one right?"

"Yeah. It was blown sometime back so those two are pretty much starting over. I bought the land when my last enemy attempted to shove me out of it, but it's still mine."

"Yeah, I understand. So these two can come and go and do as they please?"

"In each part of the world they travel in, they're protected. In New York, in Japan, more over in Kyoto, in Bangkok and in Hong Kong, they are well protected. I don't want anything to happen to them."

Kumo nodded as he said,

"Who's who?"

"Toshimasa is the gimp, Xiao Tien is a doll."

"Sexiest fuckin doll." Said Toki.

Kumo laughed slightly as he said,

"Enthralled with him are we?"

"You'll know why when you see him." Said Jia.

Kumo then said,

"So I would be running Hong Kong for you while you are elsewhere correct?"

"Yes. And during that time, everyone will look up to you as if it was me."

Kumo nodded as Jia then asked,

"You speak Chinese?"

"Fluently. And Japanese, English and even a little Spanish."

Jia smirked slightly as he said,

"Not just skin that leather's binding huh?"

"Hardly."

Jia laughed a little as he said,

"All right. Do you have any associates?"

"A couple yeah. Some close, life long friends of mine that I trust with all my heart."

"Good bring them with you when you go to Hong Kong."

"They'll be my own little inner circle like this right?"

"Right."

"I have a few pretty ones myself. Will they be safe around the four behind me oogling my ass?"

Jia tilted his head slightly to see Toki, Aoki, Akio and Jo all turn away quickly and look in different directions. Jia then raised an eyebrow as he said,

"I can guarantee three out of four. I'm not sure about my last one."

Toki smirked his evil, devious, full of mischief smirk as Kumo then said,

"No worries. My people can handle themselves."

"I heard that so many times before..."

Kumo laughed a little as he said,

"No worries Jia. No worries."

Jia nodded as he said,

"When will you be going to Hong Kong?"

"Once I get the last of the paper work organized, I'll contact my associates to have them meet me there and I'll leave within two days."

Jia nodded as he said,

"I owe you and Soryo so much."

Kumo smiled slightly as he said,

"Isn't it the other way around? We owe you Jia."

Jia smiled slightly as he sat down in his chair as he smirked and said,

"It's all right. I don't like my associates owing me. That's what the rest of the world is for."

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Definitions

Kumo- Japanese for Spider