Omi looked up as Nancy hurried into a kitchen that smelt of rich spaghetti sauce, and smiled. "Just in time, Nance. I notice you never made it through here to the basement?"
Nancy started grabbing things to set the table with, freely using her Talent to open cabinets and drawers and juggle place settings. Omi took this placidly, only murmuring a mild "Careful, if you please," when he had to duck the placemats. While she ended up carrying most of the pile in her arms, the water glasses trailed her through the air like a row of obedient ducklings. "No, it was cool, Naoe-sensei's already teaching me stuff! I kinda freaked him out upstairs, though. I am sorry about that, Naoe-sensei!"
"Naoe-san, where would you like to sit? Nancy and I usually take the two end chairs, but you're welcome to one of them if you wish." One of the nominally empty chairs would put Nagi's back to the kitchen, while the other would have him boxed in against the far wall. Nancy usually sat by the stair wall, so Omi assumed Nagi would ask to take his own seat, the one hard by the entranceway. "And Nance. . what did you do?" he asked a bit warily.
"She screamed," Nagi put in calmly. Leaving it at that, he moved around to the chair closest to the kitchen and sat down. It wasn't a good position--he was facing the window and not a wall, but having walked around the house, he felt reasonably certain that there was no one waiting to take a shot through it, at least for the moment.
Frowning a teensy tiny bit at Nagi, Nancy immediately said, somewhat defensively, "More of a screech, really!" Noticing that her father was staring at her, not looking amused, she looked down quickly, and continued setting the table. "Trisk went . . ah, somewhere unexpected. I was surprised!"
Omi rubbed his forehead against his arm, as both hands were full of stirring implements, and laughed. "Well, if you really did 'freak Naoe-sensei out', then I hope you've actually learned your lesson this time, chibi!" Shooting an amused glance at Nagi, he cheerfully confessed, "She did that to me, once. I had her stuffed under the couch in about three seconds. I didn't think she still fit under there, but she made it!"
"Barely," Nancy muttered under her breath. "Yes, Omi-poppa. I learned. Not gonna do that again!"
"She mentioned that, afterwards." Nagi gave Nancy a glance. "Though not about the couch." The smell of the spaghetti was making his stomach sit up and take notice in a major way--and while he wasn't quite so desperate for food as he would have been as a teen, he devoutly hoped it would be done soon.
"What would you like to drink with dinner, Naoe-san? Nancy, you do drinks tonight, please." Omi started draining the pasta, having to work in stages. Prudently, he'd done the simple thing and doubled what he'd normally make. . if it turned out to be too much, well, he doubted a refrigerator full of leftovers would make anyone living here noticably unhappy.
"Juice or milk will be fine." Anything with nutrients. Though if the way this day was going was any indication, he was definitely going to need a stiff drink later on. Or two. Or three.
Nancy solved the problem of being given a choice by bringing Nagi two glasses; a large one of milk, a small one of apple juice. Omi got the same, but she was aiming for a large glass of juice for herself. Omi didn't even turn his head, just very quietly said "Nancy," as he was filling serving platters. Sighing, the little girl poured herself milk instead, compromising by not giving herself a full glass. Apparently this was acceptable, as she made it to her chair without another reprimand.
Omi seated himself after several trips to load the table up with a massive amount of spaghetti, rich home-made sauce that looked to have at least as much meat as tomatoes in, green beans with almonds, bread and butter. Nodding politely to Nagi, Omi said, "We don't stand on ceremony with food, Naoe-san, please help yourself to whatever you'd like." As the bread was in front of him, he began with that.
Nagi inclined his head. "All right." He handled the utensils deftly, taking large portions of the dishes as they were passed by. A watchful eye soon determined that he was not taking more than his fair share, given the sheer amount of food, and he settled in to eat with an air of relief. He wasn't sure if Tsukiyono expected polite dinner conversation from him, but if they ended up playing twenty questions again, he at least wanted to be able to do it without his mouth full.
Silence reigned over the table for the first five minutes or so, as everyone present was largely interested in getting food into their stomachs as quickly as possible. Eventually Omi felt ready to break the silence; deciding to be polite to their guest and permit him to eat uninterrupted for a bit longer. Of course, daughters didn't merit the same consideration...
"Did you leave your homework out for me to look at, Nance?" he asked as she paused to take a drink.
"Yes, Omi-poppa. It's just workbook pages, though." Then the little girl seemed to realize that she might have made a mistake.
Sure enough, an eyebrow was being raised. "An hour of workbook pages on a Friday. What did you do this time, chibi?"
"Ummm. . nothing deliberate this time, or at least I wasn't trying to do what I did. I didn't know that school slang for 'bitch' had changed, I don't pay attention, but witch-sensei didn't believe me!" Nancy was frowning, and stabbing rather viciously at her plate with her fork.
"Ah, I see." He paused to take a drink, watching as she started to relax. "Nice try. Bit too wordy at the beginning, not quite distracting enough at the end. What was your actual plan?"
Nancy's shoulders slumped a bit, and she made a face. "Mou!" But she was smiling a little as she shrugged. "Not much. I just wanted to be a little rude . . I was just interrupting. If witch-sensei didn't stop picking on Mary, she was going to start crying!" Her expression showed what she thought of girls who were silly enough to cry in class.
Nagi watched the conversation, amused by the verbal sparring going on. Point, counter-point, feint to the side--it didn't matter so much that he had no idea what they were actually talking about when the stratagems were so obvious. So Nancy was a self-appointed defender of the weak and helpless? He stifled a snort. It's Weiss: the Next Generation. God help us.
"Mmm-hmmm," was Omi's only response, as he looked amused. "Sounds like you were lucky not to get sent to the office."
"Oh, the principal would have believed that I didn't know the new slang. He told all the teachers they aren't supposed to send people to the office about slang, anyway, because it's all just a way for rowdy kids to get attention." That sounded like a direct quotation. Anticipating her father's next question, she looked up, wide-eyed and innocent. "I was running an errand to the teacher's lounge. I couldn't interrupt the principal!"
Fortunately caught with his glass half-way to his mouth, Omi laughed out loud. "Not quite so wide with the eyes, Nance, but practice that look. You'll find it very useful in a few years."
Couldn't resist training her to follow in his footsteps, could he? Nagi remembered quite well Bombay's apparent genki innocence in his Weiss days. He had to admit, watching another one in training meant for great dinner entertainment.
Unable to resist any further, he sat back and asked, "New slang?"
Nancy looked up from an overlarge mouthful, and nodded to show that she'd heard while trying hard to swallow fast. "It's this 'really cool idea'," and her expression was a blend of exasperation and disgust, "that the 'popular kids' came up with. They give random meanings to a bunch of things you say at school a lot, so if you ask someone if you can borrow their math book, you're really calling their mother a weasel. Or something." She crossed her eyes. "I don't pay much attention, cuz it's stupid."
"Interesting. Elementary school code." Counter-espionage among the preteen set. It was pretty damned funny. Nagi ate another forkful of spaghetti, wondering how long Nancy could hold the expression. "What happened to just passing notes, I wonder?"
Nancy snorted, and uncrossed her eyes. "Notes are for if you want to communicate. Slang is a way to show you're popular, because the meanings get changed almost everyday, so that kids who aren't part of that set are saying the wrong things. Then they get laughed at." Rather loftily she assured both men, "If there was going to be a code, I would make sure it was done much better."
Omi was eating quietly, having for one already heard this rant before. Several times. For another, he was interested in watching Nagi talk to his daughter. For yet another, he was vastly entertained by how much food the two telekinetics were managing to inhale while talking steadily. However, he did grin at her last statement.
"Oh? How so?" Nagi gave her a challenging look.
Omi's eyes crinkled in amusement, and he settled back in his chair, taking a long drink of milk to smother the urge to laugh. The next three months are going to be so much fun!
Sitting up a little straighter in her chair, and temporarily resting her fork on her plate, Nancy immediately responded with, "Well, for starters, I wouldn't tell everyone and their dog that I had a 'so cool secret code'!" Briefly, she crossed her eyes again. "And I wouldn't waste time assigning meanings to specific words, because it's hard memorizing long lists that change all the time. And a code's no good if it's static for too long, but you can't write anything down in class and expect it to be private. Half the kids go through all the desks every day." She didn't bother explaining how she knew that.
A little slower, she said thoughtfully, "I'd probably use a text book, one for months starting with vowels, and another for the rest. The way the slang uses common words isn't bad. . . a word that meant 'page number', and one that meant 'word', 'line', and 'sentence'. Then you could talk about anything that had a lot of numbers, like phone numbers or math assignments, and do short specific messages word for word, or general messages by swiping sentences that mostly mean what you want to say." She paused to take a bite, frowning.
"Problem is, I can only think of three other kids in my class who could really handle that. Something I'd actually use would need to be easier."
"Not bad," Nagi said. It was unexpectedly innovative--at least for a nine year old. "But textbooks don't always stay the same. And what do you do if you can't count on always being able to get to them to look things up?"
"Well, textbooks do tend to stay the same here, as the district hasn't had the money to buy new ones in over seven years," Omi said dryly, unexpectedly joining the conversation. "But Naoe-san does have valid points, Nance. Also, anyone using this code would have to write a lot of numbers down, because most people's memories are much better at keeping words. Wouldn't that be as suspicious as word lists?"
Nancy was frowning and looking intent. "Yeah. Besides, if a bunch of kids are talking about their math homework all the time, and actually reading the textbooks, that's really suspicious too." She took another mouthful of spaghetti, clearly thinking.
After muttering something under his breath about foreign school systems, Omi stood to get more milk. Raising an eyebrow, he gestured at Nagi's glasses, silently asking if he wanted more as well, since Nancy was now muttering to herself.
Nagi shook his head at the silent offer. "While I doubt the average teacher would look too closely at a student actually doing their work--or seeming to--you're right. It would be obvious." He slanted a look at Tsukiyono. "That is, if American students are not in the habit of reading their textbooks?"
Refrigerator doors do not require that much effort to close; Omi had to shut it again. "I have a great many negative opinions about the American school system, Naoe-san. I am restraining myself from offering them all at great length. Please do not encourage me."
Nancy used her Talent to tug at Nagi's sleeve, shaking her head urgently when he glanced at her. Omi, catching the tail end of the exchange, had to laugh. "Suffice for now to say that it is much more common for American students not to do so. Nancy, you've been muttering, why not provide a distraction?"
Even though the girl didn't like answering a question before she was sure of herself, she was more than happy to cut off The Rant. "Well, the main problem is keeping the existence of the code a secret. I don't think that part is really practical, not without technical assistance," she said, sounding the big words out carefully. "So if kids know there is a secret, they're going to want to figure it out." Making a small face, she finished her milk.
"So I don't think I'd want to use a code. Because unless I do something clunky like my first idea, there would have to be word lists written down somewhere. ."
"Codebooks, you mean?" Omi interjected quietly.
"Right, codebooks," Nancy nodded, seeming pleased to have a new vocabulary word. "Those would get stolen. So that leaves ciphers."
Hit a nerve, did I? Amused, Nagi let only the barest hint of it show. "You would need a cipher that kids could figure out, but that the teachers couldn't. Not on their own, at least," he pointed out. Truth be told, he had no clue what kind of insider language had evolved in an American public school--or a Japanese one, for that matter. Being a prodigy had its drawbacks. Nancy, on the other hand...he waited to see what she'd come up with.
Nancy grinned, more than a bit slyly. "That's easy. Almost every kid has a nickname for at least one teacher, that we never let them hear! So any kid who was in on the plan would chose their favorite nickname. We all write different, so we wouldn't even have to sign our names. Start the cipher with the nickname, and you've got lots of different ciphers. Everyone in the know would be able to read any of them, but someone snooping, trying to figure it out using messages from different kids? It wouldn't make any sense at all!" By the end she sounded gleeful, and looked very pleased with herself.
Omi settled himself at the table again, smiling a bit wryly. Maybe I can renegotiate that relocation clause in three months, he thought, more than half-serious.
Once Nancy had finished her explanation, he raised an eyebrow, silently impressed. But this wasn't really his conversation, so he kept quiet and let Nagi play devil's advocate again, if he wished to.
Idly nibbling on a last piece of bread, Nagi nodded approvingly. "That's not a bad idea. Especially if you just thought of it now?" Wonder how long it takes her before she actually tries it? He would be willing to bet it wouldn't be long at all.
"Weeeellll, I've read about ciphers before, and so I knew about using keys like that," Nancy admitted reluctantly, clearly not wanting to lose her new sensei's approval. She looked a little brighter as she finished, "But I did just think of using the nicknames, and then what using the different nicknames would mean!"
Omi looked from one telekinetic to the other, and decided that they had both apparently finished with dinner. He had stopped eating a while ago, but then he didn't have any esper abilities boosting his metabolism! Rising, he smiled at Nancy. "That was a clever twist. And you also realized the risks of 'practical cryptology' very quickly! Help me clean up while you plot about who will be in on your new scheme, please."
"Yes, Omi-poppa," the little girl said, rising obediently and grabbing the leftover sauce, then 'grabbing' the leftover pasta as well. "What's 'practical cryptology'?"
"I'll tell you while we're doing dishes," Omi promised. "Naoe-san, I haven't asked yet. . what plans had you made for your time in the city? You're welcome to stay here tonight, if you don't have other arrangements made that you would prefer."
Inclining his head politely, Nagi replied, "Thank you for the invitation, but if I'm going to stay here for the next few months, I really need to take care of some affairs first. I have arranged for a hotel room for a couple of nights--I'll use that, so as not to put you out." Or make certain little girls wonder about my irregular comings and goings...
Thankfully, his house wouldn't need any particular care over the next few months. Never knowing when he might come back to a place meant he habitually prepared it on the off chance he wouldn't. But certain papers would need to be acquired, false trails laid...even the more mundane activities, like getting his 'work' laptop out of the safe deposit box he'd left it in, all were things that needed to be done away from any prying eyes.
Omi just nodded, not at all surprised. "As you will, Naoe-san. When would you find it convenient to meet and discuss the details? My time is at your disposal, this weekend." Reaching out, he deftly caught the plate Nancy had been 'lifting', and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm very glad to see you using your Talent again, to help you with tasks like this," he said quietly, smiling at down at her. "But it's been a while since you did, so be careful about overexertion, and do the breakables by hand until you get some sleep, all right?"
Nancy looked both sheepish and mulish. She agreed meekly enough, but promptly switched to 'lifting' things like the flatware and the placemats. With a slight shrug, Omi let her, knowing that she'd only burn more energy arguing with him. She was light enough to carry upstairs if she wore herself out.
Having been watching the plate wobble himself, Nagi was just as happy not to have to intervene. He may have agreed to be Nancy's teacher, but he wouldn't be her crutch...and some mistakes she would have to learn from by herself.
"I'm afraid I haven't spent much time in San Francisco, except for brief business trips." He raised an eyebrow at Tsukiyono, his meaning clear. "I should be free by Sunday sometime. Is there any place you would prefer, or should I just come here again?"
Omi smiled, appearing briefly amused. Well, he is good at subtlety, I'll give him that. "Sunday would be fine. If you don't mind travelling out here again, we could also discuss any changes to your suite or to the available training areas that you'd like to make." Looking down at his daughter, he ruffled her hair and said, "I need a brief word with Naoe-san in private, Nance. I'll be back to help with the work, I promise."
"Yup, you will," she said cheerfully, "or I'll just leave half of them and go read!"
Laughing, Omi crossed over to the entry way. "If I could ask you to join me in the den briefly, Naoe-san?"
"Of course." Pushing back his chair, Nagi let Tsukiyono lead the way. Once there, he put his hands in his pockets, giving the other man a direct look. "What in particular did you want to discuss?"
Omi jerked his chin towards the entryway. "I've been letting her work herself to exhaustion when she gets stubborn like that," he answered, just as bluntly, "because she has to learn her own limits. But is there any reason why I shouldn't? I haven't seen any signs that she does, but can she hurt herself by overusing her Talent?"
"She can...but not in the normal run of things. Not if she's healthy, at least." Nagi's eyes narrowed at the sudden thought. "I'm assuming she's gone through a comprehensive physical exam?"
Shoulders releasing the slight bit of tension they'd been carrying, Omi nodded. "Oh yes. Pediatrician and my personal physician. Aside from the minor issue of them not being quite sure why she doesn't gain more weight," and that definitely amused him, "she is perfectly healthy. It's fairly obvious to me that she's fine in that regard; she didn't even bring home a cold from school this winter."
"Then no, normally the worst she can do is push herself until she collapses. Though you will have to watch out for malnutrition--her metabolism won't be forgiving, especially if she falls into the typical teenager habits of dieting and such." Nagi glanced toward the kitchen, his face carefully blank. "I hope you can realize that all that can change if she's overwrought, drugged, or under a great deal of stress, though. If, for instance, she thought you were in danger, and tried to push her power too far to save you--" He shrugged. "Then a stroke or a heart attack is likely, at the very least."
"Well, that would be one of the reasons you're here, Naoe-san," Omi said, expression grave once more. "I assume such things will be covered in the "not killing herself" part of the curriculum?" There are many, many reasons I haven't tried very hard to remove much of Nancy's innocence, while teaching her how to protect herself, Nagi. That would be just one of them. If I have my way, she won't understand how much danger I tend to put myself in until she knows how not to do that! He knew that none of his thoughts would be visible on his face. Just because he had been relatively open around the man so far, didn't mean he didn't have the skills necessary for his job.
Nagi shook his head. "Then we have a problem, Tsukiyono-san. Because that's something I can't teach her." His face was somber as he continued, "I can teach her what pushing her limits feels like, and the self-discipline and control necessary not to overreach herself or accidentally harm herself with her telekinesis. But I can't strip away her normal fears or emotions. You'd need a telepath for that."
Turning away, Nagi stepped towards the window, looking out. "If she becomes afraid for her life, or is pushed to her limit by adrenaline, or emotion, or...something else--well, she's still human. And sometimes humans make decisions that prove to be...destructive." His eyes were very dark.
"That is. . very true, Naoe-san," Omi said quietly, looking out of his own window. He was quiet for a brief while; he knew at least one of the ghosts Naoe was seeing right now, and more than one of his own had been roused.
"I believe this discussion will need to be a mutual lesson, then. You are the best person to explain the stresses that telekinesis can put on the body, and what is likely to trigger it. I'll cover the emotional fall-out. Just let me know when you think the proper time for it comes along."
Wincing internally, Nagi couldn't help but hope that such a time was a long way off. "As you like." After a couple moments of silence, he continued. "Was there anything else you wanted to ask?"
Omi laughed, harshly, as much a heavy exhalation as humor. "Oh, half a million things. But no, there's nothing else of immediate and pressing relevance at the moment." Smiling slightly, he added, "Besides, if I don't actually get back to do my share of the dishes, I'm going to have a rather aggravated little girl after my head."
"Ah. Perhaps I should make my escape now, then." Nagi bowed slightly, a polite bow between equals. "Thank you for the dinner. It was quite good, especially given how little time you had to work."
Returning Nagi's bow, Omi smiled. "Thank you, Naoe-san. . but that would be what industrial freezers and bread machines are for." One thing he was looking forward to was having another food-appreciative person around. Taking the few steps to the door, he tested Nagi's coat. "Mostly dry," he said, holding it out. "I do apologize again, for the misunderstandings at the zoo."
Taking his coat, Nagi shrugged it on. Thankfully the material was relatively heavy, and therefore wrinkle-proof. "It was to be expected, I think. Considering all the possible ways things could have gone wrong, that was relatively harmless."
Toeing on his shoes, he tightened the laces before straightening. "Thank you for your hospitality, Tsukiyono-san. I'm sure I will see you on Sunday." With a last brief bow, he turned to leave.
Omi unlocked and opened the door for Nagi, and bowed in return. "If you could call, to let me know approximately when to expect you, I would appreciate it." His eyes dared the other man to protest that he didn't have the unlisted number.
Testing me, Tsukiyono? "Of course," Nagi replied mildly. "Shitsurei shimasu...I'll be in touch."
As he headed out to where his car was parked, he gave the house one last glance over his shoulder. He still wasn't sure what he'd gotten himself into--but at least it didn't look like he'd be bored.