Enid was wearing her school uniform when she sat down across from Boss Nobuyuki at his large seaside house. He was sitting shirtless his tattoos on full display. He was talking on the phone. Enid wasn’t paying his conversation much mind. It was sunny December day; The temperature was way above average. Meaning that it was in the mid-thirties. Enid looked out at the sea she had never been any place where it was above zero in December. She wasn’t sure she liked it or not. The waves crashing against the shore had a calming effect on her nerves. Exams had been a torturous experience. She had been tempted to skip some school to fly to Canada to meet up with Eyre to spend the holidays together, but her daughter wouldn’t hear of it. And was flying into Okinawa today. Enid had come to ask Boss Nobuyuki for a ride to the airport unfortunately there was some crisis and he was in the midst of it. Enid stood up and walked to the sea wall looking out over the South China Sea. She had her sunglasses on. She still hadn’t managed to get used to the sunshine quite yet. And there was lots of it here. She heard Boss Nobuyuki’s voice behind her. She spun around.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting little Raijin. How can I help the daughter of the Yakuza today?”

“My sister is flying in from Canada and arriving in a few hours, I was hoping I could get a ride to the airport to pick her up.”

“I’ll send Edo with you.”

He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“Edo, I need you here with a car, Raijin needs a ride to the airport to pick up her sister.”

He hung the phone up. And looked back to Enid.

“He’ll be here in an hour. Have a seat. Do you want a drink? Food?”

Boss Nobuyuki picked up his lighter and lit a cigarette. Puffing on it.

“Sure.”

Boss Nobuyuki smiled and poured two cups of sake. Then called to his servant to fetch them something to eat.

“To family!”

Enid nodded and toasted with him, downing the sake. During the day it sure had kick, not that she minded. She enjoyed the feeling of being able to get drunk. She sat in her original seat across from him. She noticed he had a new tattoo of a red-haired girl with lightning in her palm. He saw her looking at it. He tapped it.

“In honor of you daughter.”

Enid nodded and smiled.

“You want some tattoos? You can get some.”

Enid laughed.

“No, Boss Nobuyuki, I’m afraid even if I did the ink would just vanish. My body can’t be changed. Well without sacrifice. Whether I like it or not.”

He leaned forward after taking a drag from his cigarette.

“Part of your powers?”

“When my father granted me his power, it came with certain drawbacks, one is I need to drink my special diet, the other is my body never changes. If I cut my hair, it grows back, if I dye it, it goes back to red. Certain things can scar me, but those are very few.”

She lifted up her blouse showing the scars from the demon’s claws were still red and angry looking, but they were beginning to fade. His eyes went wide.

“What did that?”

“A twenty-foot-tall demon with flaming wings. Talons as big as me”

“And you beat it?”

“Not alone, my sister helped.”

“You are both demon hunters?”

Enid laughed.

“No, she was just there, and I needed the help. Truth be told she did most of the heavy lifting I just finished it off.”

“And she is coming to spend Christmas with you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any plans?”

“Well yes, we’re going to roast a turkey, make mashed potatoes, and probably watch a few movies. We haven’t spent Christmas together since she was a girl. It will be nice. You’re welcome to join us for dinner.”

“Why not cook it here, we can spend it together. My wife and children would love to have you both over. We were going to just get KFC, like we usually do, how did you get a turkey?”

Enid laughed.

“My sister paid to have one air-shipped here in a special plane.”

“She is that wealthy?”

“We both are to be honest. Hers is just more fluid than mine.”

“So, you truly don’t need to live where you do, you just choose too?”

“Yes, it’s close to the school and to Junpei’s dojo, and to your place of business. It is perfect. No one bothers me, and I can go about my business with less eyes on me.”

“I thought you were just too proud to ask for help.”

“I am that too.”

He laughed.

Two rice and chicken bowls arrived with a fresh bottle of sake. Boss Nobuyuki put out his cigarette poured two more cups of sake and the pair began to eat in silence. Enid took pleasure in every bite. In sunlight, food tasted like it should and not cardboard.

“This is delicious.”

He laughed and slapped his belly.

“Now you know why I’m fat.”

Enid laughed. And took another bite with her chopsticks. The two chatted for the rest of the hour. Edo finally interrupted them when he arrived. Enid bowed to Boss Nobuyuki.

“We will be here early on Christmas day with the turkey. It takes a long time to prepare one correctly.”

“Do we need to have anything ready?”

“Some dinner rolls, and whatever you think would be good for dessert.”

“We will have those ready. Enjoy the time with your sister. I am honored you will share your holiday with us.”

Enid bowed and followed Edo to the car. It was the same black one she’d first gotten a ride from him in. He’d stopped and gotten it washed and polished. He opened the back door for her, and she sat down. She pushed her sunglasses up on her hair. The car was dark inside due to the heavy tint of the windows she sat in the bench seat closed to the front on her knees and leaned forward to chat with Edo while he drove.

“Thank you, Edo, I really appreciate you giving us a ride.”

“I like helping you Raijin.”

“I know how to drive, I just can’t apparently fifteen is too young.”

Edo laughed.

“I’m a better driver then my sister actually. Last time I was with her she nearly got us killed. She had a Ferrari and was speeding, and the roads were icy.”

“She sounds like she has no fear either.”

“She could use a little more if you ask me. How have you been doing? Did you ask Sakiko out? Did she say yes?”

Edo blushed a bit.

“I did and she did. We went on our first date on Friday. It was great.”

“See I told you she’d say yes and that you’d have fun.”

Enid punched his shoulder.

“You did Raijin.”

Enid plopped back down on her butt, fixing her skirt and dug through her pack. She pulled out a wrapped gift. And put reached over the seat and put it on the seat beside Edo.

“Merry Christmas Edo.”

He blushed again glancing over his shoulder at Enid.

“You didn’t need to do that Raijin.”

“I didn’t, but I did anyway, you’re my friend.”

Enid touched his shoulder then sat back down and pulled out her one of her textbooks, she sighed.

“I need to get some reading done for school.”

“I’ll let you know when we’re close Raijin.”

Edo turned down the radio and drove in silence letting Enid study. The car slowed and Edo glanced back.

“Pulling into the airport now Raijin.”

“Thank you, Edo.”

Enid slammed her book shut and put it in her pack. The car came to a stop and Edo came around and opened Enid’s door for her. She grabbed her pack and strung it over her shoulder.

“Thank you, Edo.”

She pulled the pack’s strap her over shoulder and started walking towards the airport then paused when she realized he wasn’t with her.

“You coming?”

Edo had started leaning against the car and pushed off and rushed to catch up.

“Are you sure you want to be seen here with a Yakuza?”

“Fuck them if they don’t like it.”

Police eyed Edo suspiciously he put his hands in his pocket and walked beside Enid not making eye contact. Enid opened the door to let Edo in before her. He looked a bit out of sorts by her actions but then went through. She went to the gate her sister would be getting off at. Her plane had already landed and was still being off-boarded. Her lips parted into an open smile as soon as she laid eyes on her daughter. The pair ran towards each other and hugged tightly.

“Twice in one-year mother, it’s a miracle.”

Enid hooked her arm in Eyre’s and pulled her close.

“I’m here with Edo, he’s Yakuza, and my friend, they think you’re my sister.”

“Mafia?”

“Well yes they are a criminal organization, but trust me, its better to be on their good side. We’re having dinner with a Yakuza boss named Nobuyuki, and his family. They have an oven.”

“Are you sure it’s safe?”

“No, but what is safe these days?”

Enid laughed.

“You’ve changed mother. I like it.”

“What’s your name now?”

“My ID says Jane but let’s just go with Eyre. Is yours the same as the ID I had made for you?”

“Yes, and I’m going to get you back for that, fifteen? You’re a pain in my ass.”

“Hey, I did you a favor if you’d tried to go to university with your education, you would have been decimated.”

“I will be honest with you, you are right, I’m struggling with high school.”

“Ya, well it’s Japanese high school I doubt Amara would complain though.”

“No, I doubt she wouldn’t as well.”

Eyre scooped up her bag which was quite heavy looking. But it had wheels and she extended the handle and started rolling it behind them. They approached Edo who had taken a seat near the exit and was reading a magazine. He was looking down when he saw Eyre’s heeled shoes and he followed her legs up, up and up. She was just over six foot tall with even the short heels she had on.

“Edo, this is my sister Eyre. Eyre, this is Edo, he is a dear friend, and also our ride.”

Edo bowed to Eyre.

“Pleasure to meet you. We are honored to have you.”

Eyre smiled.

“Pleasure to meet you too.”

Edo led the pair to the car and put Eyre’s luggage in the trunk after opening the door for the pair. He pulled away from the curb and began to drive towards Enid’s apartment building. Eyre had the window down and was staring at the scenery.

“I have never been to Japan!”

“Well technically this is Okinawa, but yes, it’s beautiful on the South China Sea.”

“And it’s so warm!”

“It definitely isn’t the highlands in winter.”

“Is it always like this?”

“It’s warmer in the summer.”

Edo glanced at his rearview mirror and smiled as he watched Eyre looking at the scenery like an eager child.

“Okinawa is a beautiful place. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

“Yes, I’m glad you like it Eyre, maybe you’ll come and visit more often.”

“I probably will, sounds like you’re going to be a here a while.”

“Raijin do you need me to stop anywhere before you go home?”

“Yes, take us to Nakamura’s for Bento boxes.”

“Heading there now.”

Eyre looked at Edo then back to Enid.

“Why did he call you Raijin?”

“It’s a long story.”

Edo glanced back and started to speak while paying attention to the road.

“She called down lightning to kill a Furutsubaki-no-rei, then turned into lightning and struck it down when it tried to escape when she killed the swarm of rats it was possessing!”

Eyre’s eyes went wide. Giving Enid a ‘you did what look’ ‘are you fucking nuts?’ But all she said was.

“Oh.”

Enid dropped to Atlantean.

“I’m empress I make the laws up now. Besides they think I’m a demon hunter.”

Eyre shook her head in disbelief at her mother. Enid went back to English.

“After Edmonton, it’s not a lie.”

“You are incorrigible.”

“You’re the one who convinced me to go out and live life.”

Edo stopped in front of a small restaurant and ran in, and back out with three bento boxes. He handed two to Enid.

“Thank you, Edo. Was you know who working?”

“No, she wasn’t.”

He looked disappointed.

“You can’t say I didn’t try.”

Edo nodded and put the car in gear and a few minutes later he had the ladies at the apartment. Enid patted Edo on the shoulder.

“Can you pick us up at eight in the morning on Christmas day?”

“Sure can. Have fun.”

Enid slung her pack of her shoulder and Eyre pulled her luggage after her. Once inside she lifted it easily and the pair went up the stairs to Enid’s apartment. Eyre did not look impressed by the building or the apartment’s interior.

“Mom if you were this hard up for money you should have asked for some.”

Enid hit Eyre’s shoulder.

“I’m not broke. I just like the place, come here, go on the Balcony, look at the view.”

Eyre pulled the curtains open and slide the door open and looked out over the South China Sea.

“Oh, okay I can see that.”

“Besides its close to the dojo, and my school.”

The balcony had a small table and chairs on it and Enid sat in a chair put her feet up on her railing and opened her bento box and inhaled. She pulled out a pair of chopsticks and began to eat. Eyre tried to do the same and kept fumbling. Enid laughed and put her box down and showed Eyre how to use them.

“Who thought up such a terrible utensil what is wrong with forks?”

“I have some, but with these bento’s it’s easier to just use chopsticks.”

“Once you get used them, they are remarkably adaptable. Just practice you’ll get it.”

Enid kept chuckling as Eyre struggled to master the chopstick after a few minutes she got the hang of it and started stuff mouth in her mouth at a furious pace.

“This is delicious. I’ve never had anything like it.”

“I know, if I was human, I’d be three hundred pounds by now.”

“Do you have anything to drink with it?”

Enid looked up at the still shining sun and smiled.

“Sake.”

“What is sake?”

“You’ll see.”

Enid put her empty bento box on the table and hoped inside. She grabbed two cups and a bottle of sake. She put the cups on the table and filled them. She picked up hers and held it up and then chugged it. Eyre did the same then choked.

“Strong.”

Enid laughed and poured herself another. She took another sip.

“What is that?”

“Sake, rice wine. I’ve grown to like it. Truth be told I was already a bit tipsy when I picked you up. Best thing besides being out in the sun is being able to get drunk. Want another?”

Eyre pushed her cup over. Enid filled it. Eyre sipped it this time and then started eating from the bento again. She made an mmm sound when she tasted how the flavors melded together.

“I’m jealous, you get to eat like this every day?”

“Without the sake, they don’t like us doing that at school.”

“The drinking age is twenty here, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but no one pays attention, besides I just bring a few bottles home from Nobuyuki’s bar when I go seem him.”

“He isn’t trying to take advantage of you, is he? I mean your ID says fifteen on it.”

“No, he says I’m daughter of the Yakuza. He’s been my number one fan ever since I saved his life. He’s a crime boss there is no doubt about that, but otherwise he’s a nice guy.”

“But crime bosses murder people.”

“You’d think so, but the Yakuza try to avoid killing if at all possible. I’m not saying their good people, but let’s face it, they’re my kind of people.”

Eyre nodded.

“You’re right, they kind of are.”

“Also, they tend to know about supernatural stuff going on in the area, apparently they slink in the same dark corners. So, Nobuyuki can keep me up to date if the Black Sun or his agents starts making power moves here. And any attempt on my life will likely result in swift retribution. I’m protected as they say. You can bet there are Yakuza drinking a beer across the road right now keeping eye on me and doing their other work. Nobuyuki treats me like one of his children.”

“Now explain this Raijin thing to me.”

“Raijin the Japanese God of Thunder.”

“So, what does that have to do with you?”

Enid poured two more cups of sake and took another sip.

“Okay let’s start at the beginning. I was walking home from the Dojo in September. It was late, I had groceries and I hear this gun shot. I was going to just let it go, humans shooting each other, when has that ever been my business? Well then, I hear a strangled cry for help. So, I put my stuff and go look. And there is this four-foot-tall wolf thing that’s covered in fungus and mold. Blood red teeth. Its growling at a guy in a suit who has a bullet in his gut. I see a woman torn to pieces further down the alley. I couldn’t just leave at that point so I fought the dog, killed it, but I didn’t kill the parasite it turned into a slime and oozed down a sewer drain. The guy was dying and I healed him, ruining my school uniform by the way. He wakes up and see the blood on my top. I mutter something about need to get it cleaned for school the next day and ran off. Next thing you know there’s a knock on my door and it’s a yakuza with three school uniforms for me and an invitation from the boss.”

“Wow, so that’s how you met.”

“Turns out the guy I saved, was the boss.”

“Oh!”

“We become friends, he declares me daughter of the Yakuza and I tell him I’m a demon hunter, because what else am I gonna say?”

“Okay so that explains the beginning, how’d the Raijin thing come about?”

“Well they found the slime thing again and it had possessed a swarm of rats, not a small swarm, no, hundreds of them. How are a bunch of Yakuza going to fight that? I brought Bloodseeker this time, it doesn’t really want to take a bite of the slime thing, but what choice do I have? It was storming and I had no flamethrower so I called down the lightning and fried the rats. The slime thing burst off them trying to save itself was roughly humanoid shaped, so I alter time and speed myself up the lightning was still arcing over me when I lunged at the thing to kill it with Bloodseeker I guess because I moved faster than they could perceive it looked like I had turned into lightning and teleported to the thing. They’ve been calling me Raijin ever since. I have to be honest I would have loved to see a video of that it probably looked really cool.”

“Ya, it probably did. It’s a neat trick and you didn’t give away your powers besides the ability to heal and call down lightning.”

“I did tell the boss I need blood to use those abilities.”

“What did he do?”

“He started a mobile blood bank and syphons half the blood to me. The others to the local hospitals for a small fee.”

“No way!”

Enid nodded.

“I don’t have to hunt anymore, I mean it’s not as good as straight from the source, but if I put it in a blood stone it’s more than tolerable. And he pays the people who donate. And gets all the money he spends and more from the hospitals, so he makes a profit.”

“That’s a nice little deal.”

“Hey, he wants to make sure his yakuza daughter is well taken care of.”

The pair looked over the sea at the setting sun. The sky was all manner of orange and pink.

“Oh mother, this is beautiful. Are you happy you can finally watch them?”

“Yes, I have spent many an evening out here studying so I could watch the sun set.

Eyre wiped some tears from her eyes.

“What have you been up too?”

“I’ve laid the foundation for my record label. Signed a couple of artists already. Things are looking good. I have a meeting with Sony after Christmas while I’m in Japan to look into producing all the music on CD’s with them.”

“CD’s?”

“Compact disc. They use laser to read digital information from the disk which the player converts into music.”

“These humans, they are always inventing new things.”

Eyre nodded. The pair continued talking long into the night. Their sake giving way to blood from Enid’s fridge.

******

Enid was carrying the roasting pan, and Eyre was carrying the bag of potatoes and the bag with the butter and the masher, and other assorted traditional Christmas dinner vegetables and fixings. Edo rushed to open the door for the pair and they entered. They removed their shoes and were greeted by a fully dressed Nobuyuki and his wife.

“Welcome Raijin, and Eyre. Come in!”

“Merry Christmas!”

Enid smiled widely. She’d been in a great mood since Eyre had arrived. And was very excited about the prospect of Christmas dinner with her daughter for the first time in six hundred years. To get to share it with a full family was more then she had hoped for. She’d always believed Christmas dinner should be a big affair. Edo turned to leave. Enid turned him.

“Where are you going Edo?”

“Uh…”

Nobuyuki laughed.

“She did not tell you? You’re invited to dinner.”

“Oh, okay.”

Edo took off his shoes and took the turkey out of Enid’s hands and carried it to the kitchen he had a wide smile.

“Thank you, Nobuyuki, I appreciate you letting me invite him.”

“This is your dinner, if you want to have everyone consider family here, who am I to turn them away?”

“Junpei will need a ride, could Edo pick him up?”

“Of course.”

He started off towards the kitchen and Enid followed him. Eyre had already started pulling the wrapping off the turkey. She pulled the giblets out as well. Edo and Nobuyuki were watching her.

“I’ve never seen a turkey before. It is bigger than I expected, I was thinking it would be like a chicken.”

Eyre laughed.

“This is a small one. But we didn’t have turkey when I was a girl, we had goose. The one we had the last time Melanie and I were together at Christmas was as big as I was.”

Enid nodded.

“Then why have a turkey?”

“Goose is greasy, and really not as good for dinner.”

“She is right Turkey is much better. But you have to cook it right. This one has been brined it is going to be juicy.”

The pair of men nodded.

“We’re going to have cranberries, stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes, candied carrots. Pumpkin pie.”

“What do you mean pumpkin pie?”

“I brought canned pumpkin, I’m going to bake one today.”

“I didn’t know you knew how to bake.”

Enid waved the men away and had two little girls peaking around the kitchen door and Nobuyuki’s wife watching.

“All men out! Shoo!”

She looked to the girls who were peaking.

“Do you want to help?”

The twins nodded and their mother smiled, and they all entered. Enid put them to work. At about eleven in then morning the first bottle of red wine was opened. By three the pies were baked, and they were lounging in bathing suits in the sun half sauced. By five everyone was there, and the dinner was laid out.

Nobuyuki looked at everyone assembled from the head of his table and at the food laid out before them.

“Thank you all for coming for Melanie’s Christmas dinner. She and her sister worked hard to provide it to us.”

He took some turkey onto his plate and everyone started to pull food out for themselves. Enid looked around the table, Junpei was enjoying himself, she could tell even with his stoic face on. Nobuyuki wore his enjoyment in the open. Edo looked happy as well. She stopped at Eyre who met her gaze with a wide smile, Enid smiled back. They said no words, but the look was enough. There love for each other was as strong as it has always been, and the bond was stronger for the troubles they had been through.