Post by Tyler Scott on Feb 12, 2018 15:21:22 GMT -5
Power Honor and Gyoza Part 2: You make miso angry.
It has been four weeks since Tyler Scott last ate at Power Honor and Gyoza. He remembers it relatively fondly. He feasted on the Japanese cuisine, albeit generic in flavour. But he couldn’t complain. Mr Yuki was very accommodating - not once did he ask Tyler to pay for the food. Tyler assumed this was a gesture of goodwill which had nothing to do with the fact he was waving a small paring knife in his face. Tyler Scott would never turn down a free meal - even if it was not very satisfying to devour.
On his last visit he gave Mr Yuki one week to pay off his debts. Tyler Scott, as a fair and lenient man, has given Mr Yuki much longer than this initial deadline to reflect on his past incompetency and to generate the outstanding balance. He, quite reasonably, believes that upon his return Mr Yuki will have found the cash and this whole unsavoury episode can be put to one side.
However, as Tyler Scott strolls up the ornate facade of the Japanese ramen house, he notices something, or rather someone, wholly less ornate. A tall, bald and ugly brute of man stands beside the entrance with his legs apart and arms crossed. You would be forgiven for thinking this noodle bar had become a titty bar.
“Hi mate.” Tyler nods at the bouncer as he pulls the doors open. The bouncer does not acknowledge Tyler - he just remains in a statuesque pose with a steely gaze. Not impressed by the lack of response, Tyler mumbles under his breathe “Suit yourself.”
Tyler enters the restaurant and stands by the sign which asks him to ‘wait here to be seated.’ He pauses for a moment, shuffling his feet and whistling in an obvious attempt to attract the attention of the waitress who is busy serving a table of four in the middle of the room. The waitress turns her head and immediately recognises Tyler. She reluctantly heads over to greet Tyler but is not able to say a word before Scott butts in.
“Hi darling. Remind me what your name is again – Aleca? No wait, I remember – Alexa.”
“We do not want any trouble.”
“Trouble? I am not here to cause trouble. I would like a table for two please.” Tyler requests with a devilish smirk.
“Erm ok.” The waitress panics a little and looks around the restaurant. Even though there is a free table in the far corner of the room, Alexa takes the decision to lie to Tyler in an attempt to get him to leave. “I am sorry sir, we do not have any free tables at the moment.”
“What about that one over there?” The vacant table does not escape Tyler’s attention.
“I am afraid that table is reserved.” Alexa responds, hoping desperately that her diversion tactics will pay off.
“Well unreserve it.”
“I can’t do that, Sir.”
“Sure you can.” With that Tyler strides past Alexa and seats himself at the vacant table.
“Sir you cannot sit here.” Alexa pleads with Tyler but her protests fall on deaf ears.
“I will have one menu and two glasses of sake please.” Tyler demands.
“Erm ok. Will someone be joining you soon?” Alexa asks.
“Yes. Please tell Mr Yuki that I would like to see him.”
With that Alexa turns towards the kitchen to find her employer and head chef, Mr Yuki.
After a few moments, he emerges from the kitchen to see Tyler Scott sitting proudly at the table.
Mr Yuki has a quiet word in the ear of Alexa who subsequently gets the sake and menu as requested. She hands them to Mr Yuki who delivers them to Tyler Scott. Meanwhile, Alexa skulks off in the background - no doubt up to no good. Whilst Tyler’s attention turns to the man he came ultimately come to see, Alexa’s absence does not go unnoticed.
“Mr Yuki, good to see you again. Please take a seat.” Tyler welcomes Mr Yuki to the table as he gratefully takes one glass of sake and the menu from him. Mr Yuki nervously sits down.
“Please can we do this later? I have customers to serve.” Mr Yuki says, trying to buy more time.
“You have me to serve.” Tyler does not respond well to the dismissive tone. “This is not going away. We need to sort this out today.”
Mr Yuki let’s out a deep sigh of acceptance just as Alexa reappears from the entrance to the restaurant. Behind her, the bouncer follows. Tyler, predicting this would happen, carries on his conversion with Mr Yuki, unintimidated.
“I see you still haven’t fired little miss bitch face.” Tyler exclaims pointing towards Alexa. “There was me thinking that, since our last meeting, you may have taken some action to start making some cost savings. I thought we agreed that the useless waitress’s salary would be better spent paying off your significant debts. So imagine my surprise when I return to see that; not only is misery guts still waiting tables, but you have also hired a fucking meat-head bouncer on the door.”
The bouncer does not take lightly to the insult and takes a step forward before Alexa stops him with a hand across the chest.
Tyler continues “Did you think that would stop me from coming back. Did you think by hiring another goon that would scare me off? Mr Yuki - you are sorely mistaken. I like to think I am a problem solver and, at the moment, you are creating problems. The more obstacles you put in my way - the more determined I become.”
Tyler takes a moment to look up to the waitress and the bouncer, before staring Mr Yuki deep in the eyes. “So… Mr Yuki… Do you have the money or not?”
Mr Yuki stammers “I…I don’t…”
Tyler slams his fist down on the table and rises to his feet. Braddock, the enforcer, places himself in front of Mr Yuki to protect him. The big bruiser pumps out his chest, squares his shoulders and rears up for a confrontation.
“Ok big boy.” Tyler chortles. “Settle down.”
Tyler takes a step back, seemingly reassessing his situation. “Ok…ok. Let’s not do anything too hasty. I think we come some arrangement.” Tyler retreats back into his seat. “How about you cook me your best bowl of noodles and we call it a deal? We don’t need to take this any further.”
Mr Yuki frowns, almost incredulous at Tyler’s sudden U-turn. He looks at Tyler’s outstretched hand and debates for a second if the strange offer is genuine. He proudly concludes that his plan of intimidating Tyler Scott must have worked.
“One bowl of noodles and this is over?” Mr Yuki clarifies.
Tyler nods in agreement. “I am a man of my word.”
“Ok” Mr Yuki concurs and shakes the hand of Tyler Scott before returning to the kitchen to cook up the most important bowl of noodles he has ever produced.
After 10 minutes of preparation, and another glass of sake for Tyler, Alexa brings out the bowl of ramen consisting of: udon noodles; shredded chicken; a marinated soft boiled egg; matchsticks of ginger and carrot; all swimming in a chicken miso broth.
Tyler tucks in, slurping soup and chowing on chicken. Mr Yuki watches on.
“Mr Yuki, you have surpassed yourself.” Tyler exclaims with a thumbs up. “This is yummy!”
Mr Yuki lets out a sigh of relief as he believes his debt is about to be written off.
Just then, a team of uniformed personnel burst through the entrance.
The man walks up to the counter and pulls a badge from his jacket pocket. “Environmental health. We have had reports of rats in this restaurant.”
“Rats? There are no rats in my restaurant!” Mr Yuki demonstrates before a realisation suddenly dawns on him. He glances across to Tyler Scott as he facial expression drops. Tyler smirks as he sucks up his ramen in the most satisfying of slurps.
“We need everyone to finish their meals and leave. Everyone who works here needs to stop what they are doing immediately.” The environmental health team storm the kitchen and search the premises.
Tyler Scott finishes the last of his noodles and gets up out of his seat.
“Over here!” Tyler calls over the lead environmental health officer and points to the floor under his table. There, sat proudly in the middle of the floor, a neatly positioned pile of mouse droppings. So neatly positioned in fact that one would think they had been placed there.
As the environmental health officer examines the droppings, Tyler sneaks out of the restaurant, mopping his mouth with a napkin and flashing a smile to Mr Yuki. He has finished his meal. Mr Yuki’s business is no more.
Hiroshi Yukio - you may possess a weight advantage over me but that will not be enough to beat me. Yes, your big fat arse makes it difficult to knock you down or hook your leg but I have already proven that it is possible to pin you to the mat.
But that is not the only way to defeat you. You may be big, but you have many chinks (thoroughly intended borderline racist oriental joke) in your armour.
I am a polymath of the wrestling world. I have innumerable options at my disposal to beat you. I am capable of sudden explosive power or high-risk aerial assaults. On the other hand, I can pick you apart with systematic joint manipulation and subtle psychological warfare. If the opportunity presents itself and I have to use the odd underhanded tactic, so be it.
Whichever way I choose – I will destroy you.
The North American championship has been in my possession before. I will be the North American champion again.
You are just a stepping stone. A big wide stepping stone – but a simple stepping stone all the same.
