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onlensreflexWho: Ash and Ryo and a few NPCs including various bar folk, a transvestite, and Ash's host sister
What: Meeting under unsavory circumstances
Where: A gaijin magnet bar in Shinjuku ni-chome
When: Friday night, November 2nd
In retrospective, Ash should have figured out what kind of scene Shinjuku Ni-chome was when he noticed there were too many guys around. But while he was a fairly visual person, he never thought that much about what anything meant, just what it looked like; and as soon as he'd started to wonder, Meg-neechan had shoved her sake cup into his hand, declaring it a sign of friendship, and he'd been reduced to wondering where the hell she'd gotten her fake ID instead.
God, he was drunk. After the sake there had been the Asahi Super Dry and the Orion Southern Star and the...the...the kanji on the bottles were starting to blur together. He'd decided a while ago that getting drunk was probably the best way to cope with guys hitting on him and his host sister thinking he was gay, and this stuff was stronger than the Carlton Draught he leaned towards at home. (This logic would make a lot less sense once he sobered up, but damn it had been a while since he'd had a drink.) He couldn't exactly leave, either - he didn't know how to get home on the train and didn't have enough money for a cab, and if he got picked up by the police, he could be deported! What a stupid way to finish the exchange.
Tsubasa, damn him, was asleep at this time of night, and he was never very good at the 'pretending to txt to avoid eye contact' thing. So that kind of left his digivice as a potential plaything. Maybe he could pretend it was a Tamagotchi?
The small bar on the second story was a cozy, dimly-lit affair populated by just his type of guys. The bar master knew him well enough that he had his own glass, despite the spotty frequency of his visits. He may not have completely belonged (as he did not wear glasses or have a college degree), but they seemed to like him enough to let him stay.
After the pleasantries and updates on his life, he was offered a new mint drink the master discovered, and again the now-familiar exchange was taking place.
"You make my job impossible, kid," the master said in his gruffly paternal tone of voice. "There are plenty of guys here who fit your type and would like to play with you. Why don't you ever give it a chance?"
Ryo took a sip of the Kremlin Colonel and stopped pretending to be entirely too interested in the mochi. While it was flattering that Takeshi was interested in him, there was just something about the guy that reminded him of someone else. "Sorry. He reminds me of this man I had a crush on when I was fourteen."
The master's eyes twinkled at the memory, and Ryo again wondered how he managed to extract so much information out of him the first time he came here. "That computer scientist? Old enough to be your father, wasn't he?"
He supposed, if his senses weren't being dulled by the vodka, he would have hanged his head in shame. "Right. 'Happy birthday, buddy, I have a crush on your dad.' Would have gone over so well." It was, he remembered, but one of a multitude of reasons he started feeling too awkward there and wanted to move back here.
Master Hideo chuckled. "Well then, no more computer scientists or programmers. How do you feel about biologists? I know this fellow over at the University of Tokyo lab..."
Ryo started picking at the rice flour on his mochi as the master regaled him with the new guy's accomplishments and talents. It was nice of Hideo to set him up with someone, he supposed, but he wasn't really that interested in a relationship with anyone at the moment. There was Cyberdramon to worry about, Anna would ask too many questions, Ken... Well. Ken. Even if he did find someone to date, he would start feeling bad around Ken and the last thing he wanted was to hurt Ken by opening up those old wounds regarding Miyako again.
"So, what do you want here," the master suddenly asked. "You don't seem to be interested in hooking up with anyone, and any of the other bars can sell you drinks."
"But you make the best mint juleps," he offered with a weak little smile. It wasn't enough to satisfy Hideo, so he might as well be honest. "Don't suppose it counts that I like being here and being able to openly look at guys without having to worry about offending anyone?"
"It counts. It's just a bit discouraging to be unable to help a-" The master stopped to regard him thoughtfully. To Ryo's surprise, he turned to open a schedule book and look over its contents. "You still have that job over at the homeless clinic?"
He looked up in surprise. "Er, just a small one. Not many hours. Why?"
The master pulled out a card and scribbled something on the back. "The community center here is hiring data entry workers. Not the best job, but I can put in a good word for you if you're interested. If you are-," the master then turned to hand Ryo the card to the gaijin magnet bar a couple of streets away. "Talk to this man and tell him I sent you."
On the back of the card was a small note of introduction signed by Hideo. He considered it carefully. Another small job might be nice and help supplement his income, and it would give him a better excuse to come here in case Anna started asking those awkward questions of hers again, or Ken found out where he disappeared to. And really, data entry wasn't that hard...
"How will I-"
"He's the bear behind the bar. Hard to miss. If you take it, drop by later and let me know."
Hideo beamed as he pocketed the card, apparently pleased to have finally been helpful to him, and moved to greet a new customer. Ryo was then left with what little was left of his drink, and spent the remaining few minutes finishing it off and considering how he'd explain the gaps in his education to a future employer. At least it was something to keep him occupied on the trip to the gaijin trap.
"What is that thing, anyway? It's on you all the time."
Guiltily, Ash glanced up at Megumi. "I... er... how do you say... virtuaru petsu?"
His host sister rolled her eyes. "Liar. Okay, maybe I thought you were gay, but I'm not that stupid."
Ash resisted the urge to disagree. "Pedometer?"
Megumi shook her head. "The only thing I've ever seen on that screen is the time."
"Hey, Megumi-chan!"
"Who's this?" Ash asked, taking in Megumi's uneasy expression with interest.
"An ex," Megumi replied mildly. Ash almost fell off his stool in shock. "She looks rather drunk, I think I should go over there and pretend it didn't end so very badly. I'll be back."
Before Ash could say another word, she was gone.
"Is this seat taken?"
There was a Japanese guy, what, five-ish years older than him hovering behind him when Ash spun around. He was tempted to say yes, but the stranger was already taking Megumi's newly vacated stool. Just his luck: Meg-neechan abandoned him with some random guy when he's already drunk. Oh, and the guy had to check him out, too...
"I'm Hiroyuki. May I buy you a drink?"
His English wasn't bad. "Tom." Ash lied. "Only if it's non-alcoholic."
Flagging down the bear of a bartender, Masuken gave a wink. Ash wasn't entirely sure whether it was meant for him or the barman. "Two Southern Stars."
"That's beer," Ash objected, electing not to mention that he'd already had a couple.
"You're in my beautiful country, live a little." Ash shifted backwards in his stool as Hiroyuki slid a hand down the bar in his direction. Why did he pick the seat in the corner? "So, where are you from?"
In a better world, he'd be able to mimic Wallace's American accent and say he was from the States, and then he'd run away, leaving this guy to ask around for the American with honey-colored hair. Unfortunately, he was stuck with his own accent. "Australia."
"With the - how do you say - kangaruos? Cool."
The drinks arrived. Ash pointedly didn't touch his, fidgeting with his digivice instead.
"You come here often?" Hiroyuki asked, leaning on the bar to face him.
"It's my first time in Ni-chome." And my last, Ash mentally added.
"I'm sure you are loving it," the man replied, with a suggestive eyebrow raise that he wouldn't really have minded from a girl but was kind of disturbing coming from an older guy. Ash looked everywhere but at his self-appointed companion. Where was Meg-neechan when he needed her?
The barrage of noise from the larger bars that counted as gaijin traps reminded Ryo once again why he avoided the places when he wasn't in a very specific mood. It wasn't even an event night and he thought he could feel the throb of dance music through the ground itself. The gaisen flocked to one of many traps he avoided, and he found himself wishing Hideo sent him somewhere less obnoxious.
Not that it could be helped, he supposed.
The good thing about these traps was that he could mostly get away with being ignored if he kept his eyes down and responded to things in that Hokkaido accent his father had. The gaisen wanted foreigners, after all, and he wasn't dressed to attract a date.
The usual act didn't stop one of the gaijin moving towards him. At any other time, he might have at least stopped to be polite, but now he was in no mood for this. He strode faster through the dance crowd, losing the man after he pushed and was pushed towards the main bar. After that, it didn't take too long to see the bear-like master Nakano disappear through a staff door behind the bar.
It was just his luck, really. Ryo took an empty stool and waved down one of the master's assistants, who looked to be a few years too young to be working at a place like this. Not like he was in a position to claim moral high ground himself.
"Is Nakano going to be back soon," he asked, dropping the Hokkaido accent the moment he realized that the only other Japanese person close by was trying to pick up a Caucasian-looking boy over at the end of the bar.
"He got a call," the assistant said sourly, obviously disappointed he wasn't ordering anything. "He'll return in a few minutes."
He murmured a "thanks" and watched as the assistant wandered off to a couple flagging him down. Absently he looked down the bar and recognized one part of the couple as a weekend transvestite who once tried (unsuccessfully) to pick him up a few months back, and resolved to stare at the bottles behind the bar until the hobby woman and "her" date went away.
Ash winced just a fraction as Hiroyuki leaned closer, murmured, "I know these are a bit...hard to open," and uncapped his beer bottle for him. But the Japanese man didn't back off, just curiously traced the elastic bandage Ash always wore on his right forearm when he was in short sleeves. "Let me guess. Baseball? You're a pitcher."
It took Ash a moment to catch on. "Just covering up a scar," he replied, leaving out the fact that the scar was from too-hot bathwater when he was three months old. Maybe if Hiroyuki thought he was suicidal he'd go away.
Unfortunately, he didn't, he just nodded understandingly. "It is hard, being in the...wardrobe. When are you knowing that you are gay?"
"Actually, I'm straight," Ash answered quickly, pleased to clear up this point.
Hiroyuki laughed. "If you were truly, you would not be here."
Touche. "Funny story about that, actually..."
The older man's smile turned into a smirk. "Many men are thinking that they are straight, until they have a night with me."
"I'd really rather not..." Ash shrank backwards as Hiroyuki moved in for a kiss. His back was against the wall, moving elsewhere would require first moving forward, and the friendly bartender from before was gone and the assistants were all busy with other customers. He needed a distraction, but what?
Spotting his digivice and the open but still untouched Southern Star bottle on the bar, Ash slid his digivice to hit the bottle hard, knocking it over and spilling its contents down the bar. "Oh, no, what a shame, I'd better clean that up," he babbled, searching for a serviette.
"Let the staff get it," whispered Hiroyuki, putting one hand on the side of his face and the other on his leg.
Starting to panic now, Ash raised his voice above the music. "Get away from me!"
Ryo wasn't always the brightest tool in the box when it came to innuendo, but it was rather hard to ignore the Japanese man trying so hard to pick up a clearly uninterested gaijin. English wasn't his best language, but one didn't have to know a language to pick up the tone of distress in the gaijin's voice.
As he turned to face the two, he reminded himself that he really ought to know better than to intrude by now. "It doesn't sound like he's interested," he said in Japanese.
Hiroyuki tsk'd his tongue, turning from Ash for a moment to regard the Japanese man who had so rudely interrupted him with an unimpressed look. "Oh, he will be."
Briefly, Ash wondered if this was a good time to leave, but as hard as he'd tried to lose it when he was younger, he didn't really want to leave his digivice behind. Meg-neechan had banned him from bringing his dictionary with him, so he was having a bit of trouble following the Japanese conversation.
Ryo's skin crawled with the implication. Oh, he hated this type. "Somehow, I just don't think rape will make him any more interested than he is already."
"Stay out of this," Hiroyuki retorted weakly, losing interest already.
Ash made up his mind. He wasn't going anywhere without his digivice, so he might as well use this guy as a welcome distraction. "Hi," he offered - he could get that far in Japanese, at least, "I'm A--" no, wait, he'd given Hiroyuki a fake name. "Tom."
He noticed the tell-tale backing down and straightened to his full height, which usually got across the hint that he could hold his own in a fight if he had to. With his best reassuring smile and what he hoped would be passable English, Ryo nodded in greeting at Tom. "Akiyama Ryo. You are lost?"
Wow, this guy was tall for someone who was Japanese. Ash shook his head with a bit of a chuckle. "In a manner of speaking. My host sister got the wrong idea about me and now she's vanished and I can't get home..."
Glaring at Ryo, Hiroyuki draped an arm over Ash's shoulder, ignoring his shudder. "That's okay, you can come home with me."
Ryo didn't know whether it was residual bloodlust from Cyberdramon or the fact that he detested this type of preying, but he was sorely tempted to deck the gaisen just for existing. He reigned in the urge for violence and pointedly ignored the gaisen's words. Really, where was Wallace when he needed a translator? "Need help to embark home?"
Ash studied Ryo for a moment. He seemed trustworthy. Then again, that Turuiemon eight years ago would seem trustworthy next to Hiroyuki. But he hadn't tried to pick him up, which was saying something. Removing Hiroyuki's arm from his shoulder, Ash swapped to Japanese in gratitude. "Yes, please."
"Didn't you hear me?" Hiroyuki interrupted mildly, sticking with English.
"The train should still be running at this hour," Ryo continued in Japanese, silently thankful the gaijin seemed to know a bit of his own language. He kept his attention focused on Tom, but was still well aware of the gaisen. "Very public and should be safe. I can escort you."
"You're not escorting him anywhere," said Hiroyuki.
Following Ryo's lead, Ash ignored him, taking a moment to figure out what to say. "Thank you, but the trains, I'll get lost; I'm stupid on foreign public transport."
"That's okay," Ryo offered in as reassuring a manner as possible. At that moment, inspiration struck and he moved to make himself a bit more visible to the throng. With any luck, Pazu would recognize him. "Tell me where you need to go at the station. If you would like to leave, of course."
"I'd love to," replied Ash, standing, "if you could just pass my--"
"Looking for this?" Hiroyuki offered, holding up his digivice. Ash's eyes widened. Hiroyuki merely smirked, examining it. "A bit old for V-Pets, aren't you? How do I turn it on?"
Ryo recognized the digivice immediately, and a part of him wanted to kick himself for getting involved again. Nevertheless, it wouldn't do to let a kid fall into this kind of trap. He could just imagine Millenniumon ragging on him for playing the hero once again.
"You shouldn't take what isn't yours," he said lightly, moving forward to take the gaisen's wrist in one hand. His thumb pressed hard into the wrist joint, with just enough slack given to get across the idea that he could do much worse. "Why don't you give it back?"
Hiroyuki winced, grip on the digivice loosening. "Take your toy," he spat at Ash.
"Don't mind if I do, thanks." Ash plucked the digivice from his hand, surveying it for any damage. It was silly, but he couldn't help thinking Hiroyuki had managed to contaminate it somehow. "I, ah, need to feed it," he attempted to excuse himself to Ryo. "I'm done here."
"I have one too. Very demanding, aren't they?"
Without waiting for an answer, Ryo turned to wave at the oncoming freight train of pink feathers and sequins. The hobby woman shrieked at him in the world's most obnoxious falsetto. "Akiyama, dahlin'! Do you want a date at last?"
He shook his head and gestured towards the gaisen. "I don't, but this man seems very desperate for a good time. Why don't you two get acquainted?"
Pazu gave him a glittery lipstick-framed grin and darted straight into the gaisen's personal space. "Oh, he looks like fun. Wanna play, baby?"
Hiroyuki merely blinked at the drag queen for a moment. Ash didn't wait to see how well they'd get along, looking curiously at Ryo as he moved to try and leave, but he decided not to bring up his remark about the digivice. "They were created for each other, yes?"
Ryo winked at the kid and murmured in a tone he was sure only Tom could hear, "Let's get out of here while Pazu has him trapped."
"Happily, Ash muttered back, slipping from behind Hiroyuki and the drag queen.
It would have been a lot easier to take the kid's hand and dart through the crowd, Ryo thought, but it would have drawn too much attention. He led the way through portions of the crowd that weren't as dense and didn't look back, hoping the kid was sober enough to follow. It wasn't until they reached the outside that he turned back to watch Tom. "So, where do you live?"
The encounter with Hiroyuki had left him feeling depressingly sober, but it was still somewhat difficult to get out of the bar. Catching up with Ryo, Ash clipped his digivice back onto his jeans. "West Shinjuku. Um, thank you."
Ryo took a moment to go over the map in his head. "Shouldn't be far. Why don't we take the San-chome subway and you let me know exactly when to get off when they announce the stop?"
"Sure," Ash replied, quickly trying to remember the right stop for their apartment building. "I am hopeful we don't run into the police. If they catch me, they'll..." He paused, trying to remember the Japanese word for 'deport' and failing miserably. "They'll be leaving me Japan."
"Don't worry now. The police are lax around here at this time. And I know people," he responded as they walked down the underground passage into the station. "Do you have a pass, or should I pay your fare?"
"Just a school pass," Ash sighed, feeling bad about taking Ryo from the bar and now freeloading his money too, "it doesn't...er...perform after about six o'clock."
Ryo noticed the sigh, but thought it best not to draw attention to it. He made his way to the machines to buy a temporary pass and handed it to Tom. "Momantai. Don't worry about it."
"Momantai?" Ash repeated, taking the train pass. It didn't quite sound Japanese.
"Cantonese," he responded absently as he looked at the time tables. The train should be along in a few minutes. "Means something like 'don't worry' or 'no problem' or something like that. Picked it up from a friend years back."
Ash glanced down the track for the train. "Cool. Friends are good for that kind of thing, aren't they?" Looking back at Ryo, he suddenly remembered Ryo still thought his name was Tom. It had seemed a safe enough lie at the time, but now that he was being so helpful, it didn't feel right to let him believe it. "Um, by the way..."
Ryo looked up from the timetables to glance back at Tom. He supposed he should have paid more attention, been a bit friendlier, or whatever it was normal people did, but the alcohol was finally settling in and lulling him into a drowsy state that he'd have to shake off before he headed back to the bar. "Hm?"
Ash toyed with the train pass. "Er, my name isn't truly Tom. It's Ash. I told Hiroyuki a false name. Sorry I lied to you."
"You did what you had to do under the circumstances," he replied, not the least bit surprised. "Honestly, it's better for you to lie than open yourself up to negative repercussions."
"Yeah," said Ash, not quite catching the words at the end, "I guess."
The silence that followed seemed to be a bit awkward, and Ryo felt like he should say something. Apologize, maybe. "For the sake of my fellow gay people, I'm sorry. We're not all that pushy."
Ash nodded. "Yeah, I know. I mean, I go to an all boys' school at home." He smiled slightly. "And, hey, you haven't tried to sleep with me. But, um, thanks. I think Hiroyuki would have been a dick no matter which way he - er - sways? So I guess it might be better that he was a dick to me instead of some random girl."
Ryo nodded once, slightly, and for a brief moment it felt like his head was going to roll away. Something to remember for next time: never drink this much and then get involved in something like that next time. "Doesn't excuse his behavior."
"Nothing does," Ash remarked, before being interrupted by the sound of J-pop coming out of his back pocket. "Sorry, Ryo-san, that's my host sister... Oh, shit, it's my host sister," he added in English, answering his cellphone. "Meg-neechan, hey... Train station. I had some problems with a guy in the club and... This other guy I met is paying for me to get home, he's coming with me to make sure I don't get lost or anything. ... Yes, I'm sure he's not going to-- okay, fine!" Looking sheepish, he offered the phone to Ryo. "She wants to talk to you to make sure you're not going to..." He shrugged, not knowing the Japanese word for 'rape'.
Maybe it was the mojito and Kremlin Colonel talking, but Ryo was sorely tempted to laugh. That would have been inappropriate, and he mentally applauded his successful attempt at keeping the amusement from showing on his face. With as serious a look as he could muster, he took the phone and put on his best Responsible Adult voice.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm just here to make sure Ash gets back home safe. I assure you that I have no ulterior motives for doing so." He was sure it was the alcohol talking when it was trying to convince him that his acting was pretty good.
"You'd better not," Megumi retorted, "because if I find out you've had your way with otouto..." She let her unspoken threat hang for a minute before commanding, "Put Ash back on the line."
Unable to understand most of what Ryo had said, Ash whistled tunelessly.
The snicker escaped before he could clamp it down, and he blamed it on the alcohol. "He's not my type, sorry. Kid's a bit young and has no glasses. But, here you go." He looked slightly apologetic at Ash and handed over the phone.
Ash raised an eyebrow at Ryo's snicker, taking the phone back. "Yes, thank you for that, Meg-neechan, I'd kind of worked that out already. ... Okay, I'll see you at home, don't get raped. I know, look who's talking. ... Ciao."
He ended the call, slipping the phone back into his pocket and returning to his iffy Japanese. "Sorry, did she try to, um, terrorize you? She can't really do anything, you're too old for her to peer pressure and, honestly, she's only about this high." He gestured quite a few inches below his shoulder.
Ryo shrugged. "Unless they're out to get themselves hurt, I find it's just easier to go along with whatever the girls want. 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' yes? Or slightly annoyed."
"Yeah, that's my usual philosophy." Ash agreed. "Which is how I ended up slightly blonde." He turned as a train pulled into the platform. "Is this the right train?"
He took a quick look at the train and checked it against the map. "Should be. Still want me to accompany you?"
"I should be fine from here." Remembering his Japanese manners, Ash bowed. "Thank you. For saving me from that guy, taking me here, paying my train ticket..." He smiled, wondering if Ryo would understand this. "Grazie."
"Someone had to save you from that predator." Ryo gave a small smile and bowed in turn. He didn't know that foreign word Ash gave, but it sounded similar enough to a Spanish word Ken taught him. "Hope it hasn't ruined your stay in Japan too much. Da svidaniya."
"It's okay, I've still got another ten months here to make up for it." Ash tilted his head curiously at the other words Ryo said. "Da svi-- what?"
"Da svidaniya," he repeated, "Russian for 'goodbye.' The train will leave soon."
"Good point, thanks," said Ash, getting onto the train. Taking a seat by the window, he mouthed 'ciao' at Ryo, waving as the train left the station.
Ryo waved back, and waited until the train pulled out completely before starting the walk back to Ni-chome. Too tired and inebriated to fully parse everything that went on, he set his mind to the task of getting back and preparing for whatever he'd need to do to get another job.
What: Meeting under unsavory circumstances
Where: A gaijin magnet bar in Shinjuku ni-chome
When: Friday night, November 2nd
In retrospective, Ash should have figured out what kind of scene Shinjuku Ni-chome was when he noticed there were too many guys around. But while he was a fairly visual person, he never thought that much about what anything meant, just what it looked like; and as soon as he'd started to wonder, Meg-neechan had shoved her sake cup into his hand, declaring it a sign of friendship, and he'd been reduced to wondering where the hell she'd gotten her fake ID instead.
God, he was drunk. After the sake there had been the Asahi Super Dry and the Orion Southern Star and the...the...the kanji on the bottles were starting to blur together. He'd decided a while ago that getting drunk was probably the best way to cope with guys hitting on him and his host sister thinking he was gay, and this stuff was stronger than the Carlton Draught he leaned towards at home. (This logic would make a lot less sense once he sobered up, but damn it had been a while since he'd had a drink.) He couldn't exactly leave, either - he didn't know how to get home on the train and didn't have enough money for a cab, and if he got picked up by the police, he could be deported! What a stupid way to finish the exchange.
Tsubasa, damn him, was asleep at this time of night, and he was never very good at the 'pretending to txt to avoid eye contact' thing. So that kind of left his digivice as a potential plaything. Maybe he could pretend it was a Tamagotchi?
The small bar on the second story was a cozy, dimly-lit affair populated by just his type of guys. The bar master knew him well enough that he had his own glass, despite the spotty frequency of his visits. He may not have completely belonged (as he did not wear glasses or have a college degree), but they seemed to like him enough to let him stay.
After the pleasantries and updates on his life, he was offered a new mint drink the master discovered, and again the now-familiar exchange was taking place.
"You make my job impossible, kid," the master said in his gruffly paternal tone of voice. "There are plenty of guys here who fit your type and would like to play with you. Why don't you ever give it a chance?"
Ryo took a sip of the Kremlin Colonel and stopped pretending to be entirely too interested in the mochi. While it was flattering that Takeshi was interested in him, there was just something about the guy that reminded him of someone else. "Sorry. He reminds me of this man I had a crush on when I was fourteen."
The master's eyes twinkled at the memory, and Ryo again wondered how he managed to extract so much information out of him the first time he came here. "That computer scientist? Old enough to be your father, wasn't he?"
He supposed, if his senses weren't being dulled by the vodka, he would have hanged his head in shame. "Right. 'Happy birthday, buddy, I have a crush on your dad.' Would have gone over so well." It was, he remembered, but one of a multitude of reasons he started feeling too awkward there and wanted to move back here.
Master Hideo chuckled. "Well then, no more computer scientists or programmers. How do you feel about biologists? I know this fellow over at the University of Tokyo lab..."
Ryo started picking at the rice flour on his mochi as the master regaled him with the new guy's accomplishments and talents. It was nice of Hideo to set him up with someone, he supposed, but he wasn't really that interested in a relationship with anyone at the moment. There was Cyberdramon to worry about, Anna would ask too many questions, Ken... Well. Ken. Even if he did find someone to date, he would start feeling bad around Ken and the last thing he wanted was to hurt Ken by opening up those old wounds regarding Miyako again.
"So, what do you want here," the master suddenly asked. "You don't seem to be interested in hooking up with anyone, and any of the other bars can sell you drinks."
"But you make the best mint juleps," he offered with a weak little smile. It wasn't enough to satisfy Hideo, so he might as well be honest. "Don't suppose it counts that I like being here and being able to openly look at guys without having to worry about offending anyone?"
"It counts. It's just a bit discouraging to be unable to help a-" The master stopped to regard him thoughtfully. To Ryo's surprise, he turned to open a schedule book and look over its contents. "You still have that job over at the homeless clinic?"
He looked up in surprise. "Er, just a small one. Not many hours. Why?"
The master pulled out a card and scribbled something on the back. "The community center here is hiring data entry workers. Not the best job, but I can put in a good word for you if you're interested. If you are-," the master then turned to hand Ryo the card to the gaijin magnet bar a couple of streets away. "Talk to this man and tell him I sent you."
On the back of the card was a small note of introduction signed by Hideo. He considered it carefully. Another small job might be nice and help supplement his income, and it would give him a better excuse to come here in case Anna started asking those awkward questions of hers again, or Ken found out where he disappeared to. And really, data entry wasn't that hard...
"How will I-"
"He's the bear behind the bar. Hard to miss. If you take it, drop by later and let me know."
Hideo beamed as he pocketed the card, apparently pleased to have finally been helpful to him, and moved to greet a new customer. Ryo was then left with what little was left of his drink, and spent the remaining few minutes finishing it off and considering how he'd explain the gaps in his education to a future employer. At least it was something to keep him occupied on the trip to the gaijin trap.
"What is that thing, anyway? It's on you all the time."
Guiltily, Ash glanced up at Megumi. "I... er... how do you say... virtuaru petsu?"
His host sister rolled her eyes. "Liar. Okay, maybe I thought you were gay, but I'm not that stupid."
Ash resisted the urge to disagree. "Pedometer?"
Megumi shook her head. "The only thing I've ever seen on that screen is the time."
"Hey, Megumi-chan!"
"Who's this?" Ash asked, taking in Megumi's uneasy expression with interest.
"An ex," Megumi replied mildly. Ash almost fell off his stool in shock. "She looks rather drunk, I think I should go over there and pretend it didn't end so very badly. I'll be back."
Before Ash could say another word, she was gone.
"Is this seat taken?"
There was a Japanese guy, what, five-ish years older than him hovering behind him when Ash spun around. He was tempted to say yes, but the stranger was already taking Megumi's newly vacated stool. Just his luck: Meg-neechan abandoned him with some random guy when he's already drunk. Oh, and the guy had to check him out, too...
"I'm Hiroyuki. May I buy you a drink?"
His English wasn't bad. "Tom." Ash lied. "Only if it's non-alcoholic."
Flagging down the bear of a bartender, Masuken gave a wink. Ash wasn't entirely sure whether it was meant for him or the barman. "Two Southern Stars."
"That's beer," Ash objected, electing not to mention that he'd already had a couple.
"You're in my beautiful country, live a little." Ash shifted backwards in his stool as Hiroyuki slid a hand down the bar in his direction. Why did he pick the seat in the corner? "So, where are you from?"
In a better world, he'd be able to mimic Wallace's American accent and say he was from the States, and then he'd run away, leaving this guy to ask around for the American with honey-colored hair. Unfortunately, he was stuck with his own accent. "Australia."
"With the - how do you say - kangaruos? Cool."
The drinks arrived. Ash pointedly didn't touch his, fidgeting with his digivice instead.
"You come here often?" Hiroyuki asked, leaning on the bar to face him.
"It's my first time in Ni-chome." And my last, Ash mentally added.
"I'm sure you are loving it," the man replied, with a suggestive eyebrow raise that he wouldn't really have minded from a girl but was kind of disturbing coming from an older guy. Ash looked everywhere but at his self-appointed companion. Where was Meg-neechan when he needed her?
The barrage of noise from the larger bars that counted as gaijin traps reminded Ryo once again why he avoided the places when he wasn't in a very specific mood. It wasn't even an event night and he thought he could feel the throb of dance music through the ground itself. The gaisen flocked to one of many traps he avoided, and he found himself wishing Hideo sent him somewhere less obnoxious.
Not that it could be helped, he supposed.
The good thing about these traps was that he could mostly get away with being ignored if he kept his eyes down and responded to things in that Hokkaido accent his father had. The gaisen wanted foreigners, after all, and he wasn't dressed to attract a date.
The usual act didn't stop one of the gaijin moving towards him. At any other time, he might have at least stopped to be polite, but now he was in no mood for this. He strode faster through the dance crowd, losing the man after he pushed and was pushed towards the main bar. After that, it didn't take too long to see the bear-like master Nakano disappear through a staff door behind the bar.
It was just his luck, really. Ryo took an empty stool and waved down one of the master's assistants, who looked to be a few years too young to be working at a place like this. Not like he was in a position to claim moral high ground himself.
"Is Nakano going to be back soon," he asked, dropping the Hokkaido accent the moment he realized that the only other Japanese person close by was trying to pick up a Caucasian-looking boy over at the end of the bar.
"He got a call," the assistant said sourly, obviously disappointed he wasn't ordering anything. "He'll return in a few minutes."
He murmured a "thanks" and watched as the assistant wandered off to a couple flagging him down. Absently he looked down the bar and recognized one part of the couple as a weekend transvestite who once tried (unsuccessfully) to pick him up a few months back, and resolved to stare at the bottles behind the bar until the hobby woman and "her" date went away.
Ash winced just a fraction as Hiroyuki leaned closer, murmured, "I know these are a bit...hard to open," and uncapped his beer bottle for him. But the Japanese man didn't back off, just curiously traced the elastic bandage Ash always wore on his right forearm when he was in short sleeves. "Let me guess. Baseball? You're a pitcher."
It took Ash a moment to catch on. "Just covering up a scar," he replied, leaving out the fact that the scar was from too-hot bathwater when he was three months old. Maybe if Hiroyuki thought he was suicidal he'd go away.
Unfortunately, he didn't, he just nodded understandingly. "It is hard, being in the...wardrobe. When are you knowing that you are gay?"
"Actually, I'm straight," Ash answered quickly, pleased to clear up this point.
Hiroyuki laughed. "If you were truly, you would not be here."
Touche. "Funny story about that, actually..."
The older man's smile turned into a smirk. "Many men are thinking that they are straight, until they have a night with me."
"I'd really rather not..." Ash shrank backwards as Hiroyuki moved in for a kiss. His back was against the wall, moving elsewhere would require first moving forward, and the friendly bartender from before was gone and the assistants were all busy with other customers. He needed a distraction, but what?
Spotting his digivice and the open but still untouched Southern Star bottle on the bar, Ash slid his digivice to hit the bottle hard, knocking it over and spilling its contents down the bar. "Oh, no, what a shame, I'd better clean that up," he babbled, searching for a serviette.
"Let the staff get it," whispered Hiroyuki, putting one hand on the side of his face and the other on his leg.
Starting to panic now, Ash raised his voice above the music. "Get away from me!"
Ryo wasn't always the brightest tool in the box when it came to innuendo, but it was rather hard to ignore the Japanese man trying so hard to pick up a clearly uninterested gaijin. English wasn't his best language, but one didn't have to know a language to pick up the tone of distress in the gaijin's voice.
As he turned to face the two, he reminded himself that he really ought to know better than to intrude by now. "It doesn't sound like he's interested," he said in Japanese.
Hiroyuki tsk'd his tongue, turning from Ash for a moment to regard the Japanese man who had so rudely interrupted him with an unimpressed look. "Oh, he will be."
Briefly, Ash wondered if this was a good time to leave, but as hard as he'd tried to lose it when he was younger, he didn't really want to leave his digivice behind. Meg-neechan had banned him from bringing his dictionary with him, so he was having a bit of trouble following the Japanese conversation.
Ryo's skin crawled with the implication. Oh, he hated this type. "Somehow, I just don't think rape will make him any more interested than he is already."
"Stay out of this," Hiroyuki retorted weakly, losing interest already.
Ash made up his mind. He wasn't going anywhere without his digivice, so he might as well use this guy as a welcome distraction. "Hi," he offered - he could get that far in Japanese, at least, "I'm A--" no, wait, he'd given Hiroyuki a fake name. "Tom."
He noticed the tell-tale backing down and straightened to his full height, which usually got across the hint that he could hold his own in a fight if he had to. With his best reassuring smile and what he hoped would be passable English, Ryo nodded in greeting at Tom. "Akiyama Ryo. You are lost?"
Wow, this guy was tall for someone who was Japanese. Ash shook his head with a bit of a chuckle. "In a manner of speaking. My host sister got the wrong idea about me and now she's vanished and I can't get home..."
Glaring at Ryo, Hiroyuki draped an arm over Ash's shoulder, ignoring his shudder. "That's okay, you can come home with me."
Ryo didn't know whether it was residual bloodlust from Cyberdramon or the fact that he detested this type of preying, but he was sorely tempted to deck the gaisen just for existing. He reigned in the urge for violence and pointedly ignored the gaisen's words. Really, where was Wallace when he needed a translator? "Need help to embark home?"
Ash studied Ryo for a moment. He seemed trustworthy. Then again, that Turuiemon eight years ago would seem trustworthy next to Hiroyuki. But he hadn't tried to pick him up, which was saying something. Removing Hiroyuki's arm from his shoulder, Ash swapped to Japanese in gratitude. "Yes, please."
"Didn't you hear me?" Hiroyuki interrupted mildly, sticking with English.
"The train should still be running at this hour," Ryo continued in Japanese, silently thankful the gaijin seemed to know a bit of his own language. He kept his attention focused on Tom, but was still well aware of the gaisen. "Very public and should be safe. I can escort you."
"You're not escorting him anywhere," said Hiroyuki.
Following Ryo's lead, Ash ignored him, taking a moment to figure out what to say. "Thank you, but the trains, I'll get lost; I'm stupid on foreign public transport."
"That's okay," Ryo offered in as reassuring a manner as possible. At that moment, inspiration struck and he moved to make himself a bit more visible to the throng. With any luck, Pazu would recognize him. "Tell me where you need to go at the station. If you would like to leave, of course."
"I'd love to," replied Ash, standing, "if you could just pass my--"
"Looking for this?" Hiroyuki offered, holding up his digivice. Ash's eyes widened. Hiroyuki merely smirked, examining it. "A bit old for V-Pets, aren't you? How do I turn it on?"
Ryo recognized the digivice immediately, and a part of him wanted to kick himself for getting involved again. Nevertheless, it wouldn't do to let a kid fall into this kind of trap. He could just imagine Millenniumon ragging on him for playing the hero once again.
"You shouldn't take what isn't yours," he said lightly, moving forward to take the gaisen's wrist in one hand. His thumb pressed hard into the wrist joint, with just enough slack given to get across the idea that he could do much worse. "Why don't you give it back?"
Hiroyuki winced, grip on the digivice loosening. "Take your toy," he spat at Ash.
"Don't mind if I do, thanks." Ash plucked the digivice from his hand, surveying it for any damage. It was silly, but he couldn't help thinking Hiroyuki had managed to contaminate it somehow. "I, ah, need to feed it," he attempted to excuse himself to Ryo. "I'm done here."
"I have one too. Very demanding, aren't they?"
Without waiting for an answer, Ryo turned to wave at the oncoming freight train of pink feathers and sequins. The hobby woman shrieked at him in the world's most obnoxious falsetto. "Akiyama, dahlin'! Do you want a date at last?"
He shook his head and gestured towards the gaisen. "I don't, but this man seems very desperate for a good time. Why don't you two get acquainted?"
Pazu gave him a glittery lipstick-framed grin and darted straight into the gaisen's personal space. "Oh, he looks like fun. Wanna play, baby?"
Hiroyuki merely blinked at the drag queen for a moment. Ash didn't wait to see how well they'd get along, looking curiously at Ryo as he moved to try and leave, but he decided not to bring up his remark about the digivice. "They were created for each other, yes?"
Ryo winked at the kid and murmured in a tone he was sure only Tom could hear, "Let's get out of here while Pazu has him trapped."
"Happily, Ash muttered back, slipping from behind Hiroyuki and the drag queen.
It would have been a lot easier to take the kid's hand and dart through the crowd, Ryo thought, but it would have drawn too much attention. He led the way through portions of the crowd that weren't as dense and didn't look back, hoping the kid was sober enough to follow. It wasn't until they reached the outside that he turned back to watch Tom. "So, where do you live?"
The encounter with Hiroyuki had left him feeling depressingly sober, but it was still somewhat difficult to get out of the bar. Catching up with Ryo, Ash clipped his digivice back onto his jeans. "West Shinjuku. Um, thank you."
Ryo took a moment to go over the map in his head. "Shouldn't be far. Why don't we take the San-chome subway and you let me know exactly when to get off when they announce the stop?"
"Sure," Ash replied, quickly trying to remember the right stop for their apartment building. "I am hopeful we don't run into the police. If they catch me, they'll..." He paused, trying to remember the Japanese word for 'deport' and failing miserably. "They'll be leaving me Japan."
"Don't worry now. The police are lax around here at this time. And I know people," he responded as they walked down the underground passage into the station. "Do you have a pass, or should I pay your fare?"
"Just a school pass," Ash sighed, feeling bad about taking Ryo from the bar and now freeloading his money too, "it doesn't...er...perform after about six o'clock."
Ryo noticed the sigh, but thought it best not to draw attention to it. He made his way to the machines to buy a temporary pass and handed it to Tom. "Momantai. Don't worry about it."
"Momantai?" Ash repeated, taking the train pass. It didn't quite sound Japanese.
"Cantonese," he responded absently as he looked at the time tables. The train should be along in a few minutes. "Means something like 'don't worry' or 'no problem' or something like that. Picked it up from a friend years back."
Ash glanced down the track for the train. "Cool. Friends are good for that kind of thing, aren't they?" Looking back at Ryo, he suddenly remembered Ryo still thought his name was Tom. It had seemed a safe enough lie at the time, but now that he was being so helpful, it didn't feel right to let him believe it. "Um, by the way..."
Ryo looked up from the timetables to glance back at Tom. He supposed he should have paid more attention, been a bit friendlier, or whatever it was normal people did, but the alcohol was finally settling in and lulling him into a drowsy state that he'd have to shake off before he headed back to the bar. "Hm?"
Ash toyed with the train pass. "Er, my name isn't truly Tom. It's Ash. I told Hiroyuki a false name. Sorry I lied to you."
"You did what you had to do under the circumstances," he replied, not the least bit surprised. "Honestly, it's better for you to lie than open yourself up to negative repercussions."
"Yeah," said Ash, not quite catching the words at the end, "I guess."
The silence that followed seemed to be a bit awkward, and Ryo felt like he should say something. Apologize, maybe. "For the sake of my fellow gay people, I'm sorry. We're not all that pushy."
Ash nodded. "Yeah, I know. I mean, I go to an all boys' school at home." He smiled slightly. "And, hey, you haven't tried to sleep with me. But, um, thanks. I think Hiroyuki would have been a dick no matter which way he - er - sways? So I guess it might be better that he was a dick to me instead of some random girl."
Ryo nodded once, slightly, and for a brief moment it felt like his head was going to roll away. Something to remember for next time: never drink this much and then get involved in something like that next time. "Doesn't excuse his behavior."
"Nothing does," Ash remarked, before being interrupted by the sound of J-pop coming out of his back pocket. "Sorry, Ryo-san, that's my host sister... Oh, shit, it's my host sister," he added in English, answering his cellphone. "Meg-neechan, hey... Train station. I had some problems with a guy in the club and... This other guy I met is paying for me to get home, he's coming with me to make sure I don't get lost or anything. ... Yes, I'm sure he's not going to-- okay, fine!" Looking sheepish, he offered the phone to Ryo. "She wants to talk to you to make sure you're not going to..." He shrugged, not knowing the Japanese word for 'rape'.
Maybe it was the mojito and Kremlin Colonel talking, but Ryo was sorely tempted to laugh. That would have been inappropriate, and he mentally applauded his successful attempt at keeping the amusement from showing on his face. With as serious a look as he could muster, he took the phone and put on his best Responsible Adult voice.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm just here to make sure Ash gets back home safe. I assure you that I have no ulterior motives for doing so." He was sure it was the alcohol talking when it was trying to convince him that his acting was pretty good.
"You'd better not," Megumi retorted, "because if I find out you've had your way with otouto..." She let her unspoken threat hang for a minute before commanding, "Put Ash back on the line."
Unable to understand most of what Ryo had said, Ash whistled tunelessly.
The snicker escaped before he could clamp it down, and he blamed it on the alcohol. "He's not my type, sorry. Kid's a bit young and has no glasses. But, here you go." He looked slightly apologetic at Ash and handed over the phone.
Ash raised an eyebrow at Ryo's snicker, taking the phone back. "Yes, thank you for that, Meg-neechan, I'd kind of worked that out already. ... Okay, I'll see you at home, don't get raped. I know, look who's talking. ... Ciao."
He ended the call, slipping the phone back into his pocket and returning to his iffy Japanese. "Sorry, did she try to, um, terrorize you? She can't really do anything, you're too old for her to peer pressure and, honestly, she's only about this high." He gestured quite a few inches below his shoulder.
Ryo shrugged. "Unless they're out to get themselves hurt, I find it's just easier to go along with whatever the girls want. 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' yes? Or slightly annoyed."
"Yeah, that's my usual philosophy." Ash agreed. "Which is how I ended up slightly blonde." He turned as a train pulled into the platform. "Is this the right train?"
He took a quick look at the train and checked it against the map. "Should be. Still want me to accompany you?"
"I should be fine from here." Remembering his Japanese manners, Ash bowed. "Thank you. For saving me from that guy, taking me here, paying my train ticket..." He smiled, wondering if Ryo would understand this. "Grazie."
"Someone had to save you from that predator." Ryo gave a small smile and bowed in turn. He didn't know that foreign word Ash gave, but it sounded similar enough to a Spanish word Ken taught him. "Hope it hasn't ruined your stay in Japan too much. Da svidaniya."
"It's okay, I've still got another ten months here to make up for it." Ash tilted his head curiously at the other words Ryo said. "Da svi-- what?"
"Da svidaniya," he repeated, "Russian for 'goodbye.' The train will leave soon."
"Good point, thanks," said Ash, getting onto the train. Taking a seat by the window, he mouthed 'ciao' at Ryo, waving as the train left the station.
Ryo waved back, and waited until the train pulled out completely before starting the walk back to Ni-chome. Too tired and inebriated to fully parse everything that went on, he set his mind to the task of getting back and preparing for whatever he'd need to do to get another job.
