[Cynthia Rawson - Monday June 10th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #321

Cynthia nods "It was good yes. If it's not too much troubles? I could come back tomorrow if you prefer?"

"You may come back tomorrow if you like, but it is no trouble right now. I usually get things going in the evening so as to let the yeast rise overnight. Come. I will get you an apron and we can get started." She takes you to a rack and gets you an apron and then looks at you for a moment before reaching onto the top of the rack to get you a cook's hat. "There, that makes it official; you are a cook helper. Now, come over here and we can get things rolling."

It is amazing how much more confident you feel just wearing the apron and cook's hat. Sophie shows you every step of the process involved in getting the flour and other ingredients ready. Unless you resist, this part will actually be a bit fun.

[Cynthia Rawson - Monday June 10th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #322

Cynthia doesn't resist at all, she's here to learn after all. And if she enjoys doing it, it's even better : she's seventeen after all, her worries of the day can be quickly forgotten. Even if she's a bit concerned that she looks ridiculous with the apron and the hat, she doesn't pay it too much attention after some time more focused on what she's doing than what she looks like.

Monday 11 June 2075 2345 Cajun Town, Seattle


It is actually a bit of fun working with Sophie. She gives you instructions then goes off to do something before checking back with you. She tells you a bit about the history of the small community. "We are originally from near New Orleans, in the CAS, but transplanted here to the edge of Seattle about five years ago. Things were very hard at first and are only slightly better now. We do not have much of the fancy things, but we have each other, non? There is a real sense of family here. Mama Lini is our spiritual matriarch; she led us here, saying that this place needed us. My husband was her grandson. He died just after Jeanette was born. My parents and his are all dead as well. But Jeanette and the other children are happy here. We are able to make it appear like home and so home it is. We get some tourists here, people who are curious about who we are. The number of them grows a bit every year and helps bring in some needed money for clothes and food. Some of our men and women have jobs in the greater sprawl, which also helps. Most everything is grown or made here, though. Our kids do not have fancy clothes or cars, but they have love and family. It would be nice to have everything, but if I have to choose, it would be love and family over cars and fancy clothes every time."

She looks at your bread. "Well, it is not bad for a first time. And we cannot see the finished thing until the morning after it rises. It is very late and you must be tired. I happen to know that there are several spare rooms at the boarding house. I can walk you there and see that you get a room for the night. That way you can come over to the kitchen in the morning and finish your bread loaf. The rooms are not very fancy, but a good secret is that there is no ration for hot water. What do you say? Come on, unless you have friends at your current place, what is better than finding a new place where you can have friends?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Monday June 10th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #323

"Family eh? Yeah, I can't say I have too much of that." With a big yawn, she nods "As for sleep... Sure, I didn't sleep much last night, I wouldn't really like taking the time to go home right now. I don't have a change but for the night it's not a big problem. As for the room..." she shrugs "As long as there is a bed, I don't need anything else..."

From there, Cynthia will follow Sophie to "her" room. On the way, she sends a message to Barbara >>Hey, I didn't get anything from you today in the end, everything alright?<<

Sophie laughs as she takes your apron and hat, putting them away. "Family and friends are so very important, oui? At least to us they are. If you give us a chance, you might just make some friends here." Jean had left some time ago and the two of you are the last ones in the restaurant when you leave. You do note that she does not bother to lock the building as she steps across the creaking planks of the large front porch. Only one of the old men is still sitting in his chair, but the sounds of rocking have been replaced with soft snores. Sophie gently shakes him awake and says something to him. You do not understand what she is saying, but the effect is to have him stand up and doff his cap to both of you before heading off down the dirt road. Sophie just looks at you and chuckles as she takes an arm and leads you off the porch and down the road in the wake of the man. He turns off in the direction of the river but Sophie continues walking along the road. There are only a few lanterns still lit at this time of the night, but you can see light spilling from an open window ahead of you accompanied by the gentle sounds of a well-played harmonica.

Sophie stops for a moment then continues. "Yes, that must be Eugene. He is a master of that instrument and can really make it sing. He can give some of our best fiddlers a run when they get together, and that is saying a lot about his talent." She pats your arm. "He is a very nice man and has lived her almost from when we moved here from New Orleans. He was looking for an out-of-the-way place to stay and we are almost as much that as anywhere else, I guess, and we have the benefit of no organized crime ruling the neighborhood. He is very smart, too, and seems to know a lot of interesting stuff, even if I do not personally understand all of it. But then, my education stopped at the fifth grade and I would not be surprised that I understand little of what he talks about."

Sophie walks you to the stairs leading to the entrance, ushering you into a largish but mostly ramshackle lobby. Sure enough, you see Eugene sitting in what looks to be a very comfortable stuffed chair and he is playing on a large harmonica, bringing out melodies that only the trained or a very gifted novice can squeeze from such an instrument. His eyes seem to light up and he nods at you as you walk with Sophie to an old counter. She rings a bell and a tired-looking young man comes to the counter from a back room, not even bothering to put his uniform jacket on. Sophie smiles at him, saying, "My friend, Miss Cynthia, needs a room for the night, Jaques. I kept her late at the kitchen and told her that she would not have to pay for the room tonight."

The man yawns and nods, turning a guest register to you and holding a pen for you to take. He looks at you, "First floor or second, Miss Cynthia? The bathroom on the first floor is working better, if that is any consideration."

[Cynthia Rawson - Monday June 10th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #324

Cynthia makes a small wave at Eugène, but doesn't stop and continues to follow Sophie. She greets Jacques with a nod, then shrugs "It's just for one night so don't worry about it, give me the first one you have and I'll take it, thanks. I don't want to bother anyone."

Jacques waits for you to sign the register then hands you a key and comes around the counter. "This way, please."

As he heads off, Sophie gives you a slight hug and says, "I will see you at about eight. I am usually at the kitchen long before that so feel free to come along earlier for coffee and a chat if you like."

You are taken to room 2. Jacques points to an open door at the end of the hallway. "That room down there is the bathroom. It is free if the door is open so please shut it if you want any privacy. The shower has unlimited hot water so do not worry about using it up. There is a chamber pot in the small cupboard near the bed if you need to use it. Checkout is normally at eleven, but that is pretty flexible since we do not have many guests here just now. If you need anything, please come to the counter and ring the bell. Have a nice sleep."

[Cynthia Rawson - Monday June 10th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #325

Cynthia nods at Sophie "Thanks, I will. I usually get up early so I can go for a jog, but I won't be able to tomorrow, so I'll have plenty of time." To Jacques, she says "Thanks, good evening."

Cynthia goes first to the bathroom spending five good minutes to look at her eyes, then to her room. There, she plays with her 'link, trying to understand what changed exactly - and if she can indeed directly connect to it - wondering if it works with anything else.

Then, she goes to sleep-reboot, planning to wake up at seven. She will have a busy day, even if Tanya or Barbara don't have more to say.

Your eyes are a very deep blue, a color that you have not seen before and certainly is a change from what you think you remember. But eyes don't change like that, so they must always have been this color, right? In your room, you find that you can indeed connect to the matrix just be touching your 'link and that you have a better connection than you might think. Of course, this place might have less background noise than inside the sprawl, which would explain the second part. The direct connection is a bit less explained by that, though. There is really nothing else in the room that would have an obvious connection to the matrix, so it is hard to test anything else.

During the night, you receive three messages that are waiting for you when you wake up:

>>Hey there. Roger here. Are you interested in getting together again. You know where I will be anytime after ten.<<

>>Cynthia. Tanya Marisart. I hope that you made it home safely. Let me know if you want to talk. I have some information about those companies we spoke of earlier. Ciao.<<

>>Hello. Barbara here. Been a nuthouse since the fighting stopped. I was just too wasted to talk much. Send me a note if you want to talk.<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #326

When she wakes up, Cynthia is much more fresh than the day before. Something to do with seven hours of sleep versus three probably... As she takes her shower, she replies to her messages, enjoying the simple fact that she doesn't need to hurry...but not spending to much time in there either.

First, she replies to Roger >>Hey, I may not be here this morning, I have to talk to some people. Hopefully I'll know a bit more after that. Plus... I may check another angle in Seattle this morning. I'll let you know.<<

To Tanya, she sends >>I'm not home but everything is fine yes, don't worry. Where do you want to talk? I was thinking that maybe I should try to hack the yak lieutenant this morning and maybe the distribution company this afternoon but it's not that urgent so I can change my planning...<< She pauses for a minute then adds >>Oh and I may need your help for something that would allow me to be more efficient. I hope. If I do it...<<

Finally to Barbara >>No worries. Do you need anything?<<

Tuesday 12 June 2075 0726 Cajun Town Seattle



You wake feeling a bit fresher, but with a need to use the toilet. Getting out of bed, you remember that the bathroom is at the end of the hallway. Looking at the small chamber pot nestled in the bedside cupboard, you decide that the bathroom is the better option. A small rack near the door has two towels folded on it and a hand-printed sign above it that indicates they are for use in the shower. The note adds a caution that there are no extra towels provided in the bathroom. The creaking floorboards announce your passage down the hall and you find the bathroom fortunately vacant. Inside is one toilet stall, a sink with a cracked mirror over it, and a small shower with a plastic curtain decorated with blue flowers. A sign neat the shower indicates that the hot water is unlimited, but please be considerate with your time as other guests may need to use the bathroom as well.

You lock the door before stripping down and putting your clothes on a convenient wooden shelf and turning on the water. Surprisingly, the water flow is good and the hot water comes in rather quickly and evenly. It feels nice to wash the grime of yesterday away and it gives you time to respond to your messages. Roger responds first. >>Hey. Big disappointment but I am not really going anywhere. I can be looking more into the Colombia connection. Give me a jingle if you want to meet later. Did Eugene say anything to you last night after I left about coming in today?<<

The response from Tanya follows soon after. >>Where are you? I can come to meet you and we can talk. You can tell me what you need then.<<

Barbara does not respond right away.

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #327

Cynthia laughs when she answers Roger >>Yeah, it's so much better if our meats are sprawled at the same table instead of each at home! I'll let you know what my plans for the day are as soon as I know myself. I didn't really decide to be honest. As for Eugene he said he was onto something and wanted to find it.<<

To Tanya, she replies >>I'm in the Cajun Town right now, so it's probably easier for you if I just get my breakfast and we meet somewhere else.<<

>>Hah. When you put it that way you are absolutely right. Still, there is something to be said for contact with others when we are not in the 'trix. You have my code so contact me out there if you like.<<

>>Ooooh. I know it well. I can meet you at Sophie's if you like, but if you want to meet elsewhere, can you pick me up a loaf of her spice bread, please?<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #328

>>Sure, I will.<<

To Tanya, trying to appear collected, but still wanting to show off a little, she answers with >>I'm going there myself. I have to pick up my bread.<<

>>Brilliant! I will meet you there in a couple of hours. Just finishing my morning run and need a shower, but I will be famished by the time I get there. Ciao.<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #329

For a moment, Cynthia considers asking what she's supposed to do in the meantime. With a shrug however, she decides to go to the restaurant. She at least can finish her breads while she waits, and maybe see what went on in the night in Seattle or Bogota.

When you leave your room and walk to the lobby, you notice that there is a pretty woman behind the counter. She is wearing a nice pantsuit, which seems a bit out of the norm for this part of town, and smiles at you. "Good morning. I hope that your night was pleasant. It might not be obvious on the card in your room, but a night here includes breakfast at Sophie's Kitchen, just down the road. You just missed our other guest, who left for there a couple of minutes ago."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #330

Cynthia greets the woman with a small wave of her hand "Hi, yes thank you." then she stops and frowns "Oh, speaking about that, I got in quite late and didn't pay then, how much do I owe you?"

The woman looks at the register and consults some handwritten notes in the margin. Looking up at you, she smiles. "It would seem that you do not owe anything for last night. The note says that Sophie indicated that you were not to be charged."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #331

Cynthia grumbles a bit, then smiles when she gets an idea "Then let's consider it a donation."

Once she has paid the fee, or "given a donation that just so happened to match the normal fee", Cynthia walks to the restaurant, to take care of her breads.

Tuesday 12 June 2075 0748 Cajun Town Seattle


You see a small number of people moving about as you walk the short distance from the boarding house to the restaurant. Most stop what they are doing to greet you before continuing on about their business. Wood smoke is coming from a number of chimneys and the day is already quite warm and a bit muggy. Aromas of food being prepared fill the air, coming from more than one source. The three old men are already in place on the front porch of the restaurant when you gt there and they all bid you a good morning as they rock back and forth. You can hear the clatter of plates and some conversation from inside.

Entering the restaurant, you see that four of the tables have people sitting at them, leaving two unoccupied. Eugene is sitting alone at one table, drinking a cup of what is probably coffee, while Jeanette is ferrying plates and mugs from the window to the kitchen. The conversations are in a subdued French dialect, broken by your entrance as several of the diners nod a welcome to you. Sophie leans through the window from the kitchen and motions for you to come on back, where she motions for you to grab your apron and hat. "Your bread is doing just fine, but let's look at it and I will show you what to look for and then we can get it in the oven."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #332

The first few times, Cynthia is a step behind when she is greeted by others. She's so used to the rest of Seattle, where everyone ignores you, that she doesn't even think about doing it. It's easy enough to pick up though, and soon she nods to everyone she crosses, with a word for those that went a step further.

She makes a small wave to Eugene, says hello to Jeanette and Sophie, and reaches to her apron and hat. Somehow, it seems right here now. "Sure, I'm all ears." When her belly protests, she smiles, her cheeks a bit red "I can't guarantee I'll be able to wait for them to be done properly though..."

The people you meet on the street smile at you and the smiles are broader when you smile back or say something. This is clearly not like most of the rest of Seattle, at least not the parts you are familiar with.

Eugene returns your wave and smiles, his deep blue eyes following you as you head towards the kitchen.

Sophie laughs, "I heard that. I will get you some breakfast in a few minutes, but come see your bread." She motions for you to join her at the counter where you had left your loaves covered. She uncovers them and talks you through what a good loaf should look like and then compliments you on a very nice job. "Now, we get these ready for the oven and then it is just wait." She shows you what to do to finish preparing the three loaves and then guides you in slipping them into a hot oven. "We will check on them in a bit, but for now, watching them does not make it go faster and you are hungry. Put your hat and apron up for a few minutes and I will bring you a nice breakfast."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #333

When Sophie laughs, Cynthia's cheeks become crimson. She quickly concentrates on what she's doing however, and seems pleased Sophie liked the result of her work. As soon as Sophie mentions breakfast, she hangs the apron and the hat back at their place, and returns in the front. There, she hesitates for a moment, then with a shrugs goes to sit with Eugene "Hi."

The man smiles broadly and stands to pull out a chair for you. "Hello and good morning to you. Did you sleep well? The rooms might lack for some of the conveniences, but the beds seem comfortable enough." He blushes a bit. "I mean for me, of course. I did not mean to presume to know what is comfortable to you." He sips from his mug to try to cover his embarrassment, failing somewhat.

Jeanette brings you a steaming mug of coffee and a menu. "The morning special is the scramble. It is eggs and some meat, potatoes, onions, peppers, and special spices all jumbled together. It is really quite good. I will order that if you like or let you look at the menu for a couple of minutes and come back?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #334

Cynthia laughs lightly "I only need a bed in my room, I don't need anything else to sleep you know, so yeah, I slept well..." She smiles "Though I must admit I never have any problem going to sleep whenever I want so..."

When Jeanette proposes the menu, Cynthia seems stuned "Eggs? Like real honest eggs? And potatoes and onions? And meat? That's... Uh sure, it's fine, scramble it is, thanks."

Jeanette gives you an odd sort of look. "Yes, the eggs are real. No artificial foods here, Miss. More coffee?" The girl goes off to place your order and Gene chuckles.

"I don't think many of these people get out much, you know? They are pretty self sufficient here, with some pigs, cows, chickens, and the like. Grow most of their own vegetables, too, I think. Fish come from the river and you should treat yourself to Sophie's special baked fish dinner if you come back again. The people here are.............well, I am not sure how to explain it. They live on the edge of what most people would call poverty. You have seen the houses. Lighting is lanterns and candles. No cars, a few bicycles, but most of them never go anywhere. It is like someone just carved this place from another place and time and put it down on the edge of Seattle. The matrix extends out here, but almost no one here really uses it. I can get great reception from my room, or even here for that matter, but I am an anomaly. Probably because I am pretty much a tourist and a guest here. The seem to like me and certainly put up with me. I like it here. A lot."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #335

Cynthia nods "Yeah, it's weird. Though weird doesn't mean unpleasant of course." she pauses the adds "It would probably take me a while to get used to it to be honest. But the food alone could make it worthwhile..." She sighs, pensive.

After a moment, she asks "So, will you try to find what eluded you yesterday with Roger?"

Eugene nods. "It could take some time, but I think it could grow on you. I happen to know that long-term lodging is available at the boarding house. You would just need to get someone to sponsor you."

It is his turn to grow pensive when you ask about Roger. He looks at you a bit sideways then looks out the window towards the river, then back to his plate, then finally to you. "Do you like him?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #336

Cynthia blinks at the change of subject, not understanding what this is about "Like him? Why should I? And why should it matter?" She shakes her head "I don't have the time for this kind of things. And not interested either to be honest. Too much drama to be worthwhile. Plus, I like being by myself."

Eugene's voice is so low that you almost have to strain to hear him. "Good, because he is rotten."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #337

A few seconds pass before Cynthia replies to that "That's pretty harsh. Is that just because he got you marked two days ago?"

He leans forward to talk softly. "Of course not. No, I say it because it is true. I think he is a Renraku asset, purposely looking for people who were snooping about after the riots started and the assassination in Bogota. Still working on the details, but it makes sense."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #338

Cynthia's eyebrow raise quite a bit "Really? But you know, this could be true of me too. Or you too for that matter." After a small pause, she asks "Besides, why Renraku?"

He nods. "Of course, you are a clever woman. It could be just as easily said of either of us, I suppose. I will say that while I had a sprite looking around for me yesterday, I also had one looking into both of you. You are clean. He is not. He was contacted by a Renraku courier and information was exchanged.

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #339

Cynthia shakes her head "A sprite eh? I'm not saying you're wrong, but that's hardly any proof. First, I may have been more prudent. Or maybe just skilled enough to hide what I did from a sprite. As for this Renraku courtier, it could just be an informant."

She shrugs "And since I have no way to know who to trust, I should probably just stop talking about all of this, take my breakfast and leave before I get a visit from some mercenaries."

He will hold up his hands in surrender. "Yes, you could be right, I suppose. I will let the matter drop and am sorry if I have spoiled your meal before it even gets here." He goes quiet while he returns to eating his food.

Jeanette arrives with a huge platter of what looks to be scrambled eggs, red potatoes, ham, sausage, bacon, some vegetables, all covers in a creamy cheese sauce. "Here you go, Miss. Now I find that it goes particularly well with our special hot sauce, but be careful if you try it because it can eat nails. Bon apatite."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #340

Cynthia smiles lightly at Jeanette "Thanks" She seems astonished at the quantity, pretty sure she never saw so much natural ingredient in a single plate before. She uses a drop of the hot sauce, and starts to eat.

Meanwhile, she sends a small message to Tanya >>I'm not sure it's a good idea if you come. I met two men while looking into Liston and the stuff going on in town, one of them is apparently a regular here, and thinks the other one is an agent for Renraku. Could be plot to have me drop my guard around him and disrupt the other guy... And you're not exactly inconspicuous, if he sees you with me, he will start to ask questions... Or the other one is really a Renraku plant in which case I may be under surveillance.<<

A drop of the sauce does indeed add some kick to the food, but it also enhances the flavor, which may not have been needed as it tastes wonderful.

>>I am already part-way there, less than an hour out unless traffic goes wonky on me. By any chance is the guy you are talking about named Eugene?<<

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #341

Previous conversation forgotten, Cynthia eats with quite a bit of appreciation. She pauses for a second when she gets Tanya's answer >>Uh...yeah?<<

>>I have met him before, on a few of earlier visits to Cajun Town. He seems nice enough. Anyway, be there in a bit. Ciao.<<

Eugene is still studying his food, poking at it and taking a bite or two. Two more of the locals have come into the restaurant and taken one of the remaining tables.

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #342

Cynthia continues to eat, not having lost her appetite in the least. After a while though, she frowns and asks "Are you pouting? You should eat before it gets cold you know..."

Eugene looks up from his food and smiles at you. "Pouting? No. I am just going over all the things I was told by my sprite friends, looking at them from a more objective viewpoint. You could be very right about Roger and I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt. Much of what was seen could be explained differently than through the conclusions I jumped to. Thank you for pointing that out to me."

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #343

"Oh, okay." After a minute where she proceeds to clean her plate, Cynthia adds "He didn't feel bad to me, but I'm really not skilled at this kind of things. If you feel there is really something going on..." she shrugs "Well, better safe than sorry. I already told him that I may not be at the Digital today anyway."

Eugene smiles as he digs into the remains of his own breakfast. "Maybe for the best. It is just as easy to go onto the matrix from a comfortable bed as from a less comfortable chair at the Digital. The only real advantage is that there are staff members looking out for your body while you are in VR, and you might need that at some point." He pushes his empty plate away and reaches into a pocket to pull out a large harmonica. "Do you mind if I play a bit?"

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #344

Cynthia nods "That, and it can be nice to talk to like minded people from time to time." she makes a small wave of her hand "I don't mind no."

While she waits for Tanya to get here, Cynthia will start to look in the matrix at the local situation in Seattle, and more precisely at the place she would be more likely to find the yak lieutenant in the middle of all this. Not that she wants to talk to him...but it would be a lot easier to find his 'link if she knows where he is.

You touch your 'link and you are in the matrix. Your avatar has changed from what you had remembered in that it is outlined in a soft yellow color. Your movement in the matrix used to be smooth, but now it is very smooth. Other avatars seem to ignore your presence as you glide along. It is like the resonance is actually helping you and it is a bit disconcerting at first. You are left wondering which way do I look first.

[Cynthia Rawson - Tuesday June 11th, 2075 - Cajun Town, Seattle] #345

While Cynhtia knows quite a bit of Seattle itself, she's not quite up to date regarding the gangs, mafias, triads...and yakusa. So she first starts by finding what areas are under their dominion, which would help restrict the domain of research. Then, she hopes that someone as high up in the command chain of the yakuzas has some kind of "official" persona. One that doesn't hide him but his activities. And for now, she just needs to find him. Or to know where to find him anyway.

Your knowledge of Seattle is good enough to know that among the several organized crime syndicates, the Yakuza are probably the largest and strongest influence on crime in the sprawl, followed by the Mafia and Vory. The Triads are smaller and the Korean Seoulpas are just starting to be recognized as a nuisance. Sources, mostly anonymous, point to the Yaks as the real movers and shakers, with fingers in just about every sector of the city's economic and political structure. Akira Notomi is the face of a man who has successfully defected from the Yakuza organization and is the highest ranking member of the organization to do so. He has managed to avoid several assassination attempts since he left the organization, one of which took the life of his wife when the car she was driving exploded, leaving him badly scarred. He does not talk much about the Yakuza, but does give insight into the criminal mind and commentary about gang activities on local news outlets.