-Oxford - Friday: Part 7-
Lory sat in his makeshift, living-office in the hotel as the door open, 'Right, Ruto is not going to be happy. He's not been happy with that boy since that picture accident.' Truth be told he had the same sort of idea that Julie wanted, not that he expected the two of them to end up together. No far from that, he did believe based on what he saw and what he had heard that Kyoko is able to draw out Kuon, his true self and keep him mostly in check. It was, surprising but then again Kyoko was able to charm her very way into Maria's heart, Keiji and Daiki's hearts even, perhaps three of the hardest people to gain acceptance from. Then there was the question of Ruto who has always been his most loyal friend, had never fully connected with anyone in his family until Kyoko. It was as if his little girl had some strange power that drew people in. So why did she have such an awful background before them? These were the sort of questions that kept repeating in his head. He wondered if he would ever find the answer to those questions and mentally sighed when he thought he wouldn't. It wasn't very common to have people throw him, to have it be his own daughter well what did that say about him?
Maria jumped into his lap coming in shortly after Ruto did, she beamed at him and he couldn't help but grin, "Where's Oba-sama?"
Lory had to admit that too was interesting aspect it was almost as if Kyoko no longer spoke Japanese. He ran a hand through Maria's hair for a moment, 'Did the trauma really hit her?' Where Maria and even himself fell right into Japanese, it was almost as if Kyoko now fell right into English instead. Pushing those thoughts out of his mind for a moment to dwell them on later he smiled at his granddaughter, "Kyoko is in her room, I'm afraid she's mad at me" he said pouting and Maria rolled her eyes.
"What did you do this time?" she said sliding off his lap and making her way to her room, "You really shouldn't be so mean to Oba-sama," she said with a wag of her finger at him before opening the door and walking inside. He couldn't help the chuckle as the door shut behind her.
Lory eyes turned towards Ruto, "Are you sure you are alright with doing this?" the man was a Banshee and he was supposed to do what he said without question but he still tended to ask him. Ruto bowed his head slightly and Lory sighed, "You really are fond of her aren't you?" he watched his friend remove his face mask the smile playing across his features. "Perhaps it is time..."
Ruto looked towards the door, "She would not be pleased with it." Lory sighed heavily he knew that he was right on this matter. Knowing Kyoko, she would just end up having Ruto look after him anyways so was there really any point in this. He just didn't want someone else to take that role, which knowing his Aunt she would likely ask her daughter to assign one to her. He knew his cousin would do it too, that woman basically counted Kyoko already as one of her own pups. "I am not pleased with this arrangement, two days..."
Lory lifted his eyes towards Ruto some, "I am going to use the boy."
"Is that wise sir" it wasn't really a question.
Yet Lory couldn't help but chuckle. "Worry about another scandal?" the look on Ruto's face was unreadable so he just read it as he liked, "Don't worry, I'll make sure the boy knows what will happen if he lets another scandal hit my daughter. He'll do whatever it takes to make sure it won't happen." He rose to his feet. "Now we have some people we need to talk to, adjust some things," he said making his way to his desk. His eyes turned towards Ruto who moved towards the makeshift kitchen pulling out a glass and then one of the mini bottles of rum as Lory sat down. "By the way, do we know who might be the mole?"
"Not yet sir, but I've been informed that your Aunt Leiko will be requiring your company tonight." He said moving to set the glass of liquid in front of Lory.
"I take it, this will not be a social call." He frowned some leaning back in his chair.
"I believe that is the case." He pulled out a simple business card, "I would bring up this person" he said setting the card in front of Lory, "make sure it is one of hers. King will likely be dead soon as well Sir." Lory lifted the business card looking it over.
"Shame, she seemed like such a nice lady. See to it that proper arrangements are made for when it finally happens." It wouldn't be the first time though but the next time they saw her, once her death was of course in place. Gayle King, she would not be, the person she pretended to be would no longer be living. In that way he was glad he had Ruto, it would be too much of a loss if he was still an Ankou.
"Of course sir," Ruto said with a bow of his head. "Will, that be all?"
"No I think my Angels should have a bit of a shopping spree, it will be the last time they are together for a while." His eyes turned towards the door for a moment, worry about what tonight would bring his little girl followed. He could only hope her nightmares will not follow, but he had to keep certain people out of the loop and while he trusted Kyo with his little girl, it seemed his daughter had other plans for tonight and that meant he had to make sure Kyo didn't bother her. Part of him wondered if that was even a wise thing to do every part of him was saying it wasn't that he should just keep her safe somewhere. Yet, what kind of life would that be? His Aunt Leiko was right about that but it didn't make his heart feel any lighter.
To say Reino was surprised when he opened the door to see a black haired man with eyes as soulless as he knew the man truly was. He would be lying, he had never once seen Tomi Shiro dress anything like this, even when he allowed his true nature to show this was too much. 'No maybe it's the grudge' the fact the little creature caught sight of the man and charged him with what he could only believe was love, disturbed him 'Grudges aren't supposed to love.'
Tomi stared down at the young man a grin slowly playing across his features, "Is there something interesting?"
Reino took several steps back, "No" well that was a lie, of course, it was interesting but he was pretty sure it would only result in something he didn't want to deal with. It was bad enough that he was here. "What the hell are you wearing?" due to him moving back of course had allowed Tomi to step in, the man was tall, unnatural tall if you asked him. Reino wasn't exactly a small man but when compared to Tomi he really was. It was almost as if the world was meant to look up at him, always look up at him. Tomi grin didn't wash away from his face, which just added to the unnatural feeling and he was pretty damn sure that was the point of that grin at the moment, 'He can't still be pissed off can he?' he tried to suppress the shudder but was unable to do so. 'Who the hell grins when they're mad?'
"Well I don't want people to know who I am, now do I?" Reino looked back at the man who took the chair off to the side and pulled off the wig that he was wearing and to Reino's horror the Grudge seemed to swirl around almost in a dance around Tomi's head, he could almost see the hearts and flowers that it was throwing in that dance it was making and he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to see the man without thinking about the fact that there was at least one force of darkness that was showering him with pure affection.
'Ah, that's why, he's a soulless demon so of course, a Grudge would love him, but love of all emotions?' Mentally sighing Reino sat on the foot of his bed watching his cousin as he grunted muttering about wigs being itchy. One could almost think this man could be human. More so when there was a little grudge wrapping itself almost as if was some sort of kitten on top of the man's head. 'Yeah that can't be normal' but that wasn't the first time he thought it either.
"hm" his eyes quickly dropped towards Tomi with those black soulless eyes as he pulled out a cigarette, "is there a spirit here?" even though he had asked it as a question it was clear to Reino he really didn't care one way or another how he answered it.
"Something like that." he tried to clear his mind some "When did you arrive?"
Tomi leaned back finally lighting the cigarette which caused the little grudge to frown at him but again because it wasn't something that most people could feel without the backing of its source, it could do nothing but be annoyed. "Do you have to smoke in here?" the little Grudge beamed a smile at him. Tomi sighed clearly bored with the response.
"What are you a mother hen?" he put it back in his lips before blowing a cloud of smoke as if to dare him to do something.
The little Grudge to glare down at him before flying towards Reino with a pout before settling on his shoulder, it's little arms crossed in the process. Part of Reino wondered if this would be the sort of response that Kyoko herself would have. It was a part of her very soul and being slowly his eyes turned back towards Tomi who clearly had been paying attention to each of his movements. A grin slowly playing across his features again which caused Reino heart to speed up in almost a panic.
"Something interesting is in here. We'll get to that later, first. I want to know what is going on with my Hana."
Ren's eyes shot towards his phone, had he really forgot to put it on silence? "Can't you feel the love tonight" echoed through the dressing room and he couldn't help but groan as he grabbed his phone. Only his Godfather would find a way to do mess with his phone without touching it. He cast a look towards his manager, who looked up at him as if hoping to see something more, well there wasn't much of a difference on his face, his smile had dropped for just a fraction of a moment.
"Why can't you get this emotional over a woman?"
'Because they're all the same' he thought bitterly as he answered his phone "Yes President?" he said smiling, it was the best way hide his true emotions. No one who didn't know who he was really Kuon could read his emotions. 'Kyoko can read us.' He mentally sighed he couldn't deny that 'and she isn't the same as the others' again he couldn't deny that either.
"Hello, Kuon" Ren's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned away from Yashiro and the mirror which would give his true emotion away.
'What if someone overheard you?' he mentally groaned towards the President but the man chuckled on his end.
"This room is pretty secure in the sense of no one will be listening." Ren let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding as he turned to lean against the edge of the make-up table.
"What can I do for you Lory?" He was keeping that smile in place, Yashiro's eyes were on him and he was likely watching every movement he made. Something else he couldn't allow. He could never let his guard down and yet he did, far too much around that girl.
"I need you to watch Kyoko until Sebastian gets here."
"Who is Sebastian?" He could not recall a single person working for Lory with that name, so perhaps it was someone who worked for the Royal family. "and I thought I was to go straight back to Tokyo tonight." Well at least that was the story, Jelly Woods would be changing him back, he would be taking the plane back to Tokyo, Japan tomorrow afternoon and then wait for her to change him back into Ren Tsuruga.
"No need to worry about him. Nor do need him, I need Kuon for the next couple of nights."
"Why?" It felt like almost a set up somehow as if Lory wanted something to happen from this. 'Don't you understand she's a child?' Even when he thought that again he had a hard time seeing her as such and blamed it fully on the fact that he had known her as the little girl from his childhood who never was far from his memories even now that she was back in his life.
"She wants to go out and test the waters. She might have the Witch's magic cast on her, but I would not feel safe with her being out there alone."
'It's about Heth' he tried to keep the anger from showing as he smiled more, "I see" he couldn't say more, not with Yashiro in the room.
"With you watching her, she will be safe" He closed his eyes slightly as he took a deep breath. "So will you do this for me?"
"Fine" What more could he say about this matter? Clearly, Kyoko was planning to put herself in harm's way again and he had wanted to help her. He hadn't wanted to leave her side anyways not when Heth was out there. At least he had a reason to stay a little longer, it wouldn't mess up anything from what he could tell.
"Wonderful. Now, no scandals. Unless you are planning to marry my little girl this time!" he said cheerfully before hanging up. Causing him to look at his phone for a moment before sighing. He didn't need to be told to understand exactly what that meant because the man would never force his daughter into a loveless marriage, it really meant that he would be sent back home, to live his life as Kuon Hizuri. The biggest question was how he was going to convince her that Ren was not him. 'Guess I'll just have to be Corn' he mentally frowned at the thought.
"What was that about?" His eyes turned towards Yashiro.
"Ah, the Boss wants me to take a little break after this. Says I've been working too hard. Supposed to visit some guy name, Sebastian."
Yashiro nodded his head pulling out his little notebook, "Do I need to push anything back?"
Ren shook his head, "No, doesn't seem like it. I'll be back in time. If not I'm sure Lory will let you know." He said turning off his phone.
A/N: Nope no Cain. Cain's not pretty enough for this task he's waaaay too scary, he would keep people away without trying. Yet you are correct, Ren/Kuon is indeed the plan babysitter [I can think of two very unhappy people about this] until Ruto returns and sends him home.