Fan Fiction ❯ From Hell and Back ❯ What to do with a smelly demon ( Chapter 3 )

Yasuo followed Katherine's example and looked down. It was clear that while his lack of hygiene over the past few days had been made manifest, his clothes had not. He blushed profusely and backed up, frantically looking for something to hide behind. He could still vaguely see the now prone form of Grok, who looked to be rolling on the ground with laughter. Yasuo made a mental note to attempt to get revenge at a later date, as his current best choice of action was to go jump behind a couch.

He was just about to complete this wise course of action when something forcibly latched onto his wrist. He let out a short squawk and tried to flee.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but I'm not going to let you continue to stink up my house."

Yasuo stared at Katherine in shock. Of all the possible secondary reactions he'd imagined possible, being told that he smelled was not one he had expected. His surprise forced him into immobility and allowed him to finally get a good look at the girl he'd been following for weeks.

Being intangible made everything on earth look rather fuzzy, so he'd had no idea what his charge had truly looked like. He knew her feel, the mental and spiritual energy she gave off but he couldn't have said before what color her hair was, or even how tall she was. Earth had always been a place of fuzzy grays.

He blinked several times, his mind still pulling off a good imitation of a recently decapitated chicken. Katherine was staring him easily in the eyes even as she loomed over him, ire coming off in waves. Her dark grey eyes bore into his and he watched, spellbound, as she reached up to twine her fingers in her raven toned hair. The gesture was clearly one of frustration as she yanked hard and began to forcibly pull him through her house. He snapped out of his reverie when he found himself suddenly faced with a pile of towels, no less than seven different types of shampoos, including one for dogs, and a dazzling variety bathroom fixtures. He pondered taking a moment just to stare around the vast room but in his first glance he saw Katherine advancing determinedly upon him, wash-rag in hand.

He snatched the piece of cloth from her and quickly shoved her out of the room before he keeled over from embarrassment. He wandered over to the sunken pool of a tub and began turning random nozzles, then promptly recoiled in horror as jasmine smelling foam started pouring into the tub. He quickly turned that one off and found the hot water. A half hour later, when the tub was finally full, he carefully lowered himself in and began scrubbing. The jasmine oil in the water gave off a heady scent, one, he quickly realized, that followed Katherine wherever she went.

Several hours later he deemed himself clean enough and exited the bath. He towel-dried his hair, then combed it down with his fingers into some vague semblance of order. Looking around produced an interesting dilemma. He had no clothes to change in to. What covering he'd had was now an invisible, intangible, fuming pile somewhere in Katherine's house. Wonderful. The universe really did hate him.

He decided to just take a chance, and tightly wrapped the large rectangle of cloth around his waist, praying that it would decide to remain where it was.

His exit from the bathroom was a slow and cautious procedure. He peered around the door and was met by silence, which said hello as it leaned against a wall. He waved back then stealthily crept down the long hall, peering into every room he passed. He was on his fifteenth room when he suddenly found himself face to face with Katherine again.

He stumbled back, startled by her sudden appearance but she quickly grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him in. She stuck him in the middle of the room with a glare that promised most dire consequences if he should try to flee. The phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman" flit through his head and he suddenly understood what was meant by it. He watched Katherine as best he could as she circled around him, her eyes narrowed speculatively.

"Well… I never would have guessed you'd clean up so well." She stopped directly in front of him and reached up to play with one of his small horns. He shivered, curious and, for some odd reason, slightly afraid.

"Well… I guess I don't have time to be doing this, no matter how fascinating you are." She sighed at herself then, shaking her head. "Come on… I've got to introduce you to my father."

Silence reigned again and happily basked in its own glory before skipping off down the hallway while singing something remarkably similar to the theme song for the smurfs.

"You can't very well be serious about that! He'd freak! For that matter, why aren't you freaking? You should be the one panicking right now, not me!"

"Why should I? I performed a spell to get a gaurdian and you showed up… though you most certainly aren't what I was expecting." She peered at him again. "I had expecting something… a little stronger looking."

Yasuo grimaced and replied in a small voice. "I wasn't the one you were supposed to summon. I screwed up. Again."

Katherine pat his shoulder consolingly as she led him out of the room and down the long hall again. "Don't worry. I think you'll be more fun to have around than some muscle-bound idjit." She smiled mischievously at him and dragged him forward.

"Now come on. It's late enough as is."

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"DAAAAAAAAAD!"

"What is it kitten?" The man didn't even bother looking up from his novel.

"Well… ItriedtodothisspellalittlewhileagoandIsortascrewedup. IwassupposedtosummonthisbigscarybeastythingythatwouldprotectmebutImustadone somethingwrong `causeigotthisguyinsteadandhesmelledandwasnakedsoImadehimtakeabathandnowhel ooksrathernicebutIcan'tjustkeephimherealldayandheISmygaurdiannowsohereallys houldgotoschoolwithme buthow'rewegonnamanagethatwhenhe'snothumanandjustsortaupandappeared and oh do something Dad!"

"Hmmmm." Katherine's father looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "So you're her guardian now, hmm? Well. I guess I can figure out some way to get you into school. But you really do need to hide those horns if you can. They'll make you kind of stick out."

Yasuo was dumbfounded. Was the entire family insane? Normal fathers would have been panicking to see a partially naked half-demon standing next to their daughter. His brain hurt.

"How in heaven did you understand anything of what she said?" was the first thing to come out his mouth. He realized promptly that that was a stupid and completely irrelevant question but was still rather curious.

The man raised the other brow and laughed. "I lived with her all her life after all. And her mother was just the same way. You'll get used to it. Now, about those horns."

Yasuo concentrated briefly, thoroughly glad that some magic was still at his bidding and his horns faded. He shook his head to resettle his hair and looked up for approval.

"Now…. I'll just go on contact the dean of the highschool and tell him that you'll be joining the school. You'll be the orphaned son of some friends of mine, people from another country. Poor people, but lifelong friends. And since I was so close to them," here he paused dramatically, making his daughter giggle, "I just had to take in their son and watch over him. We'll set you up with all the necessary I.D's and such shortly. Katherine, take him to a room, would you pet? I also need to order him some clothes."

Katherine did as she was told, guffawing loudly when she reached the hallway.

"You're insane. You do realize this," Yasuo said blankly.

"Nah. I'm just weird. You'll get used to it."

"And you're… proud of this?"

"It's better than letting all of my classmates get to me."

Yasuo muttered darkly about the stupid people who had made the report on this rather… unique girl.

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So anyways: up next! Yasuo's first day at school!