Author's note: I got this written relatively quickly, despite the fact that I'm writing this and the sequel simultaneously. Enjoy and don't forget to R&R ;) Thanks!
"Destiny is not a matter of change, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
- William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925)
Chapter Nine
Dais' morning had been predictably dull. He was by himself in his apartment without a soul to talk to, not that he was complaining. It wasn't such a bad thing to him, always having been a bit of a loner with a penchant for quiet. Especially since no arguments between Cale and Kayura meant he slept in undisturbed. After fighting rabid unicorns, he didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about it either, not that he could be persuaded to feel something like guilt for his late lie ins even when he didn't have a viable reason. He happened to like sleep nearly as much as Cale liked women.
By noon, the warlord gave up, deciding he was sufficiently rested that he could convince himself to roll out of his bed. He couldn't fall back asleep and he'd tried for the past twenty minutes. Besides that, the bathroom called and so did the kitchen as his stomach gave a disgruntled, hungry growl. Once again he had fallen into bed the night before completely forgetting dinner in favor of sleep, something his body didn't appreciate.
After a shower, he dressed and combed out his damp hair before wandering out to make tea. He was enjoying how silent his apartment was without the bickering duet and no radio playing, as the device was still dismantled on the counter. Sekhmet hadn't made much of a nuisance of himself aside from that but Dais had no reason to miss him either. No, he was relishing the quiet with a content, almost cat-like smile.
He drank his tea, ate something and considered what he wanted to do. He had work that night of course but he had at least five hours before he had to go in. Getting to his feet, he figured he'd explore the city a little. If Kayura got on his case about wasting a day, he'd say he was looking for any more attack unicorns or maybe dragons disguised as taxi drivers, whatever the hell else might have crawled out of any gates that opened while they'd been busy. He wasn't being lazy, he just didn't see the point in traipsing all over the country in search of something that wanted to kill him. Suicide was frowned upon, after all.
So explore he did. He rode a subway train for the first time, cursing when he accidentally missed his stop, only realizing it when he had reached the absolute end of the line. By that point he didn't bother with switching trains and just rode it back, disgruntled that he had missed that. He found his way out to the street, edging away from the people yelling at vending machines and running into a doomsday prophet, screaming that hell horses were upon them and the end was nigh. Making cuckoo gestures, he hurried down the street and dove into a mall for refuge, nearly falling on his face when the automatic door opened as he went to push on it.
"I think I hate technology," he grumbled, having barely caught himself and stalked off in a huff as onlookers laughed, rather red faced in embarrassment. It was hard to be suave when there were always booby traps waiting for him and- that thought was cut off as he realized where he was.
"Holy mother of god," he stared, having landed right in front of the Frederick's of Hollywood display. If he'd been red before, by then he was fuchsia but he wasn't looking away either. "Is it a brothel?" he glanced through the doors, unable to help himself. No matter how much he tried to think he wasn't as bad as Cale, curiosity was often his downfall. In particular, he was anxious to know if the ladies inside wore the skimpy outfits their posters displayed, such as the black lacy teddy on the right. The only thing stopping him from going inside and inquiring about 'services' (again, only for curiosity's sake!) was the looks he was receiving from the passerby. He coughed and hurried away before anyone said anything.
He poked around the mall further, eyeballed the contents of Hot Topic and Spencer's with suspicion, GAP and Hollister with disinterest and PacSun with disgust. The only place that caught his interest was the Halloween store and that was because of the Pirates of the Caribbean costumes. Somehow he resisted the temptation to buy Jack Sparrow's hat and instead walked down to the food court. Making a random selection, he purchased a snow cone. That was how Dais was introduced to brain freeze, making him worry that the so-called 'cold treat' was actually an attempt on his life.
He caught Sekhmet's, er, DJ Venom's 'Concise Weather Forecast.' It in its entirety consisted of, "There isn't a damn thing on the radar so chill out." He quickly came to the conclusion that the ex-evil warlord of venom enjoyed his job a little too much. Briefly he wondered why every radio he'd heard so far in the city was tuned to him but passed it off as Sekhmet's insanity being the new novelty. People had gotten very strange since his own time, as he'd noted after coming across an entire display dedicated to calendars of animals dressed up in cute costumes and shirts with food that had faces drawn on it. Odder yet had been finding modern Japanese's love of poop, since it was everywhere – on key chains, shirts, purses… Even candy. Which he hadn't dared to try, lest it be poop flavored too.
He cycled back through the mall to see the lingerie displays again, albeit somewhat guiltily before heading back out onto the streets. He wasn't sure he'd be sharing the location with Cale, he might just keep it as his own little secret. Dais hadn't done anything with women in quite some time, despite his perverted senses. He liked them, he liked looking at them, but after so many yeas he'd come to understand that all hookers were the same and his sexual exploits had petered out. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for anymore; he was still a man and still had desires but no one that he wanted. It was rather vexing.
He was an exceedingly quiet individual and he had little outward need for companionship. Perhaps he was going through depression, struggling with having little real purpose left in life. Certainly, the solitary warlord of illusion would not admit to being lonely. By that point in time, he was so far out of touch with basic human nature that he liked to think he didn't have those instincts anymore.
Having blown an hour or two by wandering around the city, he got lunch from a café on a street corner. From there, he walked to the gym figuring he could work out and quit thinking so much about things that didn't even really matter. He and Cale had more in common they liked to think, retreating to exercise or martial arts practice. Especially since the gym was where he ran into the man himself.
"Well hello," said a voice from the weight benches as Dais walked by to the changing rooms. Cale was bench pressing enough weights with relative ease that he had seasoned gym members eyeing him with worry from a distance.
He paused, glancing to the side in moderate confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be working?" he asked. He hadn't paid much attention to the conversation where Cale had mentioned his new job but he'd gotten the vague impression he wouldn't be around that day. Somehow he doubted that gym membership had been included in his perks.
"Yeah," the big man admitted in between lifts of the massive weights. "I already did."
Dais snorted. "You left early didn't you?"
There was a pause and a slightly guilty look crossed Cale's face. "Possibly," he said and then shrugged. "The job's boring. I'm not a thug, damn it, I resent having to act like one. No one said I'd be beating money out of innocent idiots in the contract."
"You're going soft." Cale had never been a hard man to begin with, Dais just liked to rub the salt in his wounds.
"Yeah, okay, maybe I'm having a hard time adjusting," grumbled Cale. Five more and then he sat up, wiping his brow despite there being no visible perspiration. "Can you really blame me?"
The white haired man was silent for a moment. "No," he finally murmured. "I have a hard time of it too."
"You're not as bad off," sulked the other. "Your skills are still useful. What am I going to do, polish swords in a museum?"'
Dais shut his mouth abruptly, having been on the verge of suggesting something along those lines. When he got a dirty look, he protested, "What? I would have thought that you'd like being a weapon's expert."
"It's no fun if I don't get to use them," he glowered. He was looking more and more like a cranky five year old as the conversation went on.
Shaking his head, Dais said, "Well, I don't know what else to tell you unless you take up acting and specialize in movies about Samurai."
"Eh, that'd drive me nuts," muttered the dark man. "They wouldn't know what they were doing because they weren't there."
"Then be a porn star," was Dais' sarcastic comment. What did he look like, a guidance counselor? He had no clue why his teammates went to him for advice, he hardly made for a sympathetic audience.
"Sounds interesting," Cale commented, pretending to consider it and smirking when the other shuddered. "I was joking, even if it would bring in good money."
He'd been approached by at least one person from Playgirl during his forays into the gym and though he'd declined the offer, she'd left her card with him. Just in case he'd consider changing his mind, she'd said with a wink and a smile that he'd seen a million times over. For however much he joked that everyone should see him, he wasn't quite that much of an exhibitionist. He was still quite customary in that sense, though it was doubtful that he bothered with the hassle of clothing within the privacy of his own apartment.
"Yeah, if you say so," Dais cringed before heading to change for his workout.
Cale just laughed and went back to his workout. He finished on the bench and did his pull ups, effortlessly towing himself up to the bar behind his neck. Then he went on to barbells, dumbbells, and deadlifts, as well as a few other smaller exercises worked in before he stretched and headed to the showers. He washed, toweled off and dressed to leave. Also, he left his hair down, free of the gel that usually lent him his signature hairstyle. Granted, that small blessing was only because he'd used up his previous bottle and had forgotten to buy more. And to think that everyone teased Sage for his hair gel usage when the real culprit was none other than his arch enemy.
Walking out of the gym, Cale stretched his arms over his head and mused over what to do with the rest of his day. Of course, he'd received a lecture from Kayura on the subject but he wasn't sure that killer pony hunting was what he was in the mood for. He was a samurai and a former daimyo, not a ranch hand and he didn't exactly have a lasso handy. Shrugging, he decided just to camp out near where the gate had opened last. Maybe killer ponies returned to the scene of the crime like killer humans. That logic worked for him and he trotted off to do so. It wasn't like they'd be hard to spot or anything. All he had to do was keep an eye out for Animal Control trucks… though he hoped they'd since updated their vehicles to tanks.
Downtown, Cale took up a corner in the shade of the entrance to a skyrise. The elaborate stairs hid him from plain sight and he could see the intersection and crosswalk where they'd fought before. Deciding that was as good as it got, he settled down and tugged his leather coat on before leaning back. Maybe he'd catch a nap too since it was rather warm that day.
An hour ticked by with the warlord lounging. He amused himself by observing the pedestrians that walked by, predominately the women. He didn't feign shame for doing so either, since he liked them very much and saw nothing wrong with appreciating them. What's more, with as much as he disliked modern life, he didn't seem to have as much of a problem with the females, leastways not from a distance. He'd had a few run ins with feminists, but they just left him with the general impression that people didn't get locked up for insanity anymore. As far as he was concerned, women (the ones that hadn't lost their minds) never changed so they had been the easiest thing to adjust to. All women, no matter the time period, had a weakness for bad boys, romance and his deep blue eyes. Having arms as thick as tree trunks didn't hurt anything either.
"Hm," he murmured to himself, head tilted to one side, considering. One could easily imagine that he had dog ears, one perked up with fascination as he considered what flavor he'd like to have that night. Chinese, Italian, German, African, there seemed to be no end to the variety. However when it came down to the wire, Cale was a very simple man. He liked blondes. So there he sat, inspecting the women as they walked by. Every shape, size and color seemed to live in Tokyo now, not that he complained. He enjoyed eyeballing each new set of legs as they sashayed past, rather like a peeping tom. Cale liked to think that he was more like a wine taster, trying every vintage until he found one bottle that was just right that he could keep.
Sighing, he glanced up at the sky. Two hours had passed and he was getting hungry as well as thirsty. No one had come by that had struck his fancy so he stood, tugging his sunglasses back down over his eyes and about to join the people walking towards their lunch breaks. That was when he saw her, the petite blond as she walked towards the intersection. He was immediately riveted, imaginary tail wagging a mile a minute.
A blonde girl, medium height, slender but not skinny with a nicely endowed chest and rear that she hardly seemed away of. His eyes slid down to her legs and his grin went wider at how she walked in her heels, even if the long, somewhat nunnish skirt blocked most of his view. He looked back up towards her face and saw the fine boned cheeks and the equally delicate glasses perched on the end of her nose as she walked with a book open in front of her. They looked like they were about to slide off and it just made Cale find her hotter, in a geeky kind of way.
A wolfish grin was on his face, leaning forward to give chase before he even quite knew what he was doing. Taking a breath, he debated how to advance. Just by her appearance, he guessed he'd need more than the average 'what are you doing and why isn't it me?' pick up line. No, she seemed far too conservative for that, he'd have to be more subtle. The problem was, it was getting harder to think as she got further away from him, approaching the crosswalk to vanish into the crowds.
He was about to toss caution to the windows and figure it out as he went but it turned out that Cale didn't have to bother with much thinking. She kept walking, four inch heels clicking as she went, oblivious to him and everyone else as she read. That meant she didn't notice as the crosswalk sign changed and Cale's eyes widened. She was about to step right out in front of an oncoming car. In an instant he was lunging forward. It would be a horrible waste of a woman and besides, he'd have to be an idiot to pass up such an opportunity. After all, what better way to catch a woman's eye than to sweep her out of harm's way? Even if he could technically be classified as a whole different variety of danger.
He pushed his way through the bystanders, rushing to save the woman from becoming victim to her studies. Reaching out just in time, he grabbed her arm and yanked her back from stepping out into traffic. To do so, he pulled her against his chest, which may or may not have been an accident in itself. She gave a yelp of surprise, jerked out of her own little world and back to reality to see who had grabbed her. His grip loosened but only by small degrees, as if she'd float away when released. Or worse, fall into the road.
"You know, you really should look where you're going," he chuckled into her ear. Her hair smelled sweet or was that her? He resisted shoving his nose into her neck to catch a better whiff.
"Eek!" she squeaked in a high pitched voice, jerking her head around to look at him. Cale blinked in surprise at the wide gray eyes but he grinned as she promptly flushed pink, his lips crooked up to one side in approval. Not only was she hot, she was adorable. "S-sorry," she stammered, quickly averting her eyes in embarrassment, trying to edge away so he wouldn't feel as inclined to hold her arm.
Cale wasn't letting go anytime soon, though. "What are you reading that has you so preoccupied?" he asked, following her step for step. The grin never left his face as he teased her, slipping into predator mode without even realizing that he was hunting.
She glanced down at the book in her hands and shut it, looking self-conscious. "My chemistry text book," she admitted.
He was taken aback and almost didn't believe her except for the bold type on the cover that said Advanced Chemistry. "Wow," he blinked, not knowing what to say for a moment. "You must be one hell of a brainiac." Then he mentally smacked himself, that had been a comment worthy of Rowen.
She didn't notice and much to his delight, she turned a deeper shade of red. He loved girls that blushed, the reaction and the fact that he could be the first to ruin them. Right then, he was struck by the impulse to scoop her up and tote her off on his shoulder. By the overwhelming way his instincts were acting up, he knew it would be a trial to keep his hands from wandering.
"I don't know about that," she mumbled self consciously, still wishing very much that he would let go. It was hard to think with him that close, he was hardly an unattractive man. The grin that curled at his lips was rather scary though.
"It's cool," he said, not really knowing anything about it. All he saw in all those symbols and figures was a migraine.
"I guess," she mumbled, avoiding looking at him. "Thank you for stopping me."
"Not a problem," he grinned a little more kindly.
A few moments of silence passed and she scuffed her foot on the concrete sidewalk. She wasn't sure why he was still there.
Cale hesitated. Polite conversation was running out and he didn't think he could stand to let this one walk away. That would be why he grinned as her stomach growled. "Hungry?" he asked.
The poor girl could have died of humiliation and if she flushed an more, she would surely faint on the spot. "A little," she admitted sheepishly. "I didn't have time to eat before class, I woke up late."
He laughed, a rough sound that sent queer chills down her spine. "Want to grab something with me? I was about to pay a visit to the breakfast place around the corner," he flashed her a charming smile, laying it on thick before the light changed and she ran off on him.
The young woman hesitated, not sure that going off with a strange man was such a brilliant idea. He was handsome in a roguish way, but that didn't make him an upstanding citizen. Cale saw her uncertainty and added, "Hey, I saved your butt from being road kill. The least you can do is keep me company for pancakes." He smiled as sincerely as he ever could, though the flirtatious undertones were still there.
She still looked reluctant but pancakes worked like a magic word. "All right," she relented. "You don't have to pay for me though." His beat up clothes didn't lend an air of wealth and she would have felt bad for taking from him.
"Nonsense," he took her elbow and led her down the sidewalk before she had time to formulate an escape. Cale was already thinking of ways to 'sink his claws' into his new prey. "I'm a very traditional man."
"Right," she mumbled, glancing around with worry. She sincerely hoped that no one saw her with him, she wasn't sure she'd ever live it down. Her brother would have a fit, too.
"So then," Cale said, helping her into a chair. "What's your name? Or shall I just call you Calamity Jane?"
She flushed, rubbing her nose and pushing her glasses back up. "My name is Date Satsuke," she said with as much dignity as she could muster. "And you? Or would you prefer Deus ex Machina?"
Cale didn't speak Latin or whatever she was speaking and so he wouldn't have gotten it even if he had been listening. 'Date? This hot piece of ass is Sage's little sister?' he thought in disbelief, looking her up and down with a whole new level of interest. Yes, Cale had struck gold. He barely knew her and he'd already decided she was his. 'Wow… how the children have grown up.'
Outwardly, he grinned and said, "Kujuurou Sasake but you can call me Cale," he winked.
Satsuke was certain that her face would never returned to its natural color after this. "Nice to meet you, Cale," she said, trying not to fidget under the intensity of his stare.
"And you," he said. "I hope I'm not making you miss class." He had to keep reminding himself to stay calm and be good. He was slightly unnerved, he'd never had such a difficult time behaving himself. It was like his instincts were taking over because he was finding it harder and harder abide the space between them. Honestly, he'd never once been so close to losing control.
"No," she gave him a smile. "I was on my way home from class. You're fine."
"Good," Cale noted that she had a sweet smile too. He seemed to have found himself a truly 'good girl.' "I'll walk you home after this then."
"What?" Satsuke asked, caught off guard. "No, that's quite all right. I'll be fine, you needn't bother."
"Perhaps but it would be rude of me not to," he smiled at her flustered face. "I told you, I'm a very traditional man. I wouldn't want a lady walking home alone through the city, especially one as beautiful as you."
Even if Satsuke thought he was full of crap, her inner female was doing whoops and cheers, when she wasn't swooning from his smile. She was too hot and bothered to formulate any protests however and she had to look away as she thought she would pass out from humiliation. Cale stifled a smug smile, knowing he'd won that argument before it had even started.
Satsuke was saved from having to speak to him for a few minutes when the waitress came to take their orders. After asking for pancakes and coffee, she took sneaky glances at her breakfast companion. She was too shy to eye him directly, even though she doubted he would have cared.
He was dark skinned, his spiky hair hanging down around his rugged face. His prominent jaw was covered in dark stubble, his equally deep blue eyes were strangely soft compared to the distinct air of power he radiated. Despite how obviously bad ass he was in so many ways, she was drawn to the deep simples in his cheeks when he smiled. It boggled her mind that he could be so dark and yet so adorable. She was dying to know about the scar on his eye but she was too shy to ask. Needless to say, she didn't think that she was the beautiful one there.
"Wow, I always forget how warm these places are," Cale remarked, shrugging his leather jacket off. Naturally he had seen her returning the inspection and was quite pleased with the attention. This was working out perfectly. Unable to help himself, he tugged off his constricting jacket, knowing full well the effect that his thick, muscled arms had on women.
Her eyes bugged out and he heard her breath suck in, informing Cale that Satsuke was yet another victim to the guns. He gave her an innocent smile as if he hadn't done that on purpose just to get a reaction and to wow her. "Yeah," she almost whispered, struggling to tear her eyes off him.
"So," he grinned, thrilled to pieces with how this was going. "What are you going to college to be, hm? Seems like a wealthy Date woman wouldn't need to worry about that."
It took her a moment to realize he'd spoken and she blushed worse, realizing she'd been staring. "Erm, I've been considering something to do with biotechnology," she said. "Either that or pharmaceuticals."
"Damn," he blinked, honestly impressed. "How are you avoiding your family marrying you off so you can do this?"
She fidgeted again, looking at her hands, giving off the appearance of disliking the subject. "I told mom that I wanted to find someone myself," she said. "So far it hasn't been a problem because I have two older siblings."
He chuckled. "With the way you were running down the sidewalk with your nose in a book I don't suppose you've done a lot of looking." She'd been looking at him plenty though, once he'd pulled her out of academics-land. He didn't plan on letting her return any time soon, either.
"Oh please," she waved him off indignantly. "I've done my share of dating. The majority of men don't interest me." She was relaxing slowly, able to meet his eyes without threatening to faint, even if it only lasted for a few moments each time. She was still pink faced and he could tell from how her pupils dilated that he wasn't one of the 'uninteresting' men. "Anyway," she came to the realization that he had her talking about herself and had yet to say anything about him. That would not do at all. "What about you?"
"What about me?" he echoed, smirking ever so faintly as he leaned back, tossing an arm over the back of his chair. Her eyes followed the movement and the smirk became more pronounced. Oh yes, another sucker for the guns. He was getting more enjoyment out of this game than should rightfully have been allowed.
"Well," she began, trying her hardest to keep her thoughts pure. Thinking about the man sprawled opposite her was only conducive to stuttering like a mental reject. "Tell me the basics. Your age, what you do for a living, if you're employed at all… that kind of thing." She fought back the impulse to ask if he was single. He wasn't wearing a ring but wedding bands were only a relatively new concept in Japan and not everyone used them.
He seemed amused by her polite conversation. "I'm older than I look and younger than I feel," was his snarky reply. "Twenty-five, dear." He didn't like lying about his age. There were a lot of things he did that conflicted with the Bushido code that he didn't mind but lying had always irked him. It didn't help any that he couldn't understand the modern woman's need for age. Whatever happened to it being all right as long as the girl was developed and the man wasn't old and wrinkly? "And I am employed, I work as a body guard. I don't like it though, it doesn't suit me."
"What makes you say that?" she asked, struggling not to let her mind dwell on how she'd like to climb all over him. It seemed like a perfect job for someone built like him.
"When I said I'm traditional, I meant it," he repeated and shrugged, reaching up to itch the back of his head. "I was raised by the Bushido Code and I'm a master Kendoist. Being a thug for hire is an insult to both my abilities and my morals." He paused and added, "Especially when the people I'm working for are nothing more than thugs in their own right, just too lazy to do their own dirty work."
She nodded, looking sympathetic as she leaned forward. "Well," she was trying not to smile, she really was but the smirk wormed its way out onto her face despite her best efforts. "My family owns a dojo…" she began, almost as if she were contemplating something. It was a moment before she continued, letting him wait with a curious raise of his brows. "Maybe if you make a good impression…" she trailed off meaningfully. She didn't feel anything else needed to be said.
Cale was grinning, proving her right. "You think you'd be able to get a job?" He could hardly believe his good luck.
"My brother is the only active sensei we currently have," she answered, not quite ready to commit to either a yes or a no. "My grandfather might be agreeable to hiring someone adequately skilled to take up sensei duties so that my nii-chan has more time to see to family responsibilities." That was mostly due to his upcoming marriage but Satsuke made no comment on that as it was still under wraps.
Cale's grin stretched wider, his teeth glinting in the light that came in through the dusty window. He looked almost like the Cheshire cat, sharp teeth and all. Fortunately, she was too preoccupied with his gorgeous eyes to notice them. "By all means, tell me how to make a good impression," he said. 'This woman is an angel,' he decided. 'Maybe kami loves me after all.'
She chuckled, tilting her head at him. "Meet me for coffee tomorrow and we'll talk more?" she offered. Inside she was doing cheers that she'd found a way to talk to him again. Her brother's friends were hot but they couldn't hold a candle to this man.
"I'd love to," he nodded quickly. 'Hell, that was easy.'
"Great!" her excitement leaked out before she could hide it, causing his grin to turn into a smirk and she blushed red all over again.
"Name the time and place, I'll be there," he said, choosing not to comment. He hardly even had to do anything for this girl to turn red and the reactions were proving to be highly entertaining for him. Satsuke had just found herself a stalker, even though Cale preferred the term 'fan boy.'
They arranged when they'd meet again before their meal arrived. During their late brunch, they talked about leisure topics and in general got to know each other. Of everything she said, Cale was the most pleased to know that Satsuke was a capable martial artist. That was unsurprising when her brother was a dojo master but Cale had always liked a woman that knew how to throw a solid punch. Then again, he'd always been accused of liking abuse in a bad way on more than on occasion.
The more they talked, the more he liked her, even though half the time he spent snickering at how hyper the coffee had made her. She admitted she rarely drank the stuff, liking green tea much more and her profuse apologies for acting like an idiot only amused him more. What did she think he wouldn't like about a chesty woman bouncing around in her seat directly across from him? Well, aside from the fact that he had to keep his hands to himself.
Unfortunately, their meal came to an end. He paid for them and Satsuke thanked him, graciously accepting the offer rather than continuing to fight him over it. He then took her arm to walk her home, which he had mixed feelings about. He didn't want to leave her, not when he was enjoying himself so much but then again he would be able to find out where she lived without using methods that would likely lead to her calling the police. He'd endured a number of strict warnings from Kayura that she wasn't coming to bail him out of jail if he got arrested for being creepy and that he'd have to be content with men for bitches. He'd been thoroughly affronted by this accusation but nonetheless was taking care not to come across as… ok so he had obsession problems. He knew this. He just wasn't ready to commit to therapy yet.
He enjoyed the last ten minutes of their conversation as they left the restaurant and walked the block to her apartment. He was surprised that she lived there rather than at the Date home, especially since the place didn't look so snazzy. It made him worry about her safety but he refrained from commenting on that because of the aforementioned 'creepy' thing he had. After all, if Sage had okay'd the place, it couldn't be so bad. Then again the blond had probably just gone around to the neighborhood thugs and given them the scare of their life, instantly converting them into Satsuke body guards. The fact that one or two hanging around gave him long looks cemented the idea, though one flex of his arm and they scurried off. No one wanted to rile up the tank she had at her side, no matter how scary the Date heir was.
"How come you stay here?" he asked her as they mounted the stairs, him shooting one last glance back at the shady fellows gathered at the corner below. He hoped they weren't drug dealers. "Seems like you'd be more… comfortable at home."
"It's easier to study when I have quiet roommates," she chirped cheerfully.
"Room mates?" he asked, now more than slightly worried about her safety. 'Please tell me none of those two bit punks live with her!'
"Yes," she smiled as she unlocked her door. "I'm home!" she called into the door, then stood back as a chorus of irate meows issued from inside and four cats barreled out the door.
'Well,' Cale glowered at them. 'She was perfect. Cats… why is it always cats?'
Satsuke scooped up one of the felines, a huge tabby tom and hugged him. "Look," she turned the scar-faced animal to show off Cale. "This is my new friend," she addressed the animal as if it could understand her.
Cale couldn't help but wonder how someone so young and attractive could already have degraded into a crazy cat lady. He was tempted to ask if her purse had bricks hidden in it too. With palpable reluctance, he acknowledged the cat she was sticking in his face. "Hello," he said with a nod to it, glowering as it stared back malevolently. The only reply he got was a growl from the depths of its throat. He glared, fully understanding that was feline for 'scram, she's mine.'
He had no intention of doing any such thing, however. She might have sunk to the level of the evil arch nemesis of the jackal armor bearer but he would not give up. He believed that she could be saved, more like she didn't have a choice in the matter. It wasn't as if he were trying to convert her to men in general, he was aiming for himself in specific. The cats had her for now but he smirked, knowing he could make her forget their existence with one kiss. Too bad that 'creepy' thing was keeping him from making that point with the cats or he would have taken care of it then.
More meowing caught his attention and he glanced to the side in time to see the vast number of cats now gathered around the woman. His eyes widened visibly as he saw her kneel down into what practically was a sea of them! Did she line her pockets with cat nip? Maybe he'd been mistaken in calling her an angel, she was beginning to seem more like an emissary for the devil.
"What in the name of hell do you do with so many cats?" he asked, not sure if he should be backing away slowly or just stand in awe of her sheer insanity. This girl… he liked her, but maybe he'd be better off handing her over to Sekhmet. They were both nuts, they'd hit it off right? Ha, like Cale was capable of giving up that easily.
"Oh, they're not all mine," she said easily, scratching behind one's ears. "Most of are strays that come by because I feed them. Only Rip is mine," she pointed to a small gray kitten, yawning as it wobbled out the door towards the humans.
"Rip?" he arched an eyebrow at the harmless ball of fluff. The name didn't bode well but he could hardly see how something so small and poufy could be dangerous.
"Rip Van Winkle," she elaborated patiently, chortling as the kitten mewled pathetically, leaning over to pick it up and cuddle it against her bosom. "He sleeps near constantly." A very loud purr emanated from the tiny creature.
"Oh." Well that didn't seem so bad, even if Cale had no clue what a 'Rip Van Winkle' was. She said it like it ought to be common knowledge. Maybe it was a kind of animal… he'd have to ask Sekhmet when he saw the man again. Glancing around at the swarm, he couldn't help but comment, "They seem to like you an awful lot." He was gauging this by the multitude of evil looks he was receiving for being near their woman. "You amassing armies for anything in particular?" He was only half teasing with that comment.
She laughed, immediately captivating his attention again at the noise she made. If he'd had a tail, it would have been wagging enthusiastically. He'd made her laugh and he loved it. "An army, hm. Not such a bad idea actually," she mused, an evil smile on her face. "They side with whoever opens the food cans," she said, straightening up from giving affection to her furry minions.
He nodded, the smile she brought to his face stubbornly refusing to budge, though it alternated back and forth between various shades of kind, gentle, infatuated, mocking and evil. "Yeah, it works that way with most things," he said, currently his face showing a mix of evil and amused. No one had clued the innocent girl in that it worked the same way with men. Given one a scrap of affection and he'd be whimpering at the door for the rest of the week, if not longer. While he might not stoop to actual whimpering, Satsuke would still likely end up finding presents at her door, left as peace offerings from the amorous warlord. Even if it meant braving her cat army.
She smiled right back, not seeming to notice the evil gleam in his eyes that meant he was planning. "You're right, it does." She was stalling and she knew it, reluctant to say good bye to him. She worried that the thought of employment wouldn't be enough to keep him interested, even as a sensei, which seemed like a job he'd look forward to very much. She'd behaved like such a ditz at the table, bouncing back and forth from topic to topic, he must find her very tiring. Chewing on her lip, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, trying to tell if he was looking for an escape yet.
She needn't have worried. She'd given the puppy scratches under his chin and now she had him for life, whether she wanted him or not. He was dragging his feet as well, unwilling to part with the girl. It was almost as if he feared she would turn out to be a big hallucination when he turned his back to her. "I suppose I'll see you later," he said. "You won't run off and leave me hanging?"
"I wouldn't dream of it," she smiled. "If I don't show up, feel free to come knock on my door. I won't put my attack cats on you," she teased. She was hardly so oblivious that she didn't notice the posturing going on around her, even if it didn't quite sink in what they were posturing about.
He laughed outright and grinned, his sharp teeth showing again. The dimples caught her eyes that time though, saving him once more. "I'll do that," he winked, giving her a bow. She returned the polite gesture, turning bright red at the flirtatious wink. That, she'd actually picked up on though she still second guessed it.
She was practically twitching as he finally rounded the corner and was out of sight before she dove into her apartment, Rip in her arms as she slammed the door on a dozen other annoyed cats that hadn't made it inside in time. In half a minute she was standing at the phone, dialing Rinfi as fast as she could. "Hey," she said, hardly able to contain the girlish squeals. "I just met the most gorgeous man on earth!"
Rinfi Rei Faun blinked, cradling her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder as she folded laundry. "What? Repeat that but more slowly," she said. She redirected Chun Fi's hands as she mistakenly folded a pair of Kento's boxers like origami, turning the ill-fated article of clothing into a mangled mess. Rinfi wasn't sure she even wanted to know why they had Kento's clothing at their house when he'd moved out.
"There was this guy that I met on my way home from class," Satsuke was so excited that she could barely figure out what to say first, the combined effect of Cale exposure, sugar, starch and then coffee. "I, er, wasn't looking where I was going…"
"Suki," Rinfi sighed in despair. Satsuke was her best friend but in some ways the girl could drive her berserk. "Did you trip on the poor guy?"
"No!" Satsuke said, blushing again. "I almost walked out into traffic," she said sheepishly.
"Satsuke!" Rinfi barked, causing her little sister to look up with wide eyes.
"It wasn't intentional--"
"You were walking with the book in your face again, weren't you?" she asked, rapping her fingernails on the table with impatience. "How many times have I told you not to do that? No, wait, how many times has your mother, my mother, Sage, Kento, Cye AND Ryo told you not to do that?"
She sulked on the other end. "I know, I forgot, okay?" She wasn't so eager to dwell on that, wanting to get back to the subject of hot guys, particularly the one she'd just spent the afternoon mentally drooling over.
"No, not okay," Rinfi groaned. "So this guy saved you from being goo on someone's grill, am I right?"
She was silent for a moment and then reluctantly said, "Yes." As no further reprimands came, she continued. "You should have seen this guy. He's built like… like Kento, he's ALL muscle and wow, he's just gorgeous. He has these dark blue eyes that one moment they're stormy and broody and the next bright with laughter," she bit her lip at the thought. "And dimples, my god he has such an adorable face. His hair… could use a good trimming and the sideburns have to go but I can live with the stubble."
"You… are so infatuated," sighed Rinfi, chuckling at the squawk on the other end. "What? You're gushing like a teenager. I haven't heard you go on like this since you first saw my brother."
Satsuke flushed red in embarrassment. "Shush," she sulked more. Yes, she had gone through a very long phase with Kento but that had ended almost the instant he'd actually realized she'd existed. That was when it had finally dawned on her that Kento was sweet but he just… wasn't right. So she'd moved onto Ryo, much to Sage's chagrin. Her adoration of the Ronin of Wildfire had just met a swift and grisly death at Cale's hands. "None of the guys can even begin to compare to him."
"I'm sure he was quite dark and mysterious," Rinfi said, chuckling. Mostly she found it amusing that Satsuke had found someone to subject to her affections. That had taken a while, especially since she'd wanted to be a wife and mother since they were about ten. "I'm happy for you but don't be so gung ho that you scare him off."
"I won't," she rubbed a toe into the carpet.
Rinfi raised an eyebrow at the slightly rueful response. "Please tell me you haven't been this hyper the entire time you were around him." She'd probably given the poor guy a headache!
"No!" she squeaked. "At least… well… not really."
The Chinese girl sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I feel bad for this guy." She chuckled as her friend whined on the other end. "I'm joking! Are you going to meet him again?"
"Mmhm," she giggled, bouncing in place. Rip had long since abandoned her to go to the food dish, munching happily while his owner had her own private party. "He's a master kendoist! What's more, he's looking for a better job than the one he has now, so he might come work at our dojo."
Smirking, Rinfi said, "You were quite efficient at luring him in and hooking him. Going to con him into popping the question too?"
"I would do no such thing," she protested.
"Sure," laughed the other girl. "Whatever you say, Suki."
Cale walked towards the bar Dais worked at. The man would be clocked in by this hour in the evening, which gave him someplace to go so that he wouldn't simply gravitate back to Satsuke's door. Every step of the walk was hard, pausing and hesitating, wanting to return. A couple of times he caught himself in the act of doing so and had to right himself again. Being 'not creepy' and 'not a stalker' was a lot harder than he'd thought.
It wasn't even just how she looked and Cale wasn't denying there was a physical attraction. She was sweet and even rather naïve, causing him all kinds of self restraint pain when she smiled or blushed. She was intelligent, albeit to the point of being nerdy, though he could overlook that for her cuteness. She was nice to talk to, understanding of him and his thoughts. She allowed him to talk while actually listening, not just staring with glazed eyes as she at his body. He appreciated that and found himself thinking of things he wanted to talk to her about. The problem was that he wasn't sure how long he could go without doing something 'creepy' or saying something about himself that she'd find 'creepy' (even if it was true).
At long last, he hauled himself into the bar and plunked his ass down on a stool, waiting for Dais to notice him. He did but by the time he approached to ask what Cale wanted to drink, the man had his head on the bar top. The other quirked a brow in confusion at the look of utter hopelessness. The warlord of illusion was almost afraid to ask what had happened so he settled on poking Cale's arm with his index finger to see if he was still alive. Cale twitched, which told Dais he was either still alive or still in his death throws.
"You want a drink?" he asked. As if he really had to, Cale never went without a drink. Dais doubted he'd been sober for a full day since he'd learned of the existence of alcohol. If he was dead, the answer would just be silence instead of no.
Grunting, the blue haired man looked up through the curtain of his unruly bangs. "I met the most beautiful, amazing woman in the world," he informed. "Blonde, buxom, sweet… virgin," he groaned. That had been very obvious during their afternoon together. "And she thinks she could get me a job as a kendo sensei."
Dais blinked his one blue eye, wonderingly. "Really?" he asked. "Then why do you look like someone ripped your nuts off?"
Cale dropped his head down, making a dull thunk on the counter top. "She's Sage's little sister," he mumbled into the fake marble, his entire body drooping like a kicked puppy.
"Oh. OH!" the other man's eyes widened and he gave a low whistle. "Man, I don't envy you in the slightest. Sage will finish what he started all those years ago if he realizes you're hot on his sister."
"I know," whimpered the so-called badass, not picking his head up. "To top if off, Sage is a blasted dojo master. No wonder the shit was such a pain in the ass to fight!"
The white haired man snorted back laughter at that comment. "Yeah, that does make sense." He hesitated but patted Cale's head with a sardonic smirk. "It's been nice knowing you." Not.
Cale growled slightly and said, "Like hell that blond frou frou will kill me. Not when I finally found-" he broke off. Since when had he started thinking of her as 'the one'? He rubbed his temples, honestly bewildered. He didn't say anything else for a few moments, wondering why it felt like every fiber of his body and soul was drawn to her as if she were magnetically charged. She was hot, yeah, but he'd seen better and still been able to control himself.
"Finally found…?" Dais prodded as the other had gone quiet.
"I don't know," he muttered, suddenly sour. Even supposing he thought she would be the perfect one to keep, he knew nothing about steady relationships. Would he even be able to learn how to do that at his age? He didn't even stop to think that she might not want him, it had been written all over her cherry-pink face. "Whatever, what Sage doesn't know can't hurt him."
Dais just shook his head, chortling. He set a shot glass and a bottle of whiskey down in front of him and said, "Drink. You might feel more like yourself."
"Doubtful," he mumbled, knocking back a hefty shot anyhow. "Knock me unconscious if I try to go back there and see her again tonight. My boys are threatening mutiny over my brains."
"You mean you have those?" Dais feigned shock. Either one, really. It had always been a wonder to the others that Cale didn't have legions of love children and their descendents, given his abilities to juggle more women at once than seemed possible.
The other picked up on that. "Ha ha," was his fake, sardonic laugh. "I most certainly do have them and they happen to be much bigger than yours." It appeared that he had missed the brains part, unsurprisingly. He downed another three shots but it would be at least another six before he felt any effect from it.
"Before you two are dropping trousers to compare," Kayura's voice broke across their conversation. "I need a word." The young woman leaned over and removed the alcohol from Cale's grasp, pushing it down the bar top and out of his reach.
"And I need the booze," he glowered, reaching in vain for his bottle. When she blocked him, he whined and said, "Aw, come on Kay!"
She shot him a dirty look for calling her that. "You need to stay sober. Listen, things are fluctuating really bad in the next ward over. I think another gate is about to open."
Dais sighed. "I just got this job, I can't lose it already by skipping out." He had rent to pay, damn it. Attack unicorns didn't exactly shit yen!
"Besides, what can we do?" Cale grumbled, not having given up on the liquor and was then trying to reach around the girl. "We don't have functional armor." He got his hand smacked before he could snatch the Whiskey.
"Have you two completely forgotten how to fight without the confounded armors?" she asked, one eye twitching and she bashed Cale's fingers into the edge of the counter upon a second attempt from him.
Cale yelped and yanked his hand back to nurse the offended digits, glowering evilly. After his day, he thought he had more than earned the drink. Why, he hadn't snuck so much as one touch of Satsuke's ass! He'd been a very good puppy and they were denying him treats. Cruelty!
Dais sighed. "Can't you find the Ronin?" he asked her plaintively.
"Not soon enough," she frowned. "And I've been looking." Unfortunately for them, neither Kayura nor Sekhmet had heard of the invention called a phone book yet. "Fine, Dais. You stay here, Cale and I will handle it."
"What?" the warlord asked indignantly. It was too late for protest though and he was already being pulled out with Kayura. He shot Dais an ugly look that meant he expected a wealthy repayment in milk bones for this. Actually, milk bones wouldn't be sufficient. Dais might just find himself acting as Cale's guidance as he seduced Satsuke, a position the older warlord would not accept so happily.
Shaking his head at the display, Dais turned around in time to come face to face with a confused Victoria. "Have you seen Addy?" she asked.