A knot firmly secures a small folded paper to the leg of a noble hawk. A shriveled old hand turned the birdcage's opening out of the window with a harsh swipe. "Go! I'm depending on you!" The hand's raspy voice demanded. The bird nodded before flying out of the window.
Over the sea, the day had long since started. Ringo was on his passive warpath as usual, slipping into an alleyway past some startled teens and a bruised, disheveled looking boy, not his matter. Over the wall and back on the streets, he cut left, springing off a trash can and sticking the landing on the pole of a fence. After a moment of basking in pride, he vaulted off the pole, onto the roofs, skipping across them like rocks on water. His trail ends as he lands on a personal favorite rock, right in the yard of the bickering couple: Ranma and Akane.
Shortly after, a recently splashed Ranma stormed out of the house, Akane trailing close behind denting the grass with each step, her white knuckles made it clear they had been arguing for a while. "You are not going to an all girls tournament!" She looked forward to Ringo "Ringo, you don't have to-"
Ranma quirked an eyebrow at Akane's sudden silence, but continued her march, "At least he-" Ranma stopped at the edge of the pond, her hand pointing up for a moment, before she began rubbing her eyes repeatedly.
Ringo greeted them with a two fingered wave before presenting a large box "Your delivery." he flourished around it and stood there for a curiously long time, waiting for someone to grab it. With a slight tilt of his head, he jostled the box "Well?"
Ranma and Akane stood still, all of their focus at the top of his head. Ranma pointed at the strange new hat that caught everyone else's attention "Is... that a hawk?" She took a few steps back since nothing good ever came from birds on people's head.
Ringo glanced up at the sleeping beak peeking above his bangs, nodding his head he affirmed with; "I guess." as if it were an afterthought... "Now, your delivery Ranma." he glare skipped between the house and the box, no care in the world about the bird of prey on his head.
But Ranma and Akane practically just gawked, Did his feather grow into a bird? "How long was it there?" she hesitantly gestured at the top of his head, as if he would've forgotten.
Ringo narrowed his eyes at Akane, Then looked up and squinted his eyes, humming in thought. He raised a finger and looked back at the two "Say, Ranma, Your late on your fees..."
Ranma didn't even entertain the attempt, partly because they forgot about the fees, but that was a mouse, she was busy pointing at the -feathery- elephant in the room "How long was that hawk on your head."
Ringo rolled his eyes and, slowly, Ringo lifted the hawk up with two hands, holding it over his head. He turned around facing the outer wall, and threw it. Turning back he patted his head and shrugged, "What hawk?" (His effective, swift, and peaceful problem solving would be noted for later.)
"Now-" Before he could persist in his attempt to end the delivery quickly, and get far away from that brunette, The Hawk returned. It landed on his on his shoulders, digging it's claws in a way that could only be seen as deliberate. Vindictive behavior aside, as Ringo glared at the claw buried in his skin, he saw a note tied to it, signed; Tonic.
A brief flash of that old lady tapping on the other side of a stork sized bird cage made the note seem like a cursed object. But he grabbed it anyway, mumbling multiple insults while doing so. The note said; "Friday favor day, you must do it!" as brief as it was, the name did ring a few bells in Ringo's head as he fished for any memory of an instruction manual involving a "favor day."
His eyes shot wide with realization, before swiftly narrowing "Do any of you have a pen and paper?" he asked, resting the small box flat on the rocks.
From within the house, just entering the yard a particularly conniving voice answered "I do." Said voice was attached to Nabiki, rolling a fairly expensive looking pen in her hand -still gift wrapped from her recent date- "I'll let you use it, for... twenty thousand yen" She so graciously offered. "The paper is ten."
Ringo considered it, and instead decided to grab a particularly flat rock from the stone path and a sharper looking one. He began scratching three words into the first stone before tying it to the hawks leg. "Shoo, you petty bird..." he whispered in between tossing the bird. Again. The hawk dropped out of the air for a moment, before continuing its new path. Ringo also left promptly, before Nabiki could mention her "trauma" any more, which she surprisingly let happen, since he did leave this urgent note/share information.
On a lively, relaxing beach at the edge of china, the hawk soared. Its eyes flicked in between all of the women bathing in the sun, or dancing in the sea. After some... sight seeing, it flew further down reaching a thick patch of trees. It dove through, vanishing under the canopy.
On the other side of the dense wall of rocks and trees, there was a small cove, long forgotten by most. But in it, there was a small hut with freshly made slushies, owned by Tonic. She was a small old woman, black hair tied into three buns at the base of her neck adorned with red gems, wearing a red silk robe, sipping on a slushy.
Resting on her beach chair, a spell of bliss cast over her, it was swiftly dispelled when a screech shattered the silence. Her brow furrowed, and without looking at the hawk, she just held her hand out. The stone was placed in her hand, "Doesn't even have the decency to use paper..." she mumbled, holding the stone before face and reading it.
The writing on the flat stone was more a chain of hasty scratches, but it was discernable, saying; "That's stupid, no." as brief as ever, she almost felt proud as she crushed the stone in a blind fury. She started growling, stray strands of her hair flowing up "That brat..." She hopped out of her chair, stomping toward the house and snapping a board from the small pile resting near the bonfire. She used a splinter to scribble -in presumably bold- some harsh words of persuasion.
Just as the hawk perched itself in a tree that raspy voice beckoned "Shū fēi! get over here!" In a panic, it dropped out of the tree and hobbled over, stiffening its posture once it arrived. The plank was shoved harshly in its beak "Take this note to that moronic grandson of mine!" She punted it out to sea, kickstarting its days long journey, for the third time. Doesn't that sound a bit like...
Ringo was resting at his counter when Soufflé dropped the plank before him, and hopped on his head to take a nap. Ringo ignored Soufflé's choice in beds, and decided to read the note, thinking it would be a brief "Do it" Instead it was "If you don't, know that I didn't forget how long it took you to hate-" Before I could even finish reading it, he took the plank out back and burned it to ash.
The hawk sprang off of Ringo's head as his feather burst alight, he clapped his hands together "Fine, you old bag..." he uttered a deep growl "Friday favor day it is..." He retreated to his shop to find out the certain trouble that came from the event. Boy, was it stupid...
The small banner slid into its stand, its vibrant yellow flag plastered with a drawing of a genie holding one finger up. Ringo took a step back to admire the display, favor day -and related- banners surrounded the entrance to his shop, With a deep breath, he nodded "This is absolutely stupid. One favor, to anyone, in this city? They might ask me to become a hitman, or a wingman, maybe a conman..." What ever this event entailed, probably would be painful.
He walked inside, grabbing Soufflé as he passed. Once behind the counter, he placed some flyers in front of the groggy hawk "If you are gonna sleep here, scatter these around first. Okay?" Soufflé only blinked, one eye at a time, then it took the flyers and just walked out of the shop. Now Ringo had to wait...
And wait he did, leaning on the counter, Ringo stares at the door, scanning the streets for a few hours. God, did it bore him, just, waiting... He slapped his hands on the counter, a noise that startled soufflé awake "Ah! this is so stupid!" Ringo burrowed his hands between boxes resting beside him, fishing out a book. "This event is basically a desperate plea." he started to flip a page when the fates decided it was a good time to drag the first of Ringo's troubles in the shop.
Mousse stumbled his way to the door, holding onto a broken pair of glasses. He made an attempt to read the banner, holding one half of the glasses to his eye -like a monocle- "Delivery boy! what is this... favor day?" he asked, facing a teacup on one of the shelves.
Ringo pulled out a pair of mousses spare glasses, handing them over. "I have to do one favor for anyone who walks in. for today." The sudden shift in the air sent alarms blaring.
Mousses eyes brightened, and like tinted glass, his new tone was clear, coated with hope. "Any favor?" he asked, slowly approaching Ringo.
Ringo pressed a finger to his cheek, "Just about." Suddenly he was grabbed by the shoulders, an action which startled a spark from him.
Hope gleamed in Mousse's eyes, his grip tightening around the old wound Soufflé gave Ringo "Do me a favor, Help me-"
Ringo winced "Hey!" he shouted, bringing a hand to hush Mousse "I cant, I already did you a favor." He pointed at the glasses.
"That's your job!" Mousse exclaimed, shaking Ringo by the shoulders.
Ringo started waving his hand in the air, looking to the side "Did it for free..." The mumbled reasoning only received increasingly violent shakes. Ringo palmed mousses face "Could you stop?"
But mousse persisted, almost lifting Ringo "I'm, trying, to, jog-your-memory!" He finally stopped after twelve more seconds shaking "you always do it for free!" He claimed, but Ringo was out of it. His balance all out of whack, he started to stumble, so badly so, he had to use the counter to balance himself.
"Uh..." The flame sputtered short circuiting for a moment "YOU MORON!" then it restarted, he pressed his hand on his forehead "That wasn't a jog... W-wait! I still don't give you stuff for free every time! You get charged, for, your, use... of storage."
"You lying..." Mousse raised his hands again considering on shaking Ringo more, maybe he could short circuit compliance into him. Instead, He stormed out calling Ringo a "Feather brained sham." ranting as he left.
Ringo would only sigh, bitter wasn't the way to describe the weight of it. That outburst was kind of a relief. He felt the same when... he didn't remember... It was strange, but his way of life urged him not to dwell on it. Or was it the feather?
Ryoga wandered through the door, interrupting Ringo's thoughts. Ryoga was holding an empty shopping bag and plucked a twig out of his head. He was certainly lost, possibly more so when noticing Soufflé sleeping in a shelf "Is this a pet store?"
Ringo stopped in front of the counter, looking longingly at that pile of boxes. Turning around, he clasped his hands together and forged a smile "No, its the same place... Need something? anything?" Ringo pointed at the banners outside. "One favor."
Ryoga thought for a moment, before looking at the shopping bag. Any other day, it would've been great to ask "Can you help me get to the supermarket?" Any other day of course, wasn't today.
Ringo thought of it, "Another simple task?" Well it was Ryoga... but he did have a convenient cursed form... Though that kind of reasoning would find him on top of... He was on top of a building at the moment, holding a small piglet. P-Chan squeaked fervently, but Ringo didn't speak pig.
So Ringo would allow himself to believe that they were commending him -even if he knew they were terrified-. "You know I kinda expected you to ask for a way to Akane... or was it Akari?" Ringo could only shrug, as he walked to the edge of the roof.
Ryoga tried to wriggle out of Ringo's grip but he was grabbed at the back of his neck. Ringo held him higher "Don't worry Ryoga! The hawk turned out fine!" Though, pigs don't fly, but who needed to mention that? scanning the landscape once more for leisure, he locked onto the the supermarket. "Ready to go?"
The unfortunately ball shaped pig could only say "eep" as Ringo tossed him up. And once he fell down, he was 'gently' punted on a straight course to the store. Ringo slowly watched the piglet drop, "He probably thinks I hate him... well, he hasn't knowingly payed his fees. I'll try to be nicer next time." Glass shattered in the distance, marking this favor, "Complete."
On his way back, he spotted a purpled haired girl stopped in front of his shop, staring at the Image. She then biked toward Ringo hopping off once she got close enough "You delivery boy?" she practically blurted.
He didn't like to associate that question with the box she held, it was from Neko-Hanten "Yes? Need some-" *oof*
She shoved the delivery box into his hand "You do favor, deliver this!" Shampoo-purple girl demanded, before she hopped back on the bike and sped off, singing Ranma's name along the way.
Ringo looked for a tag, but all it said was "Furinkan." He groaned inwardly, "But to who?" He flipped the tag, searching for a name, but there was none. He had to walk to every class in Furinkan. He spent his time peeking through doors and just walking through the halls.
After another minute or so of walking up and down the halls "This is taking too long..." His patience ran thin, and the halls smelled terrible, he walked into the class next to him. Everyone looked at him as he stood at the back of the class, it felt terrible.
He started to look around, spotting Yukue, head first into her test paper, sweating bullets. She was tapping her pencil rhythmically, clearly struggling. He took the paper from her hand and scanned it briefly, placing it back down and whispering "You should study more..."
Her pencil snapped, and she whimpered "How much?" She asked, her voice almost an extended breath. Ringo did not say, he just winced and shook his head. Her hands were brought to both sides of her head recoiling at the thought that she needed mercy. She dropped dramatically onto her desk, like the last string holding her body, gave out.
Ringo's hand hovered just above Yukue's head, almost patting her. He drew it back patting her shoulder instead "See you later, I guess..." he could almost hear her whimper as he began to creep away.
*Ohum* From behind Ringo stood the particularly irate looking teacher wearing a red tie over a bright pink shirt, and a pair of square glasses. *Ohum* he says, even though he already got Ringo's attention.
…
…
…
*Ahem...* They stared at each other for a minute, not a noise being made. The teacher brought a finger up ready to say something important, then it closed into a fist, resting on his mouth. *Ohum-*… He said nothing.
Ringo fully turned to face the strange teacher. He waited for a second, then his eyelids slacked "You, wanna say something?"
The teacher nodded and crossed his arms "Please, ahem don't, Ohum... demotivate my student, ahem..." The man adjusted his red tie and cleared his throat more "Do, ohum you go to this school?"
"I do not, I'm here to deliver..." He lifted the box up "For... Someone? There was no name." Ringo admitted, scratching his head. He attempted to placed the handle of the box in Yukue's hand but it fell. He caught it thankfully, opting on placing the box on her desk "I'll just give it to her. for demotivating her, I guess?"
The teacher looked to and from the box a *hrmm* escaping his mouth this time "Ohum. that is fine... farewell." the teacher walked back to their desk, breaking into a harsh coughing fit once he got there.
Ringo then left, walking at a brisk pace, getting out of the school as soon as possible. Once in the yard, his pace finally slowed "Favor complete?" He stopped on the streets, using one hand to hold his chin while the other was tapping his temple "She did say 'deliver' not to who." He couldn't be blamed. On his way out, he spotted a Favor day flyer hanging in a tree, he felt the need to worry about it being at Furinkan, but wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Surprisingly, Ringo did manage to safely make his way to his shop, just around the end of school hours. Soufflé stirred from his nap, glanced at Ringo, and went to back sleep. Ringo glared at the hawk then sighed accepting the new guest with sarcasm, "Maybe I should start a hotel..."
As he began to mind his own business, Lee Yin walked through the door, more like wobbled. She wore a pair of pajamas, fully red with a white triangle gradient, and a little hat. She stumbled past the shelves Soufflé slept on and stopped at the counter before Ringo. She glared with as much intensity her weak eyes could muster. "There's a hawk in your shop..."
Ringo looked past her and at Soufflé with a small lean and nodded, "There is." he returned to resting his head on the counter "You're here too. Interesting outfit..." he, not so quietly, muttered.
"I know... I need... a bed to sleep in," she started, blatantly staring past Ringo and to the back room. "Yours is fine..." Lee Yin tossed the favor day flier to the air, and stormed into the attached home. She peeked back out of the room shortly after closing the door "Also, I've heard... that bastard Ochiba is scrounging about this place." she warned, before dipping back inside the room.
Ringo sighed yet again, his stomach grumbling, before he could consider resting again. "Ugh..." He flopped onto the counter to try and force a nap, but the hunger hit fast. He looked in a specific direction, outside his own shop, "The old man is open... Tonic didn't say no to a snack break either..." Ringo rose from his seat and began marching his set path.
Three blocks over, in a smaller shop, the doors burst open, Ringo marched to the front, stopping at the counter and taking a seat. He slapped his hands down and pointed at the old man wearing a rather large sun hat "Spice hermit! I need food!"
The man flicked Ringo on the forehead "Took ya long enough! I started getting customers!" He broke in a hearty laugh clapping Ringo on the shoulder. "I got you covered!" he said as he placed a large bowl on the counter. "This wont be the usual rice, I've whipped up something special."
Ringo rested an elbow on the table, a cheeky smile stealing a place on his face "If that bowl of rice is anything to go by, this will be poison" He joked, watching the old man dice all sorts of spicy and sweet herbs and toss them into a pot.
The man paused, grinning knowingly, he turned the stove on, "Speaking of-"
"She's at work... or home. I don't know..." Ringo interrupted, watching the clear water stain with ingredients. The flame of the stove simmered
sprinkling a bit of salt into the soup, The man fully turns to Ringo, walking up to him and pointing, "You gotta talk to her more! If you're too late, she could find someone else-"
Ringo slapped his hands on the counter, leaning forward, his tone still low, but harsh "And what's so wrong with that?" The question hung awkwardly in the air, the silence was palpable. Ringo sat back down, bowing his head and sighing "Is the soup ready?" a subject change easily accepted.
The man tilted his hat back a faded reddish brown strand falling out, he glanced at the door before answering, "Not just yet," He moved to the closet "there's still... a bit more to add!"
Yet again Ringo sighed, shaking his head and grinning "It really is poison then!" He kept his hands off the table. The man cackled from the closet room before walking out with a massive vial and a metal sheet.
He placed the metal sheet in the center of the pot as a divider, before pouring the sauce in the vial on one side. The man glanced at the clock, then looked at the door just as his other customer arrived. "Mr..." She gasped sharply and stopped at the door. Ringo couldn't see, but felt her stare.
The girl took plenty awkward steps before hesitantly taking the seat next to Ringo, It was Yukue, staring out of the corner of her eye at Ringo. He stared back, much less of an awkward glance than hers. "Hey Ringo..." Her arm jolted and snapped back in place.
"Hey," His eyes slid forward "Sorry about the test."
Yukue raised a hand up, "...It's fine...I passed, for once."
Ringo fully turned, an amused smile on his face "Really? I mean you were doing pretty horribly, and then you got demotivated..." he dramatically trailed off, earning a glare from Yukue.
She turned her head away, both to show a playful: "Thanks to you... I got just above a passing grade."
Ringo shrugged "That's what rivals are for. They knock you down," He jabbed her shoulder softly, which Yukue quickly returns, making them both grin "...and make you stronger."
Yukue nodded then looked down, clenching her fist, "Say, do you want to spar later?"
Ringo leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table, his head on his hand. He smiled, looking at Yukue with the side of his eyes "Come anytime."
With a slight scoff, Yukue looked at the old man prepare noodles from scratch. There was a sudden weight in her chest, she forced it out with a sharp exhale "You should watch how you use any." She warned, throwing a sharp jab aimed for Ringo's head.
Ringo laid his head flat to the table to evade, spinning out of his chair. He ducked under a kick, weaved to the right of a following punch, then caught the side kick. Yukue tried to push him back, but he let go, causing her to stumble forward right into an armlock. Ringo twisted her arm behind her back, attempting to pin her to the ground.
The old man continued cooking, casting short glances to the fight.
Yukue couldn't escape the armbar, without lifting Ringo off the ground. She hip tossed him to the floor, attempting a mount. Ringo trips her, making her fall to his side and in that action, stopping the fight.
Ringo smothered the flame on his head and stood up promptly, "Ahem... we should get off the floor," He began dusting off his clothes "i-it's dirty..."
Yukue's heavy breaths slowed "oh... uh, yea." She mumbled, standing up shortly after. They continued to dust their clothes off for a few silent seconds. The old man quietly filling their bows made sure to put the spicy half into Ringo's bowl in its reddish orange glory-it was poison (basically)-. Yukue got the golden orange half not as spicy.
Ringo and Yukue sat silently, the drastically different bubbling filling the silence. That burden was taken off the soup bowls' shoulders by the burst of laughter, temporarily awkward, quickly genuine. Finally, one plate of red noodles were placed in between the two bowls.
The old man watched their smiles, forming one of his own " See? Talking to each other ain't so bad huh?" The moment was risked, his question causing Yukue to slam her fist on the table and look off to the side, and Ringo to cross his arms and glare. "Sorry, sorry..." He gestured to the meal, taking a step back "eat up!"
Ringo and Yukue glanced at each other, then at the food, Ringo takes one last glance at the chef before the takes one noodle and dips in into the soup, it almost seemed like the soup reached up for the noodle, which warranted another glance at the old man. He finally put it in his mouth, sitting silently with his eyes closed.
Yukue paused in the middle of slurping some noodles to watch Ringo's reaction... But all he did was cringe slightly and nod, taking more noodles and eating with less skepticism. She knew she shouldn't believe his bowl wasn't spicy, but she was too curious and staring too long. His eyes remained shut, even tighter, but a tear trickled out "T-Try at your own risk, Yukue. This is actually s-spicy." The flame of the feather actually began to spread to his hair, a small band akin to a crown forming.
Yukue started to chuckle, as Ringo desperately tugs at the tufts of hair before his ear. She tapped his shoulder, leaving her hand there "Are you okay? Need some water?" She started to laugh in between her words, still managing a somewhat concerned expression.
Ringo put a thumbs up, clenching his gut "Mhm..." he exhaled through his nose in the same breath, but still dared to eat more of the noodles. They were good, even if they were going to damage his guts permanently, or make him immune by killing his taste buds.
As the meal continued, a few different customers came and went, But one was a special kind of irritation "At last! I found you." The special one wasn't the currently present Ochiba, holding onto a flyer. He approached, ignoring Yukue "Can I ask for a favor?" not any Ringo would like. "Can you remove-"
"Ochiba!!" Lee Yin burst through the door, Spear held high. She stomped toward Ochiba, grabbing him by his collar "You are going to pay!" she hissed, dragging him out side, not without looking at Ringo and Yukue, she nodded stoically, disappearing out of the door.
Just before the calm could settle in, Ochiba ran past the door, somehow escaping Lee Yin, who, with her warriors of vengeance, chased him relentlessly. But in the dust of spite appeared the special customer. "Well well, hiding on a special day?" Nabiki held a scroll in her hand using the other to pick up the flyer left behind. "Am I interrupting something?"
Ringo slurped another noodle, clicking his chopsticks together. "You are." he stated flatly, a little dry thanks to the soup.
Yukue silently glanced between the smug Nabiki and the aloof Ringo. Nabiki processed the blunt honesty and smiled wider. "Well how rude." she pouted, more for show.
Ringo eyed the flyer, it was much more of a problematic thing than he thought "You do need something? don't you?" Ringo had a few, pricey ideas that he would feign sudden deafness to if asked.
"Skipping the theatrics? Fine." Nabiki shrugged, unraveling the scroll she held. It was another flyer, bold writing bordered by green and gold trim "There's this tournament with a hefty prize, all about entrepreneurs, but, they don't exactly want my kind of business being associated with theirs." She tossed the scroll to Ringo.
He scanned it, letting the old man and Yukue read as well. "I have a feeling you're getting somewhere?"
Nabiki sighed dramatically "So rude, keep this behavior up and I might tell that Ochiba where to look." Ringo quirked an eyebrow but Nabiki did not elaborate, "I want you to use the 'squeaky clean' image of your shop to win the tournament for me. Call it a favor."
Ringo turned back to the soup bowl, the obligation of Favor day and threat of Tonic nagging him, he had little choice "That's some deal."
Nabiki smirked, walking out of the door "I'll take that as a yes." She returned for one more word "It's next week."
Once Nabiki was gone, Ringo stared at the Favor day flyer, he placed some money on the counter and started toward the door. Just at the exit, he turned and waved, "I got an event to end, later." and like that, he left.
Now just Yukue and The old man were there, Yukue looked where Ringo sat, The bowl half empty, and the Entrepreneur martial arts tournament announced on a flyer. She reached over, stealing a noodle and trying it.
(she passed out.)