Chapter Text
Mikhael Cronin the ersatz Canadian was a very dignified man. He was not dignified in the sense that he had any approximation of dignity, but in the sense that he had a good poker face and many military accolades. From the start of his career at age thirteen, to his stint in the Royal Bodyguards of Ariestera, to Meeden's Border Defense Organization, none had matched his prowess with both blade and quill. He had upset armies, fought alongside the likes of the Lady of the Astral Clocktower in her prime, and once wrestled to death a fully-grown moose, on the first and only vist to his supposed home country. Which was why an opponent who could befuddle him was such a threat- when you confuse someone with that much combat experience, it was a talent.
Kirie Konami and her clique did it on a regular basis.
Today's particular befuddlement found them in the middle of the woods.
There was a large hole in the ground. Around the hole lingered the shorter Neighbor and his captain, Kirie, and Jin. Above the hole lurked a spectre.
The spectre blinked.
The spectre spoke.
The spectre yelled, "I SAID YOUNG MAN!".
It was pointing at Yuma, who was coming as close to openly gawking as Mikhael had ever seen him in the two months he'd known the boy. Incidentally, this was a somewhat sad expression.
It (he?) opened his mouth again. "PICK YOURSELF OFF THE GROUND!"
Kirie grinned.
"He's not on the ground, Dad.", she said.
"Wait, what?" asked Mikhael, who was fairly certain two of her dads were dead and one was so concerned with public appearences he might as well be when it came to his family. Also, she'd called the two he'd met "Papa" and "Abba", which meant.....
..... Holy shit.
That was Yugo Kuga?
The same one he'd heard had plunged into the very bowels of hell to fight the devil and walked away victorious and with a magic fiddle made of solid gold to prove it?
"Tecnically", the spirit said, ignoring him, in a sepulchural voice that gave the impression of his being a professor idly lecturing a crowd of college students because he couldn't find a TA and being botter about every second of it, "you are all on the ground."
"Yes, but we've all got only the necessary area of body touching the ground, and that line implies you sitting or laying on the ground! ADMIT IT, DAD! YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT THE YMCA SONG!" she screamed triumhantly.
"I AM NOT WRONG ABOUT YMCA! YUMA BACK ME UP!"
"Sorry, dad, she's right."
"HA, ABBA TOLD YOU SO TOO! I WAS THERE, DAD! I SAW IT!"
"...the Wikipedia article backs up the point she's making, actually." popped in the captain, immediately deciding to never, ever let him see Hamilton. Mikhael knew this because the kid had texted him that sentence verbatim.