"Hey, that's no fair!" Yugo objected. "I wouldn't mind a second dinner."
"I'm hungry too." Shina stated. "What's for dinner Dad?"
"Hot dogs!" Yugo suggested enthusiastically.
"I guess it wouldn't be that bad." Shina reluctantly admitted.
"Alright then." Gado agreed. "No complaints dear." he silenced Jenny by gently cupping one hand over her mouth as he lead her into the kitcken.
"How long are you planning on staying here Yugo?" Long wondered.
"As long as it takes to get my speech done, Long." he replied. "Why do you care?"
"Yugo." Shina snarled.
"Did you leave your brother at home?" Long inquired.
"Kenji?" Yugo assumed. "Aw, he'll be fine. He's old enough after all, and I can trust him with the house. Not like he's going to have any wild parties while I'm gone... that's more like something I would do, he he. Why you so interested in him anyway?"
"I was simply curious." Long explained. "He actually had a little talk with me while we went to pick up the food... he seemed a bit disturbed."
"Oh? So you noticed that?" Yugo stopped to think for a moment, scratching his head. "Yeah, poor Kenji... he's still a little confused about what happened about a month ago. That creep Busuzima brainwashed him and he ended up attacking a lot of people I guess... maybe even killing some? While he was brainwashed he even attacked me..."
"Poor guy." Shina agreed. "It must be terrible to not even have control over your own actions."
"It must be better than having control over you actions and yet, still choosing to..." Long found himself unable to describe his actions. "well... I will not trouble you with my own cares."
"I never did understand that about you." Yugo complained. "But I guess that's why Kenji wanted to talk to you, because you're an assassin too. Maybe he wanted..."
"I gave him what hope I could." Long informed them. What little hope I had to give. he added mentally.
"Really?" Yugo looked up at him in wonder. "Why? I mean, you didn't even know him and you tried to help him?"
"I could not see him suffer." Long answered.
"Hey, thanks." Yugo offered. "I mean, he seemed to be doing a little better today... and maybe it was because of you? Of course, I never thought I'd be thanking you for anything... but Kenji is much more important to me than my own stubborn pride."
"Aw, how sweet." Shina teased. "Yugo loves his little brother so much."
"Oh, cut it out!" Yugo whined. "If anyone oughta understand it's you... some ties are stronger than blood, you know? Kenji might not be my blood brother, but he's more of a brother to me than anyone else ever was."
"Yeah." Shina confessed. "I guess I don't always show it lately, but my Dad means a lot to me too."
"Obviously." Long conceded. "Or else you wouldn't be nearly so upset with him. Only a person you love has the power to hurt you so deeply. Perhaps it is disconsolately ironic, but it is true enough."
"Creepy." Yugo agreed.
"You understood all that?" Shina prompted.
"Not at all." Yugo replied sarcastically. "Except for everything but disconsolate anyways..." he added truthfully. "If I ever knew what that word meant then I forgot."
"You see?" Shina asked, nudging Long. "Yugo's not really as stupid as he pretends to be, we just do that for a laugh or two, right Yugo?"
"I guess I can be pretty funny." Yugo agreed, smiling. "Even though I'm not stupid, I'm still not a scholar though. What did that word mean?"
"In this case, hopelessly sad." Long exponded.
"Sounds like a word you would use." Yugo teased.
"Yugo!" Shina complained, walking over to threaten him with her fists. "Long doesn't know you well enough to know when you're joking yet! And the last thing he needs is someone poking fun at him!"
"He poked fun at me earlier today!" Yugo whined, putting his arms up in a blocking position right before Shina punched at his chest.
"That's no excuse!" she warned him, faking a few punches to his head. "Besides, you started it!"
"Hey, stop that!" Yugo yelled. "Gado! Your daughter's beating up on me again!"
"Aw, poor little baby!" Alan yelled from the other room. "Too bad your daddy's not here to save you."
"Ah, he wouldn't save me from this anyways." Yugo replied, letting down his guard and calmly taking her soft blows. She finally stopped and stood back up.
"There, that'll teach you!" Shina declared. "Now don't make me beat you up again!"
"Oh, no!" he shuddered in mock fear. "Of course not, not the great Shina Gado!"
"You're not the only one she beats up on." Long added.
"Aw, cut it out you two!" she demanded, kicking at Yugo's side. "You almost done with the hot dogs Dad?"
"Almost dear..." Alan Gado replied. "just a little bit longer and they'll be done. Jennifer won't be joining us for dinner of course."
"Thank God for that." Shina muttered under her breath. Long got up from his chair and walked over to stand beside her, while Yugo picked himself up off the floor. The three of them wandered into the kitchen and watched the hot dogs boil as Alan got out the buns, bottles of mustard and ketsup, a jar of relish, and a bag of potatoe chips. "So, where is she anyway?" Shina asked, more out of politeness than an actual curiosity about the woman.
"She's eating a few leaves of lettuce... er... I mean, a salad, over on the table." Alan replied.
"I heard that dear." she stated, her sultry voice emanating from the other room. "I want to have a little talk with you upstairs... when you're done with dinner of course."
"Yes, dear." Alan answered obediently. Yugo snickered, but decided that he'd better keep his thoughts to himself while Gado was around. Alan walked over to the pot and used a pair of tongs to pull one of the hot dogs out. "Hm, looks done guys." He put it back and got four plates out of the cupboard while the other three crowded into the kitchen. They all filled their plates swiftly and got their drinks before walking into the other room to sit at the table. Alan sat down next to Jenny of course, and Shina sat at the other end of the table, Long and Yugo to either side of her.
"Mm, mm..." Yugo mumbled, stuffing half a hot dog into his mouth. "Gonna have to come here for dinner more often."
"I'm not a restaurant you know." Alan said. "And I'm not a writer either... how far have you gotten on the speech?"
"Uh, well..." Yugo trailed off, stuffing a handfull of chips into his mouth and chewing them in an effort to buy himself some time. He finished chewing them and swallowed before finishing. "I... kinda just started it." Alan Gado groaned and shook his head.
"Really Yugo," he chided. "you ought to be more responsible..."
"I tried." Yugo defended. "I just have no writing skills at all... I would've asked Kenji to help, but he really needs his rest, you know?"
"Exactly how far have you gotten on the speech?" Alan demanded.
"Er... well..." Yugo answered nervously. "I've got the first half of my introductory sentence."
"Yugo." Gado groaned. "You are expected to give at least a half-hour talk!"
"I know." Yugo moaned. "But... I just don't know what to say! It takes me forever to write anything, and even then I don't have enough time to finish it..."
"Never mind." Gado interrupted. "We'd better get to work on it as soon as we're finished eating, do you even remember what you're supposed to talk about?"
"Zoanthrope issues." Yugo replied.
"Good." Gado said, relieved. "And do you know what the most important zoanthrope issues in this community are?"
"Uh... no." Yugo reluctantly admitted. "How am I supposed to figure that out anyway?"
"Don't you ever watch the news?" Gado fumed. "The actions of the ZLF have scared everyone for 50 miles around into believing that we're all some sort of monsters!"
"You really should've seen that coming Yugo." Shina berated him. "After all, what community of humans doesn't think that zoanthropes are monsters?"
"You'd think that people in the U.S. would be more understanding." Yugo griped. "Doesn't their constitution say something about people having equal rights?"
"That alone will not stop people from fearing zoanthropes." Gado argued. "Besides, there are all kinds of technical laws in the way of that... Your job is to somehow show them that we truly are no different than they are, we are human! We have to convince people that they have nothing to fear."
"Good luck doing that with the ZLF still up." Jenny said sarcastically.
"Thanks a lot." Yugo groused. "Anyways, I heard their leader ran off, so they won't be up for long."
"Part of this is my fault." Long conceded. Yugo snickered at his timing. "I never should have worked with Tylon. My actions have only allowed the evil wishes of people like Busuzima to flourish." The room grew silent for a moment as everyone paused to look at Long and consider his words. Yugo really wanted to ask him why he had become as assassin again, but decided that he wouldn't get an answer anyway. Shina felt his pain and dropped her food to grasp his hand, and give it a gentle squeeze to let him know that she was there.
"Well, you can't take back the past." Alan Gado reminded. "And dwelling on it will do you no good either. You must overcome it and decide what to do with your future."
"You are right." Long acceded, nodding at him respectfully. "I just wish I knew how..."
"Hey, maybe you could help me with my speech!" Yugo suggested. Gado snickered and Shina glared at him. "I'm serious! You know all kinds of big, formal words, I bet you could write really well. And this speech could really make a difference... maybe... at least, to the people living here. What do you say?"
"I suppose it wouldn't be a bad way to start." Long agreed.
"Great!" Yugo yelled enthusiastically. "Now that I've got two people helping me with this speech it's gonna be awesome!"
The three speech-writers sat around an oval table in the middle of Alan's study, each armed with a pen and a piece of paper. Shina lounged lazilly in a recliner to one side of them, keeping an eye on her father and Yugo to make sure they behaved. Jenny was gone, she had given them some excuse about being tired before departing for the stairs.
"So, it says, 'Gracious members of the city council...'" Yugo informed them. "What do you think?"
"Is that all?" Gado whined. "Yugo, you really dissapoint me."
"You haven't really put much thought into this, have you?" Long inquired of the wolf zoanthrope.
"That's just my problem!" Yugo complained. "I have to put too much thought into it! Do you have any idea how long it took me just to settle on this one phrase?"
"Forget about that!" Gado comanded. "This is going to take a lot of work, so we'd better get started. Now, in the first paragraph you should thank the people for taking the time to listen to you and introduce yourself and your subject with a short summary, got that?"
"Ugh... this is gonna take forever." Yugo griped. "I wish Kenji were here..."
"Hurry up and start something!" Gado demanded.
"Gracious members of the city council..." Yugo began. "I would like to thank you for coming here to listen to my speech today?"
"It could be said better." Long instructed. "Perhaps- I would like to thank you fine people for giving me the honor of speaking with you on this glorious day."
"Hm... not bad." Gado agreed.
"Cool!" Yugo exclaimed, scribbling the words down on his piece of paper. "That sounds great! Alright... what else?"
"Tell the people who you are and what you are going to be speaking about." Gado reminded him.
"Oh yeah..." Yugo remembered. "Er... my name is Yugo Ohgami and I'm the new zoanthrope leader?"
"You sound like you're not sure about that." Shina teased. Yugo ignored him and continued his work.
"I came here today to talk about the zoanthrope issues facing this community."
"So blunt and simple." Long nagged. "Maybe that would work if you were talking to one of your friends, but..."
"That's what you're here for," Yugo said. "bust out the big words already!"
"I, Yugo Ohgami, am here today as a representative," Long began, "and on behalf of zoanthropes across the globe it would be my pleasure to enlighten you on important issues concerning your community."
"Wow, this is gonna sound great!" Yugo said enthusiastically while scribbling Long's words down on the paper.
"It's not gonna sound like you..." Shina harassed him. "It's gonna sound like Long, I can't even imagine you saying those words!"
"Gracious members of the city council," Yugo recited, trying to prove he could say the words. "I would like to thank you fine people for giving me the honor of speaking to you on this glorious day. I, Yugo Ohgami, am here today as a representative, and on behalf of zoanthropes across the globe it would be my pleasure to enlighten you on important issues concerning your community." Yugo finished, and thought over the words for a moment. "It doesn't sound quite right, does it?"
"I think it's a bit overdone." Alan agreed.
"I agree." Long added. "After complimenting the 'gracoius council members' we do not need to further compliment them by caling them 'fine people', so you can cross that part out Yugo."
"Alright." Yugo obediently crossed that part off his paper. "But isn't there also something else?"
"Let me see that." Long requested, holding one hand out for Yugo's paper. Yugo handed it to him and Long read it over, occasionally stopping to make corrections. "Try this." he said, handing it back.
"Gracious members of the city council," Yugo attempted. "I would like to thank you for giving me the honor of speaking to you on this glorious day." he stopped and scratched his head for a minute. "What if it's raining?" Both Long and Gado moaned and shook their heads.
"The weather is completely irrelevant Yugo!" Long chided.
"Oh..." Yugo mumbled. "Gracious members of the city council, I would like to thank you for giving me the honor of speaking to you on this glorious day. My name is Yugo Ohgami and I am here today as a representative for zoanthropes all over the globe. It is my pleasure to have the opportunity, and the responsibility, to enlighten you on the importance of any zoanthrope issues concerning your community."
"Hey, that sounds good." Shina complimented Long's writing.
"Not bad." Alan agreed. "I am actually impressed."
"Yeah, thanks Long!" Yugo added. "This speech is gonna be awesome!"
"Uh, it's nothing really." he replied, nervously brushing one hand through his bangs. "You two are really doing all the work, figuring out what needs to be said. Just tell me what you are trying to say and I will attempt to make it sound both eloquent and courteous."
"Awesome!" Yugo thanked him. "This is gonna be a killer speech!"
"Ugh." Shina moaned. "If you three don't mind I'm gonna go practice my punches or something."
"Go on dear." Gado approved. "This isn't going to be very entertaining for any of us."
"Yeah, we can do without your input." Yugo teased. "And I promise to behave myself."
"You'd better!" Shina threatened him by rolling one hand into a fist.
"I have resolved to commit the best of my efforts to this speech in the hope that it will make a difference, if only a small one, on the conditions that zoanthropes in the community have to live through." Long informed her.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that you're kind of a nerd Long?" she tried to annoy him by faking a punch to his side as she headed for the door.
"It would not be the first time I've heard that." he admitted.
"I'll catch you guys later." she finished, turning to wave at them. Then she heard the sound of the door opening behind her and turned to find Jenny standing in the doorway.
"Dear." Jenny cooed, peeking around Shina at Alan. "I thought we were going to have a little talk?"
"Oh yes, right..." Alan remembered, scratching at the back of his neck. "Dear, perhaps we could postpone it? Yugo here has a very important speech..."
"This is also important." Jenny interrupted. "Very important. Something I am sure you would not want to miss." She shot him a wink and Shina growled under her breath.
"Er... well... I suppose I could leave you a few guidelines for the speech." Alan offered. "Would that be alright Yugo?"
"Fine." he agreed, shrugging. "All I really needed to know from you was what I'm supposed to be talking about anyways." Gado took his pen and piece of paper and scribbled down a few notes about what the talk was supposed to be about. Then he handed the paper to Long and gave Jenny a big smile before they dissapeared through the door.
"Oooo that little...!" Shina fumed.
"What do you think that was all about?" Yugo wondered.
"I certainly would not desire to hazard a guess." Long complained.
"I hate her!" Shina yelled. "That seductive little temptress! Always leading my father away into their lair of love!" Yugo broke into laughter, eventually falling off of his chair on to the floor. "It's not funny!!!" Shina roared.
"He he, sorry Shina." Yugo apologized, trying very hard to stop laughing. "It's just that what you said was funny, not what they're doing..."
"I don't want to know about that." Long commented.
"Me either." Shina agreed.
"I didn't say that I did!" Yugo defended himself.
"Who cares?" Shina growled. "I'm just pissed off that he thinks he can do whatever the hall he wants with her and then tell me how to live my life!" The room went silent for several minutes after that since no one wanted to continue Shina's talk, or disguss what Jenny and Gado were doing anymore.
"I guess we should get to work on my speech." Yugo reminded Long.
"Better get it over with." he agreed.
"I'm going to take out my anger on the punching bag in the training room." Shina told them, before walking through the door and slamming it behind her.
"She's pretty upset about all this." Yugo said.
"I doubt there is much I can do to help her in this matter." Long worried. "My presence here is only increasing the tension."
Shina took her fighting stance next to the punching bag and pictured Jenny's horribly over made-up face over it before sending a flurry of punches into it's resilient cover. If only I could really beat the crap out of her for seducing my Dad, she thought as she sent three swift kicks into the punching bag. Usually letting her anger out in this way helped her feel better and clear her thoughts, but not this time. As much as she beat at the worn old punching bag it still didn't calm her anger. After awhile she stopped to think about what she was feeling.
What am I more upset about? she asked herself. What my father does with Jenny or what he thinks about me and Long? For the first time she realized that asking him to accept her relationship with Long was a bit hypocritical, unless she decided to try and accept his with Jenny. I wonder if he would losen up on me and Long if I quit complaining about her. Shina mused. I guess it's worth a shot.
Suddenly she heard the sound of someone yelling further into the house, she walked over to the door and took a peek into the other room. She was just in time to see her father storming over to his study door, Jenny following swiftly behind. The door opened before he could get there, Long and Yugo stood in the doorway. Obviously they had heard the noise as well and decided to check it out.
"YOU!!!" Gado screamed, pointing an accusing finger at the startled Kenpo master.
"Dear, stop this!" Jenny pleaded.
"Dad, what is going on!?!" Shina demanded.
"And you TOO!!!" Gado yelled, turning his finger towards her.
"Alan, honey..." Jenny begged.
"Am I next?" Yugo whined fearfully. Jenny shook her head disdainfully, and before anyone could blink her hands swiftly and precisely hit him on either side of the neck and he slumped backwards, into her arms.
"What did you just do to my Dad!?!" Shina shouted angrilly.
"Pressure points dear." she replied, in her usually calm voice. "An excellent first line of defense for a lady, it's harmless really, he'll be back in an hour or so. Hopefully by then he'll be more relaxed."
"What was with him?" Yugo wondered, scratching his head.
"A little too much wine." Jenny explained.
"Bull $#%&!!! Shina yelled. "My Dad knows better than to get drunk! What the hell did you do to him!?!"
"I didn't do anything." she answered in an innocent tone of voice. "Actually it was something you and Long did."
"What!?!" Shina asked, glancing at Long. He shrugged.
"I have no idea what she is attempting to insinuate," he explained. "but I was just helping Yugo with his speech when..."
"It's not something you just did just a moment ago." Jenny added. "It's something you did earlier." Long and Shina gave each other another curious glance.
"This isn't about your little joke earlier this evening is it?" Long wondered.
"Why would he be pissed about that now?" Shina asked. Jenny grunted as she tried to lift Gado.
"Er... need any help with that?" Yugo offered, walking over to them.
"It would be greatly appreciated." she thanked him, getting out from under Gado as Yugo grabbed him under the arms and hoisted him over his back. Yugo swayed precariously for a moment before, crumpling to his knees.
"Ah! My back!" Shina and Long rushed over to him and took hold of Gado's sides, lifting his weight off the squashed boxer. Yugo got up and stretched his back, an audible crack sounding from it, before turning to face them. "Thanks, I'm fine now. I can help carry him if you want." Despite the strain of holding Gado's great weight Shina and Long both managed a nod, so Yugo resumed his position under the big man, and the three of them took him up the stairs. Jenny ran ahead of them and opened his bedroom door, along with the covers of his bed, making sure that everything was ready for him.
Once the other three finally got up the stairs with Alan's unconscious body they turned and dropped him onto the bed with a resounding thud.
"That's the last time I'm carrying him anywhere!" Yugo complained, using one hand to rub the sore area in the middle of his back. "Next time he can just lie wherever he falls!"
"Ugh, I agree." Long said wearilly.
"I wonder what he was so angry about." Shina said, glancing at his unconscious form, sprawled over the bed.
"I'm sure you will find out about it soon enough." Jenny advised. "Once he is awake..."
"You know what this is all about don't you!?!" Shina demanded, getting into her fighting stance and facing off against the woman. "Talk!"
"I am sure that your father would rather discuss it with you himself." Jenny replied, eyeing the other warrilly. "When he is up again..." Shina growled at the hated wench, considering whether it would be a good idea to beat the information out of her.
"Jannu?" Long asked, getting her attention. "I think it would be a good idea to leave this as it is. Whatever is going on is obviously nothing to toy with."
"What the hell is going on anyways?" Yugo complained. "I mean, so he's not exactly thrilled that a 30-year-old man is seeing his 18-year-old daughter, still that's no reason to..."
"That's not it anyway." Shina interrupted. "He sounded pretty angry... what could make him so angry?" Long shrugged.
"The only thing I can think of..." he trailed off, glaring over at Jenny. "$%#&! What the %$#& did you do!?!" he demanded of her.
"Whoa, Long..." Shina commented, having never heard him curse before. He must be really pissed off.
"It's not my fault that I'm on a quest to discover the truth." she replied. Long snarled at her and backed into his fighting stance.
"Long, what's going on?" Shina asked, walking up to him and gently placing one hand on his shoulder.
"What do you think this spy has done Jannu?" he replied, his eyes glued on the hated enemy. His body was tensed up, and ready to pounce. "What could we have possibly done to provoke this kind of anger?"
"What!?!" she exclaimed, thinking of the only thing they had done that could have made her father so angry. "You mean...?"
"Damn me!" Long cursed. "Why is it that every time I slip and do any single little thing wrong..."
"But... she couldn't have been spying on us," Shina thought out loud. "she was gone. Right?"
"What do you need eyes for when you've got a spy camera?" Long growled.
"WHAT!?!" Shina roared, enraged.
"Very perceptive of you." Jenny admitted. "I hid it in her room after that first night you were here, when I first became suspicious of you."
"No." Long moaned.
"And tonight I checked it," she continued. "and found the most interesting footage that must have happened just a little while before we got home."
"YOU!!!" Shina shrieked, getting into her fighting stance and clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white and her fingernails began to dig into her skin. "You taped our private actions and showed that tape to my father!?!
"What did the two of you do anyway?" Yugo wondered, both Shina and Long turned to glare at him. "Er... okay... never mind then."
"Don't do anything foolish by attacking me." Jenny negotiated. "The two of you will have to deal with him individually later, and he will not be happy if anything has happened." Shina growled ferociously at the spy, barely able to control her rage. If only I could tear off that ugly little head of hers, she thought.
"I bet he really wishes that he hadn't spared my life now." Long muttered, coming out of his fighting stance. "Perhaps I should not stick around to discover the outcome of this."
"Don't go anywhere." Shina requested, her glare still focused on the tall, blond, model. "I already told you, I don't care what he thinks..." she dropped her fighting stance, still keeping a watchfull eye on the hated woman. "besides, he acted out of anger. Once he has had a chance to calm down... he won't be so angry, I promise."
"You don't think he'll try to kill me?" Long asked, seriously concerned.
"No, of course not." Shina assured him. "My father's got a horrible temper, but it only means that sometimes he says things he doesn't mean..."
"Are you sure?" Yugo interrupted. "He sounded pretty angry..."
"SHUT UP YUGO!!!" Shina screamed at him.
"Ah!" Yugo exclaimed out of shock, jumping back into the door.
"This is terrible." Long moaned, shaking his head. "I never should have done that in the first place... and now everyone will know of my folly."
"What the hell did you guys do anyways?" Yugo demanded. "You make it sound like you had se..." Shina raced over to him and slapped him across the mouth before he could finish.
"Really Yugo." Long sighed, shaking his head.
"How dare you!?!" Shina yelled in his ear.
"I-I'm sooory." Yugo whimpered, sinking to the floor. "I-I was just curious! I d-didn't mean to insult you..." Shina sighed and unclenched her fists, trying to calm down. Long walked up behind her quietly and gently massaged her back to ease the tension.
"And that's what started it all in the first place." Jenny pointed out.
"Shut up!" Long and Shina yelled.