-Oxford - Wednesday: Part 4-
Kyoko wanted to protest, sure she had sent or a lawyer. She sent for someone she was sure she could trust actually. Someone she doubted was a player in this game. Why she was so sure about that even she didn't know. Yet but that wasn't exactly the real reason she had requested that man in general. She knew he had a connection to law enforcement in Japan. Though that wasn't the reason either, this man was extremely good at details. He saw things that most people would miss. This man had helped her understand her mother at such a young age. The way he could read her mother had taken her by surprise and it made her want to learn. So she watched, she watched how he responded to her expressions and she began to tell the differences between her anger, thinking, and disgust. The woman was so open with her emotions... you just needed to know how to read those eyebrow twitches. Part of her had wanted to seek her help but she felt and believed that the woman who had wanted nothing to do with her when she was her daughter would not feel any desire to help her now. Besides she needed someone skilled at reading people, not just their hearts but the smallest expressions that they made and she didn't think she was going to be that good at it.
There was one more person she wanted so badly in her corner right now. Yet she would have to talk to her father before she could even get that one going. That scared her more than anything. What if he denied her request? What if he tried to talk her out of her plans? Too many questions that were going through her head. Yet she knew one thing she wanted Tsuruga out of this. Maria would never forgive her if something happened to her Ren.
'Forgive me... I can't let this guy be scared away.' she turned towards the police officer. "Please forgive Mister Tsuruga, I'm afraid he doesn't understand my position very well. If I was any other normal person..." she said stepping away from Ren all together, her eyes turning to look at him carefully before closing and looking back at the officer.
"No, it's understandable for a boyfriend to want to protect their girlfriend. Still, you are a bit young to be with a much older man," he said with a smile, his eyes trailing her body for a moment before looking back at her face, "I'm sure he understands that the age of consent is 16." Kyoko tried not to twitch at that thought.
"We're not dating." she mentally shook her head trying to hold in her own anger, "Not that he's not attractive. Anyone can see that much. However, even if we were dating as long as he did not break the law there would be no harm." She knew the law rather well actually. "Besides he's deemed as Japan's most desirable man. So he has a far better selection of women he can have relations with."
The officer looked at Ren for a moment as if this bit of knowledge was amusing to him. Then turned back towards Kyoko, "So you are single?"
"Yes of course, well I was betrothed once but that's not uncommon for someone of my birth." she looked down holding her hands tightly, "But in the end, he made it clear I was no good for him." The officer made a step to move towards her again but Ren placed a hand on her shoulder gently pulling her into his embraced his eyes never once leaving the man. 'Not good he's getting upset' she mentally took a deep breath touching his chest, she felt him calm under this touch pulling away again.
"I see..." he said looking at her. The way she moved from Ren and was now holding onto Ruto's arm. "I suppose you still being a child it's understandable that the adults in your life will want to protect you." There was something off by the way he spoke and she found herself looking down at her feet for a moment.
Ruto placed a hand on her hands. "As her Godfather, it is only proper for me to take care of her. Ren is a close family friend of her Father and Brother, it goes without question that the young man would want to protect her as well."
"I see, so he's like a big brother to her." He didn't notice the change in the air but Ruto and Kyoko had noticed it.
"I can say that at most we are acquaintances. His connection is to my father, my brother and his daughter. I do not live in Japan." Kyoko couldn't exactly say she hated him not after all he did yesterday for her. She still didn't like him though, but this man didn't need to know such things. Just like Ren didn't need to know her plans, no one needed to know exactly how dangerous this game she was going to play was. Not even Ruto. "Nor do I wish anything bad to happen to him. Good people shouldn't have bad things happen to them." she smiled sadly at the officer, "Yet everyone has desires and wishes of their own. Yet I understand to create that desire or wish" she said touching her stomach slightly, pushing the pain aside as she gripped the dress that hugged her. "Everything has a price, wishes, desires... nothing in this world is free." she looked up at the man in front of her. He seemed confused but that was fine. She didn't need him to really understand what she was saying but she felt Ruto stiffen next to her. She looked back towards him his eyes showed his own fears for just a moment before returning to normal. She smiled softly at him.
"I'm afraid Lady Kyoko I don't fully understand what you speaking about. I understood that for you this man is someone that's just connected to your Father due to where you are being raised and where he lives. It is truly sad that a daughter is not growing up with her father." he smiled at her. "I always did wonder why you were here and not with him." he shook his head softly before taking his hat off and turning it in his hands. "Did your father not love you?"
Her eyes narrowed at the man as she looked at him, "I assure you, that the only reason my father isn't here at this very moment is that I do not wish to worry him needlessly but I fear that's no longer going to be the case. I don't think I can protect him from this. Seeing as it seems Heth is very clear on trying to make me the villain to his actions. Daddy isn't going to be happy... there will likely be an uproar, here and in Japan over this." She bit her lower lip.
"I don't wish to cause a national uproar, I only wish to get to the bottom of this. I assure you we have an eye on him. He's not just wandering free." he said smiling, "If you wanted to come to the station I could show you what the orders for his release were." She closed her eyes, she could feel Ren's energy filling the room again and it worried her.
"I already went through this. I'm under orders. Regardless I know that the communication between the police and its citizens must remain open. I am working with Ms. King and General Brown at this time and I know that they will be more than willing to help you. As I am still a minor and my Father nor Great Aunt is here. It isn't really proper for me to be speaking with the police without a guardian present you know." she bit her lower lip she found herself pacing as she spoke her fingers fidgeting as she did so. 'I need him to come here, to come at me. Even if it's not here. I just have to make it clear he has to come for me where I'm at. That I won't be brought to him...'
"Miss Kyoko…" Ruto's hand stilled her, she took several deep breaths before looking at him "It is fine. You are working with the police on this matter. That is all that matters right now. Your father will be here soon." his eyes turned towards the policeman, "If you would excuse us." His eyes turned towards Ren "I'm sure you have much work to do after this." He watched as Ren nodded his head some.
Kyoko moved away from Ruto, she carefully kneeled down to pick up the Koto. Ruto's eyes trailed towards the officers and his eyes narrowed, the man flinched slightly taking a step back before putting his hat back on his head. "Yes of course. That's important, perhaps when your father gets here he'll agree that you should come down with me."
Ruto took a step forwards taking the koto from her, she frowned softly. Ruto could tell she really wanted to hold onto it, he leaned forward whispering in her ear "Perhaps it would be best if you take Ren's arm instead, Miss Kyoko. That man is less likely to follow us if you do." she froze as he pulled back holding onto the koto, she closed her eyes. 'That's so not fair...' her eyes turned towards the police officer and she mentally shuddered at the look she saw on his face her eyes turned towards Ren. 'Yeah... I'm not sure what's worse... the vibe he's sending off or the looks that man just gave me' she was pretty sure nothing had been shown 'maybe I should change... perhaps this dress is too short.' wondering if she had flashed him and that had caused the strange look that had come from the police officer.
'I really don't want him to follow I need him to pass the information on.' her eyes looked back at Ren before moving towards him, she smiled softly at him, looking up at him but he wasn't looking at her. It was almost as if he hadn't picked up that she had moved closer to him. His eyes focus on the officer 'I can't let you scare him away... why do you have to be such a problem?' she mentally sighed 'at least his anger isn't directed at me...' she reached up touching his arm and his eyes shot towards her. Almost at once he seemed to relax.
"Shall we go?" she said smiling at him. She shuddered as she felt his hand wrap around her pulling her close to him before she moved so that she was holding his arm instead. "It's not nice to mislead people Mister Tsuruga," she said closing her eyes. His eyes trailed over to the officer and she could feel her children stirring inside of her. It was hard to keep them in check at the moment with the energy that this man was throwing off, but they quickly retreated at his painted face. 'No... not that look.' she cried inside at his painted gentleman smile that seemed to blind her.
"Of course." he looked towards the officer "Forgive me for overstepping my boundaries. It's just that she seemed so troubled. I wouldn't want her father to think I didn't do all I could to protect his little girl." he said with a smile that should have killed the man and she found herself unable to keep herself from shuddering from it. His eyes turned towards her "Are you cold perhaps Lady Kyoko?" the look in his eyes startled her more and she quickly shook her head.
"I'm fine. However, Mister Tsuruga, I do expect you to eat a proper serving. I can't allow you to teach Maria bad table manners." She couldn't help but smile as he seemed to relax with a groan. As he led her away from the officer and the gardens itself. 'Somehow this place feels tainted...' her eyes trailed back towards the officer before her eyes turned toward Ruto who had her koto 'will the magic be here tomorrow?' she felt a sudden sadness in her heart at the thought that it might not ever heal.
The police officer pulled out his cell phone, the moment that the group was out of sight. The Arabian man would be a problem. The young man Ren Tsuruga apparently won't be much of a problem. He hadn't noticed the feelings that he was throwing out towards him but he had noticed the look he given to him more than once and both times they had him taking a step back.
It seems that the flower has a thorn. Suggestions. - o
Remove them. - ?
Doing so will make it harder to get to the flower. - o
Find another way, that flower is a must for our collection. - ?
He looked down at his cell phone at his last message before looking back towards the direction that Kyoko had walked off too. 'Well, it can't be helped.' he said deleting the messages. 'She is rather cute, shame that what happened to her. Her own fault though' he shook his head as he called the office.
"Hello, I tried to get the information you requested but it seems that Lady Kyoko is refusing to speak with us." Well, to be honest, she was refusing to come down with him at the time. Not that that information needed to be known "She doesn't deny what the victim said. I recommend we push on with the paperwork, that poor guy suffered a great deal because of her and is in hiding out of fear of what can happen to him." A smile appeared as he nodded, "Yes, of course, I agree it's important that people understand that the royal family isn't above the law." he couldn't help the grin that played across his lips "I'll be more than happen to talk to the Ms. King. I'll head that way now."
He hung up placing his cellphone to his lips, 'We could use someone in her position, it will be useful.' He shook his head 'However to take that flower, means making her disappear from the world. A body will be needed. I'll have to look into finding someone suited to be her body double for her untimely death.'
Todoh Susumu had quietly entered his co-worker's office. It wasn't hard for him to go unheard. It was one of the reasons why he had been assigned to watch her when she had been with child. After they found out her plans. He could read her very well. Not that he was interested in her in that way but that didn't change the fact he cared about her. Mogami Saena was looking at pictures of one Takarada Lory having landed in England. One of the pictures showed a young woman that was being embraced and he knew right away exactly who that young woman was.
"As I thought" his eyes trailing over Saena's face. While most would never be able to see her expressions he knew her, she was worried about her choice. She had been like this when she left Kyoko with Fuwas and when she had found out what had happened. There had been anger, but not at the parents at the boy. At not being a proper mother. Now he noticed that she seemed to worry more about her choices, to hide the girl to make her seem dead to the world. It set her free but at the same time the choice of what that met sat heavy in her heart.
Saena looked up at him there was the slight twitch in her expression before she closed the page, "I no longer have any say." she said turning towards a case file on her desk.
"You weren't denied the right," he said looking at her carefully. She didn't seem bothered by this fact. Part of him wondered if she perhaps would one day come around but seeing as she hadn't in the last 15 years that the girl had been alive, rarely paying much attention at all to her other than taking care to pay for her care since she left the girl with the Fuwas at the age of seven. No, she had shown up very rarely, it had always ended badly from what he could recall. She expected a great deal of the girl, simply because of who her parents were. Two people with great minds meant that failure was not acceptable and anything, not 100% meant failure. There had also been the disappointment when she had learned that Kyoko had run away with Shoutaro and the aftermath of that. There wasn't love there, it was all responsibility.
"I never wanted that child to begin with," she said simply.
Todoh knew this had been the truth of the matter. The fact had it not been for Katagiri Kenichi and himself who knows if Kyoko would have lived to be the young woman she is today. He knew that to Saena that girl was the living proof of her shame. He crossed his arms. "I got a call from a General Brown Kendi seems I've been requested by Takarada Kyoko."
He watched as Saena eyebrows twitched "Are you going?" he didn't hear the concern in her voice but he had noted it on her face.
Todoh closed his eyes, "Katagiri thinks it will be a good idea. It seems she's in a bit of trouble. I can't get into the details but she personally requested me. I'm surprised she can even remember me."
Saena looked at him but said nothing as she went back to her case file, "when do you leave?"
"In a few hours." He opened the door pausing before he left, "I'll keep you in the loop as much as I can." He knew she would not say anything about it and didn't bother to double check. Still, if her looking at the life of a girl still. He knew she would want to know what was going on. 'She still feels responsible for her, I can't help but feel this might be a good thing.'