Kippei really did hope that at some point his days would become less interesting.<\/p>\n
"So, lemme get this straight." The short, glowering redhead who had Lucifer, having set his brother off in the first place, with no regard for The younger of St. Rudolph’s two guardians glared right back. "Who else Kurikara paused judiciously. "Well, all right, you might have a point. "Why are you in that form, though? You should have two wings in this world, Kurikara gave him a withering look. "Between them," he gestured to Tsuzuki blinked. "Oh."<\/p>\n Kurikara slapped a hand over eyes. "I’m surrounded by idiots," he While Michael was deciding how to take that, Lucifer stirred from his slouch "Of course he does. We are, after all, reflections of each other in our "Enjoy yourself, Michael," Lucifer told his brother as he walked Michael’s jaw dropped, and Kippei sighed. He’d known it was coming.<\/p>\n "Try not… world… you… You asshole!" he howled at Lucifer’s "Michael-kun," Kippei said, firmly.<\/p>\n Michael swung around. "What?!" Kippei waited, and after a moment Kippei, now that he wouldn’t be singed, clasped Michael’s shoulder, hoping Kurikara gazed after Lucifer. "So," he remarked, "that was the Michael stopped brooding and turned a brilliant smile on him. "I like "Kurikara, RyuuOu."<\/p>\n "Michael, Angel of Fire. Pleased to meet you." <\/p>\n Looking at the two of them grinning at each other over clasped hands Kippei "Tsuzuki, I really don’t think we should interfere here," Kurosaki "We know this team is picking up some serious influences from Michael, "They’ll live," Kurosaki replied bluntly. "I’ll speak to Tatsumi-san, "Oh?" Tsuzuki’s glance at Kippei was suddenly more measuring. "Oh. "…you got to toast him yourself?" Michael was exclaiming, gleefully. "It was great to finally get my claws around the Emperor’s neck," Michael looked enthralled. Kippei sighed. He could have wished for Michael "I wouldn’t have your job if they paid me," Kurosaki said. "Good "Um." Tsuzuki glanced at Kurikara.<\/p>\n Kurikara glanced back and waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. So, Michael, I’m "Sure," Michael agreed, and then paused and looked at Kippei.<\/p>\n Kippei smiled at him; Michael still needed a good deal of reassurance. "We’ll Michael looked away and shrugged. "Of course."<\/p>\n Kurikara gave him a wry look, winked at Kippei, and threw an arm over Michael’s Kippei shook his head at the space where Michael had been. Someday, maybe, <\/p>\n End<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kurikara and Michael hit it off.
\n appeared on his courts put his hands on his hips. "You summoned me<\/em>
\n to deal with him<\/em>?" He waved a hand at Michael, who was also
\n glowering, dividing his attention between the newcomer and Lucifer.<\/p>\n
\n visiting shinigami, lounged on the sidelines watching the show.<\/p>\n
\n were we supposed to summon for something like this, Kurikara?" he snapped.
\n "Suzaku? She’d make it twice as bad. Souryuu? Give me a break!"<\/p>\n
\n Though it could be kind of funny watching the cold fish deal with this."<\/p>\n
\n not two legs," Tsuzuki cut hurriedly over whatever his partner had been
\n drawing breath to say, for which Kippei was grateful; he hadn’t noticed Kurosaki
\n being very moderate in his temper at the best of times.<\/p>\n
\n Michael and Lucifer, "and your knee-jerk habit of casting wards at the
\n first sign of trouble we’re not precisely standing in Ningenkai, if you haven’t
\n noticed."<\/p>\n
\n growled, and then paused, glancing at Kurosaki. "Okay, not complete
\n idiots, a complete idiot really would have called in Suzaku and the whole
\n city would be burning." He eyed Michael, and the scorch marks from where
\n he’d lost his temper at Lucifer’s arrival. "You remind me of her, some."<\/p>\n
\n against the fence. Kippei braced himself for a new round of explosions. Lucifer’s
\n tone, however, was academic when he spoke.<\/p>\n
\n different planes." Lucifer pushed himself upright, and paced across
\n the court, not to Michael, but to Tsuzuki. Kippei settled back, watchfully.
\n Lucifer took the man’s chin in his fingers, holding him still for a searching
\n examination. Just when Tsuzuki was starting to look tense and Kurosaki was
\n looking as incendiary as Michael, Lucifer let him go. "You have some
\n of the same heart as the Messiah," he said, "but your power is
\n broken. A shame, that. If you were whole you might be able to free your little
\n human with your own strength." He didn’t wait for an answer before turning
\n away, which, to Kippei’s eye, was a good thing. Tsuzuki looked stunned.<\/p>\n
\n away from them all. "Try not to destroy the entire world."<\/p>\n
\n departing back. "I’m not the one who tried<\/em>, even if it didn’t
\n work<\/em>!" Fire was snapping around him again.<\/p>\n
\n Michael deflated a little, and the flames faded. "Sorry," he muttered.<\/p>\n
\n to lend him some calm. <\/p>\n
\n Lord of Hell, hm?" He looked contemplative for a moment before he snorted.
\n "What a jerk."<\/p>\n
\n him," he declared to the court at large. "What was your name again?"<\/p>\n
\n couldn’t help thinking, though he was careful not to say, that Lucifer really
\n did know his brother pretty well. Michael probably would enjoy himself with
\n Kurikara. He turned back to his other guests, only to find Kurosaki looking
\n at him intently.<\/p>\n
\n said. <\/p>\n
\n though," Tsuzuki objected. "That’s going to mess up the bookkeeping,
\n and they always<\/em> blame us for that."<\/p>\n
\n if there’s trouble. As long as Tachibana-san is here, it will be all right.
\n We shouldn’t interfere."<\/p>\n
\n Well, in that case…" He was interrupted by the increasing volume of
\n Michael and Kurikara’s discussion.<\/p>\n
\n "Awesome! I was on the other side of the building when Setsuna and Ani-ue
\n were killing God; I was so pissed off."<\/p>\n
\n Kurikara agreed, with a look that would have been beatific with fewer sharp
\n teeth. "It was almost as much fun as pounding Souryuu into the ground
\n like a tent peg when I finally got loose again."<\/p>\n
\n to acquire a calmer friend, but at least Kurikara seemed to have decent control
\n of his temper. A muffled chuckle from Kurosaki brought his attention back
\n to the shinigami. Kurosaki was regarding him with the kind of sympathetic
\n amusement that suggested he had just heard Kippei volunteer to babysit his
\n neighborhood’s greatest brat.<\/p>\n
\n luck. Come on Tsuzuki."<\/p>\n
\n really not supposed to stay in this plane without anything to do, and as
\n soon as Tsuzuki takes back his wards I’m going to be a really big flaming
\n dragon anyway. Wanna come back to Gensoukai with me?"<\/p>\n
\n still be around when you get back, Michael-kun."<\/p>\n
\n shoulders. "Let’s go then! Beer and stories!" They both vanished
\n in a flicker of fire.<\/p>\n
\n his life would stop being quite so strange, but he wasn’t betting on it.<\/p>\n