Rylie Lewis blinked her eyes, trying to remain conscious and upright. After the long-ass flight over the Pacific, she had jet lag like a bitch. Actually, as far as her body was concerned, it was 5am, and she needed to sleep. Badly. But, she had been driven in a limousine straight from the airport to her father's company building in the center of Tokyo--a massive skyscraper of about 80 floors.

As the CEO of Lewis Information Systems, a communication electronics provider having almost a monopoly over computer, internet, and satellite parts, Rylie's father Carson had opted to relocate himself and his family to Japan...In order to better oversee the production of his merchandise. (And, as he put it, the "Japs know electronics better than anyone else in the business".) Carson Lewis wanted the best. And so, against Rylie's wishes, she'd been flown first class to a country that she... Well, honestly, she liked it. Asian guys were sexy. But she liked Korea more. Why?

Because Koreans had Korean pop. Which included dance hip-hop groups like Big Bang and B2st. And, of course, f(x) and 2NE1. In fact, Rylie often mimicked their sense of style--with baggy, colorful gangster clothing, sideways hats, a ridiculous amount of accessories... She'd memorized a host of songs and the music video dances to them. The twenty-year-old could not speak Korean. But, she sure as hell could not speak Japanese either. At least she could go crazy in Harajuku and buy herself a lot of useless, cutesy crap that would make her mother Meryl roll her eyes and sigh with shame.

Needless to say, the dorky Korean fan girl did not make a suitable heir to the family business. Unfortunately, this was the reason for said sudden meeting in her father's skyscraper. At the tippy-top, the 80th floor. She was seated in a black leather sofa, gaping at the ceiling, when a Japanese man came into Carson's office. Carson grinned, the corners of his eyes wrinkling, and the two men bowed to one another. About thirty seconds after doing so, they warmly shook hands.

"Rylie, please stand and welcome our guest. This is Mr. Tetsuya Sakaya, my sponsor and business partner."

"And friend," Sakaya-san added with a soft chuckle. He was faintly accented, but otherwise his English seemed pristine.

Rylie lifted herself (with great trouble) off the couch, moving to her father's right and folding herself over in a sloppy bow. She had no idea what the hell she was doing, but she hoped that her efforts had sufficed. "Hajimemashite," the red-haired woman muttered shyly, straightening and rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well, the reason I called you here today," Mr. Lewis said, beaming, "Is that Mr. Sakaya has a son... And we were thinking that, in light of our partnership, perhaps the two of you should be engaged?"

Rylie rubbed the sleep from her eyes, murmuring, "Okay." But then, her father's words registered, and she back-tracked, her head snapping in his direction. "Wait a minute, what?!"

His father was one of the greatest yakuza lords ever…so why didn’t he understand what the hell work meant? His limousine stopped in front of his father’s new associate’s building. Something or another, some American building computer parts. The legal aspect of his family didn’t interest him. It wasn’t his forte. The jet haired male slipped from the car as it stopped, too impatient to wait for the driver to open his door.

He moved inside, flanked by his private bodyguard. Stepped into the elevator, pressed the button, and waited. And waited a bit more. Damn huge ass buildings. C’mon now.

Eventually it beeped, and the door creaked open, letting Kenji Sakaya step from it. He nodded to the secretary, informing him he was here with his father, just a tad late. He was directed into a rather posh office, where his father stood with presumably this Carson genius, as well as a rather young looking female.

Kenji stepped next to his father, giving him a bow befitting a yakuza lord, though it wasn’t custom to bow to your father, the instances were different for Kenji. He turned to the American, then, bowing slightly, and holding out his hand, shaking the man’s firmly. After a moment, he glanced back and forth between the two, practically ignoring the female except to throw her a quick glance. He spoke in English, to be poliete. “Forgive me for being late, Father, I had the item you wished me to handle. It took a bit longer than necessary to accomplish. Why was I needed here so urgently?” Kenji lifted an eyebrow, glancing back and forth between the men, and finally acknowledging the female. “Hullo, miss.” He muttered, clearly unhappy with doing so.

(Just pretend he has black hair…>.>)

Two things crossed Rylie's mind, at the entrance of the young man with coal-black hair:

a) He seemed reluctant to be there.

b) He was extremely attractive.

But because Rylie felt so tired, when he finally paid mind to her and greeted her, all the girl seemed to be able to do was squint sleepily at him and grunt in response. So much for appearing ladylike. Her father Carson noticed this, frowning, before asserting his presence to Kenji Sakaya, the boy that Tetsuya bragged about. The Japanese business man consistently went on about how Kenji was loyal and obedient, bright, and determined.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Kenji. I am Carson Lewis, your father's friend. I've heard so much about you." He bowed, as he had with Mr. Sakaya, and then extended his hand for shaking. Rylie wondered if the stranger would accept the gesture, on account of cultural differences. Among other things, he appeared to have no sense of humor. Why was he scowling at her? As if on cue, Mr. Lewis gestured to his red-haired, blue-eyed daughter, peering out from underneath the hood of her jacket with an identical scowl and just a bit of a glare. "This is my daughter, Rylie..."

"Charmed," Rylie drawled, finally averting her heavy eyes and blinking slowly at a book shelf, full of business manuals. She knew perfectly well that she was being disagreeable. But, at twenty, and just barely out of college, the the girl had no interest in engagements and fiances.

"Kenji," Mr. Sakaya said softly, clasping his hands in front of him. He work a black suit and dark gray tie. The fabric did not dare wrinkle on his body. His dark hair was slicked back, and the man was tall for an Asian--taller even than Mr. Lewis. He held an imposing figure and sharp eyes. "This girl is going to be your fiancee. Her father and I are finalising the arrangements this afternoon."

Kenji seemed stunned, and instead of responding to his father, he shook the American’s hand numbly.

Eventually, his eyes focused on the girl, actually seeing her. He threw a glance to his father. Surely, having already stated it would be Kenji who stepped up as next lord, he didn’t expect this fragile little thing to be his wife. He frowned, looking back to her and stepping closer. His hand reached up, tugging the hoodie down, staring at her intently.

She was…cute…Very cute. And there was no way he’d tell his father no. But still…An arranged marriage? Those were things of the past. After a moment, he leaned down a bit. He was extremely tall, just a bit taller than his father, who was already considered tall. After blinking and staring at her for a few moments, he finally spoke directly to her. “You a virgin, then?”

His head jerked forward, as his father rapped the back of his head, barking about inappropriate speech. Kenji straightened, and sighed, rubbing the back of his head, still staring at the female. “Rylie…huh?” His gaze turned back to his father. “When is this wedding supposed to be, then?” Just because he agreed, didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try to weasel out of it. He had plenty of girls he could call on. Why be tied to one?

Rylie was not nearly exhausted enough not to process the Japanese boy's comment. Was she a virgin?! Well, yes, but she was not about to volunteer that information to someone she did not know! And, a man, no less! She gawked at Kenji (the name she'd heard her father use for him), dumbfounded, as he had blatantly grabbed her hood and yanked it off of her head. Weren't Japanese people supposed to maintain a "personal space bubble" at all times?!

For one, she was a complete stranger! For two... A foreigner. What the hell?! Rylie parted her lips, to speak and reprimand the tall boy for his creepily personal question. But his father beat her to the chase, striking him and scolding him for his impoliteness. Carson also seemed uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and pursing his mouth with a look of disapproval.

"I apologise for my son's behaviour," Mr. Sakaya said, his brow creasing. "Like your daughter, I did not prepare him to receive his fiancee... Short notice, you see." The man cleared his throat, straightening to his full height, and staring down the bridge of his nose at Rylie before his eyes flickered to the young man. "As for your marriage, we have yet to decide on the exact date. We know only that it will be soon, because Mr. Lewis wishes to show you around his company and get you acquainted with the system of things."

Rylie's blue eyes bulged. What was that supposed to mean? Did her father intend to hand over the company to Kenji after their marriage? Was he going to inherit everything and leave... She swallowed. "D-Daddy... Can I talk to you...For a second?" Mr. Lewis shook his head. "Not now, Rylie. Mr. Sakaya and I still have some things to discuss. Why don't you go into the lounge next door and get acquainted with Kenji for a bit?"

The CEO made a sweeping motion with his hands, practically shooing the girl from his office. She gazed, horrified, back to him, before stumbling awkwardly to the office door and pulling it ajar. "..." Rylie hesitated in the doorway, waiting to see if Kenji would follow her, before stepping outside of the room.

The male seemed to think along the same lines as the female, sputtering and coughing, his ‘cool’ act fading briefly. “F-father…I can’t inherit this company…You’ve placed me in charge of…family matters!” He, however, got the same treatment as Rylie, shooed from the room.

He scowled, burshing past the woman into the room. Inside, he leaned against a window, crossing his arms and glaring at the female. “I’ve got a lot to do. You don’t want to marry me. I’m not the marrying type. You want me to sleep with you, that’s fine. I’ll do that. Here…” He moved to the broad table laying in the middle of the room. “We can do it here, but I am not gonna marry you.” Just like his father, Kenji’s English was almost perfect. “You wouldn’t last one day in my world, sweetheart.”

He snickered, thinking of the finger laying on his floorboard. Oh no. The fragile thing would have a heart attack. “Why do you wanna marry me, anyway?”

Rylie slipped into the room after Kenji, watching him lean against the window. But, almost suddenly, he was speaking to her. He went on and on, about things she did not understand. In fact, he talked so quickly that her sleep-deprived mind had no way of keeping up. On the flight over, Rylie had not even gotten four hours of sleep. Which said a lot, considering how long it had taken to get to Japan from Seattle. The thing that she managed to catch, however, was the abruptness of his come on. What was he saying, that they should have sex on the table?! Was he completely insane?! The girl turned a bright crimson, grabbing her hood and jerking it over her head again. She stormed over to a corner, where she seated herself and huddled into it... Almost in an emo fashion.

"Like hell I want to marry you," she muttered, glaring out from underneath her bangs and the hood. Rylie vaguely resembled a gremlin, from the shadows over her face and slightness of her figure. She was not particularly tall, nor wide. Her baggy clothing seemed even sillier on her, considering how scrawny she was. "We should have gone to Korea, not Japan. All Japan has are Lolita dresses and Visual Kei bands. I want to meet G-Dragon and dance with SNSD!" The girl sniffed loudly, and paused in her tirade. Rylie had a Bachelors in Communications, because she'd been so smart that she graduated high school at sixteen and went into college. But even that didn't seem good enough for her father. Maybe she was just too silly. Not business material.

Still, the boy was so smug... Thought he was so cool, that he had things to do, and a life that Rylie could not hope to handle. She almost wanted to marry him, if only out of spite. "And stop being so cocky. You think you're so cool, because you're tall and Asian... I don't want my dad to give you his company, you'd just ruin it anyway." After a moment, she added, "And I don't want to sleep with you. You're probably small." Oooh, burn.

The male stared at her, openmouthed. Although it would seem he hadn’t registered most, one thing stuck out clearly: “Y-you? Small?!” The male narrowed his eyes, before undoing his belt, and dropping his pants. As well as his boxers.

“Baka American-jin shojo.” He muttered, pulling the items back up and redoing his belt. “I think that gives me rights to be as…” Kenji quirked an eyebrow, amused. “…cocky, as I please…” He shook his head, once more approaching the female and tugging her hoodie down. “Why wear such bagging clothes? And your obsession with Korea.”

As the man dropped his pants unexpectedly, Rylie gave a yelp and slapped her hands over her eyes. Though, against her best judgment, she peeked through a tiny opening between her fingers... And her blue eyes behind her hands bulged slightly from the view. The response was covering her face completely, trying to forget what she had just seen. Well, the rumor about Asians and their size apparently was false... At least in Kenji's case. How could he be so bold, then, to expose himself in front of a foreign female?! The audacity of the man! "I'm not stupid," she said after a time, though her voice was muffled with her hands. "You're still not as cool as you think you are."

She was surprised, finally dropping her hands back into her lap, to find that Kenji was squatting in front of her and yanking the hood back off of her head. "Yamete!" Rylie cried with a blush, shoving the hood back on. "I like my hood, that's why I wear hoodies! Leave it be, you obviously don't want to be around me, either." She blinked with confusion at his question, and then pouting her lips before averting her gaze. Why should she answer him? Her interests were her own, she had friends back in the States... And she could like whatever she wanted without other people questioning her. Rylie had enough money to do that, though she was far from stuck-up or spoiled. "It's none of your business why I like what I like. But if you must know..." She fixed Kenji with an intense stare. "I like Korea because of their music. It's catchy and I can dance to it."

”Why should I stop? Make me!” Kenji teased the female with a broad smile, gripping her chin as her hands dropped. He turned her face this way and that, evaluating her critically. “So, you can’t dance to Japanese music? Gah, I am so not gonna marry a female who doesn’t even like my country. Find a way out of this thing, got it girlie?”

He stepped back, after once more tugging her hood down. “Leave it off, bishojo need to show off a little. Why the baggy clothes?” He reached forward once again, tugging up her hoodie and the shirt underneath, exposing her tummy. “Didn’t think you were fat. So why wear them?”

How was Rylie supposed to make him?! Regardless of her words or wishes, Kenji seemed to be a touchy individual. He clasped her face in his hand, examining her as one might purchasing a horse... Or a slave! What, was he going to pry her lips back and look at her teeth now? But, she figured, reacting too strongly would only encourage him, as it appeared to be doing now. The girl growled softly, glaring out at him from under her copper-colored bangs. "I never said I didn't like Japan!" she protested. "I just like Korea more. I'm perfectly capable of dancing to Japanese pop. I happen to adore Hikaru Utada!" The girl sniffed indignantly. And, Kenji did not have to tell her twice. She seriously contemplated running away from home and getting a job with her degree. There was no way in hell she would be marrying this asshole. Never mind that he was extremely attractive, and incapable of keeping his hands off of her.

Then he had to go and lift up her hoodie to view her stomach. Rylie blushed a bright crimson, seizing the material and jerking it back down over her. "What is wrong with you?!" she cried, flustered, and averting her cerulean gaze. "I thought Japanese people had an understanding of personal space!" She emphasized the last two words as a hint to Kenji to back the hell off. Somehow, she knew he wouldn't anyway. "I told you, I wear this stuff because I like the style. If you don't like it, it's not my problem... I'm not a whore, I don't put it all out there for men to oggle. What, just because I'm American you think I'm a slut?" Rylie stood up abruptly, angling herself into the corner so that the boy could no longer look into her face directly. She gave a grumpy grunt, pouting her lips. Even though she was extremely annoyed...Deep down Rylie felt...entertained. Odd.

(We’x tweaking eye color too….it’s the deep dark brown that’s almost black.)

The male’s nose wrinkled at her taste in music, and he shook his head silently, turning to glare at the window once more. “Yeah, we understand personal space. Just not when it’s some little girl who expects to marry me when she knows nothing of my life. Do you know what I do for a living, even?”

“And aren’t most Americans?”He replied evenly, adding a little shrug. He peered outside, staring down at the tiny people. His voice became softer, almost a whisper. “Ever seen someone killed? Ever killed someone? Of course not. You’ve had a nice, shelter life, ne?” It was something Kenji enjoyed, soiling the pure. But those girls, they fawned over him, had an inkling of what he did. It was what attracted them. Like moths to a flame.

She was different. Perhaps because she was American? She wasn’t fawning over him, had no idea that he could have a finger still laying on the floorboard, or that he had various pistols currently stashed on his person. His dark eyes glanced over briefly, before returning out the window. She was as innocent as an angel. Why was his father asking him to bring her into their world? And why the hell into Kenji’s bed?!

All Rylie knew about her father's new associate was that he was the financier of a lot of the new products and services offered by Lewis Information Systems. She did not know what Tetsuya Sakaya did for a living, or why he had such a large, expendable fortune. It would be smart to invest in her father's company, though. His stocks were worth a great deal at the moment, and he'd pretty much worked the company from the ground up, starting out poor as dirt and becoming a multimillion--almost billion--aire. And his rise seemingly knew no bounds, because he made profit after profit, month after month, and everything about what he did seemed to improve with time. Exponentially faster than before. The girl shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I don't really care what you do," she admitted. "I just found about the engagement, too... Like, five minutes before you did. I'm not happy, either."

"And maybe some Americans are slutty, but I'm not," Rylie informed Kenji, moving her gaze back to his face with wide eyes when he mentioned people "being killed" or "killing someone". What the hell? "I lived in Seattle," she said. "There are several million people there, so we do have crime. But it's not the same as Los Angeles or Chicago. I've seen people shooting at other people. I've seen car chases. Drug deals. But no... I've never seen anyone die violently." She paused. "And I have definitely not killed anyone before--I can't even kill bugs without feeling bad." The girl slung her hands into her pockets, shrinking against the wall with relief as soon as Kenji removed his icy stare from her person. It was though a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"But I wasn't sheltered," Rylie continued. "Half of my life I was really poor, until my dad made it big. I went to school on my own, I worked, I can get myself food... Tie my own shoes. I graduated high school early, and I already have a college degree. I'm not stupid." She felt that the last bit had to be repeated, asserting her intelligence. But Kenji was right about something, the girl was completely innocent. Despite being rich, she stayed away from temptation. She didn't flaunt her money, throw cash to men for attention, spend time buying drugs or alcohol, or have sex with every hot guy under the sun. That just wasn't the type of person she was. She liked cutesy things and music she could bounce around to.

…Can’t even kill a bug… The words seemed to resound through Kenji’s head. He jerked away from the window, glaring at her, before stepping from the room, glancing over his shoulder long enough to bark out, “I’m not marrying you.” Everything else she stated appeared ignored, though Kenji had, indeed, listened.

Plus, she herself had stated she wasn’t happy with this. Kenji wasn’t into taking an unwilling bride one bit. He stormed into the room, pausing long enough to give his father a deep bow. “I can’t marry this girl, father…” He finally stated with lowered eyes. “She doesn’t know anything” Kenji was positive his father would understand the double meaning here, “About us, and doesn’t wish to marry me, either. This won’t work. Perhaps some other girl, if you want me to marry?” His voice was soft, much different than the tone he’d used with Rylie. It carried respect. A respect he’d learned at a young age.

Rylie seemed to think walking to school alone and seeing people shoot at each other wasn’t sheltered. The way he’d been introduced to his father’s business: Watching him shoot a man in the middle of his head. The man had owed him twenty dollars. Oh, yes, Kenji had learned respect, and most certainly wouldn’t push on this issue if told no.

Rylie gawked at the young man's severe gaze after hearing her words. He interjected, essentially, that he refused to marry her, and then departed. It suited Rylie just fine, that he did not want to marry her. But, why did she feel so offended? Perhaps it had been his glare on the way out, that stirred her to the 'depths of her soul' or something corny like that. She stood awkwardly in the corner for a few moments, then finally followed Kenji out of the lounge and back towards her father's office. She got there in time to see him bowing to his father and refusing the marriage proposal straight out. Her stomach twisted itself into her knots, and she felt suddenly... Terribly indignant. The most intense righteous anger she'd thought she'd ever felt. Oh, she would fix him.

"I'll go through with it," Rylie said suddenly, surprised even at herself. Mr. Lewis, standing by his desk, glanced over at his daughter with bewilderment. He'd expected to drag her into the situation kicking and screaming. But honestly, Rylie just wanted to go home and sleep. She thought she would pass out from her fatigue. And, in this state, she just wanted to ruin Kenji's life. If being with her repulsed him so much, then that's what she would subject him to.

Mr. Sakaya seemed to feel the same, his thin lips stretching into something that resembled a smile...Except that the corners of his mouth did not turn up. Aside from the warm look he'd given Carson upon entering the office, Ryle noticed that the Japanese business man seemed more or less expressionless...With an even face and cold eyes that could bore straight through a person and see their thoughts. Almost. "Really, Kenji? She seems perfectly willing to me," the man said after a moment, his voice soft, but with just an underlying hint of sarcasm, as though he'd expected this reaction from her all along.

Tetsuya clapped a hand on his son's shoulder, guiding him over towards the door and leaning towards him in a confidential manner. Neither Rylie or her father could hear what he informed his son. He'd replied in Japanese, regardless. The Yakuza lord spoke directly into Kenji's ear, his grasp on his shoulder firm. "(Remember what I told you about... 'keeping up appearances'? The girl is, eh, yes... I know. She has a sweet face, but she is entirely ignorant of the situation. I do like her father, though, he is a good man. Cunning. And his company will provide some very interesting contraptions for us to continue our 'charity work' with global militaries. I want you to marry her, take his company because you need a guise, Kenji. You need to have a clean business as a front for the more important work behind the scenes. Do you understand? If you marry the girl, her father can provide that for you.)"

The Japanese boy had almost fallen over upon hearing Rylie speak. He turned to glare at her, then flinched, his father’s mocking tone cutting him to the core. He was tugged to the side, and his father spoke to his son. Kenji listened, his eyes once more on the floor.

After a moment, he raised them, glancing towards the female, then speaking quickly in Japanese as well. “She can’t stay ignorant. She’s bound to find out, eventually. And look at her, with her innocence, do you honestly think she won’t wish to tell her father? Or the police?” He shook his head, finally raising his eyes to give his father a pleading glance. “Isn’t there any other girl?” He flinched, already expecting a punishment his father was quick to give. He’d just blatantly questioned his father, not once, but twice. And doubted he’d get away from it. As usual, when he lifted his head to eye his father, Tetsuya’s face was black, though Kenji couldn’t remember the last time his father had truly smiled. That mask could hide any emotion the male felt. Kenji was still working on his.

(( Last reply for now, I'm at school and need to go eat something before my Mineralogy lab. Buut, I will be back this evening. ))

Tetsuya chuckled darkly. He enjoyed his son, thoroughly. Bright, exceptional, inquisitive, calculating... But he needed to get over the reticence he felt towards these sort of things. They happened a lot in their world. Kenji's mother had been a marriage of convenience as well. The Yakuza lord had won her over with the interest of using her family's resources to fund his own illicit activities, such as illegal gambling and money-laundering. He'd thought Kenji knew. But perhaps the Oyabun had failed to mention it. No matter. Now, he did not take kindly to his son's protests. He was supposed to obedient, and this was not obedience. The man made a mental note to have him whipped later, for making a fool of himself in front of Tetsuya's associate, but chose not to comment on it for the time being.

"If she finds out, threaten her," Mr. Sakaya said, as though this were the most obvious course of action to take. "No one else can get out of it, why should she? And her father already knows... Who do you think helped him boost his stocks last month, hm? I have the money, he has the ideas." The Japanese man held up his hand, palm turned up. "He's under. So drag her under, too." He gave his son's shoulder a hard squeeze, and then finally released him, whirling around to address Mr. Lewis once again. Rylie perked up, wondering what had transpired between the two Japanese men in the room.

"It's settled," Mr. Sakaya said. "The engagement ceremony will be next Friday, and the wedding the week after that..." He nodded to the man, reaching out to shake hands with him again, before heading in the direction of the door. His cold eyes fell on his son, silently commanding him to follow. Rylie flinched. So soon! They would be married so soon, and she would be trapped forever. Why had she agreed?!

(Very well…)

Kenji didn’t seem to hear the dates given. He looked like his father had, indeed, slapped him. He could understand a marriage being benificial, however, both parties should know what they were in for…And her father? His dark eyes turned to the American, glaring hatefully. The man knew, but wasn’t informing his daughter. And Tetsuya was right…once Rylie was in, she couldn’t get out. The boy snapped his mouth shut, realizing it had fallen open.

His father was moving then, casting his cold eyes on his son. Kenji lowered his head, dutifully following his father. He wasn’t stupid, the ‘fatherly squeeze’ Tetsuya had bestowed on him was more than an agreement, it was a promise of things to come. And Kenji couldn’t imagine threatening the little female. Once more, guilt flooded him. She should at least know, more so because Carson knew.

At the door, Kenji hesitated, lifting his head and glancing back once more, to send another glare towards Carson. He would pay when he was alone with his father, Kenji was sure, however, he couldn’t do absolutely nothing. “Tell her.” He finally blurted, holding his head higher and clenching his fists, before turning to follow the older Sakaya from the room.

'Tell her.'

Rylie's jaw was hanging open, as both Mr. Sakaya and Kenji made their exit from her father's office. What did Kenji mean? Was her father keeping something else from her? Her gaze wandered to Carson Lewis, who caught her gaze and gave her a shrug of the shoulders as though he had no inkling of what the boy was referring to. She frowned. But her silence did not last very long, for seconds later she started to blurt all of her upsets... While she had publicly agreed to the engagement, Rylie was entitled to vent the frustration out. Particularly since her father had always been so accommodating of her in past. When had things changed?

"Daddy, what is going on? Why did you agree to marry me off the a stranger without even asking me first?"

Carson leaned back against his rather large desk, practically an island by itself in the giant, well-furnished room. He reached around a frame containing a picture of his wife Meryl and Rylie as a Kindergartner and snagged a mug of tea, which he brought up to his lips. After taking a drink, he set the cup down and replied, "Because you would have refused."

"Obviously!" the girl cried, staring at her father with bewilderment. "Who does arranged marriages in this day and age, apart from the Middle East! What is this, 1845?! His son is completely stuck-up! Rude, perverted... I can't believe I agreed to this, this is crazy..." Rylie angled her gaze to the floor, her brow furrowing. "I need this, Rylie," Carson replied with a sad smile. "I'm sorry to use you as a bargaining chip, but... Tetsuya was adamant about it. He's been a good friend to me, and I don't have the heart--" Or the guts, Carson thought, "--to turn him down."

Rylie shrugged her shoulders, relenting. What was done was done. She'd given her word. She did not have the energy to argue the matter further. Right now... "Daddy... I want to go home..." she admitted with a wince. "...If I stay here any longer, I'm going to fall asleep standing up."

((You're welcome to do whatever you want with your character, create new ones, have him secretly arrange to meet up with Rylie without his father knowing, etc. :3 Annnd... I hope I've been playing an okay mob boss? x.x; ))

(You are doing a lovely job! ^u^ And I’ll keep that in mind, though I think the obedient son has disobeyed enough currently.)

How had this happened? He’d finally gotten home, (and had picked up the finger he’d finally located under the passenger seat.) and didn’t even feel like picking out a female to toy with. He couldn’t get the American one out of his mind…On top of all this, his father had informed him he was to have a lunch meeting tomorrow with Rylie, as they’d have to be seen in public together before getting married.

He wasn’t worried. He had a plan. His dark eyes glanced to the American style lunchbox he’d snagged on his way up the stairs. It was filled with ice.

And one index finger.

~<3~

Kenji woke quickly as always the next day, getting dressed before remembering the date that had been arranged. He undressed and redressed, taking more care with his clothing than he should have, though it was a simple polo shirt and ironed khakis. And you still wouldn’t guess he carried six pistols on him…

The ride in the limo was fairly silent, and it wasn’t until the limo started slowing, presumably to pick up the female, that Kenji shifted, lifting his shirt up so the side she would see was exposed, reveling a white undershirt and a M1911 modified handgun. Old, yes, but dependable, and with the adaptations Kenji had made to it, it was more lethal and accurate than the average gun. It would definitely scare the shit outta her.

Rylie had concocted a similar plot as Kenji, unbeknownst to him. But her scare tactics did not fall upon the same sort of lines. The girl was not trying to frighten him off, but rather to show that she was confident enough in herself and her interests not to back down from his intimidation ploys. No matter what he did today, regardless of whatever happened, Rylie refused to freak out. And she would be entirely herself, uncensored. That meant, as she was getting dressed, that she would be as visually loud as possible. So much so that Kenji would feel embarrassed to be seen in public with her, as a rich Japanese boy with a conservative father.

Rylie threw on a t-shirt with a weird pop art print on it, and then a strange vest over that. Her jeans were baggy, hanging low almost like a gangster male in America would wear them... Only she had shorts underneath, not her underwear hanging out. The sneakers she wore were perhaps clunky physically, though they fit her, and she dressed them up with bright-colored shoelaces. And, to top it all off, she had a fuchsia baseball cap..With black spots on it, and turned sideways. (See girl on the left: http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spi...28519_full.png) The girl grinned into the mirror, cackling somewhat maniacally, before stuffing her wallet into her back pocket. It had a neon graffiti design on the front. Rylie was ready to go.

She descended the stairs of her mansion, furnished with crisp modern furniture made of metal and glass (not a single item was out of place, it looked like a freaking museum outside of her room), and said goodbye to the butler before stepping out the front door. Rylie squinted, making out a limousine parked out front near the gate, so she stuck her hands into her jean pockets and whistled, strolling over with a bounce in her steps. Very gangster. Upon reaching the vehicle, she gave a light tap on the back window, in case Kenji had not seen her come up. Rylie easily took the cake as the most unladylike lunch date in Japan.

The male had gawked at the form, easily spotting Rylie when she moved out of the house. What the hell was the woman wearing??? By the time she reached the limo, however, he’d composed himself, and leaned over, opening the door from the inside, since she acted like it wasn’t currently unlocked.

Before her head could be seen, he quickly checked to make sure the gun was exposed, as well as glancing in his pocket. Good. Everything was as it should be…Kenji turned to stare outside to the window, purposefully ignoring her. He’d prove to be the worst fiance in the world.

Indeed the first thing that Rylie noticed upon entering the back of the limo was the rather large gun wedged between Kenji's white undershirt and the band of his khaki pants. But, aside from that, his outfit appeared normal... Polo shirt, dress pants... Totally not intimidating, if not for the huge gun. She took one look at it, glancing up to his expressionless-but-handsome face, and declared. "Guess we're both pretty gangsta today, huh?" Really, she'd seen guns up the hizzle, fo' schizzle.. In the hood. Word. And if he insulted her today, like he had the previous day, Rylie had already decided she'd challenge him to a rap battle. He wouldn't expect that, would he?

Rylie scooted into her seat and shut the door after her. After fastening her seat belt, drumming her fingers absentmindedly on her thigh, the girl looked to the stoic Japanese boy sitting next to her. He seemed absolutely thrilled to be there. Note sarcasm. But, one thing she would not do, was let him alone. If he was annoyed by her, she would annoy him further. Rylie was far from bad at socializing, though odd. "How goes it, homie G? Didja catch enough Zs?"

Kinji turned slowly in the seat, his mouth twitching as he stared at her. Finally, he shifted, standing, though bent, and selecting a seat against the window, once more turning to stare out of it, pretending not to notice the slightly blue finger, the edges blackened, a piece of bone jutting out of the folds of skin.it fell from his shirt pocket, landing on the carpeted bottom with a tiny ploof. Clearly whoever cut it hadn’t been very experienced, and it had taken a few tries with a tool of some kind.

“Be careful how you talk around me, ne? Don’t talk about gangsters, understand?” Kinji spoke softly, though it was clear he wouldn’t argue on this point.

"Pbbft, whatever, man," Rylie said. She, too, had not yet noticed the finger on the carpeted floor of the limo. The girl was too preoccupied with the male's sour face as he stared out the window, completely ignoring her presence except to answer in a soft but threatening tone. While she wanted to irritate him, she was not about to press the subject while he had that huge gun stuck in his pants. Her stomach churned painfully, and she rubbed it, squinting her eyes and grimacing. "Man, I'm starving. So where are we going, Kenji-kun? That's how I refer to you, right? Kenji-kun?" Rylie was already contemplating ditching him to visit Harajuku and buy a whole lot of neon-colored objects... Maybe a cell phone charm. That reminded her. The girl reached into her pocket and started to text a few of her friends back in the States, complaining to them about how crappy her life was currently. Never mind that half of those girls would kill to go to Japan and sit across from a hot Asian guy.

"How old are you?" She asked after a moment, but did not look up from the screen of her Verizon Droid. "I'm 20." After sending off a couple of messages, Rylie used the item to check her e-mail, and then her Facebook. Yes, even the daughters of wealthy CEOs had Facebooks, though she had to use an alias and not mention anything about her family. There were a few people who would not mind kidnapping her and ransoming her for a crap ton of dough. Anyway, no new notifications. Rylie sighed and pocketed the Droid, drumming both hands on her legs, now, from restlessness. Then, she, too, glanced out the opposite window and watched the trees and pedestrians that went by while they drove.