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As the opinions of her peers was offered up, Riyo stared at her father for the longest time before opening her mouth again. "Alright... Lets hear the explanation." She said reluctantly.

While she did want to know, the fear that he might lie to her and make things worse existed. If he lied to her about this... Riyo wasn't sure what she'd do.

While Jess looked excited at first, his look quickly grew solemn when he realized he'd have to tell her the whole story... And tell it good if he was going to earn his second chance.

He'd thought over how this exact scenario would go for the longest time, what he'd say... What he'd do...

But all of it seemed pretty meaningless at this moment.

"Lets move over to that bench. It's a long story." He said, pointing to the seat just under the tree. "You might wanna send your little friends away..."

"Oh no." Riyo said immediately. "They can hear whatever you have to say."

Sitting at the edge of the bench, Jess shrugged. "Alright then..." Can't say he didn't try to make this a personal deal. At least his daughter apparently had good friends.

Folding his hands in his lap, he waited for Riyo to sit down next to him before he started. "See. Before you were born, your mother and I were in high school. Young couple. Neither of our parents really agreed with the whole 'Getting married before you graduate' thing. I can of course understand why now, but that's a different story.."

Taking a small pause to try and compose his words, Riyo's father stared at the ground beneath his feet, not quite able to look his daughter in the eyes. "When she got pregnant, it was right after the start of our senior years. Neither of us had really expected it, nor did our parents want to help us because, they'd warned us after all. So I dropped out to get a full time job. I was mad at first that life had sorta flipped me the proverbial bird, considering there were a couple people in the same scenario with no personal consequence... But it was alright after you were born. With that big smile and those pretty eyes... I was surprised that you were such a happy baby."

If Riyo hadn't been trying to appear mad at the time, she would've probably cracked a smile at that... But flattery would get him nowhere until she had the whole story. "Go on."

"Well... Up until that point, your mother and I had made a pretty good team. She managed to finish high school, but the whole 'having a kid' set her college plans back a little... Which... She had been fine with at first."

And here's where it got complicated. lifting a hand to scratch behind his ear, he looked momentarily perplexed on how to put this gently. "After you were born... Something changed dramatically. And... I don't want you to think it was your fault. Your mother... She... Was never quite right in the head... It just took a huge change for the surface to show that."

It was sorta hard to hear that her mother had been as normal as anybody else before her birth... But at the same time there was no softer way to put that fact. "Alright, what's all this have to do with you leaving me?"

Jess put a hand to his forehead at the interruption, his nerves obviously shot. "Just... Hold on. I have to tell you the whole thing for you to understand." Though he wasn't telling the whole thing. There was one little fact he was leaving out. Something he'd take to his grave if he had to. It was for the best...

"Your mother became more and more resentful to me as you grew up. I don't know if you noticed or not because I tried to keep it behind closed doors. Eventually the resentment turned into anger and I knew when she started throwing stuff at me... Something had to change. So I told her I wanted a divorce... And I wanted to take you with me."

Smirking, he shook his head. "And do you know what that b***h did? She blackmailed me for a divorce. Took just about everything I had, promising you'd be in my custody if I followed her instruction to a T."

"...And?"

"Then I lost my job. Because of an 'anonymous complaint'. She kicked me the hell out and moved away without warning."

Riyo's eyes widened at the fact that she'd overlooked all that time. She remembered moving. Her mother said it was because their father had taken everything and they had to downgrade in size... But the fact that the smaller house had been well-furnished escaped her until that moment.

"I looked. I looked to try and find her for awhile. But... You know your mother. She's cunning when she wants to be, damn good at covering her tracks. Obviously being jobless and homeless, I couldn't afford a private investigator or anything fancy like that. It took me years to get back on the saddle. I saw a lot of things... Experienced a lot of things..." None of which he saw fitting to really say. "My first break was a couple of years ago when I got this gig. Always liked music, so this was like a dream... But... I've never really been happy."

"Why?" The malice had melted away from Riyo's voice for the most part, now just generally curious.

"I knew that the only accomplishment I really had probably hated me because of my c**t ex-wife."

And he had been right...

Mitsu thought over Shun's offer, it seemed reasonable enough. "Okay, sure." At least this way he would be able to see the concert he had brought her to and they would be able to do something else as well without shooting Mitsu's nerves all to hell.

As the music started up again, blasting through the crowd, Mitsu did her best to resist the urge to cover her ears. It wasn't that she didn't like the music, it had a nice beat, but the volume in which it was played at this particular juncture was bordering on making her deaf.

----

Following behind Riyo, Klyde took to standing behind her quietly listening to the story. He didn't know if he should be trusting or on the defensive about this but from what little he knew about Riyo's mother...this story seemed plausible. It was just hard to piece together why Riyo's mother had started to resent Jess so much if they had done so well at first.

He tried to think back to the days after Halloween when he had first met Riyo's mother in the office. She had treated Riyo like a burden...but that really wasn't much of a clue. If anything it only made him question why she hadn't taken everything except Riyo. Over all he felt like there was something missing but there wasn't much for him to piece together.

There was something meaningful behind this man's words though, something Klyde could relate to. Hadn't he been in the same position not long ago? Begging for a second chance. It by no means made him want to convince Riyo to give this man a second chance, that was her decision alone, but Klyde felt a little....sorry for him he supposed.

The music was nice, especially since Shun did enjoy this band. He just was a little distracted from the concert. A part of the reasoning was the strange happenings on stage. The other was that he was vigilant for anyone that might try to hurt Mitsu. The fact that she nearly was lost earlier had him a little on edge in that regard.

----

Looking between the two, Blade smiled weakly at the situation in general. For Riyo's sake, he really hoped that this would work out for her. Though, he couldn't help but feel a little bittersweet about this whole thing. He didn't show or voice anything that signified that, however.

"Try not to crush her, ok?" he said to Jess.

"So... what now then?"

As her father's deathgrip ended, Riyo took in a gasp again and shrugged at Blade. "I... Don't know." Honestly, she didn't. The whole situation was... Just a little too much.

While Riyo was busy thinking, Jess ended up noticing something... That he hadn't noticed before. The elder feline's ears fell against his head and his eyes narrowed as he glanced between Klyde and Blade. "Wait a minnit... You two are guys. Why are you hanging out with guys?" He asked Riyo defensively, keen on keeping eyes on the two.

Taken aback by the sudden interest in her companions, Riyo was speechless for a moment. "Um. Blade is one of my best friends and Klyde is my-"

"Boyfriend?!" Jess interrupted, practically scowling at Klyde. What a promising sign. "You're too young to have a boyfriend."

"... I'm 17." Riyo folded her arms and stood, not liking somebody telling her she was too young for anything.

Jess also stood, puffing out his chest to stare Klyde straight in the eye. "I know how guys like you think." The vocalist said in a low, intimidating voice. "You only want one thing at that age." He may have looked like a scrawny tomcat, but there was obviously much more to him than his appearance, much like Riyo.

"I can pay if you want to see a movie," Mitsu offered. He and Desmond were always paying for her and she did have a job after all. She was capable of paying too...sometimes. "I'm..not really sure what's out though."

---

And just like that Jess had easily snuffed out any sympathy Klyde had felt earlier. Eyes narrowing in return at the elder feline, Klyde did not back down from this so called staring match as Jess stood up and puffed up like an agitated rooster. "Woah, there old man..." Klyde tried his best to keep from growling but his eyes started to glow in his aggravation. Today had not been that great of a day and now this a*****e....the guy only minutes ago he thought was kinda cool, was going to trample over what was left of it. To say he was an unhappy vampire was putting it lightly.

"You're pretty quick to jump into this parenting role after only three seconds but Riyo has done a pretty good job of taking care of herself. I'm her boyfriend and I'll be her boyfriend for as long as she allows and I won't let you get between me and her." He had worked too damn hard to earn back his place by her side, he wasn't going to let this guy or anyone else for that matter tear them apart on a whim. There was no way in hell he was going to let that happen again.

"Are you sure about that?" Shun asked with a frown. Job or not, he was fairly aware that Mitsu wasn't the most financially stable person around.

"We can see what's out when we get to the theater. I'm sure there'll be something interesting there."

Of course, what would be interesting for her may not necessarily be the same case for himself. Not that he would object to whatever it was she wanted to watch.

---

Frowning as the three went back and forth on the issue with Klyde, Blade shook his head as the mother was brought up again.

"The school lets kids without parents or guardians or whatever stay there during the year," he elaborated a little more, "We're on our own for the summer though."

As would also be the case for whenever they graduated, but he really couldn't wait for that day. It would mean he was finally free from the confines of school. He didn't know what he wanted to do exactly or where he wanted to go, but being tied down to the same place for years was wearing him.

"But I doubt you'll have to worry about your ex for awhile either way. She won't be out of that prison for awhile after what she tried to pull," he added.

They... Were on their own for the summer?

... Riyo hadn't known that. What did Blade do during the summer?

Moreover... What would Mitsu do?

"... I dunno. Maybe I'll bum Neko's couch. I'm sure he'd let me stay if I made breakfast, lunch, and dinner..." And cleaned the house... Maybe some laundry. Though the idea didn't really upset her. It felt kinda nice to have somebody rely on you.

Jess had been about to ask what had happened with Riyo's mother, but the fact that she hadn't said 'with my father, of course' immediately brought back the pouty face. "W-who's this... Neko?"

Riyo thought about answering honestly, but realized it would just illicit another freak-out like Klyde's... 'title' had. "He's the father figure in my life." A nice, low blow for the treatment he'd given Klyde.

And then Jess became jealous of Neko... Even though he'd never met the guy. "W-why don't you stay with me instead? I can buy a nice, big house out here. I've got the cash." He suggested rather pitifully.

"Because I don't need you telling me what I can and can't do." She said simply.

"I won't do that!"

"I don't believe you."

"P-pinkie swear? If I break it, I'll buy you the car of your choice. Whatever you want." Jess immediately held out his pinkie finger, waiting with big pouty eyes to get his way.

Riyo's eyes narrowed at the bribe...

... Though it did sound sweet.

"... If I get to pick the location of the house, you've got a deal." She said with a grin, holding her pinkie out in return.

Momentarily, Jess hesitated seeing that grin... But what could she possibly pick that would make him regret it? "Deal then." He agreed, shaking... pinkies.

Klyde really didn't like the idea of Riyo staying with Neko either but he took it much better than Jess apparently. The feline's expression spoke volumes about how he felt about it but somehow the thought that Riyo would be staying with this so called father figure who just suddenly popped up out of the wood work irked Klyde more, but who was he to say otherwise? At least it was a place to stay, a roof over her head, and with a parent that was no doubt better than her mother. At least he could hope.

Curious about where Riyo would pick the house to be Klyde turned to Blade when he mentioned leaving. As much as he would have liked to see the guy leave earlier....he wasn't so apt to be left alone with Riyo and her father...nor did he want to leave Riyo alone with her father. But Klyde wasn't exactly sure how to go about asking Blade to stay. It was awkward....since he really didn't care for the guy all that much. He was Riyo's friend so it was more of tolerating his presence at this point.

"I thought you were going to eat with us after the concert," Klyde threw out there hoping that didn't raise too many alarms. At least it sounded like something that could have been brought up in passing and easily forgotten.

---

Following Shun out, Mitsu kept a firm hold of his hand. "I did like the music." Mitsu confirmed though she kept to herself the thoughts on the crowd. It wasn't so bad it probably could have been worse.

Once they were outside Mitsu finally relaxed a bit, following Shun toward his bike. When they got closer though it was apparent there was a group of guys standing around it, though whether they were waiting on Shun or looking for an opportunity to jack the bike was hard to say. Either way they didn't look like an agreeable lot.