Disclaimer: ...after so long, I think you know I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Quote of the week: "He may not be as dumb as we thought, but he's not nearly as intelligent as we hoped." -my mother, commenting on our cat.
School is almost done... so these chapters are going to be up as soon as possible. Also, during the summer, I'm planning on writing a few co- authored fics with my sister and buddies (along with a new fiction of my own).
Oh, and I'm doing reviews!
Pegacorn: Ne... I didn't think my school would be that popular... ;; Don't blame you for wanting to go the Aggie or Academy, though. I think that if I do a sequel, though, I'd set myself up a schedule for them, put it on my computer, and check up on it if I got confused about what classes they're in - I hate having to refer back to the earlier chapters to see who in what, so the academy is a tad disorganized as a result. (not like that had anything to do with the review, just thought I'd throw the idea up in the air... to remind myself to do it...)
AzureDragoness: Ooh! Thank you about doing those sketches. I know I mentioned that in your e-mail, but just the same. Maybe if I get my scanner working, I'll e-mail you my own pictures of them... IF it works... damn modern-day technology. .
Note: To Cerebral Juxtapose: In case you're reading this, so you don't feel all dejected and stuff, I would have put in your character, but you never gave him a name. Sorry dude.
But until then, let's focus on the present and wrap the year up, ne? Only about seven chapters to go...
And here are some more character bios. (oh, made an error on Holly's zodiac sign - it's Gemini, not Cancer)
Name: Rachel Russo Age: 24 Gender: female Birthday: August 26 Sign: Virgo Race: human Appearance: About five foot eight, slim build, brown medium-length hair, brown eyes, and pierced ears. Personality: Strict and straightforward, Rachel is a kind soul, but teaches based on tough love. She's very intelligent and responsible. Extra: She's a plant manipulation teacher, and also chaperones the tantei's dorm. She's exceptionally enduring, and uses very little spirit energy. Eventually becomes headmistress.
Name: Erica Harding Age: 117 (and still counting) Gender: female Birthday: July 14 Sign: Cancer Race: witch Appearance: Plump and full of energy, Erica looks half her age (which is saying a lot). 5'3", gray hair (usually in a bun), and blue eyes. Personality: Caring and sweet, Erica likes to spoil the students living in her dorm. She's pretty feisty, though, for an old woman... Extra: Although she wouldn't say it outright, Erica has four children, seven grandchildren, and over ten great-grandchildren. She spoils them all rotten, and that's not counting her nieces and nephews. She's proficient in defensive shields, but bindings and charms are her specialties. Can fly on a broom, and is good friends with Holly's grandmother.
Name: Djornn Cirrushoof Age: 32 Gender: male Birthday: December 5 Sign: Sagittarius (please, who didn't see that coming?) Race: centaur Appearance: Like many centaurs, from his waist down resembles a horse. Apparently, he's some sort of draft-horse centaur, and is a sooty gray, with darker gray flecks. His human torso is of average build, he's rather tan, and his face and arms are faintly red from being near the fire so much. Has kind of long-ish black hair, brown eyes, and a short beard. Personality: Djornn is fun-loving, and a bit of a push-over when compared to the other teachers. He can be easily startled, but has a down-to-earth personality and loads of common sense. He's timid around women, and very polite to them, but becomes so nervous that he can't even walk without tripping over his own hooves. Extra: Djornn teaches fire manipulation and other classes that have to do with metal and fire - most often, shop class. He's pretty good friends with Suzuka, partly because they both teach shop/mechanics classes, and also, since Djornn is a bit of an inventor in his own right, to swap ideas for new inventions. He's also afraid of heights.
Name: Ryo Igarashi Age: ... Ancient. Gender: male Birthday: October 2 Sign: Libra Race: Elf-ish...thing. To tell the truth, no one really knows. Appearance: Ryo barely tops five feet, and resembles an elf (in all respects). He has pointed ears, light-colored hair, green eyes, slightly tan skin, and is very lightly built (to put it bluntly, he's a damn twig). Despite his impressive age, Ryo doesn't look much older than twenty. Personality: Ryo is optimistic, happy-go-lucky, mischievous, and usually has the attention span of a gnat. But when he needs to be, he's incredibly focused and patient. Very intelligent, and has a good sense of humor. Extra: Ryo doesn't say much about his family, except for a brief story about his uncle Tsuyoshi getting his lips stuck in a toaster; however, Lyra found a painting that includes Ryo, a young elf-woman, and a toddler, in the main girls-only dorm. The elf teaches Latin and illusionary arts, and is quad-lingual (if that's even a word.). Also, he seems to have been fairly popular even when he was a student at the academy back in the day, and now has a fangirl ghost pining after him.
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"I'd never thought I'd say this, but it's good to be back in class." Justin slumped in his seat, letting his head fall to the table with a thud. It had been about a week since the end of vacation, and, in his opinion, it couldn't be a better day; finals were scheduled in early June, and all that they had done for the last few days had been reviews. He was glad that he had decided to keep careful track of his notes (and that Chrysanthemum had been unrelenting in her tutoring), so Justin had been able to just laze on through his classes.
Still, Suzuka had given the class more essays than he thought was humanly possible, and almost every student had stayed up the entire last three nights finishing them. If the rest of the history reviews were as difficult as the essays, he would just as well shoot something. With a slight creak, the classroom door opened a fraction of an inch, then a little more, and Suzuka walked in, with a huge stack of books in arm, as the door was slammed open and created yet another small dent in the wall with its brass handle. The books were unceremoniously dumped on his desk (which had been cleaned during vacation, but that hadn't lasted too long), and the tall blond man took his usual position -leaning casually against the edge of his desk. Silence befell the students as he cleared his throat.
"Well, did everyone finish those essays?" A collective mumble met his ears, and he cheerily smiled. "That's good, but put them away for next class. As you know, we have a three-period history class today-" he turned to get a book from somewhere amongst the pile, and shook his head as he heard the multiple groans and laments; turning back to his class, he held a rather thick leather-bound book in hand. " - And I decided to get out of the classroom for once."
Stunned silence, then a few students whooped and many others high-fived each other, while the inventor looked on with a smirk on his face. "Calm down or you'll do more essays."
Every one promptly shut up, and reluctantly pretended to behave.
Suzuka looked over his students and nodded his head in approvement. "Much better. Before we go out, can anyone tell me what we studied a few weeks ago, before vacation?" A hand shot up, and the teacher had to stand up a little more to see the student; little Elaine, for once not cringing behind the student in front of her, had raised her hand. "Go on, Elaine."
"It was the netherworld war, sir." Her voice was clear and held no trace of shyness or fear, and she sat up straight in her seat. The wings on her back twitched every few seconds, but she positively beamed as Suzuka nodded and smiled at her.
"Yes; good job Elaine. For this class, we're going to a demonstration of one of the more lesser-known battles that we've studied before; a skirmish of two small guerilla groups, not much more than ten to a group, and consisted totally in the highland prairies of northern Makai." A few students cheered, others grumbled, and still a select few stayed quiet with a stoic look on their faces. "So, you guys go find a buddy or something of the like, and meet me outside by the old oak tree in front of the building; I'll be down soon."
An inviting late-April breeze wafted through the small four-room cottage that doubled as the classroom for Ms.Hisagawa's mythical creatures class, and rustled the pages of Lyra's textbook. She sighed, and moved her arm to block the wind, her eyes nearly closed from the lull of the afternoon; birds sang merrily outside among the rustling trees, the brightly flowering stalks of Foxglove and Lupine waved in the breeze, and a bright yellow and green butterfly flitted through the open window, coming to a rest on the sill. The day was just too nice to be spent inside reading and taking notes for her final; her gaze drifted over to the open window, but redirected itself to the desk a little over to the left of it; Kurama was hard at work, ignoring the incredibly good weather, and was hunched over his notes and book.
He looked up for a second, perhaps sensing that someone was watching him, and his green eyes met Lyra's own blue ones. She blushed a little, the pink tint spreading over her usually fair skin, and turned her head away before giving him a sheepish smile, which he returned. In order to take her mind off of it, she moved her arm and let the wind rustle the pages, hoping to maybe read a bit to distract herself. In true roulette style, the pages flipped around, the text and colored photos upon the pages becoming a blur, until it finally settled, somewhere around the end of the book - much, much farther than the class had gone.
She was about to go back to a chapter that she needed to really buckle down and review on - something like the Mermecolion or Peryton; Ms. Hisagawa was putting an entire section about hybrids in the test. But, the picture splayed upon the textbook was too intriguing; across both pages was a diagram of a dragon, one that resembled Cecilia in build and structure, down to the very last wingtip and its scaly muzzle. In fancy font, just a page before the diagram, was the title: "Dragons and other winged serpents, chapter 24, section 1".
Now this was luck indeed, and Lyra flipped through the papers, urged onwards by the much more interesting title; only two pages later, a rather helpful page with examples of different eggs was being read. But, as Lyra soon found out, much to her disappointment, no glowing mermaid's purse was present. A rather fruitless search, but, considering the egg hadn't hatched in over a couple of decades (maybe even a century or two), there was probably plenty of time for her to at least identify the species of dragon inside.
"Cheers!" Yukimi lifted her glass of lemonade above her head, clinking glasses with the group of older academy students who sat around the table, and was nearly squeezed to death by a crushing one-armed hug from Chuu. The Aussie demon had left the academy, as the need for alcohol had won out again, and had been looking around and doing odd jobs when Yukimi had hired him to help out; he had worked for practically no money, in exchange for free room and board for the summer, and the students were working for extra credit.
All in all, not a bad deal.
During vacation, the entire house had been stripped to the framework and studs, and the walls had been rebuilt and repainted. In fact, just today, they had laid down the tile for the kitchen floor.
Her very own kitchen. With the mosaic countertops, gas stove, fridge, and one of those kitchen sinks with the infrared motion-activated faucet (which was uber-cool and totally free to boot!). Still, the patio and porch was practically in shambles, and who had decided to rebuild it, other than Touya? The ice master had gotten himself in his own private war with the porch ever since he had taken his first step onto it and the wood had shattered right under him, dropping him underneath and right in the middle of an Enfield's den. The hodgepodge mix of animals - a mixture of greyhound, eagle, lion, fox, and wolf - had let loose a howl that blasted him right through the rotted wood that closed off under the porch, and ran off, the three puppies following closely.
Even now he was still working, leaving his companions to celebrate while he slaved away out front. Yukimi had watched with amusement as he totally demolished the porch, a bit nervous that the normally calm man was enjoying the destruction, but, then again, everyone needed to vent out frustration some way; at least he got the job done.
As she gulped down the sweet lemonade, her hand was bumped by a rather attention-hungry cat. Reon rubbed his head against her hand, and Yukimi smiled and scratched the gray cat behind the ears. Since winter, the kitten had been growing like a weed, and was no longer the tiny, cuddly, fur ball he once was; now, he was rather large, definitely larger than even a full- grown cat, and his gray fur had formed some darker-gray streaks in it. The months spent at the house had allowed him to become a proficient hunter, and it was often that Yukimi found one of his "presents" beside her pillow when she woke up.
"Hey, fuzzy. What's up?" Reon meowed and rubbed her hand with his cheek, placing his front paws on her arm and almost dug his claws in as he purred loudly. Yukimi chuckled a picked the cat up, watching as he curled in her arms, eyes half-closed, and purring like a motor; his quiet demeanor suddenly changed to one alertness and his arched his back, his haunches wiggling in anticipation before springing over Yukimi's shoulder and pinning down a harmless beetle, then let the insect go as he saw a far better target. As the cat dashed across the yard, his owner laughed and, among a chorus of complaints, stated that break time was over. Chuu sighed, took a swig from the sake bottle that was almost always at his side when he worked, and ruffled his employer's hair as he got up, ignoring Yukimi's surprised shriek as she went to fix her ponytail, and grinned. "Right-o, Sheila." He was about to leap up onto the ladder to get back to fixing the roof when he stopped and looked back. " 'Ey, Yukimi, better go run down to the academy. Isn't today one of your check-up days for that damn egg?"
"Oh, thanks! Uh, can you tell Touya where I went in case he asks?"
"But he's only out front..."
The dragon-scholar looked at her watch and ran into the house, yelling behind her, "Just do it, dammit!" The Aussie looked simply stunned for a second, then broke into a wide grin. "Aye, Aye, Cap'n!"
The grass swayed in the gentle breeze that flowed across the field; it was a light green, and already neck-high despite the fact it was early spring. Jin smiled good naturedly, floating above his classmates' heads and scanning his eyes across the seemingly endless field. Yusuke looked up at the wind master, a smirk on his face. "Is it just me, or is this "re- enactment" a bit..."
"Not here?" Jin finished his roommates' sentence, and touched down on the dry ground. The spirit detective nodded, and called over to Rogerik, who almost had a spasm; the thief hadn't had much time to relax, as Lark had made it her mission to get back at him for vacation, and hadn't given up yet. "Hey, did you manage to hear anything when you came in late?"
"Nah. Suzuka just kind of disappeared."
No sooner had the psychic spoke, than the grass along the edge of the field, closest to the class, rustled and moved violently; a few of the more tense students took a defensive posture, muscles taught as coiled steel, reiki and youki quietly simmering, ready to explode at any second in a violent attack. The air seemed heavy, weighted, and everything was silent until, with a last rustle, the grass parted and the inventor stepped through.
He was wearing a worn leather brown leather jacket and worn jeans, with no- shine tan boots, and a pair of polarized sunglasses (no doubt from some designer line - they looked rather expensive). A camouflage bag hung from his shoulder, and he held what resembled - but no, it couldn't be, not on school property - a paintball gun.
"Welcome to the reenactment. In case you're wondering just where the reenactment volunteers are, well, welcome to the game." While aggression had turned to surprise and confusion, the teacher smirked, and whistled sharply; the whistle was actually some sort of signal, because no sooner had the shrill note faded from the air, than a pair of strange, horned, gazelle-like animals daintily picked their way from the field and into the clearing. Their legs were long and thin, and the body was just as lean, with a long snaky neck and a sharply defined face that ended in a delicate muzzle; the horns were small and slender, and, on one of the animals, pronged. A set of packs were strapped to their backs, the black contrasting immensely with the gazelle-like creatures' golden hued coats.
Suzuka unbuckled the larger packs from the gazelles, and, their duty done, watched as they bounded off into the grass. With his voluntary servants gone, he unzipped the packs and tossed out smaller bags to his students; these bags, which proved to be very much identical to the one Suzuka was wearing, contained one handed, pistol-styled paintball gun, and multiple packs of extra ammunition. While his students stared in plain awe at their new "school" supplies, he pulled out a handful of bandannas from the pack at his side. Tossing them out at random, it only took the teens a few seconds to figure out why they came in different colors.
"Get set, and when everyone's ready, I'll give the two teams three minutes to their respective bases and figure out a plan of defense from the maps and other supplies you'll find there." In seconds, everyone had tied their bandanna around their arm and had grouped up with their own respective teams. The inventor smiled, this time one of genuine glee, and adjusted his sunglasses. "Alright, you all set? Go!"
And so it began.
His brethren sang outside, nearly taunting him as they hopped from branch to branch, telling all the marvelous tales about the outside world, the forests and fields, the crowded city of humans and demons, the beach and the sparkling ocean. It had been so long since he had flown about in the trees, without a care in the world, singing his own heart out, smiling as the lowly earth-walking creatures below gaped in awe at his bright plumage, his incredible voice...
Weren't memories sweet? But, sadly, that's all they were; although he did not regret his life now, there was so much more he could have done back then...
As the little lovebird crunched thoughtfully on one of his multi-colored food pellets, his beady little gaze wandered over to the tank that took up a corner of Lyra's - and his - room, and cocked his head at it. The mermaid's purse, which he understood to contain some rare beast, was still faintly lighting the room, brightly illuminating the walls even though it was nearly two in the afternoon. All this time it had laid dormant, drawing energy from those around it, innocently floating and bobbing in a twenty- gallon tank of water.
Salvatore swallowed his third pellet, then jumped down from the food dish; he leapt up onto his water bowl and lowered his beak into the cool water, taking gulp after gulp so as to wash away the sugary-fruit aftertaste of his food, then lowered his head down and shook water over his neck and chest. He gave a happy chirrup in satisfaction, then turned again towards the egg.
There was a crack.
It was tiny, almost impossible to see, but right by one of the curled tendrils was a tiny line. With a slightly stronger pulse of light, another appeared, branching off from the first one, and the light grew stronger. Salvatore stared openly, remembering when he had first made it to the world through means of an egg, and almost fell forwards into his water bowl. Mustering any possible ounce of parental instinct he had, the small parrot kept a steady eye on the tank, the target was, of course, the beginning of the child's emergence.
And what a strange child it would be.
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KKC: Yes, it's short... but I couldn't think of a better time to end this chapter. Will be concluded next time. Okay, on a new subject, I'm finally going to get this done! I know I've been planning to do this since sometime at the beginning of April Vacation (sorry, Pegacorn) , but "stuff" got in the way. ("stuff" being lack of imagination, writing ability, or energy) However, without further ado, it's cues drumroll "Wheel Of Torture!"
Grimoire: ...Do I dare ask what the suggestion was?
KKC: Only if you ask who the victim is first. Grins mischievously
Grim: o.o Face blanches I'm the victim, aren't I?
KKC: Very, very tempting... sighs but sadly, no.
Grim:
KKC: Not until I revert back to pulling names out of a hat.
Grim: -.- Cruel... very cruel.
KKC: Well, to tell the truth, today's victim is the most vain and high- tempered of us all... Shishiwakamaru! Pulls cord hanging from ceiling
Shishiwakamaru is dumped onto floor from trapdoor in ceiling, and scurries out of the way as a fangirl demoness jumps down after him. The security system in the room recognizes her as a threat and blasts its laser cannon at her, burning her to a crisp.
Shishi: hiding under figurative table Are they gone yet? Please tell me they're gone...
Grim: Yes, she's now micro-molecules of ash and dust at the moment. You can come out from under the table if you want.
Shishi: comes out from under figurative table finally... I can get a break.
KKC: sneaks up behind Shishi, and before the samurai can resist, ties his hands and ankles together. Not quite, man. It's time for a fan request.
Shishi: Y-you're kidding me. No way! I want to go h- becomes silent as Grim and KKC get evil gleam in eye and pull out the duct tape, rope, demon wards, and chains. ...crap.
Ten minutes later...
KKC and Shishi are in one of those little mall petshops; the kitsune is in a "Pet express" uniform (the logo shirt and a pair of jeans), with her ears, claws, and tail hidden, while the samurai is in his bird/gremlin form.
KKC: Sitting at cashier, looking at Shishi's cage Hey, it isn't that bad.
Shishi: deathglare
KKC: ignoring him I mean, yeah, its totally degrading and all, but at least no one's tried to buy you yet... which makes this a pretty boring WoT segment... brightens up But at least I get paid.
A little kid comes in
Kid: Looks at all the animals, then wanders over to Shishi's cage. stands there for a second, in a glaring match with Shishi, before looking at KKC. Hey, lady?
KKC: Hm?
Kid: What kind of bird is this? Points at Shishi, who tries to bite his finger off It's really ugly.
Shishi: seems to go into cardiac arrest after hearing those three words, and lies on the floor of the cage, leg twitching
KKC: ;; Um... to tell the truth, I don't know. He is kinda homely, though...
Kid: Oh... looks down at Shishi I think he died.
KKC: o.o ...crap. fakes a smile, and shoos kid away from cage No, he isn't dead, he's just one of those fainting parrots! They're really rare! I'm sure he's just playing. looks over at twitching Shishi Right?!
Kid: Really? Cool, I want one!
KKC: I don't think so, kiddo. This one is our store mascot... so he's a bit too old to buy. shows kid out of the store
Shishi: Hears KKC, and starts gargling, as well as choking up a bit of blood
KKC: OO Shiiiiiit... scrambles over to Shishi's cage Speak to me, man! Speak to me!
Shishi: faintly You... you...
KKC: Yeah?
Shishi: stands up and grabs KKC's hair YOU ARE SO GODDAMN DEAD WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE! JUST YOU WAIT, YOU LOUSY LITTLE- suddenly notices everyone in shop looking at him What're you looking at, you miserable wretches? Get out of my sight! most of them start to leave Go!
Within seconds, the store is empty
KKC: That was a tad... too much...
Shishi: Whatever... I'll finish you off later. Climbs back on perch and starts muttering curses under his breath
KKC: looks out window Oh, more people.
door chimes as it opens, and a foreign-looking man steps in
Man: looks around different bird cages, then comes up to KKC Miss, do you sell any larger birds?
KKC: Uh... well, we have cockatiels...
Man: No, no, bigger than that, but not expensive. looks around, then sees Shishi Ah! This one, how much for him?
KKC: Uh, him? Um... looks at the demon ward that is disguised as a price tag About three-fifty.
Man: I'd like to take him.
transaction is made, and Shishi is forcefully stuffed in cardboard box with air holes.
Man: walks out with box Thank you! talks down to Shishi You will make a lovely anniversary dinner for Najiica...
KKC: O.O ...holy... Er, Wait, sir! Come back! runs out after guy Those types of bird aren't good for eating, they're way too stringy and greasy!
Shishi: suddenly starts having spasms and begins writhing from KKC's words the...pain...
Grim: Hm... we'll get back to this later... until then, review and an update will be up soon!
Quote of the week: "He may not be as dumb as we thought, but he's not nearly as intelligent as we hoped." -my mother, commenting on our cat.
School is almost done... so these chapters are going to be up as soon as possible. Also, during the summer, I'm planning on writing a few co- authored fics with my sister and buddies (along with a new fiction of my own).
Oh, and I'm doing reviews!
Pegacorn: Ne... I didn't think my school would be that popular... ;; Don't blame you for wanting to go the Aggie or Academy, though. I think that if I do a sequel, though, I'd set myself up a schedule for them, put it on my computer, and check up on it if I got confused about what classes they're in - I hate having to refer back to the earlier chapters to see who in what, so the academy is a tad disorganized as a result. (not like that had anything to do with the review, just thought I'd throw the idea up in the air... to remind myself to do it...)
AzureDragoness: Ooh! Thank you about doing those sketches. I know I mentioned that in your e-mail, but just the same. Maybe if I get my scanner working, I'll e-mail you my own pictures of them... IF it works... damn modern-day technology. .
Note: To Cerebral Juxtapose: In case you're reading this, so you don't feel all dejected and stuff, I would have put in your character, but you never gave him a name. Sorry dude.
But until then, let's focus on the present and wrap the year up, ne? Only about seven chapters to go...
And here are some more character bios. (oh, made an error on Holly's zodiac sign - it's Gemini, not Cancer)
Name: Rachel Russo Age: 24 Gender: female Birthday: August 26 Sign: Virgo Race: human Appearance: About five foot eight, slim build, brown medium-length hair, brown eyes, and pierced ears. Personality: Strict and straightforward, Rachel is a kind soul, but teaches based on tough love. She's very intelligent and responsible. Extra: She's a plant manipulation teacher, and also chaperones the tantei's dorm. She's exceptionally enduring, and uses very little spirit energy. Eventually becomes headmistress.
Name: Erica Harding Age: 117 (and still counting) Gender: female Birthday: July 14 Sign: Cancer Race: witch Appearance: Plump and full of energy, Erica looks half her age (which is saying a lot). 5'3", gray hair (usually in a bun), and blue eyes. Personality: Caring and sweet, Erica likes to spoil the students living in her dorm. She's pretty feisty, though, for an old woman... Extra: Although she wouldn't say it outright, Erica has four children, seven grandchildren, and over ten great-grandchildren. She spoils them all rotten, and that's not counting her nieces and nephews. She's proficient in defensive shields, but bindings and charms are her specialties. Can fly on a broom, and is good friends with Holly's grandmother.
Name: Djornn Cirrushoof Age: 32 Gender: male Birthday: December 5 Sign: Sagittarius (please, who didn't see that coming?) Race: centaur Appearance: Like many centaurs, from his waist down resembles a horse. Apparently, he's some sort of draft-horse centaur, and is a sooty gray, with darker gray flecks. His human torso is of average build, he's rather tan, and his face and arms are faintly red from being near the fire so much. Has kind of long-ish black hair, brown eyes, and a short beard. Personality: Djornn is fun-loving, and a bit of a push-over when compared to the other teachers. He can be easily startled, but has a down-to-earth personality and loads of common sense. He's timid around women, and very polite to them, but becomes so nervous that he can't even walk without tripping over his own hooves. Extra: Djornn teaches fire manipulation and other classes that have to do with metal and fire - most often, shop class. He's pretty good friends with Suzuka, partly because they both teach shop/mechanics classes, and also, since Djornn is a bit of an inventor in his own right, to swap ideas for new inventions. He's also afraid of heights.
Name: Ryo Igarashi Age: ... Ancient. Gender: male Birthday: October 2 Sign: Libra Race: Elf-ish...thing. To tell the truth, no one really knows. Appearance: Ryo barely tops five feet, and resembles an elf (in all respects). He has pointed ears, light-colored hair, green eyes, slightly tan skin, and is very lightly built (to put it bluntly, he's a damn twig). Despite his impressive age, Ryo doesn't look much older than twenty. Personality: Ryo is optimistic, happy-go-lucky, mischievous, and usually has the attention span of a gnat. But when he needs to be, he's incredibly focused and patient. Very intelligent, and has a good sense of humor. Extra: Ryo doesn't say much about his family, except for a brief story about his uncle Tsuyoshi getting his lips stuck in a toaster; however, Lyra found a painting that includes Ryo, a young elf-woman, and a toddler, in the main girls-only dorm. The elf teaches Latin and illusionary arts, and is quad-lingual (if that's even a word.). Also, he seems to have been fairly popular even when he was a student at the academy back in the day, and now has a fangirl ghost pining after him.
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"I'd never thought I'd say this, but it's good to be back in class." Justin slumped in his seat, letting his head fall to the table with a thud. It had been about a week since the end of vacation, and, in his opinion, it couldn't be a better day; finals were scheduled in early June, and all that they had done for the last few days had been reviews. He was glad that he had decided to keep careful track of his notes (and that Chrysanthemum had been unrelenting in her tutoring), so Justin had been able to just laze on through his classes.
Still, Suzuka had given the class more essays than he thought was humanly possible, and almost every student had stayed up the entire last three nights finishing them. If the rest of the history reviews were as difficult as the essays, he would just as well shoot something. With a slight creak, the classroom door opened a fraction of an inch, then a little more, and Suzuka walked in, with a huge stack of books in arm, as the door was slammed open and created yet another small dent in the wall with its brass handle. The books were unceremoniously dumped on his desk (which had been cleaned during vacation, but that hadn't lasted too long), and the tall blond man took his usual position -leaning casually against the edge of his desk. Silence befell the students as he cleared his throat.
"Well, did everyone finish those essays?" A collective mumble met his ears, and he cheerily smiled. "That's good, but put them away for next class. As you know, we have a three-period history class today-" he turned to get a book from somewhere amongst the pile, and shook his head as he heard the multiple groans and laments; turning back to his class, he held a rather thick leather-bound book in hand. " - And I decided to get out of the classroom for once."
Stunned silence, then a few students whooped and many others high-fived each other, while the inventor looked on with a smirk on his face. "Calm down or you'll do more essays."
Every one promptly shut up, and reluctantly pretended to behave.
Suzuka looked over his students and nodded his head in approvement. "Much better. Before we go out, can anyone tell me what we studied a few weeks ago, before vacation?" A hand shot up, and the teacher had to stand up a little more to see the student; little Elaine, for once not cringing behind the student in front of her, had raised her hand. "Go on, Elaine."
"It was the netherworld war, sir." Her voice was clear and held no trace of shyness or fear, and she sat up straight in her seat. The wings on her back twitched every few seconds, but she positively beamed as Suzuka nodded and smiled at her.
"Yes; good job Elaine. For this class, we're going to a demonstration of one of the more lesser-known battles that we've studied before; a skirmish of two small guerilla groups, not much more than ten to a group, and consisted totally in the highland prairies of northern Makai." A few students cheered, others grumbled, and still a select few stayed quiet with a stoic look on their faces. "So, you guys go find a buddy or something of the like, and meet me outside by the old oak tree in front of the building; I'll be down soon."
An inviting late-April breeze wafted through the small four-room cottage that doubled as the classroom for Ms.Hisagawa's mythical creatures class, and rustled the pages of Lyra's textbook. She sighed, and moved her arm to block the wind, her eyes nearly closed from the lull of the afternoon; birds sang merrily outside among the rustling trees, the brightly flowering stalks of Foxglove and Lupine waved in the breeze, and a bright yellow and green butterfly flitted through the open window, coming to a rest on the sill. The day was just too nice to be spent inside reading and taking notes for her final; her gaze drifted over to the open window, but redirected itself to the desk a little over to the left of it; Kurama was hard at work, ignoring the incredibly good weather, and was hunched over his notes and book.
He looked up for a second, perhaps sensing that someone was watching him, and his green eyes met Lyra's own blue ones. She blushed a little, the pink tint spreading over her usually fair skin, and turned her head away before giving him a sheepish smile, which he returned. In order to take her mind off of it, she moved her arm and let the wind rustle the pages, hoping to maybe read a bit to distract herself. In true roulette style, the pages flipped around, the text and colored photos upon the pages becoming a blur, until it finally settled, somewhere around the end of the book - much, much farther than the class had gone.
She was about to go back to a chapter that she needed to really buckle down and review on - something like the Mermecolion or Peryton; Ms. Hisagawa was putting an entire section about hybrids in the test. But, the picture splayed upon the textbook was too intriguing; across both pages was a diagram of a dragon, one that resembled Cecilia in build and structure, down to the very last wingtip and its scaly muzzle. In fancy font, just a page before the diagram, was the title: "Dragons and other winged serpents, chapter 24, section 1".
Now this was luck indeed, and Lyra flipped through the papers, urged onwards by the much more interesting title; only two pages later, a rather helpful page with examples of different eggs was being read. But, as Lyra soon found out, much to her disappointment, no glowing mermaid's purse was present. A rather fruitless search, but, considering the egg hadn't hatched in over a couple of decades (maybe even a century or two), there was probably plenty of time for her to at least identify the species of dragon inside.
"Cheers!" Yukimi lifted her glass of lemonade above her head, clinking glasses with the group of older academy students who sat around the table, and was nearly squeezed to death by a crushing one-armed hug from Chuu. The Aussie demon had left the academy, as the need for alcohol had won out again, and had been looking around and doing odd jobs when Yukimi had hired him to help out; he had worked for practically no money, in exchange for free room and board for the summer, and the students were working for extra credit.
All in all, not a bad deal.
During vacation, the entire house had been stripped to the framework and studs, and the walls had been rebuilt and repainted. In fact, just today, they had laid down the tile for the kitchen floor.
Her very own kitchen. With the mosaic countertops, gas stove, fridge, and one of those kitchen sinks with the infrared motion-activated faucet (which was uber-cool and totally free to boot!). Still, the patio and porch was practically in shambles, and who had decided to rebuild it, other than Touya? The ice master had gotten himself in his own private war with the porch ever since he had taken his first step onto it and the wood had shattered right under him, dropping him underneath and right in the middle of an Enfield's den. The hodgepodge mix of animals - a mixture of greyhound, eagle, lion, fox, and wolf - had let loose a howl that blasted him right through the rotted wood that closed off under the porch, and ran off, the three puppies following closely.
Even now he was still working, leaving his companions to celebrate while he slaved away out front. Yukimi had watched with amusement as he totally demolished the porch, a bit nervous that the normally calm man was enjoying the destruction, but, then again, everyone needed to vent out frustration some way; at least he got the job done.
As she gulped down the sweet lemonade, her hand was bumped by a rather attention-hungry cat. Reon rubbed his head against her hand, and Yukimi smiled and scratched the gray cat behind the ears. Since winter, the kitten had been growing like a weed, and was no longer the tiny, cuddly, fur ball he once was; now, he was rather large, definitely larger than even a full- grown cat, and his gray fur had formed some darker-gray streaks in it. The months spent at the house had allowed him to become a proficient hunter, and it was often that Yukimi found one of his "presents" beside her pillow when she woke up.
"Hey, fuzzy. What's up?" Reon meowed and rubbed her hand with his cheek, placing his front paws on her arm and almost dug his claws in as he purred loudly. Yukimi chuckled a picked the cat up, watching as he curled in her arms, eyes half-closed, and purring like a motor; his quiet demeanor suddenly changed to one alertness and his arched his back, his haunches wiggling in anticipation before springing over Yukimi's shoulder and pinning down a harmless beetle, then let the insect go as he saw a far better target. As the cat dashed across the yard, his owner laughed and, among a chorus of complaints, stated that break time was over. Chuu sighed, took a swig from the sake bottle that was almost always at his side when he worked, and ruffled his employer's hair as he got up, ignoring Yukimi's surprised shriek as she went to fix her ponytail, and grinned. "Right-o, Sheila." He was about to leap up onto the ladder to get back to fixing the roof when he stopped and looked back. " 'Ey, Yukimi, better go run down to the academy. Isn't today one of your check-up days for that damn egg?"
"Oh, thanks! Uh, can you tell Touya where I went in case he asks?"
"But he's only out front..."
The dragon-scholar looked at her watch and ran into the house, yelling behind her, "Just do it, dammit!" The Aussie looked simply stunned for a second, then broke into a wide grin. "Aye, Aye, Cap'n!"
The grass swayed in the gentle breeze that flowed across the field; it was a light green, and already neck-high despite the fact it was early spring. Jin smiled good naturedly, floating above his classmates' heads and scanning his eyes across the seemingly endless field. Yusuke looked up at the wind master, a smirk on his face. "Is it just me, or is this "re- enactment" a bit..."
"Not here?" Jin finished his roommates' sentence, and touched down on the dry ground. The spirit detective nodded, and called over to Rogerik, who almost had a spasm; the thief hadn't had much time to relax, as Lark had made it her mission to get back at him for vacation, and hadn't given up yet. "Hey, did you manage to hear anything when you came in late?"
"Nah. Suzuka just kind of disappeared."
No sooner had the psychic spoke, than the grass along the edge of the field, closest to the class, rustled and moved violently; a few of the more tense students took a defensive posture, muscles taught as coiled steel, reiki and youki quietly simmering, ready to explode at any second in a violent attack. The air seemed heavy, weighted, and everything was silent until, with a last rustle, the grass parted and the inventor stepped through.
He was wearing a worn leather brown leather jacket and worn jeans, with no- shine tan boots, and a pair of polarized sunglasses (no doubt from some designer line - they looked rather expensive). A camouflage bag hung from his shoulder, and he held what resembled - but no, it couldn't be, not on school property - a paintball gun.
"Welcome to the reenactment. In case you're wondering just where the reenactment volunteers are, well, welcome to the game." While aggression had turned to surprise and confusion, the teacher smirked, and whistled sharply; the whistle was actually some sort of signal, because no sooner had the shrill note faded from the air, than a pair of strange, horned, gazelle-like animals daintily picked their way from the field and into the clearing. Their legs were long and thin, and the body was just as lean, with a long snaky neck and a sharply defined face that ended in a delicate muzzle; the horns were small and slender, and, on one of the animals, pronged. A set of packs were strapped to their backs, the black contrasting immensely with the gazelle-like creatures' golden hued coats.
Suzuka unbuckled the larger packs from the gazelles, and, their duty done, watched as they bounded off into the grass. With his voluntary servants gone, he unzipped the packs and tossed out smaller bags to his students; these bags, which proved to be very much identical to the one Suzuka was wearing, contained one handed, pistol-styled paintball gun, and multiple packs of extra ammunition. While his students stared in plain awe at their new "school" supplies, he pulled out a handful of bandannas from the pack at his side. Tossing them out at random, it only took the teens a few seconds to figure out why they came in different colors.
"Get set, and when everyone's ready, I'll give the two teams three minutes to their respective bases and figure out a plan of defense from the maps and other supplies you'll find there." In seconds, everyone had tied their bandanna around their arm and had grouped up with their own respective teams. The inventor smiled, this time one of genuine glee, and adjusted his sunglasses. "Alright, you all set? Go!"
And so it began.
His brethren sang outside, nearly taunting him as they hopped from branch to branch, telling all the marvelous tales about the outside world, the forests and fields, the crowded city of humans and demons, the beach and the sparkling ocean. It had been so long since he had flown about in the trees, without a care in the world, singing his own heart out, smiling as the lowly earth-walking creatures below gaped in awe at his bright plumage, his incredible voice...
Weren't memories sweet? But, sadly, that's all they were; although he did not regret his life now, there was so much more he could have done back then...
As the little lovebird crunched thoughtfully on one of his multi-colored food pellets, his beady little gaze wandered over to the tank that took up a corner of Lyra's - and his - room, and cocked his head at it. The mermaid's purse, which he understood to contain some rare beast, was still faintly lighting the room, brightly illuminating the walls even though it was nearly two in the afternoon. All this time it had laid dormant, drawing energy from those around it, innocently floating and bobbing in a twenty- gallon tank of water.
Salvatore swallowed his third pellet, then jumped down from the food dish; he leapt up onto his water bowl and lowered his beak into the cool water, taking gulp after gulp so as to wash away the sugary-fruit aftertaste of his food, then lowered his head down and shook water over his neck and chest. He gave a happy chirrup in satisfaction, then turned again towards the egg.
There was a crack.
It was tiny, almost impossible to see, but right by one of the curled tendrils was a tiny line. With a slightly stronger pulse of light, another appeared, branching off from the first one, and the light grew stronger. Salvatore stared openly, remembering when he had first made it to the world through means of an egg, and almost fell forwards into his water bowl. Mustering any possible ounce of parental instinct he had, the small parrot kept a steady eye on the tank, the target was, of course, the beginning of the child's emergence.
And what a strange child it would be.
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KKC: Yes, it's short... but I couldn't think of a better time to end this chapter. Will be concluded next time. Okay, on a new subject, I'm finally going to get this done! I know I've been planning to do this since sometime at the beginning of April Vacation (sorry, Pegacorn) , but "stuff" got in the way. ("stuff" being lack of imagination, writing ability, or energy) However, without further ado, it's cues drumroll "Wheel Of Torture!"
Grimoire: ...Do I dare ask what the suggestion was?
KKC: Only if you ask who the victim is first. Grins mischievously
Grim: o.o Face blanches I'm the victim, aren't I?
KKC: Very, very tempting... sighs but sadly, no.
Grim:
KKC: Not until I revert back to pulling names out of a hat.
Grim: -.- Cruel... very cruel.
KKC: Well, to tell the truth, today's victim is the most vain and high- tempered of us all... Shishiwakamaru! Pulls cord hanging from ceiling
Shishiwakamaru is dumped onto floor from trapdoor in ceiling, and scurries out of the way as a fangirl demoness jumps down after him. The security system in the room recognizes her as a threat and blasts its laser cannon at her, burning her to a crisp.
Shishi: hiding under figurative table Are they gone yet? Please tell me they're gone...
Grim: Yes, she's now micro-molecules of ash and dust at the moment. You can come out from under the table if you want.
Shishi: comes out from under figurative table finally... I can get a break.
KKC: sneaks up behind Shishi, and before the samurai can resist, ties his hands and ankles together. Not quite, man. It's time for a fan request.
Shishi: Y-you're kidding me. No way! I want to go h- becomes silent as Grim and KKC get evil gleam in eye and pull out the duct tape, rope, demon wards, and chains. ...crap.
Ten minutes later...
KKC and Shishi are in one of those little mall petshops; the kitsune is in a "Pet express" uniform (the logo shirt and a pair of jeans), with her ears, claws, and tail hidden, while the samurai is in his bird/gremlin form.
KKC: Sitting at cashier, looking at Shishi's cage Hey, it isn't that bad.
Shishi: deathglare
KKC: ignoring him I mean, yeah, its totally degrading and all, but at least no one's tried to buy you yet... which makes this a pretty boring WoT segment... brightens up But at least I get paid.
A little kid comes in
Kid: Looks at all the animals, then wanders over to Shishi's cage. stands there for a second, in a glaring match with Shishi, before looking at KKC. Hey, lady?
KKC: Hm?
Kid: What kind of bird is this? Points at Shishi, who tries to bite his finger off It's really ugly.
Shishi: seems to go into cardiac arrest after hearing those three words, and lies on the floor of the cage, leg twitching
KKC: ;; Um... to tell the truth, I don't know. He is kinda homely, though...
Kid: Oh... looks down at Shishi I think he died.
KKC: o.o ...crap. fakes a smile, and shoos kid away from cage No, he isn't dead, he's just one of those fainting parrots! They're really rare! I'm sure he's just playing. looks over at twitching Shishi Right?!
Kid: Really? Cool, I want one!
KKC: I don't think so, kiddo. This one is our store mascot... so he's a bit too old to buy. shows kid out of the store
Shishi: Hears KKC, and starts gargling, as well as choking up a bit of blood
KKC: OO Shiiiiiit... scrambles over to Shishi's cage Speak to me, man! Speak to me!
Shishi: faintly You... you...
KKC: Yeah?
Shishi: stands up and grabs KKC's hair YOU ARE SO GODDAMN DEAD WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE! JUST YOU WAIT, YOU LOUSY LITTLE- suddenly notices everyone in shop looking at him What're you looking at, you miserable wretches? Get out of my sight! most of them start to leave Go!
Within seconds, the store is empty
KKC: That was a tad... too much...
Shishi: Whatever... I'll finish you off later. Climbs back on perch and starts muttering curses under his breath
KKC: looks out window Oh, more people.
door chimes as it opens, and a foreign-looking man steps in
Man: looks around different bird cages, then comes up to KKC Miss, do you sell any larger birds?
KKC: Uh... well, we have cockatiels...
Man: No, no, bigger than that, but not expensive. looks around, then sees Shishi Ah! This one, how much for him?
KKC: Uh, him? Um... looks at the demon ward that is disguised as a price tag About three-fifty.
Man: I'd like to take him.
transaction is made, and Shishi is forcefully stuffed in cardboard box with air holes.
Man: walks out with box Thank you! talks down to Shishi You will make a lovely anniversary dinner for Najiica...
KKC: O.O ...holy... Er, Wait, sir! Come back! runs out after guy Those types of bird aren't good for eating, they're way too stringy and greasy!
Shishi: suddenly starts having spasms and begins writhing from KKC's words the...pain...
Grim: Hm... we'll get back to this later... until then, review and an update will be up soon!