Alyssa really should have known better than to trust the Leech twins at face value. Especially with Jade's smirk when he informed her of a delightful cave with some rather interesting mushrooms he had found.
In retrospect, she should have suspected something when he told her to bring a swim suit, as there was a bit of a pool in the cave that would allow them to have a little bit of fun swimming in the ocean. In all the excitement, she had mostly forgotten that the twins were not human in the least.
The sight of the twins in their true mermaid form was the first clue that she was in for a long day. The matching smirks on their faces was the second.
Jade needed very little coaxing to get her in the water. To be fair, he had managed to get his hands on a longer-lasting potion to allow her to breath underwater from Kurama.
A very amused Kurama, who had only needed to hear what it was for before he made it with the caveat that he expected them to not drown his kit by accident while having their fun. After all, it was for her health that she had a proper mate to help stimulate the hormones she had been suppressing.
Even if it irked him that she needed it in the first place.
Floyd had a wicked grin the second they got her into the water. He had been wanting to do this for ages, ever since Riddle managed to kick his ass in the initiation ceremony.
Alyssa looked far too cute in her rose-themed two-piece, even if it was more moderate than most would expect for someone like her. The outfit hugged her still developing bust in ways that left nothing to the imagination, which Floyd loved.
Jade was smirking since there was no chance of interruption now that they were firmly underwater.
They gave her a few minutes to acclimate being so far under and still being able to breath before they made their move. And then she had very little time to look at the view.
Several hours later...
Cater grinned at Alyssa who looked like something the cat had dragged in. Che'nya frowned at how stiffly she was walking, but there was no doubting the satisfied air the three had. Alyssa made a beeline for the bath, mostly to loosen up and relax.
Che'nya deliberately blocked Floyd from following with a scowl.
"I think you've had enough fun with the princess for today," he said flatly.
"Ah, catfish is no fun at all."
"Che'nya nii-san, be nice," Alyssa called out from the bath.
"I am being nice. I haven't made these two in a filet," he shot back.
Alyssa walked out about thirty minutes later, looking much more relaxed. She found Che'nya still in a tense stand off with the twins. Cater had more or less given up on that front.
"I'm rather curious as to how you two met," said Jade.
"I met nii-san through Trey-nii," said Alyssa.
"Trey told me of an unusual kid he met, and once I got close enough to get his scent I knew I couldn't leave him alone," said Che'nya relaxing a tad. Mostly because Alyssa had just claimed his lap.
There was nothing intimate between them. Che'nya had always viewed Riddle as a younger sibling, a fact that only got stronger once he properly met Alyssa for the first time. He had known before anyone else that Alyssa was not the child of that foul woman, and had done everything he could to make things easier for her.
He couldn't count the number of times he had slipped her some extra food because that woman forced her to go to bed without supper for something she had no control over, or how often he had let Riddle sleep while holding his tail in a death grip. Riddle was his baby after all.
Che'nya purred while cuddling with Alyssa. Her tail intertwined with his happily.
"I've always known Alyssa-hime was special," said Che'nya. "But that woman always felt threatened and tried to break her."
"If you and Trey hadn't been there for me, she might have succeeded."
"You two look adorable. Smile!" said Cater, who cheerfully took yet another pic to add to the countless others he had taken.
Kurama was naturally among the first to react, and he knew the fox was cooing over the two.
~*~*~*~
Kurama looked at the potion that he was given that would allow him to revert back to his true form much easier. A thought occurred to him, one that was too amusing not to play around with.
"Question. How hard would it be to create a paired summoning catalyst?"
Suzuki looked at him oddly.
"What sort of summoning catalyst? And what would it be summoning exactly?"
Kurama grinned and pulled out a manga he had been introduced to by Keiko, Yusuke's girlfriend. Mostly because she found it amusing due to his choice of weapon.
Suzuki looked fascinated with the series "Barajou no Kiss", which Kurama found entirely suitable for his kit to emulate. She already had a least two knights that could fit the criteria, and would likely gather more when she was older.
Che'nya was a near guarantee, as he viewed her as his younger sister and was extremely doting towards her. Cater was something of a toss up, but he was just as doting as Che'nya in his own way.
Trey was supportive, but lacked the sheer devotion the other two had towards his kit.
He was already deep into the manga, and Kurama could see the cogs turning.
"If we win this, then Alyssa's popularity is only going to go up exponentially. Who better to showcase your creations than someone who can properly put them through the ringer?" said Kurama.
Suzuki blinked.
"You're suggesting a partnership with her."
"The details can be worked out later, but the important part is that she can demonstrate their effectiveness and use her charisma to convince buyers with the proper funding to look your way for new toys to play with."
The other demon looked highly intrigued.
"Besides, I know for a fact she's already partnered up with a professional model who specializes in their own make-up. They don't rely on cheap gimmicks such as magic to improve their apperance."
"Who's the model?" asked Suzuki.
"Vil Schoenhiet."
"I'm in," said Suzuki without hesitation. Even he had heard of Vil Schoenhiet, and the younger male's drive was highly appealing to him as a potion master.
Of course all this was contingent on whether team Urameshi won.
When Kurama returned to the hotel room, it was to a somber mood. Genkai was gone, they had all felt it.
Alyssa, sensing the mood had switched to her kitsune form. While she wasn't as close to the older woman as Yusuke, she could still understand the sheer pain he was in and was lending comfort the best she could.
Yusuke gratefully hid his real emotions by burying his face in her fur. No one said a word, as it was obvious he felt Genkai's death deeply.
Some time later...
Che'nya looked at the item Suzuki handed him.
"Impressive, but I can disappear without this toy," he said amused.
With the death of Shishiwakamaru, the Cloak of No Return had been more or less without a proper master. However Suzuki had seen Che'nya's signature spell when he went to have a chat with Alyssa regarding Kurama's request, and his mind had made the natural connection. Besides, what better way to endear himself to a potential business partner than by upgrading her personal knights?
Che'nya could feel the connection between him and the cloak, though he didn't need it's powers to disappear.
"I made this item as a joke, and your queen's mother made it clear that he wants her knights to be more...efficient...as her protectors. While I haven't got anything for her ginger-haired friend, I had the feeling you'd find a way to use this much more effectively than the last person did."
Che'nya happened to see a hapless Kuwabara heading out to get snacks. With a cheeky grin, and since it was all harmless fun, he used a bit of magic to throw it over the younger red head. He focused on sending the teen to the lobby, and heard an unhappy...if brief...squawk.
Kuwabara disappeared, and then came storming back not twenty minutes later looking very irate with the cat-earred teen.
"You jerk! Why did you dump me in the lobby fountain?"
Suzuki stared at Che'nya impressed. Che'nya merely laughed.
"I thought I'd save you half the trip! Did you get the snacks?"
"I was too busy trying to dry off, you ass!"
"Where did you intend to send him?" asked Suzuki intent.
"I was aiming for right next to the tacky fountain. I must have missed," said Che'nya.
Suzuki looked very pleased indeed.
"That's more than Shishiwakamaru managed! He barely managed to aim it in a general direction!"
"It's not that hard," said Che'nya. However he could already see the potential for mischief with it.
Suzuki was so incredibly pleased by this development that he could already see the potential for this partnership.
Alyssa took one look at Che'nya causing chaos with his new toy and promptly went to get popcorn. She was not the only one, since it was clear Che'nya was mostly learning how to aim where the victim landed rather than causing any actual harm.
On a related note, Che'nya also handed over a ridiculous amount of obviously stolen goods. He preened openly at the critiques Kurama gave on his technique and the spoils he brought back.
~*~*~*~~*
Azul was extraordinarily pleased with how things had gone. Thanks in part to Idia loaning Cater the special recording equipment, they were able to live stream the entire tournament for almost free. Thanks to Jade, he had a general head's up for when the rounds would begin which allowed him to order ahead in regards to food and beverages.
He had been making an absolute killing thanks to this tournament, both in sales and by renting booths out so everyone could enjoy the show in the comfort of the lounge.
A bit disappointing he didn't have Jade or Floyd to keep them in line and ease the workload, but he managed by making an agreement with some of the other housewardens. Trey had loaned out some of the more competent third years in exchange for a slightly higher than normal paycheck by the end of it.
After all, Azul would be the one to talk to Idia regarding any recordings he made whenever the Heartsabyl housewarden was on the screen.
He had made an absolute killing when she fought after using their own rules against them in regards to the role of the substitute.
Seeing the usually uptight Riddle in his natural female form dressed in a highly fashionable outfit while kicking ass had resulted in Alyssa-hime's special server exploding in popularity and numbers.
Vil was beyond pleased when he saw the outfit she wore, as well as her light dusting of make-up. Seeing her take down that one fool who used such subpar products was incredibly gratifying, and he couldn't help the smug expression hearing her critique his make-up technique.
While it was fascinating he had learned to use make-up as a legitimate weapon, his design and product selection were so low level that Vil would never have given him a second glance.
Vil was already chatting with Cater on MagiCam regarding Alyssa's next set of 'battle outfits' since it improved her image.
Crowley was just happy that she was demonstrating the superiority of Night Raven's ability to train capable mages. While Alyssa-hime's situation was a bit unique, she still represented the school as a whole.
And right now, she was showing the higher class just how capable Night Raven was.
Did not mean the teachers were going to give the group any leniency when they got back about missing schoolwork though.