[PRP] Baby Talk. (Titus/Riyo)

[Sexy Cocaine]

Well, Riyo couldn't really say she had a lot of fun, but at the very least she had made an effort. The feline had been there, she had seen people she knew, and... Attempted to dance. That was enough, right?

Oh and she had left Titus up s**t creek with an infant... Perhaps a little too hastily. Yes, she felt a little bad, but there was one thing she just couldn't even, and that was babies. Riyo had her reasons, and he couldn't expect her to save him every time, right? She was only one person. She had her weaknesses.

The ghoul sighed as she looked up towards the dorms she slowly approached. Maybe she could just... Shake off the guilt with a hot bath or something. Yeah. Kill the excitement with boiling water and go to sleep. A good way to end a ho hum evening.  

[Inu-Mitsu]

It had taken a while for Titus to rid himself of the tiny sticky scareling. Really he had not thought through feeding the damn thing candy. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time but really it had only left him and the reaper baby a terrible mess.

But once he was free Titus was quick to leave the dance and he wasn't about to let Riyo just get away with leaving him high and dry. Hel would get her payback as well but Riyo was first on his list probably because she was the most recent offender on his mind.

Since the feline had a head start on him Titus took to the sky in an easy leap and followed a course to the demon dorms since he imagined that was where she was headed. As luck would have it he found her making her way there and swooped in and dropped down in front of her, standing to his full height with a deeply frustrated look on his face. It wasn't hard to see why. His shirt which had never really been fully buttoned was a mess, his tie was well...gone, there was a sticky hand print on his face and...was there something in his hair?

"So this whole....friendship thing. Run by me again how it works...." He said slowly.  

[Sexy Cocaine]

Riyo had not expected this, and her leap two feet in the air as there was suddenly a boil in front of her, along with a tail puffed out to at least twice its size, made that painfully obvious.

The ghoul's wide, bewildered eyes darted this way and that, slowly processing that she might have been in a little trouble. That was okay, though. She could work through this.

Frowning, she put her hands on her hips and tried not to admit her guilt. "I believe it works like a trade off. You don't make me do something I'm incredibly uncomfortable with unless I have a good reason to do it."

So... Maybe Riyo wasn't completely well versed in friendship. The whole 'doing things for people without expecting anything back' was not 100% understood. In fact, it was probably closer to 25%. "What, you think I know how to deal with scarelings? Only child here, emphasis on the only." He at least had a sister or something, right? He was totally more qualified than she was.

Inu-Mitsu

 

[Inu-Mitsu]

She was startled, it was at least a little satisfaction because as soon as Riyo straightened out and started talking her comments had Titus frowning deeply, his eyes narrowed as he stared down at the ghoul. "Ah....unless you have good reason too." Titus nodded in mock understanding. "Beyond the reason of being my friend, of course." The demon began to grumble as he began to straighten out his shirt. "I'll remember that." He said coolly. And he would, oh he would. Just wait until you need something Riyo.

"What? You think I know how to deal with scarelings?" Titus asked. "I'm the youngest in my family I don't know a Jack damn thing about scarelings other than they scream, make a mess, and make your life miserable according to my parents. That is the extent of my knowledge base."  

[Sexy Cocaine]

Riyo's brow furrowed at his words and the way he stared. She hadn't quite realized how upset he was. Perhaps some part of her was still filled with doubt to Titus's intentions, readying for the ultimate betrayal when he abandoned ship. "Because if the shoe was on the other foot, you would have helped me without a second thought. Is that what I'm to take from this? If I was going to shove a baby into your arms you'd take it?" This talk was a little suspicious for anyone not in the loop...

"Then you officially know more than I do!" He had just proven it. No take backsies. "I grew up in an office building, and I promise you, it's as far away from kids as you can possibly be."  

[Inu-Mitsu]

"Well, I guess you'll never know now will you?" Titus spat, frowning when he found a particularly sticky spot on his shirt. "When you get landed with a scareling you can hold onto the sticky beast yourself." The demon spoke like it was a possibility in the future, though with as carelessly as Freya had let her spawn float around the dance it very well could be.

"Oh good because I didn't realize that knowing that much qualified me as an expert." His tone was dripping with sarcasm. "Might as well paint me as father of the year then."

Titus had reached up to straighten his tie only to find that it wasn't where he expected it to be. His hands searched his upper torso for a moment but he quickly realized the article was gone entirely. "Well, hell."  

[Sexy Cocaine]

Riyo's expression became less defensive and more discouraged as she glanced away from him. "You're saying that because you know you wouldn't have, you're just trying to make me feel guilty!" Jokes on him, she already did.

The feline had been fully prepared to continue the argument, and inevitably lose the battle, but when Titus started looking for an article of clothing that was no longer there, it seemed like a moot point. She wasn't going to make him any less angry by arguing, and while Riyo tried to feel vindicated in her decision, she knew that sooner or later she would pay the piper for her choice regardless. Perhaps.. Sooner would be better than later.

The confrontation melted from the ghoul's face, releasing a defeated sigh as she prepared an honest, though hesitant apology. Little did she realize, however, that something lurked in their area. Something, or rather, someone, had been listening.

A figure lunged out from behind a nearby tree, aiming a fist to the boil's face. "I'M TOO HANDSOME TO BE A GRANDPA!" He screeched. Oh, look who the cat dragged in. It was Jessee.

Inu-Mitsu

 

[Inu-Mitsu]

"Well, yeah. Making you feel guilty was the whole purpose of tracking you down." It was the honest truth if there ever was any.

Giving up on the tie since it was obviously gone Titus looked up to see that the fight had all but left Riyo's face. He wasn't sure if he should feel victorious from such an easy win and was about to open his mouth to spur the feline back into a fight when a fist suddenly collided with the side of his face.

If anything Titus' head was hard, he had proven this fact on multiple occasions, but that didn't keep the punch from hurting just a little. The impact threw his head to the side sharply and he staggered back a few paces just barely staying on his feet.

"What the hell?" His hand came up to rub at his jaw, bewildered eyes finding Riyo's father there screeching about being a grandparent. What the hell did that have to do with him? "What is your problem, Old man?!"  

[Sexy Cocaine]

What was happening. What was her life. Why at the worst possible moment every time? WHY? And... Grandpa wha-

"YOU'RE my problem!" Jessee yelled, his fists clenching as if he was ready for round 2. Though... He was definitely more of a lover than a fighter. That much was obvious from his pitiful hits.

Letting out a sharp huff of air, the older feline instead turned to his daughter and placed her hands on his shoulders before she even understood what was going on. "It's going to be okay Riyo. You don't need him. I just got a little apartment a couple of blocks away and I have a job and I can support your child until you graduate."

Riyo's jaw dropped. "I... BUH?" Child? Support?! WHAT?

"Shhh, you don't have to thank me! It doesn't look like him, does it? No, it doesn't matter, I'm sure it's precious and I'm going to love it no matter what. I won't fail you!" He was shaking her, and she just looked like she might die. You could almost see the soul trying to escape her mouth.  

[Inu-Mitsu]

The look of confusion was clear on Titus' face and he had no idea how they had gotten from point A to point B. Something just wasn't falling into place with this conversation. All the more so when her father started to comfort Riyo on the fact he would support her child.

Child? What child was he talking about? The fifty some odd cats Riyo had in her dorm?

But despite his better judgement Titus wasn't about to let go of the fact that Jessee had just nailed him in the face and he advanced on the older feline, reaching out to grab hold of his shoulder and jerk him back around to face him.

"I think you have a damn furball lodged in your brain, asshat. You just punched me in the face." And then casually went about like that didn't happen. How rude.  

[Sexy Cocaine]

Jessee let go of Riyo's shoulders as he felt Titus grab hold of his, following through as he was jerked back and aiming another punch to the boil's person without hesitation. "You're damn right I did, you little s**t!" ... Little probably wasn't a good defining word for Titus, but Jessee ran with it. "I don't know what she sees in you, but all you are is trouble! Threatening to leave her with a scareling. Father of the year my a**!" The man snapped, his red eyes blaring as his tail twitched agitatedly behind him.

Oh. OH. Holy s**t! It made sense to her now. Horrible, horrible sense. "You ******** idiot!" Riyo screeched, fully prepared to ring her father's neck. "I'd never have kids! Not in a million years! Not for all the money in the world and not to prevent the end of all existence! I can't believe you'd think I was so stupid!"  

[Inu-Mitsu]

And once again Titus was taking a hit to the face but this time he was semi-prepared. Despite the fact that he still didn't dodge the boil still managed to come back around and throw a punch of his own.

"Leave her....like you're one to talk!" And then the more important question finally slipped from Titus' mouth. "And what Jack damn scareling?" Titus was glad Riyo had caught on because the demon was lost until that point.

Did Jessee...did he think they had a scareling? The thought sent a shiver down Titus' spine. There was no amount of nopes that could cover how he felt about that.  

[Sexy Cocaine]

Jessee stumbled back from the boil's punch because, once again, lover not a fighter. He sneered at Titus, ready for a throwdown, when Riyo finally clarified the situation.

The man's similar ears twitched, his expression softening as he tried to plug his nose from bleeding. "Oh." Oh? That was it? "Wait, never?" Well he changed gears quickly. He looked to his daughter with a worried glance. "Why never?" Because he totally 100% wanted grandkids just not today.

"That's none of your business." The ghoul scoffed, completely fed up with the whole of this conversation. Not just the one now, but the one with Titus and any other conversation that involved scarelings.

"Wait, but babies are soooo cute!" Jessee reached into his back pocket and pulled out... A wallet? He hurriedly unfolded the leather and... a mountain of pictures unfurled like an accordion. "Look at how cute you were!"

Riyo froze at that sentence, her eyes widening. No... No he didn't... Was he... HE HAD BABY PICTURES OF HER AND HE WAS SHOWING THEM TO THE WHOLE JACKDAMN WORLD.

"DON'T-"

"Look, here's one where you got ice scream all over your dress, and here's one where you made a little fort out of pillows, and the first dead bird you brought home.. Awww your happy little bloody face..." And the pictures just seemed to get more and more embarrassing. He held up one to Titus. "Isn't she just precious in her widdle frilly pink dress with her hair in pigtails?"  

[Inu-Mitsu]

Titus was ready, he didn't care if he came out of the situation bruised and in pain he was going to fight but the situation suddenly took a 180 with one simple word. Oh? Was that really all that this situation merited? Was this old man out of his jack damn mind?

"Hey I really don't-" Titus was going to protest to seeing baby pictures but the sudden invasion of cute was like a train wreck to his eyes. He couldn't look away.

And then Titus looked between the picture and the ghoul in front of him, back to the picture and back to her. Just picturing her in a similar outfit now had his mouth twitching as he fought a smile choking on a laugh before he finally let it out full force. "Oh damn that's priceless, Ms. Boil." He hadn't called her that in a while but he felt it fitting to drive the point home on what he was thinking about.  

[Sexy Cocaine]

Riyo stood there, in a sea of agony and despair, as her father showed off the pictures of what she once was: a happy go lucky ghoul without a care in the world. Emphasis on the ghoul part, considering her state of dress today... Her cheeks reddened as Titus's bellowing laugh shook her, eyes downcast in shame. Truth be told she had forgotten about the instances in those pictures.

Like most parents, Jessee didn't seem to understand the fact that he was ruining his daughter's street cred. "Here, you can keep this one. I have hundreds of them."

Hundreds.

Hundreds?!

"You should come over and look at them, Riyo! We can talk about things over cake and ice scream. You used to love ice scream. I bet you still do."

"Why are you even here?" The ghoul asked, evading all ideas of willingly spending time with him. "Hey, don't forget that he punched you twice..." The ghoul tried to remind Titus, uncomfortable that she was suddenly the punchline of the joke.

"Oh! Yeah. Your birthday is coming up. What do you want?" He asked innocently with a small smile, unaware that she didn't even realize her birthday was coming up.