[ CH 2 | Pt 1 ] going up?; daughter, father, and the BIG MAN

An elevator that goes up and gets lost sometimes; this in essence is the inner workings of the tower that is Ziggurat I-F.

At ones entering of the building, they are met with a plaque that reads:

[KonStant MEDIA]

KonStant is the media and entertainment conglomerate of the future. Their brand is built on the motto, “Set the Trend; Pave the Future.” KonStant manages a wealth of different talent, and produces media of a wide range. From dramas, to music artists, Manga, Anime, Virtual influencers and many more.

A certain higher ranking board member of that specific company was making their way up that rainy Thursday morning. Though only having been at the company for a few years, she had built a strong reputation for being “a go-getter,” and “extremely attractive.”

Despite the chatter and side remarks she received often; she made sure to focus on their mission; a mission she was brought in to achieve.

As she walked to the closing elevator, she was met with an old manager she worked with when she first began. Her plain expression turned into a wide, almost eerily concentrated smile.

“Going up?” The older gentleman responded coldly, as if he was looking past her and through that smile.

“Always.” She answered coldly as her smile quickly disappeared

Silence bathed the enclosed room. Only the sound of promotional J-pop could be heard in the elevator.

What a premium ride.

I hope you get what's coming to—

The woman grimaced upon hearing the man's whispered words.

The elevator soon stopped, as the manager had planned. He then quickly got off.

He would be seen again, but god knows in what condition.

Especially with that ‘extremely attractive go-getter’ around.

Going up? Yes; to the very top…!

[LEVEL I-F]: Authorized Personnel only. Must provide ID and biometric data.

“What a hassle” She thought to herself as she scanned her fingers and eyes.

She had arrived.

*Knock* *Knock*

“Come in.” A deep voice projected from beyond the board room office.:

CFO | BOARD PRESIDENT MASARU HIGUCHI

“You’re late.” The CFO responded, not even turning to look at the woman.

“There is a good reason, sir.” She bowed and sheepishly responded as she closed the door.

“I would think so; and it'd better not be the rain. There can only be one good reason… you mean to tell me tha—” Higuchi looked up to meet her face.

“So they have finally converged?” The CFO responded, now with his arms folded.

She nodded.

“Then it is time to execute.” Mr. Higuchi rebutted as he got up. With a slow stride he walked around his table to face the window. The rush of rain painting the glass made it hard to make out the outside world. The bright light allowed him to make out his face and the woman standing behind him.

“Everything we have been planning should go ’as planned’; as long as we keep an eye on that man..and the one that continues to evade us.” He placed his hands on the window. In seconds, almost like a windshield, the rain began to part along the other side.

“Hideji Sato…” He let his hands go for a bit. As he did, the rain began to paint the window once more. His expression changed to an indecipherable grin. He continued, “...and the woman who calls herself GOSSAMER.”

“Inoue, Look at my fingers; what do you see?” The man asked, turning his attention finally to the woman who had drawn closer to him.

“A great energy. As expected of a powerful Supath as yourself; One who was ordained for success since their childhood.” She responded.

“Yes…, sure. But I meant these.” The man clicked each of his finger pads together in a circular motion. “Sitting in the pads of my fingers lie a pure, concentrated, sensory schadenfreude.”

“It is my identity; It is a bliss no man could ever understand unless they were to wear the very shoes I stand in.” Lost in the sauce of his finger pads, the man continued.

“It is a joy birthed from inspired chaos. For that instant chaos to take effect from the beckoning of my hand; there must be perfect orchestration of my script; of my sheet music; stage hands, and my ‘stars.’ “ As his monologue went on, he looked intently at Inoue as if her audience was his captive.

“Only from a devoted order can one individual hand make the masses forego their senses in a blurry haze of burgundy.” A dramatic fervor grew in his speech.

“They liken it to “en-ta-tainment”; I call it a misfortune. It is a misfortune for the great majority to be obsessed. It is my job to make them unaware.”

Suddenly, he grabbed hold of the woman named Inoue. His fingertips lay along her shoulders like they were meant to fall right in place. She stood still, unfazed.

“No one would find my work to be evil. No one would dare say it is malicious. This too is my schadenfreude.” He brought his face closer to meet the eyes of the woman they call Inoue.

“Why do you do it; Masaru…” The woman called Inoue responded endearingly, now with a sudden change of countenance.

“Yuki…, It is all—all of it,” He said, staring intently into her eyes.

“It is all…for me.” Suddenly, they shared a tender kiss as the rain roared in the background and the lights dimmed.

The woman called Inoue twitched slightly.

Purely unprofessional. But entirely so.

*Tit—tat* *Tit—tat* *Tit—tat* The lights started to flicker; black and white alternated and exchanged.

As the fixtures stopped their shuttering, they began to settle on a new brilliant hue.

Once wearing black tailored suits, the two board members had become adorned with white full length Nehru jacket and suit pants.

No longer was Higuchi’s slick back hair present, or that of the woman’s cascading locks.

They were crowned with faceless helmets that made space only for their mouths to speak. Pulling his lips from the woman called Inoue, CFO Masaru Higuchi uttered these words:

“Daughter, father, and the BIG MAN! Soon, we will be together again…until then; I will watch your step’s closely..” He spoke, now with greater theatrical echo and bravado.

Inoue curtsied before the CFO, to which he nodded. She then replied:

“CREASE-sama, my liege, I shall engage the first guard. To whom do you wish to be called?” She stated.

“Ha-Bringer-san.” He stated, before quickly waiving her away. With the throw of his hand, a short cape appeared on his back.

“Will you be able to protect him, My dear Gossamer…; that precious man who worked for nothing…?!” Crease asked rhetorically.

He began to snicker, his shoulders following every inflection as they rose and fell.

Inoue looked up slightly, slowly bringing her hands up to her ears as the laughing got louder; and louder.

My Daughter…no man can climb this Ziggurat without knowing such a thing!