Disclaimer: Sekirei doesn't belong to me but to some shady MBI like corporation.

It was about the time he got half way up the unending hill for the second time (a runaway piece of luggage bringing attempt one to a premature finish) that Minato started making a list of all the things he hated.

His mother – for many reasons but primarily for sending him to the most backward out of the way location possible; His father – whose sudden wanderlust had prompted his mother to send him here; Luggage with wheels – If you let go of luggage, it should not be struck with the same need to travel that his father suffered from.

The list was well into the double digits by the time he crested the hill and finally saw his destination.

Sekirei Inn.

The unseen manageress of Sekirei Inn watched her latest ward approach with interest. He was pretty unremarkable to look out and appeared thoroughly worn out just getting here. Even from this distance she could tell his face was an open book - he had the look of someone who was perpetually waiting for the other shoe to drop. The girls were going to eat him alive.

"Ku-chan," she called softly, getting the attention of the young child playing happily at her feet. "Go and tell Matsu that the Sahashi boy has arrived. If you want, you can help her show him around."

The young girl, a bright-eyed blonde dressed in a simple white sundress nodded happily before tearing out of the room to find her older sister.

Miya smiled to herself. The young man'[s arrival was just the shot in the arm the place had needed. While business had been as good as usual, the staff had lacked for entertainment and was growing bored which was not something you wanted happening in the hospitality business. When Takami had rang looking for a place to dump her son while she chased after her idiot husband, Miya had the self-restraint to make it look like an imposition when in fact she would have paid Takami to send her son here.

She glanced out again to see that Kusano was already running out the front door towards Minato at breakneck speed followed by an equally energetic Matsu, who was either being uncharacteristically enthusiastic or was instead flaunting herself shamelessly before anyone else got a chance to.

"You start earning your crust right now young Sahashi," she muttered to the empty room.

"And here is the famous Sekirei hot spring – You'll be responsible for making sure this is clean which can be difficult as couple often like to fu-" Matsu cast a sideways glance at Kusano who was hanging off Minato and thought better of what she was going to say, "frolic – is what couples like to do in the hot spring."

Not for the first time on this whirlwind tour, Minato gulped audibly. This was all just too much for him. He could deal with the little kid, Kusano, who had greeted him by kidnapping one of his arms (release negotiations were on-going) but things had gone down hill fast when Matsu had bounced up to him. And bounced was the only word that came to mind.

While she was dressed demurely enough in a long white flowing dress, anytime she moved, stopped, turned, took a breath, pretty much existed in Minato's field of vision – something jiggled. Oftentimes it was more then one thing jiggling. Minato tried to play it safe by concentrating on her face but that really didn't work either as (a) she had a very pretty face (b) whenever he asked her question, she'd make a show about removing her glasses to suck on one of the arms while thinking about the answer. Both his parents wore glasses and he had never seen them do anything so hot with a pair of glasses.

Where the hell had that thought come from? Even when they weren't around his parents were finding ways of destroying his brain. He mentally slapped himself on the back of the head and resumed listening to the hot redhead who was now bending over in front of him testing the temperature of the hot spring…apparently.

In between desperately not looking where she wanted him to look, Matsu gave him what by all accounts was not the brochure guide to the establishment, embellishing it with tales of what guests would get up to when they thought no one was around. More then once he thought about covering Kusano's ears in an effort to save her innocence but she seemed blissfully oblivious to Matsu's erotic ramblings.

"So that's pretty much it," she finished finally. "Any questions?" she asked, hand already straying up to her glasses.

"Ahh no!" Minato answered quickly, not sure how much he could take.

"Hmm, okay then. Why don't we get you to your room before you meet the rest of the crew?" Matsu suggested.

"Sure," Minato agreed immediately, badly needing a respite.

"Anything I should know about the others? Any serial killers or the like?" he joked as the trio made their way into the building proper.

The glasses came off and the sucking commenced.

"Well of the live-in staff Tsukiumi has her moments but once she gets past simply hating you, the worst you can expect is the threat of violence. Musubi is the sweetest person you'll ever meet but also possibly the dumbest. Kazehana is away for a few days which is very lucky for you because she can be pretty brazen."

Minato gulped…again. For Matsu to consider someone brazen was saying an awful lot.

"How about the manager?" he asked, too scared to inquire about anyone other then his mother's friend.

"Oh Miya – Well the main thing you have to know about Miya is that she knows everything so there's no point in trying to–"

"Spreading rumours again Matsu?" the very person in question called from the landing above them.

Matsu audibly squeaked, "No Landlady-san. I was just telling Minato-chan about all of us."

"I'm sure," Miya replied simply.

"You and Ku-chan take Minato's bags to his room while I go over the terns of his tenure," she instructed.

As if by magic, Kusano released his arm and grabbed onto one side of the handle of his mobile luggage while Matsu grasped the other. Minato watched them struggle up the remaining stairs for a moment before the landlady cleared her throat.

"You have your father's features," she observed once the other two were out of sight.

"So I've been told," Minato agreed.

"Let's hope that's all you have of his or your stay here will be a short one," she added cryptically before dismissing Minato's confusion with a wave of a hand.

"Come with me and I'll tell you the real story of Sekirei Inn."

Next Chapter: Your local friendly psycho and thank heavens - another man!