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Chapter Sixteen: All Girls’ Night:

Meixiang needed to stay in hiding. The boys drafted Anna to protect her. She didn't bother objecting.

"It's better this way," Tsuzuki reasoned. "She trusts you best." His fiancée didn't respond. She just took the siren in without question.

"I'll have to talk with Rihoko," Anna told him. That evening, she took Meixiang back to Kimoto Manor. Jules greeted them at the door. Anna blinked at her.

"Jules? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Seita invited me over," the former hooker said while chewing gum.

"Okay…" the woman said. I'm going to have a talk with Seita about this later. That would be on hold at the moment. Jules looked over at Meixiang.

"And who the hell is this?" she asked.

"This is my friend, Meixiang," Anna replied. "She's staying with us for a couple days."

"Whatever," Jules mumbled. She headed back to Seita's room.

"And good evening to you too," Anna mumbled. "Rude much?" She turned back to Meixiang. "She's a friend of one of the lodgers here," the woman explained.

"Ah," the siren said with a nod.

"Come in," Anna said. Both women went into the house.

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Rihoko sat in the living room doing her homework when she heard the door close. She looked up at Anna with Meixiang.

"Hey Anna," she said. "Who's your friend? Another ghost?" A sweat formed on Anna’s head. Again with the ghost thing?

"No," she said. "This is Meixiang. She'll be staying with us for a couple of days." The siren gave her a little wave.

"Hi," she mumbled.

"Cool," Rihoko said.

"Yoko-chan make dinner?" Anna asked.

"In the kitchen."

"Thanks." Anna turned to Meixiang.

"Let's go," she said. Both headed into the kitchen. Rihoko went back to her homework. Anna got Meixiang settled in just fine. The siren took the room next to Yoko-chan's.

"Big house," Meixiang commented.

"Yeah," Anna said. "It was a gift to Papa."

"A gift?"

"Yeah, we used to live with a former priest since I was a baby. The summer I finished grade school, Papa decided to move out. Our neighbor couldn't bear that. So, he bought this house for us.” Anna chuckled to herself, shaking her head. “Papa didn't want it at first. ‘Please, you've done enough for us, Kato-san,' I heard him say over the phone. 'Just let me fall on my own for once.' In the end, Papa reluctantly accepted the house."

"Where did you move from?"

"Kobe."

"Why did you move?"

Anna shrugged. "Dunno. Papa never told me."

"Maybe it was a good reason," Meixiang suggested.

"Maybe…" the other woman said. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Who's that?" Meixiang asked.

"Dunno," Anna said. "Wait here." She climbed off the futon and went down the hall.

"Who's there?" she asked at the door.

"Only me," she heard a woman trying to sound like a man say.

"Emiko?" she asked as she opened the door. The butch demon stood with her girlfriend and Kazue.

"Sup?" she asked. A puzzled look came over Anna's face.

"Emiko? Hotaru? Kazue?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Tsuzuki asked us over here," Hotaru replied.

"What?" Anna asked.

"Your boyfriend called and asked us to come over here," Kazue repeated.

"Yeah, I got that," Anna said. "But why?"

"Said you could use the back-up," Emiko answered. The demons went inside while Anna blinked rather confused.

"Okay…" she mumbled. The woman followed behind.

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"So, where's the siren?" Emiko asked, looking from room to room. Anna tried to catch up with her.

"Emiko, she's been through so much!" she yelled. "Leave her alone tonight!" The butch demon didn't listen. She came right to the guest room. Meixiang looked up when she heard footsteps. Emiko smirked at her.

"Hey cutie," she said. The siren gave her a puzzled look.

"Who are you?" she asked. The butch demon chuckled.

"The back-up," she said. "We're all here if you need anything. Chao!" She turned to leave as Meixiang tilted her head, blinking.

"Okay…" she mumbled. The other girls waited in the living room. Hotaru perked up from the couch.

"Well?" she asked.

"She's cute," Emiko answered with a grin.

"How cute?"

"Ninja girl cute."

Hotaru smiled with stars in her eyes. "Really?"

"Oh yeah!" her girlfriend said.

"Can I see her?" the loli demon asked.

"Ask Anna-tan," Emiko replied. The tsukai looked up bewildered.

"What? Why me?" she asked.

"She's under your care, isn't she?" Emiko asked.

"Well, yeah…" Anna mumbled. Hotaru turned to her.

"Please?" she pleaded. All eyes fell upon Anna as the woman lowered her head.

"Fine, but make it quick," she said. Hotaru squealed aloud as she leapt to her feet.

"Yay!" she cheered before skipping down the hall. Emiko followed behind, shaking her head and smiling. Anna breathed out heavily.

"Oh boy," she mumbled before the doorbell rang again. Anna lifted her head to the sound. /Who is that?/ She rose to her feet and went to the door.

"Who's there?" she asked.

"Who do you think?" a voice croaked. Anna raised an eyebrow as she opened the door.

"Lucy?" she asked. The woman looked up when someone cleared their throat at her.

"And Stella!" Anna exclaimed. "What the devil?"

"That shinigami guy sent us here," Stella said. The tsukai blinked at her.

"Why?" she asked. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Tsuzuki insisted on us being back-up. Now are you going to let us in or not?" she said. Anna puffed up her cheeks.

"Fine," she muttered. The woman moved aside to let the party girls in. /I'm having a nice long talk with Asato-kun in the morning./