Seyruun High Jinx Summer Special

The Slayers: Lina   Zelgadiss  Xelloss  Gourry  Amelia  Val  Filia  Sylphiel

        ~*~    Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special!    ~*~

                               Part Twenty-two

            That was right, wasn't it?  Lina wondered on her walk home the two blocks it was from Gourry's house.  She didn't have to choose, did she?  Maybe she kinda liked having all three of them admire her off and on.  Wasn't she the greatest rising young rock singer and the most beauteous creature around?  Sure she was!  And she deserved to have admirers—to be admired—and not have to pick just one to hang on her arm triumphantly…like some medal!  Not them and most certainly not her!

            Her ruminations were interrupted by the ringing of her home phone the moment she stepped inside the door.

            "Coming!  I've got it!" she yelled, in case her sister was home.  Picking up the receiver, she shouted, "Got it!"  then in a lower voice went on, "Hi!  Lina Inverse here!  Hokuto?  Yeah, great!  You guys back at yer grandma's now?  Here?  Same ole stuff…had a practice and we didn't suck.  How about your brother's band?  Yeah, hard to get everyone's schedule figured out, huh?  After we pick up our schedules at school?  Yeah, we'll meet there and figure out how to shuttle everyone over to your place then.  Zel got a new car.  No…a sports car!  Pretty nervy for that wimp, heh, heh!  'Kay, talk later!  Bye!"

            Lina hung up and slid to the floor, "This summer is coming to an end too soon.  I've hardly had time to work on 'THE STORY' I was gonna write and now I have even more to write about!"  She fingered the ring that hung from the fine chain at her neck, Zelas' ring.  Xelloss had discretely given her the chain so she wouldn't lose the ring-- he had said.  Lina smiled as she tried to imagine how Zelas would have reacted finding her powerful syndicate ring casually swinging from her neck.  Unfortunately, instead of an image of revulsion, the lovely features of the dead woman molded into an expression of satisfaction.  "Job well done, my dear boy!"   the red, glossy lips whispered.

            "Ahahgah!"  The gasp of shock escaped Lina's lips as she hastily dropped the ring and let it fall to its resting spot beneath her collar bone. 

"That was so…surreal!" she panted.  Her heart beat furiously.

            Her fright was amplified the next moment by the ear-splitting shout from the door, "Liiiiiiiiiiiina!  That had better be the sound of you cleaning up, or I'll clean up on you!"  It was her sister, Luna.

            "You betcher!"  Lina yelled back, and then dashed to the laundry room to begin the first of several loads.

          Xelloss hit the shower first thing.  What on earth should he wear?  Should he try and look earthy?  Preppy?  Rocker?  He realized that he knew next to nothing about Eris, the girl…um…young woman he was about to take out to dinner and…whatever else might work out.  What was she wearing?  Jeans, t-shirt—nondescript.  What else?  Black spiky hair, multiple earrings, one stud, black eyeliner, deep purplish-black lip gloss—on the edge of punk.  He decided to go for broke and borrow one of Val's mesh shirts (might be kinda long, but…sleeves are ripped off to the elbows, good), Zel's studded wrist bands, and his newly purchased, baggy black cargos (thanks for thinking of that, Zelgadiss).

            "So?  Do I look okay?"  Xelloss asked the other two guys crowded around the kitchen counter.

            "Yeah," Val grunted.

            "You look nervous," Zel commented.  "Light!  Sit down a second and have a cup of tea."

            "Okay," he said weakly.  "I just don't want to look too…young and geeky, you know?"

            "Ya can't help what yer are," Val said.  He was being totally 'unsupportive'.

            "Huh?"  Xelloss whined.  "I do then?"

            "No," Zel inserted.  "You look like a pop singer out for the night, all right?  She knows you're younger than her, though not as much as she supposes, so don't worry.  Have you decided where you're taking her yet?"

            "Yes.  After dinner, if that goes okay, there's a club on campus where a so-so band is playing and there's some dancing.  I really don't know what she likes, so I'm leaning that way but can play it by ear if she's bored or something.  Oh…maybe this wasn't such a good idea, huh?"  Xelloss looked at Zel for some confirmation.

            "You'll be fine," Zel reassured him.  "And you'll have a good time together. You can always talk about Rezo and his work, which is her work too, I imagine, right?  You can talk science all night, if you have to."

            "Yeah," Val agreed.  "Yer already got stars in yer eyes."

            Xelloss smiled and shook his head.  Zelgadiss pushed the keys to his new car across the counter so that they came to a skidding halt in front of Xelloss.  "Thanks.  Well…guess I'd better be on my way," Xelloss said as he gingerly took up the treasured keys.

            "Good luck, dude," Val said, then chuckled at Zel's odd expression.  "Hey, I didn't say 'get lucky', did I?"

            Zel blushed instantly and turned back to the sink where he was washing out a pot to return to the stove.

            Xelloss simply shrugged, and then left the house.

            "Well, I'm outta here," Val slammed down his empty glass and vacated his seat.  "Filia's got some crap she wants me to do fer the 'believers'."

            Zel glanced up at his face over his shoulder.  "You don't mind.  You don't fool me."  then whispered, "Try as you like."

            Caught in his poorly acted fabrication, Val first glared at Zel (a stare which a year ago might have curdled Zel's stomach with anxiety) then smirked, "It's tough bein' me."

            Xelloss had found a parking place near the dormitories after a ten minute search. "Damn,"' he cursed under his breath.  "Late." 

Like Zelgadiss, Xelloss strove to be punctual.  He had no idea the campus parking spaces for visitors were so limited.  He'd have to run to make it to her door on time, and that would leave him overheated and with messy hair! 

"Xelloss?!"

Not another delay…  He tapped the coded lock and set the car alarm, then turned toward the faintly familiar female voice.

"It is you!"  The tall robust, womanly figure emerged from the shadows and Xelloss made out the familiar features.

"Luna?  Good evening!" he smiled.

"That's some car you've got there," she said leveling a cool gaze at him.  "New?"

"Ah, yes, but it's not mine.  I'm borrowing it for tonight," he explained and started to move in the direction of the dormitory.

"Hot date then, huh?" Luna pried.

"Well, maybe," he chuckled a little.  "It's my first  with her.  I hope so!"

"I see.  And who is the lucky lady?"

Xelloss was tempted to tell her that is was his secret, but something in the intensity of the Knight of Cepheid's controlled words, the tenor of her voice, her tense posture—all of it demanded more from him than a glib comment. 

"E-Eris?" he squeaked in an unmanly way.  He had lost his witty façade momentarily. 

"Eris," Luna's eyes narrowed.

"You know her?"  Xelloss regained his voice and confidence.  "She's a grad student under Rezo…but younger than most."

"Be careful.  She's over-ambitious, I think, and perhaps a social climber as well."

"You think she's after my money?" he asked disdainfully.  "She and I only just met and I can assure you she has no idea who I am.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late as it is."  He dipped his head in deference to the stern-faced woman's rank, and jogged off. 

He fought back a few tears of hurt from the cutting warning.  "Naturally she thinks I couldn't simply attract a girl with my looks or charm.  I'm too…whatever it is that makes me an undesirable catch for everyone, it seems.  Well, Miss Luna Inverse, I'm perfectly capable of figuring out other people…Luna…what a nosy, tactless, Dominatrix that woman  is!  No wonder Lina's petrified around her…"  Xelloss continued to grumble to himself all the way up to the dormitory entranceway.

As it turned out, Eris was later than him.  He rang her at the desk when he couldn't spot her in the common room just beyond the entry, and was told by her roommate to cool his heels with a magazine or something.    He replaced the phone on its receiver and wandered over to a dirty, tattered chair.  Wrinkling his nose at the sight of several 'disturbing' stains on the arms and seat, Xelloss decided to stand instead.

"Hi!"

Xelloss smiled and looked down at a pretty blond girl.  "Hello."

"Waiting for someone?"

"Yes, I am.  Eris.  Do you know her?"  Xelloss asked.

"I know who she is, but you don't look familiar.  I know you're not Vurumagen."

"You're right about that!"  Xelloss chuckled.

"You don't look like one of those nerdy chemistry people either," the tiny blond insisted.

"No?" Xelloss smiled wider.  "I'm a drummer in a band called the Slayers…"

"Yes!  I knew I recognized you from somewhere!  You guys played with the Suzaku Seven a few weeks ago, right?"

Xelloss nodded, "We opened for them while touring this summer…I am taking classes here as well."

"Ahem…" came a voice from behind.

"Ah, Eris!"  Xelloss smiled and turned to face his date for the evening.  "Oh my…"

Eris was dressed in a short black strapless dress.  Her high-heeled boots brought her intelligent brown eyes in direct line with Xelloss' nearly invisible slitted purple ones.  Around her neck rested what could only be described as a dog-collar with two inch spikes.

The vast expanse of bare skin and cleavage did grab his attention as well.     However, as he strove to find something to say, it was that eye-catching, repellent piece of 'jewelry' to which his eyes were drawn.  "I, ah…guess you were afraid that I might try something untoward tonight?"

Her eyes widened, her hand flying to her throat in surprise.  "Oh, ah ha ha ha!" she cracked a smile and laughed a wide-mouthed laugh.  "You're a funny guy!  I'm gonna like you!"

Xelloss sighed in relief, "Shall we go?  I made reservations for seven."  He offered her his arm like a gentleman and escorted her out of the room.

Zelgadiss shut down his computer, slamming the keyboard tray out of sight.  He was bored.  Val was out.  Xelloss was out.  Even Beast was out…like a light , sleeping.  He considered giving Lina a call, but remembered she was working at the restaurant with her sister to earn a few bucks.  Gourry and his family were shuttling 'grandma' to a nursing home and were going to be busy until late.  That left…Amelia.  Well, it couldn't do any harm to just call her to talk.  She might even have something interesting to say.  He could tell her about college life, or at least his view after a couple classes.  He talked himself into making the call.

"Hello.  Ah, Zel calling.  Is Amelia home?"  he waited a moment or two.

"Hi!" she said gaily.  "I was just thinking about you, Mr. Zelgadiss."

"Oh…I was…"

"Bored?  Me too!  Everybody's busy but us tonight.  Want to come over?  You can help me hang and straighten out the band's costumes.  You know, stripes galore?  They haven't been unpacked since the beach trip and must be wrinkled messes by now!"

No, he didn't want to fuss with clothes.  He thought a moment, and then smiled, "Maybe you'd like to see my new car."

"OH, yes!  You'll take me for a drive with the top down?  I've always wanted to drive around and feel the wind in my hair.  Yes!  My daddy's out, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind.  I'll see you real soon.  Bye Zelgadiss!"

click!

"Um…bye, Amelia," Zel said to the offline phone.  She must have been excited to have dropped the formal "Mr." title again.  Then he remembered that he didn't have a car.  Xelloss was borrowing it.  "Shit!"

"Hello.  Ah, Zel calling again.  May I…Ah, yes, Amelia.  Yes, it's me again.  Listen… I can't make it…"  He thought he heard a sniffle on the other end.  "Amelia?  I forgot that I let Xelloss borrow my car tonight, but I can still come over and…help…"  Silence.  "Hello?"

"I'm still here, sorry.  You are a very funny guy tonight, Zelgadiss.  Hurry over!"  Amelia said lightly, and then hung up.

Zel sighed.  He wondered how many guys his age were willingly ironing stage clothes tonight.  He answered his own question.  One.

Amelia's father had his driver drop Zel back at his house when he got home.  Zel and Amelia had been playing chess on the living room floor following a game of monopoly.  Zel was pleased that Amelia was a good opponent, and a good loser.  He was even a tad sorry to have to go so soon.

"Thank you for keeping my darling daughter entertained this evening, Zelgadiss.  I wasn't aware that you were coming over, or I could have picked up some movies for you two to watch."  His dark eyebrows twitched as if to say "I'd rather you weren't here with her alone…"

"Oh, well it was unplanned," Zel explained briefly with a blush.

"We didn't need movies, daddy.  He's been teaching me some winning moves…"

"At chess!"  Zel added.  "Actually, Amelia is quite good."

"I'm better at chess than you are at ironing!" she chuckled.

The mayor grinned, "I can imagine.  Come on, son.  I'll have the driver take you home now.  No car?"

"Xelloss is borrowing it.  Thank you.  Bye, Amelia."

"See you at practice!"

Val had just pulled up as Zel was thanking the driver for the ride home.  His car, he noted immediately, was not yet home.

"Yo!"

"Hey."

"No Xelloss, eh?"

"It appears to be so," Zel sighed, then pushed past the front door to his room.  "I doubt he'll manage to pull himself together for classes in the morning either."

"If he even gets in," Val muttered on his way to his room.

"He'll get in," Zel said mostly to himself.  "Or he'll never borrow my car again.  I need it to get to classes."

When morning broke, sunny and bright—for it was the end of summer still—Zel tottered out to the kitchen to discover that he had been correct, on all accounts.  His keys were resting on the table atop a scrap of paper, which read: "Thanks little brother!  If I'm not up, go without me.—XM" 

"Fine start to college life, Xelloss," Zel muttered.  He made up a pot of coffee and started his toast, whole-grain, dry.  He sniffed the milk, gave it a pass and poured himself a small glass of orange juice.  While he waited for the coffee to brew, he looked over the calendar.  Practices and party this week, two parties if the invitation to Hokuto's was more of a party thing.  Cool.  Even an afternoon or two to himself.  Great.  Alone, probably.

Zelgadiss picked up a handout for Xelloss and realized that no one cared if you showed up for classes or not.  The math teacher did not even grade the homework.  As long as you passed the exams they were satisfied, except for the chemistry labs—Xelloss would have to come on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The only person taking note of Xelloss' absence was Eris, who asked if he was okay.  Zel told her he was fine, just tired and sleeping in, then left.  He didn't know what else to say.  He found it terribly embarrassing to be in the middle of their…whatever, and she was a crafty girl, a little like Xelloss, when he thought about it.

Zelgadiss stopped at the market for some fresh milk and food for dinner, then returned home.  It was time for lunch and Val had taken off for parts unknown until practice.  Xelloss was sitting at the kitchen table, chin resting on his folded arms, staring at a small plastic bag of water.  Zel decided not to say anything, but instead, to prepare a sandwich for them both.  "Tuna?" he asked Xelloss.

"Hmm?  No, much smaller.  Goldfish, I believe," Xelloss answered.

Zel stiffened.  Goldfish?  In a sandwich?  "What do you mean by…oh…"  Zel took a closer look at the bag which was proving to offer Xelloss a fascinating experience; he still hadn't moved.  Inside the bag were two tiny orange fish moving their filmy fins languidly.

"Xelloss!"  Zel snapped.  "You can't keep fish in a bag like that!  They'll die!"

"They will?"  Xelloss asked, clueless.  "That's the way the man at the pet store gave them to me."

"Sure, to take home," Zel scowled.  "You've taken as much Biology as me and know perfectly well that fish need fresh water and air to live.  They need some kind of a…tank with…a filter…maybe a heater if they're tropical fish…which they aren't likely to be, but…didn't you even ask?  Did you buy them food at least?"

Xelloss looked up at Zel and smiled, "I knew you'd know what to do to keep them alive until we get the pond done."

"Pond?  What pond?"

"In the backyard.  Val said I could do it if I wanted to so…Gabriev construction is out back talking with some spa guy and an aar-key-tech—Val's name for the man, not mine."  Xelloss closed his eyes and appeared to drift off to sleep.

"Oh, joy…"  Zel grumbled.  He returned to fixing lunch and muttering to himself.  "Great, something else for me to take care of, what's next?  Birds and cats, I suppose.  A damned talking parrot with one leg and a cat with extra toes that hates dogs…  Oh…and a snake.  One big enough to swallow the lot of them…"

He stopped when his keen hearing made out a soft chuckle from the direction of the table.  "Funny you think?"  Zel asked as he placed a plate of food next to Xelloss' nose.

"A little," Xelloss whispered.  Then he sat up and looked over his plate.  "Thanks.  So, did I miss much at school?"

"No.  But you do have lab classes you have to attend and participate in so don't do it again," Zel said then took a bite of sandwich.  "Eris asked if you were alive, but no one else noticed.  So, did you have a good time last night, or do I want to know?"

"I had a…nice time.  Thanks for asking," Xelloss answered, then took a bite of his own.  After chewing a bit, he rose and poured them both glasses of milk.  He brought a carton of strawberry flavored power to the table, proceeded to spoon four heaping tablespoons of the poison into his glass, and watched it settle to the bottom.  He drank most of it, saving the syrupy mess for last.  "She really likes to talk shop, I found.  I think she wants a look at those rooms in Rezo's basement."

"She does?"  Zel thought that was very strange but did not want to diffuse Xelloss' happy bubble.  "Well, she'll be disappointed to know that they were sealed off.  Even my father won't let me have a look, even to try and secure any remaining intact research papers that might have survived the …blast."

Xelloss gave Zel a serious look, "How odd, indeed.  I was under the impression that Rezo had reopened part of the laboratory and was enlisting at least Vurumagen's help in procuring the…"

"What?  Eris told you that?  He--he wouldn't do that without telling me…Rezo would not!"

"Okay…okay…it was just what she thought, okay?  Probably just a whim of hers.  I'll find out though, to be sure and put your mind at ease, little brother."

"Whatever…"  Zel dismissed the conversation at once.  "So, do we need to stick around to answer questions outside?"

"I don't know," Xelloss smiled again.  "Let's go find out, shall we?"

They did not, as it turned out, but Zel forced Xelloss to go back inside and review Zel's carefully written notes from the classes he had missed earlier and start the homework.  "You don't want to get behind before high school even starts," Zel added sternly.

"I guess not," Xelloss agreed half-heartedly.  Now that he had a life, studying was less important to him.  He had ideas, things to build, and excess creative energy was leaking out of his pores giving him an aura of oddness!

"Xelloss!  Watch where you're going!"  Zel growled as his friend collided into him on his way to the refrigerator to get a drink, which was now down his front. 

"Sorry," Xelloss smiled apologetically.

"Now I have to change my shirt and when was the laundry last done?  I'm running out of clothes!"  Zel chided him for neglecting to do his housework as well.

"I can start a load now, if you'd like?"  Xelloss placed his dripping soda can onto the table.  "I'll go get you one of my t-shirts…" he yelled as he skipped out of the kitchen and into his own room.  In a few moments he danced back, arms loaded with a bag of laundry and a clean shirt.  "See?  It's gray, naturally!"

Zel had to smile at that.  Many of their clothes had become 'gray-toned' after Val's first turn at the laundry back when they had lived in Zelas' house.  Those clothes were long gone, burned up in the fire, which had destroyed the house, but the joke remained. 

"You start sorting and I'll get Val's things to wash," Xelloss said.

"Fine with me.  I won't brave entering his domain.  He painted the walls black in there, you know."

"Yeah, I told him to leave a laundry basket by the door or I'll never find it…and…he did.  Good for you, Vally-boy!"  Xelloss giggled faintly and dragged the basket to the utility room.

"I don't see any detergent, Xelloss."

Xelloss pushed a few cartons around, found the detergent box up-ended, and empty.  "Ah…something more to get."

"More?  I already bought dinner…"  Zel began.

"We have to go get a fish aquarium, right?"  Xelloss said brightly.  "I think we have time before practice…"

"When did my days become so full?"  Zel mused, interrupting Xelloss in the process.  Then, shaking his head, Zel began to list off his current exciting activities, "Classes, when everyone else is sleeping.  Laundry, cooking, shopping…You know a year ago I was doing the same damned things."

"Stop grousing," Xelloss chirped.  "That was for Rezo, now it's for the benefit of your friends!"

"There's a difference?"  Zel asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well…I'm younger…more entertaining…a lot less trouble…"  Xelloss started his own list, counting off the reasons, when Zel burst into rare laughter.

"Less…trouble?  Heh…ha…" he folded, crumpled to the floor, and turned purple with the exertion of unfettered merriment.

Xelloss smiled down at his closest friend, glad to have broken through his hard exterior.  "Okay…that's enough," he said with a chuckle of his own and giving Zel a little kick with his foot for emphasis.  "Time to get in all those errands before we're late and have to face the wrath of Miss Lina!"

On their way out to Zel's car, Xelloss made a suggestion.  "I know you'll think it's a stupid idea, but…"

"Go on…that's never held you back before," Zel smirked.

"But…I think we should hire a cleaning service.  Even if it's every other week.  We can afford it and it'll free up some time for us to do…fun stuff."  Xelloss stared at Zel waiting for his disapproval.

"That's a very good idea, Xelloss and I bet Val will agree.  We can ask Rezo's 'housekeeper' Mrs. Shafer.  She has a couple nieces who clean houses or knows someone who does."

Xelloss smiled contentedly and leaned back in the car seat, closing his eyes.  Life was good.  Sometimes, nearly wonderful.

The band's practice was another fun event.  Really fun.  The cohesion was high; everyone seemed relaxed and positive.  The harmony was literally and figuratively harmonious.  So, Xelloss decided that it was time to introduce a new song, one of the ones Lina had exposed them all to over the beach holiday. 

"Lina?  I have a translation of the words, but…I'm pretty sure it requires a better singer than 'moi' to pull off this one.  I was wondering if…"

"Yeah, sure, I'll take over," Lina said in her usual bravado and extending her lightly freckled arm out for the paper he held.

"Well actually," Xelloss smiled patiently.  He moved the paper to just out of her reach.  "I was hoping it could be a duet."

Zelgadiss and Gourry sidled up to the dueling pair.  "Do you think Joey will be ready to handle the drum part?"  Zel asked.

"Mostly.  I think Val can lay down a background tract with his synthesizer so that all Joey needs to do is add emphasis," Xelloss answered.  He unfolded the paper and spread out a fan of CD's.  "I made copies of the song for every one to listen to and hopefully pick out your own part."

"That'll do fer starters," Val said as he joined the group.

Gourry whomped Xelloss on the back, in a friendly way, "You've been makin' good use of yer time.  Zel said ya got in pretty late from yer date."  Gourry gave him a meaningful look and a winning smile.  "Have a good time?"

Xelloss didn't blush, but he appeared embarrassed.  The room fell into silence as it seemed everyone was curious about his new 'girlfriend'.  "Ah, yes.  Eris is a very intelligent young woman.  We had oodles to talk about.  Dinner was nice and she's not at all a bad dancer, although her taste in music follows along the lines more of Val's taste than mine."  Xelloss offered that much insight into his evenings activities.

"So ya gonna see her again?"  Gourry pressed.  He was asking Xelloss, but looking at Lina, watching for her reaction.

"I imagine so.  She teaches our chemistry class at the university," Xelloss answered carefully.

"Oh Mr. Xelloss," Amelia said cheerfully.  "You know what he means!  Are you going to ask her out again soon?"

Xelloss smiled complacently thinking, 'what a perfect lead in, Miss Amelia…', but said, "That's a secret!" 

Lina snorted, "Right!  It's none of our business anyway.  Let's go over the stuff for the upcoming competition first then we can work on the new tune, 'kay?  Oh, and Xelloss?  I want some other songs copied and translated for the next practice.  Think you can do that?  Sure ya can.  You're not that busy, I know.  Here, let me write down the titles…"  Lina scribbled on a small pad of paper with Amelia's blue pen, then jammed it into Xelloss' hand.  "Nice ta know yer good for somethin'!"  she winked and grinned, then bounded off to start up the first song.

Gourry was particularly upbeat that day.  He made several overtures of friendship toward Xelloss that he had seldom made in the past: getting him a can of soda, acknowledging a part well done, laughing at his antics, amongst other small and seemingly innocuous courtesies.  Apparently knowing that Xelloss was no longer 'on the make' toward Lina, made Gourry like the guy a whole lot better.  This did not get by Zelgadiss at all.  He considered it to be a good thing, but hoped that Gourry, his stalwart friend, was not leaning toward the insincere, becoming a bit overt and perhaps ahead of himself in thinking Xelloss had given up all hope in securing Lina's affections.  But then, Xelloss might respond well to Gourry's kinder treatment, improving his relationship with everyone in the end.  That would be good.  Zel decided to have a talk with Gourry later; the guy shouldn't go overboard—Xelloss was no dummy. 

~*~

The next day Xelloss attended both of his classes with Zel, completing his lab and his homework.  He had to do something for all the trouble he had put Zelgadiss through the day before.  He did enjoy watching his little fish swim around in the bowl.  Zel had filled the punch bowl-sized container, treated the water to remove the chorine, and placed it in the center of the kitchen table with a sign that said: 'Do NOT feed these fish or they will die as surely as I am mad enough to agree to take care of them—Zel.'  Xelloss smiled thinking about how droll Zelgadiss was.  "What would he do without us to bring excitement into his dreary little life?"

"Xelloss?  Are you staying to talk to…you know who?  I'm going to the university bookstore right up the street…  Yes, the same one where we bought our books.  I'm going to look over the art supplies.  Meet me at the car, all right?"

"Okay, dokay, Zelgadiss!"  Xelloss smiled and turned to look for Eris.

She found him first.

"Eris?  Oh…Mmmphf!"  Xelloss' greeting was lost in a kiss delivered with deliberateness, if not passion, by the young woman.

"You weren't here yesterday.  I missed you," she said poking him in the chest.  Even without her high heels, Xelloss noticed she was nearly as tall as he was and was currently staring into his eyes expectantly.

"Ah…really?  Oh, well, I'm sorry about that…" he searched for the right words while this tiny voice was screaming in his head 'She just kissed you just like that!  Do something clever and amusingSay something witty!'

"Would you like a mint?" he asked innocently pulling out a roll of peppermints from his pants pocket.  A lady killer, Xelloss was not, yet.

She made a little frown and nabbed one off the top.  "Thanks.  So?  We doing something tonight?  How about you showing me your place?"

"M-My…place?  Oh, certainly, if you'd like, although my roommates will be there…"

"No problem.  You have your own room, right?  We can take a walk…your stepfather's close, isn't he?  We could walk over there.  You have a dog, you said.  We'll take her for a walk then."

"Him," Xelloss corrected her.  "Beast is a male dog.  Well, okay, if you'd like.  Can you find your own way over?  I don't have a car, Zelgadiss does, but he might be using it.  You can stay for dinner if you come by six?"

"Six?  Sure.  What's the address?"  Eris asked. 

Xelloss wrote down his address on a paper from his notebook, including the bus stop and timetable from memory.  "There you go.  Oh, add when I say six, I mean six o'clock on the dot.  Zelgadiss is a punctuality freak.  I kid you not!"  Xelloss smiled as he regained his senses in time to see her wave and trot off.  'Whew!' he thought to himself.  'These college girls are far more aggressive than…'

"So.  It is you, then," a low voice intoned by Xelloss' ear.

"Excuse me?"  Xelloss turned slightly to see whom it was addressing him.  "Vurumagen, right?  I recognize you from our little summer rendezvous in the highland desert community of the clan."  He smiled, hiding his eyes as he did so.

Vurumagen was slightly shorter than Xelloss, with fine, stringy straight brown hair and a heart-shaped, plain face.  He must have been twenty-five years old and had a twin brother and at least two or three other brothers that were younger but all looked exactly alike.  A squad of plain and boring geeks. 

"Yes.  That was a very…disturbing series of events," the plain young man said in a hollow tone.

"Disturbing?  Just a little!"  Xelloss quipped.  He was wondering it this was the end of their conversation.  He was eager to meet Zelgadiss back at his car and plan dinner together.  "Well, ah…later?"

"She loves me.  Not you."

"Say what?"  Xelloss asked, again forced to turn back to the blank, expressionless face.

"Erissss," Vurumagen hissed.  "Are you deaf or just stupid?  She's my girlfriend and I'm telling you to back off."

"Hmmmm," Xelloss allowed his smile to stretch a little wider.  He knew how that could annoy others, and this trifling twerp was irritating him now like a niggling little gnat.  "You say you are her boyfriend, then?  Funny, she didn't mention anything about you to me the other night.  And she had plenty of time.  We were out…very late."  He then added for effect, "She certainly is quite affectionate, isn't she?  Well, at least I found her to be, but then I have quite a fan base out there, I understand."  Xelloss folded his arms across his chest and opened his eyes slowly. 

So startled was he by the strange purple slitted eyes, that Vurumagen stepped back and gasped, "Demon!"  Then he came to his senses and snarled back, "She's using you.  I was going to warn you, but now…I think I won't.  You'll just find out the hard way, when she drops you like a rock.  I was going to smash your face in, but now…I just feel sorry for you."

Xelloss did not reply, but watched the other man lurch off out down the hallway with great haste.  He certainly didn't fear the man.  As out of shape as Xelloss felt he was, he knew that he could take out a little nerd wimp like Vurumagen in a heartbeat.  After a few seconds, Xelloss followed him out of the building, then turned a different way toward the parking lot.  He was getting tired of this.  Why didn't everybody mind their own business?  Luna and now Vurumagen of all people!  It had just been a simple evening consisting of dinner and some dancing.  Yes, she wasted no time drawing him into a kiss or two, but he hadn't minded all that much.  Xelloss smiled at the recollection.  She had even taken off that nasty collar by dessert.  Still, nice as it was, nothing serious was going on, just a date.

He arrived at Zel's nifty little sports car before Zel, and so he pulled out his cell phone and sat in the shade of a nearby tree and placed a few calls.  It was warm, he was wearing his favorite light green polo shirt and baggy khaki shorts, and sandals that showed his lightly tanned legs and arms.  He looked like every other average guy, a bit preppy, but without his rock-drummer aura from the night before.  If you ignored the silky purple-black hair worn in that odd page-boy cut, that is.

Zelgadiss strode up carrying a light sack of new drawing supplies.  He found drawing relaxed him and recently he had missed the creative outlet it had offered.  Something else he had lost.  He had saved a few drawings in a box of keepsakes stored elsewhere when his house had burned to the ground, but the paper and pencils, erasers and pens were gone.  Well, it was nice to buy new things, better things.  He pushed back a fall of wiry lavender hair that hung hot and heavy over one side of his face.  He was reluctant to reveal his scarred arms and legs around campus, so he wore very baggy cargo pants, which were nearly white, and a long-sleeved white shirt.  He drew stares wherever he went, but they were brief and a bit embarrassed around the university.  It was a very diverse crowd of students in attendance, making his and Xelloss'-- not to mention a few of the flashy Suzaku Seven that were enrolled there-- unusual appearance fit right in.  He'd never felt more comfortable with his freakish looks before, and was thinking of trying out shorts next week, if it was as hot as this day was.

He spotted Xelloss resting under a tree and moved in that direction, happy to have his best friend waiting for him.

Xelloss finished his conversation and put away the cell phone.  Looking up he said, "Hi, Zelgadiss.  Ready to go home?  Can we stop at the grocery first?  I, ah…invited Eris for dinner.  I'll help…" his eyes begged Zel not to give him a hard time about the last minute change to plans. 

"Eris?  Oh, sure.  What do you have in mind?"  Zel smiled and offered him a hand up.

"Something not hot.  How about a big salad with lots of veggies and bread, interesting bread, and cheeses, and three kinds of sherbet with cookies, those really thin ginger ones, I think, and…"

"All right, that's enough to go on for now.  Let's see what's available."  Zel looked at his watch then asked, "Is Val home?  I assume you gave him a call just now."

"No.  He stayed at the settlement last night.  Remember him taking Filia home after practice?"  Xelloss asked as they slipped into the hot leather seats.  "Ah, yuck!  I stick!  Air conditioning…hurry up and get cold!"

"Yes, I remember all that, but I didn't think he said whether or not he was coming back.  Oh, don't be such a wimp!  It's cooling as fast as possible.  Want the top down?  Too much sun, eh?  Fine.  Let's go."  Zel put the car in gear and drove away.

"He called the house and left a message.  Guess we missed it.  But he'll be back for the birthday bashes tomorrow."  Xelloss glanced over at Zelgadiss and then said, "That new Axis game is fun, huh?  Especially when we play one another over the Internet when we are only one room apart."

"Yeah.  I could spend my life playing games, if I didn't have to eat and all.  You know, I'd better give Kenshin a call and get in some practicing.  I bet my body's forgotten everything it learned.  Clawing and scraping through subterranean caverns and battling the syndicate didn't provide the best exercise, but I've done practically nothing else for the longest time.  Now, without our bikes…and with this car, we don't even walk!"  Zel sighed and turned into the grocery parking lot.

"Want to join me at the dojo?"  Xelloss smiled and slowly unglued his bare legs from the car seats.  "I'm going back to work out a bit this afternoon."

"Yes!"  Zelgadiss shouted.  "Let's get this done fast."

 Xelloss and Zel ran back into the house.  They had only a half an hour to shower and start dinner.  Their workout at the dojo had gone better than ever.  It felt good to stretch and fight for fun, and not for their lives, for a change.  Sango and Nuriko were there as well as the sensei, who nearly cried to see Xelloss again.  Before they had gone, they had both assured the man and their friends that they would be back on a regular basis.  As a result, they had ended up staying longer than expected, and were now reduced to running around the house like idiots and shouting.

"Crank up the air conditioning!"  one shouted.

"I can't find the vegetable peeler!"

"Didn't we buy salad dressing?  No matter, I'll make do…"

"Can I feed the fish?"


"Where did you hide the kitchen towels?" shouted the other.

"Why in the freezer, of course!"

"Huh?"  Zel stopped in his tracks.

"Yeah, I'm not kidding!  Someone stuffed them in the freezer.  I was looking for ice to cool the tea and I found them.  See?"  Xelloss giggled as he ran over and jammed the ice-cold rags down Zel's back.

"Argh!"  Zel screamed then set to dashing Xelloss with icy rinse water leftover from cleaning the lettuce.

"Oohhhhh!"  Xelloss howled. 

That brought Beast out of his slumber.  The old wolf-dog hobbled out to the noisy kitchen just as Xelloss and Zel slipped on a slippery, wet spot and fell in a heap on the floor, with salad on top and the baguette on the side, sopping up the dirty water.  So much for dinner.

"Wahooooooo," Beast howled.

Ding, Dong

"Oh, my…"  Xelloss moaned.  "Eris…has arrived."

After a brief rundown of the ruined meal, Xelloss apologized and suggested that they all take Beast out on a walk, leave him with Rezo, visit the Italian restaurant in their old neighborhood, then go back to retrieve the dog and visit.  Zel tried to get out of it, but Xelloss insisted, since he, Xelloss, had had a major role in spoiling his, Zel's, dinner.  Eris seemed eager to get going, so Zel gave up and joined them.  He hated threesomes, but he guessed having Beast along made it nearly a foursome.  Oh joy…

Zelgadiss walked ahead with Beast, trying to ignore the couple giggling behind him.  He was glad Xelloss was happy, actually.  His friend deserved a break after all.  It was over a mile to their old neighborhood and the moment Zel stepped foot on his old block, the one with the house he had grown up in, his chest tightened with pent up grief.  He had not gotten over the total upheaval in his life, which had transpired over the past year.  One year!  That was all!  He trotted the final few steps up to his father's house (once his house, too!), dragging the dog all the way and knocked at the door.

"Come in, Zelgadiss!"  The smiling face of Mrs. Shafer greeted him as she threw wide the door.  "You are always welcome to come visit, you know that.  Oh!  I see you've brought your poochie."

"Ah, yes…Beast."  Zel patted the gray-headed dog affectionately.  "Can we leave him here for an hour while we go to dinner?"

"WE?"  Mrs. Shafer looked up.  "Oh, your brother and…does he have a girlfriend now, I see?"

"I think so.  All three of us are going over to the Italian restaurant…"  Zel began.

"That place!"  the older woman sniffed.  "I cook much better!  I have plenty!  I made dinner for twelve and you know that father of yours…eats like a bird!  Tonight, it won't all go to waste!"

As Zel started to protest, Xelloss and Eris came up the walk and Rezo crept out of the darkness of the den where he had been fiddling around.  Xelloss waved and grinned.  He had known Mrs. Shafer a very long time and he loved to talk to older adults, especially when he had a prize to show off; Eris, this time.

"Hello, Mrs. Shafer!  Yes, we had a terrific time at the beach.  Thanks for the use of the houses.  I think it was my very first non-working vacation!"  Xelloss said.  Before Zelgadiss could correct his error on that account, he drew up Eris by the hand and introduced her.  "Mrs. Shafer, I'd like you to meet Eris.  Eris, this is a long-time friend of ours, Mrs. Shafer."

The ladies greeted each other dryly, when Rezo spoke up, "Eris?  Is that you here with my boys?"

"She's with me, specifically," Xelloss said in order to direct any contrary comments about their attachment to him and any from Eris or Zelgadiss.  "I messed up Zel's dinner and so I'm taking us all out to the Italian place…"

"Nonsense!"  Mrs. Shafer declared.  "You'll all eat here and I won't take 'no' for an answer.  Zelgadiss, bring that poor animal into the kitchen and give him some water.  Eris, you can help your young man there set the table.  Rezo?  Quit glowering and pour us some wine…Of course they're old enough!  Big boys like them…in college and all…should be settled down with wives and families by now…Course, that poor child….who knows what kind of poison that woman filled his mind with?"

Rezo simply shook his head and followed Mrs. Shafer around, listening to her continuing diatribe on the ills of society and his children in particular, all which was mostly true and he agreed with.  Mrs. Shafer would have his two boys—and the third one too, if he came by more often—settled down on the straight and narrow path in no time.

"And how old are you, my dear?" she asked Eris pointedly.  They had kept the conversation mostly non-personal at the dinner table up and till then.

"Er…twenty-two…Mrs. Shafer," Eris answered hesitantly.  She wanted to have a few words with her mentor, Rezo, but was having a difficult time steering the conversation that way.

"Twenty-two.  Not at all a bad age.  A little older than Xelloss, but no matter.  I was older than my dear late husband as well.  Never made a difference.  Lent him distinction, proving that he could handle an…older woman, yes?"  Her eyes glittered black as she caught Xelloss attention. 

He blanched at the suggestion, but covered it up with a polite cough and a seemingly profound interest in his salad.  Zelgadiss thought the comment was funny and nearly upset his wine glass in his attempt to set it down before his barely concealed mirth shook the glass out of his hand.

"Now, don't you tease you poor brother, Zelgadiss," Mrs. Shafer said.  She brought him to task over ribbing Xelloss before, but Xelloss, ever the complete gentleman around her, was never caught in the midst of his own shenanigans.  "You!  Where is that nice little girl who's so taken with you?  Xelloss, what's her name?  Amelia!  Yes, that's the one!  Beautiful child.  And quite rich, I understand, in her own right.  Good family, although I didn't vote for her father in his first election.  I thought he was a little caught up in that "For Justice" thing for my tastes, but that was when I was younger…now…it doesn't sound so out of place, does it?  He gets my vote all the time now…everyone's, of course!  My sister's husband's daughter by his first marriage is the cook at the Mayor's.  Didn't you know that? Well…she is…ah…dear…empty…  Rezo, pour me some more of that nice wine, if you would.  Yes, that's nice, dear.  Xelloss!  You haven't tasted yours, what?  You don't like reds?  You don't drink?  Oh, you're too young to be worrying about your liver…"

"I think you may be right, Mrs. Shafer," Xelloss managed a word in edgewise, "But that's because I'm too young to be drinking at all."

"Nonsense!  When I was a young girl…" and so it went. 

Rezo and Zelgadiss ate in relative peace and quiet, nodding now and then at the appropriate times.  Eris hardly touched her food more than to be polite and watched the proceeding with an air of indifference.  Zelgadiss wondered what she made of his family, and whether she was losing interest in it all the faster for being submerged in it, or whether she was going into shock.  In any case, his love for Mrs. Shafer was growing minute by minute and he wondered how his father had lucked into finding this woman at this time in his life.  Another one of Xelloss' machinations probably.  Rezo, for his part, looked at ease and comfortable, and as happy as Zelgadiss had ever known him to be.

Zel did remember to get the names of a couple of recommended 'nice girls' whom Mrs. Shafer believed would take care of Rezo's boys just fine.  "Good housekeepers!  I taught them and they have tiny little places of their own to take care of, no trouble there.  Both married, so no hanky-panky, you hear?"

Zelgadiss flushed pink at the accusation and thanked her for the names and for dinner. 

"How about dessert?"  Xelloss asked.  "There's an ice cream shop a few block up and over…"

"Count me out, Xelloss," Zel smiled and shook Beast to wakefulness.  "I'm taking this old boy home.  Go ahead if you want.  I'll see you later."

Later that evening, he heard Xelloss, and presumably Eris, come into the house, but Zel was at work at his computer in his own room and did not come out and talk.  If anything else happened that he needed to be informed about, it could wait until the next day—Filia and Sylphiel's    birthday party.

~*~

            "FIIIIRE BAAAAAL!"  Lina screamed as she released her glowing red-orange sphere.  The bowling ball sped down its lane toward its goal, ten slender white pins, then BOOM blasted them away, sending the little pins scattering in all directions, one even hopped the alley and danced into the neighboring lane.

            "Thanks Lina," Zel grumbled.  "I might have taken the lead had your pin not blocked my perfect shot!"

            "I am so awesome!"  Lina hollered and totally ignoring Zel's glare.

            "Great shot, Lina!"  Gourry shouted.  "That puts you in the lead again."

            "Where I belong!" she agreed.  "One hell of a birthday bash, Filia!"

            "Glad you approve," Filia laughed from a bench directly behind Lina.  "It was my idea, but since Sylphie couldn't come with a better one…"

            "You mean any one," Martina sniffed.  She and Zangalus had been invited 'for old times sake', Filia had said, but Zangalus had been unable to attend.  She was Filia's team partner bowling against Lina and Gourry.

            On the lane next to them was the team of Xelloss and Amelia against Zel and Val.  They had drawn names from a hat to determine the partnerships, leaving Sylphiel and her fiancé, Tarou-kun, to wait to play one of the winners in the next round. 

            "I think I'll get out the cake and set up for the luncheon, Tarou-kun," Sylphiel sighed.  "Why don't you go on over and talk to my…our…friends.  I think you'll like them once you get used to them."

            The young man nodded and joined the quieter Zelgadiss group.  Zelgadiss took a moment to look over the young intruder.  About his height, straight black hair, now with some red-dyed spiky tips on top, and dressed in a fashionable t-shirt and jeans.  The guy smiled nervously and said, "Hi."

            Val turned and looked down at the Japanese boy and said, "Wanna play?"

            "Oh, no…I'm just learning.  I do play guitar though.  Um…Which one of you is the guitar player for the band?"  Tarou replied in surprisingly understandable English.  He seemed nonplused by the coolness with which the other guys had been treating him so far. 

            "Zel…this guy," Val said, accidentally catching one of his rings in Zel's wiry hair when he tried to pat his head.  "Gah!  I keep fergittin' about this weird stuff.  Yer turn, dude."

            Zel rubbed the sore spot on his head and frowned slightly, "I know.  And I'll nail this one, if Lina's finished.  I'll get back with you in a moment."  He nodded Tarou's way, and then blasted all ten pins away with a precisely angled, frosty-blue bowling ball.  "Yes!"

            Zel sat next to the newcomer and fell into a comfortable discussion of bands and guitars, culminating with Zel inviting him to their next band practice.

            "Time for lunch and cake!"  Sylphiel called out and immediately all record of the games was wiped out of Lina's mind as she raced Gourry and Amelia for first dibs on the fried chicken.

            Fast work was made of the food, the candles on two different cakes were lit and blown out, and then the cakes themselves were consumed to the last crumb.

            "Back to the games!"  Lina announced when she noticed the food had run out.

            "But Miss Lina!"  Amelia cried out.  "It's time for the birthday girls to open their presents!  Come on everybody; gather 'round!"

            Boring, but necessary, she figured, and so Lina sat impatiently through the sappy drivel: "Oooooh its so cuuuute!  How sweeeeet!  I just loooooove it!"  Even though it seemed to go on endlessly, it didn't.  Earrings, body lotion, hair things, cute stationary-type items (including some glitter pens from Zel who'd covertly picked them up from the art store during his last visit)…girly things, for the two girlies girls in The Slayers.  At last the presents were opened at last and the givers thanked and then it was on with the…

            "Our lanes are what?  Closed?  Other people have taken them?  But our games weren't over!  I still had another strike to throw!"  Lina complained.

            "Oh I'm so sorry Lina, but our time is up and I guess they just rented the lanes out to those other people," Sylphiel sighed.  She hadn't cared about it enough to keep track of the time, it was just too complicated and there were so many other things to think about.

            "Hey Lina," Gourry strode to her side to take over 'subduing Lina'.  "How 'bout we come back tomorrow and play some more?"

            "Yeah…okay…sure…I'll do better, anyway.  This was just a practice tonight, eh?"  She smiled and prepared to go home.  "So, don't forget we pickup our schedules at the high school then go to Hokuto and Subaru's party, okay?"

            "You must be very popular," Tarou said, "if you go to so many parties!"

            Lina turned and looked at him, squarely and confidently.  "When we make friends…" she said.  "We make 'em for keeps.  Right, Sylphiel?"

            Sylphiel blinked.  Everyone else blinked.  Hadn't Lina been the most reluctant to go to this party?  Didn't she dislike Sylphiel more than the rest of them?  So, if she said so…

            "Right, Lina!"  Sylphiel sighed, happily.  That was the best birthday present she could have gotten from Lina: forgiveness.

~*~ End, Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special, Part Twenty-two.  ~*~