"Lagaris modenasel zusarlest, dade?"
"Nasparten venue…dade quiltell?"
"Close Rinku, but I think you'd want ketchup on your burger not starfish…" Touya sighed, putting down the textbook.
"Gah! Who cares! No one speaks Gaspeten anymore in all three worlds!"
"They still do in the northern regions of Mukuro's old territory. Its an ancient language mixed from basic Aramaic, our original language of the old Makai, and German from settlers who came to our world before the barrier was even raised."
"It still sounds like I have junk stuck in my throat…"
"Why not ask Shishi to run over this with you, I believe he's fluent."
The brunette child sighed, grabbing his textbook and heading outside. "The only thing Shishi is fluent in is being a jerk."
"He's still upset huh?" Suzuka asked, coming into the kitchen and catching the last bit of conversation.
"Emmhmm." Touya mumbled, grabbing some noodles out of the pantry in an attempt to start making dinner. "Wouldn't you be?"
"Hey now I'm in no way defending what Shishi did…but if he was telling the truth that human woman was getting a little too nosey into our affairs."
"I agree, but I think if cooler heads had prevailed-"
"With Shishi?" The blonde stared.
"…Hand me the pasta sauce out of the fridge."
"Pretty much."
/
An hour later the group had reconvened around the dinner table making their usual small talk, Chu about sake and sheilas, Suzuka about his ideas, Touya about books, Jin about fun things, Shishi about…Shishi, and Rinku had spent the majority of the meal and the past 21 meals picking at his food quietly.
"…And so her father chased me out of the house with a pitchfork threatening to castrate me if I was ever within twenty miles of his daughter again." Shishi shrugged, with little care in his voice.
"Well that's a bugger that you can't see the Sheila no more."
"Pfft! Please, we're going out again this evening." He smiled.
"You should be safe," Touya commented. "I don't think it's too likely you'll find her father hiding under a bed at a cockroach infested motel downtown."
"Mock if you will, but the rates and the room service are both superb…not to mention the company." The samurai grinned, pointing at the ice master with his fork.
"Right," The inventor nodded, "Those adult movie channels are free after the first two hours after all."
The swordsman paused in his chewing long enough to give the blond a curious look. "…How did you know about that Suzuka?"
The blonde's eyes widened slightly as he choked on his water. "I believe it's your night to do the dishes, Shishi."
"Then hand over your plates, I've got to be out of here in ten minutes to meet Holly."
"I not be finished yet!" The wind master protested.
"Me neither." Touya agreed, shielding his bowl from the samurai's hands.
"Well then hurry up!"
"…I'll do them." Rinku mumbled, speaking for the first time since he sat down. Picking up his plate the brunette slowly made his way to the sink, dumping most of his spaghetti down the disposal before beginning to rinse his plate.
"Thank…you?" Shishiwaka stared dumbfounded. The child usually complained whenever it was his turn to do the dishes, the very idea that he would volunteer to do them without a catch was an extreme rarity that made the samurai feel strange and…was this guilt? Nah. The four glares he was receiving from the rest of his roommates, however, was not helping.
"What?" He whispered harshly at them.
"You know damn well what, bloke." Chu glared.
"I don't have time for this," He huffed, pivoting on his foot, and heading for the back door. 'I have done absolutely nothing wrong! They're all being ridicules! I'm not even going to bother second-guessing myself. I did what was best for all of us! I did nothing wrong! End of story!'
/
"Do you think I did the wrong thing?!"
"Shishi…I'm a tutor not a therapist."
"I'm just asking your opinion as his tutor! …Therapist? Pfft! Are you trying to say that you think I need therapy?"
"No, no. Of course not." The woman waved, putting on an awkward smile. "…But you know if you ever want to give it a try, I have this cousin-"
"What?!"
"AH, Rinku! There you are!"
"Hello Miss. Jilly." Rinku greeted, walking up to his teacher with a bundle of papers and books in his arms.
"Well, someone's eager to start this month. Well as per the agreement besides my payment for monthly books and resources, I am paid by the hour on my monthly tutoring days…so why don't you leave my pupil and I alone, Shishi?"
"I'll get your check." The Tengu muttered, heading upstairs.
Waiting until the samurai was out of the room, Jilly gave her student a small smile before sitting down next to him. "So…why don't we go over the material you were having trouble with last time."
Miss Jillian had been sort of a 'late birthday present' to Rinku when he entered adolescence. Chu and his older housemates had agreed that needed a decent education in the new and upcoming ways of human world, as well as the historic ways of his culture in the Makai. So Jillian was hired, a demon whom had several young apparitions in the area she tutored. Once a month she came by to give Rinku new material to study and go over, then she would test him on it, help him in the areas he had trouble with, and leave him new materials for their next meeting. Jilly, though she had several other pupils, saw a great deal of potential with Rinku. He wasn't incredible enthused in his school work at first, but after a while the yo-yo child had shown great intelligence in certain subjects that held him heads above her other students.
"And so keeping with this bigger is better motif human world's Europe entered the Baroque period."
"Mmm hmm."
"This was inspiration for voluptuous architecture, Italian operas, and lots of religious art."
"More art junk…"
Sighing the woman put down the textbook to stare at her pupil. "Rinku? I heard what happened with your friend. I'm sorry."
"…It's so fucking unfair!" The youth shouted turning to face her. "I mean they don't understand because they're relatively the same age. Just because I'm a demon, I am a few decades older than kids in this world, but in the Makai I'm still a kid! The guys are…I like them and all it's just not the same."
"I think that's enough studying for today." Jilly mumbled closing her book. "Rinku I understand how you feel, I was an only child in a house full of grown ups too…what you need is some interaction."
"I had interaction, until Shishi had to be an ass."
"Well…there is always a chance to make new friends. Here, I have just the thing." Pulling back her long hair, the woman began digging through her briefcase, finding a single pink flyer she handed it to the youth. "Tell me what you think of this."
"…A spelling bee?"
"It's a local human tournament. Youths of different ages compete in Language arts spelling categories. It's mostly public with local schools, but home-schooled children are welcome to compete, I could get you in. A few of my other students are competing as well, but just between us I think you could easily beat them…Oh and here," She smiled, handing Rinku a separate sheet of paper with printed names on it. "Here are some of the contestants that are already signed up."
The brunette's eyes canned the paper briefly before a grin spread across his face. "Eddy's in it!" Aquamarine eyes suddenly fell. "…If Eddy's in it, then I can't be. Shishi will be pissed."
"Oh, you leave bird boy to me."
/
"A spelling tournament?" Chu echoed. "Is that something you'd even be interested in Rinku?"
"Yeah it would be a blast." The star marked child beamed bouncing in his seat at the dinning table. The other five apparitions all looked at him with curious expressions.
"I just thought it would be good for him." Jilly smiled, packing away her papers. "Boost his confidence, show off his skills…oh plus that other boy will be there. Your neighbor's son I believe, Eddy?"
'What are you doing Miss Jilly!' Rinku stared, bells going off in his ears. Had she never heard of sedulity? The boy was beginning to vaguely wonder what kind of opponent she would be in a fight if she just threw things out like that.
"Are you crazy?" Shishi eyed her. "Rinku competing around all those humans?"
"Some of my other students will be there, so they'll be few apparitions competing as well as their family and friends supporting them in the audience…Plus Shishi I thought you of all people would be supportive of something like that…"
"What do you mean?" The samurai inquired.
"Well, you don't like this boy's mother, Carol, was it? …And this is a competition. Wouldn't you want the satisfaction of Rinku's 'archaic' teaching system, beating the pants off the human boy's top human education?"
"Look this whole psychology pull you're trying is very cute Jilly…but you're forgetting something…Rinku WINNING, at a spelling bee." Shishi laughed.
"Zygapophysis. Z-Y-G-A-P-O-P-H-Y-S-I-S."
The five male demons stopped to stare at the youth.
Chu smiled at the boy. "Did you make that up?"
"Nuh-uh! It was one of my spelling words!"
"Zygapophysis, …It's an arch in the vertebra." Suzuka stared. "He didn't make it up."
"Nyah!" The child beamed after sticking out his tongue and pulling down the lower lid of his left eye.
"Alright then." Touya stared. "How about, intracerebellar?''
"Intracerebellar? …I-N-T-R-A-C-E-R-E…B-E-L-L-A-R, intracerebellar."
The former shinobi's eyes widened. "…That's right."
"Holy virgin! The kids like some weird kinda smarty pants." Jin stared.
"Hey Rinku what's the capital of Canada?" Chu demanded.
"Um…Ottawa?"
"It probably is!" The Aussie beamed, clapping the youth on the back.
Jilly sighed, clapping a hand over her forehead. "…So I forgot which one of you is Rinku's qualified role model."
"Oh I think we each bring something unique to the table." Suzuka stared.
"…Be it good or bad influence though is still debatable." The ice master sighed.
I'm so sorry, for taking forever. I've had a lot of bad luck since I moved with family and job hunting. But, now things are finally starting to go my way. /Knock wood/ Oh and to top it all off I was working on this chapter last night around midnight I was ALMOST done…and suddenly WHAM…I had my first UTI…With the pain I experienced up until 4AM I now know I never wish to have that again…nor would I ever wish that pain on anyone…Hmm now I want to add a chapter to 'Hospital Rush' …might work on that later tonight. So please have some mercy on the pain I've been having and instead of sending cards or flowers send REVIEWS!! They shall make me feel better, along with reviews; you guys and myself can hopefully expect regular updates since I have a routine again with work. So I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, sorry it's been so long and please, please, please REVIEW!
-Siren
Oh, and now that I moved to Orlando; anyone in the area going to metrocon or AFO this summer? I'm trying to get Yu Yu Hakusho cosplay group together. E-mail me if you're interested.