The Slayers: Lina   Zelgadiss  Xelloss  Gourry  Amelia  Val  Filia  Sylphiel

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

Part Twenty-five

~*~     

          Zelgadiss and Val had agreed to meet ahead of time at the practice room in order to go over the instrumental part of a new song.  Gourry would join them as soon as Lina was ready, but not much before the scheduled practice time.  Xelloss came along for the ride.  He knew his noise was not needed or wanted, and so as soon as the boys arrived, he hopped over to see what Amelia was up to.

            "Can Amelia come out to play?"  Xelloss asked with a grin.

            The Mayor twirled his moustache between his fingers and fought down a smile in return.  "She's grounded, my boy, except for the band contest, which she is committed to finishing, and any of the practices leading up to that," her father said.  "And it's too early for practice, isn't it?"

            Xelloss smiled innocently.  "We have a lot to cover.  While the others go over the instrumentals, I thought she and I could practice the vocals."

            "You've been turned out by the other lads, haven't you?" 

            "That's right.  It's the fate of the drummer."  Xelloss struck a dramatic pose and giggled.

            "Well, I'm sorry, my boy.  Amelia broke a few rules and has to face the justice system here.  She'll join you later in the afternoon.  You, however, may feel free to use the pool table.  Just don't leave it all a mess."  The big man waited to see Xelloss' reaction.  The poor kid, no parents, wild thing…He was glad his dear Amelia was not taken with this one.

            "Thank you, sir.  I might do that!"  Xelloss smiled unconcernedly and waited until the man passed through the door.  "You going out?"

            "Yes.  To work."  Phil paused and turned to look back at the smiling boy.  "I can trust you to not go looking for her?"

            Now, Xelloss had come under the scrutiny of far worse characters than Amelia's father, and, unlike his poor brother, Zelgadiss, he had no guilty conscience to contend with, few anxieties about consequences, and even fewer about breaking a rule or two that got into his way.  He did not lie, however, so he had to choose his words carefully.  "Yes, you may.  Which way is the pool room?  Ah, yes…I remember now.  Thank you."  As far as he was concerned, the Mayor could trust him all he wanted.

            Xelloss found the pool room, setup the balls and selected a cue.  After a moment's hesitation, he thought, "This will get very boring without a little company."  He placed the cue back into its slot and left the room to search for some company…er…that is, something to eat...

            His first wrong turn brought him nose-to-pot with the cook carrying a huge cauldron of boiling water.  "Ah, that looks heavy.  Let me help you with that…" Xelloss offered.  "Mrs.--?"

            "Andrews, Mrs. Andrews, my dear," answered the harried-looking woman.

With that, Xelloss had stolen the heart of the Mayor's cook.  Not only did he heft the hot water and pour it out, he continued to schlep bags of rice, flour and countless other over-sized canisters out of the pantry and across the kitchen over to a what appeared to be the largest laundry room he had ever seen.  The pantry needed cleaning, apparently.  He wondered if something was up, though, when the cook nervously backed away from the final bags in the corner.

            "J-Just put those by that closet in the kitchen, too…if you'd be so kind…"

            "Okay…" he smiled but approached the task with some misgivings.  He could sense fear on the woman, but he couldn't detect any danger.  He shook his head wondering if he wasn't just getting paranoid with age. 

            However… As he lifted the last bag, a family of mice hopped, skittered, squealed, and scuttled out of the darkness…

            "Ahhhh!"

            "Eeeeeeeeeeeeek"

            Whichever scream was the loudest, hardly mattered as both the cook and the kid ran hell-bent for the quickest exit.  Xelloss hated the little bouncing creatures.  He dropped the bags to the kitchen floor, vaulted onto a large wooden worktable laden with meat cleavers and then sank backwards against a cupboard door, his breath coming in gasps, his chest heaving.

            After what seemed to be an hour but was probably more like a minute, the cook—a robust woman of about forty— stole a look from around the corner.  "Are they all gone?"  she whispered.

            Xelloss peered back somewhat resentfully, "Yes.  They have all high-tailed it for the greater world beyond the pantry.  Chances are you'll have them back tonight if you don't call an exterminator."  He deftly leaped to the floor and combed his fingers through his hair to smooth it down and gave the woman what he hoped would be a sober but not angry expression.

            "Oh, I am so sorry about that…You see I wasn't sure, but…well, it was a dirty trick, getting you to find out for me and all…"

            "You could have warned me…" he said sternly, but his face around his eyes softened, betraying his true feelings.

            "Yes…and I should have, I know…but then, you wouldn't have moved the bags, would you?"  the woman asked gamely, reassured by his relaxed gestures and widening smile that he was not going to tell on her.

            "No…I wouldn't have.  I am afra…I simply don't like the little buggers, I guess."  He smiled at his admission and folded his arms across his chest.  

            "Well, I don't either.  And I will call the exterminators, you can be sure of it!  Now, then…I must make that up to you, young man…"

            Xelloss' smile widened just a little.  "Yes you should!  Perhaps you could find the youngest lady of the house and ask if she'd like to keep me company?  In the kitchen here with you, of course!"

           The cook thought a moment, but could not come up with a good reason why not.  "If the little Missy agrees, then…Who should I say is calling?"

            "Xelloss.  We're best of friends," he assured the woman.

            It wasn't long before Miss Amelia thumped into the kitchen behind the cook.  "Mrs. Andrews said you were here," she said as she pulled up a chair across from Xelloss at the worktable.  She lowered her voice to a whisper and added, "You shouldn't be."

            "Really?"  Xelloss smiled.  "Your father warned me not to go looking for you, but..." he gave her a wink and said, "It appears you have found me instead!"

            "Oh, Mr. Xelloss…if he should find out…" Amelia looked around worriedly for the cook to come into view.

            "You're concerned that Mrs. Andrews might 'tell' on us?  Oh, I don't think she'll do anything of the sort.  She and I have…an understanding."

            Amelia shivered slightly.  No.  She didn't want to know.  What she did not know wouldn't hurt her…  "Oh, well…okay…but it really is probably breaking the rules…" she admitted.

            "Stretching them, maybe.  So, tell me…what did you do to get into so much trouble?" he asked.

            "Didn't Mr. Zelgadiss tell you about what happened after we dropped you off at the university?"

            "No he didn't.  I didn't make it back…  Well, let's just say I have had my own problems to contend with and leave it at that for now."

            "Oh!  Your lip, it's cut!  I'll only tell you if you tell me how you got hurt.  You didn't think I didn't notice the mark on your lip, did you?"

            "Get your mind off of my lips… and tell me your story first," he giggled.  Embarrassing Amelia was nearly as fun as embarrassing Zelgadiss.

~*~

          They were having their first of two practices before the battle of the bands, and Lina was in charge.  When he heard that the practice was going to be intense, Sylphiel's boyfriend, promised fiancée  Tarou Yamada, wisely declined the invitation to sit in on it.  They reviewed the songs they proposed to perform, doing a quick run-through of each.  She had been driving them hard; striving for perfection while excellence was already in the bag.  It was on the second pass that Val began complaining.

            "If I gotta play this crap one more time I'm gonna puke."

            "What's that you say?"  Lina spun to lance him with a word or two if necessary.

            "No ah-fence or anythin' but…we been through them all summer and ee-nuff tuh-day.  How 'bout we look at some of that new stuff Xelloss's been printin' out?"

            "He's right," Zel agreed.  "We know this stuff backwards and forwards and if we overdue it we might start sounding stale."

            Lina shrugged her shoulders and helped herself to a soda from the cooler Amelia had recently had installed in the new practice room.  "Sure.  Whatever.  Amelia?  Ya wanna put on the CD for everyone to listen to?  It's in my bag over there."

            "I got it, Lina," said Gourry.  He was standing right next to it so he was the obvious choice.

            "No!"  Lina shouted.  "Leave it be!  I said 'Amelia', didn't I?!  If I'd meant you, I'da said 'Gourry', idiot!"

            He froze in place.  She had just yelled at him and called him an 'idiot', all while he was just trying to help.  His pained expression said it all as he whispered, "Sure, Lina…"

            "Of course, Miss Lina!  Ooooh what a cute tote!  I never saw you with this before.  New?"  Amelia asked.  She was shocked at Lina's outburst and tried to cover up for both her own and Gourry's embarrassment with chatter.

            "I've never seen her with a purse or a bag that stylish," Sylphiel remarked.

            "Must be that time of the month.  Lina's crabbier than usual," Zelgadiss whispered to Gourry.  "Don't take it personally."

            Gourry nodded, a trifle less confused than before and gave Zel a grateful half-smile.  Yes, Sylphiel's boyfriend had made the right decision not to come.  Zel wondered if maybe the boy wasn't a little precognizant.  Now that would be a useful talent to have…

            "Sorta.  It's my sis's that she didn't want."  Lina ignored Sylphiel's comment and Zel's whispering.

            Amelia dug through the tote bag, finding the CD and a few fresh pads stuffed down at the bottom.  She understood, now.  Lina was high-strung as it was but some months she was practically an incendiary object about to blow at anytime.  Hopefully she'd be back to normal by the contest.

            "I'll get the music started while Mr. Xelloss distributes the translations, okay Miss Lina?"

            "Yeah…knock yerself out," Lina said airily with a wave of her hand.  Noticing Xelloss was rubbing one of his shoulders, she asked, "What's your problem?  Yer not gonna fall apart before the band competition, are ya?"

            Xelloss winced under Lina's attack.  "No, I'll be just fine, Lina.  I need to get back to the dojo more often to keep in shape, though.  I was thinking of Tuesdays, but it seems—Zel informed me five minutes before we were to leave the other night— that I have chemistry lab then."  He was sore because of hefting Lina up over his head in an attempt to demonstrate a potential dance move, but he wasn't about to complain about that here and now.

            "Poor baby…" Filia cooed.  "You look in shape from over here!"

            He hid his eyes in embarrassment.  Filia rarely complimented him, and even more rarely about his appearance.  Val gave them both a sharp look, while Sylphiel and Amelia giggled.

            "Well, just as long as I don't have to haul you in a bag and reassemble you there, it's all fine…" Lina said, still playing with her 'fall apart' metaphor, which made Xelloss feel a little better, though he wasn't sure if it was sensitivity or conceit on her part.

            "At least it's not as bad as I thought," Zel interrupted the train of teasing.  "I thought…well I was misinformed that lab would be both Tuesday and Thursday nights.  As it turned out, lab's just once a week, so we picked Tuesday.

            "Yeah, you need ta keep those nights available for better stuff," Val said.

            Zel turned to give him a Jedi message, "Don't go there!"  He had told Val about his confrontation with Mayor Phil in the heat of the moment.  Now he was beginning to regret that.

            "That's right!"  Lina agreed.  "Band practice is primo, you'd better believe it!"

            "Sure…" Val chuckled deep and sinister-like.  "When he's not out puttin' the moves on…"

            "Val…" Zel growled. 

"…young innocent little girls…" Val burst out laughing.  "You are sooo baaad, dude!"

Zelgadiss blushed maroon and sputtered, while Amelia shouted, "That's just sooooo untrue!  Mr. Val, you are sooo mean!"

This of course meant that everyone not already 'in the know' wanted to be, and so the entire fiasco was explained and the truth unfolded and the boring lack of 'good stuff' betrayed.  Nevertheless, Zel was really wishing that he had been able to foresee his future and avoid the many trials and tribulations thus far.

"So even if daddy believes what Mr. Zelgadiss said, he didn't like his attitude and since I did break the curfew rules and made him worry, I got grounded until school starts—except for band stuff.  You know, I really think it just scared him, not knowing where I was and all.  He got worried and over-reacted, I think."  Amelia sighed when she was finished with her analysis of the situation.  "Oh, and I must be chaperoned around the guys, he says, but that's got to be changed.  It's…unjust!"

Val snorted, "Like I said before, you are one bad, dude, Zel-boy!"

"Coming from one who should know," Zel noted acerbically.

            "Um…" Gourry interrupted.  It was his turn to placate the errant children.  "We got that new song…the German one down.  Good enough ta add the rest."

            Lina nodded, "Yeah, its getting' there.  Play it for everyone and see if we can get the drums attached while me and the chorus see if there's anything in it for us."

            After a work out of 'My Heart Burns', the band broke for a rest and refreshments.  Xelloss had an idea, "There's music and dancing—no alcohol—at a small club near campus.  I thought I might go tonight.  Anyone else interested?"

            Val was game.  He hoped Filia would be interested.  "I haven't anything else to do," she said.

            Val offered to drive, then.

            "You meetin' up with Eris there?"  Lina asked Xelloss.

            He nodded.

            Gourry shook his head.  "I gotta help dad with the books some.  They're clearin' yer old lot tomorrow and bringin' in the backhoe.  Pourin' foundation later.  I gotta get up at five in the mornin' to help.  Sorry, guys, but I'm out."

            To his surprise, Lina said, "That's five AM?  Rough.  Anyway, yeah.  I haven't been out clubbin' for awhile.  And I've got those new dance routines to practice."

Zelgadiss looked at her askance wondering what she meant and caught Gourry's eye by accident.  He looked broken hearted, but only for a moment.  Gourry shook his head and crunched up his soda can with one hand.  With Lina, you just had to let her do her thing, live her life, make her decisions.  You could learn to live with that and make do, let her know how you feel about it, or hate her.  There was no changing Lina.  Zelgadiss combined a bit of the first two.  He knew Xelloss applied more of the second choice than the first and Val more of the first than the second.  What Zel didn't know was whether or not Gourry ever told Lina about how he felt about her or how her cutting remarks hurt a sensitive guy like him.  Much to his own distaste in doing so, Zel had tried to interfere with both a couple times, but nothing had changed.  Lina was still callous as ever and Gourry as resigned.

He noticed that all the attention was now focused on himself and his answer.  He gave Gourry one more glance.  This time Gourry's message to him was, "Better go an' keep an eye on Xelloss."  

"I'm not much for dancing and especially not loud clubs, but since I won't know anyone there, I suppose I can find a place to sit and enjoy the show."

"Yeah, that's the spirit, Zel!"  Lina said sarcastically.  "Live a little.  Besides, you know me so you can get in one dance with me, if yer lucky."

"Oh…" Zel smirked in return, "…joy…"

Lina crushed her soda can beneath her foot and asked, "So, Xelloss, what other translations do you have for me?"

Xelloss smiled.  He had a very special treat for Lina that he hoped would go over well.  "Remember that anime we watched around the end of last school year called…Record of Lodoss War?  I have the words translated and the song is on this CD.  It just finished loading so I haven't any other copies…" 

His explanation was cut off by her gleeful shrieks of joy. 

"YES!  Gimme that!"  Lina hollered.  "This one ya all gotta hear.  It's the best.  Lots for the chorus ta sing, great part for me, and a real challenge instrumentally!"

Oh, yes.  It was all that and more.  A very grand, uplifting song which everyone loved and agreed to get started on immediately.

"For that one," Lina said, jabbing Xelloss in the arm to make sure he was paying attention, "I'll even dance once with you tonight."

"How gracious of you," he said in a low voice, suppressing his pleasure, restricting it to only a leap in pulse rate. 

"Don't you think Eris might mind?"  asked Zelgadiss.

Xelloss turned his way and cocked his head to the side.  "Noooo…not if she's dancing with you." 

And then Zelgadiss sat back.  He was being set up.  That's two dances he was going to have to take an active role in already!  Against his better judgment, he opened his mouth to defend his position,  "I see.  You know, I can get my own partners…if I want to.  I'm not totally incompetent.  I just might not want to…at all!"

Filia's face lit up.  Wrong track as ever, she thought she figured out why Zelgadiss was reluctant to go dancing, and then blurted it out to everyone.  "Of course.  Xelloss, you are so dense about some things, you know!  Can't you see?  Amelia's grounded and can't go and so, obviously, Zelgadiss doesn't want to go dancing without her.  You can be such a moron!"

"Whaa…?"  Zel practically gagged.

Xelloss rushed at her, unleashing his well-controlled anger just a bit.  "I am not!"  Not a very clever rejoinder, but he was mad and uncreative at the time.

"Huh…" Zel gasped.

"You sure are!" she yelled back.  They now stood about a foot apart in a stand-off.  "You're book-smart, but when it comes to romance you are so unaware of even the simplest of facts much less the subtle nuances..."

"Um…" Val tapped her on the shoulder.  "I wouldn't go that far…He was out with his girlfriend last night and…ah…didn't get home until this afternoon sometime."

"Mr. Xelloss?"  Amelia said, her voice rather small and tense.  "Did you hurt your lip aaaaat her place too?"

Zelgadiss gave up.  He picked up his guitar and picked out a couple of notes, evading Amelia's eyes and escaping notice.

Filia and Sylphiel both looked scandalized.  It couldn't be true!

Xelloss shot a glance over to Lina.  She and she alone knew where he had been most of the night.  Lina was more interested in learning the lyrics to the new song and ignored the entire conversation from the point where Filia had begun to talk.  "As a matter of fact, Amelia, I did.  I suppose I was a bit too forward, at first…" He silently thanked Luna then added, "…After that, well…that's a secret!"

Val hacked out a laugh and stumbled over to his synthesizer, "Way ta go, dude…  Say, Lina?  I'm gonna play that first part over a few time to get the cords."

Zelgadiss sighed and shook his head.  He was sure the cut over Xelloss' lip was the result of a sucker punch from someone stronger and more insulted or provoked than Eris was.  He had wondered how Xelloss, with a black belt in Karate managed to get hit, but figured he'd run into a door or something.  He also knew that Xelloss would want to talk about it eventually, so he shrugged his shoulders, strummed another cord from the song, and avoided Filia, Sylphiel, and Amelia's questing eyes.  He would not get sucked into any more lame arguments.  He was too mature for that!

~*~

When you ever visit Seyruun University, the Cavern Club is one attraction you want to miss.  Steep concrete steps lead down from the street— the ones alongside the decent little coffee shop called Kirby's-- to the dungeon-like chambers below. 

Yes, Zelgadiss found to his dismay that the dance club proved to have all the atmosphere of a high school cafeteria, as he had anticipated.  However, as he relaxed and listened, he found to his pleasant surprise that the recorded music selections were tastefully chosen and that the available refreshments were inexpensive.  Zelgadiss bought himself a bottle of an excellent locally-brewed birch-bark beer (with 'roots' and a flavor akin to root beer), found a comfortable table and chair combo, and retired for the evening—he hoped.  Val, Filia, and Lina disappeared onto the dance floor while Xelloss combed the place for Eris.

There she was, hailing Xelloss from the far side of the room.  Zelgadiss watched as Xelloss nimbly weaved through the bobbing crowd to her side.  He was all smiles.  That was good.  Zel was thankful Xelloss was happy if only for a little while.  Eris, he thought, would be a lot prettier without all the harsh black mascara and lush lipstick, but who was he to talk about looks?  Nice figure, for all that…and she could dance.  Well, not as Xelloss could.  No one could light a candle to Xelloss when it came to dancing.  He loved it, and it showed.

The song changed, bringing Val and Filia to wedge him in at the shrinking table.  "Cool place, huh?"  Val asked him.

"Good music anyway," Zel acquiesced.

"Xelloss find his date?"

"Yes," Zel nodded to the side.  "They're over that way."

"Lookin' fine fer a coupla geeky chem-is-try nerds," Val chuckled.  "Nice legs."

Zelgadiss wondered whose legs Val was talking about.  Eris' were long and exposed by her short dress, but Xelloss' were being put to better use with his dancing.

"She wears too much makeup, probably false eyelashes.  I could help her with that," Filia said in a bored tone although she watched them both intently. 

When Xelloss leaned in and planted a light kiss on Eris' cheek, Filia straightened in her chair.  "I guess he does have a girlfriend.  I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen her for myself."  She grabbed Zel's arm and squeezed it briefly to get his notice.  With an honest look of concern she asked, "Is she…okay…for him?  You know, safe?"

Zelgadiss nodded, "She's a grad student working for our father.  I'm sure she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that situation."

"How old is she?"  Filia asked.

"Only a few years more than him.  She was a gifted student, like him I suppose.  She's teaching our chem class and is tolerable at it."

"He's dating his teacher?"  Filia groaned.  "He'd better watch it and not get her too mad at him then."

Val grinned, "Oh, I think he's got things under control…"

Indeed, Xelloss cut a fine figure out on the dance floor.  Eris appeared genuinely taken with him, even proud to show him off to a friend passing by on her way to the juice bar.  Although she was nearly his height, he was far handsomer and graceful.  The song ended.  The couples broke apart and fled to the tables and chairs scattered about the room.

"Wow!  Some place, huh?"  Lina sighed and she slipped into a vacant chair Val scooted over for her with his foot.  "You been here all this time?"

Zel nodded.  To avoid having to say anything, he stood and grabbed two free chairs, and then dragged them over to their crowded spot.  Just in time, because Xelloss and Eris sashayed to their table at that moment.

"Hi."

Xelloss did the introductions, and then offered to buy a round of drinks.  What Zel had been drinking sounded good to everyone, so he and Zel left together to make the purchases and carry them back.

  "You looked like you were having a good time," Zel remarked with a faint smile.

"I was…and I am, although I wish you were too," Xelloss said kindly.

"I'm fine, don't worry.  The music is good, not that I didn't trust your judgment, but I'm pleasantly surprised."

"Good.  I'll take six birch-beers, please," Xelloss ordered at the make-shift bar.

After handing over the required sum, Xelloss turned again to Zel, "Lina and I having been working up a little dance to go with a song…for the band.  If she's in the mood after this break, I'd like to show you a little demo."

Zel nodded, "So I should ask Eris to dance with me, huh?" he smiled.  "Sure, I guess I could do that, but do you think she'll want to?"

Xelloss nodded as he gathered up an armload of bottles, leaving a few for Zel to juggle back to the table.  "She likes you, you know.  She really admires your father as well.  If I didn't know better, I'd say she was…well…nothing.  Here we go everybody.  One for you…and you…and you…" He giggled as he passed the bottles over to each of his friends.

"Hey," Zel jostled Lina.  "That guy over there, tall, dark one…  Is that the guy you saw Nahga with when you guys visited her in summer?"

"Him?  Nah, that guy had lighter hair with…bleached tips and glasses," she said with barely a glance up.

"Look harder, carefully.  Past the coloring.  Could it be him?"  Zel pressed her.  As she stared at the guy, Zel said, "I spotted him in the hall on my way to calculus.  What grabbed my attention was the name…another guy called him 'Hayate' and he seemed upset over that and corrected him, saying he was 'Adam'.  Yeah, I thought it was unusual at the time."

"Now that you mention it," Lina squinted more, and then met his dark-blue gaze.  "It could be.  Hey!  It was a long time ago and I wasn't payin' much attention at the time."

"There!  There's the other guy I saw him with before, the one with the white hair," Zel lowered his voice.  "Listen, it's not too farfetched an idea that that guy could be looking for a connection in Seyruun, one that links right up with the Mayor's office no less."

"Zel, Zel, Zel…" Lina waved her hand dismissing him.  "I was there.  You weren't.  He wasn't huntin' for Nahga; she hunted him…like a lioness after a young bull.  She brought him down, not the other way around."

"Well…maybe he was waiting for a chance to meet up with her.  Shadowing you until he found the right situation.  Maybe he wanted to get caught and made the chase look convincing so you wouldn't suspect him."  Zel sat back wearing his smug expression.

Lina stared at the two guys in question, then chugged back her drink.

"You guys checking out the cute guys?"  Filia laughed.

"Yeah, that's me, Filia, always on the lookout for hunks, but Zel here, well he's on another track.  I don't know, Zel, could we be getting paranoid now after all we've been through?  Not trusting…" She hesitated when she noticed Zel looking over at Eris.  Oh, right…  Instead, she changed gears and shouted, "Eh, I wanna dance and get movin' again!"

Xelloss kicked Zel under the table and rolled his eyes.  Oh, right…  This time Zel got it and leaned in toward Eris.  "I was wondering if you would dance with me, that is, if you can tear yourself away from Xelloss…"

 "Huh?"  Eris said over the music revving up again.  "Oh, yeah, sure," she agreed after figuring out what Zelgadiss was trying to ask.

Xelloss tapped Lina on the shoulder.  "Shall we give them a little taste of our new act, Lina?"

"Sure, what the hell."  She pushed past Xelloss to mark her spot on the dance floor.  They would need space.

Zelgadiss posted up in a place where he could watch, but Eris would have her back to them.

"Nice earring," Eris told him.  "That one with the gem matching your eye color.  I'd kill for them-- your eyes, that is.  I mean…you don't look a thing like your father, except some of your mannerisms.  Did you know that?  Ha!  Your father is a real catch, you know.  So cultured and intelligent…refined," Eris closed her eyes and let out a little sigh.

Zelgadiss asked warily, "You're not dating my father too, are you?"

That brought her out of dreamland.  "Who…me?  N-no…He thinks of me as…a younger colleague…daughter, almost.  But if I had the…" As the music got louder, she had to shout to be heard, and so their conversation ended.

What was Lina up to?  Oh my…  When had Xelloss and Lina found that much time to practice dancing…if that was dancing?  Zelgadiss wondered about what he was observing.  How had Xelloss gotten past Lina's 'hands off' policy?  They looked very good and were drawing a crowd of admires.  Within a few minutes, a circle expanded around the hot couple and the band took it up a notch.  Hot.  They were scorching!  Zelgadiss was certainly glad that Gourry wasn't a witness to this.  Even with Xelloss' actual girlfriend dancing just a few feet away, it appeared to him, as it would to any of the strangers watching their intimate dance routine, that Lina was more that just friends.  He tried to conjure up a mental picture of Lina and Xelloss, the couple, but it wouldn't come.  Zel shook his head.  No, that wasn't possible.  Appearances can be very deceiving.

When the number was over, the couple separated, only to be cheered by the crowd encouraging them to dance more.  Zelgadiss lead Eris over as Xelloss and Lina both shook their heads, "No…too much work," Lina said.

Xelloss grinned as Zel drew near.  "Well, what did you think?  Its a few bits and pieces we've put together to go with a song we'll sing as a duet.  You know…as you guys play the instrumental only parts, we break into dance.  Fun, eh?"

"Ah…yes…" What more could Zel say?  "Lina give you the fat lip over it?"

"Ha, ha…" Xelloss gave a dry chuckle. "Eris, did you have a nice time with my little brother?  Not too nice a time, I hope.  Oh my!  Looks like this is a slow one.  Care to join me?"

Eris smiled as she took his hand, allowing Xelloss to lead her out onto the dance floor.

See?  Just friends!  What did I tell you?  Zel sighed a sigh of relief.

"You just gonna stand there or do you wanna dance?"  Lina asked with all the cordiality of a slap to the face.

Zel turned, took a deep breath, and said in an off hand tone, "Oh I'll keep you company, if that's what you'd like."

"I'd like to dance.  So come on."  Lina quick-stepped along to center of the room.  Zelgadiss lengthened his stride to keep up.

He stood in front of her wondering where to put his hands.  Xelloss hadn't seemed to have any trouble or doubts, but he was Zel not Xel.  His thoughts were interrupted by Lina as she lightly put one hand on his shoulder and grasped the other.  Automatically, he settled his free arm around her, hand resting gently at her hip and slowly moved to the music.  It wasn't hard at all, as long as he didn't think about whom it was that he was dancing with.

"Zel," Lina hissed up at him.  Zel wasn't all that tall, but Lina was a shrimp up close.  "Don't turn, wait until we turn naturally then look over by the bar.  Isn't that Seishirou?  Yeah…talkin' with a crowd of odd characters.  Rough lot, too."

"Oh, really?"  Zel said, feigning amazement.  He could feel Lina straighten, and when he looked back down, her eyes were still locked on their target, slitted suspiciously.

"He's with…lemme count…some woman and one, two, three, four, maybe five other men," Lina said, her voice husky.

"Maybe five?"

"One is of ambiguous sexual identity," she clarified with a sharp squeeze to his shoulder.  "Now turn and you take a peek."

He did.  "The lady is one nasty looking bitch and I for one would not want to be in a dark alley with a couple of those men either, but other than that they look like any other professors on the staff."  The corners of Zel's lips turned up into a smirk.

Lina's eye's darkened.  Dreadfully.  No one belittled her suspicions and got away free and clear.  When Zel next met her gaze, Lina had a calculating gleam in her eye.  Oh shit!

"Well, then…" she in a mild tone.  "You won't mind going over there and saying 'hello' then."

She peeled herself off Zel's chest like a damp t-shirt, and then shoved him in the right direction.  "And make sure you find out what they're up to while yer at it!"

Oh, joy…

In as embarrassing a manner as possible, Zelgadiss interrupted Seishirou and his friends at the bar.  After a quick exchange of words, Zel left them in search for his table—back to safety.  Seishirou followed him with his eyes, then located the other Slayers scattered about the room, then chuckled softly and returned to his previous conversation.

Lina was waiting, holding his chair ransom.  "Well?"

Realizing that he'd have to report first, sit later, Zel began, "He is here with members of his band.  Band, Lina.  As in music.  Not a band of thugs, thieves, or bandits.  A band called Dragons of the Earth.  They are scoping out the local talent.  He believes that the club's band might be possible competition for the battle of the bands.  Satisfied?"  Before she could answer, Zel added, "Oh, and he's a he…I think…close enough anyway."

Okay.  So while at the dance club, they spot Seishirou talking with some shady-looking characters who might be in his band and who might be, as he says 'scoping out the club band'.  Okay.  That might be so.  Sounds plausible, smart actually.  But…could it really be something more dark and disturbing?  Lina took a deep breath and shrugged.  "Eh, maybe it's okay then.  I said maybe.  We should keep a close watch on them while we're here just the same."

"Right," Zel sighed, then sat back in gloomy silence.

"That goes for Xelloss and that…Eris too," Lina added, leaning back in her seat to wait for Zel's response.

Zelgadiss swiveled his head toward the outrageous redhead.  "What problem do you have with them?  Come off it, Lina.  Can't you see the guy's happy for a change?  So what if he stays out all night with her!  He's an adult and can do those things now."

"Oh yeah?"  Her voice dripped with scorn, her eyes accusing.  "Well Mr. Know-It-All, he wasn't at her place, he was at mine!  And he wasn't happy, he'd been sucker-punched by her ex!  I think she's up to something treacherous.  Something to rob him of his inheritance or break his heart." 

She stopped to let the information sink in a moment, then added in a hard voice, "You haven't been a very good friend and a lousy brother to him, you know that Zel?"

"Oh really?"  Zel said shortly, nettled at her tone.  "I don't mother him or baby him.  I've got him to classes and through them and covered for him, but that's as far as I go.  And what was that you said?  He was at your house…all night?"

"Luna brought him home, actually," she said smugly.  "You'll have to get the rest out of him."

Zel sniffed in disgust and turned to watch the dancers.  Lina observed Eris with her hypercritical eye.

"What do you suppose he sees in her?" she mused.

Now it was his turn to get in a dig or two.  "You mean beyond the great figure, brilliant analytical mind, and easy attitude?  Romance, perhaps?"

Lina made a scornful noise, "Romance…"

~*~

As it happened, Zel and Xelloss had a short heart-to-heart that evening.

"All right, Xelloss…  So tell me what's up in your life.  Late nights, busted lip, dirty-dancing with Lina…" Zel hinted.

A broad grin split Xelloss' face.  "That's a secret."  He sputtered then started giggling.

"Funny."

"Sorry…it was just too tempting.  Okay I'll tell all.  Do you want the 'PG' or 'X' rated version?"

Zel's eyes darkened.

"Ah…that was just a joke too.  Well, I've seen Eris a few times now and…she's very friendly and fun to talk to, when we're talking, that is!"

Zel sighed.  This was why he hated to get into his friend's business.  He really didn't want to know.  "Don't give me a play-by-play, Xelloss.  Just the…"

"Facts.  Just the facts, sir!"  Xelloss giggled again.  "The other night we were enjoying a…brief interlude…" his eyes glittered with mischief, "…when who should show up on the scene and rudely interrupt us?  Vurumagen!  Eris' previous boyfriend who hasn't gotten the less than subtle hint that it's all over.  I know you are wondering why Eris didn't have her door locked, right?  Well, I don't have an answer to that, I don't know either, but she hadn't and it wasn't so he burst into her room without so much as a rap at the door.  I thought to myself, 'how odd and rude of her roommate to just barge in…' That's as far as I got, when a fist came flying out of nowhere and slammed into my mouth.  I had nearly time enough to avoid contact, if my reflexes hadn't been slowed by an armload of Eris…but," Xelloss paused in his story-telling to check if Zelgadiss was still paying attention.  Satisfied that Zel was listening, he continued.  "That was the only hit he got past me.  And, no, I didn't break every bone in his body after that.  I have more control than that!  However…I really need to get back to the dojo and improve my reflexes and aim.  I'm getting sluggish and sloppy."

"Lina hates slugs."  That was all Zel said.

"Is that so?"  Xelloss pursed his lips.  "I said sluggish, not slug-like.  And Lina likes me fine.  Did you know that she doesn't have an ounce of fat on her?  Now, take Eris for example.  She's much softer.  More like Filia, but without the recurring nasty attitude.  Lina, on the other hand…"

"So, when did you and Luna hook up?"  Zel interrupted as quickly as possible.

"Luna?  How did you…?  Ah, well that was later.  We, that's Eris and me, we had to carry Vurumagen to the student health services emergency room.  Now that was fun!  I truly hadn't meant to drop his head twice…only once.  The second time was an accident.  See, my hands were getting a bit slippery with his blood…"

Zel darted his eyes over to Xelloss not bothering to mask the worry in them.

"Just kidding again, little brother!  Slippery with sweat, most likely.  Anyway, the nurse accepted our story that he'd been partying and had had a bad fall with no problem.  I imagine they hear that all the time around there.  Well, then…  I walked Eris back to her room, noted the time, made the usual excuses…'I turn into a pumpkin or monster or  whateveryouwant at midnight' and hopped off to the bus stop.  And there I sat.  Waiting for the bus that never came because the schedule changed for that stop and I foolishly hadn't read their minds to know that.  About a half-an-hour into my bus wait, my head, mouth, and shoulders started to ache, throb, and sting.  That was the time Luna spied me, hobbled on over, and offered me a ride home."

Xelloss paused to clear his throat, then want on, "Now, I didn't realize, yet, that I had a good deal of my own blood slathered over my chin.  She did, of course, and, with a memory like  elephant's…You don't think that's a family thing, do you?  I mean, Lina never forgets stuff either.  Anyway…Luna, it's Luna we're talking about here now, Luna remembers my weaknesses like no other and wanting to save you the nightmare of finding my unconscious body flat out in our house someplace after fainting at the sight of my own shed blood, she invited me to stay at her place.  Naturally."

"Naturally."  Zel repeated.

"Yes, naturally.  So Luna drove me to her house, doctored me up, and gave me a blanket…Now that I think about it, it was none too clean-smelling a blanket.  Hmmm…I'll have to offer to take a few of their 'guest items' to the cleaners, by way of a thank you gesture.  You agree?"

Zel shrugged 'whatever'.

Not to be put off by his friend's lack of conversational skills, Xelloss finished his tale.  "And there I slept, on their couch in the front room until quite late.  Lina and I woke to find out that we were not alone in the house as we had suspected…that is, that we were the only other two there even though we didn't think the other one was there.  So we had a bit to eat and then I suggested the dancing."

"Dancing."

"Un, huh.  Just a little idea of mine to liven up one of our concerts.  During the instrumental parts of this song Lina and I will be singing as a duet, I choreographed a few routines to squeeze in."

"Funny you should say 'squeeze'," Zel remarked dryly.

"Ha!  That's funny, too!  The dancing I had in mind…"

"Back to your dark and disturbed mind…" Zel muttered.

Ignoring Zel, Xelloss continued, "Lina needed examples of.  So, I suggested that we rent the movie…"

"Dirty dancing."

"Yes!  You've seen that?  How unlike your usual tame taste!  I tossed in an offering…"

"Of food."

"Of food, yes.  And we…"

"Ate, rented, walked, danced.  I get it."  Zel stopped his car and set the brake.

"Well, yes, the capsulated version…  It was fun."

"Good, now you can have more fun.  Come in and help me get a load of laundry going while we go over the notes from what you missed in class.  Then there's the lab to prepare for…" Zel said as he sprinted on ahead to the door.

"Of course, little brother, whatever you want.  This is our special time together!"

Zel could just HEAR the grin in Xelloss' voice, but he wouldn't have it any other way.  Xelloss was happy and unconcerned about the potential threats around him, while Zel and Lina felt the pressure of future disasters about to overtake and overwhelm them all, Xelloss particularly.  Well, what Xelloss didn't see, Xelloss wouldn't know and that was good for the time being.  Let him live in ignorance if that meant giving him a period of relative peace.  Xelloss had known so precious little of that, that was for sure! 

"And if you very good," Zel smiled, "I'll let you try some of the new ice cream I bought."

"The chai?"

"Did you already eat that?  Well, that wasn't the one.  I got a different one.  A secret one."

Xelloss smiled.  He loved secrets.

~*~

Next chapter…à Battle of the bands--it came, it conquered, its over

~*~

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