It was quickly becoming a bad time to be a broker.

Oh, things had gone well enough for Hasekura Shoshitsu at first. The constant, inner struggles of nobility within his homeland, coupled with a paradoxical hatred yet need for 'lower' individuals to carry out the dirty work, meant money was always ready to flow into a waiting hand. Hasekura's hands had been out waiting longer than most, the savvy broker securing favor within the Tokyo elite long before the [i]Takahiro[/i] clan had shown up.

Ah yes, [i]that[/i] clan. Once indistinguishable from every other band of smugglers, gamblers and racketeers, the Takahiro's had [i]somehow[/i] managed to elevate themselves into a position that rivaled to dethrone even him! Sure, he had become wealthier than ever since their rise to notoriety, but anyone clever as he could see the future it led to: obsolescence. The Takahiro's expanded their power base with frightening voracity, their influence stretching all the way to [i]America[/i]. If they grew larger, who would need a simple broker and his small band of assistants? What use would competition be when the Takahiro's held a monopoly on all shady dealings of the elite? It was all downhill for Hasekura the moment Takahiro Raigo was elevated to Samurai. His only option was to get what he could now, and be ready to bail when the end finally came.

And then, the gods smiled on him.

Shizuka, lovely, devious little Shizuka, a western flower coming to full blossom right before him. She too, had understood the threat of the Takahiro clan. Their growth would bring problems not only to him, but all of Japan, as their ambition grew unchecked. She had a plan, a plan to take them down a peg, to make [i]him[/i] the top choice in the eyes of the nobles once more. It required almost nothing on his part, but the gains, the gains were more than he could have [i]ever[/i] bargained for. It was the break he had only dreamed would happen.

And then it fell through, burned to ash along with the Takahiro compound and most of that clan. Somehow, Raigo's son had [i]known[/i] of his ties. And even bandaged as he had been? Even with the trauma of the fires still visible in the young man's eyes? Propped up on a bed, barely able to move?

Takahiro Souma was, quite honestly, terrifying.

Hasekura had expected to die that night, the mountain of a man Daisuke seeming ready to deliver just that fate. But he had been spared, left alone and untouched, with only two, simple objectives to keep things that way:

[i]Tell no one, not a single soul, where I am. Or that I am alive...

...If you learn anything, [/i]anything[i] of American spies or mercenaries, tell me.[/i]

He had even offered payment for the second. A generous offer that Hasekura would have been a fool to refuse. So he accepted, eagerly, and returned to his duties. With the Takahiro clan crippled, he could still rise to old heights once more. With luck, he could raise himself above their influence entirely, free himself from the threat of blackmail, or the need to bend to their whims.

And then... and [i]then[/i]. Shizuka returned.

Once hailed as a bringer of fortunes, he know saw her for the truth: A living curse visited upon him by some slighted god.

"Shizuka-! Yes, yes, lovely to see you as always..." He tried his best not to shake behind his desk, briefly entertaining the question of how quickly his guards could come to his aid. If he cried out, right now, would they make it in time to save him? All he had to do was try... just to shout...

"The... the Takahiro clan? Well that-... that's rather sensitive right now, understand?" He tried to ignore the sweat beginning to mat the thinning hair upon his head. "Those that are left are... well they're being very quiet. Not easy to find and... well... they're not being very... ah... 'welcoming'... to those from... well, the west."

He shrugged, as if it was out of his hands, hoping beyond hope that he looked more sure than he felt.

"We've had good dealings in the past, Miss Shizuka. But... well, after what happened to the Takahiros... Things are tense in the city, you see? It's not as easy as before, I can't just point at a map and saw 'that's where they are'... well... not for free."