Meeting Shiori-san
Who: Rinku, Shiori and Kurama.
Where: Minamino household.
When: Friday before Christmas.
Summary: Rinku wants to meet Shiori.
"Good afternoon, mother," the redhead greeted and paced after Rinku, kissing his mother's cheek softly. "His name is Rinku..."
Smiling at the gesture of affection, Shiori closed the door. "Please to meet you, Rinku-kun. Would you like anything to eat? If I remember correctly, Shuuichi did an art project of you." She smiled. He was quite an adorable child!
Rinku glanced up at her from taking his shoes off, placing them just beside the door. 'No, im not really hungry. Thanks though.' How could he possibly do something wrong? She was much too nice...
He removed his shoes and turned back to them "Dinner will be ready soon, and I would like a cup of green tea." The kitsune looked up and paced toward the stairs.
"I'll have it right up," she replied, and then bowed for Rinku. "Make yourself at home! Shuuichi's stepbrother has 'video games', feel free to play them!" Another smile, and then she was off to the kitchen to prepare the tea.
Video games...he knew it. All human children were the same, in which case he really must stand out. He watched Shuuichi disappear to the stairs, and his mother to the kitchen. Rinku dropped his bag by his shoes, daringly
making his way further into the house. He had no idea where anything was, but it didnt seem like they minded him looking around
"Feel free to come," he noticed the other glancing back at Rinku who probably felt awkwardly lost. Certainly, he would need to explain the young apparition a couple of details.
Shiori curiously watched Rinku wander around, but left it at that. It as just nice for her son to have friends over; which used to be a rare occurrence. Humming once more, began to boil the water and stir dinner idly.
Rinku gave a light nod, glancing once back
towards the kitchen before following Shuuichi towards the stairs. He did feel
awkward, that was for certain, and was silently glad that the other had called
him over.
He awaited for the other in his room, standing by the window as the briefcase rested on the desk's chair. His arms folded over his chest and his gaze locked on the floor. Relaxed but uneasy.
Rinku came by the door, faltering as his eyes fell upon Shuuichi's stance. It was impossible to read the man and he wasn't going to waste time trying..
"I did not ask you why you came... my first impression was you would like to eat something, but it seems I was mistaken," he asked serenely but with a certain strange hint.
'Well...there's nothing at the temple, but im not going to come all this way just to steal your food.' Rinku laughed lightly, although he could tell Shuuichi had come straight to the point, and that bothered him. 'I
just wanted to meet your mother. That's all.'
"The best way to meet someone is by sharing a meal. When the tea is ready we can go downstairs and it will be your chance. Even if you are not hungry, humans tend to accept the offer out of politeness." he explained.
'Oh....okay,' He thought this over, unable to see how forcing yourself to eat was polite. But if Shuuichi believed it was then there was no point arguing with him. 'Okay, i'll remember that."
"It is just the act of accepting the offering. And of course, whatever you eat, you must like it, even if you do not." he remarked. It was not difficult imagining Rinku spitting something he thought to be bitter.
'Don't worry,' He forced a smile, anything to lighten the mood a bit, 'Compared to what we've been eating lately, i think anything will taste nice.'
"Mother will probably ask you for your parents and surname but since you have met other humans before ...then you probably have a story," he turned back to the wall, rubbing his finger through the diminutive holes.
'Yeah, pretty much.' He had been smart enough to keep a vague story, as details may very well clash with those of the other youkai. Shiori seemed nice enough though...hopefully if he found himself stuck, acting uncomfortable
would save him.
A knock was heard upon the door's frame as Shiori delivered the cup of tea to her son. "Here you are." she said softly, handing Shuuichi the drink and then clasping her hands together. "Rinku-kun, are you joining us for dinner?"
He picked the cup softly and smiled at his mother dearly. "Thank you." His gaze then shifted to Rinku, closing as he sipped from the cup, hoping the young demon would profit his chance.
A hesitant look to Shuuichi, then back to Shiori. 'That would be really nice...thank you.' He felt slightly weird speaking like this, as no manners had ever been used to demons before. Fortunately such behavior had only been
used in two cases, and only around Shuuichi. He hoped the kitsune would never find reason to abuse that.
Smiling, Shiori nodded and began the walk downstairs. "I wanted to try something spicy. I hope the results are okay! If not, I could heat up something else for you...and take-out is an option." She softly treaded into the kitchen.
He continued sipping from the cup until it was empty and placed it on the desk. "Have you noticed anything strange? We are on a mission now... and everything has become eerily calm. It worries me."
'Maybe they're waiting for us to do something,' Rinku stood in a daze, absent-mindedly staring at the ceiling. 'Or work stuff out over the break.' Once again, Shuuichi had saved him, making him realise just how much care was needed.
Downstairs, Shiori was already setting the table, adding one more placemat and plate for Rinku. She smiled lightly, but then glanced at the clock. Perhaps her husband would be late today?
"How about our group... I would like to know what you collected from our team," he asked again as he pulled the curtain closed. It was growing dark. Rinku would need an excuse for a child to go home alone at that time.
'From our team? But everyone's been really distant,' he frowned, trying to recall the last time he had actually sat around casually with another member. 'They don't tell me anything.'
"Yes, everyone has the same feeling, but I plan having a meeting soon. It is ill-advised to stall for so long. And sadly...we have failed to individualize the
names of those youkai fleeing from Hell. Except Yomi and Karasu."
'After so long too,' It was easy to picture those he thought were youkai, but suspicion could have just grown from dislike. 'You know, everyone's distracted with actually doing well at school.'
"It is important to hold the facade, I am aware of it... though I am almost certain they already know who we are and what we want. But if we attempted to attack
them, we would lose since the battle would take place in the ningenkai," he replied as his gaze remained on the floor.
'...So what are we here for? I mean yeah we're making sure they don't do anything bad or anything, but they're just playing games. And
we're getting sick...so we aint getting anywhere.' Another glance to the kitchen, his voice dropping the moment Shiori disappeared from view.
"We are here to observe, understand who we are facing before we attempt a real attack. It is the basis of all strategy," his emerald eyes shifted to Rinku hoping the other understood the virtues of patience.
He understood it, yes, but whether he was able to endure it or not was a different story. Unfortunately in this situation, he knew he didn't have a choice. 'I guess so...you haven't worked anything out yet, have you Shuuichi?'
"All I know is what you now know..." Kurama's gaze narrowed softly as he turned facing the window and the garden. "If everyone investigated... we would have more information."
Shishiwakamaru had promised, Touya had promised. Yuusuke and Kuwabara.. he closed his eyes shaking his head slightly.
'...Keiko's trying at least...' He had to admit, he hadn't done that much investigating himself...except with the damned Nurse.. 'Maybe you can give people targets?'
"They do not like it... when I adopt the role of leader. As you know.. Touya and Shishiwakamaru claim I manipulate them," his voice was serene though the mere thought was disappointing.
'Well ya gotta have someone leading,' He looked over at Kurama, it didn't take an idiot to realise not everything was going to plan. But then again, they had never really been briefed on a plan to begin with...
Where were those two? Both her husband and step-child had called, informing her that they couldn't make to dinner for their own reasons. Shiori didn't mind, but the meal was getting awfully cold for the boys still
upstairs. "Coming or nooot?" Shiori called up, in a sing-song tone.
He remained silent to Rinku's words, everyone was aware the conflicted status of the group. Dispersed, unfocused. "Dinner is ready... I believe you will join us?" he inquired looking back at the child.
'Uh...yeah..' They hadn't had much food at the temple, so the prospect of staying for dinner was a good one. If Shiori was willing to go out of her way to prepare it for
him 'And you shouldn't worry about the villains so much...they can't do anything anyway, not without being real obvious.'
Sighing softly, Shiori returned to the empty table and sat down, propping an elbow on the clean surface and cradling her chin with a palm. She would wait.
Shuuichi paced toward the door, inviting Rinku to join him. "Yes, I know.. but I am certain when they act, it will be already too late if we continue like we are currently now"
'But we can't do anything till school starts again...' He passed by Shuuichi and started down the stairs and towards the kitchen, glancing back to check that the other was following. Already, the smell of a well-cooked meal was
strong in the air...Shuuichi shouldn't have any worries about him "not liking the food."
Following Rinku with her kind gaze, Shiori spoke in a playful. "Nice of you gentlemen to finally join me. Rinku-kun, put as much as you want on your plate and of course, if you don't like it, I will make you something else."
She paused, looking at both students closely. "What's wrong, you both seemed troubled..."
He shook his head in a silent denial, though his lips remained curved in a smile. Kurama picked a chair and sat down, looking up at Rinku. It was difficult to hide from his
mother "We are just thinking in Christmas and the events of the end of the year"
'Yeah...it's kinda tiring getting ready for Christmas..' Taking a seat at the table Rinku examined the different bowls across the table, many filled with food he had never seen before. Would it be rude to take too much? Or too
little? Slowly he reached for the bowl closest to him- the salad- and put a little bit on his plate, looking back again to the other choices.
"Oh..." Shiori had already made herself a plate as she smiled sadly. "But, it is certainly worth it. Rinku-kun, what does your family do for Christmas?" Her tone was light-hearted now, hoping to ease their worries.
'We didn't do anything too big..' He'd planned this out, but as always, actually taking it into practice was so much harder. 'Just buy each other presents, and sit around, rugged up, on Christmas day...we didn't really do
much at all..' This was the easiest way, he figured. As he'd only heard a little about Christmas, and only from Suzuki. It would be stupid to get himself into a conversation he couldn't handle.
That was Rinku's first test, Rinku had stated he had already a story to tell, but he wasn't sure how had the other thought about it. Kurama just picked the cup of tea and sipped sligtly, his gaze calmly resting on Rinku.
"I see..." Shiori replied, her eyes reflecting sadness. How could someone of Rinku's age speak so weary of Christmas? For now, she remained silent, thoughtfully taking a bite of the food.
She seemed upset...Kurama specifically told him not to get his mother upset! He only dared a quick glance to the other boy, fearing his reaction. He'd have to fix this up.. "But i'm really looking forward
to this Christmas!" Rinku grinned, "now that i'm staying in the community house with my friends, i think it will be really big and fun."
He picked served some vegetables on his dish and picked the chopsticks, selecting a green roll to dip it in the soy sauce. His gaze wasn't prodding the boy, he allowed Rinku to relax, pressing him would be worse.
Community house? Shiori's heart shrank. Was Rinku-kun an orphan of sorts? Still, she smiled brightly and remarked, "I'm glad! Now, eat, eat." She gestured to Rinku's placemat with a pair of chopsticks.
he nodded, plucking the tofu from his Miso soup and swallowing it. 'Mmm...It's really nice Shiori-san!' He wasn't lying this time, the food was delicious! he wondered then if anyone else knew how to cook like this...and doubted it
He silently picked his own miso soup and sipped from it. "Rinku proposed to play Secret Santa at school, and it has been quite amusing so far," he commented to prevent silence.
"Oh?" She still smiled, glancing at Rinku with kind eyes once more. "And how has that been going so far?"
'We have a tree up near the office at school, and all the presents get put until it. Nearly everyone has placed a present under there now, so we're almost done!' He beamed at the successfulness of the game, 'Ah... if i'd
met you sooner, you could have joined in..."
"I have yet to receive a present," he commented as his hand placed the cup back before him. "Many have taken this idea with enthusiasm..."
"It sounds like a great program, Rinku-kun. I'm glad you came up with the idea." she softly said, sipping her soup. "Oh? That's good that people enjoy it!"
'But the teachers wanted to join in,' he laughed, finding the whole idea quite amusing, 'So i don't know how this is going to turn out.'
"I believe you already found your present," his gaze returned to the young demon. Probably there was a meaning behind the teacher's behavior, beyond any friendly attitude.
"Oh? Already? Have you opened it?" She asked, smiling.
'No...I can't open it till Christmas Day...' Rinku pretended to pout, although it didn't really bother him. He picked up a portion of the salad, swallowed it, and continued. 'Seeing as we don't go back to school till after
Christmas, i'll have to wait a bit longer. Hopefully everyone will have a present by then.'
Finishing the salad Rinku glanced out the window...it was getting dark..what were the chances of Shiori letting him go home alone? " Perhaps i should head home, i wouldn't want to cause you anymore trouble."
Where: Minamino household.
When: Friday before Christmas.
Summary: Rinku wants to meet Shiori.
"Good afternoon, mother," the redhead greeted and paced after Rinku, kissing his mother's cheek softly. "His name is Rinku..."
Smiling at the gesture of affection, Shiori closed the door. "Please to meet you, Rinku-kun. Would you like anything to eat? If I remember correctly, Shuuichi did an art project of you." She smiled. He was quite an adorable child!
Rinku glanced up at her from taking his shoes off, placing them just beside the door. 'No, im not really hungry. Thanks though.' How could he possibly do something wrong? She was much too nice...
He removed his shoes and turned back to them "Dinner will be ready soon, and I would like a cup of green tea." The kitsune looked up and paced toward the stairs.
"I'll have it right up," she replied, and then bowed for Rinku. "Make yourself at home! Shuuichi's stepbrother has 'video games', feel free to play them!" Another smile, and then she was off to the kitchen to prepare the tea.
Video games...he knew it. All human children were the same, in which case he really must stand out. He watched Shuuichi disappear to the stairs, and his mother to the kitchen. Rinku dropped his bag by his shoes, daringly
making his way further into the house. He had no idea where anything was, but it didnt seem like they minded him looking around
"Feel free to come," he noticed the other glancing back at Rinku who probably felt awkwardly lost. Certainly, he would need to explain the young apparition a couple of details.
Shiori curiously watched Rinku wander around, but left it at that. It as just nice for her son to have friends over; which used to be a rare occurrence. Humming once more, began to boil the water and stir dinner idly.
Rinku gave a light nod, glancing once back
towards the kitchen before following Shuuichi towards the stairs. He did feel
awkward, that was for certain, and was silently glad that the other had called
him over.
He awaited for the other in his room, standing by the window as the briefcase rested on the desk's chair. His arms folded over his chest and his gaze locked on the floor. Relaxed but uneasy.
Rinku came by the door, faltering as his eyes fell upon Shuuichi's stance. It was impossible to read the man and he wasn't going to waste time trying..
"I did not ask you why you came... my first impression was you would like to eat something, but it seems I was mistaken," he asked serenely but with a certain strange hint.
'Well...there's nothing at the temple, but im not going to come all this way just to steal your food.' Rinku laughed lightly, although he could tell Shuuichi had come straight to the point, and that bothered him. 'I
just wanted to meet your mother. That's all.'
"The best way to meet someone is by sharing a meal. When the tea is ready we can go downstairs and it will be your chance. Even if you are not hungry, humans tend to accept the offer out of politeness." he explained.
'Oh....okay,' He thought this over, unable to see how forcing yourself to eat was polite. But if Shuuichi believed it was then there was no point arguing with him. 'Okay, i'll remember that."
"It is just the act of accepting the offering. And of course, whatever you eat, you must like it, even if you do not." he remarked. It was not difficult imagining Rinku spitting something he thought to be bitter.
'Don't worry,' He forced a smile, anything to lighten the mood a bit, 'Compared to what we've been eating lately, i think anything will taste nice.'
"Mother will probably ask you for your parents and surname but since you have met other humans before ...then you probably have a story," he turned back to the wall, rubbing his finger through the diminutive holes.
'Yeah, pretty much.' He had been smart enough to keep a vague story, as details may very well clash with those of the other youkai. Shiori seemed nice enough though...hopefully if he found himself stuck, acting uncomfortable
would save him.
A knock was heard upon the door's frame as Shiori delivered the cup of tea to her son. "Here you are." she said softly, handing Shuuichi the drink and then clasping her hands together. "Rinku-kun, are you joining us for dinner?"
He picked the cup softly and smiled at his mother dearly. "Thank you." His gaze then shifted to Rinku, closing as he sipped from the cup, hoping the young demon would profit his chance.
A hesitant look to Shuuichi, then back to Shiori. 'That would be really nice...thank you.' He felt slightly weird speaking like this, as no manners had ever been used to demons before. Fortunately such behavior had only been
used in two cases, and only around Shuuichi. He hoped the kitsune would never find reason to abuse that.
Smiling, Shiori nodded and began the walk downstairs. "I wanted to try something spicy. I hope the results are okay! If not, I could heat up something else for you...and take-out is an option." She softly treaded into the kitchen.
He continued sipping from the cup until it was empty and placed it on the desk. "Have you noticed anything strange? We are on a mission now... and everything has become eerily calm. It worries me."
'Maybe they're waiting for us to do something,' Rinku stood in a daze, absent-mindedly staring at the ceiling. 'Or work stuff out over the break.' Once again, Shuuichi had saved him, making him realise just how much care was needed.
Downstairs, Shiori was already setting the table, adding one more placemat and plate for Rinku. She smiled lightly, but then glanced at the clock. Perhaps her husband would be late today?
"How about our group... I would like to know what you collected from our team," he asked again as he pulled the curtain closed. It was growing dark. Rinku would need an excuse for a child to go home alone at that time.
'From our team? But everyone's been really distant,' he frowned, trying to recall the last time he had actually sat around casually with another member. 'They don't tell me anything.'
"Yes, everyone has the same feeling, but I plan having a meeting soon. It is ill-advised to stall for so long. And sadly...we have failed to individualize the
names of those youkai fleeing from Hell. Except Yomi and Karasu."
'After so long too,' It was easy to picture those he thought were youkai, but suspicion could have just grown from dislike. 'You know, everyone's distracted with actually doing well at school.'
"It is important to hold the facade, I am aware of it... though I am almost certain they already know who we are and what we want. But if we attempted to attack
them, we would lose since the battle would take place in the ningenkai," he replied as his gaze remained on the floor.
'...So what are we here for? I mean yeah we're making sure they don't do anything bad or anything, but they're just playing games. And
we're getting sick...so we aint getting anywhere.' Another glance to the kitchen, his voice dropping the moment Shiori disappeared from view.
"We are here to observe, understand who we are facing before we attempt a real attack. It is the basis of all strategy," his emerald eyes shifted to Rinku hoping the other understood the virtues of patience.
He understood it, yes, but whether he was able to endure it or not was a different story. Unfortunately in this situation, he knew he didn't have a choice. 'I guess so...you haven't worked anything out yet, have you Shuuichi?'
"All I know is what you now know..." Kurama's gaze narrowed softly as he turned facing the window and the garden. "If everyone investigated... we would have more information."
Shishiwakamaru had promised, Touya had promised. Yuusuke and Kuwabara.. he closed his eyes shaking his head slightly.
'...Keiko's trying at least...' He had to admit, he hadn't done that much investigating himself...except with the damned Nurse.. 'Maybe you can give people targets?'
"They do not like it... when I adopt the role of leader. As you know.. Touya and Shishiwakamaru claim I manipulate them," his voice was serene though the mere thought was disappointing.
'Well ya gotta have someone leading,' He looked over at Kurama, it didn't take an idiot to realise not everything was going to plan. But then again, they had never really been briefed on a plan to begin with...
Where were those two? Both her husband and step-child had called, informing her that they couldn't make to dinner for their own reasons. Shiori didn't mind, but the meal was getting awfully cold for the boys still
upstairs. "Coming or nooot?" Shiori called up, in a sing-song tone.
He remained silent to Rinku's words, everyone was aware the conflicted status of the group. Dispersed, unfocused. "Dinner is ready... I believe you will join us?" he inquired looking back at the child.
'Uh...yeah..' They hadn't had much food at the temple, so the prospect of staying for dinner was a good one. If Shiori was willing to go out of her way to prepare it for
him 'And you shouldn't worry about the villains so much...they can't do anything anyway, not without being real obvious.'
Sighing softly, Shiori returned to the empty table and sat down, propping an elbow on the clean surface and cradling her chin with a palm. She would wait.
Shuuichi paced toward the door, inviting Rinku to join him. "Yes, I know.. but I am certain when they act, it will be already too late if we continue like we are currently now"
'But we can't do anything till school starts again...' He passed by Shuuichi and started down the stairs and towards the kitchen, glancing back to check that the other was following. Already, the smell of a well-cooked meal was
strong in the air...Shuuichi shouldn't have any worries about him "not liking the food."
Following Rinku with her kind gaze, Shiori spoke in a playful. "Nice of you gentlemen to finally join me. Rinku-kun, put as much as you want on your plate and of course, if you don't like it, I will make you something else."
She paused, looking at both students closely. "What's wrong, you both seemed troubled..."
He shook his head in a silent denial, though his lips remained curved in a smile. Kurama picked a chair and sat down, looking up at Rinku. It was difficult to hide from his
mother "We are just thinking in Christmas and the events of the end of the year"
'Yeah...it's kinda tiring getting ready for Christmas..' Taking a seat at the table Rinku examined the different bowls across the table, many filled with food he had never seen before. Would it be rude to take too much? Or too
little? Slowly he reached for the bowl closest to him- the salad- and put a little bit on his plate, looking back again to the other choices.
"Oh..." Shiori had already made herself a plate as she smiled sadly. "But, it is certainly worth it. Rinku-kun, what does your family do for Christmas?" Her tone was light-hearted now, hoping to ease their worries.
'We didn't do anything too big..' He'd planned this out, but as always, actually taking it into practice was so much harder. 'Just buy each other presents, and sit around, rugged up, on Christmas day...we didn't really do
much at all..' This was the easiest way, he figured. As he'd only heard a little about Christmas, and only from Suzuki. It would be stupid to get himself into a conversation he couldn't handle.
That was Rinku's first test, Rinku had stated he had already a story to tell, but he wasn't sure how had the other thought about it. Kurama just picked the cup of tea and sipped sligtly, his gaze calmly resting on Rinku.
"I see..." Shiori replied, her eyes reflecting sadness. How could someone of Rinku's age speak so weary of Christmas? For now, she remained silent, thoughtfully taking a bite of the food.
She seemed upset...Kurama specifically told him not to get his mother upset! He only dared a quick glance to the other boy, fearing his reaction. He'd have to fix this up.. "But i'm really looking forward
to this Christmas!" Rinku grinned, "now that i'm staying in the community house with my friends, i think it will be really big and fun."
He picked served some vegetables on his dish and picked the chopsticks, selecting a green roll to dip it in the soy sauce. His gaze wasn't prodding the boy, he allowed Rinku to relax, pressing him would be worse.
Community house? Shiori's heart shrank. Was Rinku-kun an orphan of sorts? Still, she smiled brightly and remarked, "I'm glad! Now, eat, eat." She gestured to Rinku's placemat with a pair of chopsticks.
he nodded, plucking the tofu from his Miso soup and swallowing it. 'Mmm...It's really nice Shiori-san!' He wasn't lying this time, the food was delicious! he wondered then if anyone else knew how to cook like this...and doubted it
He silently picked his own miso soup and sipped from it. "Rinku proposed to play Secret Santa at school, and it has been quite amusing so far," he commented to prevent silence.
"Oh?" She still smiled, glancing at Rinku with kind eyes once more. "And how has that been going so far?"
'We have a tree up near the office at school, and all the presents get put until it. Nearly everyone has placed a present under there now, so we're almost done!' He beamed at the successfulness of the game, 'Ah... if i'd
met you sooner, you could have joined in..."
"I have yet to receive a present," he commented as his hand placed the cup back before him. "Many have taken this idea with enthusiasm..."
"It sounds like a great program, Rinku-kun. I'm glad you came up with the idea." she softly said, sipping her soup. "Oh? That's good that people enjoy it!"
'But the teachers wanted to join in,' he laughed, finding the whole idea quite amusing, 'So i don't know how this is going to turn out.'
"I believe you already found your present," his gaze returned to the young demon. Probably there was a meaning behind the teacher's behavior, beyond any friendly attitude.
"Oh? Already? Have you opened it?" She asked, smiling.
'No...I can't open it till Christmas Day...' Rinku pretended to pout, although it didn't really bother him. He picked up a portion of the salad, swallowed it, and continued. 'Seeing as we don't go back to school till after
Christmas, i'll have to wait a bit longer. Hopefully everyone will have a present by then.'
Finishing the salad Rinku glanced out the window...it was getting dark..what were the chances of Shiori letting him go home alone? " Perhaps i should head home, i wouldn't want to cause you anymore trouble."