Day 3
Keiko Asakura slid the door to her son's room open, and stepped her, the morning son casting an organic glow over the whole room. Kneeling beside her son and pressing a hand to her heart, tears glistening in her eyes as she watched him sleep. How many mornings had she smiled down upon his sleeping face? It seemed like only a short while ago he had been the precious infant she'd held in her arms, and then the curious little boy with an affinity for their old record player, and then the gangly preteen clinging to her in private the night before leaving home for Tokyo. She brushed at her eyes quickly, before the tears had a chance to betray her.
Yoh opened a single eye halfway, the normally heavy sleeper unusually awakened by the few soft noises she had made in entering his room. The blame for this may be placed squarely on his nerves, which were once again working themselves up, "Hi mom…" he muttered groggily, entirely unmoving except his one opened eye, which had focused itself upon his female parentage fondly.
"Hi sweetie," she said, voice shaking despite her smile.
"Am I late?" he asked thickly, finally forcing his second eye to open as well.
"No, not at all," she shook her head, "I just wanted to see you before anyone else."
"Oh, okay," he replied contentedly, rolling over on his side so there was less stress on his neck to view the person who was responsible for bringing him into the world, "I'm getting married today, mom…" he told her slowly, he himself finding some satisfaction in these words. But despite her happy disposition, he thought she looked almost…sad.
"I know you are, sweetie," she said, leaning down to kiss him, "You're so grown up now…my baby boy…" she put a hand to her mouth, trying to hold back the tears.
He sat up slowly, "Mom…" he said softly, opening his arms wide to embrace her, "I love her, mom. But you know…I'll always love you too, right?"
"I do, I do," she choked out, squeezing him tightly, "I love you so much, Yoh. I'm so proud of you."
He smiled, a tiny droplet of liquid forming in the corner of his right eye, "Thanks Mom…"
"Alright, alright," Mikihisa said, sidling into the room, "You've had twenty years worth of opportunities to coddle him. Now the men have to have a little heart to heart."
Yoh pressed his face into his mother's shoulder for a second, to wipe away the bit of fluid from his eyes, then looked up, "Hey Dad, what's up?"
"Oh, nothing your mother needs to be here for," he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Fine, I'm going," Keiko said, kissing the top of her son's head and strolling out of the room, grinning, "Though I have a feeling this is a discussion I'd enjoy."
Yoh watched his mother depart for a second, then turned to his father, "Morning," he said, grinning goofily, "What'dja wanna talk about?"
"Son…you're getting married today," Mikihisa said, crouching down beside his only child.
"I know," the Shaman King replied happily, the thought an enjoyable one. He paused, touching a hand to his chin uncertainly, "Do you need a hug too?"
"No, no, well, yeah maybe later," Mikihisa said, a bit flustered, "There's just some things every young man needs to know before his…wedding night…"
Puzzled, Yoh spoke hesitantly, unsure of the direction his father was trying to proceed in. He had a bit of a guess however, "Umm…Dad, are trying to talk about sex?"
"Erk…um…yes…" Mikihisa said, the color in his cheeks deepening.
"Dad…I'm not sure how to tell you this, but…I'm pretty sure I know more about sex than you do…" the younger man chuckled, a bit of color now forming in his cheeks as well.
"You…do?" the elder man asked, now looking positively mortified.
Yoh's light amusement turned to laughter at this, but the discoloring blood in his cheeks did not subside, "Well, Anna and I have been doing it since the end of high school and you just never really struck me as a lady's man, that's all…"
Mikihisa hung his head, "…Oh…well, then I suppose I'll just go crawl under a rock and die now…"
"Dad, stop kidding around," the Shaman King joked, "You got mom, you can't be that bad…"
Mikihisa laughed slightly, "You do have a point there, son," he said, sitting back, "Well, I guess you're all set then. Let's go get something to eat."
"Okay," Yoh agreed happily, standing up, "And Dad…thanks."
"That's what I'm here for," the senior Asakura said with a smile, rising as well and swinging an arm around his son's shoulders as they left the room.
"Good morning Master Yoh, Master Mikihisa," Ryu said respectfully as the two Asakura men entered the room, quickly setting down his coffee cup and rising.
"Mornin' guys," Yoh said cheerfully, sitting himself down and piling a plate full of delectables, "You all sleep well?"
"Man, I slept like a log, it was great," Horohoro yawned, his own plate already half-cleaned.
"Speak for yourself," Manta muttered clutching his coffee mug tightly, "My ears are still ringing from all your snoring."
The Ainu male chuckled, rubbing the back of his head with one hand, "Sorry 'bout that…"
"I regret to say that it felt like old times again," Manta said with a dry smile, "So how're you feeling today, Yoh?"
"Pretty good, actually," Yoh replied cheerfully, taking a pause between bites of breakfast to talk, "A little scared," he admitted, "But don't tell Anna I said that, ok? I'm sure she's doing just fine…"
"Anna, you have to eat something, please," Tami said, setting a tray of breakfast foods down on the dresser in the bride's bedroom.
"I'm not hungry," Anna said, seated on top of her futon, hugging her knees, watching Keiko lay out all the various pieces that made up the traditional wedding kimono she would soon be wearing.
"But we won't be eating again until dinner," the pink-haired woman insisted.
"Trust me, Tami, even if I ate, it wouldn't stay down right now…"
Tamera paused uncertainly, not wanting to press the issue too much (despite the fact that she knew Anna would be quite hungry in eight) hours, "It's ok to be a little nervous, Anna. That's normal, isn't it Lady Keiko?"
"Of course it is," Keiko nodded, "Though in this day and age what exactly there is to be nervous about I'm not sure. You two have both already experienced what some of us had to wait till our wedding night to do."
Both girls blushed furiously and Anna stammered, "Oh man, if I had that to worry about too, I think I would die…"
"Mother, I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself," Ren pouted in irritated exasperation, standing up slowly (and with a bit of dizziness accompanying, to his dismay) from his seat on the bed he had been confined too for the past 24 hours, "I just would prefer to do so without you in the room."
"Darling, I nursed you and diapered you," Tao Ran said, pulling his cheongsam out of the closet, "There's certainly nothing I'd see today that I haven't seen already."
"I'm not a child anymore, mother," the young man replied, his cheeks reddening lightly.
"That certainly is true," Ran nodded, "I suppose just how much of a man you've become will remain a mystery to me?"
"MOTHER!"
"I'm simply curious, Ren. No need to shout," she said, smirking, "I was just wondering whether or not endowment ran in the family."
It was highly unlikely that Tao Ren could have been more mortified than he felt currently, as could be seen with even a passing glance at his face, which was now beet red (much more information than he had ever wanted to know had just been given to him), "I- I'm not going to discuss this with you!" he cried, flustered.
"Fine, have it your way," she said, mock-pouting, "But if you fall over while dressing yourself, don't call to me for help."
"Fine," he replied shortly, holding out a hand expectantly for the formal attire of his that Ran was still holding.
She handed it over and brushed past him out of the room, where Jun was standing in the hallway. The younger Tao female snickered, "I can't believe you actually asked him that!"
"Well, you dared me too," Ran said with a wry smile, "And a Tao never backs down from a challenge."
"Everything seems to be running smoothly," Kino observed, as she joined her husband out on the porch.
"Who's helping Yoh prepare, or has he insisted on trying to dress himself?" Yohmei asked, his lit pipe held loosely in one hand, staring out at the serene late morning scenery in front of the Asakura main complex.
"Mikihisa is with him, but I have to wonder if that will do more harm than good," she chuckled slightly.
The old man smiled, "Perhaps you'd better go check on them before the time comes…"
"Perhaps…while I do that, you can greet our guests," she said.
"Guests?" he raised an eyebrow dubiously.
"They should be coming up the entryway any minute now," she said, heading back into the house.
"Kino, what on Earth have you done now?"
"Why don't you go see for yourself?" she said with a smirk.
He sighed noisily, standing up, joints creaking as he did so, another blasted sign that his heyday had long since past, "Very well…"
"Boy, who knew Yoh's folks had such a huge place!" Joko said, whistling loudly as he trekked up the dirt path, duffle bag slung over one shoulder. He was taller now, though still rather thin, with hair now cropped close to his scalp. His attire reflected that of a well-off entertainer, and his guardian ghost floated at his side, mewing happily.
"Es ist sehr schön," Faust commented mildly, removing his tall, white hat and holding it in the same hand as his briefcase (the single piece of luggage he had brought along), "The kind of place that never loses its intrigue, despite age or season…"
"I can't believe how long it's been since we've been in Japan," Lyserg said, his childhood good-looks now well-matured, Chloe (gorgeous as ever) seated on his shoulder, as he pulled a roll-along suitcase behind him.
"I must say, I was surprised to receive an invitation on the day the wedding was to be held…" The tall, blonde-haired German said mildly, his long, black, military boots shining in the noon sun.
"But then again, if Yoh's family is anything like Yoh, this really is no surprise at all," Joko said with a grin.
Lyserg smiled, "True enough."
Suddenly a flock of leaf spirits flew towards them, circling around a few times before trying to take their luggage. "Hey, watch it!" Joko cried, trying to keep his valuables from being stolen.
"Rest assured, young Joko, your things will only be relocated for you. My shikigami do not steal unless I command them to."
"Huh?" all three looked towards the house, where the elder man was standing.
"M-master Yohmei," Lyserg stammered, bowing low, having heard so much about the esteemed Shaman.
Faust had one of the little spirits in his hand now, examining it curiously, "Tag!" he said pleasantly to the old man, gently placing the shikigami in one of his many coat-pockets (such a fascinating little creature obviously required further study. While the teachings of Faust the first were extensive, they were also selective).
"I'm afraid that won't last very long, Faust-san," Yohmei said with a smile, "Once I stop using spirit control he'll vanish, until I decide to summon him again. But if you'd like to study them during your stay, that could certainly be arranged."
The doctor smiled, patting his over-stuffed pocket with one hand, "Thank you, Meister Yohmei…"
"Not at all," the old man smiled, "Do come inside."
"Um, thank you, sir," Joko said, mildly confused about the whole situation happening around him, "Sure is a nice place you have here."
"Oh don't thank me," Yohmei said, as he lead them inside, "My wife is the one who arranged this. Not that I can protest to your attending the wedding. Yoh and Anna will be most pleased to see you."
"It's been quite a while since we've gotten to see them," Lyserg replied, his tone still respectful and courteous, "Are they getting ready for the ceremony now?"
"So I expect," Yohmei said, turning his gaze towards the ceiling with a smile.
"Why do there have to be so many pieces to this thing?" Yoh whined pitifully, letting his arms fall limp at his sides in surrender and leaning back against his bedroom wall, approximately half-dressed in the formal kimono he was expected to wear to his wedding.
"Because it's tradition," Mikihisa said, examining the remaining pieces of silk, "and your mother wanted it, so it's going to happen."
"What's wrong with just dressing like myself?" he asked, his eyes closed as he leaned his head back onto the hard, wooden wall.
"Well, once you see Anna, you'll feel underdressed, even wearing this," Mikihisa said, picking up the obi belt, "Come over here, will you?"
"They aren't gonna make her do any of those weird, painful, old things are they?" Yoh inquired, a strong hint of concern in his voice as he lazily stood erect and walked back over to the bedside where the remainder of his befuddling attire sat.
"Anna's much too strong for those sorts of things," Mikihisa said, fastening the belt around his son's waist, "And Keiko never stood for it either. No worries."
"Good," the Shaman King said, satisfied, not really registering the feeling of the belt being added to his person, "What's marriage like, dad?"
Mikihisa paused, considering this. "Well, it's not too different from the relationship you have with your fiancé before being married when it starts out…" he said, "It's a bit more work I suppose, but if you truly love the person you're married to, than it doesn't feel like work. It's…well, it's an adventure, son," he said, putting a hand on his offspring's shoulder, "And every one is different. You just hang on tight and enjoy the ride."
Yoh smiled broadly, revealing his neatly lined, pearly white teeth, obviously quite pleased with this answer, "Sounds easy enough…"
"You'll be just fine," Mikihisa said with a smile.
"Thanks, dad."
"Not a bad fit, I suppose," Ren said mildly, examining his new outfit in the full length mirror of his temporary quarters in the Asakura house. Though the white sleeve cuffs flared widely outwards, the actual sleeves of the formal black cheongsam were rather taut against his well-built arms. The last few buttons along the side of the garment were undone, to allow for easier movement. It wasn't really his style, but it was tolerable.
"Jun was right – it really does suit you," came a friendly female voice from behind him and in the mirror he caught sight of Tamera in the doorway. He turned so as to get a better look at her. She was dressed in a pastel green kimono, with a lavender obi belt and a blue floral pattern throughout. Her long pink hair was pulled up loosely in a knot on top of her head.
"You look beautiful," he said quietly, transfixed by the vision of exquisiteness before him, his uninhibited inner thoughts managing to escape his lips with ease.
"Thanks," she said, the pink rising in her cheeks as she crossed the room to stand beside him, "I hardly ever get to dress up like this…I feel like I'm playing 'imperial princess'."
"I normally dislike formal occasions," Ren started, his gaze still firmly on her, "But I think I just found a reason to enjoy them…"
"How are you feeling today?" she asked, putting a hand on his arm.
"Much better, thank you," he replied, unsure of what to do with the unoccupied hand attached to the arm she was holding (he still had yet to figure these situations out). If only to distract himself from this dilemma, he spoke again quickly, "I was getting some rather…personal questions from mother this morning…"
"Oh dear…" she said, trying not to laugh, "What about?"
Going rather red, he leaned downward to whisper in her ear a moment, before straightening up again, "I was just wondering if you knew anything about what might have provoked her into inquiring about such things…"
"I'm not sure," she said, blushing as well, "Though Jun has um…asked me similar questions…"
That explained a great deal, "What, er…did you say?" he asked cautiously, partially dreading the answer.
"Well, um…" Tami stammered, "I, er…told her it wasn't really any of her business…but that I had nothing to complain about…"
The young man smiled, relieved of those particular worries, but one nagging doubt still managed to raise itself, "Were you just saying that to quiet her or…"
"No, no," she shook her head, "I meant it."
He kissed her gently on the forehead, "Good. I wouldn't want to be unsatisfactory, you know…"
"You have nothing to worry about," she said, taking hold of his hand, "Trust me."
"Hey you lovebirds, we got company if you wanna come down for meet-and-greets," Horohoro said from the open doorway of the room, staring at the two, a smug smirk planted on his face.
"Company?" Tami asked, turning towards the door, "Nice outfit, Tray."
Ren glowered at the Ainu male, but said nothing, not wanting to make a scene in front of his lover.
Tray frowned, glancing down at his kimono (Ainu-style, complete with blizzard-effect-patterned material), "What's wrong with it?" he asked indignantly.
"Nothing, I really do like it," Tami said, "It's very you."
He smiled, though in truth he wasn't sure whether this was a compliment or not, "Well anyway, yeah, a couple more people just showed up for the wedding if ya wanna say 'hi' or whatever…"
"Who on earth could it be…?" Tami wondered aloud as they headed downstairs.
"Oh god, not you…"
"See? I told you he'd remember me!" Joko said, grinning broadly, "How ya been, Ren?"
"Shouldn't you be begging for food on a street somewhere, or is that why you're here?"
Lyserg stepped forward, "We were invited, Ren. Just last night, actually."
X-Law, "I see," The Mandarin replied casually, but his eyes were their usual cold, unforgiving selves, fixated on the green-haired Englishman.
Lyserg's friendly smile faltered slightly. He should have expected that reaction from Ren. Tamera was much more welcoming, as he also should have expected, hugging him lightly, "It's good to see you, all of you," she said, turning towards the other two.
"Our pleasure," Faust said smoothly, bowing slightly to the young woman, "Is Manta about?" he asked curiously, eyes flickering around the living room.
"He's right here," Pilika said, pointing to the small figure hidden behind a newspaper on the couch.
It was with that information that Faust finally selected a place to sit, folding his hands happily in his lap.
"Hello, Faust…" Manta said, smiling up at him uneasily.
"You've grown, what, 68.6 centimeters, perhaps?" The doctor asked quickly, eager to update his data on his favorite (if not most unwilling) patient.
"Yeah…something like that," Manta sighed, waiting for a probing to begin.
"Excellent," Faust smiled, his gaze never leaving the heir to the Oyamada Company.
"Would you like me to stand so you can measure me, just to be sure?" he asked sardonically, "Hope you brought your tape measure – I left mine at home."
The much taller, stronger man leaned down slightly, his voice softer, one hand producing a small tape measure from his pocket, "Perhaps later…"
Manta gulped worriedly and turned back to his newspaper.
"More company, how lovely," Jun said as she and Bailong descended the stairs, decoratively attired, "When did you three get here?"
"Only an hour ago or so," Joko said, his eyes sparkling, "You look lovely as always, Jun."
In an instant, Tao Ren had his faithful Kwan-Dao in hand, the razor-sharp edge piercing the top layer of skin of the comedian's nose.
Joko let out a yelp of pain and jumped back, clutching his nose protectively, "Aww, man. Some things never change."
Ren snorted, walking over to where Jun was standing at the foot of the stair, murmuring quietly to her, "Can't you curb your libido for one bloody day?"
"Don't know what you're talking about," Jun muttered, blushing behind her fan.
"If you don't I'm sure he does," Ren finished, his voice still low, nodding towards Bailong slightly.
The Kung-Fu master coughed into his hand, "I don't think I'm really needed right now," he said, ducking out of the room, "Perhaps our luggage needs guarding."
"What was his deal?" Horohoro asked, leaning back in his chair, no doubt putting numerous creases and wrinkles in his outfit that Pilika had spent plenty of time trying to remove earlier in the week.
"You really don't know?" Manta asked, raising an eyebrow at the Ainu over his paper.
"Oh, I know," he muttered quickly to the little man, "Joko and Lyserg on the other hand…"
"Ohhh…" Manta said, glancing over at the newcomers, "Right."
"Wait – what's going on?" Joko was asking, looking from Tray to Jun to the stairs and back again over and over.
"Nothing, and if you'd like to keep your nose intact you'll drop it," Ren barked harshly, glaring with a cold fury at the Ainu male, his yellow eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Er…right," Joko said, quickly sitting down between Horohoro and Manta.
Jun rolled her eyes and leaned back against the wall with a sigh, "I suppose I should thank you for that."
Confident now that the other room members were sufficiently occupied (in varying ways, of course: Manta attempting to melt into the couch to escape the ceaseless gaze of Faust, Pilika reprimanding Horohoro for creasing his good clothing, Joko trying to make Lyserg laugh with one of his still-pitiful jokes), Ren looked over at his sister, "What?"
"For sticking up for me," she said, "You didn't have to, you know."
A tad embarrassed, he looked away, "You're my sister, did you think I was going to sit back and let them insult you like that?"
"Anyhow it was a sweet gesture," she said, ruffling his hair, "Nice to know you're still looking out for me after all these years."
"Stop it," he complained half-heartedly, making a very unenthusiastic effort to save his head fur from dishevelment, "This doesn't mean I find your relationship with Bailong any less odd…"
"I'll settle with that for today," she said, kissing his cheek and then strolling over to mingle with the others.
"That went well," Tami said, taking hold of his arm with a small smile.
"I suppose so," he shrugged, but his voice was lighter than his manner indicated.
In the center of the room, Lyserg (in an attempt to make Joko stop practicing his comedy routine) asked, "So…is Ryu here somewhere?"
"Well, he should be," Tray said, looking about for a minute in confusion, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen the big guy in a while..."
"I think I'll go look for him," the green-haired young man said, rising from his seat and striding out of the room, "I'll be back shortly."
Yoh Asakura stood alone in his room, his father having left to go help with the preparations after the two had finally managed to figure out the mystery that was his kimono. He sighed, sitting down slowly on his bed, trying fruitlessly to calm his wired nerves. The midday scenery outside his window, picturesque in the bright, cheerful sun that shone down unimpeded through the clear, blue sky, was lost on the young man, who merely stared at the ground, lost in his own thoughts.
Down the hall, Anna had been left to her own devices as well, as Keiko needed to prepare herself after the hassle of dressing the bride. The blonde-haired young woman was staring at herself in the full-length mirror that hung on her wall. She hardly recognized the geisha-girl staring back at her. She smoothed out the silk of the skirt needlessly and turned away from the mirror, gazing out at the sky, too consumed with her own mind's inner workings to take much notice of its majesty.
Marriage, defined as the union between two people, was a concept that Yoh had never really given much consideration. As a child it was only a word, something that mommies and daddies were for some unknown reason. As his mind developed further, the understanding of the concept grew, but that of love (passionate, emotional, true love, not the affectionate kind one would always have for parentage and the like) did not. Marriage was then a logical thing, a way to mark territory and pay fewer taxes on property.
Finally, past puberty and natural growth into the late teens, Yoh's mind nearly reversed itself, becoming enraptured by the wonderful, blinding light of love, and pushing legality (such as marriage) to the wayside. The two ceased to equate: love was being able to just be with Anna, enjoy her every fiber and mannerism to the fullest. Marriage was grudgingly admitting adulthood, saying that their relationship needed a contract in writing to survive throughout the years. Matrimony was growing old, losing strength of body and mind, until one day both persons passed into heaven, to remain as forgotten young lovers for all eternity.
"Not having second thoughts, are you?" Anna was standing in his doorway, tradition and superstition thrown to the winds. What had brought her out of her room and down to his had seemed beyond her control. A force outside her own had willed her body to move, which hadn't really surprised her, as for most of the morning she had been feeling like she was merely a spectator in her life's events. She had never liked the feeling of not being in control of her destiny, but sometimes it was wiser to follow the urgings of the Great Spirit. He usually knew what he was doing.
He looked up from his glazed-over stare into nothing, blinking several times to clear his vision. Why was she here? Dad had told him he couldn't see her until it was time for the actual ceremony, something about bad luck. Either way, he was relieved to see her, a vision of beauty (if not the normal Anna he knew), "No, of course not," he said hastily, rising.
"Good," she smiled, taking a few steps closer to him, "Are you scared?" she asked hesitantly.
A brief pause, "Well…kinda, yeah…" he admitted, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Me too…" she replied, taking hold of one of his hands, "You look really good, by the way."
"Thanks," he smiled, rubbing the top of her fingers with his thumb tenderly, "You look…different, but in a good way!" he finished, wishing his tongue had produced something better than that. There was no way to make what he just said sound good, but that didn't mean his addled, nervous mind wasn't going to take a crack at it, "Not that I don't like how you normally look, I mean- um…never mind…" he sighed, accepting the inevitable hitting of his cranium that was to come. Why couldn't he have just given a compliment, like a normal person?
She laughed lightly, "You're right…it is different. I don't feel quite like myself in this getup…but you'd think I was beautiful no matter what I wore, right?" she said, offering him a chance to redeem himself.
He nodded gratefully, "Of course."
"Kiss me."
The thought 'But what about your make-up?' crossed his mind, but Yoh decided to comply without question, still relieved that she hadn't been too upset with him over the fumbling of his appraisal of her attire. He pressed his mouth to hers, several days without sexual activity urging him to make this interaction count for something, a hint of what he could hope to expect in the coming evening.
She kissed him back, having not realized until that moment how much she'd missed the taste of him, and it was all she could do not to get carried away, pulling away after a few minutes, smiling. "We're getting married today," she said quietly.
"Yeah," he replied, his mouth split into an equally wide grin, "I know."
"Hey there, Ryu," Lyserg said, emerging on the front steps where the warrior of the wooden sword was seated.
Ryu looked up in surprise, having recognized the voice despite seven years of age having matured and deepened it, "Lyserg!" he cried happily, jumping up, "It's so good to see you again! Has it really been six years?"
The young Englishman smiled, offering the taller man his hand, "It has. You haven't changed at all."
"You've certainly changed," the other replied, accepting the hand offered to him, "Hardly the confused 13-year-old I tried to take under my wing anymore, are you?"
"Certainly not 13 anymore," the green-haired boy said with a smile, "Though I doubt even with all my dousing skills, if I've got all the answers yet."
"No one can have all the answers, my friend," Ryu said facetiously, sitting back down and patting the spot next to him, indicating that it was his wish for the Englishman to join him, "Such is the nature of life, always full of the unexpected and unknown."
"Very true," Lyserg nodded, taking the seat offered him, "So how have you been? Found your 'Shaman Queen' yet?"
"No, sadly my search continues," the warrior of the wooden sword sighed, staring at his elongated shoes, "But I have my health and peace of mind, which counts for something I suppose. It is more than can be said for everyone here…"
Lyserg's smile faded, "I think I'm officially out of the loop. What's going on?"
"Too much to burden you with in one afternoon," Ryu said firmly, wishing (as one did on occasion) for a moment that he hadn't given up cigarettes all those years ago. It would have at least given him something to do with his hands, other than support his chin, "There will be time after the wedding for such things. For right now, just try to keep your spirits up. The ceremony is going to be fantastic, I hear…"
Lyserg nodded, content to be left in the dark for the time being, "Sorry we haven't been in touch sooner than this," he said quietly.
"It's just as well- I still haven't managed to find a phone to install in the alley," the older man smiled, shrugging.
"You're still living in the bowling alley?" Lyserg asked, realizing too late that he was sounding elitist, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that…"
"Don't worry about it," Ryu replied, a tad hurt by the belittling comment, but able to cover it easily. He had a particularly sensitive nature, honed by the consistent stream of insults he had gotten as a boy on the streets of Tokyo. He had learned how to mask his feelings, but a mask was not a bandage or a shield: it could only cover, not heal or protect, "The rent is free and so is the electricity. My income isn't exactly the highest in Tokyo, so it works for me."
"It's gotta be more interesting than the boarding school I've been living at," Lyserg said with a smile, "I'll be glad to move on to the University, and be back with girls again."
"Still popular with the European ladies?" the pompadoured-man asked mischievously, leaning backwards on the step, supporting his upper body's weight by placing both hands behind him on the porch.
"Heh…" Lyserg blushed, wiping under his nose with a forefinger sheepishly, "Well, they seem to like me well enough, but I've never been very good at talking to them…"
"There is something about the female species that simply stupefies an otherwise intelligent, handsome young man, such as me or you," Ryu said wisely, "Alas, it is the curse of beauty that can tie even the most eloquent tongue…"
As Lyserg wondered how to reply to that, a chorus of voices sounded over the horizon, "Ryu-San!"
Ryu leapt up, unable to believe his ears, eyes sparkling, "Was- Was that…?" he pondered aloud, not daring to raise his hopes. No, it couldn't be, could it?
And sure enough, his old gang was bounding up the walkway, dragging various pieces of luggage behind them, smiling broadly and waving like idiots. "Ryu-San!" they continued shouting as they came.
"My boys!" he shouted, running towards the group with his arms spread wide, all manner of dignity forgotten.
"What in the world…?" Lyserg mumbled to himself, watching the tearful reunion begin.
"Silva, it looks as if they're ready to begin."
"I have to say, I hardly recognize the King and Queen," the younger Native American said, crouching down on the branch of the cherry tree, "They've grown so much."
Kalim smiled, "You mean the King and the Itako. In a few moments, she can take her title. But Goldva will want you to refer to her as such or as Anna in the report, until the ceremony is complete."
"Of course," Silva nodded, "I can't decide if such an intimate occasion is too small for them, or perfectly fitting."
"Yoh still hasn't made his presence known to the world. I think it's best for them to keep things between just friends and family for now…"
"Yes," Silva said, leaning forward, watching in subtle elation as the decorated couple entered the shrine.
"This day has been anticipated far too long; remember this occasion, Silva. We'll be the only ones within 500 years to bare witness to such an event for the Patch tribe." He knelt down next to his friend, eagerly watching the happenings below.
"Beloved family," Yohmei had begun, standing before the group seated in front of the shrine, "Dear friends, I thank you for joining us on this momentous occasion. Over fifteen years ago, these young people were betrothed to be joined in holy matrimony, by our will. Now, as they enter the Shamanic world as adults, they prepare to wed of their own will, as we had hoped would be so. Oh Great Spirit, already you have shown our children much favor. We ask you once again to bestow your blessings upon them as they continue our family line on your great Earth. May your presence be with them throughout all of their days on this Earth and the days they share with you in your eternal kingdom."
Yoh swallowed, his collar feeling entirely too tight now. His grandfather has stopped talking, which meant it was time. He now had to give a speech, something he had tried to write and memorize for the last week and a half, with very little success. His mouth was dry, so much so that his voice seemed to catch in his throat. Panic began to set in as he desperately attempted to recover his thought process.
Subtly, Anna reached over and took hold of his hand, squeezing it gently. As she managed to catch his eye, she gave him a small smile.
The Shaman King would have grinned, but he still hadn't recovered his nerve. Seconds seemed to pass by in an eternity, the silence bearing cruelly down on him. He had to speak, to break the tenseness, to show he really did want to go through with this, but his mind was drawing a horrific, terrifying blank. It was then that, with nothing left of the shambles that had he had tried to form as a speech, his heart took over, "Anna Kyoyama," he started, surprising even himself that his lips had begun to move (forming coherent words no less!).
He swallowed, not sure where he was going to proceed, but speaking blindly out of his inner feelings, the things that would cross his mind in the second or two before sleep would overtake him, wrapped up in the arms of the woman he loved, "Anna," he repeated, finding comfort in the word, "I'm not good at writing speeches. I'm no good at expressing my feelings, the words I want or should use don't come when I want them to. I only know three: I love you. I realize now that I always have…that won't ever change. I would like you to be my wedded wife, for now and all eternity. Faithful and obedient in our bonds, never-ending in our love."
Anna's deep brown eyes were glistening with tears and she smiled gratefully at him. Her painted lips parted and she began, "Yoh Asakura, as a child I was chosen to be the girl who would make you the Shaman King, who would guide you through the transitional stages of your life. I was named your fiancé without any thought of love. But year after year, I've found you to be an amazing man, a loyal friend, and a dedicated lover. I love you, and I am honored to take you as my wedded husband, for better or for worse, from now until the end of time."
Two small leaf sprites approached the pair, each bearing in its single-fingered appendages a ring. The first approached Yoh, presenting him with an extremely rare, valuable piece of jewelry, passed down through the Asakura line for generations. He took it in a grateful hand, almost automatically, and carefully lifted her left hand in his. With the utmost precision he could muster from his trembling right hand, he slid the ring onto her delicate finger (appropriately deemed, the "ring finger", by someone obviously not as smart or clever as they thought they were), "W-With this ring," he stammered, trying to ward away the feelings of relief that were now making him feel light-headed and feeble, "As a token of my love, I th-thee wed."
Anna took the second ring, another precious heirloom of the family into which she was now happily becoming an official part of. Taking his shaking left hand in hers, she slid the piece of silver (engraved with the kanji meaning "The One") over his ring finger, murmuring, "With this ring, I thee wed."
With a warm smile, Yohmei nodded to his shikigami, who flew forward again, this time presenting the couple with a pair of small Sakaki branches. Yoh and Anna each took one, and walking deeper into the temple. Together, they placed the sacred branches on the sanctuary and knelt down before it, bowing their heads for a brief moment of silence. They rejoined Yohmei at the steps of the shrine, hands clasped.
The head of the Asakura clan smiled up at them. "The Great Spirit smiles upon you today, and may he continue to do so for all the days to come," he said, "You now are wed in his eyes, as well as ours. Go ahead, Yoh," he chuckled, "You can kiss her now."
The Shaman King grinned broadly at his grandfather for an instant, before turning his full attention to his bride. Finally, something he knew how to do. He wrapped his arms around her lower back, pulling the Itako in close to him, then kissed her passionately.
From within the crowd, which was a mix of teary smiles, proud gazes, and solemn silences, Horohoro let out a long, low whistle, "Woohoo! Alright, Yoh!"
To which Anna would have usually pounded him across the block. At this moment however, egged on by his catcall, she grabbed a tighter hold of her husband (boy, that sounded nice) and dipped him backwards just slightly before pulling away and shooting the Ainu a smug 'How was that?' look.
"Encore, enco-Ow!" Tray started boisterously, starting to stand up, only to be cut off as his sister (extremely red in the face), yanked him back down into his seat by the ear.
Yoh laughed, surprised by his wife's reaction (though not at all by Tray's antics), rubbing the back of his head with one hand.
"Dear friends," Yohmei said, arms spread, "Join us now in a drink of Sake to commemorate this occasion." Instantly, a flock of shikigami floated forward, each baring a small cup in its hands.
Horohoro accepted his glass gratefully, "I knew there was something about weddings I liked…"
Pilika rolled her eyes at him and then took her glass, like most of the others, with a shred of dignity and solemnity. Behind the Ainu sibling, Ryu and his gang were doing all they could to keep from bursting into tears on the spot.
Tao Ren glared at the tiny spirit as it approached him with a Sake glass, making no move to accept the offered drink. The shikigami, unable to detect the hostility being directed towards it, merely floated in place, awaiting the completion of its assigned task.
On one side of him, his mother and sister had accepted their glasses graciously and were now watching him, waiting for him to do the same. After a few seconds Jun elbowed him lightly.
Grudgingly, his mood turning quite foul now, the Mandarin male took the cup, holding it firmly in one hand. He straightened up in his seat- he had promised not to cause any further disruption, and he would abide by his word. The sooner this was over and done with the better…
Satisfied that he had left the sprite empty handed, the Chinese women turned back towards the shrine, oblivious to the fact that he took the next opportunity to empty the cup's contents on the ground. This did not go unnoticed however, by the pink-haired woman on his other side, who watched the action sadly and silently.
Master Yohmei raised his goblet high in the air, "To Yoh Asakura and Anna Asakura, the Shaman Royalty!"
"To the Shaman Royalty," the group chorused, followed by Tray's boisterous "Here, here!"
The old man drank deeply, until no more of the alcoholic beverage remained, "Now," he began, passing his glass off to a leaf spirit nonchalantly, "If you all will permit us, a reception has been prepared back inside the complex. We would be honored if you should join us to more, er… informally celebrate the union of my grandson and granddaughter-in-law."
"Oh yeah, free buffet! That's what I like ta hear!" Horohoro cheered as they entered the dining room, which had been ornately prepared earlier in the day.
"I agree," Ryu chimed in, hungrily eyeing the vast meal that sat before them, tantalizing his nostrils with numerous different aromas, each as mouth-watering as the last.
"Help yourselves, gentlemen," Keiko said with a wide smile, "Just save some for the rest of us, ok?"
It took a few minutes for the party to commence, but Ryu's old gang members have a way of being able to turn any awkward situation into a tense-free one, as humility and dignity seem to have eluded their mental frames during development.
"Enjoying yourself, Yoh?" Anna asked, coming up beside him at the buffet table, having managed to drag herself away from the other females for a moment. She adored them, but even she could only handle 'girliness' for so long.
He looked up from his overstuffed plate, crammed with many assorted goodies and treats from the elongated table, his mouth full. Yoh swallowed quickly, nodding, "Yeah, the food's great," he said enthusiastically, "Want some?"
"Sure," she said, taking a bit of food off his plate and popping it into her mouth, "Mmm…this is good – I don't think this is Japanese, though."
"Nah, I dunno what it is, and dad didn't either," he shrugged, laughing, "Ryu and Tray don't care, they're just happy it's food."
"That doesn't surprise me," she said with a smile, "What you said today – that wasn't planned, was it?" she asked more quietly.
"Ah, well…" he began hesitantly, "I-I had some stuff written down that I wanted to say, but…it wasn't that good and I kinda forgot it all when I froze up there…" he finished, quite embarrassed.
She touched his arm lightly, "No, I liked the impromptu version. I could tell it really came from your heart."
"I meant it," he assured her, his voice equally soft, "I love you, Anna. I really do…"
"I know you do," she said, leaning up and kissing him, "I love you too."
"It's French, Yoh," Ren said crossly from behind the two, selectively choosing a few things to place on the plate in his hand. His appetite was not to be found, but his mother refused to decline tasting the cuisine (as a matter of politeness).
"Ohhh," Yoh nodded, "Thanks Ren."
Anna took hold of her husband's arm, "You look very handsome today, Ren."
He snorted, "Thanks," the Mandarin said shortly, walking away. He paused, "Asakura," he started, not turning around, "Don't fuck it up."
"Ah…" Yoh stammered, "I-I'll try not to," he said, put a hand over one Anna had on his arm, "Um, thanks…"
Ren just trekked on, not saying another word.
"Don't worry too much about him, ok Yoh?" Anna murmured after he had gone.
He sighed, "It's hard, Anna…"
"I know," she said, kissing his cheek, "I know. Come on, let's go mingle."
The celebration continued well into the night, fairly usual in the quirky way one can expect when amongst the King of the Shamans and his friends. Food and drink were consumed, the laughter was plentiful (with an exception or two amongst the crowd), and the customary plethora of oddities occurred. It is noted, in the report filed later by Silva and Kalim, that at each member of Ryu's old band (drunk or otherwise) tried their hand at courting Tao Jun, to no avail. Tao Ren left the festivities early to watch the moon and the stars in full bloom on the step of the complex. Manta Oyamada, despite his increased age, weight and height (figures finally all completed by the good doctor Faust), is still unable to handle any amount of alcohol, and was gratefully transported (already passed out) to a guest room to rest until morning.
Horohoro delivered a speech, if such a fumbling of language could be called such, cutting himself off halfway through the doomed process to simply offer congratulations and a toast of his own. As the evening progressed, Joko (having also consumed a decent amount of the poison known as alcohol) put on one of his routines for the group, which was, however unlikely it may seem, actually rather amusing.
Keiko and Ran doled out their wisdom to the younger girls over tea, regaling them with tales of their own early days of marriage, during the telling of which, Mikihisa left to find more alcohol. As the stories progressed, the elder females found their audience enlarging to include many of the young men, now sufficiently inebriated and desperate to penetrate the female psyche in order to learn how better to 'score' in their own love-lives or lack thereof.
The guardian ghosts were quite entertained as well, keeping mostly to their own and only watching in amusement the proceedings below them. At last, the general consensus was reached that sleep was indeed needed by all present and the shikigami began their cleaning duties, as the mortals trekked off to their respective bedrooms to retire.
"I haven't been this tired in a long time…" Anna said with a yawn as she stood next to her husband in his room, while the shikigami dismantled their complicated kimonos.
"Wow, me neither," Yoh agreed, stretching (much to the annoyance of the shikigami trying their best to work around him), "That was some day, huh?"
"It really was," she nodded, content to stay still as the many layers of silk were peeled off of her, awaiting the cool night breeze on her skin once it was all gone.
"So how does it feel to be Shaman Queen, Mrs. Asakura?" he asked her jokingly, flashing a smile.
"Pretty good," she replied, kimono now finally removed, "How does it feel to finally be married, Mr. Asakura?" she shot back, as the shikigami pulled the ornaments and pins out of her hair, letting it fall down around her shoulders.
Yoh watched this disrobing with growing interest, not noticing his own garments being systematically stripped from him anymore. The moonlight outside their window seemed to give his wife (quite gorgeous on her own) a rather alluring glow of sorts, captivating his attention, "Pretty good," he responded, mirroring her words purposely.
She ran a hand through her hair nonchalantly, "And what are you staring at, hmm?" she asked, grinning at him, both of them now clad only in their undergarments.
"My beautiful bride," he answered, the smile not leaving his facial features, taking a step closer to her, "What else?"
She rested her hands on his hips, gazing up at him, "What about what we just said about being tired?"
"Oh, well…" he thought for a moment, trying to find a decent enough excuse. When none crossed his mind, an indecent one was the best he could muster, "It is our wedding night, after all…"
"I suppose it is tradition…" she said with a seductive smirk.
"Guess we really don't have a choice, huh?" he inquired, tilting his head downwards, inching their faces ever closer.
"I guess not," she said, closing the distance between their lips.
Tao Ren sighed softly to himself, watching the perfectly clear, black night sky. Dotted with millions of tiny, white, sparkling points, the stars of the darkness were only outshone by the Earth's singular satellite, having the advantage of distance and a nearby star to reflect light off of. He had gotten through the day, and soon life would return to normal. The cold night air was beginning to set in, as well it should, the time having intruded into a new day. His spot on the roof offered him a better view of the sky, with its vast array of objects, seemingly so close and yet just out of his reach. Stargazing might have been old-fashioned (and certainly not time-efficient by any stretch of the imagination), but it was calming at least.
"Ren…?" Tami's voice drifted over him as she made her way up to the roof from the laundry deck, "What are you doing up here?"
He closed his eyes for an instant, trying to retain the beauty of the scene in his mind, the opened them again and stood slowly, dusting himself off, "Nothing," he said dismissively, his eyes now focused on the pretty (yet unusually tired-looking) young woman.
"It really is beautiful out tonight," she said, gazing up at the sky.
"Yes," he agreed, his gaze not leaving her, "Lovely."
"Did you want to come to bed?"
He nodded appreciatively, "Sure. It's been a long day; I'd have to say I'm about ready for a few hours of sleep."
"Oh…right," she nodded, cheeks flushed, "Well, let's go then."
Ren smiled as she hurried to depart, catching her left hand in his right to stop her. He took a step forward, drawing very near to her, glad for the height advantage he held over his lover, "Unless…you had something else in mind…"
She blushed even deeper, and then punched him lightly, "You knew darn well that I had something else in mind."
He chuckled, then leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips, "Guilty as charged, I'm afraid."
"You should know better than to mess with me," she said, putting a finger up to his lips as she pulled back slightly.
The Mandarin male's good humor faltered a bit, taken aback by this unusual denial. This was simply cruel, to entice him as such and then pull the rug out from under his feet (as the saying goes). His smile did not leave his lips however, and he took another step forward, not relinquishing his gentle hold on her hand, "How silly of me. How ever can I repay you for such stupidity?"
"Tell me how good I look to you right now," she said.
"Tamera, you look stunning," he said, honesty and flattery intertwining. Had there been anyone else around, Ren would have been highly embarrassed to be acting in such a manner. But with Tami, he always felt a bit more relaxed, a bit less uptight than usual, better able to express his emotions, which was always a welcome feeling, "You're the most gorgeous creature I've ever laid eyes upon, not just right now either."
"Mm-hmmm, I thought so," she said, poking him lightly in the nose.
Ren blinked, flustered by this, "Satisfactory?" he asked, wrapping both his arms around her back, pulling her in closer to him.
"Yeah," she nodded, kissing him lightly, "Come on…"
"So, Jun – you certainly were popular this evening," Ran said with a laugh as the Tao women prepared for slumber.
"Oh god, Mother, please don't start," Jun sighed.
Bailong, who had been politely turning down the beds, looked up instantly at this, "What?"
"Jun was getting quite a lot of male attention down at the party," Ran said.
"It was nothing!" Jun said, blushing.
"It certainly didn't look like nothing," Ran said, "I've never seen so many men take to you at one time in a long while."
Had enough blood remained in his long dried-out veins, it would surely have rushed to the Jiang-Si's face as well. Nevertheless, despite the lack of physical symptoms, embarrassment could be heard in his voice, "I-I don't see why they wouldn't…"
"Neither do I," Ran said, "She's certainly not lacking anything men want," as she said this, she slapped her daughter on the rear with her fan.
"Mother!" Jun cried.
Bailong abandoned his task, walking over to where Jun was standing, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly in support of his mistress, "She has a point," he murmured quietly. He would be the first to say that Tao Jun was quite a beautiful woman. The dead man often wondered if she would be happier with a beau that could offer her a future, but she made no attempts to accept the advances of those males among the living, so he didn't press the matter.
Jun blushed again, putting her hand over his, "Thank you, but I like to here it from you much better than from my mother."
He nodded, glad to have been of help, "Anytime, Mistress." Despite numerous pleas over the years, he had never managed to stop referring to the young woman without placing a respectful title before her name, such as Mistress, Miss, Lady, etc.
"I think I'll leave you two alone," Ran said with a smirk, "Can't have all those good looks go to waste now, can we? Goodnight, darlings."
Both watched her leave with wide eyes, and then looked at each other embarrassedly after the door was shut. "Well that was mortifying…" Jun muttered, pulling the chopsticks out of her hair.
"Lady Ran was certainly quite…forward, wasn't she?" he asked rhetorically, taking the chopsticks from her and placing them atop the dresser behind him.
"Mother has always been agitatingly so," Jun said, "but I haven't been on the wrong end of it in a long time." She turned away from him, lifting her hair so he could unzip the back of her dress, "I suppose I was overdue for a little humiliation."
The Jiang-Si began carefully tugging down the zipper to the garment, trying to keep his eyes from wandering as his hands proceeded downwards, "I'm sure she wouldn't have acted as such had others been around…" It wasn't really the most supportive thing he could say to sooth his lady's disconcerted nerves in retrospect, but hindsight is 20/20 and the words had already left his mouth.
"Oh she certainly would have," Jun laughed, slipping the silk off her shoulders and then down over her hips, "I'm just glad she didn't get the opportunity."
Not ogling the young Mandarin woman was all but impossible now, the ornate dress no longer covering her lavish, alluring undergarments, "How were the festivities, Mistress Jun?" he asked, hoping to use a change of topic as a means of covering his own rather perverse thoughts and distract her from the situation involving her mother.
"Quite lovely actually," she said, hanging the dress up in her closet and turning back towards him, "You didn't have to stay cooped up here, you know. No one would have objected to you attending."
"I-I thought it best if I should remain up here," he stuttered, one hand behind his head, employing all his will to look at her face (to no avail, her neck was the highest his hormones would allow), "I didn't want to impose..."
"You're never an imposition," she said, stepping up closer to him, "Not to me…"
"Well, I'm glad for that," he smiled, curiosity beginning to seep in to his mind. Perhaps she simply didn't mind where his eyes wandered when left to their own devices…
"You know I want you, right?" she asked teasingly, reaching up and beginning to unbutton his shirt.
Ah, the wondrous powers of deduction, "I do now," he chuckled, moving to take a step backwards (to simply stabilize his balance more firmly), but instead bumped into the bed he hadn't realized he had been so near to, "Good thing, it would've been unfair of you to excite me so otherwise…"
"I try not to tease you, at least not to this extent," she said, pulling his shirt off, "I certainly think you could use some exercise after being stuck in this room all day, don't you?"
Exercise… "Yes," he agreed, leaning in to kiss her softly, "I do."
"Wonderful," she murmured against his lips, "Me too…"
