Description: Ryu is passing through Metro on his way to the Devil's Tournament. Guile is passing through Metro Park on his daily job. When they collide, a genial conversation occurs in which Ryu is caught up on recent events and Guile gives out the lay of the land while the World Warrior has been away.
Metro Park. To many who live in this most urban of areas, the shock of greenery is both welcome and foreign at the same time. Mere yards from its edge, the grey concrete of skyscrapers towers toward the heavens, rising above the treeline of the park. But within its confines, nature rules... for the most part. Man has made inroads, with walking paths and other conveniences, but at the very least there are spots of shade, seclusion, and serenity even here, admist the trappings of civilization.
If you're a world-wandering professional fighter who disdains those trappings, it's also one of the only places you can GO in Metro City and not feel a little bit... hemmed in. Not that Ryu is any stranger to Metro; as a professional fighter he's been here countless times, in venues big and small. And every time, without fail, he finds himself back here, in this park. Right now, he's sitting cross-legged atop a rocky outcropping at the top of a small hill; a stream runs through the rocks and tumbles in a waterfall into a pool below in a gush of noisy white water, while trees surround the entire affair. It is as close to training under a Japanese waterfall as you're going to get inside an American metropolis, and it's one of Ryu's favorite spots.
After all, he's got a lot on his mind. An upcoming tournament, with all the adrenaline-tinged excitement such an event can conjure. His fighting spirit responds to the call to test his strength. But this PARTICULAR event is touching emotions in the World Warrior that perhaps he had thought long buried... troubling emotions connected to even more troubling memories about Ryu's past.
And then there is Air Force Captain William Guile, who finds the Metro City Park to be the perfect place to exercise and train. Judging the trappings of the city as entirely too congested to take part in the activities he has planned, Guile has taken to the park to engage in the much-beloved activity of running. True to form (and good form, at that) he is currently running at a moderate pace down one of the many jogging trails with meander through this small circular slice of rural life. He is maintaining good breathing and posture, not showing any signs of wearing out in spite of the sweat which comes off of him.
He rounds the corner, taking a look to his right where the hill, rocks, trees and waterfall are situated. His eagle-sharp eyes pick out the flash of white in the trees, and he slows his pace substantially. He then stops entirely to get a better look within the trees. Tilting his head slightly, he begins making his way up the hill and towards the affair with about as quiet of a step as a special forces operative can muster. He finds a tree, leans against it, and peaks out to the side with enough wherewithal not to let his flattop give him away.
Meditation is an interesting thing. Even for "normal" people it's often a way to detach onesself from the everyday world and let the mind's eye wander. Certainly, it's got to be responsible for no small amount of hallucinatory responses among people living with too little food and shelter high on mountain peaks. But for a fighter -- a real one -- meditation can often become something else. An extension of senses into the surroundings, a preparation for that sense of heightened situational awareness that is of use in the ring. But sometimes it can just be a journey within... and as Guile gets closer he can almost certainly see that Ryu's normally impassive expression twitches, intermittently and very subtly, with response to... some unseen stimuli.
In his mind's eye, shadows play across shafts of white light and pools of red. Sounds are distant and strange, sometimes murmurs and sometimes sharp sounds. And always some thing right at the edge of his perception. In his mind's eye, he reaches out, and that's when behind--
Ryu's eyes snap open. From this distance it's difficult to tell, but there's a sudden sharp exhalation, and then a few deep breaths. It is then that the waking world seems to intrude, driving back in, and the World Warrior's eyes circle around to where Guile is approaching. A weary smile and a slight wave of the hand are all he can spare, for now, but they are at least friendly gestures.
Guile continues to watch the white gi'd man for a moment longer until the wave is directed his way. He tilts his head forward, smirking just slightly, before he steps away from the tree to approach Ryu. He arrives at the rock with whom the other martial artist cohabitates with, reaching an arm out to set his palm against it. He considers Ryu for another long moment, until he simply shrugs his shoulders and asks with a country twang.
"So. Did ya sleep well?"
It's a well-known fact that Ryu can sleep anywhere. He hasn't seen the inside of a hotel room in... the answer may be 'never.' So when Guile gives him a little gentle ribbing on what just went down, it actually helps to calm the somewhat jangled nerves of the World Warrior, who is unused to such images intruding on his meditation. The idea that it was all just a bad dream does sound somewhat attractive. "I've had better naps," the Japanese fighter says with a game smile, shrugging his shoulders, "but I'm doing alright." Right. You ARE doing alright, Ryu. Get ahold of yourself. Despite this unusual track for his inner monologue, the white-clad fighter's outer presentation betrays none of it.
"Out for some exercise?" Ryu asks off-handedly, glancing at the well-built American. The faint sheen of sweat gives him away, for the most part; of course, the distinctive hairstyle hasn't moved an inch, a trick of physics that the comparatively techno-dense Ryu can't attribute to a reasonable cause. Perhaps Guile is some sort of sorcerer. Maybe it's chi? Maybe it's Maybelline.
Standing, Ryu glances around the park for a moment before returning his gaze to Guile and continuing the easy, light flow of the conversation. "I should get in a workout myself, sometime today."
Guile makes a quick study of Ryu, and finding him generally in good health, nods his head to the man, "Right. Glad to hear that." He nods his head a moment later, looking away from the Japanese fighter to peer around the park as best he can through the seclusion of the trees here. He looks back to Ryu and nods his head, "I am. While technically I'm on assignment from the U-S of A mentoring NDP fighters, I need to stay in top shape. Especially considering I'm fighting Ken in the next few days."
He takes a moment to judge Ryu's reaction to that, before he responds to his own design to have a workout, "Skip the workout and get in a trip to the AT&T store. Get a cellphone. I know someone who wonders and worries about you every so often." There's no need to mention exactly who that red gi wearing person might be, but he then continues with a question, "Are you planning to stay out here for your time in Metro City?"
And there's the usual grimace Ryu deploys whenever someone tells him to get a cell phone, a Gmail account, or any other sort of digital contrivance that for almost everyone else in the world is a normal part of everyday life. The expression is halfway between a forced smile and an expression of rueful embarassment; the truth is that Ryu's just not that good with technology and as such is even a little bit afraid of it. Besides, aren't we told to do away with our earthly attachments when it comes to achieving enlightenment? Rubbing a hand through his dark brown hair, Ryu turns his head away from Guile for a moment when he responds. "He knows how to find me if it's important," is all he'll say on that matter.
But then there's Guile's actual question, and his reveal of what's keeping him here at the moment on a professional level. "That pet project of his... well, those students should learn a lot from you, Guile. They're fortunate to have a skilled fighter looking out for them. But no, I'm not staying in Metro City. I'm just passing through. Have you heard of this 'Devil's Tournament'?" Ryu asks, sounding almost off-handed about it, yet he crosses his arms over his chest as he does so, a very closed-off piece of body language on the part of the Japanese fighter. "I'm making my way to my first round match soon."
Guile's face parts into a wide smile as Ryu goes through the motions of denying the cellphone. He then laughs, shaking his head ruefully, "Ever the wandering bachelor." He points towards Ryu to emphasize something, "I saw bachelor because no woman in the world is ever gonna' let you walk around without one." His mirth dies down a bit and he shrugs his acceptance, "I guess you're right. Maybe one day we'll think to tag ya with one of those trackers they hook to butterflies or somethin'." He rolls his eyes, "That'll last until your next rumble."
Guile peers towards Ryu again, nodding his head, "I guess you're right. Ain't my first choice of a job though, but..." He tilts his head slightly, considering it before he adds, "...I do got some interesting ones. There's one, called Shun. She fights with Ansatsuken. The real deal, mostly. She's squared away." His mirth then dies completely, "Yeah, I'm in it. I got my first fight in less than a week. It's gonna' be busy with Ken Masters and Zach Glen after me." He tilts his head, "Who did you draw in the first round?"
That draws his interest. "Really?" For a moment, Ryu's brain whirls to the young practitioners of Ansatsuken that exist. There's Sean Matsuda, who desperately wants to follow in Ken's footsteps... and then there's self-taught Sakura Kasugano, who managed through sheer stubbornness (willpower?) to replicate the forms of Ansatsuken with her own unique spin until Ryu himself agreed to train her, to an extent. Shun, huh... "Trained by Ken, I take it? I'd like to meet this Shun someday." She'd have to have been trained by Ken, wouldn't she? The only other options were Master Gouken, who's long gone, or...
Behind his eyes, a flash of red and the deep rumblings of a laughter with a feral edge to it.
"Maki Genryuusai," Ryu says, after a too-long pause, nimbly sidestepping the issue of his lifelong bachelorhood. He... dabbled in romance, once. It didn't work out. So it goes, as far as the World Warrior is concerned. "I've seen her fight once or twice. It should be an interesting bout. Good to hear you're competing... good luck in the first round. Although I wish I knew more about this tournament. The name doesn't exactly inspire confidence." He pauses, then raises an eyebrow, looking at Guile sidelong, head slightly turned. "I don't suppose you've heard anything...?"
Drawing his shoulders up in a shrug, "Not really, to be honest with you. I got this letter in the mail inviting me to take part in a tournament. Top prize is three-hundred grand and a shot at someone named Akuma. If you beat this Akuma, the prize money is doubled. It seems like a legitimate tournament. All the paperwork has been filed correctly, even if those behind it are on the shady side."
He then nods his head, "Trained by Ken. Who else? Apparently, he's focusing his eyes on the next generation of Ansatsuken practitioners. I met another one of you Ansatsuken guys the other week at my Saturday Night Fights match. Bit of a loose cannon though." Guile's eyes narrow in thought, "I know the name. She no-showed a Saturday Night Fights match with me a few months back. Some kinda' injury, I think, so I can't comment on her fighting style. Best of luck though." He gestures over his shoulder, "The wife and kid and staying with me in a two-bedroom in the city. If you wanna' give your legs a break before your match, you're welcome to stay with us. I'll make sure you get to your first match in time."
"'Akuma', huh..." The Japanese word for demon or devil. Unhelpful at best. That could be anyone. Ryu's expression looks thoughtful, however, especially since Guile seems to not know any more about the tournament than Ryu does. In a way, that's curiously reassuring. And then Guile makes the invitation for him to have somewhere to stay, which makes Ryu laugh helplessly. "I appreciate the invitation, but I couldn't impose. Don't worry about me." Certainly, Ryu appears to have lasted these many long years on his own, just him, a gi, and a rucksack across the known world. Without any shoes on. "Seems like I need to catch up with Ken, though. I didn't know he had so many students..." For a moment, there's a note of confusion in Ryu's voice, one that quickly disappears with a shrug from the World Warrior.
"I don't want to keep you from your run," the Japanese fighter says, nodding his head out toward the park. "But it was good to see you. I'm sure I'll see you again in this tournament," he adds, as much a vote of confidence on Guile's chances in the first round as it is a statement of fact that the two competitors are just likely to meet again.
With a quiet nod, Guile replies, "Yeah. I figure 'em for some kinda' street punk who thinks he's tough enough to boss a tournament. I hope it's a street name, anyway, unless their parents didn't like 'em." He peers curiously towards Ryu, who is arguably one of the best fighters in the world, who can pull the top prize money anywhere he goes, yet chooses to go there on bare feet with his posessions on his back. It's mildly alluring, and yet...
...Guile's wife would kill him if he tried.
Guile grunts and nods his head, "Sure, partner. I know a 'get lost so I can go back to sleep' when I see one." He takes a few steps backwards, "You take care of yourself, Ryu. Call me if you change your mind about spending a few days with the Guile family." He turns, takes a few steps away, "Or send a smoke signal. Or just show up. We're at the Hilton on Main. I'll tell the concierge to expect you in case you change you mind." Lacking in more words to say for his brother-in-law's brother, Guile turns on a heel and walks through the trees. As he reaches the path, he picks up his step until he reaches a jogging pace.
Log created on 18:53:32 04/24/2012 by Ryu, and last modified on 23:37:03 04/24/2012.