me rambling about some character interactions (honestly its really just Hayate/Ridley/Ryu, and some additional Ayane characterisation??) that occur right after the events of DOA5. uh. DOA5 and slight Ninja Gaiden 3 spoilers, but also a VERY LONG post!
thinking about a moment that’s set immediately after the events of DOA5, where Hayate makes a quick detour to Ridley’s apartment only to find Ridley in an emotional wreck because she’s been listening/watching the news reporting of a DOATEC facility (that Hayate, Ayane, Ryu, Kasumi and others were on) that had blown up not too long ago - and that Ridley has been dreading the absolute worse case scenario that none of the Shinobi made it out alive. She was informed before hand by Helena of what was planned, and that she'd promise to ensure the Shinobi would be fine, although after that platform collapsed, she has to do DOATEC's PR/Damage control and hide/lie to the public what actually occurred on that platform facility.
(What occurred on that DOATEC facility out in the ocean is that it doubled as a facility that harbored MULTIPLE Kasumi clones, and the Mugen Tenshin Siblings + Ryu got a little more than they bargained for, as the Kasumi Clones have reached their 'final' phase as being walking shapeshifting weapons of mass destruction that can also mimic abilities off the fly. and one of the clones copied Ryu's form and tried to do a dangerous technique of his, and the real Ryu had to respond quickly by doing the same thing and uh. it leads to facility going kaboom and everything collapsing. If you don’t believe me you can just watch this video. Obligatory DOA5 spoilers.)
There would be a moment where Hayate and Ridley are just standing in the middle of her apartment, embracing each other and Hayate profusely apologising to Ridley for causing any distress. "I’m sorry for making you worried, it was never my intention to do so. It was going all according to our plan but it went south so quickly, and I was powerless to stop it."
Ayane would eventually enter the apartment herself, because she would get really antsy about getting back home after the events of the day. However the moment she lands on the apartment’s balcony and enters, she immediately regrets her actions as she almost interrupts her sibling and Ridley’s intimate moment (even though it’s literally just two people hugging). Just as she’s about to turn tail and head back outside, she’s halted in her tracks when Ridley just barely croaks out a "thank you," to her for “having Hayate’s back,” and even adding on a “I’m glad you’re okay too...”
And Ayane is in complete shock and disbelief to hear this from Ridley, a person she has resented for so long for ‘taking her sibling away from her'. Only recently she has started to soften that stance over time after witnessing first hand Hayate’s and Ridley’s affection for one another. So hearing those words do disarm arm her slightly, like just enough to leave a tiny crack in the cold exterior she has but not enough to break it entirely. That said, in this moment Ayane would be caught off guard to just see Ridley in such an emotional state, and for a brief moment she feels her heart sink a little, and she doesn't know why (it's a ‘I don’t want to see my sibling’s precious person be in such distress’, but Ayane doesn't know it yet.) To get her bearings she sits on one of the couches, and does her very best to not tear up at Ridley’s sincere words.
Lastly Ryu enters the apartment, and I think a little before hand, Ryu would recognise that what has occurred in the last few hours have been exhausting, so he's open to Hayate's suggestion of a detour to Ridley's apartment for a brief rest stop. He would also acknowledge that there's no way that Helena Douglas and DOATEC in general can just hand wave away what's happened, and that there's absolutely a high chance the news would cover this incident, albeit they news would never know the true story. Ryu would reason that just telling Ridley in person that he's okay is a genuinely overall, good idea.
Winding down would also allow the Shinobi to fully process and comprehend the events of what happened at the facility, and relay more accurate (and critical) personal accounts of what occurred at the facility to their respective clans.
When Ridley finally pulls herself together, she does her best to make the Shinobi trio at home.
Uh during this down time, Ridley actually sees Ryu’s face for the first time and the interaction itself is highlighted in this post! There would be a lot more exchanges between these characters, although I'm not super sure how they would unfold right now, but there is a follow up exchange between Ryu and Ridley again, where he takes her aside and privately thanks her for being there for Hayate, when Ryu himself couldn’t (be it preoccupied with clan duties, the occasional demon fiend troubles or artificial gods etc.). Additionally I think in this moment Ryu, in a semi-tired state does confess to Ridley his feelings for her (albeit in vague terms) + mentions that since she's Hayate's special person, that by proxy, she's also special to him. He’s had these feelings lingering around for a while (since DOA4/Ninja Gaiden II) but he never really fully accepted them until the events of Ninja Gaiden 3, where Ridley makes a surprise appearance and punches the daylight out of a mutated Cliff.
Again, as previously mentioned, these feelings for the pro-wrestler is partly due to how genuinely supportive she's been to Hayate and Ryu holds those in high regard who are willing to lend a shoulder for others to lean on. I am aware its not exactly a sound justification for what will eventually turn into a polyship, but within the lore of DOA and Ninja Gaiden there's only so much I can work with, so cut me a little bit of slack. (also the connected timeline is kind of a mess... i have no clue when NG3 takes place tbh.)
I guess I should stress that Ryu does not envy Hayate and Ridley's relationship or closeness, I feel like Ryu is more rational in his emotions and doesn't let petty things bother him. like you'd have to try VERY hard to get him to be jealous.
ANYWAYS, back to the confession, I’m not sure if Hayate should walk in on the conversation or happen to overhear or, or have Ayane snitch on Ryu (would be an insanely funny idea, but it would be OOC as she deeply respects and holds Ryu in high regard). Whatever choice I go with, Hayate would be hurt to know that her relationship with Ryu wasn’t 'strong enough' for her life partner to feel comfortable in telling her that he had romantic feelings for her girlfriend.
Ryu would justify the decision to not divulge these feelings to them as: “I wanted to prioritise your well-being first,” and that “I wanted to ensure that I could provide cover for you if any Mugen Tenshin Clan Elder asked me where you’ve gone. I don’t want you to be exiled or hunted down all your life like your sister, all because you’re seeing a person who isn’t from a Ninja Clan.” Hayate would feel very tired and defeated by that last justification, and even as Clan Leader, she knows she’ll have to answer a lot of questions if she dared tried to change that policy/rule (traditional can suck sometimes).
A few hours before the Shinobi trio leave Ridley’s apartment, Hayate would present the question to Ridley if it was alright to open up the relationship to include Ryu. Ridley doesn’t mind this, although she’s very confused on how Ryu has gained feelings for her. She literally says: “I’m not that special.” It would take a bit for her come around to develop her own feelings for Ryu, she IS attracted to him after seeing what’s under that mask, it’s just the development of romance between the two will take some time, but she’s open to trying :3
uuhhhhhh god this post is so long so I'll end it off here. there's nothing more to add atm other than Ayane being the obligatory fourth wheel to all of this unfolding before her eyes (much to her annoyance).
