Arc: Seigaku

Ebook cover for the arc

The stories focusing on Seigaku; also CLAMP’s Eriol and Angel Sanctuary’s Rafael.

What’s in a Name

Belial and Kanzeon have tea. Drama, I-2

Belial took another sip of hir tea and aimed a glittering smile at the being across the table. "So. We’ve caught up on gossip, traded fashion tips, and one has flattered your latest blend. Don’t you think it’s time we got around to business?"

Revenge

How Ryouma got so girl-clueless. Humor, I-1

"Gabriel-sama?" Arariel leaned around the doorway, and raised her brows at the seal Gabriel had just completed. "Um. Someone due for a little divine punishment?"

"Eminently," Gabriel said, between her teeth.

Sight

A bit of Tezuka’s family background. Drama With Humor, I-2

In one of the few speeches Kunimitsu’s father made that Kunimitsu’s grandfather approved of, the man declared, "Everything is about connections – who you know, you notices you, and especially who you can rely on." His grandfather had declared the rest of the speech to be garbage, but that was hardly unexpected.

Unexpected Guests

How Ryouma’s uncle came to be away from the temple. Drama with Humor, I-3

Temples and their priests got all kinds of visitors, some of them pretty odd. But the last thing Konzen had expected, when he opened the door to answer the bell, was for a tangle of limbs to land on and hug him while crowing "Sanzou!"

Camoflage

Crowley under cover. Humor, I-1

As far as cover went, it was nearly perfect. Sure, there were dangers, like the gimlet eye of the angel, who certainly suspected that something was not right, but couldn’t put his finger on what that something might be. Crowley could deal with that in his sleep, and frequently did.

On Playing with the Angelic Host

Tezuka’s rules about angels. Humor, I-2

Tezuka adjusted his glasses and gave Ryoma the quiet, grave look that meant that the boy had done something that was not, as it were, directly forbidden, but that Ryoma certainly should have known better, given his buchou, the world, and the heavenly host. "Echizen," said Tezuka calmly, "What have I told you about dealing with the heavenly host?"

Persuasion

Ryouma makes some suggestions to Lucifer. Humor, I-2

Ryoma was sitting on the porch at home when a tall man strolled into the yard and stood in front of him. He decided that the man was probably someone that he could get along with…or, rather, someone that he wished played tennis.

Relatives

Tezuka talks to relatives about his problems. Drama, Humor, I-2

“Pfft. You make me feel old. I’m Hiiragizawa Eriol, though you’re free to call me ‘uncle’ if you like.” Something about Eriol’s purely friendly smile made Tezuka uneasy. He wasn’t sure precisely why he wanted to have a wall at his back at the moment, but he forced himself to ignore the urge and go on.

In the Family

Belial introduces the Fujis to the Mudous. Drama with Humor, I-3

Notes: Contains consensual sibling incest.

Yuuta sighed, resigned, and then had to take a second look at the person who had hailed his brother. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone dressed quite that flamboyantly outside a festival. Or, possibly, a circus. He was busy enough looking at the top hat that it took him a few moments to notice that his brother had paused beside the strange person, and was now standing on Yuuta’s other side.

Between him and the strangers. Yuuta took a closer look.

Mother Hen

Ooishi gets a taste of his own medicine. Humor, I-1

Raphael snorted. "What is it with you warrior types that you never want to actually talk to a physician before it’s a crisis? Come here," pointing to the space in front of him, "and let me look at your wrist. You’ve been favoring it all day."

Worth

Tezuka sets up ranking blocks. Angst, I-4

"Headache, Tezuka-kun?" Raphael asked, leaning against one of the empty desks.

Kunimitsu took his hand from his forehead. "I’m fine," he said, and that was true, but not likely to deter Raphael’s bored curiosity.

Compromise

Karupin has some issues with Ryouma’s new realm. Humor, I-1

Echizen Ryoma had two loves in his life. (Actually, he had three, though he would never admit it, at least not until the said third love stopped playing so damned hard to get.) Anyone from the Seishun Senior High tennis club could tell you the first one: tennis. Any of them could also tell you the second: his cat. So no one said anything when Karupin started to tag along on some of their practice days.

Irony

Ryouma takes a vacation. Humor, I-1

Ryouma nodded politely to the group that had gathered at his request. Several hundred years was enough to let someone get used to the same faces and personalities, he’d found, and so he knew almost every one of the assembled very, very well. Especially since he’d played tennis with them for several hundred years. He tugged at his cap, a habit that even death hadn’t been able to banish, and sighed.