Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King, nor do I own any of the characters from the original manga. Hiroyuki Takei owns Shaman King. I own myself and all of my characters. That including Sofia and Hana Horutari.
Author's Note: 'Fluch' means damn.
Ren scratched at his stomach, shifting lightly to try and get comfortable. His side was stiff with the gauze around his mid-section. But he never complained about the stiffness. Not only because he'd held up the habit of refusing that things bothered him... but also because it made him think of Sofia.
It'd been a few days since his battle with his Father. And so far he was feeling pretty good. Tomorrow he'd be hosting a Halloween party at the Tao mansion and had been in contact with Yoh quite a bit. Next week they'd all be leaving for the Patch Village. And though Ren hadn't said anything when hearing how Sofia wouldn't be able to be flying with them there, he was... disappointed.
She wasn't a participant in the tournament. Even if she was related to her father, rules said she couldn't even come to the Patch Village. He had no idea what she'd be doing or where she would be going without her Father.
He WOULD have asked, but the almighty Tao Ren didn't want to act like he cared by asking too many questions. Not knowing meant not caring.
Despite knowing that he wanted a different life from his Father, having friends and finally relaxing a little, he still felt odd to be admitting such things as... a crush.
He supposed that was just the kind of person he was now.
It was the old Tao habit that still seemed to be Ren's most obvious quality. A crush meant fond feelings, fond feelings meant weakness, weakness meant lack of strength. And the last thing Ren wanted was a lack of strength.
He'd let himself admit a few things about Sofia. Okay, sure. She was pretty. He could notice that about any girl. She was a decent fighter, yes that he'd discovered during his Father's battle. Big deal. And fine, she was intelligent. He'd actually enjoyed himself talking with her when she treated his wounds.
But she was stubborn, bratty, and all around weird. He knew those as well.
And yet Ren found himself thinking of her... fondly... a lot. More often then he liked. Bason had been concerned of his master's sudden change in activity. He was much quieter, saying he was just 'trying to get his thoughts organized'. And was training a lot more frequently.
But of course Ren couldn't tell Bason why. He couldn't tell anyone why.
The fact was he was quiet only more and more because he kept thinking that he couldn't have such thoughts about Sofia. And he fought and trained more often because when he DID have those thoughts of Sofia, he felt like he had a weakness. And would train to prove he was not weak.
Ren sighed, turning a corner on the street. It annoyed him to no end with his stupid 'crush'. Why couldn't he just shut it off? Why couldn't he just walk away from the feelings? They were insignificant and stupid!
He looked up and saw he was passing by Funbari Hill again. He'd wanted the walk to help clear his mind.
As Ren looked closer at the graveyard, he noticed someone strolling up the path. He came to a complete stop to get a better look.
'Just some mourner.' He thought absently. But he squinted his cat-like eyes for a better look and saw it was definitely no mourner.
It was a girl, from what he could see, with a top hat, blonde hair and dark clothing.
Ren didn't know why he did it. He still doesn't. But as soon as he realized who was walking up the hill, turned around and sprinted towards the path.
…
Sofia dragged her walking stick along the grass, making sure there was a large free space without any tombstones blocking the way. She discovered that the only place with enough blank grass was underneath the oak tree.
She smiled and let her backpack fall from her shoulders. Sofia dropped to a crouch and pulled out a patched- up blue, wrapped up blanket. She laid it out and smoothed out the edges.
Sofia took off her shoes and lied down on the blanket, smiling a little. She liked it up here. It was quiet and high up from the noisy traffic and crowds of people. Yoh had recommended it to her, saying he always went up for star gazing or just plain hanging out with Manta and Amidamaru.
Hana was visiting the Inn for the evening, leaving the blonde all to herself.
Unfortunately, at that moment Sofia heard the padding of feet coming up the path.
"Fluch." She cursed at her time being trespassed by another. She sat up and felt around for her backpack, wanting to pull out the book she wanted to read.
"Sofia!" Sofia looked up, surprised to hear the visitor to know her name. But a second later recognized the voice to be Ren's.
"Ren?" She questioned, getting to her feet. The Chinese teenager came up to the tree, panting a little for running up the whole path. "What're you doing here?"
Ren calmed his breathing down and threw a glare her way. "I was going to ask you the same thing." His glare soon softened though.
Damn. She was pretty. More and more then he wanted to admit. Her top hat was still on and she had her hair down, but pulled behind her ears. She wore a large black sweater with some gray track shorts. And black and white stockings that went above even where the shorts reached.
"I-I came here to read." Her sentence was rushed, though Ren couldn't tell why she seemed nervous. Her cheeks were a little red and she was looking down from him. Ren's scorn returned.
"In a graveyard? Honestly, you do hold up to the gothic stereotype." Sofia looked up, a little confused but smiled after a few seconds.
"Well just call me chez goth…. Why are you here Ren?" Ren gulped down, trying to think of an answer. But he really didn't know himself. Why WAS he here? Had just came up from the busy road's traffic just to talk to her? Just to see her?
But of course he could tell her no such thing. What could he say, what could he say!
"I--I wanted you to help with my Halloween party." He blurted out, the idea just popping into his head. Sofia raised her eyebrows, a little surprised and put off.
"... That's why you came up here?"
"Yes."
"... Oh. Uhm, what did you want me to help with?" She asked slowly, Ren was sure she didn't believe him but at least she was playing along with it.
"Well, you're a necromancer. I thought some living skeletons would... would make it more festive."
"… You want me to have skeletons walking about to make your party more festive?" It was more statement then question. And Ren didn't like her tone. She seemed almost... disgusted at the thought. But Ren kept his cool exterior. His tough act. He wouldn't expose Sofia to any other feelings.
"Walking around, serving food, things like that. Instead of the employees doing I thought it might be fun to have the walking dead do it."
For the first time Ren had seen, Sofia glared. Even in the fight against Ren's father when helping, she had never glared or showed aggression. But here she was, eyebrows furrowed in anger. She turned her head away from him.
"No."
"Why not?"
"It's not a parlor trick Ren. Get someone else who happens to lack respect for the dead."
Ren retaliated the only way he knew. Rudely.
"Respect for the dead? They're DEAD, their spirits maybe but their bodies are just bodies. Who cares if they're put to good use!"
"And good use is serving up cocktail drinks and taking people's coats!" She yelled back. Ren stiffened. He hated her being mad at him. And he certainly hated yelling at her the way he was.
But it was like a defense mechanism for him.
"Well excuse me for thinking up something entertaining! I didn't realize bone marrow could be so SENSITIVE!"
'Dammit! Don't hate me, I don't mean it. Dammit, I'm sorry.'
Sofia suddenly had a very sad expression. She looked at him once more, as if trying to figure something out. She took in a deep breath and folded arms. And in a much calmer and quieter voice, said,
"Ren just don't make me do it. Please." Ren was surprised. Had he hurt her feelings? Was she upset?
"Sofia..." He hesitated. She raised her eyebrows again, looking almost hopeful. Ren stopped himself before he said anything too suspicious. "Well you know when you're supposed to arrive then."
After that, he slunk off down the path of the graveyard, his fists balled up a little.
Sofia let out a deep breath before sinking to her knees on the blanket.
'Ren...'
…
Amidamaru, Yoh and Manta walked up to the hotel where Sofia and Faust were staying. Only they certainly weren't looking like themselves. Manta was dressed as a wizard, with dark blue robes and little yellow stars all over him. Yoh himself was decked out in armor as a samurai with gray and red robes, his hair tied up high. Portraying himself as his guardian ghost.
The samurai ghost had almost been moved to tears at the sight.
It was Halloween Night and Horohoro, Ryu and Tokagero were waiting for them in the taxi van. The night of nights for Shamans all around the world.
Yoh opened up the door and saw Sofia sitting on a bench, though it took him a few seconds to recognize her.
Later on she told them she was a Lolita goth. Apparently a type of fashion where they wore very gothic types of dresses with heavy makeup.
She wore a black dress with puffed up sleeves, cuffed at her elbow. With a square-necked collar and black lace framing her neck. The dress puffed out around the hip with frills and lace around the trim as well.
Sofia was wearing her top hat still, with her hair down. Sunglasses still covered her eyes. But painted under the sunglasses was what looked like black blood leaking from her eyes. As far as they knew it was only face paint.
She heard the two coming in and looked up. "Hallo?" The pretend wizard and samurai smiled.
"Hey Sofia." Manta greeted. Then added, "Happy Halloween." Sofia smiled and got to her feet.
"Happy Halloween. What are you two dressed as?" She asked, being led back to the van.
"I'm a samurai." Yoh said, though hearing Amidamaru sniff in pride. Yoh then nodded to Manta. "And Manta's a wizard."
"Oooh, I'm scared." She teased. The door to the van was opened from the inside and there sat Horohoro; only it wasn't him. Sort of. It was Horohoro dressed as a ghost with a long white sheet.
"Hey Sofia." He greeted, tucking in his legs so there was enough room for them to get in.
"Hi Horohoro. What are you dressed as?" The question of the night. She wanted to know what everyone was dressed up as, later on even asking for details.
"Uh." He seemed embarrassed about his costume. "I-I'm a ghost." But Sofia gushed.
"Aww how cute!" Though it wasn't noticeable, Horohoro's cheeks pinkened a little.
"I'm starving." Manta said, patting his stomach a little. "Bet there's gonna be a huge buffet there!" The talk of food suddenly made the snowboarder's stomach rumble.
"Man don't talk about food! I'm hungry too."
"Then let us talk of something else!" Ryu piped up. He was dressed as a samurai as well, to show how loyal he was to his master Yoh. Tokagero had laughed.
"Like what?"
"Like Jun!" Ryu's eyes suddenly formed into pink hearts. Tokagero groaned in irritation. "And how I will dance the dance of love with her tonight!" Yoh just laughed, giving a skeptic look.
"Yeah? Good luck getting past Ren." Ryu raised an eyebrow then glared.
"That short-pants can try anything he wants. I WILL have Jun!"
…
Another ten minutes of chatting, jokes and arguments and the taxi van finally pulled up to the Tao estate. The group piled out of the vehicle, Yoh paid him and they looked up.
The Tao family had no lack of Halloween spirit it seemed. The place was crawling with ghosts, cobwebs meters high hung from windows to balconies. Bats flew here and there, perching on top of the building, truly giving it an eerie look. Even an oddly colored fog hung about the ground to add to the effect.
They walked inside to an even scarier scene. The whole front lobby was covered in orange and black colors, decorated to suit the holiday. Actual skeletons (motionless to Sofia's relief) hung here and there. She was told however they were put up almost everywhere, making her think that Ren had most likely done that on purpose.
In front of the door was a large staircase, in which Ren was just descending.
The Chinese teenager was dressed with a large cape, black on the outside and red velvet interior. Underneath he wore a very formal black and white tuxedo. But instead of a bowtie he had a (thankfully) fake bat. His face painted pale and sticking out from the corners of his lips were fangs. Topping off the whole Dracula outfit.
"Well I see you all made it then." He then turned his eyes on Horohoro and gave him an incredulous look. "And just what the hell are you?"
Horohoro rolled his eyes from beneath the sheet. "I'm a ghost! Duh." He held up his arms a little to show off the white fabric. Ren narrowed his eyes.
"Oh yes. My mistake." Horohoro sweatdropped; embarrassed. Sofia pouted and patted him on the back.
"Aww poor Horohoro. Don't worry, I think it's a great costume." She said. Ren saw her come out of the group to comfort the ghost and gulped down hard.
Damn... she was pretty.
"Thanks."
Sofia looked up at Ren and smiled. He came down the steps with a scorn.
"And just what are you? THAT'S supposed to scare people?" He said, in his familiar accusing tone. But her smile didn't fade, instead it grew mischievous.
"What?" You don't like it?" She asked, smoothing out some of the ruffles. Ren gritted his teeth.
"No actually I think you look rid--" Unfortunately he was interrupted by a hand over his mouth. Yoh grinned sheepishly and slung an arm over Ren's shoulder, reaching to mask the rest of his sentence with his palm.
"Hey Horohoro didn't you say you were really hungry?"
Horohoro suddenly bounced a little then nodded. "Hey yeah! Let's go already!"
And that seemed to settle Ren's argument right there. He led them all into the ballroom, where all the guests seemed to be having the time of their lives/after lives.
There was a buffet set up off to the sidewall, with large windows, giving everyone an amazing view of the night sky and a full moon. At the far side of the ballroom was an actual band, but with ghosts playing the instruments. The wall closest to the group was where round, black covered tables were set up to sit six people. And they faced a balcony with a wall that had several arc entrances crawling with spirits and creatively dressed people.
In the middle of the room was one large dance floor, most of the people there were already swaying with the music.
There were oohs and ahhs when they looked up at the ceiling to see it was painted black with skeletons and pumpkins all over.
"Man your family sure knows how to throw a Halloween party!" Horohoro said, bedazzled like the rest.
"Well then, stop gawking and sit down." Ren barked guiding them to an empty table. They sat down and as soon as they did, they picked up their plates and went to the buffet.
"Here, I'll go get food for you." Yoh offered taking Sofia's plate. She smiled with a cheery nod.
"Thank you." So she sat back down and tucked underneath the table. As Ren got in line for the buffet as well, he couldn't help but take brief glances at her.
"Happy Halloween Ren." Yoh said, coming up from behind. Ren brought his gaze quickly back to the food and nodded in greeting.
"Happy Halloween."
"Sofia looks good tonight, don't you think?" He asked suggestively, starting to pick out different servings for the two plates he was bringing by. Ren bit the inside of his cheek.
"She looks ridiculous."
Yoh raised his eyebrows in mild, most likely fake, surprise. "You think so, huh?"
"I know so. Unlike her I can actually see how stupid she looks." Yoh shrugged.
"You sure don't look at her like she looks stupid." Ren stiffened lightly, forgetting to put food onto his plate.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Well I've just seen you looking at her. And you don't look at her like she looks stupid. You look at her like she looks good." Yoh then leaned in. "Really good."
As soon as the pretend samurai had filled both plates, he walked over back to the table and gave Sofia her plate. Ren let out a deep breath when he did.
Tonight would be a long one.