"Memories of the previous hour danced across her memory like a flurry of snowflakes in a snowstorm. Images of a white and azure colored clinic and a doctor smiling assuredly while she delivered hopeful and terrifying news to her.
Pregnant? Her? She...
Ruggie groaned loudly, "And what's worse? Not a single Diasomnia student ended up here."
Yuu looked at the two, deadpan. "Ruggie." She said in warning.
Rather than flinching, he simply sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Ace cut in with a remark that was enough to annoy the Savanaclaw boys in the infirmary. "I'd heard the rumors, but man, seeing Diasomnia's housewarden in action... That dude does NOT mess around."
Yuu raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
"Yeah, he was incredible. You wouldn't have believed it, Yuu!" Deuce smiled excitedly, his eyes sparkling as he recalled whatever had happened in the events after she'd been knocked out.
"Now I get why everyone thinks he's invincible. I can't even imagine taking him down." Ace sighed.
Yuu looked at the ginger curiously as Jack scoffed beside her.
"With that attitude, you never will. You've let him beat you before you even face him." The wolf said. "I haven't, though. Next year, I'm taking Diasomnia down. And I'll win by givin' it everything I got."
"Does 'everything' happen to include your capacity for evil?" Leona deadpanned, massaging his muscles.
"Have you seriously learned nothing from all this?" Yuu asked incredulously.
Leona snorted at her, rolling his eyes. "I didn't realize we were in an after-school special here."
Yuu's jaw dropped and she threw a pillow at him, which he effortlessly caught.
"Thanks, I was thinkin' I could use another pillow."
"You sonuva-"
Leona smirked. "Relax, herbivore. I'm givin' next year's tournament all I got, too. And I am gonna do whatever it takes to win."
Yuu relaxed.
Ruggie laughed. "There's the Leona I remember."
Jack grumbled under his breath, leaning slightly into the side of Yuu's bed."I can already tell this isn't gonna end well..."
"Next year, I wanna be in the tournament for real!" Grim mewled, from Yuu's lap, having burrowed himself into the blankets and nuzzled against her stomach. How he'd gotten there without her knowledge, Yuu would never know.
Yuu pet the cat monster gently with a soft smile on her lips.
"We need to practice so we can make the cut too!" Deuce agreed, pumping his fist in the air.
"Yeah, no kidding." Ace smirked. "No way do I wanna embarrass myself in Grim's kiddie league again."
"Hey!" From Yuu's lap Grim dug himself out of the blankets, a pout of annoyance on his face. "Whaddya mean 'kiddie league'?!"
Yuu chuckled and was just about to gently tease her cat when the door to the infirmary slammed open, making her flinch.
"Unca! There you are! I finally found you!"
"What's a kid doin' here?" Grim mewled, confused.
A child? Yuu looked to the door, just in time to see a little blur of orange speed into the room directly at Leona.
"Unca Leona!" The little child chirped, his tail swaying excitedly. He jumped onto the bed, tugging at Leona's ears and jumping around. All the characteristics of a hyperactive child.
Leona, however, looked visibly annoyed, "Bah. The screech box found me." He grumbled, his fangs slightly bared in annoyance but without any real malice behind his act.
Jack moved away from Yuu, his ears tilted in surprise. "'Unca' Leona...?"
"That furball's my brother's son, Cheka. You know...my nephew. Ack-" Leona's head pulled back as Cheka's hands tugged his hair as he continued climbing the older Lion.
Yuu couldn't resist smiling at the scene, as the boys spluttered in shock, unable to process Leona's nephew.
"So this is who's next in line for the throne...?" Ruggie stated, mystified.
"I saw you play, Unca! You were so cool! Next time I visit, teach me how to play!" The small child cried directly into Leona's ear.
Leona's hand flew up to his ears and he grumbled at his nephew. "Fine, fine. Just stop screamin' in my ear." He lightly pushed Cheka into a sitting position to at least try to keep the kid in place.
"Where're all your attendants? They gotta be tearin' their hair out lookin' for you!"
"I couldn't wait to see you, Unca, so I left them all behind!" Cheka giggled cutely, making Leona sigh.
Jack cleared his throat, "So...the source of all Leona's anguish..."
"Is this innocent angel?" Yuu could not bring herself to continue speaking as she bit back a laugh. Leona looked physically uncomfortable.
"The kid sure seems to love everything about him..." Grim stated awkwardly. "Is my mini henchman gonna be like this?"
Yuu shrugs. "Probably? That's up to the baby. Then again... I was a hyper child as well."
Shut up, all of you!" Leona hissed as Cheka grabbed his ear, climbing all over the bed. "And stop gawkin' at us!"
Yuu laughed at Leona. "Nope. I quite like this scene. I want to burn it into my memory."
Leona rolled his eyes, trying to keep the lion cub under control as the excitable child started jumping excitedly. "So when are you coming home to see us, Unca? Next week? And when's the next time after that? Did you read all the letters I sent you?"
"Look, I told you, I'll be back for the holidays–" Leona began before yelping loudly as Cheka jumped onto Leona's stomach, full weight, knees first.
Yuu winced empathetically, mouthing an "Ooooooh." As we watched Leona temporarily gasp for air.
"That hurts! Get offa my stomach!" Leona growled, picking Cheka up and placing him on the floor.
"He's riding Housewarden Leona like a horse...?!" Jack mutters in disbelief, making Ruggie finally burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Oh man... This is priceless! So THIS is why you never want to go home to visit your family!" He cackled, receiving a glare from the lion.
Cheka turned to the group surrounding Yuu and walked up. "Are you all Unca Leona's friends?"
Ace took this as an opportunity to "Yeah, sure we are! We're your Unca's besties! Ain't that right, 'Unca Leona'?"
"U-Unca Leona...!" Ruggie laughed, gasping for air and wincing, clutching his stomach. "Argh, it hurts so much when I laugh..."
"Go ahead, laugh it up. I'm gonna remember this!" Leona threw a pillow at Ruggie, making the Hyena laugh more, wincing as he did so.
As Yuu watched the scene, not noticing Grim scramble away with his paws holding a black stone. Yuu chuckled as she took a note at her bedside, a note much unlike Crowley's:
Ups! Tento obrázek porušuje naše pokyny k obsahu. Před publikováním ho, prosím, buď odstraň, nebo nahraď jiným.
Yuu rolled her eyes as she noticed the basket of red apples on the floor as she gently placed the note in the basket. Knowing Rook's terrifyingly impressive abilities, she smiled, looking forward to meeting her eccentric friend. For now, she decided to watch the chaos of Leona interacting with his nephew.
