A day in the life of Takashi and the Natsu Inn...

"So...how are things progressing?" asked Nurarihyon.

"Your grandson finally seems ready to chose whether he wants to take over the mantle or not. Tsubameneko claims he's doing rather well learning the internal structure of your clan, thanks to the 'homework' Karasu Tengu has been passing along," said Takashi.

"I meant along the front of our grandchildren," said Nurarihyon smirking.

Takashi's smirk was a near identical match to his.

"That front is going along nicely. Any complaints from the clan?"

"She's not fully human, and your clan is rather famous for at least working with yokai fairly. So long as she can live with being married to a yokai yakuza, I foresee no problems," said Nurarihyon.

Yuzu and Rikuo were rather close, partly because Rikuo was often helping with the chores and found Karin rather overprotective. So long as Yuzu was happy, she could care less that the two were falling for each other.

"And how is Tsubameneko doing? Still sulking over being turned into a shiki?"

"Ichigo seems to have started winning him over. Apparently they have a shared love of classics," said Takashi.

And so the small talk went. Rikuo had no idea his grandfather made regular visits to the inn, to hear progress reports about his beloved grandson...and to make a larger tab.

Once the usual talk was out of the way, Takashi went to check on the rest of inn.

"TAKASHI-SAMA! The human guests in room three oh five have been accidentally booked next to the ayakashi suites! They're complaining of strange parties next door!" bawled one of the many boarders of the inn. Takeru Izumo was an exorcist that Takashi had found while on his many travels helping yokai. One that had no idea what he was seeing, and was unintentionally bringing yokai home and terrifying his family.

He was currently living at the inn while attending the nearby high school until he learned how to deal with yokai and not bring them home by accident. To pay for his room and board, he helped around the inn, particularly with yokai guests.

"Is it general complaining or are they just mad that they're not allowed to join in?" asked Takashi. It wouldn't be the first time some young hot shot wanted in on a good party.

They weren't allowed to eat the human guests, but they were allowed to give them a good and proper scare to teach them a lesson.

"I think they want in, but because of the barrier..."

"Lower the barrier for them, but make sure they sign a document stating they understand I'm not responsible for any mental scarring they receive as a result of an ayakashi party," deadpanned Takashi.

"Yes sir!" said Takeru, saluting his boss before getting the forms.

"Takashi-sama! We have an issue with the human guests!" shouted Kaori, a spiritualist who had been targeted by yokai more than once.

Takashi didn't bother to unfold his arms. It seemed today was going to be one of those days.

"What is it this time?"

"Well..."

"Let me guess. They're competitors from that yakuza again, trying to run us out of business in order to do a land grab," said Takashi. It happened so often it wasn't funny.

"Yup."

"Have Misuzu send some of his friends to harass their operations again. If they try to stir up trouble then make sure they get busted by unsympathetic cops...you know, our friends."

Takashi had an...arrangement...with the police in nearby cities. In exchange for editing out any yokai-related information (he gave them a list of code words other police precincts used when dealing with exorcists like the Matoba clan), he helped them cut back on gang related crimes. If they needed to bust a particularly nasty crook, he'd ask one of his guests to follow and harass them until they were either arrested or moved away. Or in rare cases, believed they were cursed and learned their lesson.

"I'll inform the usual suspects," said Kaori, grinning mischievously.

"If that girl doesn't end up marrying a yokai, I'll eat natto," muttered Takashi. She was too mischievous for her own good, and she got along terrifyingly well with his ayakashi guests.

"Sir, we have the Matoba clan on the phone. They claim one of theirs crossed the boundary again by accident while chasing..."

"Remind them we have surveillance cameras and if it did cross over accidentally then the one watching them would have given them an earful again," deadpanned Takashi.

After the fifth time they 'accidentally' crossed his boundary line marking neutral territory, he put up security cameras and had the students monitor it twenty-four seven, with full permission to chew out any exorcists who tried to break the neutrality. If it was accidental, then they were given a light reprimand. If it was intentional, then the rather gleeful students were fully allowed to cuss them out. He had a long vocabulary list they could pick and choose from, and encouraged them to look up new words or insulting phrases to test them out.

"Takashi-san, the foreign newlyweds are being too noisy again. Also, they aren't adhering to the strict PDA list allowed in the public areas," said Sakura, an exorcist-in-training.

"Direct them to one of the nicer lakes, but don't mention to them that the yokai will be watching them. If they want to be that annoying, they can deal with an invisible audience," said Takashi without any mercy.

Peeping on a couple of overly-amorous newlyweds from overseas was not his problem. And if they weren't going to keep it in their rooms, then he was going to give them a taste of their own medicine.

That, and to save on the laundry bill.

Takashi was finally able to relax around dinner...for about five minutes.

"Takashi-sama! Nurarihyon is trying to skip out on the bill again!" shouted Kappa.

"Dammit. Didn't he learn the last time? Send out the others and hound him to one of the yokai traps! Let him enjoy a night outdoors until he settles up!" shouted Takashi.

Just because the territory was neutral didn't mean he was going to rely on it. There were several yokai traps, all marked clearly, so he could trap those who wouldn't listen to reason...or for idiots like Nurarihyon who tried to skip out on the bill.

Yokai nature or not, he wasn't going to let them skip out that easily. Never mind the fact he didn't like being cheated out of his money, if he let one of them skip out without paying, they'd all try it. He could never let down his guard, ever.

The lone onmyougi that studied on the grounds grinned when her shikigami watched the troublesome head of the Nura group end up in a pit trap.

"The dine and dash idiot has been caught, sir!"

"Tell him the terms of his release. He either settles up or he stays in the pit all night until his clan pays up for his release," said Takashi without hesitation.

"Sir, I have Karasu Tengu on the line. He's offering three gold bars from the clan treasury in exchange for his boss," said Takeru, who had called the clan once Nurarihyon made his escape.

"Send it over, and we'll release their idiot boss. Tell him if he wants the video, it's going to cost him some of the sweets from Ukiyoe town, at least enough to supply the inn for a week."

"He said they'll arrive in the morning."

Nurarihyon was let out, but bound until Karasu Tengu showed up with the agreed gold. Karasu was more amused than angry that his boss had been caught.

Mainly because they'd be watching how easily the great Nurarihyon was captured by a bunch of idiots.

"Honestly, why do you bother when you know you'll be caught by the yokai traps in the area?" asked Takashi.

"The same traps we move at random, and only leave the safe path markers for trustworthy guests who bother to pay for the current map?" added Kaori.

Nurarihyon grumbled.

"I get your nature is to play tricks like this, but even you should know better than to do it at the inn."

"Karasu Tengu, your idiotic commander is all yours," said Takashi, his smile more than a little evil.

"Thank you for your kindness, Natsume-san," said Karasu Tengu. He knew full well that the man knew the more deadly traps, but always delivered his Supreme Commander to the ones that just left him out in the cold.

"Another day, another series of headaches," said Takashi to himself. Thank kami-sama the weekend would be coming tomorrow, and with it his adorable grandchildren.

"Takashi-sama, the newlyweds are complaining of being watched at the lake," said Takeru.

"What were they doing at the time?" asked Takashi.

"Ah, I'd rather not say."

"Tell them that our security cameras do not cover that area, nor do we patrol it regularly. If they can't tell us what the watchers looked like, there's nothing we can do," said Takashi unsympathetic.

"Takashi-sama, the idiots who signed the papers are trying to get out of paying their bill," said Kaori.

"Tell them to settle up or the 'monsters' they were partying with will visit them in the night until they do," said Takashi without hesitation.

"Aye-aye sir!" said Kaori grinning.

They not only settled up, they payed extra once they realized the inn's owner was friends with the same creatures that scared the crap out of them.

"Ten yen says their friends who are into the occult show up later trying to see the same monsters," said Kaori.

"No bet."

They made most of their income off idiots trying to see yokai in the flesh, what they really paid for was a good scare, but Takashi could honestly claim that all the scares they got were from genuine ayakashi. A few years back some idiot tried to 'debunk' the mystery of the Natsu Inn, partly to disprove that yokai existed, but also to find the source of the sake that people raved about.

Takashi took particular enjoyment in scaring the living hell out of that idiot. Not only did he come out of the experience with a renewed belief in the supernatural, but the yokai got to have some fun remind people that they did exist and they were out there.

The Exorcist community had a field day with that one, and despite all efforts the tapes were still out there. Thank kami for the internet.

He still watched it whenever he needed a good laugh.

"Thinking about that so called 'exorcist' who tried to debunk the inn?" said Kaori.

"How'd you know?"

"You always get that mischievously evil look on your face. The one that creeps others out. So how's Ichigo-kun?" asked Kaori innocently.

"If you want to try dating my grandson, that's up to you and him. Or if you want to share that particular video with Ichigo and his friends, that's fine too."

"You know, I think I will. I'm sure your grandchildren would get a real laugh out of seeing all those yokai scare that yuppie with rich parents who had a fascination with the supernatural. Didn't his parents send you a thank you note for 'setting him straight'?"

"A thank you note and some nice snacks for two days," said Takashi grinning.

"Wait...Grandpa was on TV?" said Ichigo.

"The last official episode of the series, though the producers hadn't intended it to be that way," said Kaori. You could just feel the grin on her face.

"Oh this I have to see. What's the show's name?"

Kaori was trying hard not to laugh as she told him, and Ichigo immediately went and got his laptop to look it up.

"What are you doing?" asked Nyanko.

"You'll see in a minute. Trust me, if this goes like I think it did, you'll be laughing so hard sake will come out of your nose," said Ichigo.

A few minutes later, Ichigo wasn't the only one laughing his ass off.

The sight of that pretentious pretty boy from a rich family running for his life, crying for his mother after trying (and failing spectacularly) to sound all knowledgeable was absolutely hilarious. The best part was you could see the yokai in the background scaring the crap out of the cameramen and the idiot trying to 'disprove' the fact that the Natsu Inn was haunted.

"Bwahahahahaha! This is priceless! That stupid human actually thinks he knows about yokai, but he's a Sightless moron!" said Nyanko, rolling on his back from laughing so hard.

"I have to share this with Tatsuki and the others! I mean the sight of Grandpa just standing there passively while that guy runs around screaming like an idiot...!" said Ichigo, as he couldn't hold back his snickering.

Ichigo grabbed his cell, and once he had his laughter checked, he called his friend.

"Hey Tatsuki, you have to see this episode. It's hilarious," said Ichigo, snickering.

"Do I dare ask why?"

"And spoil the fun of your surprise when you realize what it's about? Anyway look up the last episode of..."

"Oh! I've heard about that episode! Gramps was so pissed for some reason, even though he was snickering the entire time he watched it! Apparently it raised a real stink among the exorcist community for some reason."

"Probably because there was an exorcist right there that didn't bother to keep the yokai off screen."

"I have to see this now... What was the show again?"

An hour later, Tatsuki called again, her voice containing evil laughter.

"Oh man, that was hilarious. The way your grandpa just stood there pretending nothing was out of the ordinary while the others were running out of the house screaming!" said Tatsuki, breaking out into fresh laughter.

"I know, right? I bet the guests had a field day scaring that idiot and his camera crew. I heard that the guy's parents sent Grandpa some snacks and a fervent thank you because it got him off his yokai kick," said Ichigo.

Tatsuki laughed even harder.

"I am so getting that DVD, if only to have a good laugh every once in a while."

"I know, right? We so have to share this with Chad and Orihime later," said Ichigo, snickering.

"Chad, yes. Orihime...not unless she spontaneously awakens the Sight," said Tatsuki.

"See you at school tomorrow?"

"You get that paper Tsume-sensei assigned us done?"

"If I didn't, I'd never hear the end of his bitching," deadpanned Ichigo. That set Tatsuki off again.