Camping. Rin had never been camping before and despite the circumstances was incredibly excited. He was going camping with his little brother! Well, and a small group of angels but that wasn't something he could appriciate as not everyone could see them.

Speaking of which, Metatron and Sandalphon were bickering about something while Ariel looked ready to hit the two, having some disccusion while her human was with her friend.

"Magdeline-san. A word?" Yukio asked being polite as ever.

"Feathers."

Yukio's face tensed slightly as he held back no doubt irritation and confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"You asked me for a word. I gave you one. A perfectly good word." Rin went back to packing his needed camping gear, knowing he would not be changing his clothes in front of anyone sans Shura. Even then, he was a guy and she was a girl so... not likely.

"That's not what I- never mind. May I ask you something?"

"Hm? Didn't you just?"

He couldn't help it. Yukio was fun to get all wound up and flustered. He swore he could see his brother's vein jut out on his forehead.

"What I mean is..."

"You want to know if I mean no harm? Because I insist on taking the name of someone exorcised seven times?"

Yukio didn't respond to the remark. No doubt it wasn't the question he wanted to ask if his irritation was any indication. But Rin could figure it out later. Afterall, what important question would he think to ask of someone he just met?

"I promise I will do all I can to protect you and your students. As Magdeline was brought into the fold, so have I. Learn a little trust, don't give your judement on one you have never met, and relax. You seem to know Shura well enough. So no worries against little old me."

"You know I rank above you."

"You do? Exorcist rankings are so confusing. I haven't been one for very long though so that may just be me."

"How long have you been an exorcist?"

"Not long. This is my first outing," Rin admitted with slight excitement.

"I see. So you would have met any new recruits to tutor them?"

"I have met none. Angel has had me kept seperate considering my devine blessing. Why? Would a friend of yours be at the Vatican?" Rin asked with genuine curiosity. Yukio never really mentioned friends before. Not really. He talked about his studying. Of a few students he would tutor, primarily girls as they would ask him. But like his life as an exorcist, Rin didn't know all the details, nor should he have known any of them had his father gotten his way.

"No. Just making polite conversation."

Yukio was still terrible at lying. Well, maybe not terrible... but he had grown next to him and learned his tells. The slight turning of his head to create a glare on his glasses. His lips tightening into a line. Slightly biting the inside of his lip. It was certainly an avoidance of the truth he had seen far too often growing up.

"Thou shalt not lie, Okumura Yukio."

Yukio looked at the glass covering Rin's eyes. His own eyes reflected back at him. The feminine face faced Yukio, betraying no emotion.

"Surely you know the ten commandments."

"Of course I do."

"No worries though. We all have things we'd rather not talk about. Perhaps if you don't feel comfortable talking to me, you might talk to Shura?"

Yukio's face flushed and he sputtered nonsense as Rin held back his laughter. Oh he was going to have fun with this.

Rin smiled behind his mask as he looked over the exwires with excitement and slight worry. He hoped that little Miwa had not told Yukio about his summon, or that anyone would get the idea to have him summoned to make dinner tonight.

He wouldn't be able to talk his way out of being summoned, with or without the mask.

"Alright, is everyone ready to go?" Yukio asked.

The universal hai from the group. Rin chuckled behind his mask.

"Wonderful. I'm so excited to be here with all of you," Rin as Magdeline chirped.

"We're happy to have you here too," the pink haired boy-Shima- responded with a somewhat perverted grin. Rin turned his head to look at Yukio.

"So where will we be camping Okumura-kun?"

Shura snickered at his delievery of the question, holding a bit of a swoon to his name. Yukio's annoyed and slightly flushed face made it worth it. As well as Sandalphon's groan, Ariel's attempt at hiding her laughter and Metatron's snort. Raphael was silent as he flew above, out of the way but keeping both Rin and Shura in his line of sight.

"Just in the forest Magdeline-san." Yukio kept his cool as he spoke.

"You ever been camping before Magdeline-chan?" Shura spoke with a slight exageration on the chan. He knew it was because he was walking around essentially as a woman, but he wasn't bothered in the least being called chan. The angels often enough referred to him as the "cute" twin where Yukio seemed to be the refined twin. Being referred to as a woman didn't bother him.

"Nope!"

"I haven't either," the soft spoken blonde girl admitted to the group. Magdeline moved quickly to her side and linked arms with her.

"Then let's make sure it is a fun and safe experience. Shall we?"

Rin led the way with Shiemi by his side, happily listening to her talk about the different plants they were seeing and her garden back home. Rin liked her soft voice and obvious enthusiasm, even when she was as out of her element of a controlled garden.

The woods were nice and refreshing in contrast to the Vatican's perfectly groomed and controlled spaces. Uneven ground, singing birds and the slight buzzing of insects.

It would have been even better if he wasn't completely hidden in his chosen outfit, and had the bright sun on his skin. But he didn't want his brother to learn that the work his dad and he had worked on had been for not.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" he heard Shima screamed from behind. Rin turned around and saw the pink haired flirt freaking out over a little spider web he had run into.

"I better go save him," Rin told Shiemi. He unhooked his arm from hers and gently pulled the small spider away from the panicky teen. With quick, but gentle fingers, Rin gathered in the spider and placed it on a tree.

"There there, no need to panic."

"I-I wasn't scared," Shima tried to play off. Rin tilted his head in a curious manner.

"Then... was that a battle cry? You may wish to wait until your voice deepens a bit more. Men have been known to rush in to save screaming damsels," Rin responded, "Although if you are in danger, it would probably work as a call for help."

"Is it just me, or is Rin being a bit cruel?" Sandalphon commented to Metatron.

"Eh. Maybe. But the kid really shouldn't be screaming like that in these woods."

"Raphael, a word?" Ariel spoke softly, a stern tone in her voice. Raphael nodded and flew further ahead on the path with Ariel following close behind. Mere minutes passed when they stopped above what would be their camp site.

"What is it you want Ariel?"

"At least one of us will have to leave," she spoke bluntly. Raphael didn't change his expression.

"You know no weaker demons will arrive to test the children with all of us here. The demons that will come will be death seekers. Be it their deaths..."

"Or the children's," Raphael finished for her. Ariel's eyes locked with his cool blue ones.

"You are the most aggressive of us here. And you are not exclusive to the woman you follow."

"You are not the leader of the archangels Ariel."

"And you know I'm right."

The two stood silently for a mere moment. Then, Raphael sighed.

"Very well. Keep an eye on his spawn."

"A bit hypocritical of yourself, don't you think?"

Raphael's wings spread and his eyes narrowed into a glare.

"What you think you know, is not exactly the truth. And what did happen is between me, God, and Satan."

Rin with everyone. Sadly still hiding.

But hey, it's something.