The last meeting took place at Kuwabara's house for three reasons:
1. Atsuko was having some kind of party at her place.
2. There was no way they were going to be able to fool all of Kurama's family that this was merely a 'study group' (mainly because Kurama was working in his stepfather's company)
3. Yukina had insisted and was cooking dinner for them.
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"This seems more like a dinner party than a strategy meeting," Yusuke remarked as they sat down looking at the wide array of dishes sitting in front of them.
"Well, it's also a farewell and good luck party," Botan said, carrying in the tray full of food for the 'chenko' pot. *
"Is everyone here then?" someone asked.
"Koenma and his fiancé aren't here yet. ** Naoko and Sukina said that they would be picking up some stuff with Shuura. They should be here in a few minutes, they just called the house, and Hiei's missing," Keiko said, bringing in several large cartons of beer and glasses.
"Where's Hiei?" Kurama asked.
***"Kombawa!" Naoko, Sukina and Shuura came in. Their hands were full. All of them were carrying plastic bags from various stores.
"Kombawa! Ah! Kazuma-kun, Kurama-kun, could you help them with their bags?" Yukina, carrying the last of the food saw them as they entered the open door, saw the trio laden with bags.
"Wow! What did you guys do, buy up the whole grocery store?" Kuwabara asked, going to Sukina and Naoko and taking their bags from the girls, while showing Shuura where he could put his bags.
"School supplies?" Kurama asked. Naoko nodded.
"Kombawa!" someone called out from the compound next to the dining room.
"Kombawa, Koenma-sama! Ah, Megumi-kun! You made it!" Botan was obviously overjoyed to see the ferry girl who had stolen Koenma's heart.
"Is everyone here?"
"Hn." The man was in a tree (as usual).
"Then, let's begin!"
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"Cheers!" they all clicked their glasses together. Three glasses were green rather than yellow.
"So, now that we've gotten the food aside, shall we begin?" Koenma said in a business-like manner, but he had enjoyed the dinner.
"What's there to discuss?" Hiei asked.
"Some final checklists and about your assignments abroad. First off, the Hogwarts team?" Koenma answered, then looking at Naoko.
"School supplies?" he asked.
"Kurama and I picked the textbooks and utensils earlier today. Sukina and Shuura picked up their uniforms in the afternoon, and then we picked up the herbs together," Naoko said.
"There's one thing I've been meaning to ask you, Koenma-san. Their textbooks and curriculum are quite different than what we have been taught. Is it alright to deviate so much?" Kurama asked.
"As long as you cover everything in the textbooks you should be fine. Dumbledore says that the school is more interested in turning out wizards and witches who are equipped with character rather than knowledge, although after their fourth year emphasis is given to academic matters," Koenma said.
The other girls were tactfully staying in the kitchen cleaning up, but they would be out soon with dessert.
"What's this about plastic swords?" Hiei growled. Before Koenma could answer him he continued, "Only wimps learn with plastic swords. How are they going to learn how to cut others without sharp ends?" It was the longest he had said in a long while, and most of them turned away to hid a chuckle.
"They're all novices, Hiei. I doubt they've ever learnt how to hold a sword, much less wield one. They're going to start from the basics," Koenma said patiently, but he was on the verge of smiling.
The young jagan sat back in his seat and kept quiet.
"Do you have your tickets?" Koenma asked the rest of them. They all nodded.
"Good. Now, Yusuke, Kazuma… Our man in Malaysia says that he'll meet you at the airport. His name is Damien Lope," Koenma was saying, but Kurama was watching Naoko's face as Koenma talked, and he saw a wistful shadow of longing cross her face.
"He's from the Interpol Special Division, Youth Section. You should have no problem picking him out immediately- he's trained. He'll bring you up to date on all of the information regarding Socrates Calumnious, as well as see to any needs you two might have," Koenma was saying, when he caught the two boys eyeing each other in mischief.
"And keep out of trouble! Don't embarrass us!" he said sternly.
"You never told us why this Socrates is so important, Koenma-sama," Koenma's fiancé said as they brought in ice cream, sensing that the (very short) meeting had come to an end.
"He's operating outside Europe, for one. Since we've heard of Voldemort we've been keeping our eye on him. What makes him so valuable is that unlike those in Europe, he never wavered in support for Voldemort here. We have our various Asian pantheons to thank for that," Koenma grumbled.
"How so?" Yusuke asked.
"Duality. The Asian concept of religion emphasises yin and yang, light and darkness. Balance. The old ones let him go simply because they believed he professed the darkness, sort of how some Indians believe in the goodness of the destructive power of Kali, and the Chinese in war," Kurama explained.
"What you're also not saying is that we've been heavily influenced by the Western perception of what is good and evil. Chaos is not always bad," Keiko pointed out, eating a cherry.
"Either way," Shizuru took a long draft on her cigarette, "As the Chinese say, 'May you live in interesting times.'"
Naoko grinned. "That's not a blessing, Shizuru-san. It's a curse."
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*Chenko is the sumo's dish- sort of like steamboat
** In book eighteen or nineteen, Koenma was supposed to be 'involved' with another girl, not Botan. She was sweet, so much more suited to Koenma rather than Botan ;) I have no clue to her name though.
**Kombawa- Good evening
Sorry this took so long. I was on a short holiday, and then I feel sick… so…
Muse 1: You were playing The Sims: Superstar! Admit it!
Naoko: But I was really sick! *Points to her sore throat*
Muse 2: Uh huh. Get cracking on the next chapter already, will you? Alexis (Muse 3) has already started!
Naoko: !!
See you soon!
