-Ring-Doh: Part 37-

Chiori stared at the man before her before glancing upwards towards the ceiling. She couldn't believe this was happening, someone actually recognized her, well besides Lord Fuwa but that matter was easily enough to take care of, as he wouldn't dare to make it known that the little Kyoko was in such a Gentlemen's Club. 'To kill or not to kill...' she sighed heavily knowing the answer already. It wasn't exactly his fault that unlike everyone else in such a place, would realize exactly who Choko was. 'Wait...' her eyes turned towards Yashiro looking him over once more. 'Could we have the wrong person?'

'No, but it seems he is special. Bring him to me.'

She clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Fine!" she snapped. Not that she was truly upset with the man before her as she grabbed his arm and pulled him after her, not caring that he was thrown off balance by her actions as she made a beeline towards the kitchen. "Hey, Asami, taken this man home he's drunk!" she called out, hearing a few chuckles as he bumped into a table in the process.

"Wha... I'm... I'm not drunk"

"That's what they always say," she muttered under her breath as she shoved him through the kitchen doors, her eyes moving towards the private room. 'What about Mr. Prince?'

'Leave him. If he fails, then he is never the one.'

Chiori shrugged her shoulders slightly as she stepped into the kitchens.

Kyoko stared at the tall blond who came stumbling into the kitchens, the way he fixed his jacket before turning on his heels to head back out the door he had just came through before jumping back mere seconds as the door came swinging open once more as Chiori came in. The whole scene had caused everything in the kitchen to stop, Tashio was no longer chopping up vegetables for tonight's dinner for the girls. A little celebration that was being held for Ariel's anniversary since joining Asami's family. While their guests wouldn't know this was the day she first became a member, those who worked here would know and small gifts would be given, a little party would be held. In many ways, tonight was far more important than their birthdays. As not everyone who came here knew the day of their birth or even exactly how old they were. For many the night they truly became a member of the family was as a close as they would ever get and more importantly, here they truly had a family. They were protected here, they had a home, they were able to leave and know that no matter how far they went, they could always come home, always have people who cared and would help them. Asami had created something unique here though she wasn't sure how she knew this, other than perhaps she had overheard the others speaking.

It was why Ruriko while holding a job wasn't exactly family, not like her, not like her parents. It's why she had to prove herself and work hard to earn a place here and that was why it was Mr. Tsuruga's place to assure that if the girl failed, she found another place to go. Not everyone that walked in those doors belonged and Kyoko was pretty sure Ruriko was one of them but, they had to give her time to adjust. Shaking her head she turned back towards washing the dishes. Whatever her cousin was getting into she was pretty sure she didn't want to get in the middle of. Something deep inside of her was telling her that it might destroy the happiness she had if she did.

"Chiori how many times do I need to tell you to be careful." Ashio's sighed heavily as she dried her hands on her apron. "And you young man do not belong in this kitchen."

"Aunt Ashio. I shoved him in here."

Tashio's blade stopped and Kyoko mentally winced, hoping that this wasn't some guy that hadn't been coming onto her cousin. Not that either of them truly needed any protection. Her little outburst with Lord Fuwa had pretty much made it clear, hands off and if that wasn't enough the fact that her father looked like a man who would chop them into pieces did the rest of the work. Not that she was nearly as cute as Chiori was. Chiori had taken a far different route, she had broken a few fingers and that had caused plenty to keep their hands to themselves. Of course, people sometimes didn't obey the guidelines and repeat offenders were, of course, removed for good, those who attempted to force their way in. Well, Kyoko wasn't sure what happened to them, but they did become rather fearful of anyone who was family here.

Chiori's eyes turned towards Tashio and she could see her cousin's making the connection as it crossed her face. Hitting her forehead for a moment with the palm of her hand she flashed one of her cutest smiles that caused Kyoko to shudder and turn quickly back to her dishes. "No, no, he's harmless. Not like that last creep..." Soon Tashio's was cutting the vegetables for tonight's meal and with that she again found herself relaxing even with the building fear that something was happening that she would not be able to escape from.

"Choko, dear."

Kyoko turned her eyes towards Ashio, the urge to run and hide growing stronger as she flashed a smile back towards her mother. "Yes, Mom?"

Ashio dug into her pouch and pulled out a handful of coins. Counting them before slipping a few more back inside and putting the pouch back into the pocket. "I need you to go grab some eggs and butter for dinner tonight." Tashio eyes lifted towards his wife for a moment before looking back down at his vegetables, the sound of the cutting changing just slightly. Kyoko took a deep breath before nodding her head, whatever was making her want to run, she would not allow it to do so. "See if you can't find some of those sweets that Ariel likes as well. Chiori can go with you on her way to drop off her new friend off at home." Her eyes darted towards her cousin for a moment and the man who looked rather confused but was remaining rather quiet. "Do hurry back."

"Alright," Kyoko smiled as she took the coins staring down at them. Mentally shaking her head from the dread that was falling over her she turned towards the back door not waiting to see if they would follow after her.

Yashio watched the look on the elderly's woman face. Having been with Kuon for such a long time he had gotten really good at reading such subtle expressions. He knew that something was going on, some sort of fear that echoed in the room the moment that Chiori had licked her thumb ever so slightly. Then everything was moving again Ashio was sending Kyoko out to gather some things, the moment that Kyoko had moved passed her he had sawed the way his wife was barely holding herself up, the way that the elderly man chopping slowed down as if they were just waiting for that door to close behind her.

"Don't worry." Chiori's eyes darted towards him taken his arm as she pulled him forward. "Come on. She's a runner." Yashiro wasn't sure he could believe that much as he was pulled out the back exit, but he did look back behind him. The sight of the elderly man now holding his wife up in his arms told him that perhaps he should never have brought it up at all. "You didn't do anything exactly wrong." She muttered causing him to look back towards the girl before darting out the street catching sight of Kyoko just ahead of them.

"I doubt that," He said pulling his arm free from her.

"It was bound to happen, I'm more surprised no one noticed sooner." Her eyes darted towards him for a moment, "What exactly does she mean to you?"

Yashiro was slightly taken back from this question before recalling that Hiou seemed to have once been part of a plan for Kyoko, a future husband and perhaps Kuon had failed and they were starting to work on a new person. He smiled wary at the young woman, "She's just a friend. I'm afraid I would not fit the requirements." Not that he fully understood what they were. Not to say if Kuon was attracted to her, which from what he could tell he was or had been beside if he hadn't been they wouldn't have kept this up, would they?

"One you noticed with such ease?" Chiori raised an eyebrow at him as they walked down the street. "Strange... half the people who come to that place have been at Fuwa Inn and they didn't notice."

He didn't say anything as he walked quietly next to her for a little longer. Mindless of the fact that the shop owners didn't seem to notice the young woman who had worked for the Fuwa Inn. A young woman who had walked days ago with him and Kuon down this very street. Then there were the people at the Gentlemen Club who didn't even notice either. It seemed to him that the cook and his wife had been there for years. "Tell me something, how is that no one has questioned the fact they have a daughter?"

"No one within that place would question it. They are family, and if Tashio and Ashio say they have a daughter, then they have a daughter." she placed her hands behind her back, "They would do anything for each other, closer than blood because before they entered those doors, they had nothing, no one who would believe in them, no one who cared. Some of them are born there but the one thing they all have in common is that they could never be bought, no matter the price. They will protect each other even at the cost of their lives. Tlaloc's most faithful beside the Priests and Maidens of Ring-Doh." She tilted her head slightly looking at him, "and I would hope you understand that even daring to speak the truth to anyone will get you killed."

Yashiro shifted his glasses once more before watching Kyoko as she began to shop. "The will of God." He couldn't help but smile at the thought that the people that were deemed worthless to most societies seemed to not only be the place for knowledge but had such a strong faith in their God.

"Maybe..." Her eyes darted towards him, "But that is because they have seen the dead walking among them."

Yashiro chuckled softly, "The dead are dead."

"Only their bodies..." her eyes turned towards them "and if a God or those who are given blood from the living willingly can interact with the living" Yashiro paused in his step as Chirori kept moving forward not once looking back at him. "You been in the record halls, surely my name has come up by now." His eyes widen for a moment as he watched her lift her hair showing the large ugly mark down her neck before it once again fell into place. He shifted his eyes and turned quickly walking away from the two.

Kanae couldn't believe she had to keep pretending that everything was normal. The funds weren't exactly a bad thing she was able to treat her younger siblings to better food but that would not last long. A small part of her knew she should feel bad about spending Kyoko's allowance but she also knew that Kyoko would simply be doing this herself if she really had been staying at her house the last few nights like they were pretending. She stared down at the basket in her hands and lifted her eyes catching sight of Kiyora everything inside of her knew what she was about to do would not be looked upon fondly as she stormed towards the man.

"You." she snarled under her breath just as he turned around and she grabbed a fistful of his robes. It was taken pure control not to shake the man in front of her until his head fell off his shoulders. "Where is she?"

"Kanae," he said looking down at her hands on his robes, his fan no longer covering his face as he placed a hand over her own. "I'm afraid, I don't have time to play with you at the moment." He smiled towards her, his eyes looking at her dangerously, "and I'm even more afraid that if you want to have that dream of yours come true, that it would be in your best interested to forget about that girl for just a bit longer."

Kanae's hand fell from his robes her eyes widen. Kiyora fan folded in front of his face, "Do have a bit of faith in us..." he reached out taken a strain of her hair in his fingers. "I would never let anything happen to Sweet Innocent Kyoko, a girl that helpless... I would never forgive myself."

"She's not helpless. She just doesn't fight back..." she said looking down at her feet.

"That makes her sweet and innocent does it not?" In a way, she could understand that idea but it was more than she was to busy trying to protect people who couldn't or more correctly wouldn't protect themselves out of fear. "Come now, you dumped your basket of treats for the children." He tilted his head slightly "Perhaps we should see if there are any lemon drops. I hear they are extremely tasty."