Chapter Seven:
Co-Written with Sifirela
The next morning dawned bright and early, well maybe a little too early. In fact, it dawned far too early…So much so that Kento had actually pulled a Rowen. Meaning, Hardrock's bearer woke up, rolled over, and went right back to sleep.
Right now, the Ronin of Hardrock was walking down the alley-way to get to the street he needed to be on within 15 minutes. He sighed, ran a hand through his hair and continued on his path. He looked at his watch and as he did this he ran hard smack dab into someone, causing the person to fly into the stand of melons.
"Oh Sorry! Sorry!" He helped the old man up and paid the cranky mellon-seller before deciding it might be a good idea to make his way back, coming to the realization that he was not where he was supposed to be. Hearing a laugh behind him he turned and looked over his shoulder, and quirked an eyebrow.
"Ryo? Is that you? What happened to your mullet!" Kento said this in a rush, complete surprise showing in his face.
"I got a hair cut once I could afford one," Ryo chuckled out in amusement, arms crossed in front of his chest.
The young man had gotten a cut which made his normally long hair exceedingly short, though he still had the shaggy bangs. For some reason, no one had been able to get rid of them it would seem he was stuck with them for a while.
The Ronin of Wildfire had also filled out, partly due to the fact he'd stopped growing, mainly due to the fact that while he was working at a newspaper he still kept very much in shape. "How ya been Kento?"
"I see," Kento snorted and grinned, "I've been better, could use a heavy stiff drink before heading to work but heh, I'll do that afterwards."
"Ah the family has driven you to sanity have they?" Ryo chuckled out…Yes, he was implying taking in large quantities of heavy alcohol was a sane thing to do before dealing with the people Kento ended up having to counsel.
"Other than the need for a drink, how's life?" Wildfire's bearer queried. Inwardly, he was frowning taken aback by how much weight the Ronin of Hardrock had lost, if he kept it up, he'd become as transparent as Rowen and Sage. It wasn't something he was expecting, yet he knew better than to question it now. That would be for another time, Ryo knew how defensive the Warrior of Strength could get.
"Meh it goes, bro. It goes. How's yours? Haven't spoken to you in ages, where ya been hiding?" Kento grinned; not at all caring about the time, he could be late for work for once. It wouldn't kill him.
"My nice new corner office," Ryo answered, before he shrugged his shoulders, "It's all right. I've been really busy; I now have the ENTIRE sports section to review the articles and stuff on...While still writing my column." He stretched, "Week and a half ago, we, as in most of the newspaper, went to one of the islands for a bit of r and r, had a good time. But it was a bit boring, newspaper people are really very uninteresting."
He took pause, slyly adding. "Not as interesting as say...Four guys I know that I spent my teenage years with trying to save the world," Ryo commented, jokingly adding, "Only to have it damned by super corporations and their monopolies."
"Hmm I wonder who you could be talking about?" Kento gave a snort, and then said, "Well thankfully I'm off on weekends. Have you gotten in touch with Cye, by chance? We talked last face-to-face about two months ago. I tried calling just the other day, but he never picked up."
Ryo gave a grin, instead of answering he asked, "Wanna make a quick stop before you head in to the job?"
"Sure. It'll help get my head together, I hope anyway. No mothers wearing army boots now are there?" Kento teased.
"Oh ho, funny hot dog man, very funny," Ryo chortled as he lead Kento down a side-street and towards an old shop, "Just little old ladies ready to chase you with brooms."
He sniggered, before opening the door and walking inside.
Once in, he cheerfully called out, "Cye! Look what I found! Do you think the people in my apartment will let me keep it?"
"Ryo you couldn't even keep Blaze," Cye began, and then turned around, blinking, "Well, I'll be. Hullo Kento."
"You jerk. You mean to tell me you've been hiding out here. And never contacted me?" Kento took Cye by the collar and shook him slightly until there was a broom that hit him upside the head. "Ow!"
"You, stop touching my employee! If you're unhappy about something take it up with me," Grandma had the broom poised over her head ready to strike again, glaring at Kento from behind thick-rimmed glasses.
Often she forgot to wear them, if it weren't for Cye, she probably wouldn't wear them at all. She continued to stare down the Ronin of Hardrock, fully prepared to advance at a moment's notice.
"Grandma," Ryo cheerfully greeted, moving to diffuse the old woman before she thwacked Kento again, "How are you today?"
"I told you I was working in Tokyo the last time we talked, and further you changed your phone number," Cye told his friend in a bored tone.
"Oh yeah," Kento laughed, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his head, "Oops."
"Ohh! Hello handsome!" The little old woman made sure her hair was in its right place and batted her eye lashes at him. "I'm fine. And yourself?" She may have been old, but she definitely didn't mind staring at the young men, she was old not dead.
When her back was turned, Cye made a gag-like face at their display; and then returned his attention to Kento, "I had planned to bother you, but I keep stopping by the ruddy restaurant and you're never there. I had plans on trashing your apartment tonight, Ryo just ruined that."
"Can't help it, I enjoy being a home-wrecker," Ryo commented, saying to Grandma, "Doing well, ma'am. Don't let tall over there make you work too hard; if he does you be sure and tell me. I'll have a 'talk' with him."
The Ronin of Torrent knew she wasn't looking at him and gave Ryo the dirtiest look he could muster; Wildfire's bearer merely grinned in response to this. To all their surprise, the old woman smacked Cye upside the head without having to look back at him, and Kento blinked, "Wow, good aim."
"I have an eye on you, you young troublemaker," Grandma said looking at Cye with a crazy eye before giving Ryo sweet ones. "You're just so cute. You need to fatten up though! You're skin and bones." She said bowing.
Then she turned her gaze to Cye, "Don't dawdle too long, you lazy thing. My feet are aching and they need a massage and I need you to put an ointment on my bunions. They're killing me."
"Yes ma'am," Cye said shaking his head, saying to Kento, "I'll talk to you later."
"Ya, same for me, I have this bad feeling my phone is going to ring," Ryo eyed it with distaste, "Goodbye, you two I'll be back to check in later if I am able." He walked on outside to wait for Kento.
The Ronin of Hardrock chuckled, "All right, then Cye, hold ya to it."
Torrent's bearer was frowning after the man, hell if Ryo hadn't brought him in here then Cye would have never been able to recognize Kento. The Ronin of Trust found it a little hard to take, seeing as how they'd spoken face-to-face not more than two months ago. Granted, he was aware Hardrock's bearer had been dropping weight, but this was drastic…And a little disconcerting.
"Everything all right Cye?" the little old woman queried of her employee, "You know I was only kidding about the feet thing, right?"
"Mm?" the bearer of Torrent snapped his attention back to the present and chuckled, "I know, Grandma, and don't worry about it, things are fine."
…Cye might have the predisposition to be honest and truthful due to his virtue, but that didn't mean he couldn't convince himself that a lie was the truth.
Once outside, Kento cracked up finally letting out the laughter he had been holding in, "Cye had that one coming to him."
The Wildfire Ronin shook his head in belated amusement, but did not bother to add a comment.
"Anyway, I best head on to the school. My butt is vibrating," Kento said grabbing his phone, and glancing at it. He made a face and then put it back in his pocket.
Ryo chortled at that comment, "Talk to you later Kento." He waved goodbye to his friend. The Ronin Leader watched his friend walk away with a slight sigh, before grabbing his cell as it rang.
There was no need for him to look at the caller id, "Toya, I'm already on my way to the meeting, just keep your shirt tucked in." He then flipped his cell shut, shook his head and headed off to where he was supposed to be.
Rin flopped on her side, the phone lying on the nightstand ringing off the hook, she moaned in her sleep and took the phone in her hands. Her eyes were barely open, and her voice came out in a growl, "What the hell do you want?"
She listened to the voice on the other end, and said, "I got it, it's right here. I'm going to meet up with the chief at ten for brunch, and then we discuss what we are going to put into the magazine." Rin listened again, and narrowed her eyes, "Don't give me this shit now Ilene, you know that I can't do that. Okay, now do it yourself, you're my assistant you shouldn't need my every guidance on every whim you get. Stop, breath, and move forward and do the best you can. Now shut up and let me sleep." She shut off the phone and slammed it down.
The young woman groaned again when her cell phone buzzed right off the table. She pulled the covers over her eyes and pulled the pillow over her head. "Shut up shut up...let me sleep!" She said in a mantra-like-tone.
It didn't help. Damn phone....Whoever invented the phone, better be grateful they were dead because should she have met them on the street she would have put a bell on their heads and rang it. See how they liked it. She looked at the time and flew up, everything crashing down as she fell out of bed.
"Son of a bitch!" It was going on 10 at this moment.
"This isn't my morning!" She screamed as she tossed on some clothes from last night, still slightly wrinkled. She ran out the door with minutes to spare and ran down the street, one heel in her hand, and one on her foot, hopping like a bunny as she did three things at once.
People that were gathering around the walk-way were having a small show for the morning, and some were muttering "baka gaijjin." She ignored them. Finally, the red-walk-light turned green and she ran in her heels, almost falling down twice before she got to her destination.
Rin was 10 minutes late---shit... 'Oh well.' She sighed through her nose as she tried catching her breath, her hair wind-swept and her clothes wrinkled...How the hell did she sleep so late?
Ugh, this guy better not be a pushover or she would have a thing or two to say to him. Rin was simply lucky enough that her assistant had given her a description of the guy; with that info it was easy to locate him.
He was the only one wearing slacks, a comfortable shirt, and what had to be comfortable shoes. He was not at all the stiff professional-type, at least, he sure didn't look it.
She slid into the seat after catching his attention, by clearing her throat and bowed, "I am so very sorry for being late, Sanada-san. I—er--slept in this morning."
"Don't worry about it, Beagals-san," Ryo assured, "I was told you got in yesterday, jet leg can be a real pain." He leaned back in the chair, adding, "Take your time, order breakfast; and then we can talk. I'm not in a rush."
"Thank-you," she said breathing in and out. 'From now on I'm wearing running shoes over here. These heels hurt like hell.'
Rin ordered some breakfast and began to eat slowly; conscious of her every move, as well as the young man. He had pulled up a newspaper to read, or maybe he had just done that to avoid staring at her.
She noticed that he was drumming his fingers on the table with his freehand. His fingernails looked bitten down to the cuticle, except the ends were blunted; obviously he kept them very short.
He was tanned skinned, and even though he was wearing a loose fitting shirt, he was definitely built. His hair was cropped short, his bangs flopping to each direction as if they had a mind of their own.
The last thing Rin took notice of was his eyes. They were a beautiful blue, she had no idea what color to call them, but they were bright. She looked down at her plate and stifled a yawn. He was cute, she would give him that; but that meant nothing to her. Though, so far he had come across as exceedingly polite.
She finished the last bit of food, and pushed the plate away, "So, Sanada-san. I hear you have been editor-in-chief for a few months now for the Sports Section?"
"Yes," Ryo gave a nod, folding the paper up and laying it down, "Wasn't what I was expecting when the boss called me in to the office, normally when he calls you in...Its because he's going to sack you, not promote you. Hard to say who was more stunned me...Or my colleagues...Actually no, it was definitely the people I work with."
"I wonder why? From what I hear you're an exceptionally great editor with some real skills to back it up. Weren't you scouted in your high school days?" Rin asked, taking out a notebook and her laptop. She was very thankful for wireless satellite; otherwise, she would have been in real trouble.
Ryo was a little bit surprised that she knew so much, but impressed she had done her homework, "Yeah I was; apparently even though I maintained a generous A-B average, I was very talented with a football."
Here he was being modest, he'd been on the highschool team for four years, and the last two years he'd been team captain. Further, he had helped his school win the league, not a meager accomplishment in the slightest.
"But I also had a knack for commentaries, and they seemed to appreciate that, so walla here I am," Ryo chuckled in amusement
"I see, very interesting," Rin took pause, and studied him for a good long moment, "I think I do remember you now. Your blue eyes are not that hard to forget. You were in that class with that Mouri fellow. Now I recognize you."
Ryo gave a chuckle, "Yes, Beagals-San. In Math, I sat two rows back from you, seat nearest to the window."
Wildfire's bearers mind was like a steel trap, he forgot very little; while he could act oblivious he was anything but.
"Memory like an elephant," she blinked at him, "I couldn't have told you where you sat even if I tried to remember. And you can call me Rin, I happen to not like Beagals-San. It makes me feel old and like a dog. How I was blessed with such a name, I will never know."
"All right then call me Ryo, Sanada-san makes it sound as though you're talking to my father, I'm not that old just yet," he chuckled in amusement. "And sides, your last name can't be as bad as some of them out there. Some people don't even give out their last name; like that girl you were friends with. I don't think I ever heard her last name mentioned...ever," Ryo remarked with another chuckle, as he added, "Which is an interesting thing because she was best friends with a friend of mine."
"Probably still is too," he thoughtfully mused.
"Ah yes, Sage-san. Actually, I should call him Date-san because I'm not on that type of speaking terms; not like Taini is," Rin said with a chuckle. "That song it's a small world after all comes in mind when I actually think about it. Here I thought you were going to be another stuck-up tight-wad who didn't have a sense of humor in their body."
"Ordinarily, I left that sort of thing to Sage," Ryo chuckled out, "Of course, he couldn't have ended up more different. Besides that, being a corporate asshole just doesn't appeal to me."
"So then Rin," Ryo queried, as he decided it was time to get to the point, "What can't I do for you?"
"What can't you do for me?" Rin repeated tilting her head. "You mean what you can do for me?" She asked with a chuckle.
"Meh sorry, not enough caffeine this morning, hold on," he picked up his phone, a lidded-look on his face, "Now, what do you want Toya?"
Ryo listened and the bored look on his face only deepened, "Get Shina to do it for you, if you're that helpless. I'm in a meeting, bye." He then hung up, cheerful demeanor now back, "Now where were we?"
"I see you're not that excited about your job when you talk to them," Rin said with a smile. "Anyway, I guess you can say we need your expertise in our kids' sports section. It's lacking and kids' parents are complaining for the lack of 'exuberance' in the sports and outdoors stuff."
She heaved a sigh, "They're claiming we're getting too glamorous for them. Only having kids look at beauty, instead of sports and recreation, you know things to do. So we need your expertise. "
"Ah I see," Ryo said with a nod, "Well you tell me what plans you had in mind, and I'll see if I can't help you tweak them a little."
"You're probably going to cringe hard when you see this," Rin pulled out a manila folder that was full of paper, which was bound together with three thick rubber bands. She handed him the paper, "I can't go through this because, frankly, it bores me to tears. I love sports, don't get me wrong. They're really great to put your body in shape, but the way my staff writes it seems to be written in a fiction story sort of way. People want facts, so that kids won't get the big idea that in one day they can make four winning baskets in a game."
Rin paused for a breath and then explained, "My staff is filled more with women who think only of fashion. They need to be fired, but the higher-uppers think it's a great way to sell clothes. Morons I tell you that."
"No worries, I know how it is, we have to please our advertisers here too," Ryo commented, as he took off the rubber bands.
He glanced at the first piece of paper, and tried hard not to laugh, "Uh huh cheerleading was the best they could do?" He cleared his throat, and put it down, save that one to look at it later.
"Mm, baseball..." Ryo scanned through it thoughtfully, picked up the notepad he had brought with him and started to make some notes.
He paused, closed his eyes and thought, then marked something else down, "Mm," he wrote down something else, and then put the file down.
Ryo abruptly looked up at Rin, as if he had forgotten she was there, "That ones not half-bad."
"Hey don't mind me. You don't need to tell me what's bad and what's not. Granted there are some things in there that are beyond pathetic and some that are semi-good. But go ahead I have a phone call I need to make. My phone has been vibrating since I got here."
Ryo gave a nod to Rin before she walked out, and went back to his task; this stuff was rather easy for him.
"I really can't stand you, you know," Taini remarked to the blond man that walked at her side. "You get better so fast, it's ridiculous."
Sage gave her a sly smile, "Does this mean you are jealous of me?"
"You wish," she said with a snort, as she continued to walk down the sidewalk with him.
Sage had awoken that morning feeling perfectly well, and was aware he needed some exercise; so now they were walking. Of course, Taini had spent most of the walk with her cellphone to her ear, listening to the annoying ring, and then someone picked up, "Hey Taini, what's up?"
"Finally, she answers," Tai commented to the blond swordsman, as she then spoke into the phone, "Not much, I dropped off the manuscript at your place. Just wanted to check and see how you were doing. Jet lag can be a bitch."
"Kinda like you," Sage teased, earning an elbow in his ribs, "Ow!"
"Oh I'm fine, I'm just meeting with a client. Are you two walking downtown? You two can come join us at---" Rin looked up at the café's sign and told Taini the name. Then, she added, "I think Miss Date would love to come see someone."
"MISS?" Sage screeched in annoyance, "Give me that damn phone!"
The red-head laughed and held it away from him, scolding, "Use your own." She then redirected her attention to her phone conversation, "Sure I know where that is."
"As a matter of fact, look across the street," Taini pulled the phone away from her ear, and waved to her friend, "Hi!"
"Ah! Okay." Rin smirked and waved back. She hung up her phone and grinned, "Hi Tai-chan. Miss Date."
Sage's eye twitched, "Y-you..."
Taini elbowed him in the gut again, remarking to Rin, "Hello, so where's this client, he good looking?"
"You already have a boyfriend," Sage commented rubbing at the sore spot.
"Yes and I keep you on the side, and I hooked up with someone else last night," Taini commented in a bored tone, then chortled at the look on his face.
"He's good looking and Miss Date's type. I think she'll fall for him," Rin ignored Sage's hands making a 'choking' movement and walked inside the café. "Sorry for being gone so long Ryo. This is my friend Taini and this," she motioned to Sage, "I'm sure you'll remember this rat-infested haired helmet-head."
"Oh hell, now I remember your damn name," Taini fumed at the raven-haired man, yep she remembered him perfectly now.
Ryo blinked in surprise at this, and then grinned up at the Ronin of Halo, "Well Sage you're keeping an awful lot of female company these days."
The blond man smirked at this, and put his arms around Taini and Rin, "Jealous there Ryo?" He then quickly removed himself from both women before they could act.
Of course, he did not move fast enough as Rin took her purse and smacked Sage over the head, "Touch me again and you die, Hairball."
"Come on Rin, you know you love me," Sage teased with a chuckle.
Taini merely offered a small grin, this was the best mood she'd seen Sage in...In months.
The Ronin of Halo exchanged a brief handshake with the raven-haired man, "Good to see you Ryo."
"Likewise," Ryo told him, biting down an amused chuckle.
"So how is the editor-in-chief, on his way to become owner of the whole newspaper industry?" Sage queried.
Wildfire's bearer chuckled, "Doing well enough. What about you Mr. Best-seller bent on world domination?"
"No no, that's Tai," the Halo Ronin assured, "I just plan to take over the country, she said I could have it."
"Ya what do I want with this lousy piece of real estate, when I'll have the entire planet?" the red-head asked with a smirk.
"Ah, Queen Taini needs to have an army though. You need to plunger and pillage, starting with Sage's hairstyle. How about that? Anybody have a shaver?" Rin asked with a smirk.
Sage's eye twitched, and Taini gave him a look and he quit; though he gave her a sulky look. Ryo chuckled and shook his head.
"Anyway, I see you've made plenty of red-marks on the articles," Rin said going back to her business voice, and pulling the manila folder to her.
"Thank-you," Rin said as she made sure all the files were in it.
"Not a problem at all Rin," Ryo said with a polite bow of his head.
"I best be going," Rin looked at her watch and jumped, as her phone had gone off.
She took her phone out of her back pocket and saw that Sage was the wise-guy calling her. She smacked him upside the head with her purse again, "You did that on purpose."
"Damn right I did," Sage commented with a smirk, chuckling at her in amusement.
"You two boys go have fun," Taini told them with a smirk, before latching onto Rin, "Come on Rinny!"
"Now don't make me use my tazer if I see you two making out! Toodles!" Rin said with a wink. "Baibai Miss Date! Sayanara Ryo."
Ryo rolled his eyes at the two women, and then grinned at his friend, "Come on, we're going to be early for the meet and greet at two, but we can talk."
Sage gave a nod it sounded like a plan to him.
