"How does everyone disappear? I mean, vampires are known for being able to hide in ambush very easily, but where in the hell can a succubus hide their tits? And you said you can't even find Deesseedra today, she is part of you, how does she go missing?"
"I don't know, It's your house. Though I have to agree with you on the whole hiding the boobs thing, I don't even know how Harumi's bra holds up like it does. As far as Deesseedra goes, I don't try to keep up with her, I just let her be herself. Until she starts acting obnoxiously horny, then I have to intervene so I don't die of embarrassment," Utsuki said to Tekeshi as they were searching the house for signs of anyone.
In all of his life that he lived in that house he had never seen it deserted. Either Gustave was straightening a picture somewhere that wasn't actually crooked, one of the maid squad was hunting for prey for her and her sisters, or some family member was headed somewhere. It was never empty and quiet. This was a new situation all the way around.
"I mean even Madonna and her group are gone, which I am not that upset about. Nor are my adrenal glands, I'm amazed that I've even managed to calm down from Tomoe's training style. I can deal with people trying to kill me because they don't like me, but because they do is too much. Even calling for Machiko hasn't worked, and her not coming at a chance to sexually assault someone, that surprises me. I really hope she is going to outgrow that whole thing before they can charge her as an adult, I don't want to go visit her in prison, granted most of the guards would likely fall victim to her as well," Tekeshi said as he looked into the front parlor for signs of life.
"How did she get like that? The only people I had even heard of being that bad were creepy old guys on the news. I never thought I would have to worry about a twelve year old girl trying to grab my butt every time I turned my back, not to mention my chest," Utsuki shivered as she crossed her arms over said area of her body.
Tekeshi shrugged as they continued on, "From what I understand, Aunt Yukari was almost as bad, but she knew how to keep her hands to herself. Throughout their whole time at school she tried to get a menage a trois with my parents. It never happened, and she still talks about it in her sleep at times, which thankfully I don't need therapy from it, because she just so happens to be the family psychiatrist. Mostly because there aren't that many yokai that have any kind of a medical license. Where are they? This lost any chance at being funny thirty minutes ago."
Room after room was empty. The two were at this point completely confused, and were becoming somewhat paranoid. Which was understandable considering the circumstances of the last three weeks involving death, disorder, and too much weird to even think about. Tekeshi at this point even had Jakkasu slightly drawn from his saya.
"Maybe they are outside somewhere, Tekeshi-kun? Obviously they aren't inside, so look outside," the suggestion was really matter of fact.
Of course it was revealed Tekeshi's thought process, "That is a very reasonable idea that I might should have already though of. I am so goddamn smart, I am really, really stupid. Let's go."
Checking the front showed no one, as well as the gardens being deserted. It was really starting to grate on Tekeshi's nerves, while Utsuki was starting to feel somewhat concerned in the situation. It wasn't until they finally thought to check the central courtyard that they found everyone, in the loudest way possible.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEKESHI."
If it hadn't been for a series of barriers that protected the grounds from prying eyes, Tekeshi was sure that there would have been police already on their way from the sheer volume of the scream that was emitted from the large volume of people there.
"What? All of you know I can't stand birthday parties. Not to mention I was about ten seconds from going on war footing fro..." the hot dog suddenly shoved in his mouth by Machiko silenced his protests.
The littlest pervert smiled, "Come on bro, how often do we get to do this for any of us? We are going to have the party, you are going to enjoy it," she managed to manuver him down to where she could whisper in his ear, "or I am going to let everyone know about your little nun fetish."
Biting the food he replied, "You are bluffing, you know I am not ashamed of it, and considering this family, that isn't all that out there."
"Yeah, but does miss firm ass cheeks over there know about it, and would she react all that well to it, not too mention I could let the pirate know," if there was anything that Machiko was good at beside making everyone uncomfortable, it was manipulation.
"I want to say you wouldn't, but I have known you long enough to know you would. Just know this, when they finally put you in jail for sexual misconduct, I won't be visiting you."
"Who said you would need to, I'll be too busy anyways, now come on, you are the guest of honor," Machiko threw herself up onto Tekeshi's back as he stood up.
"Alright, I thank every one. Bring out the cake, and let's hope we don't have a repeat of the last of Harumi's birthdays I went to. I like this house, and I like it not on fire."
As if on cue the crowd parted to show Tsukune and Fong-Fong carrying a table forward that supported a three and a half foot tall layer cake that had way more than seventeen candles on it, the sight of which garnered a dirty look from the birthday boy at the number. Stepping up, he blew them out to major applause.
Moka stepped up to hug him, "Happy birthday, Kodomo. I love you so much, and am so proud that you have made it to this age, without actually dyeing, and hope for many more decades of being able to do this."
As she stepped back his grandparents stepped up, "It makes us so proud to see how you have grown. Not too mention how proud we are that you managed to not be such a blatant woman magnet like your father," a call of "Dad" was heard from the mentioned father as they moved on.
His Aunt Kurumu, and Aunt Mizore stepped up next, "I don't know how you haven't become a straight up heart-breaker, but we definitely know gaggles of girls who would love to meet you," three voices called out "MOM" at Mizore's statement.
His Uncle Fong-Fong and Aunt Yukari were next, "Well, I really don't know what to say because we have seen you every birthday for the last few years, so Happy Birthday."
It continued on with family and family friends wishing him Happy Birthday until his father stepped up, "Tekeshi, I know that the short time that we have been back together as a family has been, chaotic, but I am so glad that we can be. Family is one of the most important things that we have, it has seen us through some of the darkest times that can be imagined, and will always stand with you. I want to give you the first present, something that a man I met in England last year thought you were the perfect person to take possession of," with that he handed the younger vampire a guitar case.
Tekeshi looked at the case a little puzzled. A guitar wasn't something all that uncommon, and he had three or four from different eras, but he really couldn't come up with a reason to turn down another. Opening the case it took a second for it to sink in. Inside the case was probably the single most famous electric guitar that he had heard of, and for it to be there brought up so many questions that he couldn't even begin to form a line. Picking it up, he couldn't believe that he was holding the Red Special.
"Pops, this can't be the real one, there is no way. If it is, it's priceless. How?"
Tsukune simply shrugged, "Me and your mother were attending a meeting for educators in London last year, and found a nice cafe. We got to talking to an old man there and he mentioned that he had been a guitarist when he was younger. I told him that you were one, and showed him a couple of videos that Yukari had sent to us of you at a show. He was so impressed that he made sure that we had it ready to go with us when we returned home. I think he said he had something to do with the Queen, maybe he was part of a personal performing group for the royal family or something like that."
"Dad, the man you met was Bryan May, he was the guitarist for the band Queen. He is the greatest rock guitarist ever. There is no way that I am anywhere near worthy to hold this guitar, there just isn't anyway. I mean, the fact that I am even laying eyes on it this close is beyond my dreams, I don't know what to say."
"Then how about you do what it is meant for and play something," Tsukune said as he handed his son the end of a audio cable.
Quckly plugging the guitar in it didn't take him long to tune it and start playing.
"Night falls, and I'm alone
Skin, yeah, chilled me to the bone
You, turned and you ran, oh yeah
Oh oh, slipped, right from my hand
Yeah
Blue on black
Tears on a river
A push on a shove
It don't mean much
Joker on jack
Match on a fire
Cold on Ice
It's a dead man's touch
A whisper on a scream
Never changed a thing
It doesn't bring you back
It's like blue on black
Blind, oh, but now I see
Truth, lies, and in between
Wrongs, can't be undone, oh no
Well it slipped, from the tip of your tongue
Yeah
Blue on black
Tears on a river
A push on a shove
It don't mean much
Joker on jack
Match on a fire
Cold on Ice
It's a dead man's touch
A whisper on a scream
Never changed a thing
It doesn't bring you back
It's like blue on black
Blue on black
Tears on a river
Push on a shove
It don't mean much
Blue on black
Tears on a river
A push on a shove
It don't mean much
Joker on jack
Match on a fire
Cold on Ice
It's a dead man's touch
A whisper on a scream
Never changed a thing
It doesn't bring you back
It's blue on black
Yeah, it's like blue on black
Yeah, it's blue on black
Yeah, it's like blue on black"
As Tekeshi ended the song everyone let out breaths they weren't even aware they were holding. Almost everyone there had heard him sing before, with or without an instrument. Yet the combination of him and that guitar seemed to change the very way he played and projected his voice. Tsukune could only think that the old man must have had some kind of other worldly knowledge to know that it was going to another like him.
"So that is the sound of a guitar that was truly given the love that it deserved from it's player. It's incredible. I am at a complete loss for words. If you have anyway of getting in contact with him, please, let him know that I will treat the Red Special like the priceless treasure that it rightfully is," Tekeshi couldn't stop a few tears from welling up and sliding down his cheeks.
Tekeshi sat in the garden at the end of the night. He had never really enjoyed the fanfare a party brought, mainly because he saw it as a waste of time. Why should he get all excited over making another trip around the sun, all it meant was that the heat death of the universe was just that much closer to wiping everything out.
"Yo, Tekeshi, mind some company," a voice said from behind him.
Looking over his shoulder he saw Mr. Morioka walking up, "Not particularly, but knowing you, you aren't paying attention and, yep you are sitting down oblivious to everything."
"You haven't changed much from when you were a kid, the only big difference is that we now literally see eye to eye. I see you managed to find yourself a smoking piece of lady, I always knew you had it in you with your old man," the werewolf smiled as he looked at the younger vampire with one eye.
"I don't have a smoking piece of lady. 'Suki is my charge, and my friend. I make sure she doesn't end up on the menu, and beat down all the assholes who try to put hands where they don't belong."
"Sounds like you are in denial, but that is something you have to get over yourself. That was one hell of a show you put on earlier, I swear if it was a full moon every single on my body would have been on end. There is something I want to talk to you about."
Tekeshi looked over at him, "What is it?"
"You heard that due to some, unique circumstances... I am just going to drop the pretense, some idiots made porno clubs a couple of years ago and your old man suspended clubs altogether until they could go through and rewrite the entirety of the rules surrounding clubs to make sure that didn't happen again. Personally I think it was unnecessary, but that may be why he keeps sending my resume's back with the phrase "NOT HAPPENING HORNDOG" written all over them. I don't know what he is worried about, I am married, and finally expecting my first kid. Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to help reestablish one of the most important clubs that has existed in Yokai Academy history?"
"What club is that?"
Gin smiled and turned his head complete towards Tekeshi, "The Newspaper Club. Ask anyone from our time, and the stories they would tell would shock you. Besides you would be carrying on a family tradition. Your parents and aunts used to be the Newspaper Club, and there was never another group like them from what I understand. About five years after they graduated the club was disbanded due to lack of members, but from what I heard from Nekonome-sensei, she would really love to see it come back."
"Yeah, I don't think journalism is quite my thing. The twins might be interested, and Machiko, or actually she might be a regular story in it. I just don't know. Let me think about it, and I will talk to, you said Nekonome-sensei, about it if I decide to. Deal," Tekeshi held his hand out.
Gin took it and shook it firmly, "That is all I am asking of you. Just remember this, the news can be exciting.