'The Majima Dilemma'
or
'Beneath the Null Moon
Secrets Come to Light'
Returning back to Kamurocho, Tokyo Kazuma Kiryu is visiting Majima Goro - having not seen the other man when hears rumours that people have been seeing a mysterious person who looks eerily just like the Mad Dog of Shimano instead.
Learning as well it seems that they may have a connection to the deceased Tetsu Tachibana and the Empty Lot which it seems actually holds more secrets that are now starting too come to light.
What is Karu 'Blackthorne' Majima's connection to the past of 1988?
Can Kiryu Kazuma discover more while coping with the dilemma of three Majima's to deal with?
This is the Majima Triplet's Saga of how three siblings separated from birth found each-other again, forged relationships and learned how to heal together as a family.
- A fic inspired by couple of images of Goro Majima wearing a black turtleneck from the game series Yakuza/Like a Dragon.
- Slight canon diverging because haven't played the games, but starting to have a look at gameplay again to get idea of characters especially Kiryu Kazuma and Majima Goro as well as locations and stuff.
- In this fic Majima Goro is one of triplets, so there is Goro, Karu and Dyu but all were seperated from birth and were placed in separate orphanages.
- Karu wears a black eyepatch over his right eye, golden necklace, black leather gloves and trousers plus leather heeled shoes and long woollen black coat and Dyu is a tall genderfluid with long blondish-black hair which they keep tied back sometimes or combed to one side and owns the Cabaret Club 'Sweet Chrystheum'.
- Prologue will be in three parts so we start with Karu being introduced, then Dyu and last Goro and is set during Yakuza 0 events first before move into Kiwami then the other games.
- New title inspired by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_7iF7TfSVI&list=PLlHY6e7WCV6M8KMOjFoNnns99BpalR41_&index=11 from the Silent Hill 2 remake
- For @majimasleftasscheek and other Yakuza/Like a Dragon Fans out there as well
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'The Rose Hidden in the Shadows of Kamurocho'
Location - Kamurocho, Tokyo 1988 - Abandoned Hotel across from alleyway near the Empty Lot - Late Afternoon
Karu 'Blackthorne' Majima's P.O.V:
"Hmm, this is exhausting."Â
The thick, cloying and choking cigarette smoke wisps it way upwards to fill the abandoned hotel room, closely followed by the large man - a person I had not want to ever confront - who gets up from the seat he been sitting in to walk over to me, lying on tatami floor staring up at the cieling.Â
My vision is limited, blood trickling from my right eye so have to turn my face slightly to look at him with my only remaining eye - glaring at Daisaku Kuze, Lieutenant of the Toja Clan Dojima Family and Patriarch of the Kenno Clan.
"I'll......never.....give you...."Â Â I gasp out, rolling myself to push myself up and stumbling backwards then turn myself to fully face him spitting out the rest of my words. "....any information, Kuze-san!!!"Â
"Too bad, because I need the info you have, brat." Kuze snarls out, lunging straight at me - like when a bull sees a red cloth - causing me to avoid him, where he whirls himself around to face me.
One of his large hands going for my throat that it forces me to bend my whole body to backwards, grabbing in the process my tanto off from the tatami floor, to quickly to avoid it.
Unbending myself, I slash it at his hand to draw blood so he stumbles back clutching his hand - the blood plipping onto the tatami floor to coat in small crimson petals - where waves it off, cracking his neck from side to side to grab hold of me - punching, kicking and slamming with me avoiding him as best as I can.
Finally, he pins me up against the sliding windows of the abandoned hotel room where I hear one falling out of the window-frame holding it in place to go crashing down to the street below, forcing me to make the decision in bringing one foot up to go to kick him hard in the chest to get away from him.Â
The beeping of a pager stills that movement however, forcing him give a 'tch' noise looking over to the pager placed within his suit jacket placed over the chair he'd been sitting in.Â
Mine also going off, causes my remaining eye to widen.
It meant something had come up with Tachibana-san, that it makes me twist myself to face my back to him and keeping the tip of my tanto blade pressed up against his abdomen.Â
Reading the message, I find myself chuckling lightly feeling him slipping away from me because it's not an ordinary chuckle - more like a cackling hyena. Â
"I missed dinner it seems. Can we do a rain check, Kuze-san."Â
Straightening up, I see he's looking at me - no I realise not me, but due him having ripped during our fighting my long-sleeved black shirt slightly the peak of my tattoo inked onto my back of a rose embraced by thorns yet to be coloured.Â
"Impossible!!!...You're...the.....Hidden Rose of Kamurocho...!!!"
Hearing those words being said by him, I look over my shoulder with my only remaning eye a smirk gracing my features that he's only just realised who he had picked up to try and get information on Tachibana-san about.Â
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'The Chrysantheum and Rose in Sotenbori
- Connected to - Prologue (1 of 3) - 'The Rose Hidden in the Shadows of Kamurocho' (1 of 3)
- Introducing Dyu, the Owner of the Cabaret Club 'Sweet Chrysanthemum' where the male hosts are nicknamed penguins with the younger hosts are called chicks because how Dyu, has saved them from harsh situations and brought them together
- Dyu is genderfluid so sometimes will male and other times female, in this chapter Dyu is in the role of the sister so hence why Karu says Oneesan to them.
- Title refers to Dyu's tattoo which is Chrysanthemum and Karu's which is a Rose
- Like Sagawa is to Majima the one who holds the metaphorical leash and key to the cage, Kuze is now for Karu.
- First few moments are in Kamurocho then move to Sotenbori
- Homare Nishitani makes an appearance and introduces himself to Karu at the end
Location - Kamurocho, Tokyo 1988Â - the Main Street of Kamurocho -Â approaching Evening
"Did Karu-kun get in touch?"
"Yes, he apologises for missing dinner."Â
Dyu 'Blackthorne' Majima quietly says, their voice sounding so dejected that it draws attention of their companion, who's arm their holding - Tetsu Tachibana, president of Tachibana Real Estate.Â
"Dyu-chan, Karu-kun, should be in contact to apologise to you for missing dinner." Tachibana-san reassures Dyu, who reaching into their handbag retrieves a long black cigarette holder and packet of cigarettes.Â
"I know, it's just....I worry for, my little brother." Dyu says, leaning towards Tachibana when he brings up lighter to help light their cigarette where the embers briefly glow faintly before they finally take a drag to blow a wreath of white smoke up into the night-time air.Â
A silence descends between them, with people around them going about their daily lives - heading home, to night-time work or to one of the many resturants and eateries scattered about the different streets - until finally, Dyu, looks towards a sight in the middle of the street.Â
"Hmm, what's that young man doing?" Dyu mutters under their breath, making Tachibana next to them turn to look at the sight of young man having just fallen to his knees in the rain.Â
Lowering the cigarette holder, they walk quietly over along with Tachibana who steps forward to introduce himself surprising the handsome, beautiful man called Kazuma Kiryu.Â
Heh, he looks so cute. Like a little puppy.
Dyu thinks internally, stepping forwards to help haul up the young man from his kneeling position on the concrete giggling softly when they profusely blush heavily when comment on their strength.Â
Location - Kamurocho, Tokyo 1988 - Dyu's Penthouse - Evening
"Karu-kun, what did you do!!? Let me get the First Aid Kit."
"Apologises, Dyu, had a wee accident."
Standing in front of mutiple windows which overlook Kamurocho - the neon-flickering lights, the mutiple districts dotted here and there along with the movement of people flowing in and out of the area reflecting in the glass -Dyu 'Chrysantheum' Majima'  looks over to their little brother sleeping quietly on the sofa.Â
One of his hands rests on their bandaged stomach and the other by his side, a bandage covering his right eye - something Karu-kun had refused to talk about to them about - and bandage over his left shoulder.
Bruises of various hues of colour litter every inch of his body in different places, bears a split bottom lip indicating had been punched across the face or slapped by someone very strong and finally, his tanto blade looks like it's been snapped in half by accident.
"Oneesan, I can feel you are brooding over there? What's worrying you?" Karu-kun asks them, using their femimine pronouns for tonight due to Dyu, having chosen to be female for tonight.Â
"You should be sleeping, Karu-kun. You.....nearly......died again..." Dyu states in reply, avoiding his questions that it makes Karu-kun sit up to look at them over the back of the sofa and gripping it with one hand for support.
"I..guess...you're right. I just...thought could escape the leash for while, but owner not letting it go." He states up to them, forcing Dyu to sign heavily knowing who he means - Daisaku Kuze - when stepping away from the spot by the large windows comes over to help Karu-kun, who's swung his legs off the sofa to face his back to them indicating he needs his hair brushed.Â
Now brushing it softly, until braiding it and placing the ornate jade hair bead carved into shape of a rose at the bottom until wraps their arms around Karu-kun, embracing their little brother in a comforting hug.Â
"I....worry that keeping this secret from Tachibana-san, it could ruin him. His Grandpa swore he would not reveal it's full secret and thankfully kept his promise." Karu-kun breaks the silence between them both, getting up off the sofa to walk over to the kitchen/bar-area where opening the fridge door rummages in it.
Dyu, admiring how child-like their brother is rummaging in the fridge to get himself something to eat that walks over to pulls him back from the open fridge revealing their little brother with a pair of wooden chopsticks between his lips and holding in one of his hands taken from the bottom shelf some pre-made sushi containers stacked on top of each-other.Â
"Cute..." Dyu comments, seeing an adorable faint embarassed blush starting to appear on their little brother's cheeks with them muttering under their breath 'Oneesan, please....' quickly closing the fridge door gently with his foot.
Location - Sotenbori, Osaka 1988 -Â Undergroud Cabaret Club 'Sweet Chrysantheum' - Evening
Karu 'Blackthorne' Majima's P.O.V:
"Hello, my darling little Penguins and chicks."
Dyu's Cabaret club 'Sweet Chrysanthemum' hidden right across from the elite cabaret club in Sotenbori,Osaka known to visitors as the 'Grand' disguised by an old abandoned building.
If one were savvy and wise enough in the Sotenbori Building planning department they would discover right underneath the streets of Sotenbori they actually would discover many hidden secrets, including this club.
Thankfully it not been discovered so far and the other secret places.Â
Antonius - my Kyoudai (sworn brother) from when I'd been a Hitman-for-Hire in a group called 'The Thorns' and still - is one of the many 'Penguins' - a name given to the older Hosts - stands at the top of the stairs, descending way down to the main lobby, waiting for me.
"Kyoudai, it's so good to see you." He states, flicking his gaze down to where I see Dyu - in a full black length slitted dress tapering up towards shoulders and neckline into fragile lace-work - greeting the 'Chicks' - the younger hosts of the club - who surround them.
"Antonius, you too." I say back, allowing the Italian man to kiss both my cheeks before he pulls back to help me descend down the flight of stairs - curved in the shape of the spine of ornate dragon rearing itself upwards - where soothing, gentle jazz being played by the band plays throughout the large underground club reaches my ears.Â
Everyone is enjoying themselves: occasional laughter, chatter and movement mixed with an occasional pop of a champagne cork coming from different seating areas.
Couples - ones who would be ostracized by society for trying to show their form of love in the main streets of Sotenbori, Osaka above - who recognise me, greet me with waves of acknowledgement and toasting their glasses to me when I pass-by their seating areas until reach my own reserved seat.
Sitting down with my Kyoudai's help, I lean myself back against the back of the reserved comfy booth seat to order myself a simple, light drink and meal due to 'Doctor Orders' that nothing too heavy at the moment until I'm fully healed and recovered from my injuries.
"Thanks, Antonius, I'll be alright now." I tell my Kyoudai, who nodding silently heads off to go and greet newcoming guests continuing to arrive into the club, leaving me to relax before my food and drink arrives.
"Excuse me, may I talk with you?"Â
There is soft laugh in reply to my question, followed by someone moving to sit down beside me that fluttering my remaining, uninjured eye hearing myself grumbling out:
"Are you absolutely sure?" I'm asked, that I can't even muster up enough energy to glare at him when he - not they - chooses to shuffle closer to me that quickly bring up one of my heeled shoe's to his chest to push them back from me due to unwanted close promixity.
My gaze flicking to the Clan pin - the symbol I don't recognise - seeing how he notes my only single, remaining eye looking at it.
"If you're here to cause trouble, don't bother. Got enough Clans already doing that here and elsewhere." I state, seeing him raise an eyebrow at my choice of words.
Seeing him choose not to speak when the waiter arrives to place my order down on the small table in front of us, but instead waits until the waiter has left to continue speaking.
"Oh, I was more of scouting for someone. So, don't worry, sweetcheeks..." He says, leaning forwards to cup my cheek with his hand with his thumb stroking over my bottom lip testing my reaction. "...I might make exemption for you."Â
"Save that for later." I tell him, bringing my hand up to move his hand off my cheek to place it back on his chest only for him to pull me into a unexpected kiss.
My whole body stiffens in shock and surprise at his audacity, it makes me bite down on his bottom lip to make him pull back bringing a hand up to touch it, raising an eyebrow at me when spots the blood on his fingertips.
"Hmm, those some powerful fangs you got, Karu-chan." He states, getting up off the booth seat and leaving me to fizzle with anger that don't know I've smashed the glass with my drink in it with my fist until a waiter who's come over lifts up my hand to wrap a towel around it that realise.Â
Dyu, who's also come over to check on me flicks their gaze to the fuchsia suit fading his way into the background of people ascending the ornate flight of stairs than back to me.
Both of us know, whoever the man is it will be only a matter of time before he exposed every secret which I'm trying to keep hidden from people, including Tachibana-san.
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'The Muzzled and Chained Dog in a Giilded Cage'
- Connected to 'Prologue (2 of 3) - 'The Chrysantheum and Rose in Sotenbori (2 of 3)'
- Title refers to how Majima is trapped in Sotenbori and Sagawa holds the leash etc
Location - Sotenbori, Osaka 1988 - Elite Cabaret Club 'GRAND' - Approaching Late Evening
Karu 'Blackthorne' Majima's P.O.V:
"Welcome, Sir. First time at the Grand."
"Yes. Though I need to talk with your Boss."
"Umm, do you have reservation?'
Reaching into my suit inner pocket, I pull out the fake police ID badge - very convincingly made by Blackthorne Family's own Forger - to place it down on the table along with the photo of the Head of the sales of Soten Pharmaceuticals HQ.
"Sir, we....are...." the receptionist tries to tell me, fumbling over his words when I pick up the ledger to flick through the pages - trying to spot the name I'm looking for - only to lower it back down to the desk.Â
"Majima-san, I apologise..." the receptionist profusely says, bowing to someone who speaks in such a tone my chest instantly tightens at hearing it.
Lowering the ledger back down, I slip the photo and fake ID back into my suit inner pocket deciding I need to leave quickly. Just hearing the voice, makes my chest start to ache painfully that don't realise I'm fisting a hand into my suit jacket and have collapsed onto both my knees on the floor.Â
"Sir, are you alright?" Majima-san asks me, finding myself managing to stand up using the receptionist desk for support unclenching my suit jacket to lower my hand to my side.
Location - Sotenbori, Osaka 1988 - Elite Cabaret Club 'GRAND' - Staff Room - Late Evening
"Tch, don't use that formal shit."
Karu Blackthorne - a pretend-cop with a very convincing fake ID - states to me, noting how the word 'Sir' causes him to immediatly flinch visibily with his face turning away to one side revealing the eyepatch covering his left eye.Â
"For someone younger than me, I'm guessing it dredges up bad memories." I say, removing the ash-tray to place elsewhere for his convience seeing how the tension goes slightly out of his body when the object is removed from the table.
"I....just....at an early age had bad experience that I cannot cope at the smell, the sight of a cigarette being smoked or even seeing a ash-tray placed on table." Karu-san confides, turning his body on the sofa to pick up his suit jacket placed on the back of it.Â
Getting out a packet of chocolate sticks from one of the pockets to slide one out to chew on - his equilivant to a cigarette, I theorise.Â
"I'll make sure when you come around again, there ain't any on the table you've reserved." I reassure him, pinching for myself a chocolate stick from the packet seeing him giving me a light smirk at the sight of it.
"Thank you, Majima-san." Karu-san says, hauling himself up with one gloved hand reaching for his jacket placed over the back of the sofa.Â
Stepping forwards seeing he needs help to get his arms through the sleeves of it - knowing some hidden injuries he's ascertained are still twinging, I also make sure he looks presentable. "...I better head off..."
"Apologises, in fussing over you. I'm bit of clean, neat-freak sometimes. Always get so annoyed when people litter even." I tell Karu-san, who chuckles with mirth at my 'pet peeve' and also helping relieving the tension we're both feeling.
He goes to say something else, only for commotion happening outside the office door to interrupt him, forcing me to give a 'Tch, what now? I told them would be busy.' under my breath that give a polite excuse to Karu-san will catch up another time.
Heading over, I go to open the door when it is slammed open hitting me hard in face that I stumble backwards at the harsh impact where arms catch me to save myself from cracking the back of my head on the floor.
Glaring at the person in the doorway, I can feel the 'Mad Dog' in me wanting to bare it's fangs at the person standing nonchantly in the doorway and that is Tsukasa Sagawa - high-ranking member of the Omi Alliance, retainer to fifth chairman and Patriarch of the Sagawa Family.
"Sagawa-han...." I grit out, accepting a handkerchief from Karu-san to help in stemming a nosebleed hadn't realised I had ascertained from the impact of a door slamming into my face. ".....Wasn't expecting you to visit."Â
"So, what brings the Hidden Rose of Kamurocho to Sotenbori?"
"....Sightseeing. What do you think, O'jisan."
A full-on barking laughter it sends the hairs on the back of neck standing up after hearing it after so long.
The last time I had heard it was when I had been in 'The Hole' screaming my burning lungs out, begging for the pain to stop only for continious laughter to full my ears - seeing Karu-san flinches at it as well.
"O'jisan, that's a good one..." Sagawa-han retorts, taking a drag of his cigarette before blows a cloud of wispy smoke up into the air then continues. ".....never been called that before."
Turning my face to look at them both, I finish making the cups of tea remembering to place sugar in one of them and picking them up head over to hand over his.
"Why're you here, Sagawa-han?" I ask him, hearing a 'Hmm' given in my direction with Sagawa-han lowering the cigarette down to tap the ash into the ash-tray.Â
"Aw, don't be prickly, Majima-chan." He replies, picking up his cup of tea to take sip of it leaving Karu-san to respond to message which had come on his pager with his eyes scanning what it says. "I just dropped in to see you in the action."Â
"By pretending to be absolutely sloshed." Karu-san states, flicking his left eye up from the pager it makes Sagawa-han place his mug down with a slight clink onto the table.Â
"Ah, sorry about that, Karu-san. Guess I got a little carried away when stumbled upon that place." Sagawa-han says, refering to 'that place' which Karu-san must know about because flinches heavily getting up off the sofa.
He brushes his way past me, stating that he's overstayed his welcome leaving a unfinished mug of tea on the table with myself watching him, seeing him linger slightly at the doorway looking back at me with such a look - it's like he just found something he had lost in the past.
Going to head up to him my wrist is suddenly grabbed by Sagawa-han stopping me and tightening when I try to step more further. Lowering my head, I step backwards watching Karu-san to close the office door behind him to leave me alone with...my...jailer.
"Remember, this is supposed to be your punishment. If you start having too much fun with your newfound friend Karu-san, it'd be a problem....a major problem." Sagawa-han states up at me, giving such a look I turn my face from it.Â
Harsh memories of being trapped in the hole come to forfront of the mind, causing my hands to shake slightly that drop the crumpled cigarette packet I've gotten out from pocket where retrieving it from the floor turn myself around to face him.Â
"Can you get to the point? How much longer 'til you let me back in the yakuza, Mr. Owner?" I spit out my words, anger no doubt evident in my voice and needing to know whether to his mind I'm to remain metaphorically chained and muzzled like a dog.
"Wow, you're a real broken record with that question. Why the big rush to get back to this? I honestly just don't get it." Sagawa-hun says, watching me from his spot on the sofa collecting a silver attache case filled with this month's take to distract myself from attacking him.
"It ain't for you to get. Here's this month's take. If I can keep up the pace, you'll have you're 100 million by next month." I state, using the opportunity to clear away the two cups of unfinished tea on the small table.Â
My mind trying not think of the weight of the metaphorical collar around my throat and the person who holds the chain of it beginning to feel like there being shortened so I can never escape....
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