Ch. 32

With the threat of my uncle and the rest of the Kurosaki bat demons hanging over their head, I doubt many adults slept well that night. Thankfully, my family and I were afforded some peace for the moment.
~

Though she had never been to New York City before, it was not difficult for Rin to find the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Not only was the building a spectacle of lights with its name proudly emblazoned in neon lights, but already, the half-demon's ears could hear the frightened voices of those within. Clearly, the idea of demons as guests was not one the staff were relishing.

"Do we need to make the beds?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

"Do they even use beds?"

"And do we give them raw meat or cooked?"

"Huh, should we call the blood bank?"

"Are they even vampire bats?"

"Bet my salary they're gonna try and drink our blood."

"Alright, that's enough!" Rin landed on the roof of the building, cocking her head as a more authoritative voice cut through the frightened speculating. "We have a standard to maintain and we'll hold ourselves to that standard no matter who- or what- our guests are."

A wise decision.

Giving her wings a powerful flap, Rin jumped down from the roof and dropped expertly to the ground in front of the glass doors. A man in a red coat and black hat who was manning said doors jumped back in shock as the half-demon regarded him with a cold stare.

"I take it you're expecting us?"

"Us, miss?" the man asked, trying to appear unruffled under Rin's golden glare.

"Us." Rin didn't bother looking up as Kenta and Souske glided out of the night sky and landed on either side of their cousin. At the same moment, the limousine carrying the rest of the family pulled up in front of the hotel. Kenta nodded at the man.

"You're in luck; our luggage should have already been delivered to our rooms."

"I... er... as you say, sir." The man quickly darted over to open the door to the limousine as Rin turned to regard her cousins.

"How many rooms do we have?"

"The entirety of the top floor. You and your immediate kin will share a suite while Kenta and I will occupy a second suite. Mother, Father, and Sumiko will join us when they arrive. The rest of the rooms will stay empty for the sake of our privacy."

"As for the rest of the Kurosakis, they will likely occupy the Park or make themselves comfortable outside of the city until they are needed." Kenta looked up at the surrounding buildings and his lips pulled away from his fangs in a sneer. "Greatest city in the world, this may be, but how the humans can stand the smell of it, I have no idea. At least the aroma of human blood makes it a tad more bearable."

Rin said nothing, but couldn't help brushing her clawed fingers over the dried stains down the front of her shirt. Judging from the coppery scent hanging thick over her cousins, Rin knew Kenta and Souske's dark clothing were also in need of a thorough washing.

"Whoa, now this is what I'm talkin' about."

Centipede approached the three Kurosakis, a huge grin on his face as he looked up at the hotel. He threw a few arms around Rin's shoulders as he declared,

"We're livin' in style, eh, Rin-girl?"

"Oh really, Centipede." Miss Spider, closely followed by James, shook her head. "This is not forever, you know."

"Yeah, I know that. But hey, we're here now. Might as well enjoy it. Right, Jimmy-boy?" Centipede swept James to him in a many-armed hug.

"Yes, Centipede," James answered. The little boy's smile was genuine, but there was no mistaking his half-closed eyes and lack of pep in his voice.

"You need to sleep, James." Miss Spider wrapped her own arm around James as Centipede set the little boy down. "We all do."

"And as we were telling Rin, you will have plenty of room. We have also sent ahead fresh clothes, should you wish to bathe first."

"Uh, that's nice of you and all, but how's that gonna work for us?" Centipede held up several hands.

"You would be surprised," Souske said with a smile. "Most yokai clothing is... adaptable."

"What's that, dear?" Mrs. Ladybug and Mr. Grasshopper had joined the group, both of them assisting Glowworm who looked as unbothered as ever. The elderly insect peered up at the two demons through her glasses. "What's pokey and flappable?"

"Never mind, Ms. Glowworm," Mr. Grasshopper said as Kenta raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Merely discussing the details."

"Oh that's nice."

"Would we able to obtain a fresh change of clothes?" Mrs. Ladybug asked. "Another day or so without a wash wouldn't be the worst thing, but I think we could all use a bath."

"Hai. We do not have to leave our territory often, but we are always prepared for when we do," Souske answered. "When we received Rin's letter, Father made sure to send ahead any supplies that were needed."

"Rin, you still have our things packed, don't you?" James asked.

"Hai, I do." Rin hefted her kitsune bag in her palm. "Been ready to get away from the hill for a long time."

"It would probably be best if you sent whatever you have packed out to be laundered as well," Mrs. Ladybug advised. "If you've been keeping clothes in there for some time, Rin, they're bound to be a bit musty by now."

"Beg pardon, but if you need the laundry service, we have it available at all hours." The uniformed man standing by the door touched his cap a bit warily. "We offer all the comforts of home to our guests."

"That would be most welcome, thank you," Miss Spider said smoothly. "Shall we, everyone?"

"Indeed. We need to speak to the human in charge first, though."

Unfurling his wings a bit, Kenta strode through the doors the uniformed man held open. Kenta didn't bother glancing at him, but Rin noted the slight inclination of her cousin's head in the man's direction. The half-demon felt the scent of the hotel- warm air seasoned with some type of cleaning product and the unmistakable odors of cigarette smoke and liquor- wash over her. Thankfully, the foyer was mostly deserted at the current hour, though whether it was due to a desire for sleep of the excitement of the peach, Rin couldn't say. But the relative quiet was welcome, as was the fact that most of the lights had been turned down to a low setting.

"Ah, welcome." A man in a dark suit was almost gliding over the polished marble floor to greet the group. While he seemed at ease, Rin could tell the man's wide smile didn't quite meet his eyes. "I am Justin Black, the concierge of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. I take it you are from the Kurosaki family?"

"Indeed we are. I presume everything is ready for us?" Kenta's tone brooked no argument.

"Oh of course, sir."

"Good. The rest of our force shall arrive within a day or two. Until then, we are not to be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. Anyone- and I do mean anyone- who attempts otherwise will deal with me. Understand?" Kenta flexed his deadly claws in the man's face.

"Yes, sir. Er, yes, my lord. Of course." The concierge, still grinning, held up two hands in a placating gesture. "Please, follow me to the elevator and-"

"That will not be necessary. Please provide us with the keys to our rooms and we will retire. If you wish to help us, set out a laundry basket and have our garments ready for the morning."

"As best you can, please," Mrs. Ladybug added.

"Of course. My lord, ma'am." Mr. Black nodded and quickly darted over to a large wooden desk where he began sorting out two sets of keys.

"Good Heavens, the poor man looks terrified," Mrs. Ladybug murmured.

"Huh, can't imagine why," Earthworm muttered back.

"Good." Kenta ran his tongue over his slightly red fangs. "This way, he'll be less inclined to challenge me."

"Challenge?" James asked.

"A lot of people are going to be curious about us, James-chan," Rin said. "But right now, we do not need a bunch of nosy reporters or city officials demanding answers." The half-demon gave her wing tips an irritated flick. "They had their chance to talk with us and decided not to listen. Now they must deal with us on our terms, whether they like it or not. Kenta nii-san is simply making sure of that."

"Still, I'm not sure..."

"Sometimes, it is best to let people know you are not to be trifled with," Miss Spider said. "Often, that can stop trouble before it can be started."

"I suppose you're right," Mrs. Ladybug sighed. "And I'm sure you both know what you're doing," she added, looking at Kenta and Souske. "But I do hope you won't go out of your way to terrify people."

"Now where would the fun be in that?"

"Rin!"

"Hai, Rin-imoto, sou desu."

"Beg pardon?"

"Kenta was agreeing with Rin."

"Oh goodness..."

"Here we are." The concierge had returned holding two brass keys on silk ribbons. One he offered to Kenta and the other Mr. Grasshopper took with a nod of thanks. "Right, I'll call on down to housekeeping and have them set out a laundry basket outside your rooms. Should you require any other services-"

"We will advise you," Kenta finished smoothly. "Oh, and if a police chief bearing the surname of Beatcom asks for us, tell him he can wait until we are ready to receive him. He can speak to me until my father arrives."

"Yes, my lord."

"Good evening." The young demon nodded and began striding over to a large pair of double doors set against the wall.

"We all gonna fit in there?" Centipede asked as the doors slid open.

"The elevators are designed to hold at least fifteen people sir," a nearby bellhop said.

"Not to mention I'm sure a good deal of luggage makes its way to each floor on a daily basis," Mr. Grasshopper said as the group filed into the elevator. "And which floor are we staying on?"

"We have the entire top floor to ourselves," Souske answered.

"Isn't that a bit excessive?"

"No."

"Now, Rin-"

"Hey, I'm all for it," Centipede grinned. "Besides, we're payin' customers, aren't we?"

"Hardly."

"No need to worry," Souske assured them as the elevator began its slow ascent. "As we stated, you are now part of the Kurosaki family and all the privileges that entails."

"All the same, we don't want to take advantage of Lord Takashi's generosity."

"You are not. We simply prefer privacy and are lucky enough to be able to afford it."

"Huh, you would think those with half a mind wouldn't bother disturbin' you," Earthworm groused.

"Oh, you'd be surprised."

"Sadly, Rin, I do not think we would," Miss Spider replied.

"Well, we don't have to worry about that tonight," Mrs. Ladybug assured them.

"No indeed," Mr. Grasshopper agreed. "We're together and safe, that's what's important now. And while our new lodgings are indeed temporary, I'm of the mind that we should enjoy them."

"'Course we should!"

"Within reason, of course."

"Meanin' what?"

"Meaning for tonight, we can enjoy a good bath and a good night's sleep."

The sound of a bell punctuated Mrs. Ladybug's words and the doors of the elevator opened into a dim corridor whose cream walls trimmed with gold marble. The burgundy carpet stretched out ahead of the elevator and wound its way around a corner while a window perched on the left wall was covered by a gauzy curtain that, during the day, would likely fill the hallway with warm light. Thankfully, the numerous neon lights outside weren't enough to bother the eyes of those who wandered the corridor at night, though Rin only hoped that the same would be true for the suites in which she and her family would be staying.

"Right, Souske and I are down this way." Kenta gestured toward the right. "Father, Mother, and our sister will be arriving within the next day or so and they will join us. The rest of you are in that direction. There are a number of rooms in the suite, so you should have your pick."

"Alright. Let's see what we've got." Centipede watched as Mr. Grasshopper unlocked the door and the family made their way inside the dark room. Thankfully, there was a light switch right inside the door and the elder insect switched it on to reveal a large room with white walls, a cream carpet, and plush sofas and chairs. Several rooms branched off from the main room and there was even a small kitchen alcove with a refrigerator, stove, and sink directly to the family's right.

"My goodness, I never expected this much luxury." Mrs. Ladybug peered around her as Glowworm blinked in surprise. "And so much space too."

"Hey, nice, everyone gets their own room." Centipede stretched a few hands above his head as he ambled over to one of the chairs and flopped into it. "Oh yeah, this is the life."

"From what I remember, you can either dine in the hotel's restaurant or call down for a meal and store whatever you need for later." Souske nodded toward the refrigerator. "Should you wish to cook your own meals, let us know and we will send for what you need."

"Oh boys, that's kind of you. And please, if you wish to go and eat, don't feel you have to wait for us."

"Yes, I'm not sure any of us will be rising early tomorrow. I propose we enjoy a lay-in and then see whether it is most appropriate to obtain breakfast or lunch tomorrow."

"First things first, though. Let us get ready for bed." Miss Spider guided James, who was leaning more heavily against her, out of the room. "Come, my James; a quick bath and then right to bed with you."

The little boy nodded, rubbing at his eyes as he went along with Miss Spider.

"Rin, you too."

"Hai, I know. I could use a good wash and yes, my clothes could stand to be laundered."

"The closets in your rooms should be full of what you need for tonight. And like Souske said, you may find yourselves surprised by what yokai clothing can do."

"At this point, Master Kenta, I think there is little that can surprise us."

"You haven't met my uncle yet," Rin reminded him.

"Should we be nervous about that?"

"Believe me, you needn't fear Father's wrath. As for the rest of city..." Kenta chuckled. "Well... I doubt they're all going be pleased for what Father has in store."

"Speaking of which, whatever happened to that police officer you absconded with?"

"Like Kenta said, we obtained what we needed from him and then left him back at the police station. As it turned out, the man was the worst kind of fool and the message from the fishermen was not all he failed to inform his chief officer about."

"Wonderful, just wonderful." Earthworm thumped his tail against the soft carpet in weary frustration. "And these are the people who are supposed to protect us? Huh, wouldn't trust that man to shovel dirt from one place to another. Bet you anything his fellow officers would have chalked it up to him bein' hot-blooded an' all that."

"Oh, not anymore." Kenta smiled, displaying his fangs which were still slightly crimson. He and Souske bowed once more to the rest of their family as they departed. "Good evening."

The door to the suite shut behind the two bat demons. The stunned silence was broken by Glowworm's voice.

"What a nice pair of young men."

"They... they..."

"Yokai justice," Rin replied, glancing down at Earthworm. "Officer Hanson sealed his own fate and he won't be the only one."

"Again, let's leave that off until tomorrow," Mr. Grasshopper said firmly. "For now, Rin, my dear, I'm sure there's a separate washroom behind one of these doors. Go and get cleaned up and ready for bed."

"Oh, playing the parent card now?"

"You're still a child, you've been through far too much for one night, and it is our responsibility to care for you and James. So yes, I am playing the parent card, as you put it, tonight."

"Fair enough, fair enough."

"And be sure to clean your teeth, dear."

"Oh I will, Mrs. Ladybug, right after I finish sharpening my claws. I just need to find another police officer."

"Rin!"
************************************************************************************************************************************

The hot water died with a splutter as Rin turned off the shower. Much as the half-demon would have preferred a bath, she had thought it best to remain standing while the water sluiced the blood, sweat, and grime off her body. True, after a bath, she usually rinsed off with clean water anyway (a habit she and James had been taught by their late mother), but Rin simply didn't have the energy for that tonight. Much as she tried to hide it, she was exhausted and even pretending not to be affected by the events of the evening was costing her more energy than it was worth.

James has to be dead on his feet.

True, but at least she and her little brother would sleep well tonight. No way was the rest of their family going to rouse them at the crack of dawn. In fact, Rin doubted her family would wake them up for anything tomorrow.

Unless they think we've gone too long without a meal.

Rin allowed herself a wry grin as she dropped to all fours in the bathtub and shook herself off. Fair enough, that; she could already hear Mrs. Ladybug and Mr. Grasshopper fussing that she and James needed a proper meal and all that. All well and good for James; the little boy needed the extra attention and love. But Rin just hoped the two older insects wouldn't make a habit out of worrying about her. At seventeen, she was far too old for that.

At least they care.

Yes, at least they cared.

Standing back up, Rin snatched a fluffy white towel from the nearby rack and rubbed her body dry. The hotel had provided small bars of soap and tiny bottles of shampoo and Rin had to admit that the products had done their work well. Her skin felt a lot better after having been cleansed of dirt and sweat and her hair was softer and felt lighter against her head now that it was free of grease and salt water. And of course, the scent of Spiker and Sponge's blood had been thoroughly washed away, thanks to both the shower and the toothbrush that had been set out for her by her cousins.

Giving her short hair one last rub, Rin reached for the jinbei garment that she had chosen from one of the closets. The half-demon slipped the top over her bare skin and felt a pleasant shudder run through her body as the material settled against her. The clothing was made from linen grown specially in one of the Kurosaki territories and the half-demon felt the fabric shifting to suit her form, including the sleeves parting a bit to allow her wings room to spread. Stepping into the trousers provided a similar sensation; though the legs of the jinbei had looked a bit on the sort side, the material now settled around Rin's ankles with nary a issue. A pair of soft cotton uwabaki were set beside the tub and Rin slid her bare feet into them as she stepped out of the drained bath and over to the sink.

Wiping away steam from the mirror, Rin considered her damp and tangled hair before regarding the hotel's set of grooming tools laid out on the sink's counter. A hairbrush and comb were welcome, but was a hair dryer, hair curler, nail file, and a host of greasy-smelling creams and lotions necessary? The half-demon shook her head before reaching for the brush, which she herself had already washed at the sink while running her bath. If she was going to take the time to brush her hair, she wasn't going to do it with a brush that had been contaminated with the many so-called beauty products the hotel seemed to think all their female guests needed.

Spiker and Sponge would have put them to good use.

Probably, Rin thought as her rapidly-drying hair settled into place. Knowing those two, they would have demanded nothing more than the finest luxuries at every hour of every day.

"And to think, you could have enjoyed it," the half-demon mused aloud. "Had you not betrayed your kin, you could have easily been treated to much more than you ever though possible. But instead, the only semblance of nobility you received was the touch of my claws. Fat lot of good these beauty products would do you now. Not that they did you any good in the first place."

Rin gave her hair a final stoke of the brush and surveyed the result. Good, she looked like herself again. More so even, given her current clothing. And now, she could rest easy knowing all was well.

Wonder if Spiker and Sponge resting well after everything.

Rin shrugged as she left the washroom, flicking off the light as she did. Chief Beatcom had said the doctors treating her one-time kin were certain they'd live, but in what state? Spiker had lost a lot of blood and Rin was certain her bite had done a lot more damage to Spiker's body than just cause her to bleed. And Sponge? Rin hadn't been able to see, but she knew the fat woman had taken the full brunt of her claws right to the face. Even if she didn't lose an eye or her nose, no doctor would be able to keep her from scarring.

Perhaps Takashi oji-san will consider that punishment enough.

Possibly, but Rin doubted it. After what Spiker and Sponge had done not just tonight, but for nearly the past year, the Lord of the Kurosaki Bat Demons wasn't going be content with non-fatal injuries as their sole punishment.

True, but what more can he do to them outside of killing them?

Well, given the fates of those who had crossed the Kurosakis in the past, Rin had little doubt her uncle could think of some very creative ways to deal with Spiker and Sponge should he so choose.

"C'mon, Earthworm, you're missin' out. These things are great."

Rin cocked her ears forward as she walked back down the hall to the main room.

"No thanks. I don't like havin' my skin covered. Of course, I don't much like bein' away from dirt either. Oh, how am I gonna sleep in-"

"Ah, Rin, feeling better?"

"Clearly more than some of us." Rin threw a sarcastic grin in Earthworm's direction that, while not seen, was most definitely felt given the way Earthworm glowered in the half-demon's direction. Centipede was stretched out on one of the sofas and Mr. Grasshopper was seated in one of the recliners. From the lingering smell of hotel soap, they too had bathed and were now garbed in similar jinbei similar to Rin's. Of course, seeing a traditional Japanese garment tailored to a large grasshopper or a many-armed centipede was out of the ordinary, but plenty of different yokai had such garments specifically tailored to them. Earthworm, meanwhile, had left off his tie and collar and though his skin looked pink and shiny from his recent wash, he still looked miffed.

"So what are these things called again?" Centipede tugged at one of his well-fitted sleeves. "Kimonos?"

"Jinbei. They're meant for very casual wear or to sleep in. And the slippers are uwabaki."

"Ahh, well, I must say they are quite comfortable." Mr. Grasshopper brushed down the front of his garment. "I might have to ask His Lordship for another set once we have the money."

"Well, the ones we're wearing we'll be able to keep. But I know plenty of yokai have clothing made for them." Rin aimed another cocky grin in Earthworm's direction. "I've even seen snake demons wear festive kimonos."

"Hah, hear that, Earthworm? You got no excuse."

"Oh, you just-"

"That's quite enough for one night, everyone." Mr. Grasshopped rubbed his forehead with his left arms. "Now, please, let's get some rest. James is already fast asleep, thank goodness; Miss Spider is making a web in the room next to his, but we thought you'd also like to be close to your brother, Rin. Third door on your right is yours."

"Hai, that'll do."

"Of course. Mrs. Ladybug and I are to the left while Earthworm and Centipede, you're at the end of the hall."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm gonna hit the hay." Centipede sat up from the couch, but his glance went toward the far end of the room, where a door leading out onto a small balcony was set. "Just gonna step out for a sec and have a last smoke."

"Suit yourself." Earthworm was already crawling toward his designated room. "I'm just hopin' I can sleep tonight without any dirt."

"You managed on the peach," Rin reminded him.

"A peach pit is near as good as burrow in a pinch. A hotel is not."

Mr. Grasshopper watched Earthworm vanish down the hall before turning to Rin. "Good night, my dear. Please try to sleep."

"As opposed to flying through the city the rest of the night?"

"Very funny, Rin. Good night."

Rin rolled her eyes as Mr. Grasshopper left the room, but couldn't keep a slight smile off her face. The half-demon watched as Centipede unlocked the balcony door and stepped onto the cement platform overlooking the city. Rin started toward her bedroom, then turned and joined Centipede out on the balcony. The city smell caused the half-demon to growl and the warm air held a little too much humidity for her liking, but Rin was glad to feel some semblance of fresh air before going to bed. Centipede leaned against the metal railing encircling the balcony, holding his cigar carefully so the smoke wouldn't blow in the half-demon's face. He watched as the half-demon folded her arms against the rail and laid her head atop them.

"So, you wanna talk about it?"

"Talk?"

"C'mon, Rin-girl, you were covered in blood and it sure as hell wasn't yours." Rin turned to look at Centipede as the lanky bug blew out a mouthful of smoke into the night sky. "So, what, you took a bite outta the hags when they pulled an axe on you an' Jimmy?"

"More or less. I used my claws on Sponge, though."

"Yeah?" Centipede chuckled. "You ask me, those two hags should be grateful you didn't do that before now."

"What makes you think I didn't?"

"Eh?" Centipede lowered his cigar as he regarded the young half-demon. "You... you went after 'em before?"

"Not that they would know."

"Yeah? What happened?"

Rin didn't answer. The lights of the city below continued to twinkle and shine and the cheering from the crowd below was still in full swing, but the half-demon barely noticed it. In her mind's eye, she could see the dark hallway of Spiker and Sponge's house as she crept down the hallway and hear the soft breathing of the two women who had no idea their lives were in the clawed hands of a vengeful half-demon.

"Rin?"

"... you don't wanna know."

Centipede shrugged. "Maybe not, but I think you gotta talk about it. And I'm here to listen, if that helps."

They care.

Right, they did. Rin sighed and closed her eyes before speaking.

"It happened the day I turned seventeen. When James and I were first sent to live with Spiker and Sponge, I was only sixteen and even though I wanted to, everyone told me that I couldn't take care of James on my own because I was too young. But supposedly, I could start the process to become James's guardian when I turned seventeen and my old neighbors even promised to help me."

"Guessin' they didn't?"

"None of our old neighbors ever came to visit or tried to write us a letter. At least, as far as I know they didn't, but we never had visitors and Spiker and Sponge paid to have groceries delivered to the bottom of the hill and neither James nor I were allowed to go fetch them. My guess is they wanted to make sure no one from our old home ever caught a glimpse of us again."

"Outta sight, outta mind."

"Pretty much. But I was still determined to get James away from them. I figured that since Spiker and Sponge made no secret of the fact that they hated having to take care of us that they'd be happy to see us leave as soon as possible." Rin heaved a sigh that seemed to come from the soles of her feet. "Boy was I wrong."

"Wait, they wanted you two to stick around?"

"Not so much me as James. Spiker told me to my face that I was free to leave, but if I did, they'd do everything in their power to make sure I'd never see my brother again. If I didn't want to lose James-chan, I had to stay on the hill and behave myself, as per their rules."

"Geez, where they gettin' paid to have him there or somethin'?"

"Hai, sou desu."

"Hai? Yes? They were?" Centipede stared wide-eyed at Rin as he stubbed the tip of his cigar out against the balcony rail.

Rin nodded. "I found a letter from the government that day. They had sent money to Spiker and Sponge that was supposed to be used to help them take care of James, but I'm sure we all know that's not where the money went."

"Yeah, no kiddin'. What about you, though? They get paid to look after you too?"

"Probably, for all I know. Spiker told me James was staying with them until he was eighteen, so they were probably going to get money from me for at least another year."

"I gotcha. So if you and Jimmy left, the money would be goin' with ya."

"Hai. I don't know what those two did to earn money before; I can't really see them having jobs and there was no way they were selling anything."

"Well not anymore anyway."

"Fair point; they did have quite a few pictures of themselves with a lot of different men."

"Whoa, seriously? I was just jokin'!"

"Yeah, well, I don't know the details. All I know is when I discovered that Spiker and Sponge were just using us for money, I decided I had to do something." Rin paused for a moment as the memory surfaced once more. "I waited until everyone was asleep and then I snuck into their room. I figured I should kill Spiker first because if Sponge woke up, she wouldn't be quick enough on her feet to run away or try and use James against me. Actually, she probably wouldn't have done anything other than scream."

Centipede said nothing, but his eyes were fixed on Rin as the half-demon continued to speak.

"I stood over Spiker, ready to just pierce her heart with my claws. I actually held my hand up and it would have taken only a moment to do it. But..."

"You couldn't do it."

"Obviously not."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised."

"You're... not?"

"Nah. You're a good kid, Rin; you and Jimmy both. Ain't no way you'd just kill two old women in their sleep. I mean, sure, if you'd actually gone through with it, I don't really see anyone mourning those old hags. But you're better than that."

"I'm sure plenty of people tonight would disagree with you."

"Once they get the full story, I doubt it. Plus, they saw what Spiker and Sponge tried to do to you two."

"It won't matter. Trust me on that."

"Trust me that I don't care. People wanna just call ya a monster an' leave it at that, they're the ones missin' out. And anyone who isn't okay with one of my kids ain't someone I wanna hang around with." Centipede chuckled. "'Sides, the first time we met, you took a swipe at me an' I don't hold that against you."

"And what if I told you that if that happened again, I might not be able to help myself?"

"Whatddya mean, Rin-girl?"

"I mean..." Rin clutched the metal rail tightly. "What I did to Spiker and Sponge tonight was basically allowing my demon side to take over. It's something anyone with yokai blood can do and I can allow it to happen at any time.. Once I do, all I want to do is kill. It doesn't matter if the person I'm attacking is friend, foe or family, I'll still try and kill them because it feels so good."

"Oh yeah?"

"Hai."

"Then answer me this, Rin-girl: if goin' full-demon like ya did to Spiker and Sponge feels so good, how come you never once hurt your brother? How come you didn't bother carvin' me into chopped liver when you thought I was okay with Spider suckin' your brains out? Hell, how come you didn't go nuts an' slaughter the whole crowd tonight?"

"I never want to do anything like that."

"Exactly." Centipede grinned and patted Rin's shoulder. "You know goin' demon feels good, but ya still stop yourself 'cause deep down, you know you ain't a monster. If you were, Spiker and Sponge woulda been dead a long time ago and probably not just them, right?"

"Well... yeah... I guess. But I probably could have done a lot worse tonight if James hadn't called out to me. Of course, that was because some idiot cop had grabbed him and was trying to carry him away. I clawed the hell out of that idiot's back."

"Eh, to be fair, I probably woulda done the same if I thought you or Jimmy were in danger."

"You did try and fight an oni in my defense," Rin admitted with a soft smile.

"An' I'd do it again if I had to. Look, Rin, I know bein' a half-demon ain't easy and I won't pretend I know what it's like to just wanna go on a rampage at the drop of a hat. But I do know that people who don't give into those kinda feelings are the best kinda people in the world. And you're one of the best, Rin-girl."

"Hmmm." Rin looked back out over the city, the soft smile refusing to leave her face. "And I here I thought self-control wasn't a great skill of mine."

"Different degrees of it, kid. And you got it where it counts. But when you need to fight, and you probably will have to again at some point, just know we're in your corner, okay?"

"Hai. Arigato desu. It means a lot to me to hear that, Centipede."

"Anytime." Centipede yawned and stretched. "But speaking of time, I think it really is time to hit the hay. You comin'?"

"Hai. Let's go."

The two stepped back into the living room and shut the door, locking it securely behind them. There was a heavy white curtain pushed to the side of the door and Centipede managed to tug it closed.

"Don't mind the city lights, but I'd rather not have too much sun right away."

"Me either. Then again, I don't plan on getting up until noon."

"You an' me both. Night, Rin."

"Oyasumi, Centipede."

Rin walked down the hallway toward her room. The half-demon was feeling a lightness in her chest that she couldn't quite identify, but had to admit that it felt good. Actually, aside from just being tired, Rin was feeling better than she had in a long time. Then again, it had been a long time since she had confided in someone about her own problems.

Can't even remember when I did that last. Not even with...

Not even with her own parents.

Maybe I'm not too old for a family's care after all. Sometimes, anyway.

Rin paused outside the second hallway door and listened, her ears twitching. Soft breathing, no whimpering, no tugging at the blankets. Cracking open the door, Rin peered inside the dark room and at the now-occupied bed. James was fast asleep, tucked under blankets and his face peaceful. His freshly-washed hair was barely mused from laying on the pillow and he looked as though he had barely moved since he'd laid down. Good, that meant he was deeply asleep and with any luck, he'd stay that way until he was fully rested.

"Aishiteru, James-chan," Rin whispered to her brother. "Good night."

Closing the bedroom door, Rin at last came to her own bedroom and slipped inside without turning on the light. The half-demon was about to go and sit against one of the walls, but after thinking for a moment, Rin walked over to the bed, climbed atop the mattress and pushed the pillows up against the bedframe. Leaning against the cushions was a bit unfamiliar than stone or wooden walls, but for tonight, Rin was glad for the extra comfort. The young half-demon felt her eyes close and she leaned against the pillows as she drifted off into slumber. No doubt the next few days would bring their own share or problems, but for now all was well and for now, that was all Rin could ask for.
~

As you know, the following days were indeed quite eventful and not always in the best way. But that night was peaceful and for that, I am truly grateful.