Baldy

Konekomaru wouldn't have said that he was entirely comfortable with being within the five metres of distance that he liked to keep between him and Rin at all times. The familiars were okay he supposed. Ni, Shiemi's familiar, and Kuro, the familiar of the last paladin, he didn't mind. In truth, Ni was actually quite cute. He reminded Konekomaru of a child's toy or a fairy. Though, a fairy was kind of accurate if he thought about it. Ni was small, green and leafy. He liked to be around other greenmen like him and all sorts of plants. That was probably the reason that Ni liked Shiemi so much. She spent nearly all of her time in her garden at home and was very passionate about anything that grows in the soil. Greenmen also had the advantage of being one of the few species tolerated and accepted by exorcists due to their natural contribution to the ecosystem.

Kuro was another matter. Konekomaru had always liked cats. They were soft and sweet and fluffy and independent. They had the advantage over dogs in his eyes because cats could look after themselves. You didn't need to take them for walks and the absolute worst that they could normally do to a human is make tiny, paper thin scratches on the skin. Kuro wasn't your average cat. He understood that he was a cat demon; a cat sith. But if the previous paladin himself owned him and allowed him near humans then surely he was good. Apart from the little knubbs on top of his head and the second tail, Kuro seemed like a normal cat. He slept in the sun and chased mice. He played with feathers and string. He had a preference to fish.

Konekomaru also knew of the cat's second form. Kuro could grow to the size of a small house when he felt threatened. On first learning this, he avoided the cat like the plague. It scared him. The little, adorable animal could be large enough to swallow him in one gulp. Now though, he can accept it. If anything, it meant that the Kuro could protect himself. It had happened on a couple of occasions, where the cat demon had fought to aid the exorcists in an attack. Not once had he harmed them. Konekomaru wasn't entirely comfortable with his other form, but he wasn't scared of him.

And then there was Rin. Once a friend, now no more. During the time that the class of esquires had bonded with him before revealing his darker nature he was nice; a little rough, but nice. This demon was foul and rabid and dangerous. He had lost control on a number of occasions and ran rampant. It was shocking that no-one had been killed by him yet. And the worst thing about him more than everything else added together was his blue flames. These were the same flames that had killed his family. Konekomaru had lost both of his parents to the Devil's flames many years ago. And Rin was the Devil's creation.

How could anyone allow him to exist?

Konekomaru lifted his head and spotted Shiemi and Kamiki making pancakes on the buffet grill. Shima had propped himself backwards on a chair and was laughing at their forth or fifth failed attempt. Shiemi appeared to be taking it within her stride, however Kamiki had never been one to take being laughed at without some sort of verbal retaliation. She was currently shouting several strings of curses at Shima whilst preventing Shiemi from putting beetroot into the new batch of batter.

Suguro sat behind a nearby table with Paku, Kamiki's old friend and former esquire, who had been invited to tag along. Paku was pretty and kind like Shiemi and used to be part of the esquire class before quitting. She had said that it was too much for her.

His eyes shifted around the group. He found his teacher and classmate, Yukio, standing in a distant corner with his older twin. They seemed disengaged from the rest of his friends. To Koneko, the twins were as different as chalk and cheese, but despite that they had stuck together like they were joined at the hip when they had first started attending the school. Only recently it seemed that they were purposely avoiding each other. Yet, now they stood side by side. A silent void surrounded them pushing others away.

Konekomaru had never had a problem with Yukio. On the contrary, he felt safer when being with him. It was especially reassuring when Rin was around. Nowadays, Rin never disobeyed his younger brother. If Yukio ordered Rin to jump off a bridge, he would do it.

Actually, that seemed a little sad.

Koneko turned his attention back to the girls and jogged over. Kamiki had taken over the main bulk of the cooking whilst Shiemi was taking a back seat. Suguro was standing now and scratching his temple. The food didn't seem to be progressing the way that they had hoped.

Something warm and fluffy brushed across Konekomaru's leg. He bent down to pet the newly appeared demon cat. Kuro arched his back into the welcoming hand. It seemed that he was hungry as well. Kuro normally acted like this when he wanted something.

"Sorry, Kuro. The food isn't done yet."

Kuro meowed and looked at him expectantly. When there was no answer given, the cat sith dashed to the twins. Rin crouched down and began conversing with him, drifting in and out of Japanese and his own lucid tongue. The corners of his mouth showed a hint of an upwards curve.

Suguro's loud call broke Koneko out of his stupor.

"Oi, idiot. Make yourself useful and take over from the girls. At this rate, we won't be eating at all."

He received a well deserved thump from Kamiki around the back of the head, which in turn, earned a growl from Suguro.

"Do you expect me to compliment your crap attempt at pancakes? It will be faster if Rin does it."

"At least I'm sticking to the recipe. I'm not the one putting beetroot and lettuce in the batter", Kamiki retorted.

"Great idea, isn't it? Tasty AND highly nutritious", remarked Shiemi.

Konekomaru gagged.

"I'm not too sure about the 'tasty' part", Rin's voice came from behind.

Koneko stiffened. He didn't want to turn around and confirm what he already knew. The demon was behind him. He wanted to run.

"You okay Koneko? Stomach ache?"

He winced and turned.

"My name is Konekomaru. Don't talk like we're friends."

Rin seemed to shrug it off. Kuro was perched on his shoulder, eating his hair.

The esquires stepped aside to give Rin space to work his magic. He quickly made a new batch of batter. Kamiki stood the closest and looked to be mentally taking notes on the technique he used to beat the eggs and fry the pancakes so that they kept their shape. Rin's narrow fingers held the handle of the pan as he shook it slightly to stop the pancake from sticking. Suguro sat back down with Shima and beckoned the other human esquires over.

Shima looked towards Rin, then to the group. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't know if I'm comfortable with eating that."

Suguro and Kamiki both grunted. Konekomaru agreed with Shima. It could be contaminated or made to not suit human tastes.

Surprisingly, it was Suguro who stuck up for the demon spawn. "Oi, the whole point of this was to get Rin to eat. Have you forgotten?"

They all spared a glance at Rin's frail body. He was serving up the last to the food.

"He's smiling now at least", Kamiki pointed out.

"Yeah, I had almost forgotten what that looked like", replied Yukio who took a seat next to Shiemi. Shiemi was being very quiet. She never liked to talk about Rin. Konekomaru understood. For the time that the esquires were kept in the dark about Rin's heritage, Shiemi had been the closet to him. Shura had offered a bet with some of the students on whether Shiemi would get together with Yukio or Rin. No-one had really been interested in the bet, with the exception of Shima.

Konekomaru had once got on with him as well. It felt awful to learn that his good friend was the son if the King of Hell. It really hurt; like the human Rin that he had known had died and was replaced with a monster. Koneko wondered if that was how Shiemi was feeling. Maybe she was still grieving.

"Food's done", Rin exclaimed to anyone listening.

Shiemi bit her lip when he approached with the food. Only Suguro and Shima looked up at him from where they were sitting. Yukio got up immediately to help carry in tonight dinner.

"Yukio. It's fine. You can sit down with everyone."

"It's faster this way."

Rin sighed and handed him a tray of crapes.

Suguro took one before the tray touched the table and nonchalantly placed half in is mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Everyone watched him expectantly.

"What? It's not poisoned."

"Yeah, but is it edible?" Shima asked.

"I see nothing wrong with it", Kamiki stated taking a second mouthful of her crape.

That was all it took to convince Shima. Konekomaru figured that if three of them were okay with the food then it was fine to eat. He took one hesitantly off the tray and nibbled the edge.

When Rin returned to the table with some cold meat and cheese, he retreated to the counter, choosing to sit on a barstool away from the others. His younger brother got up again and joined him.

"Oh! I really like these pink crapes", Paku squealed. "They taste really nice and look really pretty.

Rin sighed. He turned around briefly to look at the crapes. "There wasn't enough ingredients left so I used Shiemi's batter."

Everyone stopped eating. Konekomaru thought he saw Rin smirk.

"Don't worry, I took out the beetroot. The juices actually make a good natural dye."

Suguro took an unwrapped pancake, spread on a thin layer of chocolate spread, and rolled it into a new crape. Everyone else went back to eating.

"Ouch", Rin muttered. He put his food down and spat out something.

Yukio stopped too. He was staring at the thing in his brother's hand. Suguro walked over to them to look.

"Is that supposed to happen?"

"What is it, Bon?"

"Okumara just lost a tooth."

"Let me see, brother." Yukio ran his hand under his jaw and forced Rin's mouth open. He gaped.

"You have another set coming through. Your new tooth is just about visible.

"Whoopie...", spoke Rin, sarcastically.

Paku giggled. "Remember to put it under your pillow tonight".

"Why would I do that?"

"Oh come on", Kamiki said. "Surely even the son of Satan has heard of the tooth fairy".

"Yeah. 'Course I have. Doesn't mean it's real."

"Oh...", Paku smiled. How do you know?"

"When I was four I caught my old man messing with my pillow. Kuro told me that even he had swapped the teeth for money on occasion."

Paku squeaked. "Aww! Such a good puss puss." Kuro's ears went backwards briefly at the girly referral to himself.

Konekomaru lifted Kuro from the floor and held him in a comfortable position. The demon cat shifted to half sit, half lie in Koneko's arms.

Rin touched his raw gum. He didn't appear too bothered about the missing lump of bone. Suguro did, however.

"Is this normal for demons?"

Yukio shrugged. "It happens to certain species when they reach a certain age. It's been known for demons to get a new set periodically. Some demons can even loose their teeth and replace them at will. It's nothing abnormal."

When Koneko looked back to Rin, he was polishing off the remainder of his food. Everyone else also seemed more or less done as well.

"Konekomaru?"

Rin was addressing him again.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to take care of Kuro tonight?"

"Why?"

"Well, I'll be out tonight. And I doubt Kuro wants to be moved right now."

Konekomaru's eyes focused on the fluffy ball in his arms. The familiar was fast asleep. He nodded in agreement. With the consent, Rin pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to him.

"Thanks. I owe ya'.

With that, Rin took off towards the door before anyone could stop him.