(A/N: Well, last chapter, we met Lyo. Not a whole lot of personality info
there, but I'm working on that, and it's only the first chapter. And this
is the second chapter.
Also, I would like to give a big, Drake-sized welcome to SunGodDragon, the authoric padwan who will train under me to be a very good fic writer. He's got a talent for Noah fics, and I suggest any Yugioh fans who like Noah to repent of your clear lack of taste (just kidding, no offense Noah-fans!) and pay him a visit.
'Nuff said. I don't own Shaman King, so it's time to go back to the story.)
Why So Shy, Tamao? Chapter 2: Let the Battle Begin: Lyo vs. Hao!
(one morning)-----
Lyo stood in the garden within the walls of the Asakura complex, standing totally still, and with his palms pointed to the ground. He stares at a small setup in front of him:
Two tall bricks are placed as so that they stand up the tallest. On the bricks is a small, wooden plank.
Lyo: He opens his eyes and stares at the plank coldly. Then, in one swift motion, he lifts his right palm and shoves it into and through the wooden plank, breaking the board in half. The two pieces fall in between the two bricks as he places another wooden plank on the bricks in front of him. Repeating the process, he puts his palm through the new plank.
Ponchi and Konchi: They appear behind Lyo, and begin to sneak up on Lyo. They snicker mischievously as they approach Lyo, carrying a large brick.
Lyo: He proceeds to break more boards with his hands. He pauses right after the fifth board he breaks, s he takes a water bottle from near the tall bricks and takes a large gulp, setting the water bottle back down soon after. He proceeds in his routine. He raises his right palm above the board...
Ponchi and Konchi: In one swift motion, they take the board off the sstack and replace the board with the heavy brick that they were carrying.
Lyo: Not noticing the quick actions of the duo of guardian ghosts, he quickly shoves his palm into the brick. A small crack runs through the brick as Lyo withdraws his hand quickly. "Grrrr, OOOOOWWWWWW!"
Ponchi and Konchi: They break into hysterical laughter.
Lyo: His voice rumbles loudly throughout the institute. "Poncheus! Koncheus!"
Ponchi and Konchi: They freeze up.
Konchi: (worried) "Uh-oh..."
Ponchi: (worried) "Full names..."
Lyo: "I don't know how I'm going to tolerate you in order for me to train to become the Shaman King. And it's going to be a wonder how the new kid's going to put up with you!"
Ponchi and Konchi: They glance up at Lyo. "New kid?"
Konchi: There's somebody coming here?"
Ponchi: "How do you know that?"
Lyo: "Well, I AM a clairvoyant, after all. Of course, I WOULD know more..." He glances at Ponchi and Konchi.
Ponchi and Konchi: The two freeze up again. (anime sweatdrop)
Lyo: (continuing) "...but I was interrupted by an annoying pair of KNUCKLEHEADED SPIRITS who want nothing more than to play pranks all the time!"
Ponchi and Konchi: (anime sweatdrop x A LOT) They bow down to Lyo.
Ponchi: "Lyo-san, please forgive us!"
Konchi: "Yeah, it'll never happen again, Lyo-san!"
From a distance away, the front gate can be heard opening. Lyo, Ponchi, and Konchi al turn their attetnion to the front gate.
Lyo: (while staring at the door, to Ponchi and Konchi) "He's here. Now I wan you two on your best behavior around the new guy, okay?"
A comical cackling is heard by all, but not from Ponchi and Konchi. The voice is horrifyingly familiar to the three, especially to Lyo. Ponchi and Konch both scamper away as fast as they can.
Hao: "Hehehe. What makes you so sure that the new kid is a 'he', and not a 'she'?"
Lyo: He turns towards Hao with his head lowered. (muttering) "Rrr, kisama, what're you doing here, Hao-sama?"
Hao: He waves his finger at Lyo. "Uh-uh-uh, that's HAO-SAN to you, Skyboy! And maybe if you had paid a little more attention to Onii-chan, and spent less time with your head in the clouds, then you'd know full well who our new resident is." He places his hands on his hips while grinning widely.
Lyo: "Baka. I know EXACTLY what you're implying, and if you ask my opinion, I don't need the stars to tell me that you're still sore about how bad you got shut down when Kyoyama-san came to live with us, aren't you, (mocking) Hao-sama?"
Hao: He shrugs his shoulders. "Hey, can't blame a guy for trying. 'Sides, you can't even say anything about that. Cuz' last I checked, you never put your name in the hat for Anna-chan."
Lyo: He stares up at Hao and raises an eyebrow. (questioning) "Anna- CHAN? You still call her that? Besides, according to your analysis, you tried, but you got shown up by your brother-"
Hao: (interrupting) "LITTLE brother!"
Lyo: He shrugs his shoulders. "Why so specific all of a sudden? After all, since you lost a girl to your little brother, doesn't that make you look even MORE pathetic than you ACTUALLY are?" He snickers.
Hao: "Aw, shaddup! Besides, I never DID ask for your opinion, (mocking) Lyo-sama..."
Lyo: "Lyo-SAN!"
Hao: "Whatever." He raises his right hand and snaps his fingers as a small fireball appears floating above his hands. He cups the small fireball in his hands as it changes into the shape of a heart.
Lyo: He lowers his head again. (muttering) "Well, at least I can blame you for failing..."
Hao: "I heard that, Skyboy." He snaps his fingers and the heart-shaped fireball disappears.
Voice: An old man's voice comes from the gate, calling down to Hao and Lyo. "Hao! Lyo! Come meet our new guest!"
Hao and Lyo turn towards the gate, where Yohmei can be seen faintly off in the distance, with Anna and Yoh next to him.
Hao: (calling back) "Coming, Onii-chan!"
Lyo: (calling back) "Coming, Yohmei-San!"
The welcoming party stationed at the door consists of Yohmei, Kino, Yoh, Hao, Anna, and Lyo. They stand around the door in a large circle, staring at the girl who would be living with them for a while.
A tall man stands next to a short girl with bright pink hair and wearing a light blue kimono. The girl stares up at the man, who appears to be her father. The tall man carries a large suitcase in his right hand.
Hao: He turns his zoned out gaze to the pink-haired girl. (whistles) (whispers over to Lyo) "Psst! Dibs on the chick..."
Lyo: He forcefully nudges Hao in the gut with his elbow. (whispering to Hao) "Again? You remember what happened last time you tried to get sweet on the apprentice, don't you, Hao?"
Hao: (whispering) "Oh yeah, I remember... After all, how could I forget?" He grins as he stares up into the sky and zones out.
(flashback, 4 years ago, 7 years from present day)-----
Around the gate of the Asakura complex, around the same time of day, just about everyone that is to be standing at the door four years later is standing at the gate now, except for Anna. Instead, the blonde Itako takes her place in the center of the semicircle of people and spirits, composed of Yohmei, Kino, Yoh, Hao, Lyo, Ponchi, and Konchi. The short girl in the center stares timidly at the ground.
Chibi Hao: (whispering to Lyo) "Pzzdt! Dybbz awn da ckyk..." (Psst! Dibs on the chick...")
Chibi Anna: At evidently hearing what Hao had whispered to Lyo, she raises her head walks up slowly to Hao, stopping just a short ways in front if him.
Chibi Hao: He blushes. "Uw, hiy. Iy'm How." (Uh, hi. I'm Hao.)
Chibi Anna: "Hiy... Iy'm Annah." (Hi... I'm Anna.) She stares coldly at Hao and quickly and forcefully slaps him across the right cheek. Hao flies backwards about two feet and lands on his back.
Chibi Lyo: He can't help but giggle at what had just happened to poor Hao.
Chibi Anna: She places her hands on her hips. (coldly) "AN-NAH, nawd 'da chyk'!" (AN-NA, not 'the chick'!)
(flashback ends)-----
Hao: He rubs his right cheek with his hand at the place where Anna had slapped him four years ago. (whispering) "Man, that hurt so much..." He grins widely.
Man: "Yohmei-san..." He bows to Yohmei. "I hope that it is not too much to ask of my former mentor to tutor my daughter. She's, well, very shy, and this is the smallest shaman institute that I could remember. I beg of you to accept."
Yohmei: "As always, it'll be a pleasure, Tomo-sama." He bows down. "In fact, there is an apprentice here who has similar shamanic abilities to your daughter." He stands back. (to Lyo) "His name is Lyo."
Lyo: He freezes up and stands straight like a soldier. (stressed) "Hai, Yohmei-san?"
Yohmei: He sighs. "Lyo."
Lyo: (stressed) "Hai?"
Yohmei: "Stand down."
Lyo: He lowers his shoulders and sighs heavily. (relieved) "Ahh, arigato, Yohmei-san."
Yohmei: (to Lyo) "I want you to be the first to welcome Tamao to our home."
Tamao: She looks past Yohmei, to Lyo. She folds her hands in front of her mouth, trying to hide her face behind her hands. She nervously twitches her long eyelashes.
Lyo: He straightens his posture again as he glances back at Tamao. (stuttering) "O-o-ohaiyou, I'm-" While slowly raising his hand to wave, Hao pushes him out of the way as soon as he gets his hand up.
Hao: He stands in front of Tamao. (affectionately) "Ohaiyou, Tamao. I'm Hao Asakura... But you can call me Hao-chan." He blows a kiss towards Tamao, and a warm, gentle breeze flows through Tamao's soft pink hair.
Lyo: He catches his balance against the wooden gate. *Hmph, cheap party trick. But 'Hao-chan'? Already? Well, that was sure faster than last time...*
Tamao: She glances back at Hao. (stuttering) "H-h-hi... Hi, Hao, Hao- chan..." She nervously waves at Hao.
Lyo: He takes his weight off the wooden gate and walks off in the opposite direction. *Oh well. I, I never needed a girlfriend to make me happy anyways! Well, well Hao can have her, I don't care! Shiyano... Hao... Though, it was... kinda' sweet... the way she looked at me... with those... pretty eyes...* He re-enters the house through the front door, closing the door behind him loudly.
(A/N: Okay, this should give you an idea of what Lyo's personality is like, and some background history of Hao, Lyo, and Anna, according to this fic. (LOL, Hao tried to be Anna's boyfriend! And Anna slapped Hao silly!)
Seeing how disgusted I am with dubbers, I use Japanese where I know it. And here's a little encyclopedia to turn to for most of it: (Please note that I got pretty much all of these from either subtitled anime, or from reading your fics, so please tell me if I got anythig wrong or misunderstood. Domo Arigato, reader-sama!)
"-chan": a suffix indicating either superior status of the speaker to the speakee, or close affection for the speaker to the speakee. But most often in this fic, you're gonna' hear it used in the latter way. Examples: "Tammy-chan", "Anna-chan"
"baka": Literally, a "baka" is a "simpleton", according to my subtitles. But a normal speaker could possibly translate this into "idiot" or "one who doesn't comprehend or understand".
"-sama": A suffix showing equal status between the speaker and speakee. When the speaker requests to be called '(name)-sama', they demand fair respect. Examples: "Yoh-sama", "Hao-sama"
"-san": This prefix indicates that the speaker is superior to the speakee, or that the speaker is attempting to belittle the speakee. Many times, in fact a few times in this chapter, a character will request to be addressed as "(name)-san" as a way of belittling the status of the speakee.
"arigato": Short for 'domo arigato', meaning 'thank you'. 'Arigato' is just shorthand, meaning 'thanks'.
"Onii-chan": No, this does not mean "precious demon". It means "grandfather". Yoh and Hao will address Yohmei in this manner throughout the fic. (Note that the reason that Lyo cannot address Yohmei in this manner is because, according to my fic, Lyo has no kinship to the Asakuras. Make note of that, there's a reason for that which I'll get to later.) Japanese Yugioh fans should be quite familiar with this term.
"gomen" / "gomen nasai": These terms can be used interchangeably, meaning "thank you", or "thanks" for short.
"domo" / "kisama": These two terms mean the same thing when translated, but in a different context. "Domo" refers to "you" as in addressing someone, like 'domo arigato' means 'thank you'. But "kisama" refers to 'you' as being aggressive or demeaning, such as how Lyo addresses Hao, like "grr, YOU!"
"ohaiyou": This simply means 'good morning'. Hao and Lyo use this ('tries to', in Lyo's case) to greet Tamao with near the end of the chapter.
"shiyano": I am most doubtful here of my spelling and usage because I picked this up out of a subtitled anime. It should mean 'worm'. Not like invertebrate fish bait worm, but more like 'indespicable person', or 'slimeball', to be more vernacular.
"aishteru": Every Yohna fan should add this to their Japanese vocabulary, cuz' it means "I love you". Erp, well, in context OF COURSE! (gee, that was really awkward...)
"itako": Okay, I'm gonna' smack whoever doesn't get this one! An 'itako' is a Japanese kind of shaman, like a channeler. Anna Kyoyama, and the Yugioh TCG monster card "Kycoo the Ghost Destryoer" (see 'Labyrinth of Nightmare' booster pack series) are both 'itakos'.
"hai": This means 'yes', as in a response, not a gesture of success. For example, if your favorite sports team wins a game, you wouldn't say 'hai' and jump up and down like a lunatic (at least, I hope not...), but you would say 'hai' if you were asked a question or if you were addressed, like how Yohmei addressed Lyo in front of Tamara, and when he acted with soldier- like obedience.
Okay, that's just about all the Japanese I should need for this fic. Anything else that I used will be added on as I go, and please, please, PLEASE, do NOT take this dictionary as being infallible, cuz' it's not. Not by any means. I'm expecting somebody to review or e-mail and tell me that I translated one of these wrong. In fact, I invite you to look up anything you question me about. On the plus side, whether I'm right or not, I'm no longer associating myself with those idiotic dubbers!)
Also, I would like to give a big, Drake-sized welcome to SunGodDragon, the authoric padwan who will train under me to be a very good fic writer. He's got a talent for Noah fics, and I suggest any Yugioh fans who like Noah to repent of your clear lack of taste (just kidding, no offense Noah-fans!) and pay him a visit.
'Nuff said. I don't own Shaman King, so it's time to go back to the story.)
Why So Shy, Tamao? Chapter 2: Let the Battle Begin: Lyo vs. Hao!
(one morning)-----
Lyo stood in the garden within the walls of the Asakura complex, standing totally still, and with his palms pointed to the ground. He stares at a small setup in front of him:
Two tall bricks are placed as so that they stand up the tallest. On the bricks is a small, wooden plank.
Lyo: He opens his eyes and stares at the plank coldly. Then, in one swift motion, he lifts his right palm and shoves it into and through the wooden plank, breaking the board in half. The two pieces fall in between the two bricks as he places another wooden plank on the bricks in front of him. Repeating the process, he puts his palm through the new plank.
Ponchi and Konchi: They appear behind Lyo, and begin to sneak up on Lyo. They snicker mischievously as they approach Lyo, carrying a large brick.
Lyo: He proceeds to break more boards with his hands. He pauses right after the fifth board he breaks, s he takes a water bottle from near the tall bricks and takes a large gulp, setting the water bottle back down soon after. He proceeds in his routine. He raises his right palm above the board...
Ponchi and Konchi: In one swift motion, they take the board off the sstack and replace the board with the heavy brick that they were carrying.
Lyo: Not noticing the quick actions of the duo of guardian ghosts, he quickly shoves his palm into the brick. A small crack runs through the brick as Lyo withdraws his hand quickly. "Grrrr, OOOOOWWWWWW!"
Ponchi and Konchi: They break into hysterical laughter.
Lyo: His voice rumbles loudly throughout the institute. "Poncheus! Koncheus!"
Ponchi and Konchi: They freeze up.
Konchi: (worried) "Uh-oh..."
Ponchi: (worried) "Full names..."
Lyo: "I don't know how I'm going to tolerate you in order for me to train to become the Shaman King. And it's going to be a wonder how the new kid's going to put up with you!"
Ponchi and Konchi: They glance up at Lyo. "New kid?"
Konchi: There's somebody coming here?"
Ponchi: "How do you know that?"
Lyo: "Well, I AM a clairvoyant, after all. Of course, I WOULD know more..." He glances at Ponchi and Konchi.
Ponchi and Konchi: The two freeze up again. (anime sweatdrop)
Lyo: (continuing) "...but I was interrupted by an annoying pair of KNUCKLEHEADED SPIRITS who want nothing more than to play pranks all the time!"
Ponchi and Konchi: (anime sweatdrop x A LOT) They bow down to Lyo.
Ponchi: "Lyo-san, please forgive us!"
Konchi: "Yeah, it'll never happen again, Lyo-san!"
From a distance away, the front gate can be heard opening. Lyo, Ponchi, and Konchi al turn their attetnion to the front gate.
Lyo: (while staring at the door, to Ponchi and Konchi) "He's here. Now I wan you two on your best behavior around the new guy, okay?"
A comical cackling is heard by all, but not from Ponchi and Konchi. The voice is horrifyingly familiar to the three, especially to Lyo. Ponchi and Konch both scamper away as fast as they can.
Hao: "Hehehe. What makes you so sure that the new kid is a 'he', and not a 'she'?"
Lyo: He turns towards Hao with his head lowered. (muttering) "Rrr, kisama, what're you doing here, Hao-sama?"
Hao: He waves his finger at Lyo. "Uh-uh-uh, that's HAO-SAN to you, Skyboy! And maybe if you had paid a little more attention to Onii-chan, and spent less time with your head in the clouds, then you'd know full well who our new resident is." He places his hands on his hips while grinning widely.
Lyo: "Baka. I know EXACTLY what you're implying, and if you ask my opinion, I don't need the stars to tell me that you're still sore about how bad you got shut down when Kyoyama-san came to live with us, aren't you, (mocking) Hao-sama?"
Hao: He shrugs his shoulders. "Hey, can't blame a guy for trying. 'Sides, you can't even say anything about that. Cuz' last I checked, you never put your name in the hat for Anna-chan."
Lyo: He stares up at Hao and raises an eyebrow. (questioning) "Anna- CHAN? You still call her that? Besides, according to your analysis, you tried, but you got shown up by your brother-"
Hao: (interrupting) "LITTLE brother!"
Lyo: He shrugs his shoulders. "Why so specific all of a sudden? After all, since you lost a girl to your little brother, doesn't that make you look even MORE pathetic than you ACTUALLY are?" He snickers.
Hao: "Aw, shaddup! Besides, I never DID ask for your opinion, (mocking) Lyo-sama..."
Lyo: "Lyo-SAN!"
Hao: "Whatever." He raises his right hand and snaps his fingers as a small fireball appears floating above his hands. He cups the small fireball in his hands as it changes into the shape of a heart.
Lyo: He lowers his head again. (muttering) "Well, at least I can blame you for failing..."
Hao: "I heard that, Skyboy." He snaps his fingers and the heart-shaped fireball disappears.
Voice: An old man's voice comes from the gate, calling down to Hao and Lyo. "Hao! Lyo! Come meet our new guest!"
Hao and Lyo turn towards the gate, where Yohmei can be seen faintly off in the distance, with Anna and Yoh next to him.
Hao: (calling back) "Coming, Onii-chan!"
Lyo: (calling back) "Coming, Yohmei-San!"
The welcoming party stationed at the door consists of Yohmei, Kino, Yoh, Hao, Anna, and Lyo. They stand around the door in a large circle, staring at the girl who would be living with them for a while.
A tall man stands next to a short girl with bright pink hair and wearing a light blue kimono. The girl stares up at the man, who appears to be her father. The tall man carries a large suitcase in his right hand.
Hao: He turns his zoned out gaze to the pink-haired girl. (whistles) (whispers over to Lyo) "Psst! Dibs on the chick..."
Lyo: He forcefully nudges Hao in the gut with his elbow. (whispering to Hao) "Again? You remember what happened last time you tried to get sweet on the apprentice, don't you, Hao?"
Hao: (whispering) "Oh yeah, I remember... After all, how could I forget?" He grins as he stares up into the sky and zones out.
(flashback, 4 years ago, 7 years from present day)-----
Around the gate of the Asakura complex, around the same time of day, just about everyone that is to be standing at the door four years later is standing at the gate now, except for Anna. Instead, the blonde Itako takes her place in the center of the semicircle of people and spirits, composed of Yohmei, Kino, Yoh, Hao, Lyo, Ponchi, and Konchi. The short girl in the center stares timidly at the ground.
Chibi Hao: (whispering to Lyo) "Pzzdt! Dybbz awn da ckyk..." (Psst! Dibs on the chick...")
Chibi Anna: At evidently hearing what Hao had whispered to Lyo, she raises her head walks up slowly to Hao, stopping just a short ways in front if him.
Chibi Hao: He blushes. "Uw, hiy. Iy'm How." (Uh, hi. I'm Hao.)
Chibi Anna: "Hiy... Iy'm Annah." (Hi... I'm Anna.) She stares coldly at Hao and quickly and forcefully slaps him across the right cheek. Hao flies backwards about two feet and lands on his back.
Chibi Lyo: He can't help but giggle at what had just happened to poor Hao.
Chibi Anna: She places her hands on her hips. (coldly) "AN-NAH, nawd 'da chyk'!" (AN-NA, not 'the chick'!)
(flashback ends)-----
Hao: He rubs his right cheek with his hand at the place where Anna had slapped him four years ago. (whispering) "Man, that hurt so much..." He grins widely.
Man: "Yohmei-san..." He bows to Yohmei. "I hope that it is not too much to ask of my former mentor to tutor my daughter. She's, well, very shy, and this is the smallest shaman institute that I could remember. I beg of you to accept."
Yohmei: "As always, it'll be a pleasure, Tomo-sama." He bows down. "In fact, there is an apprentice here who has similar shamanic abilities to your daughter." He stands back. (to Lyo) "His name is Lyo."
Lyo: He freezes up and stands straight like a soldier. (stressed) "Hai, Yohmei-san?"
Yohmei: He sighs. "Lyo."
Lyo: (stressed) "Hai?"
Yohmei: "Stand down."
Lyo: He lowers his shoulders and sighs heavily. (relieved) "Ahh, arigato, Yohmei-san."
Yohmei: (to Lyo) "I want you to be the first to welcome Tamao to our home."
Tamao: She looks past Yohmei, to Lyo. She folds her hands in front of her mouth, trying to hide her face behind her hands. She nervously twitches her long eyelashes.
Lyo: He straightens his posture again as he glances back at Tamao. (stuttering) "O-o-ohaiyou, I'm-" While slowly raising his hand to wave, Hao pushes him out of the way as soon as he gets his hand up.
Hao: He stands in front of Tamao. (affectionately) "Ohaiyou, Tamao. I'm Hao Asakura... But you can call me Hao-chan." He blows a kiss towards Tamao, and a warm, gentle breeze flows through Tamao's soft pink hair.
Lyo: He catches his balance against the wooden gate. *Hmph, cheap party trick. But 'Hao-chan'? Already? Well, that was sure faster than last time...*
Tamao: She glances back at Hao. (stuttering) "H-h-hi... Hi, Hao, Hao- chan..." She nervously waves at Hao.
Lyo: He takes his weight off the wooden gate and walks off in the opposite direction. *Oh well. I, I never needed a girlfriend to make me happy anyways! Well, well Hao can have her, I don't care! Shiyano... Hao... Though, it was... kinda' sweet... the way she looked at me... with those... pretty eyes...* He re-enters the house through the front door, closing the door behind him loudly.
(A/N: Okay, this should give you an idea of what Lyo's personality is like, and some background history of Hao, Lyo, and Anna, according to this fic. (LOL, Hao tried to be Anna's boyfriend! And Anna slapped Hao silly!)
Seeing how disgusted I am with dubbers, I use Japanese where I know it. And here's a little encyclopedia to turn to for most of it: (Please note that I got pretty much all of these from either subtitled anime, or from reading your fics, so please tell me if I got anythig wrong or misunderstood. Domo Arigato, reader-sama!)
"-chan": a suffix indicating either superior status of the speaker to the speakee, or close affection for the speaker to the speakee. But most often in this fic, you're gonna' hear it used in the latter way. Examples: "Tammy-chan", "Anna-chan"
"baka": Literally, a "baka" is a "simpleton", according to my subtitles. But a normal speaker could possibly translate this into "idiot" or "one who doesn't comprehend or understand".
"-sama": A suffix showing equal status between the speaker and speakee. When the speaker requests to be called '(name)-sama', they demand fair respect. Examples: "Yoh-sama", "Hao-sama"
"-san": This prefix indicates that the speaker is superior to the speakee, or that the speaker is attempting to belittle the speakee. Many times, in fact a few times in this chapter, a character will request to be addressed as "(name)-san" as a way of belittling the status of the speakee.
"arigato": Short for 'domo arigato', meaning 'thank you'. 'Arigato' is just shorthand, meaning 'thanks'.
"Onii-chan": No, this does not mean "precious demon". It means "grandfather". Yoh and Hao will address Yohmei in this manner throughout the fic. (Note that the reason that Lyo cannot address Yohmei in this manner is because, according to my fic, Lyo has no kinship to the Asakuras. Make note of that, there's a reason for that which I'll get to later.) Japanese Yugioh fans should be quite familiar with this term.
"gomen" / "gomen nasai": These terms can be used interchangeably, meaning "thank you", or "thanks" for short.
"domo" / "kisama": These two terms mean the same thing when translated, but in a different context. "Domo" refers to "you" as in addressing someone, like 'domo arigato' means 'thank you'. But "kisama" refers to 'you' as being aggressive or demeaning, such as how Lyo addresses Hao, like "grr, YOU!"
"ohaiyou": This simply means 'good morning'. Hao and Lyo use this ('tries to', in Lyo's case) to greet Tamao with near the end of the chapter.
"shiyano": I am most doubtful here of my spelling and usage because I picked this up out of a subtitled anime. It should mean 'worm'. Not like invertebrate fish bait worm, but more like 'indespicable person', or 'slimeball', to be more vernacular.
"aishteru": Every Yohna fan should add this to their Japanese vocabulary, cuz' it means "I love you". Erp, well, in context OF COURSE! (gee, that was really awkward...)
"itako": Okay, I'm gonna' smack whoever doesn't get this one! An 'itako' is a Japanese kind of shaman, like a channeler. Anna Kyoyama, and the Yugioh TCG monster card "Kycoo the Ghost Destryoer" (see 'Labyrinth of Nightmare' booster pack series) are both 'itakos'.
"hai": This means 'yes', as in a response, not a gesture of success. For example, if your favorite sports team wins a game, you wouldn't say 'hai' and jump up and down like a lunatic (at least, I hope not...), but you would say 'hai' if you were asked a question or if you were addressed, like how Yohmei addressed Lyo in front of Tamara, and when he acted with soldier- like obedience.
Okay, that's just about all the Japanese I should need for this fic. Anything else that I used will be added on as I go, and please, please, PLEASE, do NOT take this dictionary as being infallible, cuz' it's not. Not by any means. I'm expecting somebody to review or e-mail and tell me that I translated one of these wrong. In fact, I invite you to look up anything you question me about. On the plus side, whether I'm right or not, I'm no longer associating myself with those idiotic dubbers!)