Author's Ramble: The very first chapter two of anything I have ever written! And just in case you guys are wondering what cuckoo clock would celebrate such a stupidly simple thing, those who are among the handful who know me and my work know I've been working exclusively in oneshots. Anyway didn't really expect anyone to actually want new chapters to this and I just want the three who took the time and effort to type out such long and thought out reviews that I find them touching and empowering, however small the number of those who like this. Great things start from small beginnings, right? So enjoy this second chapter and please review. Slightly inspired by "To Serve Man" by The Countess of Monte Cristo.

Summary: Minamino Shina is a thousand year old kitsune, a master thief and strategist and a member of the feared and loved Reikai Tantei. She is also a seventeen-year-old teenager conscious about her weight.

Disclaimer: The profile madla. The profile.

Why was Geometry such a pain?

The slope of the x-axis is... Wait, how did I get from the slope to the line? What does (-5, 6) have to do with this? How can I find this without that and how did that relate to this?

A knock on the comically tall wooden doors snatched the frustrated mathematician's... frustration, from the gridded notebook towards reality, where an even more annoying, since language that which is more appropriate to the situation at hand, though practiced by a certain raven-haired Spirit detective, was always abhorred by mother of said failed mathematician, matter was even more complicated and incomprehensible.

"Mistress Kurama? King Yomi requests your company for supper immediately."

Scratch the first question. Why was life such a pain?

"Kurama? You haven't touched your dinner. Is it not to your liking? I could request the chef to prepare something else."

"No, don't trouble yourself. I was just a bit surprised was all."

"Pray tell, why? I've gathered that cake is quite a delicacy in Ningenkai."

And sure enough, Yomi just had to look up every last detail of her stay, from her room, which was ensconced in gold and silk fit for even the finest of human royalty, to her meal, which was every bit the delicacy Yomi had his team of researchers find out and so much more.

The king of Gandara had made his chef concoct a chocolate cake. But not just any chocolate cake. A chocolate mousse cake. And a whole round, though petite, mound of it at that. Just because the six-earred king knew she would love it.

Soft whipped cream festooned the top and sides in milky swirls, troughs, crests and twirls. Zigzags of dark chocolate sauce filigreed the cream, while milk chocolate ganache was sandwiched between two three-inch layers of black forest pastry. The decadent and obviously thought out and planned over dessert made Kurama's mouth water and stomach rumble. Yet not with hunger, but with a wave of nausea.

The dessert was not a testament to Yomi's consideration, but more like evidence of what brought the redhead kitsune to the Majesty's table in the first place.

He had found out everything. Not only about the world she had come to call home, but also about her. Down to her favorite cake. He disgusted her. Made her sick. Made her feel violated and betrayed. Reminded her of who she had once been. She suppressed the urge to regurgitate the dinner she had yet to have.

Kami, did Kurama hate him.

"Kurama?"

Those beautiful green eyes lifted towards the Gandara leader's own lidded eyes, burning, yet the flame was perennial if anyone would care to notice. It was mellow and warm when with loved ones and friends. The fire turned cold when in battle and in thought. And now it blazed with a quiet, calculated anger, with one more word in Yomi's own quiet, calculated voice, the anger would be fanned into an inferno of rage and hatred.

Kami, did Yomi adore that fire.

"I'm sorry. I spaced out. Human world assignments." The master thief of another life took her misshapen fork, deformed not of intention or disregard but of the difference of culture.

"So tell me, why cake?" Kurama pinned a lock of stray crimson hair behind her perfect left lobe before marring the perfection of the chocolate mousse cake with her fork.

"Why not?" Yomi took to his own meal, taking his own place as well on their seesaw game of control.

"Why not indeed." And she placed the thick bite in her small perfection of a mouth.

It was a comfortably strained silence that followed. The kind that reminded Kurama of horror movies she watched late into the night when she was a smidgen younger, the quietude of the wary predator approaching the armed prey, both unaware of the danger the other posed to oneself, yet both cautiously confident and wisely frightened.

A series of rings cracked the tenacious facade of civility the silence presented.

A series of wild, panicked cries further broke the crackled stillness.

"King Yomi!"

The current second-in-command of Gandara was the first through the door, an army on his heels, all in an effort to protect their beloved king.

Kurama wanted to laugh.

Yomi wanted to bash his head into a wall.

"Your Highness!"

"Shachi..." Yomi began in his own effort to placate the fish man. Yet the soothing call of his name was unheeded as the large deformed humanoid sushi trudged over to the young lady barely stifling her laughter.

"You treacherous bitch! What was that? A signal to the enemy? To Raizen's heir perhaps?"

Kurama composed herself after the first loud "You", standing on her feet, poker-faced yet slender hand beneath rose-red locks.

"Shachi."

The cold command that replaced the cool calm stopped Shachi, arm held back in a similar position for battle.

"Go back to your quarters."

Shachi sputtered. "But Sire-"

"Enough Shachi. I trust Kurama and her judgement. You swing that club, you show your suspicion towards your country, your duty and your king." Yomi stood as well. Despite forever closed, Shachi felt as though those sightless eyes could see through to his very soul.

"Oyasumi Nasai then, my King. And may you have a fine meal." Shachi bowed low, leading his troops out.

So tonight is not destined for our final match, Shachi...

Kurama pulled her small hand out of her long tresses and trained her eyes upon Yomi.

Manipulative... There was a time I would've approved... You remind me so much of who I used to be... And how I am not the woman I once was...

Only then did she notice that the phone was still ringing.

Written in black, block letters in the middle of the screen:

KAASAN

"I do apologize Kurama. He is my general, not to mention my current second-in-command. He is devoted and loyal, no more. Should we con-"

Yomi stopped in the middle of his apology.

Blindness heightened other senses, compensation if you will. And when Shigure added two extra pairs of ears...

Yet it were not footsteps that alerted him that his company had disappeared.

It was her subtle scent growing fainter and fainter.

"I was so worried when I came home and you weren't here, Shina."

"Gomenasai, Kaasan. I left a note but it must have been blown by the wind."

"No worries honey. I'm just glad you're all right. So, an overnight Biology meet, huh?"

"Yes Kaasan. They finally talked me into it."

"I'm glad you said yes. You're much too smart not to join."

A pinch of red colored the Minamino daughter's cheeks. "Thank you Kaasan. I'm sorry though. I know I've been leaving a lot for some time now. I'll make it up to you. Pinkie promise."

"Nonsense sweetheart. It's what a teenager is suppose to do. To go out and explore the world, find herself, something for herself and make something of herself."

Kurama smiled, slipping so perfectly into the life of Minamino Shina.

Shiori must have sensed her daughter's smile. But for all the wrong reasons.

"There's something different in your tone honey. So is he cute?"

The receded red came back with a vengeance. "Kaasan!"

Why must a mother always deduce romance?

"So he is! Don't take that tone with me Shina! A mother has to know!"

The laughter in the elder Minamino woman's voice made her smile even wider. Yet in an effort to save her dignity, Kurama changed gears. "So what's for dinner there at home?"

"Nothing special sweetie. Ramen and curry. You? They better be feeding you there."

"Chocolate Mousse cake."

In the highest tower outlooking the bloody sky, a peal of lightning cleaved the congealed scarlet in twain. It was here the young Meiou student always took her mother's calls or made calls to her mother, safe from the world, the danger and him.

"Cake? Chocolate cake? Oh honey, you are never going to be a normal teenager, I should have known."

There was the tiniest tease in Minamino Shiori's motherly voice, and a tinge of something Kurama could only deduce, as pride.

"Kaasan? What do you mean?"

"Nothing honey. I just mean... How normal."

"Kaasan, forgive me, but you're not making sense."

"Sweetie, your innocence becomes you. You'll figure it out, you're too smart not to. Mommy has to go now. I love you."

"Okay. I love you too. Take care and I'll see you in a week."

"And Shina?"

"Yes?"

"I'm proud that you don't care."

The line went dead, leaving a thoroughly confused Kurama on the other end.

"Your mother is quite a card, Kurama."

Startled, the redhead turned on her heel, yellow tunic swishing the only sound to signal so.

Jet-black hair fallen down and straight, the blind royalty leaned casually against the door frame, blocking the only path out.

An overdue bang of thunder wracked the ground, but the cool of the two players on either side did not even shudder.

"Have you forgotten that anything within my domain is also within my hearing range?"

Silence, stillness, control.

"From the crack of an ant's leg breaking to, yes, the distant voice of a worried mother on the phone."

Silence, stillness, control.

Silence, stillness, control.

Silence, stillness, control.

"Stay away from my mother, Yomi."

The resident blue-blood could feel the crimson-haired woman's icy glare. How could such a look burn yet at the same time chill?

"It is a blessing indeed, this hearing. But at times just like this, I ponder upon the thought that it was not worth the price I paid it for."

Silence, stillness, control.

"Perhaps you are due a visit home."

In an instant the emerald flame abade to a low flicker of confusion.

"And Kurama?"

"Yes Yomi?"

"I agree with your mother. And even if you ate two whole cakes, you would still have a lovely figure."

With that he straightened and left, leaving an even more confused than annoyed Kurama alone in the tallest chamber.

Author's Ramble: And now the customary explaining of things I would assume you'd deduce but I am still too paranoid not to elaborate upon.

(1) The conversation between Kurama and Shiori, or at least the ending, is a somewhat subtle hinting that Shiori is proud that Kurama isn't like other teenage girls who fuss too much over their weight and what they eat. I get that we females want to look slender and slim for that cute guy or that swimsuit or just to feel good about ourselves in the locker room with all the other girls, and no I'm not mocking anyone but simply sympathizing, but still you don't have to ignore your happiness to please a thousand strangers. To girls everywhere, as cliche and easier-said-than-done as it is, you're beautiful in your own special way. Don't change to fit the world's mindset of how you should be.

(2) Since it was mentioned in the anime that Yomi can hear anything and everything within his kingdom, I assumed that since Kurama's phone is within the parameters of Gandara, Yomi can still hear whoever she's talking to. Therefore, Yomi heard mother and daughter's whole conversation. Yomi agrees with Kurama mom, even saying in the end that no matter what or how much Kurama ate, she would still have "a lovely figure".

(3) Since we never really found out where Yomi's cool and freaky other four ears came from, I've also assumed that Shigure was responsible. And his price? To never tell his true feelings for Kurama, which was also subtly hinted at by the words "... But at times just like this, I ponder upon the thought that it was not worth the price I paid it for."

(4) I wonder what is the sound of an ant's leg breaking? Maybe I should ask Yomi. HA! This story was so much shorter than I thought it could be. And by the way, finally got a wattpad account: Akikoyo Grey, guys! I hope you guys read my upcoming stories and stay tune to this one and hang on for the others yet to come! Four was used for advertisement and weirdness! Review madla and come back for the next chappy!