Chapter Eleven

Please go read ch 10 because I made major changes and you won't get ch 11 if you dooon't

Having one's face pressed into the wood floors of a temple was not the most amazing experience. In fact, it was actually quite painful. Along with the hold Yuki's parole officer currently had him in.

"Genkai-san! Please let Yuki-san go!"

The blue haired she-demon, Yukina, had her pretty features scrunched up in worry.

"Then what was with that reaction?" Genkai ground out.

"It was just shocking to see Yuki-san! We met at the tournament! Don't you remember him?"

"Of course I remember him. He was with Toguro's team. You'll have to excuse some gaps since I did die."

"You died?" Yuki puffed out.

It was hard to breathe with someone trying to make your body one with the floor.

"I did, and it doesn't mean I can't kick your sorry demon ass if you try anything."

But finally, she let go.

"Thank you for letting me up," Yuki nodded to the old woman.

Genkai crossed her arms and went back to sitting at the table. Said table had been knocked over in her rush at the shapeshifter and she quickly righted it.

"So? What does Koenma want me to do with him?" she addressed Botan, frowning.

"Well, Yuki will be placed here at the temple so there's someone watching him at all times. We don't want him to go berserk here in the Human World after all."

"Why don't you just send him back to Demon World, then? I don't have time for free-loaders."

"There's no one there that Lord Koenma trusts with this... 'threat to security' as he put it."

"But a washed up old woman he trusts? Something is seriously wrong with your lord's thinking."

"Well..." Botan visibly deflated.

"And I told you that I don't have time for free-loaders. Find someone else."

"Lord Koenma told me that you can put him to work! And if he steps out of line, you can do anything short of killing!"

"Oh?"

"Excuse me? I don't agree with that," Yuki cut in.

"With what?" Genkai asked, her frown deepening. "Just to remind you, demon, you are in my house and you aren't in any position to complain."

"The anything short of killing. That implies you can torture me, as long as I don't die from it. And I very much dislike that idea."

"But you're ok with being under house arrest and being put to work?"

"Uh, I guess? I mean it's understandable. Doesn't mean I like it."

"And this idiot's a demon?" The pink haired old woman shook her head. "Fine. Tell Koenma that I'll do it."

"Oh good! Then you'll be needing this," Botan handed Genkai a little device that looked like a phone.

"What is it?"

"It's a locater that's connected to the tracker on Yuki. If he goes out of the parameters you've set, then you'll get an alert."

"Hm."

"I'll be off then! Have to go report to Lord Koenma and all! Be seeing you!"

And just like that, Botan had hopped on her boat paddle and zoomed off.

"Yukina, do you mind making an extra portion for the idiot?"

The she-demon, who had been standing off to one side silently, shook her head and smiled. "I don't mind at all, Genkai-san."

"Then I'll take the new idiot on the house tour."

"I prefer being called Yuki."

"Yuki and Yukina. I'm calling you 'idiot' whether you like it or not."

Yuki would be staying in relatively small room. The floor was covered in something called 'tatami' and Genkai made a fuss about taking off shoes before entering. The bed was a 'futon mattress' that could be folded up and put away into a closet. Breakfast was at 6 am sharp, and if you missed any meals, it was your loss. Lunch was at 12 and dinner at 6.

"I don't care if you don't like sleeping here, but that's what you'll do if I'm to be keeping an eye on you," Genkai took a puff from her pipe.

"It's fine," Yuki replied. "And smoking will kill you."

"Not like I'm getting any younger," Genkai smirked. "What's it to you?"

"I don't like the smell."

"Oh really?" And just to taunt Yuki, she blew a cloud right in his face. She put it out nonetheless.

"You're one strange demon," she waved, exiting the room.

The rest of the evening went by and morning came unceremoniously. Yuki was slightly groggy waking up, but managed to fully awaken by the time Yukina had come to fetch him from his room.

She caught him at an embarrassing moment though. Yuki had been trying to fold the futon but gave up and resorted to stuffing it into the closet. He was in the middle of said stuffing when Yukina entered the room.

"Yuki-san? What are you doing?"

"Um. I..."

"I'll teach you how to fold the futon properly so you can put it away next time," she smiled, taking the pile from him.

It took Yukina three folding demonstrations before Yuki had memorized the folds. By then, Genkai had come up to see what had happened to Yukina, and saw Yuki folding the futon while Yukina gently urged him on.

"Very good, Yuki-san!" the she-demon smiled when Yuki managed to make a slightly sloppier version of Yukina's folded futon. "You'll get it perfect eventually. For now, let's put them away and go down for breakfast."

"Thank you for helping me," Yuki smiled awkwardly.

"It was no problem at all," Yukina smiled back.

Breakfast consisted of miso soup, grilled fish, rice, and some sort of pickled radish? It was pretty good, all in all. Genkai and Yukina had looked at Yuki strangely when he began eating almost immediately. Apparently he was supposed to say a prayer before eating? Yuki wasn't sure since Genkai had called him an idiot when he didn't understand her first attempt at an explanation. Yukina just smiled and shrugged, saying it was all right.

Yuki's first chore was to help Yukina out with her chores. Which were cleaning dishes, laundry, and cooking. When those were done, he would help Genkai with moving things. Mostly items that had been kept in storage. She never left him alone when he was doing this, and it made Yuki wonder what he was moving.

Then it was showing her his abilities.

"So you can manipulate your blood?" She asked, watching the display of blood weapons.

"Yeah."

"Hm."

"Anything else you can do? Can you fight?"

"I can fight."

"Then show me," Genkai crouched low and went into a fighting stance. "Let's see how well you fight."

"Do I just... go... or...?" Yuki shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Yes."

"Um. I don't exactly... know how to ...fight...?" Yuki could feel incredulous and judging eyes that made him want the ground to swallow him up.

"You... don't know how to fight? How did you... never mind." Genkai waved off her sentence and made a fist. "Just do your best against me."

Yuki never got a chance to reply, as she rushed forward and threw a punch. Before he knew what he was doing, Yuki realized he had gotten away somehow and was dodging all of Genkai's assault.

"Not bad for someone who claims they don't know how to fight," she grinned, hopping away.

"Are... we done?" Yuki questioned, seeing her move backwards.

"For now. You better go and help Yukina prepare dinner. We have guests tonight."

"Guests? Hey- wait!"

The little old woman was gone, presumably to go off and do whatever, way too spry for their ages, cranky old women did. But Yuki obeyed and went back inside the temple, heading for the kitchen.

"Yukina?" he called.

"I'm in here, Yuki-san!" came the answer.

The she-demon was cutting up some vegetables as Yuki appeared.

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I'm alright for now. I'll have to juggle things in a while though, so you might want to stay close."

"Yukina, you're way too nice," Yuki commented, after a while of watching her cook.

"Excuse me?" Yukina turned to face Yuki.

"You helped me put the bed away even though you didn't have to. You could've just left me to it."

"You seemed like you were in trouble, and it's only natural to help someone if they need it," the ice demoness smiled.

"...is that so...?"

Happy Halloween everybody! It's a little late, but oh well!