Chapter 7 - They're Trying to Build a Prison...

Ryan was hungry, and decided to forage in the pantry for a snack. Ichiro
seemed to have had the same idea, as he was already there.
"Ichiro, do we have any more packets of dried squid left?" Ryan asked,
though trying to stand on his toe-tips to look over Ichiro's shoulder. Ichiro
shrugged, and pushed some of the other things aside, until he found the lone
packet that was left.
"Ah... We do... But, I'm afraid it's the last one. Too bad you don't get
any..." Ichiro deftly snatched up the bag, and tried to scamper off with it. Ryan
scoffed, and bounded after Ichiro.
"Hey, no fair! I asked first, any way!" Ryan squealed, and tried to leap onto
Ichiro, to take back the packet, but instead slid on his socked feet across the
floor, barely able to keep his balance. Ichiro found this very amusing, and giggled
(AN: hai, so- desu...) as he took off again. Ryan snarled, then levitated off the
ground and flew onto Ichiro. Ichiro yelped, and Ryan grappled onto him,
scrabbled on, and kept trying to reach around for the bag, but Ichiro consistently
put it out of reach with one arm or the other. Ryan suddenly got an idea, clawed
his hands, and then skittered them like spiders on Ichiro, tickling him. Ichiro
squealed, and convulsed with laughter as he weakly tried to fend him self from
Ryan's paws.
" !! R-r-r-ryann! Hee, S-Stop, Stoppit, st-stop th-that!" Ichiro gasped, trying
to get Ryan to stop.
"Not until you relinquish the squid!" Ryan said, very smug. Ichiro shook his
head.
"NEVER!" Ichiro howled like a battle-cry, then bent over, and dropped to
the floor, and holding the squid close, he curled into a ball as best he could, and
rolled over, trying to get Ryan off of him. Ryan did yelp and release Ichiro, as he
didn't want to be squashed under the latter's weight. Ichiro then stayed still, and
still curled into a ball. Ryan thought for a moment, then smiled as he gained a
new idea. Ryan climbed on Ichiro's back, but with his legs one each side, so that
he couldn't roll him off. Ryan then bent down and licked the back of Ichiro's neck,
which surprised him.
Ichiro suddenly uncurled, and tossing the squid aside, he rolled over and
latched onto Ryan.
"Hmmm... snuggley..." Ichiro cooed at Ryan, who he held pinned to his
chest.
"Noo! I... can't... succumb.. .to the ... to the temptations... of pleasure!!
Must... get... squid!!" Ryan wheezed, and struggled against Ichiro's arms. He
would have teleported, but this was far too much fun. His eyes widened as he
realised that he was starting to give way to Ichiro... Ichiro seemed to have
noticed as well, as he snickered, and started to nuzzle Ryan. Then, it happened
as though they were in an afternoon kid's live action superhero show-- Ryan, with
the thought of succeeding just for that packet of squid, suddenly gained a boost
of extra energy and strength, and squirmed free from Ichiro's bonds, and tried to
run for the squid. Ichiro reacted just quickly enough, though, and snagged Ryan
by the foot, then grabbed his ankle before Ryan could slide from his sock. He
didn't dare grab the tail, as the soft fur was too slippery. Ryan tried to free his
ankle from Ichiro, and then curled around and prised Ichiro's fingers from him, but
then instead had both his wrists caught by Ichiro.
"Nooo! Let me free, the squid is MINE!"
"Never, you and the squid are mine!"
"AARGH!" Ryan howled, and kicked at Ichiro. Ichiro gagged as he was
caught in the stomach, then snarled, and jumped on Ryan. Ryan wheezed from
the weight on him, and tried to push Ichiro off. The two thus snarled and yelped
as they fought futilely on the floor over the squid packet, which rested just a
metre or so away.
Suddenly, the phone rang. They didn't notice. The phone rang again. They
both noticed this time, but each knew that if they should stop and get the phone,
the other would get the squid. Thus, the secretary, who was in a room nearby
and closest to one of the phones any way, was left to answer it. She did, and it
was from Mason's school. The principal wished to speak with Ryan, concerning
Mason. He convinced her that the matter was very, very important, so, despite
how much she said that Ryan was busy, the principle could not be dissuaded.
She sighed, and went into inform Ryan. She had heard the noise, but she hadn't
expected this. She took in the scene-- Ryan and Ichiro fighting each other on the
floor, mostly kicking, shoving and nipping, and the packet of dried squid only a
short distance from them. She became cross.
"Kacho! You have a phone call from the school. It's very important, so
you'd better answer it now."
Ryan looked up, ceased fighting, and frowned.
"Really? Did you tell them that I'm, er, busy at the moment?"
"Yes, I did, and they insist that it is extremely important. It concerns
Mason-kun."
Ryan jumped up, upset. "Did something happen to him?"
She shook her head; Ichiro scrambled up and took off with the squid
packet. They both paused to watch Ichiro scamper away, but the secretary pulled
Ryan's attention back.
"I don't know. You'll have to ask them."
"Squid...?" Ryan whimpered dejectedly.
"What? OH, that, so that's what that was all about... Look, I'm sure that
Ichiro-san will do like any--" She turned towards Ichiro, who was hiding in the
shadows of the hallway near by, " RESPECTABLE, LOVING PARTNER AND
SHARE!"
Ichiro responded with a rude raspberry. The Secretary looked irked, and
bid Ryan to go and get the phone, while she handled Ichiro.
Ryan could hear Ichiro squeal in terror as she descended upon him in the
hallway near by, and shut the door so that no one would on the phone would
hear her berating Ichiro for being a 'horrible, selfish twit'. He picked up the
receiver, and tentatively answered.
"... Moshi Moshi?" Ryan almost squeaked.
"Sakaki-san? This is the principle from your nephew's school..."
"Of, of course. Is there any thing the matter?" Ryan sounded light and
nonchalant. The other man sounded rather dour.
"Yes, Mason-kun, it appears, was in a fight today... He attacked some
other students. Now, we cannot tolerate this sort of behaviour at our school,
Sakaki-san. He's been given a suspension, not a very long one, though..."
"Suspension? That's... quite a serious punishment for one fight."
"Well, it's not the first time. And, it was a very serious fight, as well... I
understand that some of the others came out with injuries..."
Ryan blinked. Injuries? Some?? "Oh, how bad are they, the injuries?"
"Well, as I understand it, they can hardly bear to be seen..."
Ryan's eyes narrowed. "How serious are the injuries?"
"Well, those other boys aren't in your care, you I don't really see why it
would be important to you. What should matter is that you know what your
nephew has been up to, and you do your part to help correct this behaviour." The
principal snapped. Ryan was just able to keep from snarling audibly.
"I see. Very well, then, I'll see what can be done." Ryan responded, his
voice tight from withheld anger. Ryan clicked the receiver down, then stalked
angrily from the room. He looked around, then started to return to his office to be
alone, when he saw the secretary return with Ichiro, dragging him along by his
ear. Ichiro, needless to say, looked to be in pain, as he was bent over, following
awkwardly behind the woman, who walked importantly back. Seemingly, they
had returned from a vending machine, as they had two small bags of dried squid
in tow (Ryan liked to keep the machines stocked with things besides the
extremely usual).
"Ah... Ono-san, you didn't have to do... You didn't have to have him do
that, for me... but it's very kind of you." Ryan smiled thinly, greeting her and
Ichiro. "But, excuse me... I need to be finding some one at the moment."
The Secretary (Ono) nodded. "Mason-kun?"
"Yes... He's gotten himself into trouble, it seems. I'm just going to try to
talk to him, is all."
Ichiro made a face at this, but nothing more. Ryan appeared to not have
noticed Ichiro's reaction, and set off.
Ryan discovered Mason trying to slink through quickly to his room, trying
to go unnoticed.
"Mason-kun! I need to talk to you." Ryan quickly jogged up to Mason, and
tapped his shoulder. The boy halted, and turned slightly. Ryan looked somewhat
odd, his expression somewhat blank, but with hints of anger beneath.
"Mason-kun, I got a call from your school today... The principle informed
me that you were in a fight and suspended. Why hadn't you said anything about
what ever problems you had been having before?"
Mason twitched himself from Ryan, and started for his room again.
"You wouldn't understand." Mason said, in something of a low mumble.
Ryan looked nonplussed for a second, then responded.
"Yes, I would, Mason-kun, listen!" Ryan followed after Mason, insistent. "I
had the same problems in school, too-"
"Yeah, right..." Mason hissed, and slunk into his room, slamming the door.
Ryan started at the door's sudden closure, but then stood for a moment to stare
at it, thinking. Perhaps he would have to try to speak to Mason about this at
another time, when he wasn't agitated?