(((.-)) Zel |||^.^||| Xelloss |{{^.^}}| Lina |((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^)) Amelia |))-.-((| Val
Chapter 36
THE SLAYERS
Sunday night.
Lina pulled out her cultural fair project and her black felt tip pen. In the empty oval beside her mother's name, she wrote Lawrence Inverse and a date of death. She stood back and admired the result. Yes, much better. Satisfied, Lina folded it back up and slid it into the back of her closet. "Thank you, Zel, for giving me that," she whispered and returned to her homework.
~*~
The Mayor was not a quiet man. After speaking to the head priest from the city's largest shrine, he needed to bellow.
"A M E L I A!"
"Yes, Daddy?" she cried and ran to his office.
"Come in here…I need to talk to you. Now you called Mr. Phibrizzo and he gave you some information, which you generously passed on to your friend Zelgadiss. Am I right?"
"Oh, yes, Daddy! He's been worried about Mr. Xelloss, who is going to find that awful Gaav character all by himself. But now I think Mr. Zelgadiss has his own ideas…" Amelia began.
"Yes, my darling daughter, he has and they do. A very dangerous plan… I want you to stay out of it! Distance yourself…"
"What? They are my friends and we're in a band together, with jobs! And a play! Distance myself? What do you mean? If I was in trouble, don't you think that they would do everything possible to help me? I HAVE to help them! It would be most unjust of me if I didn't! Don't you understand?" Amelia cried.
"Yes, I do…Let me explain what I'm thinking of…"
Father and daughter spoke at length, checking each other's logic and wisdom until they agreed on a plan.
"I must move ahead immediately. We haven't much time," he said grateful to have such a smart, brave daughter. "What? Oh, okay…Amelia? Telephone for you…"
~*~
Filia had been giving the Amelia/Zel problem some thought, since her math homework was particularly dry this evening. She decided that it wasn't too soon to begin thinking about Valentine's day. "Hello? Amelia. Listen, I've been thinking about Valentine's day and what you can do to further your cause with Mr. Denial."
"I'm sorry, Miss Filia, but I'm really not interested—"
"Of course you're interested. You like him, right?"
"Well—"
"And he likes you, so where's the problem? I'll tell you where the problem is: you're both so inexperienced when it comes to relationships that you don't know how to act out your feelings towards each other!"
"Um…Miss Filia…I think that Mr. Zelgadiss is just shy…"
"Well, obviously, Amelia. But the shy ones are always the ones with the most poignant feelings just building up inside, waiting for the perfect someone to come around who'll help them to release them in a flood of passion! At least, that's what always happens in the movies, and art imitates life, right?"
"I'm…not sure that's right…" Amelia stuttered, but she wasn't sure how to disprove her. It sounded so tempting to the romantic inside of her, the one who was a crusader for justice and noble hero for love and peace. What if Zel was really waiting for her to do something, to make a move? However, if Filia was wrong, she would be so embarrassed…"My last move didn't work out so well. I think it's best if I just be a friend and wait for him to…"
"Absolutely NOT! At the very least you need to provide him the opportunity to, to… to do something!" Filia insisted.
"Well…what did you have in mind?" Amelia asked curious to know what her friend might suggest.
"First, we start with clothes…you must wear something eye-catching…different, to get him thinking…about you. He's not a big eater so bringing him food won't impress him…" Filia mused aloud.
"How about a party? We could have all kinds of paper and pens and ribbons and make valentine cards for each other!" Amelia said excitedly.
"Now that's the idea!" smiled Filia conspiratorially. "You and I will plan it for one of our practices before the dance…Hey, I gotta finish up my math so…talk later, 'kay?"
"Bye!" Amelia said.
~*~
Monday morning.
The Monday morning announcements included: Next week will be finals week. Go to your regularly scheduled classes next Monday to receive your final schedules. Next Friday is grading day; there are no scheduled classes, however, make-up tests may be scheduled. The Midsummer's Night Dream is Friday Night and Saturday afternoon. Limited tickets remaining…
In History class, Lina took a little nap. Zel and Xelloss flicked a tiny wad of paper back and forth. The teacher returned papers and bemoaned the football team's final loss. This, he claimed, was due to the untimely compound ankle and knee injury of Craig (Zel smirked a 'I told you so') and of Doug. Doug apparently suffered a broken kneecap in a hall accident (he looked meaningfully at Xelloss). The teacher was in such a funk, that he put on a video of Greek Tragedies for the rest of the period.
"The men in suits doing chorus are creeping me out," hissed Filia to Xelloss and Zel.
"Lina shouldn't miss this…" Zel smirked and shook her to wakefulness. "Hey, look and learn."
Lina opened an eye and gazed up at the fuzzy screen. Several large men were speaking some form of English, in unison, and now stepping around together…'dancing'. "What kinda shit is this?" Lina growled at Zel.
"Greek Tragedy…oh…there's a looker!" Zel pointed back at the movie.
"Ahh…that's gotta be the ugliest bunch of actors…gawd they are awful…You woke me up for this?"
"It will be on the final…what did you say Lina? Whoa…you've been hanging out with Val again, haven't you!" giggled Xelloss.
The movie ended, tragically when the bell rang.
"That was…inspiring, wasn't Xelloss?" Zel asked with a sly smile.
"Oh, yes. Makes me want to kill …maim…football players…" Xelloss grinned evilly.
"If you wake me up for that kind of trash, I'll be doing the maiming," snarled Lina.
As they walked out the door, Xelloss chuckled, "Well, our job is done here!"
Zel smiled, "Yeah…want to take out the basketball team next?"
"Why not?" Xelloss laughed. "We can destroy any organization!"
Lina gave them both warning glares, and then pushed on ahead.
~*~
Science lab was humming with activity. The students lined up their jars filled ½ inch at the bottom with stinking yeast media.
The teacher, now affectionately known as The Drone, was reading the next directions aloud in his low monotone, "Put a VERY few drops of ether on a cotton wad. Too much and they will die. You want to anesthetize them so they do not fly, not die. Roll up a paper funnel and pour them in, keeping the jar on its side. If your media is too moist, it will flow and drown the flies."
Lina whispered to Zel, "So are we gonna gas'em or drown'em? I say… swimmin' in food… what a way to go…"
Zel shook his head, "Just do it right and we can go to lunch…"
The Drone continued, "…Label one jar 'Normal' and the other 'Mutant type?' You will be determining what mutant types you have and how the genes appear statistically. To separate the males from the females notice…"
Zel and Lina finished preparing their jars and were labeling them when Xelloss came by. He had prepared several 'Control' jars and now was joining them out of boredom… and loneliness.
"We can leave as soon as we put the jars away in the cabinet…and get an extra 15 minutes of lunch," Xelloss suggested. They were out in 30 seconds.
~*~
"We'll need some costume upgrades," railed Lina at the lunch table. "For the band."
"Everyone could wear pink or red …for Valentine's day!" Sylphiel suggested.
"Here's somethin pink and gross for ya," said Val grinning as he pushed a plastic dish of Jell-O x whipped cream her way.
"No thank you!" she pushed it back. "Red shirts for the guys and pink for the girls. It would be so…"
"Fine. We'll go after the play on Saturday…We'll call it our GOODWILL TOUR!" Lina cackled. Red, pink didn't matter. That could be argued later, just as long as everyone was ready for another shopping trip.
"I don't think red goes with Val's hair color, or Zel's…pink…that would work for everyone," Filia corrected. Her taste was exacting and often right on.
"PINK!" Gourry had had enough. "Not on me. You wear the pink and I'll wear…"
"Green! Like stems and leaves…" smiled Xelloss, diving into the neglected Jell-O dish.
"Okay…green," Gourry agreed.
"Not very 'Valentine's day' though…" Amelia lamented.
"Lina?" Xelloss remembered the party and interrupted the color discussion. "Next Saturday, after practice maybe. We can't do it this Saturday…we have a party to go to!"
"PARTY!" several voices chimed in.
"Cast party. I'm planning it. Anyone want to help?" Xelloss asked.
Filia and Amelia demanded to be part of the planning and before he knew it, all the work was out of his hands.
Zelgadiss shook his head, "All right, I'll give you that one for manipulation and delegation skills."
"I got you off the hook too, right?" Xelloss smiled uncertainly.
"Yeah… What? What's the problem?" Zel asked. Why was Xelloss being so tentative?
Xelloss looked down at his hands. He was holding a paper. "There's so many things I want to do…fun, normal stuff, but…when I think about what's coming up—the real life-ending stuff-- I wonder if it's the right thing…Consequences."
"Ah, yes the consequences of your actions coming to haunt you. Well, you won't be alone though all of it. And it'll be a while yet. Try and enjoy life until then," Zel suggested in a near-whisper.
"That's good coming from the guy who enjoys his life so very much!" Xelloss laughed.
"I enjoy being alive…" Zel protested.
"Good for you!" Filia joked. "Next we work on your karma. I am confident that all you need to reach enlightenment is…"
Lina caught part of that and took it to heart. "I'm confident that all I need to reach enlightenment is a big piece of cheese cake!"
Gourry looked up guiltily, "Would you like a piece of mine?"
"Sure, thanks! Never turn down a good offer!" Lina laughed and plunged her fork into the heart of his dessert.
Zel turned back to Xelloss. "So what's the paper?"
"It's from our dojo. We are to perform as entertainment for the Asian Festival early February. We did last year too," Xelloss maintained.
"Oh, joy…another way to bring attention to myself and…" Zel moaned into his can of Clamato juice.
"Oh, how wonderful!" Amelia cried. "Daddy takes me every year! This time I can go with you…guys," she added the 'guys' part on hopefully as Zel's head lowered to the table.
Sylphiel spoke up. "My father takes me too! I was wondering…Xelloss? Could I borrow back the kimono I sewed? Only for the day of the festival!" she said hurriedly as his expression changed to one of worry. "I have been working on another…but if I had two…"
"What for, Sylphiel?" Xelloss prompted her, exasperated with her ditzyness.
"Oh! I would display them as samples and take… hopefully, if I'm good enough and people like my stuff enough and if I can price things right. Lina? Could you help me with that part? Pricing the things I sew so that they aren't too pricey but not too…"
"Expensive. Yeah, I get the idea. Sure I can do that," Lina said, her voice muffled by the cheese cake being chewed.
"So…" Xelloss summarized. "You want to display my kimono at the festival in order to take orders from new clients. Good idea! Yes, of course you can borrow it back," he smiled. "Why don't the four of us go together? Zel? Do you have a problem with the driving part? No? Good, then we have a…"
"Hey! How about us non-Asian types over here?" Lina cried out.
Gourry smiled, "I can drive the four of us! Val, Filia, you wanna come along?"
Val answered in a surly tone, "If I got no work or anythin better ta do…"
Filia felt her heart skip a beat. Was he waiting for me to agree first? "Sure, sounds like fun. There's food and… what day is it?"
"Gourry! How'er you gonna fit four of us in the front seat of that old truck?" Lina asked.
"Oh, ah…it'll be tight but…it'll work," he smiled reassuringly.
Lina wasn't so sure. She looked over at Val to check his reaction, when a couple of Val's punk friends rambled up.
"Hey!" greeted a short red-head with a pointy nose and tiny, deep-set eyes.
"Jillas," Val growled.
"Gravos an' me gotta talk to ya … over there," Jillas nodded to the door.
"Yeah, whatever…" mumbled Val as he left the table to follow the other two punks.
"One step forward…and two steps back…" sighed Filia to herself.
Zel had recovered well enough to grumble to Xelloss, now that Amelia was back to talking 'costume' changes with Sylphiel. In a low voice he said, "Shit, Xelloss! There you go again…You aren't even supposed to be dating, right?"
"It's not a date!" he insisted. "We're going in one car and they (meaning Lina, Gourry, Filia, and Val) are going in another. The whole band's going! Don't be so touchy…or should I say eager ouch! Bet they don't think it's a date. Why don't you ask Amelia what she thinks? Oh, AMELIA? Zel wants to know if you… oof! Ah! I'm just kidding!"
Filia sniffed, "You'd think you two had a thing going, the way you keep whispering and punching one another!"
Zel stopped pounding on Xelloss and gasped, blushing madly, "What? What!"
Xelloss blanched and shook his head, "GAHHHH! Filia! How could you! You'll ruin my reputation!" He started laughing.
Zelgadiss' one visible eye flared arrows at both friends.
Amelia hit the table with the palm of her hand, "Cut it out! Filia, that was an unjust and unfunny thing to say!"
"Okay…I apologize. I was only kidding. So…are you calling it a date, or what?" Filia asked with a wave of her hand dismissing the earlier discussion.
"Are you? Oh, Lina? Filia wants to know if you're calling it a…double date or… OUCH! " said Xelloss with a grin.
This time Filia pounded him with her trusty mirror and commented to Zel, "You can pound on him all you like from now on."
Lina blushed and to cover it she tried to get Zel's attention, "Hey, Zel? Have you decided on what to take next semester? Registration is…"
"Tomorrow. Yes I know. I'm…still considering. Not cooking. Not acting," Zel answered, thankful for the distraction.
Before more trouble ensued, the bell rang and it was time to move on…
Before class started, Xelloss, Filia, and Amelia spoke to the acting teacher about the cast party. Satisfied with their plans, he announced it to the rest of the class. "Attention everyone! I have an announcement! After the last performance on Saturday, there will be a cast party in this room. Donations of at least one dollar for food are requested and there will be kareoke, I understand. Any other questions… go to Filia, Amelia, or Xelloss. Thank you, now Act III…."
Before they knew it, it was Friday night's performance. Everything went fine, surprisingly smooth and with no major problems. Val's pants stayed up as he dragged Amelia across the stage. Sylphiel didn't snicker as Zangalus bemoaned his romance problems. Filia maintained a regal composure throughout. Zel and Lina looked like they were enjoying themselves. Gourry did very well, sweating under Lina's close presence while wearing donkey-ears. Xelloss played his part with zest and charm. They brought down the house. One down, another performance to go.
The Saturday performance was hysterical. The audience included many of the kids' parents, who were more than willing to laugh at the silly antics of their kids, but the acting… a bit of ab-libbing, an extra… well they had a lot of fun. For example:
Xelloss played Puck even more overtly gay than his usual, for fun. While speaking of Lina's changeling boy, the one that she was withholding from Zel, he fawned over Ranma the fairy and batted his eyes, "…lovely boy…oh and her attendant hath one too!"
The expression on Ranma's face was choice, but he focused on his lines where he tells the audience who Puck is, "… Those that call you Hobgoblin and SWEET Puck, You do their work, and they shall have good luck: Are you not…HE?"
To which Xelloss rolled his eyes and giggled, "Thou speak'st right! I AM that GAY wanderer of the night, I jest to Oberon…and make him…smile…Here comes Oberon!"
Ranma snickered as a glowering Zel approached…
The audience roared.
Later when Val tried to dismiss a clingy Amelia from his leg, he said, "Let me GO! If thou follow me, I shall do thee mischief in the wood!"
Amelia clung with tenacity and slipped to the floor, Val's pants giving way this time. Thankfully, his tunic was long. He dragged her half way across the stage, stopped, looked down and added, "I said, let GO! Or are ya tryin' ta tell me something here?"
The audience wept tears.
Sylphiel and Zangalus were lost in the forest. He commented that they should rest and use the turf as their 'shared' pillow. Martina tossed another from backstage, which hit him in the head.
Sylphiel giggled and said, "Nay, good Lysander, for HER sake, take a hint and do not lie so near and…use that for a pillow!"
Laughter from the crowd only encouraged them more.
Xelloss transformed Gourry's head into a donkey's and awaited Lina's awakening and reaction. She pawed him and told him, "…I love thee!"
Gourry looked up incredulously, "You have little reason for that…"
Xelloss interrupted with, "That's right, he's mine!" Then winked and let Gourry proceed unhindered.
When Zangalus and Val were chasing a phantom Puck through the forest, thinking they were chasing one another, Xelloss stopped, wrapped an arm around each of the other guys and grinned, "I have a better idea…Why don't we all rest right here and forget the killing with swords stuff, eh?" With a wink, he released his friends and continued with the regular dialogue. Val and Zangalus blinked and gasped, as it on cue, and the audience clapped and laughed.
Zel and Lina's chemistry showed through. They glared and smirked and teased…it was hardly acting!
Lina's eyes were opened and she was freed from her absurd love and said, "… I believed I was enamored of an ass!"
When it was time to under Gourry's 'curse', Zel turned to Xelloss and demanded, "Okay, Puck, remove the ass' head…"
Xelloss grinned and grasped Gourry by his head, not ears, and tugged, unsuccessfully. Zel sighed and shook his head, "Change him back, you idiot!"
Xelloss grinned wider and added, "That's not what you said last night!"
The audience cried out in surprise and sniggered at their jokes.
The show closed with a long standing ovation. The proud teacher was taking his bows as the 'producer/director', when the high school principal glided onto the stage. She smiled and presented the teacher with a single red rose. As the minor-part actors and actresses appeared and bowed, Zelas presented each with their own rose. The more important players (those with named parts) received small bouquets of white roses. When the major-role kids took their bows, the audience cheered and Zelas handed them larger bouquets of red roses.
Ryoga and Filia, Zangalus and Sylphiel, Val and Amelia come out in pairs holding hands and bowed, the girls showing off prop-wedding bands. They accepted the flowers, somewhat reluctantly on Val's part, and stepped back. Zel and Lina, hands clasped, stayed in character and smirked at one another then bowed deeply to the principal. Zel held his flowers like they were the enemy.
Xelloss danced onto the stage blowing kisses and acting…goofy and in character. When his mother handed him his bouquet, the audience grew quieter as he pulled out two roses. He bit off the stems halfway and then, to Zelas' amazement, stuck one behind her ear and…one behind his own. He grinned and bowed and the crowd roared. Even Zelas was amused…
It was fun to see the parents. Martina's father and mother stood by her and nodded to Zangalus' parents nearby. Filia's parents from the Settlement greeted Filia and Val. Sano also greeted them, and had brought the lovely Megumi. The Mayor was slapping everyone on the back, congratulating them all. He and Nels Lahda stood together and chatted in a friendly manner. Luna greeted Lina and her 'guys', Gourry, Zel and Xelloss, until Gourry's family hit like a tidal wave. Zel and Xelloss stood apart, until Rezo and Zelas joined them.
"I liked what I saw!" joked Rezo before saying other positive words. "But I don't believe I remember Shakespeare done that way before…"
"We… had a little fun tonight. It was getting old," Zel explained.
Only when you saw them standing together could you imagine they were related. Similar in size and being slim and fit was part of it, but it was more the mannerisms, the tilt of their heads and speech patterns that gave them away as father and son.
Similarly, Xelloss and his mother both wore unreadable expressions with smiles…and each with a rose behind an ear, which made a person think that they were mother and son.
Luna and Lina wandered over to meet the 'family of odd people', as Luna described it. Now those two were different as night and day. Luna's taller, maturely filled out figure was topped off with a Xelloss-style hairdo. She looked entirely different from her small, fiery redheaded and slender little sister. The tension rose. Luna, Rezo, and Zelas nearly seethed in an unspoken aura of mutual hate. Luna kissed both Zel and Xellos on the cheeks, wished them well and left to find Filia's folks.
Filia, her mother, and father all stood tall, blonde, and beautiful. Even Val seemed like a tall slender green reed among golden ones. Truly, they were all of a kind. Luna stuck out like a thumb, but apparently knew them, joining in their friendly banter.
Sylphiel and her father both dark-haired and serene stood with the more boisterous, outgoing Seyruun family, including Nahga. Zel nudged Xelloss and nodded toward the dark-haired contingent. Xelloss found them, just as Nahga found him.
"OH…ho, ho, hoooooo, there they are! Two of Lina's little boyfriends! Come sissy-pooh, you know them, right?" Nahga chuckled and yanked on Amelia's arm.
Sylphiel followed Amelia with their parents in her wake. Gourry had successfully freed himself from his family and lodged himself near Lina and Zelgadiss as the Nahga entourage arrived. From the other side of the room, Filia and Val lead the clan and Luna to the fast-growing Lina fan-club.
"Ooooh, Lina you must introduce me to aaaaall your friends, starting with…Oh! I met you before…" Nahga hugged Val in a breath-taking 'hello'.
Xelloss snickered to Zel, "He's been had… finally someone who can put the king of punk into shock!"
"And who is this big hunk of…hunk?" Nahga glommed onto Gourry's arm and batted her eyes. Not that he was noticing her eyes…
Gourry was rescued, sort of, by a little brother, Joey, who had snuck in beside him, "That's my brother, Lina's boyfriend! WHO ARE YOU?"
"Why, Lina! So this is the one you've been hiding! Didn't you know you can't hide anything from Nahga the Great White Serpent! OH, ho, ho, hooooooo!" she laughed and exchanged Gourry for both Zel and Xelloss, wrapping an arm around both astonished boys. "Now which is which? Let's see, the cute one with the lavender hair, you would be…"
Joey to the rescue again, "That's Zelgadiss and he's Amelia's boyfriend…I think…"
Zel's blush was like an admission of guilt in her book.
"Well… so my little sister's got a boyfriend too! Why all the secrecy? Oh, that's right, you like to play the field and hang out with Lina too, I get it! Oh, ho, ho, ho, hoooooooo!" Nahga was having the time of her life. Getting the better of Lina was her life's ambition it seemed and making sport of her in front of her clearly shy and easily embarrassed friends was a kick! The fact that some of the comments from her or little Joey were hitting the mark made the torment all the better.
Zel managed to wriggle free and in doing so, collided into Amelia and Sylphiel both. "Sorry…" he gasped and stood, shaken and withdrawn.
"That leaves…this one for myself!" Nahga gripped Xelloss in a chokehold.
Lina leaned into his ear and whispered, "You want out of this for good?"
Xelloss nodded, as best he could. Nahga was attractive, but not his cup of tea.
Lina grinned evilly, "Nahga, Nahga, Nahga… just how good an actor do you think the priest-dude is anyway?"
She gasped and dropped him on the floor.
Xelloss frowned at Lina, and rubbed his neck. "That's not entirely true…"
Sylphiel helped him to her feet, "Shhhhh, everyone knows that, but her, and you're free now.
"Oh, ho, ho, hoooooooo," Nahga laughed. "You're just trying to keep him safe, I know that! Oh, well…Lina I've got to go now, your little party is about to begin and I'm not invited! See you all later…and especially you!" she smiled at Xelloss and gave him a pinch.
The Mayor finally dragged her away, leaving the other parents a moment to say good night. "The van and driver will be back in an hour and one half, for those of you who need rides!" he assured the kids before marching out the door.
"So…Joey, isn't it?" Zel asked Mr. Information. "Basketball, huh?"
"Yeah!" the kid looked directly into Zel's eyes.
Zel chuckled. He was like a miniature Gourry but with bangs neatly trimmed straight across and hair cut straight off his shoulders.
"But I'm gonna be a drummer like him!" Joey announced, pointing to Xelloss. "Next year I start middle school and I'm gonna have a band!"
Zel nodded, "Good idea to start practicing now. Have you got a teacher?'
Joey shook his head, "Nooo".
Zel nodded toward Xelloss who was busy with Gourry's fawning sisters, the 'singers'. Joey grinned and nodded, "Would he, ya think?"
Zel extricated Xelloss smoothly and introduced him to Joey. "This is Gourry's brother Joey…yeah he's nearly as tall as you…basketball player. He's interested in starting up a band in a year or so, but first…he needs lessons. That's where you come in, Xelloss. He wants to be a drummer." Zel smiled and whispered, "He's already got your haircut, invite him over tomorrow, all right?"
Xelloss smiled and began a tight discussion concerning drumming and equipment with Gourry's little brother until Gourry said it was time to go. It was very cute.
The sisters were quizzing Amelia and Sylphiel about the band, the relationships mostly. "So you like Zel and you like…Xelly maybe?" giggled sister #1.
"We're all friends and none of us are dating!" corrected Amelia. "And Mr. Xelloss is beginning a novice program at the shrine and won't be doing any more dating for a while."
"But you went out with him!" sister #2 insisted.
"Mr. Zelgadiss, Mr. Xelloss, a dear friend Kiki, and I went to the movies once..." Amelia began.
"Kiki? Who's that? She's not in the band is she?" asked sister #1.
"Oh no, she was a friend of mine…from France. She and Mr. Xelloss were engaged. Mr. Gourry didn't tell you? Well…that's all over, she had to leave and go back to France. Oh yes, very sad…" Amelia sniffed.
"Do you think he's over her?" Sylphiel asked, lip quivering.
Amelia wasn't sure. Gourry's sisters thought that this was the greatest tragedy of the century and thought Xelly was very brave and so much cooler than ever.
Filia and Val were attacked next. "Did you see how Mom cut Joey's hair? Just like you did Xelly's!" giggled sister#1. "Filia? Gourry says you're the head cheerleader and everything! That's so cool! Gods, you're so beautiful, I bet you have lots of boyfriends…" she turned to her other sister who was whispering something. "What? You think that guy? He's so scary!"
Val chuckled and stalked off. Actually, he didn't want to see or hear Filia's reaction to that statement. She had only to nod her head and half a dozen guys would rush to her side. He was something, but not to her. Not yet. And the way things were going, not ever. He smiled. Now that gloomy Zel guy was rubbing off on him…
"Hey! You're not going to let those little girls get to you, are you?"
Val turned toward the voice. It was Filia standing arms crossed and tapping her foot. "Come on. Say goodbye to everyone and then the party will start," she reached out and grasped his sleeve. He melted.
"Sure, I'm comin'…" he smiled shyly, dropping the arrogant act for a moment.
Gourry had Chuckie on one hip and the two sisters and another brother and Joey at his side, "Ahhh, I'll be back in a minute, Lina. Gotta help get these guys into the van for Mom."
"I'll go with ya, if it's okay?" Lina winked and grabbed a blushing Joey and one of the sister's hands. "I'll teach ya a song on the way, okay guys? Yeah, Joey, you gotta learn to sing too. Xelloss sings…Val…Gourry…even Zel does! Yeah he does, doesn't he, Gourry?"
The party was an enormous success. All the kids danced around with one another and sang karaoke to shared CDs. The food was plentiful and gone within the first half-hour. An hour later, Lina and her band climbed into the van and went home happy and exhausted.
As Xelloss and Zelgadiss separated that night, each going to his own 'room', Xelloss said in parting, "I guess it's true then…"
Zel stopped, "What?"
"Lina's Gourry's girlfriend. She didn't deny it! Then she took off with his family to say goodbye…" He glanced over to gage his friend's reaction.
Zel hadn't thought about that at all. He didn't want to now, not in that way. "Xelloss, Joey's just a kid. Who knows what fantasyland goes on over there…in the heads of his little siblings. Lina ignored it and so did everyone else and so should you. She's known that family all her life, though not him apparently until last summer. Rather like me, only there's bunches of them. Anyway, she doesn't treat Gourry any differently than she ever has. Now stress about something else, like how Martina kept winking at you… or was that Ranma… oof! Just kidding! Good night!"
"Good night, little brother!" Xelloss called out after Zel's retreating figure.
Sunday Morning
Lina woke up to her sister's voice on the telephone, "CLOSED? Why? Oh… yeah, thanks…"
"Luna? Something wrong?"
"Ah… no, actually…take a look outside…yeah, cool, huh…"
"SNOW? IT SNOWED? HERE? IN INCHES!" Lina was as excited as a…littler kid.
It only snowed every other year or so in Seyruun, and then only a thin sheet that melted after a few hours. But every so often, something magical would happen and it would snow for days.
"So… the roads are a mess and the restaurant is closed. No work today, sis." Luna laughed and started breakfast.
Lina laughed and started phoning friends, "Ah…Zel? Yeah, well it's time to get up…ME! LINA says so! Hey, listen call your neighbor and pass the word…SNOW…roads are closed and the snow is…lots! I wanna play in it…snowball fight…"
"Call Gourry. He's bringing his brother…Joey over for a drum lesson with Xelloss later…that's the idea. You can all come over and play. LATER! Bye," Zel dropped his cell phone and fell back to sleep.
Xelloss heard pounding on his door. He checked his watch…9:00 AM. Too early…he rolled off his waterbed onto the floor and crawled to the stairs. "OOOOOKAAAAAY already! I'm coming!" he shouted as he yanked on a pair of pants and tossed his kimono over one shoulder. He stumbled down the stairs to the door. He was putting on his glasses as he unlocked and opened the door.
"Uh, hello?" he blinked. Everything was white. Except for the cluster of kids gathered around his door. He squinted into the light, one kid was very tall. "Gourry? What? It's only 9:00! Yeah, come in…"
He opened the door. Gourry entered followed by the two smaller forms, "Ahh…sorry to get ya up, but it's…ah…after 11:00 and you said ta come before 12:00…right?"
Xelloss shook his wrist, "What do you know… I forgot to put in fresh batteries. I always do that on my birthday, so I don't forget, but…"
"Guess your mind was elsewhere, huh?" chuckled Gourry.
"What are you doing! GAHHH! Xelloss! Get dressed! It's me!!!" screamed the familiar voice of Lina from beneath the hat/scarf/ coat disguise.
Little Joey was staring with frank horror at the scars decorating Xelloss' chest. Lina was referring to the fact that he was preparing to remove his pants on the way to the shower.
Xelloss dove into the bathroom slamming the door. He stuck out his head to gasp, "Lina! What are you doing here? I thought you were just another of Gourry's little brothers dressed like that!"
Lina sent a beanbag chair his direction, but he closed the door in time. She calmed down and took off her outer layer. Gourry was smiling, but trying to hide his amusement.
"So you think that was funny, huh? Look at Joey. He's about to freak out," Lina pointed out.
"N-no I'm not… I knew 'bout those… um…just… not the same as seeing 'em…" Joey muttered defensively.
"The scars…he's talking about the scars all over his…" Gourry started to clarify his brother's statement automatically, as older siblings are oft to do.
"Of course he meant the scars! Grrrrrr… What else could he be talking about? Well, I don't want to wait for him to beautify, I'll go check on Zel… if he's up." Then loud enough so that Xelloss was sure to hear, now that the water was off, she added, "At least Zel answers the door dressed decently! And STAYS that way!"
"This coming from the girl who had to lead her friends through the bathroom WHILE ZEL was in the shower!" Xelloss reminded her from the bathroom.
Lina grinned and marched out the door. Joey looked up to his quiet big brother and gasped, "You didn't tell me 'bout that! You guys have a lot more fun than you told mom…"
Zelas answered the door. "I haven't seen him yet dear. Come on in. Help yourself to some… whatever you can find, while I go check on Zelgadiss."
She was floating up the staircase before Lina could get her head out of the refrigerator and say 'don't bother'! Zel stampeded down the stairs moments later dressed in jeans, T-shirt, and green sweatshirt.
"Lina? Before noon on a Sunday? Did Hell freeze over as well?" he smirked.
"Uh, huh. Take a look for yourself!" she said while finishing off a slice of quiche.
"Gahhh! IT HAS!" Zel gasped dramatically as he peered out the window.
"I'm here. Wanna play? Your idiot stepbrother might be dressed or doing his hair. Gourry brought Joey for his lesson," Lina asked, then drained her glass of milk. "Get your snow clothes, buster, and prepare for a 'death by snow-ball fight'!
"Snow. Cool, er cold." Zelgadiss reappeared in coat, gloves, and pulled on boots at the door. "Your stuff at Xelloss'?"
"Yep. I kept the boots on and ran over. Maybe the other little boys will want to play too," she grinned and scampered after Zel to the other place.
Xelloss was dressed and dry and was showing Joey his kit. Gourry opened the door and nodded, "Zel? Not too early for you?"
"I was reading about broadband high-speed Internet access. Xelloss has his own DSL line while I have to share with the home phone. Satellite sounds interesting for the future. Hey, Xelloss? How about you take a look outside? Lina, get him with a snowball fast!" Zel whispered to her as she hurried into her coat and gloves.
"It's bright. I opened the door once already," Xelloss answered and turned his attention back to Joey. "Oh, okay…" He skipped to the door opened it and…
Wheeee! Splat!
"SNOW? It snowed? You're not working, Lina… Are the roads…" Xelloss exclaimed as his brain engaged and the snowball melted into his shirt.
"Closed. All over, so you and Zel aren't going to the Dojo either. AND, here's the best part, more's coming!" Lina said from the open door.
"Wow! I don't remember seeing so much before… any for that matter!" he said excitedly.
"Sure ya do…just a couple…maybe three or four years ago we had some… Oh, yeah… you and Zel were indisposed… So, put on your coat and gloves and let's have a snowball fight! You can do lessons later, after fun and lunch!" she announced.
"We have to feed you all too?" queried Zel as he stacked up another snowball.
"If I win… you treat. But if you win…you treat!" Lina smiled slyly as she squeezed a handful of snow into a hard icy core, then formed a softer crust over it and added it to her growing pile.
Xelloss and Gourry followed by Joey, 'teamed up' closer to the house. Gourry had the whole 'fight' thing down and could turn out snowballs like lightning. Xelloss was better at sneaking up behind and stuffing snow down jackets. Joey was so thrilled to be included in the 'big kids' play that he politely supplied big brother with ammunition and kept somewhat dry. As lop-sided as the arrangement seemed, it was fairly equal, seeing as how Zel and Lina were deadly aims and ammo-ahead from the start.
Within half an hour, they were so cold and wet that a tie was called and they split into two groups to get dry. Xelloss lead the boys to his place and Zel took Lina up to his room. There he grabbed some dry things for himself and Joey and offered to Lina, "I'll leave you to dig through and take anything that fits."
"Gee, thanks, Zel…" she smirked. Once he'd gone, she took the opportunity to check out his room. Stark and clean. She smiled to see a stack of books beside the beanbag chair she'd gifted him Guess he uses it. In his closet hung the clothes she was used to seeing Zel wear, plus a suit or sports jacket whatever…ooh, the sword…better not touch…. Lina sighed and opened a drawer or two jeans…T-shirt.
Ha! A little long, just roll 'em up and TA-DA! I'm dressed!
Lina lingered a bit longer. The bottom drawer held his yearbooks from elementary school, none from middle school surprise, surprise , and nothing she hadn't known about before. His backpack was neatly hung on a peg. Nothing out of place, nothing accumulated, nothing unnecessary…just like Zel. Wearing his clothes and sitting at his desk watching the snowflakes start to fall again, gave Lina a warm fuzzy feeling of safety and familiarity. Her revere was disturbed by the sounds of elephants and monkeys thrashing and thundering about in the kitchen below. FOOD! Enough of THIS! Lina did a little twirl and skipped out the door to join her friends.
"Lina!" Xelloss chuckled. "You do look better in those than he does! Hey…Zelgadiss! Look at Lina!"
Gourry thought she looked very good, except that now his brother and two of his best friends looked confusingly alike.
Lina noticed and laughed, "Good thing our hair's different colors or you'd get us mixed up, huh?"
"Not a chance," Gourry smiled and left it at that.
Xelloss and Joey returned to the practice room for drumming lessons after lunch.
"I was about your age when I started drums. So you sit on the throne…that pedal's for the bass drum and the other's for the hi-hat. To start get a rhythm going bass, hi-hat…bass, hi-hat…right foot, left…right foot, and left…That's right. Do you have a CD player? No? Keep going, I'll be back…"
Xelloss danced up the stairs to his loft, then back down. "Take this one…just a little portable with an okay headset. Yeah, sure, I trust you Gabriev's with my stuff. Here's some CDs with excellent but different styles of drumming. Listen to them lots and focus on the drum part. Now I'll show you some more to try…what have you got to practice on at home? Oh… I have Val's drum practice crap here…I NEVER use it so… It's okay! You get good enough and I'll have you stand in for me when I sing my songs…If your folks'll let you…"
Gourry, Lina, and Zel listened for awhile. Then, bored, they crowded in front of Xelloss' computer and took turns playing games. Lina left the boys to finish their game and sat on the stairs listening in on Joey and Xelloss' conversation.
"So you do any sports?" Joey asked with a look of adoration.
"Yes! Karate," Xelloss answered.
"Any good?"
"Yes… and Zelgadiss is going to teach us all archery for spring."
"I can't do that stuff… I'm growin' so fast I'm always trippin' or clutzyin' around," Joey sighed.
"Well, I never had that problem. Anyway, dancing teaches you coordination…It helped me in Karate too!" Xelloss smiled.
"DANCING? Eeew… that's sissy stuff, but… I guess not if you do it…" Joey hesitated to be too judgmental.
"That's right! Plus it's fun after awhile…and some girls can dance too and that's… ha, ha, not particularly interesting to you right now, but later on… it's a way to get closer," Xelloss chuckled a little.
"Yuck! Not me! Though…so who do you like to dance with?" Joey asked and feeling cool being treated like one of the guys.
Xelloss looked around, but didn't see anyone in hearing distance (Lina being just out of his line of vision). "Well… Amelia is really good, a little pushy…but Lina…she is my favorite…" he mused, eyes closed reliving the memories.
"You mean my brother's girlfriend?" Joey asked trying to figure out how things worked.
"Yes, that Lina…although she's everybody's good friend…and I think she can dance with whomever she wants," Xelloss corrected.
"She's pretty popular then, huh? So you have a girlfriend too?"
Xelloss shook his head, "I repeat, no. I'm starting the shrine's novice program to be a priest and the novices…don't date or anything."
"Really? All Right! That's sounds fine with me! Maybe I'll do that too…when I get older," Joey smiled, happy to have found a way to avoid girl problems.
Before Xelloss could say any more, Gourry and Zel started down the stairs. "Hey, Lina? Time to go, huh?" Gourry asked with a kindly smile.
"Go? Yeah, I guess I should study some for next week's finals...oh that English assignment of…umpteen pages of worksheets and that final writing assignment…another poem!" Lina grumbled as she dragged on her winter coat, hat, gloves, and boots.
Zel had gone to get the clothes from the drier. "Everything's mostly dry but… just return my clothes next week, CLEAN!" he insisted.
Gourry told Xelloss that he'd return his borrowed things and bundle up a set of spares to leave there, "I'm the hardest to fit… and Val could borrow them too."
Xelloss handed Joey a box to carry home this new 'loot'. He and Zel said good bye and returned to the kitchen to start dinner.
The snow kept on coming. Gourry carried Lina piggyback style for the last few blocks of their labored walk home.
The radio announced that school was cancelled for Monday since the snow plows were using the teachers' parking lots to store mountains of snow. This was the first time in 75 years that that had happened in Seyruun.
(((.-)) Zel |||^.^||| Xelloss |{{^.^}}| Lina |((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^)) Amelia |))-.-((| Val