Shaman King? *points away* Not mine.

Inquisitive Speculation

The first thing he noticed, walking in, was Anna's calm figure in the room. Usually, it was something expected, her presence that is. Not that he would have taken it lightly, just, without anything beyond mild caution. Never knew when her anger could be roused.

But this time, he saw her before anything else. And the reason?

No reason, he thought smoothly, and sat down beside her. No reason...

They were eating, and he watched her out of the corner of his eye, her fluid, constrained motions, and the severity with which she sat and her almost adamant posture.

He really shouldn't be inclined to stare at all.

Really, what in the world... Yoh thought crossly, and he was never cross... He tried to ignore his perturbing thoughts while Anna calmly told him off for his belated arrival with the groceries that afternoon. Don't expect to stay in this house and be lazy. Next time, I expect you to be punctual, if that isn't too much to ask. Her voice was commanding, cryptically edged. Grim. Familiar.

And he replied with his usual sheepish, somewhat apprehensive, apology. The usual.

Then why in the world...

No reason.

She looked particularly detached at dinner, he noticed, somewhat reluctantly. Usually, sparing too much thought on Anna led to headaches. Or that uneasy feeling he often got when she stared at him. Her eyes never wavered.

She was staring at him, Yoh thought with mild alarm.

And his mind acknowledged, bewildered, that she looked a bit…uncertain.

For some reason, he ventured to be brave. Recklessly so, but brave nonetheless, "Anna. What is it?"

She drew back her uncharacteristic transpire of emotion abruptly.

Something was wrong.

"What is it?" He repeated, noticing her pensive gaze, mostly as it focused back onto him.

Yoh swallowed instinctively.

She could be quite menacing when she wanted to be.

"It's nothing."

"Tell me." He was shocked to find his voice...defiant?

Well, someone was feeling masochistic today.

She raised an eyebrow, then, to his immense relief, her face relaxed- well as relaxed as her face ever got. "Your...brother visited last night."

"What?"

"Hao. Visited-"

"I know. But why? What did he say to you?"

What did he do to you? Was the unspoken question.

Wait a minute. Did he just...interrupt Anna?

Why wasn't she currently smashing his face into the wall?

Instead...she looked amused-amused-and then said in a wholly aberrant tone of voice, "He wished us a prosperous life. Happy marriage, and so on and so forth."

He couldn't speak for a moment. And then, when he could, only came up with an intelligent uttering of, "...w-what?"

"He also said something about not being able to attend the wedding."

"Wedding?!" was all Yoh managed to choke out.

"Well, yes, that was my reaction as well." Somehow, he seriously doubted that was true, this being Anna after all, spontaneous mentioning of future marriage or not. "But he seems to be thinking quite a bit into the future." Her voice was ever impassive as she turned back to her tea.

And Yoh saw, to his immense surprise, -he blinked once, twice, but no, it was still there- the ghost of a smile gracing her lips.

And he had to grin himself.