Ringo was simply laying in his bed, yet it seemed that this was his most peaceful nap. No silly feather taking over his body, no odd jobs. Yet... The tournament was starting soon —today actually. But that issue was currently muscling it's way to the front of his mind.
For once he woke up, peacefully, rested, more sleep feeling unnecessary. Ringo stared at the dent in his wall for a moment. Later stepping out of bed, past the pig napping on the floor, making his way to the bathroom with a hushed saunter.
Along the way he started digging through his hair, plucking out ash stained, dark red strands as he entered the shower.
Thick hair was... itchy, but Ringo really didn't want to cut it. So it was worth the occasional pain. (very occasional)
fwoop The hiss of the shower muffled that ensuing sigh of relief.
An hour later he was fixing his smoking black hair, after singeing it. Patting it back into shape while choosing something to wear. Which ended up being sage green tai chi pants, the black waistband splitting the red of his cloth shirt just past the waist.
He shuffled toward the kitchen, scrounging through the pantries. "Something..." he mumbled
Cereal, maybe?
He snacked on a stray pepper. "No, smooth... like..."
Oat meal?
"Don't have that..." Suddenly, his hand stopped at the chili.
It finally caught up to him. When was that tournament?
His calm expression weighed with dread, just the idea of constant fighting was tiring. Worst of all, he had to do it: favor day...
"Maybe just a sandwich." Maybe, before anything happens,talk to...
——————————————————————————————————————
Yukue. Last we heard from her, Ringo told her she could spar any time.
Well, she did try... the past three days. (yeesh)
But... whenever she arrived he was either away, or unconscious. We saw those events.
Right now, she was fresh out of the shower. Something fierce swelled in her eyes as she glared down at her rival's shop. Determination, maybe. Slipping into a white silk sweater and pale yellow sweat pants —each easy to toss on— she stormed out of her room, to the family office.
I'll catch you this time! she thought, snatching up a pancake and spinning toward the front door.
Back at the table, Yukue's mother tugged her husband's sleeve. "Hon."
Heiwa continued balling up pancakes and eating them.
"She's so eager hon..."
Heiwa glanced across the table, stopping to look at his wife "You cooked deer?"
Shizukesa groaned. "Try listening! Jackass!"
——————————————————————————————————————
Yukue stormed across the street, the distant sound of plates shattering fading fast. She ran the interaction over in her head: She'd stomp in, shouting; "Ringo, I challenge you!" Then she'd rush him right then and there.
"If he is away, again... I might wake him up."
She slid the first door open, stomping toward the second —she already knew he wouldn't be working by now.
When she reached the next door, she was just about to knock when it swung open. Her fist flew through the empty space, landing in the hair of Ringo. Her arm tensed, shaking violently.
He was silently nibbling on a bun sized sandwich —fun sized buns to be specific. After a few more seconds of standing with a fist in his face, he peeked around her knuckle and smirked.
"Is this some Nerima style greeting?" He slowly mirrored the gesture, knocking softly on Yukue's head. "Morning."
She blushed slightly, reactively —and intentionally— shoving Ringo's head back and rushing with her right hand cocked back. "I challenge you!" She declared.
Ringo stumbled back from the shove —nearly tumbled, no help from his weight. He hastily caught a punch sailing from the right. "Nerima style challenge?" —indeed.
She snapped a kick, "It's been three days."
Ringo caught it, quirking an eyebrow "Grace period? I know I've brought it up—" he side stepped a knee, but took a stomp to the chest from the same leg.
"You said any time," She spat, pausing as Ringo caught his breath before launching a harsher roundhouse. "I'm starting now!"
Ringo deflected the kick, spun Yukue on her heels, Then caught her by the shoulders when she was facing him. He rose a finger in front of her face till he was sure Yukue wouldn't gut check him.
"I was thinking... we can put that on hold, for something else?"
She crossed her arms. "What?"
Ringo released one shoulder to roll his wrist, "Just some casual fun... before the tournament."
She loosened her guard, yet her tone still dripped with skepticism. "What kind of fun?"
"Bird watching?"
"..." Yukue just grumbled.
Ringo stifled a laugh, offering the next best B related activity. "Breakfast?"
She glared at Ringo, then turned her head. "That's not exactly as fun."
"Plenty casual."
Crossing her arms, she side eyed Ringo. "Not as fun."
"Fine, fine..." he set his fists on his hips, flashing a grin, "I am hungry though," he confessed —mostly joking.
"I kinda got up early for this..." She gestured to her outfit, the strings on her pants untied. "Really early."
"You must be hungry then, a big meal would be nice." Ringo said, hastily gesturing out the door.
Yukue's grin turned sharp. "And I have to work later on..."
"Small pancake?"
"Then there's that tournament..." She smirked at Ringo's frown. "Oh, I guess you will just have a boring breakfast."
Ringo's thoughts simmered, then tossed his hand to his forehead dramatically. "Oh, where was that sweet, kind girl..."
During his melodrama, Ringo took a moment to glance at yukue through one of his fingers. "The one who wouldn't leave me to suffer boring breakfast."
That earned a snicker. Yukue took a deep breath, and joined this... soap opera. "Oh, Ringo! Don't you see?" She pressed a hand to her heart, stepping past him to stare out the window.
"You've changed!" She claimed, pointing an accusatory finger at Ringo.
This little show managed to wake Ryoga, a confused snort escaping him. The towering human closer to the door, tapped his chest.
"How have I changed?" Ringo asked, a look of betrayal creasing his somber eyes.
"What ever happened to that..." The pause, originally for dramatic flair, slowly turned into deep reflection. "You were quite rude."
"Well..." He tapped his chin in contemplation, "You... were somewhat nice."
"Somewhat?"
He turned, shrugging. "Still just as eager to hurt me..."
She turned him back around by the shoulder. "No, hold it. Somewhat?"
"Oh, the pig is up, best send him home." He chirped, snatching Ryoga off the floor and walking out the door. Ringo heard Yukue stomping after him and made one deliberately fast step to avoid her grab.
"You can't just—walk away!" She shouted, storming past the doors and chasing him into the street.
"I just did!" Ringo shouted behind his back. He was already passing another store, Ryoga tucked under his arm. "She can be persistent..." Ringo whispered to the pig, smirking as he pointed back.
Ryoga looked back, uttering a concerned squeal as Yukue was approaching, fast. When she started to get close enough she snapped out a hand; grazing the sleeves of Ringo's shirt.
He hooked his free arm onto one of the street lamps and spun away before she could even pinch his shirt. His shoes gliding on the pavement produced a sharp -shff- as he sailed halfway around the pole.
When he stopped, he pointed the snout of the pig at Yukue —like a microphone. She just breathed audibly.
Ringo shrugged.
"I'll answer your question..." he said lightly, pointing the pig to himself. "If you will answer mine?" He brought it back to her.
Yukue glanced at the pig, then leaned in with a resigned sigh —as if it were. "What is it?"
"Cherry or blueberry?"
She blinked one, slow time.
then another, quicker.
"Cherry..." She answered flatly.
He smirked, tucking Ryoga back under his arms and walking down the crosswalk.
Yukue froze, running the exchange over again. "I-Is that important?"
"Smoothies for breakfast... You're such a bad influence." he grinned, continuing to walk.
Slowly, she stepped after him. "What kind of—"
He stopped abruptly, tilting his head over his shoulder to gift her a smug, barely heated glance. "Getting picky are we?" he said before walking on again.
"Listen—"
He would not. "What's so wrong with a question?" he muttered, like an old man grumbling about kids these days.
She groaned, jogging past him and planting herself in front to force him to stop "I'm not being picky. It's just— cherry or blueberry?" She tilted her head. "How is that equal to my question?"
"How you're somewhat nice, right?"
Yukue nodded.
He paused.
looked at Yukue.
looked down at Ryoga.
Ringo let a sharp, humored little exhale slip from his nostrils. "P-Chan, can it be? She's still hung up on that."
Ryoga squealed weakly, hanging his head—unsure of what he was suddenly part of. Getting lost was simpler.
Yukue's glare bore holes through the back of Ringo's head. All while he consulted a pig, smarter than most other pigs of course... sometimes.
Ringo spared a sly grin, choosing to leave "that" out to dry longer.
Then he sidestepped around her, continuing down the side walk.
She almost gasped. "Hey—" Yukue cut him off again, spreading her arms. "You haven't answered my question."
He leaned around her right, only to be blocked. He tried leaning to the left, but she matched it. After the fourth time, stubbornly, It was clear, he could not pass.
Ringo sighed through his nose, shaking his head in reluctance. "Fine, fine... I'll tell you."
He looped a finger in the air, sliding past her. "Along the way."
"Really?"
He didn't look back. "Of course."
——————————————————————————————————————
So they were on their way.
A block.
Then another.
Ringo continued with a ridiculous little bob in his step, Ryoga tucked awkwardly under his arm, like a loaf of bread.
Half a minute passed... No word.
Yukue started to glare.
"Ringo."
He silently shifted Ryoga in his arms.
"Ringo."
A little sharper.
He looked at her, a confused tilt of his brows... Then looked forward, still silent.
Yukue's glare widened. Her eyes swelled with... disbelief? Irritation?
…Why not both.
Twenty steps later and they reached the smoothie shop. It was then when Yukue finally stomped ahead of him, spun around to confront him —and froze—
Because of a grin.
A wide, knowing grin.
Shamelessly aware.
He chuckled and stepping around the stunned girl. And when her brain finally rebooted, she stomped right after him.
He wasn't far, stopped just at the door, holding it open, smirk unwavering when she stopped in front of him. "You said along the way."
"Were not there yet."
He gestured inside with an indulgent flourish.
Yukue took small glance inside, then gave a thinner glare. "Thank you." She spat, brushing past him.
"See? kinda nice." He said lightly, as if Impressed.
He even spotted her glare sharpen, feeling it needling his neck.
"What's got you so upset?" He asked, like —dare he suggest— there was another reason.
"Your eyes will get stuck like that." He pushed her eyelids up, but yukue was quick to slap his hand away. Her eyelids dropped heavier.
Ringo strolled past her —sauntered actually— straight to the counter. "Cherry right?"
"..."
"Right." He went ahead and ordered two smoothies, later scanning the display for leisure.
As he did so, Yukue crept up behind him, arms crossed when he turned to face her. "Are you ever going to answer the question?" She poked him on the chest, pushing him back against the counter when he tried ducking past her.
He grinned awkwardly, trying to find a way out of this corner. "I'll answer soon enough."
Her left was open, and he started to slide over —but her hands slammed onto the counter, fully boxing him in.
Ringo raised Ryoga like a shield, she leaned in, pressing Ringo further into the counter, squishing Ryoga between them. "When?"
The barista returned with two smoothies —freezing immediately.
He missed an awkward amount of context...
Ringo hesitated, eyes sliding around her, feather finally flaring. He raised one hand in surrender. "In the booth."
"...Really."
"Really."
The barista blinked, planting the cups on the counter and backing away from... that.
She took the answer from him.
She won.
Yukue finally smirked, grabbing her cup with a *humph the moment she got confirmation, sliding into the first empty booth. Ringo later joined her, a content smile on his face anyway.
"So—"
The moment he slid into the corner he'd just toss it out: "Short answer is, you hit me a lot." The abrupt nature made Yukue choke on her smoothie—and what was going to be a subtle gloat.
"But that's no fun..." His grin returned as he jabbed a straw at Yukue. "You act nice. But you aren't."
"What?" Her smug grin vanished — like her mouth shut off with her brain briefly.
He hummed for a thoughtful beat, then snapped his finger.
"Mm—while you can be nice, you aren't actually a nice girl at heart."
"And that... that makes me somewhat nice?" She asked it monotoned, frustration and confusion tugging at her brows.
"Exactly." He spun the cherry in between his fingers, grinning brightly. "Nice in practice, not in heart." He ate the cherry. "Somewhat nice."
"Why didn't you give that answer sooner?"
"I just wanted to get you out for breakfast." He began sipping his smoothie, The straw barely stopping it from being chugged. In truth, "along the way" he was making up an answer.
——————————————————————————————————————
With such an interesting morning. almost forgot about the whole tournament...
But.
We still have one more person to observe.
In a booth, not too far—
Oh? lucky me.
Right next to them.
Nabiki arrived a little early to be here, possibly because she heard that the smoothies were good... or a that a little birdy had a taste for cold treats...
It was likely both
Especially, since Ringo had shown up —dragging that tense little scene with him.
As she silently sipped her smoothie watching their little event, she ran over the few notes she had on the two...
After another slurp.
(The smoothie was good, by the way. Very good. Worth the walk.)
Yukue? Nabiki had enough on her.
Same school. Normally timid, silent, calm... Normally.
Needs desperate help with science —business opportunity.
Hates birds...
Ringo...
Nabiki sighed through her straw. Tough luck.
He doesn't go to school, doesn't need much help.
The chance encounters they rarely did have... weren't much.
Only told Nabiki she was on a sour spot in his persons list...
She tried following his deliveries routes, but... He was either scaling an apartment, or slipping through alleys with the consistency of air.
His grandmother... She couldn't reach her.
The hawk was gone too.
And that "note" only got her one favor on an occasion.
Basically: nothing.
Nothing to work on someone...
Sure, she could nitpick —he liked icy treats, sure— but he wasn't a hog like Genma.
In fact, the little things that could convince him were stupidly simple, yet difficult to achieve: obligation, maybe entertainment.
She drummed her fingers, watching him grin at Yukue's choke... then flick a brief, bitter once-over her way before smirking back at Yukue all innocent and lightly.
Nabiki wasn't sure if she should be shocked or offended... she was certainly impressed. "That's another time he spotted me."
He'd toss a questioning glance at Nabiki back even while being boxed in by Yukue. But even before that, he spotted her attempting to follow him, maybe to bug him about the hawk or "fees"... what ever it was he'd noticed.
There was no point in bird watching anymore.
She took one more sip of her smoothie before she stood. "I might come back later" she muttered.
Ringo noticed her approaching —rather felt it. It was like aloe Vera and mints edged with the unmistakable scrape of steel. (unpleasant)
The slight grimace on his face didn't go unnoticed by Yukue. "What's wrong?"
But the moment he looked at Yukue, He slipped into a soft smile, which was slightly jarring to her —and the approaching shadow.
"They say three's a crowd." He said brightly enough to feign politeness.
Nabiki sauntered up, posture high and bold, "Ruining your date?" She planted a hand on her hip, her free hand wrapped around her cup.
"Sure are." He replied coolly.
Yukue flushed, twisting her straw out of shape as she sank into the corner of the booth. Ringo snickered at the reaction, full of amusement. "I guess you can only be so bold huh?" He started to laugh lightly when she genuinely shook her head.
Then his laugh tightened, faded, as Nabiki slid in the booth. Her eyes narrowed at that, "Can't even act nice?"
"Maybe..."
"I haven't even done anything."
Ringo sipped his smoothie, a thin grin and narrow gaze plastered on his face. "Yet." he spat.
Nabiki's brow twitched—a minute detail. She lifted the cup to her lips and slurped her smoothie, loudly, long, and obnoxiously.
Yukue's eyes bounced between the two like an unwilling spectator to a very tense tennis match. "You two know each other?"
Ringo looked at her, and in that instant, his gaze softened. "Not in the slightest."
Nabiki planted her cup on the table "Not enough."
"Oh... It's just... a little tense?" She chuckled awkwardly.
"You can handle tense from what I've seen" Nabiki said, her smirk returning as she glanced between Ringo and Yukue. The prior flushed red.
Ringo ignored the comment, focusing on Yukue with a tilted head and sly grin. "Timid are we?"
Nabiki clicked her tongue pressing her chin in her palm. "Aw, he noticed." she cooed.
His grin twitched, eyes sliding like stones at the "crowd"
"Is this really worth your time?"
"Well since you want to fall into short comas everyday," She leaned in, her eyes narrowed foxily as she switched her chin rest to the back of her hand. "It just might be."
"How sweet." He remarked curtly, sliding his eyes back to Yukue. He leaned over the table just to poke Yukue's forehead, grinning with amusement "Something wrong?"
These mood swings weren't helping, his smile certainly wasn't—
"I-do... do you two need a moment?" She managed, her eye silently pleaded—begged, "Say YES!" .
Who would've thought being in between all of this tension was... crushing.
P-Chan sneezed, having no idea why he hadn't run away yet.
"No." Ringo said with a vexed undertone.
"No." Nabiki echoed, meeting his glare with comparable disdain.
Then smirk uncurled across her face. "Feeling a connection?"
"Absolutely," Ringo lilted, barely over a dreadful sigh. "Our future will be... very, irritating." His sunny smile only twitched by a hair after the prediction.
"So you can act nice!" Nabiki chirped, painting a cute, tiny smile on her lips.
"I assumed you saved that for people you like."
Her eyes slid to Yukue— pointed and knowingly.
Ringo smirked. "Well I guess you don't know much huh?"
"..."
For a moment the two laughed flatly. The shared moment stretched for a second by Nabiki, just to be petty.
Ringo stood, his feather flaring. "Well, you two might like each other more," He said, exhaling a soft smile at Yukue.
Yukue's hand rested lightly on the table, possibly to grab Ringo "Where are you going?"
He lifted P-Chan by the collar, lifting him like a keychain. "I'm going to do this small job here, pray I fall into a coma."
"You want flowers?"
He paused mid turn, giving Nabiki a slow unreadable look. Then spun on his heels and strode off. "Have fun with breakfast." he waved lazily.
Nabiki and Yukue watched him leave through the door, Nabiki watching a moment longer, before sinking in her seat with a deep sigh.
"He is..." She pinched the bridge of her nose, with a deep sigh.
"Just the worst." her brow furrowed—frustration struggling with amusement—before she smirked at her next target.
"So, Yukue... I hear you need help with science?"
Further down the road, having recently finished a detour to the Tendo dojo, Ringo continued his stroll in silence. The crackling of his feather had been the only sound to fill that silence.
Till a sigh finally—finally slipped. "She is something..." he said almost wistfully.
"She's like a rude awakening, that persists three times, in the same hour." He made it a point to jab Ryoga's belly at every vowel.
Then he tossed the pig over the wall with a casual flick of the wrists, watching it land head first on the dojo roof. Then he nodded to himself. "Annoying people..."
Ringo continued strolling down the road, when a flier hung right in front of his face. A talon holding it. "Annoying people..." he repeated bitterly.