Imouto
Amai: I've told you five times about the translations. From now on, no note. You know the drill.
Oh, but in this chapter there will be some English speaking. It's different because it's enclosed in + instead of " "
And now for the responses to my favorite people... the REVIEWERS!
Sillyningengirl: Yes, I really wanted to add the dress, but I figured it was a stretch as it was to get him into make-up
SeaHorse10: Hiei would never use his Darkness Flame against his friends or allies, I don't remember Yusuke wearing a dress, and I don't care what's happening with Kuwabaka... he'll be back eventually, I just don't know when.
Yavie Aelinel: Yes, the bed dare was all in good humor. Botan is evil, you know, at least when it comes to Truth or Dare.
Ryune-chan: The half-naked Yusuke was a gift to all Urameshi-kun fangirls! Glad you liked it!
CHAPTER SIX: Waffles and kittens
When Kurama woke up, despite the early hour, Mizuki was already gone. He looked over at the clock to ensure that he hadn't slept too late. But it was only 6 AM. Since he was already awake, Kurama headed downstairs. Everyone else was apparently still sleeping. But as he got about halfway down the stairs, the kitsune could smell something cooking and hear music from the general direction of the kitchen.
Mizuki was in the kitchen, surrounded by cooking ingredients and stirring a large bowl. There was a stack of waffles building up on one of the counters and a steaming waffle iron next to it. "Ohayo (1) Kurama-kun! It's waffle day!" Mizuki said when she saw him.
"Ohayo... but what's 'waffle day'?" Kurama asked, taking a seat at the kitchen table to watch.
"Once a month I make waffles, and I freeze the extras," Mizuki explained. "Then I eat waffles whenever I feel like it! I've been up since 5."
"Why so early?" Kurama raised an eyebrow. This girl apparently didn't sleep.
"Because this month, waffle day just happens to fall on a Thursday," Mizuki said as if that explained everything.
Kurama stared for a moment, thinking she was going to explain further. "And...?" he finally prompted.
"And what?"
"What is the difference between Thursday and other days?" Kurama asked, trying very hard to maintain his patience.
"Tuesdays and Thursdays I volunteer with the local animal shelter. I have to be there at eight."
"So I guess that means we have to come too?" Kurama sighed.
"Yeah, guess so!" Mizuki replied cheerily. "Milly-san will be so happy to have more help!" She went back to her waffle iron with an even bigger smile on her face.
Everyone slowly filtered downstairs to be greeted by a plate full of fresh waffles. When the last one (Yusuke, of course) was present, Kurama decided to announce their trip to the animal shelter.
"No friggin' way," Yusuke replied before stuffing another piece of waffle dripping with syrup into his mouth."
"I'm not going," Hiei said simply.
"Well I think it sounds like fun," Botan chirped.
"I don't suppose all of us need to go," Kurama offered. "If Yusuke and Hiei don't want to come, then I will. Besides, if the assassin shows up while we're gone, someone will need to be here."
"I'll come too!" Keiko piped up.
"I'd like to come as well," Yukina added quietly.
"Then it's settled! Kurama and the girls are coming with me to the animal shelter!" As she ended her announcement, Mizuki leapt to her feet and waved her fork in the air to accent her point. However, there was still a chunk of waffle dripping with syrup impaled on the utensil. It went flying across the table and landed in Yusuke's hair.
"Oh, that's sick," Yusuke complained while Mizuki babbled an apology. Despite his complaints he merely grabbed the gooey glob and flopped it on the table.
After the kitchen was clean Kurama and the girls had to get ready to leave. Since Yukina and Keiko shared a bathroom, Yusuke loaned his out to Keiko while he vegged on the couch. About half an hour later Mizuki burst from her room. Part of her short hair was pulled into two pigtails high on the sides of her head and she was dressed in a too-large pink t-shirt, jeans tie-dyed with bleach, and pink tennis shoes. "READY!" she announced as she pounded on Botan's door.
"Just a minute!" Botan yelled from behind the door. "I'm not quite ready yet!" Mizuki sighed; Botan had always been such a slowpoke. She headed downstairs to find Kurama, Keiko and Yukina already waiting. As soon as Botan was ready, though, Mizuki announced that they were taking her car. She led them all to a detached garage and pushed a button on her keychain to open the door. As the door slid up, everyone (except of course Mizuki) had a look of shock on their faces. Mizuki's car was a bubblegum-pink minivan.
"That's unique," Kurama commented tactfully.
"Oh, my car is magic," Mizuki replied as if it was no big deal. "It's not just a minivan, it can transform into anything I want. I can also make it a convertible, an SUV, or a VW Beetle."
"Is it always that color of pink?" Botan asked.
"Yup! Isn't it pretty?" Mizuki grinned, and all the girls hesitantly nodded. Kurama decided it was safest not to answer at all. Mizuki put him in the front seat, though she commented sadly on how the kitsune's hair clashed with the paint job. The other girls made their own decisions on who sat where in the back. Mizuki climbed into the driver's seat and giggled wildly. It was then that everyone realized they should be very, very afraid.
The pink minivan pealed out of the garage with a shriek of tires. It flew down the long driveway and hardly slowed down before pulling onto the street, which fortunately wasn't busy. They maintained this breakneck speed through several city blocks before screeching to a halt in a parking space in front of a small, plain building. Everyone in the car was very glad they had worn their seatbelts. "We're here!" Mizuki announced as she hopped out.
"Thank Kami," Kurama muttered as he carefully crawled out, not trusting his wobbling knees to hold him.
Mizuki was apparently eager to get inside because she left her guests standing at the van as she zoomed through the door. +Milly, we have more helpers+ she shouted in English. A rather stout but very tall middle-aged woman stepped into the front lobby just as Kurama and the girls entered.
Hello+ she said warmly, although since she was speaking English only Botan understood. The others merely looked confused.
"She says 'Ohayo'," Mizuki translated. She then turned back to Milly. +Only Botan speaks English very well+ she explained.
Oh, Milly chuckled. +Well, I can still put them to work. You don't have to speak English to feed puppies and clean cages. But I need you on a special case this morning, Mizuki. We got some new kittens in and they still need to be nursed, but they just won't take a bottle from me. You're best with those kinds.+ Mizuki nodded and quickly translated to her friends, leaving instructions for everyone to listen to Milly and for Botan to be translator. Then she headed off to the back room where the new babies were.
It really wasn't easy to do the work when everything had to be translated, but since there were five people doing the work that was normally only handled by two, it actually went fairly fast. Mizuki emerged just as they were finishing and began talking to Milly. +The other two are doing fine, just put a little milk on the bottle and they'll drink from it. This one still won't eat, though. I'm going to take her home and see what I can do.+ She unbundled a tiny ball of fur to reveal a fluffy, big-headed, green-eyed calico kitten.
"Kawaii (2), koneko (3)!" the girls squealed, gathering around Mizuki to get a better look. "How old is she?" Keiko asked.
"About two and a half or three weeks," Mizuki answered. "So she still needs to be nursed, but she just isn't taking the bottle. She's coming home with us." She tucked the kitten into her chest and tried again, in vain, to offer the bottle. "Kurama, I'll need you to drive for me so I can hold this little gal."
"No problem," Kurama agreed quickly. A silent sigh of relief rippled through the room.
Mizuki then gave her own sigh. "I just wish your hair didn't clash!"
)()(Translations)()(
1. Good Morning
2. Cute
3. Kitten
