Thanks for the review. I just started a couple of classes, so the updates may be slower, but I won't forget about it. This chapter is a lot of conversation, by the way and there's a lot of swearing in the beginning. Just so you all know. Enjoy.
Later that night the rest of their group had shown up. Ryo commented about how strange it was to have everyone together again. But they soon found out that not everyone wanted to be there. Touma was being a bit frustrating. He started the meeting by saying that he didn't want to go with them, but rather stay at home to take care of his delicate relationship. It turned for the worse when Shin said something.
"Oh, the gallant hero. Back from killing innocents are we?" Touma taunted.
"What? I wasn't killing innocent people."
"That's right, because Shin couldn't kill a fly stuck on fly paper. Why don't you take your thoughts and jump in the lake."
"Just because you're in your stage of doubting the armors doesn't mean you can just leave."
"If I remember right, you left all of us because you were sick of fighting and you don't even have Suiko right now. You're a punk ass hypocrite who thinks he's doing what is right and it fucked us over. I'm going home to protect my girlfriend's family with my armor because real men protect family. They don't leave them to enjoy Africa."
"Fucking bastard, come here and I'll show you what a real man is like."
"Nah. You're not even worth fighting at the moment."
"Touma," Seiji started, "We need to end this problem."
"Fuck you Seiji, you haven't had family issues. You're family hasn't even been attacked."
"And listening to your girlfriend freak out on the phone was easy?" Seiji said calmly.
Sitting quietly, Shu and Ryo looked at each other.
"Is it weird that our most level-headed friends are fighting?"
Ryo nodded, "Alright, that's enough. We've all had problems with these guys, but we don't need to be arguing with each other. We're letting them win."
Touma growled, as Shin relaxed his fists. They were still both staring at each other, ready for the other one to make the first move.
"Naaza, you know where to find your brother so we can stop him right?" Seiji asked.
"I do, but it's not fun getting there; especially now that you all can't get along."
Rajura laughed, "I wonder how you boys even defeated Arago."
"That's not helping." Ryo said, "We need to get in there."
"Didn't you just hear him," Touma said, "It's going to be difficult. We should get him here on our own turf where we know what to expect."
"Someone's gotten lazy during his stay in California."
"Someone should have stayed in Africa."
"And abandon my dying mother?"
"She wouldn't have died if you were there to protect her."
While the two went back and forth arguing, Ryo looked at the others.
"Any ideas?"
"It would be best to go after him." Naaza said, "But the part of the Demon World he lives in is dangerous. Just the land itself can do harm. We would all need to be in the right mind set of getting to him. All this bickering will just harm us."
"It's harming my ears." Anubisu added, "We should break up into groups when we get there. One to cause a distraction and the other to hunt him down."
"We could send the two of them in for a distraction." Shu said, "Because at this rate, we'll all go crazy."
"We need to decide soon, because having Suiko and myself near each other is a perfect way for Masafumi to find me when we're not expecting him. And he wants this armor."
Seiji cleared his throat, "So we put Shu, Shin, Ryo and Anubisu on the distraction team. The rest of us will try to out think Masafumi. With Rajura's illusion, it should work."
"Sounds perfect to me." Rajura said.
"And we get to knock heads together." Shu grinned, hugging Ryo.
"Yeah." Ryo said, not taking the hug well, "Jun, we'll need you to give Shin Suiko back."
"Alright." The teen said.
"Kayura, can you watch over our families?" Seiji asked, "They'll need someone."
"I can. It won't be easy though."
Ryo then walked towards the two still arguing, grabbed them both by their ears and threw them outside in the snow.
"You two are horrible. You can both sit out here and chill for a bit while us adults talk." He said before going back inside.
"Great, you got us tossed out." Touma said and Ryo slammed the door.
"Me? You know what, never mind." Shin then headed towards the dock.
Shivering from the cold, Touma decided to follow. He found the cold to his dislike, and he heard the door being locked. Misery was best together anyways. He found Shin smoking while watching the snow fall.
"Eh, sorry about all of that." Touma said, "I've just never worried about family before."
Shin grunted, "It's not easy worrying about family."
"And I shouldn't have called your mom a slut. She was a nice woman and took care of me when I stayed there. What she did outside of the bedroom isn't my business."
"Got it."
"And you're getting Suiko back so you're not really bailing on us again."
"Touma, I get it." Shin said, pulling another one out.
Deciding that watching the clouds was a better idea than just standing there, Touma laid down on the snow covered dock. Minutes later they were both laughing at the clouds passing overhead.
"When I was little, I thought snow tasted like sugar." Shin laughed.
"Really?" Touma was then sticking his tongue out to catch the flakes, "Tastes like frozen water to me."
"Yeah, well, you have no imagination." Shin teased.
Touma changed the subject, "I'm having a girl in June and I think Carla still hates me for having the armor. What the hell do I do with a baby girl?"
"Take care of her. Girls aren't that bad to live with. You just have to remember that they tend to be emotional."
"I think if it were a boy, I wouldn't be freaking out." He sighed, "He could do what I did, but I'd be there more."
"I think you will be fine. If anything, you'll just read up about girls and what they need. I just remember Sayoko needing makeup and lots of time on the phone when she was in high school." Shin smiled, "But that's from the view of a five year old boy."
"Ugh you're no help." Touma growled, "What did I get myself into?"
"Have you talked to Seiji about it? He has a younger sister."
"No, he'd just laugh at me and say 'for once, the mighty brain fails to know.'"
They both thought about it before laughing.
"I think Seiji just hates me." Shin sighed, "I keep interrupting his ever pleasant life."
"We're both pathetic." Touma said, "We got kicked out of Seiji and Nasuti's house."
"I'm beginning to think it's a trend for me."
"You are breaking the bro code with dating his sister."
"But she's so fun to be around. I just want to cook for her every night which I haven't been able to do. I wish she didn't have to go back to Sendai today."
"Well, Seiji hasn't killed you yet."
"No, but I think he will eventually."
"He's just old fashioned when it comes to his sisters." Touma paused before changing the subject again, "Did you ever listen to the tapes?"
"Yeah, they were some odd bands, but I still don't know why you sent me a tape about your physics class. The professor was wearisome."
"Yeah he was. I just figured you would think of us over there if you had to hear that class. Speaking of tapes, I have the greatest invention known to man with me. Sony Walkman, thou art thy hero. What music do I have on me?" he was fumbling with the machine.
"Hmm, I heard the compact discs are going to be better."
"Only if you hate recording, and they scratch too easy. I don't know why they've been around so long. Cassettes, my friend, are the way to go." Touma sighed, "I mean, why buy something that's expensive and there are few machines to use the damn thing."
"And I thought you were all for new technology."
"Not the ones that are going to fail." Touma stared at the sky for a bit, "You should come to California with me. You could go to school and play basketball for USC."
"I think I'm too short, and my right arm isn't the same as it was before."
"Baseball?"
"Same problem."
"Ooh, you could play football."
"Football as in American or the one where you actually play with your feet?"
"Both. But I don't know if you would look well in red."
"I don't think sports are my calling." Shin sighed.
"Well you've played soldier, jumped into the ocean from helicopters, been a Samurai, and can do pottery. Sounds like you need something violent, but not to the point of killing."
"And football would be that?"
"Sure, I see you hitting someone hard onto the turf."
"You're crazy. I don't need more violence in my life. I need less. All this fighting nonsense is killing my relationship with my sister."
"Whatever happened to the King who ruled the earth with his arms?"
"I think the King died when he got kicked out of his sister's house like a dog."
They were interrupted by a stomach growl.
"I'm hungry." Shin said.
"Me too, bro." Touma said.
They heard footsteps from behind them.
"What are you two doing?" Seiji asked.
"Watching the clouds and having our girl chat." Touma said.
Shin laughed, "We're just getting our feeling out in a peaceful manner. Would you like to join?"
Seiji sighed with relief, "That sounds wonderful."
The blonde laid in between them with his arms crossed, "So what are we talking about?"
"Touma's having a baby girl." Shin said.
"What? Why did you say so?" Seiji looked over at his now angry friend.
"Because I don't know how to handle baby girls." Touma spoke through his teeth.
"And the brain is actually stumped."
Shin cracked up laughing, which caused Seiji to jump.
"I told you Shin, that he would say that." Touma said, sitting up and yelling.
Seiji let out a small laugh, "You'll be fine Touma." he sighed, "Nasuti's been hinting that she wants one. How the hell are we going to handle a dojo and her travels if we have a kid running around? I can't take care of a baby yet."
"That doesn't seem like much of a problem, Seiji." Touma said, "Just let her come to you. Practice makes perfect you know."
"Touma, I just said I didn't want a child." Seiji's tone got serious.
"And I wish Carla would let me take her to bed." Touma fired back, "Can we trade women?"
"No."
"Fine," Touma sighed, then grinned, "Hey Shin, how's the love life with Yayoi?"
"Uhh,"
"Don't answer that." Seiji interrupted, "I don't want to know what you and my sister may have done. Are you going to quit smoking anytime soon?"
Shin sighed, "I'm going to try to. It's just hard right now."
"I know what he needs." Touma said, "He needs to be thrown into the water. Maybe that will kick something in him."
"They've done that already." Shin sighed.
"It didn't work?"
"Obviously, I still have one in my hand."
Seiji sat up and pinned Shin down, forcing his hand into Shin's pockets. Grabbing the lighter and box, he tossed them towards the hole in the ice.
"There, you're down to one half of one now. Better enjoy it because we're not going into town anytime soon."
Shin laid there shocked. Touma was now laughing like a crazy person. They were interrupted by Ryo and Shu.
"What's going on?" Ryo asked.
"We're having a chat." Seiji said with a rare smile.
"Sounds cool." Ryo said joining them, "So what are we talking about."
"Touma's having a girl; Seiji is having baby problems…" Shin started.
"And Seiji just tossed Shin's cigarettes into the lake. It was freaking funny." Touma finished.
"It was amusing." Seiji corrected.
"There goes five hundred yen into a lake." Shin complained, "Five hundred that I won't be getting back anytime soon."
"Get a job, you bum." Shu teased, "You know, you guys should have removed the snow."
"Nah, the wood wouldn't be any more comfortable." Touma said.
"Any problems that you two have?" Seiji asked.
"Now that you mention it," Shu started, "There's this Korean girl that just moved next door. I was wondering if any of you knew a good way to ask her out."
"Move out of your parents' apartment." Touma replied, "Chicks don't dig guys that live with their parents."
"Hardy har har," Shu said.
"You could lose some weight." Shin added.
"Chicks like teddy bears." Shu yelled.
The other four thought about it before laughing.
"You guys are mean."
"Alright," Ryo said, "How about you simply ask her out to another place to eat?"
"That's silly."
"Silly works." Seiji replied, "Nasuti practically jumped into my arms."
"You two had been flirting with each other for a while though." Touma added.
"You could get her to beg for you to ask her?" Shin said.
"I don't want to hear it Shin."
"Fine."
Touma paused, "I suppose you could accidently spill coffee all over her as she's working, but that would also require a crazy amount of books whick you lack."
"I'll just ask her out." Shu decided.
"This is fun. I miss this." Ryo said.
"It has been a while since we all just spilled our feeling out." Shin added.
"That's because some of us lack feelings." Touma said, referring to Seiji.
"You're a comedian, you know that?" Seiji spoke with sarcasm.
"I think that will be my late night job after school and taking care of a girl."
"You're having a girl?" Ryo asked, "You should have said something."
It was Seiji's turn to laugh, "We all think too much alike."
"Did I say something bad?"
"No Ryo." Touma sighed, "You're just not the first person to say it."
"And we said that before." Shin added.
"Huh." Ryo let out.
"Anything crazy going on with you, besides being attacked by snakes?" Touma asked.
Ryo thought about it, "Not really. I'm just playing football. No girls, no babies, just football and stopping Shin and Touma from ripping each other apart."
"Sorry about that." They both said at the same time.
"Byauken's back, so that means there is something really bad coming up." Ryo continued, "I just what this all to end so we can move on."
"Lame." Shu said after a moment of silence, "That's all you can come up with?"
"Well yeah."
"At least he's not a psycho with family issues." Shin said.
"Or going crazy from his spouse wanting a child all of the sudden." Seiji added.
"Going crazy at all." Touma let out slowly.
"Still though. Nothing?" Shu said.
"Yeah." Ryo answered.
After another moment of silence, Touma spoke, "Okay, I'm now cold and hungry."
Everyone then decided to get up and head inside, until Touma pushed Shin into the lake.
"Enjoy Fish-boy. Tomorrow you get to go back to work as a smoke free Samurai."
Shin growled, as he climbed out of the water. He quickly followed them into the house, giving Touma a wet hug as they walked into the door.