"So, so, what's up, Azula-chan? Have you located him yet?"
"Yes, Shinigami-sama. He's still in Brooklyn, but on the outskirts, selling drugs in the alleys."
"Very good." Shinigami let his striped black hair fall over his eyes. It was the human form equivalent of hiding his emotions behind his mask. He had to adjust to many things when he finally freed his human form, but he found he liked this form better. He found he could relate better to his faculty and students if they felt like they were around another human, even if they knew he was really a god.
"Shinigami-sama, what do you plan to do?"
"I'm going to pay him a visit myself, personally."
"You're going to leave the Academy?" Azula panicked. After the Kishin was defeated, Shinigami had worked endlessly to figure out a way to separate his soul from the city. It had cost him many things; he could no longer be in his shinigami form for long, and he was terribly weakened. It was well worth it, however, when Shinigami took his first steps out of the city border in the last 800 years.
"What's the worst that could happen?" Shinigami asked, lifting his head to shrug. "Spirit could run things while I'm gone."
"…Spirit," Azula deadpanned.
"…okay, well, then Stein could. Or something. I'm sure it'll be fine."
"You don't seem to be overly concerned, Shinigami-sama…"
"Really?" Shinigami grinned, spreading out his hands. He was well-known for treating every situation- whether it is good or bad- optimistically. "Well, do you want to? If I remember correctly, you were president of the student council…"
"…S-sure," Azula stuttered after a long pause. A whole school? No, she could do this. "Yes, of course."
"Great! Come on over tomorrow and I'll show ya the ropes. I have to go now, Azula-chan! Byeeee!" With a hearty wave goodbye, he cut off the call. Lowering his head, he stayed silent for a little, deep in thought. The silence of the Death Room fell around him.
"Still in Brooklyn, huh?" he murmured. He lifted his head and grinned. "Sounds like fun!"
"Liz-chan! Patty-chan!"
Liz jumped at the cheerful voice behind her. When she spun around to confirm it was Shinigami appearing in the kitchen mirror, she sighed. "Yeah?"
"Yeah?" Patty added, sitting at the kitchen table with her cup of milk.
"Hey, I wanna go see Brooklyn, will you two show me around!" he asked excitedly.
Liz paled. What a blunt way of putting it…then again, this was Shinigami they were talking about. He was probably excited to see it, and as much as they wanted to stay away, Liz did feel an attachment to New York, and Shinigami looked so eager…it would be terrible to crush him…
"Sure, we could do that," Liz replied, smiling. Shinigami grinned from ear to ear, reminding Liz of the time Kid begged her to let him do her eyebrows, and then grinning when she finally gave in.
"Great! Get ready, we're leaving tomorrow~!" With that, the mirror cut off.
"Honorable Father, why are we going to New York again?" Kid asked, his head poking out from behind the airplane seat. It was a private jet, of course. Shinigami, his hands behind his head and headphones in his ears, cracked open a golden eye to stare at his son.
"Because I want to see New York, of course! And this is a great opportunity to have a normal family vacation!" Shinigami beamed. He closed his eyes and nodded his head to his music once more. He had become more accustomed to modern music now that he had actual ears, and some of it was actually pretty good.
Kid frowned, then slid back into his seat, crossing his arms. Liz looked over.
"Think he's lying?"
"I know he's lying."
"Awwright!" Shinigami yelled upon landing, throwing a fist into the air. The trio stared at him, sweating in embarrassment. He blinked. "What? C'mon, you guys! This is gonna be great!"
"Yeah!" Patty agreed, high-fiving Shinigami.
Eventually, the four found their way to Times Square. Shinigami, used to the peace and tranquility of Death City, was uncomfortable around the expressionless men and women pushing their way past him roughly. Kid took his father's hand as to assure him of not getting lost (he didn't quite trust him) but also to calm him. Shinigami, too busy gushing inwardly over how Kid was holding his hand, didn't pay any more attention to anyone else.
Suddenly, he stopped, gazing off into the distance. Kid stopped as his father did, looking up at him curiously. "What is it?" he asked.
Shinigami pointed. "Look! It's a Japanese festival!" he replied excitedly. Indeed, there were stands lining a nearby street, lamps hanging overhead by lampposts, and demonstrations of Japanese culture being performed all over.
"So?" Liz asked.
"So? We have to go! C'mon! Please? Please!" Shinigami begged, bouncing up and down. Liz sighed in embarrassment as Kid thought it over.
"Sure, I guess so," the younger reaper replied. The older curled his hands into fists. "Yay!"
As soon as they entered, they gathered strange looks from the people in kimonos and headwear. One women pointed at the older reaper and whispered to her friend, "Look at that one! Where does he get that thing?" Another: "What's that thing on his head?"
Shinigami tugged on the spike attached to the back of his head, whimpering slightly and blushing in embarrassment. He glanced from side to side. I'm attracting too much attention...I need to blend in. Suddenly, he spotted a stand. Perfect!
Not long after, Shinigami was twirling his spike into a more manageable ponytail. A pitch black kimono adorned his frame loosely, while a headband hid the three complete Sanzu lines in his hair. Kid sighed.
"Are you sure this'll work?" he asked.
"Of course! Here, you hide yours, too." Shinigami retrieved a headband from the table and tied it around Kid's head, making sure to hide his Sanzu lines. "Though I do hate covering those cute little stripes of yours."
Kid groaned, but refused to collapse about symmetry in front of his father.
"There! All done! You look absolutely adorable, Kiddo!" Before Kid could blush or groan any further, Shinigami's attention suddenly snapped to the right. Up on a stage, a chef was performing how to make a type of sushi, norimaki.
Shinigami shook his head as he watched the chef talk. "He's doing it wrong," he muttered to himself. Ignoring Kid and Liz's vehement protests, he wandered away from them and ran up the steps, picking up his kimono so he wouldn't trip. His sandals clacked against the wooden floor as he slid on stage gracefully, plucking the rice bowl from the chef's hands.
"No, no, no," he chided. "You must be sure to cool the rice first by folding a spoon through it." As he did so, he stole a glance at the chef's jacket, catching the name 'Jones'. The chef, meanwhile, stared at him in shock.
"Ugh, you were going to do it all wrong! Luckily for you, Jones-san, I was born in Japan," Shinigami told him, grinning as he heated the nori sheets. He laid out the rolling mat with ease, spreading a third of the rice and quickly made a groove with his long, sharp nails. He held out a thin-fingered hand. "Would you care to do the honors, Jones-san?"
The chef stared at him for a moment. Then he yelled, "SECURITY!"
Shinigami started slightly, then rolled and unrolled the mat. Quickly grabbing a knife, he cut the roll into 6 pieces, then 18. He threw some out to the audience, grinning while he did. Suddenly, he glanced to the left to see a large, burly man scowling at him.
"Uh-oh! Gotta go!" Shinigami hastily made his escape, dashing off the platform. He pushed through the loud, murmuring crowd only to slide to a stop in front of three very angry children.
"Uh..."
Kid tapped his foot. Meanwhile, Shinigami glanced back to see the burly man barreling towards him. He swiftly grabbed Kid and Liz by the hands and led them through the crowd, attempting to lose him. Patty trailed along, her hand clasped by Liz's. Growling as he continued to fail, the reaper took a sharp turn into an alley, turning around to snarl, "Get lost, bastard!"
The burly man smirked, and suddenly all Shinigami could see was black. He stepped back a bit to get a good look; in fact, it was a man dressed in all black clothing. A few more identical men leapt down, surrounding them.
"Your attempt at Japanese ninjas?" the reaper teased, having more than his share of ninjas attend Shibusen. "I'm not scared of them."
The next moment, Shinigami found himself on the ground with a blackened eye. He grinned toothily. "Nope, still not scared!"
Regaining his composure, the reaper stood proudly. "Time to show these punks who's really the boss!" He straightened himself into a familiar stance, tilting his body to the left and turning his hands to opposing sides. "Shinigami Taijutsu Tsumi no Kamae,"he muttered. (trans. Shinigami Martial Art, Stance of Crime.) Behind him, Kid did the same, Liz and Patty returning to his hands in their gun forms.
Three seconds later, the gang of "ninjas" were on the ground, clutching various places and groaning. Shinigami held the burly man in a headlock, torturing him. "Ne, ne, big guy! Not so tough now, eh?"
"Father, stop that," Kid chided. Shinigami snorted, releasing him. The man fell to the ground, causing a small earthquake. As they walked off, the older reaper turned to stick his tongue out at the burly man still staring at him. He raised a finger in a very rude insult, smirking.
"Father!"
Shinigami pouted.
"Here, take these and change!" Liz ordered, shoving Shinigami into a large green rectangle. Trying not to vomit at the smell, Shinigami quickly removed his kimono and dressed himself. He came out in a loose-fitting black hoodie with baggy cargo pants and short black combat boots. Spreading his sharp teeth into a slack grin like he sees Soul do so regularly, he turned to Liz. "How do I look?" he asked smoothly.
Liz grabbed his ear. "We're still mad at you!" she growled.
Shinigami closed one of his eyes in pain. "Ow, ow! I'm sorry, I won't do it again! It's just that...he was making it so wrong..."
Kid sighed. "Liz, let him go."
"What? Why?"
"Ignoring the fact that's he's not only my father but Death himself, how many times have I tried to fix something?"
Liz considered this and released her hold. Shinigami rubbed his now-red ear. "Geez." He pouted childishly as he flipped his hood over his head, not only hiding his spike but his Sanzu lines as well. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.
"So, where to next?"
Back at the hotel, Liz was brushing out her hair. Kid was taking a shower, Shinigami was on the hotel phone, and Patty was passing the time by watching T.V. Liz, finished brushing her hair, poked her head out ever so slightly to try to hear what the older reaper was saying.
"...no, no, no, I asked for tea, not coffee," Shinigami spoke, twirling the phone cord in his thin fingers. "Hmm? No tea, you say?" Shinigami sighed. "Alright. Yes. No, that's all right. Okay, bye~!" Hanging up the phone, he sighed deeply, falling back into bed.
"Rough day?" Liz questioned dryly. Shinigami immediately shot back up. "Oh. Well, do keep in mind I haven't seen this place for nearly 800 years, Liz-chan~ A lot has changed, you know~"
"800! A PERFECTLY SYMMETRICAL NUMBER!" Kid cried from the shower. Shinigami chuckled at his son's outburst. "It would be even more symmetrical if it was 888 years, Kiddo!" he called back.
"YES, OF COURSE! HOW COULD I NOT HAVE SEEN IT?" Shinigami continued to chuckle deeply, a smile curling at his mouth as he shook his head slightly. Liz couldn't help but smile as well.
Suddenly, Liz looked up to see Shinigami beckoning her over. Hesitantly, she approached the bed and sat down on it. Shinigami folded his legs. "Liz-chan, do you feel..." he racked his brain for the right word, "nostalgic about coming back here?"
"Hmm..." Liz pondered quietly. "Well...how can I put it? It's bittersweet, coming back here, but I don't mind it." She finished by flashing a smile at the reaper.
Shinigami smiled in relief. "That's good. You know, Liz-chan, you should smile more. It's cute~"
Liz chuckled. "How can the Lord of Death think anything is cute?"
"You'd be surprised," Shinigami replied, smirking. "For example, everything about Patty-chan is cute, even her scary side. And anything about Kiddo-kun is adorable, especially those cute little stripes in his hair~! You're cute, too, Liz-chan, but especially your smile~"
Liz blushed.
"Chichiue! Liz and I are going to the pool!" Kid announced from the doorway, dressed in black swimming trunks and a blue towel draped over his shoulder. Liz stood in a bikini next to him, holding an identical towel in her arms.
"Okay!" Shinigami called back, engaged in an intense video game battle against Patty. He smirked at the screen. "Don't you guys do anything too reckless~"
"F-Father!" Kid demanded, blushing.
"Patty, you wanna come?" Liz called.
"No way! I'm beating Shinigami-sama!" Patty replied, giggling. Shinigami glared at her for a moment before turning his attention to the screen. "Not for long, Patty-chan!" he snapped playfully, mashing buttons on his controller.
Eventually, the battle was over; Patty came out the victor. Shinigami groaned and fell back onto the bed. "My reaper honor...it's gone," he murmured as Patty laughed loudly in victory.
He righted himself and smiled at the younger twin. "Ne, Patty-chan, it looks like it's just you and me. What do you want to do?"
Patty thought this over for a moment before grinning widely.
In the dining hall, it was absolutely empty, the lights turned out. A waiter pushed a cart by a table. After he left, a black spike and the top of a messy blonde head poked up out of the table. Yellow and blue eyes scanned the area.
"Looks like they're just cleaning up dinner," Shinigami whispered, "but I'm in the mood for breakfast, to be honest~ How about you, Patty-chan?"
"Yeah, yeah!" she whispered, giggling. Shinigami shushed her playfully and snuck to the kitchen entrance, hiding himself in the shadows. After the waiter exited the kitchen, Shinigami stuck his head in the closing doorway. There was no one in there, so the reaper hastily entered with the weapon's hand clasped in his.
"There, there!" Shinigami whispered, pointing to the various wrapped goodies on a shelf. The two snuck over and grabbed as many as they could carry, quickly darting under a counter when a busboy walked past. Yellow and blue eyes watched him leave, then resumed their task. The two snuck out of the kitchen easily, giggling and snickering the whole time with goodies in their arms.
"What do you think your dad and Patty are doing right now?" Liz asked, moving her knees through the lukewarm water.
Kid groaned, relaxing on a lawn chair on the poolside. "Just thinking about those two together gives me pains."
"Why?"
"Think about it. They're very similar. My father loves fun. So does Patty. They both have diplomatic immunity, or at the very least, my father does. What do you think will happen...?"
Liz scoffed. "C'mon, Kid, your father's more responsible than that!"
Kid lowered his sunglasses at her.
"...Oh. You're right."
In the elevator, Shinigami licked his lips at the thought of the delicacies in his arms. He tried his best not to drool, but he was so hungry.
Beside him, Patty seemed deeply in thought. She finally spoke up.
"Shinigami-sama?"
"Mm-hmm?"
"Do you love me and Onee-chan?"
"Of course I do," Shinigami answered without a second thought.
"But not as much as you love Kid-kun, right?" Patty added sadly. She was frowning deeply, a despaired expression on her face.
"Who said that?"
Patty looked up to see Shinigami frowning. Suddenly, he smiled, putting a hand on Patty's head as he spoke. "Whoever said that, I'll give 'em a Shinigami Chop!" He smiled at her reassuringly. "I love you and Liz-chan just as much as I love Kid-kun."
A smile spread on the weapon's face. "You really mean it, Shinigami-sama?"
He nodded happily. "Yeah!"
Patty giggled happily, clutching the goodies in her arms.
After explaining to Kid and Liz how they got so many treats (and running away from them as they attempted to kill the fun-loving pair), it was finally time for bed. Patty yawned, clutching a stuffed giraffe. As she saw Shinigami stretching out his back, she spoke up.
"Ne, Shinigami-sama, can you tuck me in?" Patty asked hesitantly. What would he say?
Shinigami broke out into a grin. "Yeah, sure!" he replied excitedly. As soon as the girls were in their bed, he pulled the covers over both of them. "Kiddo-kun hasn't let me tuck him in since he was two," he sighed dejectedly. "He was always 'too old for that'." He spared a soft glare at his son, who just turned away, frowning.
He kissed Patty's cheek as she giggled. "Good night, Patty-chan~"
"Good night, Shinigami-sama!" He walked over to the other side of the bed and smirked at Liz as he kissed her cheek on the opposite side. "Good night, Liz-chan~"
"Good night," she grumbled, trying her best not to tell Shinigami she was too mature for that. As Shinigami got into his bed, he propped himself on the elbow dug into the pillow and smirked at Kid. "Would you like me to tuck you in, too, Kid-kun~?"
"No," the boy protested shortly. His father grinned. "Too bad, I'm going to do it anyway."
As Kid turned his head away, Shinigami lightly ran his long nails along Kid's soft stomach. The boy's squeals increased as the older reaper dug his fingers in more, ticking everywhere on Kid's middle. After Shinigami slowly stopped and Kid's laughs slowly died down, the reaper stole a kiss in the middle of his son's forehead. "Good night, Kid-kun," he murmured softly before quickly turning around and facing the window, pulling the covers to his shoulder.
"Good night, chichiue." Shinigami smiled.
After the two reapers were fast asleep, Patty nudged her sister gently, having stayed up until she heard the older reaper's soft snores. "Onee-chan," she whispered quietly. "Onee-chan!"
Liz groaned softly, opening her eyes slowly. "What is it, Patty? And why are you calling me that?"
"Shinigami-sama taught it to me. It means 'big sister'." While Shibusen spoke English as well, the girls had to learn a few Japanese phrases such as honorfics. "But anyways, I have something to tell you!"
"What is it?" Liz murmured sleepily.
"Shinigami-sama says he loves us just as much as he loves Kid-kun!"
Her sister frowned at her.