"Kaito-niisan…Kaito?" Kaiko paused apprehensively, poking her head into the doorway of her big oniisan's room, entry forbidden. "Kaito..?"
"Told ya' he wasn't there, Kaiko." A miniature version of the teenybopper appeared at her back. That would namely, be Shion Mekaito. He scowled in impatience, foot tapping on the lacquered wooden floor. "Look- we don't need Kaito-niisan to prepare our ice cream snack. We can do it ourselves. Now can we get back to watching Benny Lava?"
Kaiko was in no mood to start another Blink-and-you-lose fest with the 72-inch metal and plastic monster. "No."
She continued with her musings, "If Kaito-niisan isn't in his room…"
Shion Kaito leafed through the thick, well-thumbed book. His thumb smoothed over the spine the book was encased in. "Cantarella', screamed the title of the book in curlicue script.
"Mmmm…mmmm…." He hummed tonelessly through pursed lips, the sound almost muted. "Marchela Harkaroff and Karakov Shekylrin were Russians…"
Kaito was in the cosy Study of the Shion household that only Nigaito frequented. The table lamps bathed the room in a warm glow, and the old English countryside-themed furniture and Persian rugs littering the room made him feel so much more at home, ensconced even.
He suddenly felt an overpowering sense of unease. Someone was watching him. Make that two people. His skin prickled. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.
Slowly, he slid his bare feet down from the tabletop to the floor. He stood up slowly, making his way to the open door, still clutching his book in his hands.
"AAAAAAAA!" Kaito and his siblings screamed fully saliva-flecked throaty yells, Kaiko and Mekaito's of terror and shock.
"AAAAAAAAAAA-"
Kaito peered at them curiously. He had stopped screaming. What slow reflexes, he thought.
Surely his scream wasn't that scary?
"AAAAAaaaaaa-"
Kaito tapped his foot on the floor.
"Aaaaaaaaa…" Their screams died away to whimpers.
Kaito grinned at them. "Took you guys long enough, eh?"
Kaiko grimaced, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "We wanted to scare you."
Mekaito grouched. "Told ya' the ass clown wouldn't be shocked."
"WHO'S THE ASS CLOWN?"
"Nobody! Nobody! Eheheh…"
Mekaito's cockiness was dramatically punctured by Kaito's ultimate Evil Eye. He was scary.
Mekaito spread his nimble, slender fingers in an apologetic gesture. "Eheheh…Slip of the tongue…"
Kaito relaxed and chuckled warmly, striding back to his desk in the Study, just as Kaiko whacked Mekaito hard around his messy head of royal blue. He let out a silent howl, screaming silent bloody murder.
Kaito settled himself comfortably into his armchair. "So," he asked, tilting his head sideways. "Why are you two here?"
Kaiko's lips curled into a soft quirk. "We came to see what you were doing." Mekaito sniffled quietly, rubbing his head wound tenderly. He was sure he would be the next Taito.
"I was…studying, if you may." Kaito smiled in satisfaction at his sister's dubious look. "I was reading 'Cantarella' for another upcoming PV. I am very busy. I have no time for anything else. Not even you two pests."
Hurt brimmed in Kaiko's eyes. Mekaito looked wounded.
Kaito regretted his words. "Just kidding," he smiled. "C'mere, you two. I wanna' show you something special."
Uncertainty flickered in Kaiko and Mekaito's eyes. "C'mon," repeated Kaito warmly. He waved at the nearby couch near a bookshelf. Kaiko and Mekaito took it as an order to sit, and Kaito rummaged about in one of the bookshelves. "O…O…O-U…" He muttered to himself, his fingers tapping the spines of the books, flying across the shelves. Finally, he stopped at a huge leather-bound book, titled, 'Our Beginning'. He pulled it out and blew gently across the front. Dust flew off easily, and golden script shone out from admist the remaining dust.
He threw himself onto a seat near his two siblings, fidgeting about until he was comfortable. "Now," he looked up, excitement and anticipation glinting in his eyes. "Ready?" Kaiko and Mekaito nodded eagerly.
He began in his soft, silky vice that echoed with slightly boyish tones, mellow yet throaty.
"Once upon a time…"