A/N: Follow-up, second of three. Takes place the next morning. Clearly, Nicole likes making fun of Joe.

"Hail ye, demon of the deep sea risen above in all his glory!" Nicole exclaimed reverently as she fell to her knees to prostrate herself before Joe.

Joe stared at her. Then he turned to Tai, sitting at the kitchen table with a large grin on his face.

"You," he pointed. "You put her up to this."

Tai shrugged. "She put herself up to this. I just told her you had a diving accident and your eyes were all blood red. Nothing about your demon eyes. We just came to the same conclusion."

"They are not demon eyes!"

"We are not worthy, oh great and powerful one!" Nicole intoned as she bowed up and down in continuous glorification. "Teach us your unholy ways, Joe Demon-Eyes, enlighten us poor mortals with your sacrilegious knowledge!"

"Stop that," Joe said evenly.

"Yes your Eminence!" she sprung up to her feet. Even her ridiculous acting could not hide the huge grin she had plastered across her face.

She then grabbed a magazine from the stack on the counter, fluffed open the pages, and began fanning him with it. Joe facepalmed.

"Is Kari up yet?" he turned to ask Tai.

Tai shrugged. "Dunno. We're just up early 'cuz we wanted to go running before it got too hot out."

"I thought as much," Joe answered dryly. Both Tai and Nicole were still in their running gear and slightly sweaty, plus there were three glasses of water on the table. "Who else went with you?"

"Ken. Didn't you pass him on the way down? He already went up to shower."

"I guess he was already up there. I thought I heard a shower on."

"Coffee, your Unholiness?"

Joe cast an aside towards Nicole, who had abandoned the magazine fan and now held up a half full coffeepot. "Uh… sure?" Then his eyes narrowed. "You had better not have had any of this."

"Nah, it was for me," Tai yawned. "How else was I supposed to get up early? If you don't want any, I'll take some. Pour me some more, Nicole."

She saluted. "Sir!"

Joe blinked at both of them as she went to retrieve what had apparently been Tai's mug. "You get 'Sir', and I get 'Your Unholiness'?"

Tai shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, I am the leader here."

"What I wouldn't give to just get 'Sempai'."

"Doesn't work, we're the same grade remember?" Nicole grinned as she poured the coffee and brought it back to the table. "Here go Tai. Joe, want anything in yours?"

Joe shook his head. "No thanks. Hey, you stopped with the demon thing."

"You stopped being funny," she shrugged. "I can start it up again if you want."

"No."

"Okay then… demon-eyes."

Joe was almost grateful that the current state of his eyes made him look frightening whenever he glared.