Arrival From Japan (PRIVATE)

[Angela]

This scene concerns Danil Andropov, Peter Zemeckis, Kyo Suzuki, and Nicholas Wu.

[Kyo Suzuki]

If there was one thing about travelling that Kyo didn't like, it had to be waiting in line for the luggage. It wasn't that he even travelled often, really only to different islands in Japan. And it wasn't the flight that bothered him. On the flights, he was actually pretty comfortable, usually falling asleep after the first movie was over.
No, it was just waiting for his luggage. He hadn't brought much with him, though he knew he would be spending a school year here in the U.S.

Was Kyo nervous?
Of course. It was his first time out of Japan and his first time to the United States, a place he had only ever seen in movies and dreamed about visiting since he was very small. He knew he was lucky--not every fifteen-year-old kid had the opportunity to study abroad. He knew he had to thank his parents for all his savings. He even had a lofty amount to spend, if he chose to.
The luggage conveyor spouted out a large pink Hello Kitty suitcase and Kyo chuckled.
Definitely not his, but he did know a lot of people who wouldn't mind lugging something like that around. Heck, he wouldn't even mind taking it around with him if there weren't so much pink. His creative mind was wagging a finger at the little American girl whose mother was forced to lift the suitcase off the conveyor for her. With a little less pink and more vibrant colors, the suitcase might have been more suitable. Otherwise, even for an eyesore, at least it was easily spottable.

Kyo looked around the terminal at the other people waiting around for their belongings. None of them seemed to notice him. He was pondering about his new caretakers, the nice guys who had decided to host him for his stay in America. He was nervous to meet them, but excited too, no doubt. When he had first received news about his new "family", he had been so thrilled, he'd begun cooking up all kinds of adventures they could have in America. He imagined them going out all the time and seeing all there was to see in America. He had no doubts in his mind, nervous as he was about his somewhat lacking proficiency in English, that his stay would be worth it, anyway.
A pale blue suitcase came swiveling around the conveyor belt suddenly, only just passing from Kyo's eye sight before he realized whose it was.

"Waga! Waga!" Kyo dropped the handle of his carry-on suitcase and begin a frantic chase after his beloved belongings. He suddenly realized that the majority of the people around him were confused and a little annoyed. They hadn't understood a word he had said. Looking, he realized none of them probably would. None were Japanese.
"Mine, mine, I mean," he added, quickly resorting to English.

"Don't know what you're rushing for, kid," an older man responded, shrugging. "It's going to come back around anyway..."

Kyo flushed red, murmured a quick apology, and rushed back over to his carry on. The Astro-boy painted onto the front of it was sideways, giving him a look like, "Hurry up, please, and thanks for leaving me."
Kyo waited the full minute before his suitcase came back to him, pulled it off with immediate and newfound strength, then began to rush for the airport exit, hoping his long, black bangs sufficiently hid his red face from the rest of the crowd.

The front entrance of the airport was packed, as could be expected at an International Airport. But from what Kyo could see, the majority of people entering and leaving were business men and women. He had only seen a few young kids, probably just getting back from family vacations for school. He surveyed the crowd nervously, wondering how he was going to find the two men he would be staying with, when there so many pushing past him all different ways.

Kyo paused for a second, stood on tip-toes, and scanned the crowd again. He saw a sign, a very large sign, with very happy writing scrawled on it.
"Kon...ni...chiwa," Kyo was reading it out loud. He saw his name, and grinned. That was it! But he couldn't see the people holding the banner, not yet. At least he knew where to go, anyway.
Feeling a whole lot more cheerful, he began his happy trek over to the sign, his light at the end of a-not-so-scary tunnel, swiping his hair over to the side and out of his eyes. Within seconds, he was at the place where everyone picked up their family or visitors, one of the noisiest, busiest places in an airport, and stopped just in front of the sign, smiling big and waving with one hand.

"Hell-o!"

[Angela]

Danil and Peter were given the idea by Hanako and Yuka Karamoto, to take in an exchange student from Japan. None of them, including Hana and Yuka, knew Kyo personally, but the idea was so intriguing to Peter and Danil, that they decided to take a chane. It was just an idea that they had because they wanted to do something servicable to the world. So they offered to take in the young Japanese boy who had never been to America, but had dreamt of it all his life. To make him feel welcome, as well as to help him find them, Danil and Peter, with Hana and Yuka's help, had made a sign. It said Konichiwa, Kyo! and had a painting of the Japanese flag on it.

Danil was at the sign, but Peter was getting some snacks at a local stand in the airport. He came over a few minutes after he left, his arms full of snacks.

"Peter, for God's sake," Danil said, turning aroun to him annoyed. "We are going straight home to eat. You really didn't need to-"

"Come on, it's going to be a half hour drive and I haven't eaten in a while," Peter whined. Danil rolled his eyes.

"You're hopeless, you know-"

He was interupted by someone in front of the sign.

"Hell-io!" he said cheerfully. Danil hurried over to him, and smiled.

"Konichiwa, Kyo! Welcome to America! I am Danil Andropov. My husband, Peter, and I will be your host family. We both hope you will enjoy it here."

Peter walked right behind them and smiled. "Hey, Kyo! Welcome to America. We're going to make your stay here the best you can have, we promise."

"Anything and everything you want to do, we will do it," Danil added. "Is this all you brought?" he asked.

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo could finally see past the sign, which looked as though it had been kindly decorated in his favor. He beamed, turning his eyes from the banner to his new family. Then he laughed.

Both of the men in front of him looked like great guys, in all senses of the word. Foreign, of course, but great. Kyo had a way of reading people instantly, just by first meeting, and from what he could see, he knew he would like the two of them. They were both smiling and cheerful...He felt appreciated. He felt...comfortable. Kyo drew his single suitcase up to his side, bowed really low, then stuck out his hand for what he assumed was a good, solid American greeting.

"Konichiwa, Kyo! Welcome to America! I am Danil Andropov. My husband, Peter, and I will be your host family. We both hope you will enjoy it here."

"Hey, Kyo! Welcome to America. We're going to make your stay here the best you can have, we promise."

"Konnichiwa, hello, it is nice to meet you both!" He studied the two for a moment, then pointed, reciting the names out loud so he could lock them in his memory. "Danil...Peter...Hai hai hai...I can remember!"
Kyo thought about all the adventures he'd imagined back home and couldn't help beaming further. Danil and Peter certainly seemed like the type to show him the best America had to offer.

"Anything and everything you want to do, we will do it," Danil added. "Is this all you brought?" he asked.
Kyo realized Danil was gesturing to his luggage. He looked down at Astroboy and nodded his head. "Yes, I need more?" He lifted the carry on suitcase tenderly into his arms. Danil and Peter's gifts were inside, so he knew he needed to be careful. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if he really had needed to bring more...But he'd crammed his suitcase full of stuff--he couldn't fit any more in there if he'd wanted to.
"This luggage should be okay. I can buy more with the extra money I brought!" He grinned cheesily, hoisted the carry-on higher into his arms again, then took note of all the stuff Peter was carrying.
"Whoa! Peter, so much snack?"

[Angela]

Danil and Peter both bowed low to him when Kyo bowed to them, then the two of them shook his hand. "We're so pleased to have you. Your luggage should be fine, as you said," Danil said as he folded up the banner and offered to take one of his bags. "We just wanted to make sure you weren't forgetting anything, or God forbid, if the airline lost something. Sometimes that happens."

Danil snickered and looked at Peter with an "I told you so" look.

"Because I am hungry, and I figured you might be too," Peter said cheerfully. He offered a small bag of popcorn to him. "Care for some? It has caramel and chocolate on it."

"Here's our car," Danil said, walking up with them to his blue Mercedes. "Do you have anything in particular you'd like to listen to on the way home, Kyo? You don't mind going home for some lunch, do you? I'm sure the flight must have been exhausting. You can rest, and this afternoon we can all go out and have some fun!"

[Kyo Suzuki]

"We're so pleased to have you. Your luggage should be fine, as you said," Danil said as he folded up the banner and offered to take one of his bags. "We just wanted to make sure you weren't forgetting anything, or God forbid, if the airline lost something. Sometimes that happens."

Kyo's eyes widened in recognition. "Hai, yes! That happens to me lots of times! I worried about the same thing when I got off the plane just now." He bowed a little again. "Yes, thank you for your concern.

"Because I am hungry, and I figured you might be too," Peter said in reply to Kyo's innocent question. "Care for some? It has caramel and chocolate on it."
Kyo looked at the small bag offered to him and smiled. He had actually never had popcorn before, even though his friends back home had tried it and liked it. He gratefully took the snack from Peter's hands. Now that he thought about it, he was rather hungry. He had last eaten on the plane, but plane food was never all that wholesome or filling. Even though Kyo was rather slim for his age and height, it seemed he could eat as much as he wanted and still never gain any weight. He laughed out loud at the thought.

"You know," he told the two men, munching on the yummy popcorn, as they walked to their car, "my parents always say they wanted me to be the big sumo man...but I was never big enough!" He gestured to his own skinny frame and laughed some more. "It is okay though. There is much honor in being the sumo man, but I would rather be famous and still be able to move."

"Here's our car," Danil said, walking up with them to his blue Mercedes. "Do you have anything in particular you'd like to listen to on the way home, Kyo? You don't mind going home for some lunch, do you? I'm sure the flight must have been exhausting. You can rest, and this afternoon we can all go out and have some fun!"
Kyo took in the small blue car, now quietly munching on his popcorn. He didn't want to just step into the car without his hosts' approval. There were many matters of respect he would take into consideration during his stay here, he knew, no matter what. He was so used to the subway anyway, where he lived, that cars--common as they were--were at least semi-foreign to him.

"It is a nice car," he said finally, inspecting the inside and deciding that what he really wouldn't mind would be taking a seat in there and falling asleep. It looked so comfy, and he was still suffering jet lag. "The music does not matter to me--I am very open-minded...Open-minded? Is that okay to say? Anyway, all plans sound good to me. I am just the guest."

[Angela]

"Sumo, huh?" Peter asked as they helped load Kyo's things in the car. "Yeah, I can't see you being a big sumo guy either. But I understand that sumo wrestlers are highly respected in your country."

"I for one, try to attend sumo matches when I visit Japan," Danil said with a smile.

"It is a nice car," Kyo said. "The music does not matter to me--I am very open-minded...Open-minded? Is that okay to say? Anyway, all plans sound good to me. I am just the guest."

"Thank you. It was a gift from Mayor Luke Ravenstall after I won the Olympics," Danil said with s amile. "You are more than just our guest, you are now a part of the family, and your opinion matters just like ours does. I personally am exhausted when I travel from America to Japan, and vice-versa. In fact, I am going to Odaiba in just a few months, for the NHK Trophy. Is that not your hometown?" he asked. "Open-minded is the right expression," Danil praised. "Your English is very good. In fact, it is much better than mine when I first came here," Danil said cheerfully as he opened the car door for Kyo. He laughed. "I caried a pocket translator, even to the rink, and looked at it constantly to understand my oach and the world around me. Now, after 6 years, my English is even better and I don't need the translator. So you are better off than I was."

Danil and Peter got in the car, and Danil put on the soundtrack to The Last Samurai. It may have seemed a stereotypical choice, but it was a beautiful score that Danil enjoyed listening to.

[Kyo Suzuki]

"Sumo, huh?" Peter asked as they helped load Kyo's things in the car. "Yeah, I can't see you being a big sumo guy either. But I understand that sumo wrestlers are highly respected in your country."

"I for one, try to attend sumo matches when I visit Japan," Danil said with a smile.

Kyo watched as his few belongings were stowed away into the car, but held tight to his carry on. With a sly grin, he explained that his simple excuse was merely that he had some personal belongings in there that he liked to keep close. But really, he was just worried about the gifts. He didn't want them to break after the huge, long journey they had just made across the ocean.

"Yes, we go and see the sumo men all the time. I have a favorite, his name is Takamiyama Daigoro." Kyo chuckled and slid into the back seat of the car, laying his carry-on bag gently on the seat beside him. The inside of the car was as comfy as it looked, or maybe just a great deal more comfortable than the subway he was used to. "But everyone like him, haha, even though he is not even full Japanese." He beamed. "My parents aspire me to be like that."

"Thank you. It was a gift from Mayor Luke Ravenstall after I won the Olympics," Danil said with s amile. "You are more than just our guest, you are now a part of the family, and your opinion matters just like ours does. I personally am exhausted when I travel from America to Japan, and vice-versa. In fact, I am going to Odaiba in just a few months, for the NHK Trophy. Is that not your hometown?" he asked. "Open-minded is the right expression," Danil praised. "Your English is very good. In fact, it is much better than mine when I first came here," Danil said cheerfully as he opened the car door for Kyo. He laughed. "I caried a pocket translator, even to the rink, and looked at it constantly to understand my oach and the world around me. Now, after 6 years, my English is even better and I don't need the translator. So you are better off than I was."

Kyo listened patiently as Danil talked, waving a shy hand at Danil's compliments about his English. Remembering to put on his seatbelt, he got comfortable in the cushioned-seats. He unzipped his carry-on to pull out a manga book to read in case he was at a loss for what to say, then paused.

Wait.

Had he heard wrong?
"Wait, did you say you won the Olympics?" Kyo was on the edge of his seat now. "Like you won the gold medal and they played your anthem?" He waited a few moments, then thought further. "And you go to Odaiba? That is where my family lives! Will there be another Olympics there?"

All three of them were in the car now. It was moving, and a beautiful piece of music was playing in the background, but Kyo did not recognize it. He was suddenly focused on what Danil had said, wondering if it was possible he had just misinterpreted his words.

[Angela]

Danil smiled. "That's right. I won in February in Grenoble. It was the proudest moment of my life." It was so refreshing to find someone who actually had never heard of him or knew of his accomplishments. "I was welcomed home with great reception and respect. They had a parade for me," Danil continued bashfully.

"Way to rub it in the kid's face, dorogoy," Peter commented with a snort.

Danil shrugged glancing to him. "He was curious..."

"I'm a student myself," Peter continued to Kyo. "Danil is an award-winning figure skater, while I focus on my education. I want to be a teacher someday. I also play football- that is, American football. In fact a lot of professional teams have been looking at me, and are already making offers. But I want to be a teacher, not a professional athlete like my husband."

"Odaiba is hosting a competition, it is held every year in a different city in Japan," Danil explained. "It is called the NHK Trophy. It is part of a series of six competitions held every year called the Grand Prix. A skater who was in the previous season's World Championships may enter no more than three of them. I chose the NHK, Cup of China, and Cup of Russia. You will be joining me for all of these," he said, glancing back to Kyo. "If I do well enough, I may qualify for what is called the Grand Prix Final. These competitions are important to keep momentum throughout the season," he explained.

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo caught a glimpse of Danil's smile in the rearview mirror. He couldn't help beaming either. The man must have been so proud. He wondered how his parents would feel if he was the one with such a success story...
"That's right. I won in February in Grenoble. It was the proudest moment of my life." It was so refreshing to find someone who actually had never heard of him or knew of his accomplishments. "I was welcomed home with great reception and respect. They had a parade for me," Danil continued bashfully.

"Wow..." Kyo leaned back in his seat and began tossing the manga book from hand to hand. "That is very special, what a memory. I wish someone would hold parade for me!"

"Way to rub it in the kid's face, dorogoy," Peter commented with a snort.

Danil shrugged glancing to him. "He was curious..."

"Hai, very curious. The family always watches the Olympics. I wish I knew you when you won so I could tell all my friends about you." Kyo chuckled, watching the setting--a setting very foreign to his native, bustling, and super-modern Odaiba--fly by. He put his elbow on the small sill under the window and leaned over on it. The whole atmosphere was very comfortable. When he had gotten off the plane, he had been so nervous, afraid he wouldn't fit in, or Danil and Peter might decide that they didn't want to take in a Japanese exchange student after all.
But it was very much the contrary. He was so comfortable, he could feel his eyelids drooping. Wow, he was more tired than he thought. He only just made out Peter's words.

"I'm a student myself," Peter continued to Kyo. "Danil is an award-winning figure skater, while I focus on my education. I want to be a teacher someday. I also play football- that is, American football. In fact a lot of professional teams have been looking at me, and are already making offers. But I want to be a teacher, not a professional athlete like my husband."
"Teaching is a very admirable job," Kyo said softly, fighting to suppress a yawn. He felt so rude, but he really was having a hard time staying awake. He was just so comfy...

He was nodding off again as Danil began to mention Odaiba, then felt the manga book slip from his hands and hit the car floor. It only made a small thump, but it was enough to send him flying out of his sleep.
"Hai! Hai, Odaiba! I live there!"
He paused, trying to remember where the conversation had gone, his brain still fuzzy with tiredness.

"I am sorry," he finally said to his hosts, getting a little red-faced again. He didn't hide behind his bangs this time. He had to be serious about this one. "It is just..." He picked up his manga. "Your car is so comfortable."

[Angela]

Danil laughed softly. "Get some rest, Kyo. We will wake you when we get home." Hans Zimmer's music was sweet enough that anyone would be soothed by its sound, and the flight no doubt helped to make the boy exhausted.

"You bored the kid to sleep," Peter commented a few minutes later, chuckling teasingly.

"Thanks, Pete."

The rest of the ride was quiet and peaceful. Soon they were in the countryside, and they pulled up to the large two and a half story house. Danil looked to Kyo, who was still sleeping.

"Kyo, we are home," he said gently.

[Kyo Suzuki]

Danil laughed softly. "Get some rest, Kyo. We will wake you when we get home."
Kyo hoped he wouldn't always be this rude, but he knew he had to take Danil up on his offer. If he was going to be even remotely as lively as he was when fully awake for their meal tonight, he knew it would make sense to catch a nap, however brief.

Kyo didn't know for how long he had slept or even how long the drive had been, but when he was awoken by the sound of Danil's gentle voice, he was suddenly fully awake. They were here...He was finally at the place where he would spend the entire school year. He quickly threw his weight against the side of the car, pressing his face against the window's glass to have a glimpse at his new, though temporary home.

He sighed, opened the car door, and clambered outside, head tilted back to take in the entire building.
"Wow...It is like a castle!"

Though Kyo's home was, in its own rite, comfortable and sizeable, it was just an apartment. He had never been able to live in an actual home like this before. He reached into the backseat to pick up his belongings, anticipating going inside.

[Angela]

Danil beamed with pride. "Thank you, Kyo. It's not as big as most fancy places are, but it has its charms, and it works for what we need." They walked down the wooden stairs that led to the house at the bottom of the hill. The road lay at the top of the hill, and grass and several trees paved the way to the bottom of the hill. "In the winter, snow covers this hillside so much. Peter and I love to ride sleds down it, with my neice and nephew," Danil continued. Bushes and flowers were also in the front yard along the hill.

The house itself was surrounded just by green grass, with two or three trees on both sides. In front of the house were a few other trees: a willow, dogwood, and even a cherry blossom tree. The trees were surrounded by various flowers, including tulips, lavender, jasmine, chrysanthymums, geraniums, carnations, tigerlilies, morning glories and forget-me-nots. Rose bushes were in front of the house, various colors. A small patio of different-colored stones was in front of the house. There were several flower beds growing adjacent to the windows, except for the large window of the attic. Towards the back of the house, trees could be seen, a true gateway to the woods. The house loomed above them, greeting them in a welcoming manner.

The house was done in sky blue siding, with an awning above the entrande to the door. The awning was painted sky blue as well, with fancy designs on the sides. The shutters of the windows were a darker blue, almost midnight, and the flower pots along the windows were midnight blue along the side, sky blue on the bottom. An actual chimney was in the midle of the house. It was done in brown brick. The roof was done in brown as well.

Danil turned to Kyo.

"There is something I must ask of you before you come in. I just want to make sure. Are you allergic to dogs or cats, or do you have any problem with either of them?"

[Kyo Suzuki]

Danil looked pleased.
"Thank you, Kyo. It's not as big as most fancy places are, but it has its charms, and it works for what we need."

The two men began to lead the way to the house entrance, Kyo enthusiastically trailing them, holding tight to his carry-on suitcase. Peter had kindly taken the larger suitcase for him.
As they walked, Kyo took in all of his surroundings, wide-eyed with admiration. It wasn't even just the great big building that appealed to him. The air was very crisp, very fresh, and everything looked green...
There were parks in Odaiba, and they, of course, had their own sense of beauty, but this was true nature. They were walking down something like a path through a tunnel of trees. Kyo suddenly felt like he was in some sort of fantasy story, like he was starting a new chapter in his life. In a way, he supposed, he was.

"In the winter, snow covers this hillside so much. Peter and I love to ride sleds down it, with my neice and nephew," Danil continued.
"I love the snow." Kyo took in the hill and tried to imagine it covered in all-white. Yes, he could visualize that too. How nice...He took notice of a cherry blossom tree and his smile widened. So, he wasn't so far from home anyway...Even better. He wondered if Danil and Peter had an interest in Japanese culture.

"This is a beautiful place, even better up close with all the plants," Kyo said, unable to keep from admiring the place. "It is nice to see all these things, when they are so uncommon in the city. Mama would sometimes put the flowers on the balcony--I think this is the word, balcony--and then they would get sun and grow beautiful. But those are the only flowers home." He grinned. "This is like Himitsu No Hanazono, The Secret Garden!"

It didn't take long before they were at the entrance to the house. Kyo was so busy examining his new abode, he almost collided with Peter, not having noticed they had stopped. Danil was facing his way and seemed suddenly concerned.

Kyo's hands tightened over the thin material of the carry-on bag.

"There is something I must ask of you before you come in. I just want to make sure. Are you allergic to dogs or cats, or do you have any problem with either of them?"

Kyo paused, then sighed. "Oh, I see...I thought I did something wrong and would be scolded." He laughed. "Haha...I do not ever have a cat or a dog, but I do not think so!" He peered around Danil's shoulder and caught a glimpse of a cute, furry little creature sitting in the window. It didn't matter if he was allergic, he seemed to have fallen for at least one of the animals already.

[Angela]

"Oh, no, not at all, Kyo," Danil said gently, smiling broadly. "We have one dog and one cat. That is why I asked. I hope you like them." For the past few minutes, ever since they had pulled up, there had been barking coming from inside the house. It was coming from right inside the front door. Zoloto was howling, crying, yipping and barking at their arrival. Danil moved to open the door, and called, "Move back, Zoloto." In a moment, he opened the door, and commanded, "Sit." Zoloto sat, wagging her tail at their entrance, her eyes lovingly on Danil and Peter... and then she saw Kyo. "Wait," Danil said to the ever faithful golden retriever.

If her tail could have wagged any faster, it would have. But still, her master had commanded her to sit and wait, so she had to do as she was told. So rather than disobey him, she gave a short yip, her eyes glitering excitedly. After everyone had entered and the door was closed, Danil nodded. "Okay, ome Zoloto!" The dog rushed over and jumped on her beloved master. Danil laughed, petting her lovingly. "This is Zoloto," he said to Kyo. "She is my dog."

Peter grinned as the dog finished showering her affection on Danil and moved over to Peter, who rewarded her with a kiss on the head. Then Zoloto came to Kyo. Rather than jump on him, she had learned not to jump on strangers. So she just sniffed him curiously, wagging her tail. Finally she licked his hands thoroughly and nuzzled against him. She bounded then into the living room.

"I hope she didn't scare you," Danil said with a chuckle, looking at the expression on Kyo's face.

The three had walked into a hallway that served as a cozy foyer. It was done in hardwood, with pale blue walls. A long blue rug with some designs on it lay in the middle of the hallway, leading from the doorway to the living room which lay some feet away and to the left. The rug also turned off to the right which led to the bedrooms.

"Right this way," Peter said, leading Kyo towards the bedrooms. Danil went with him and helped Kyo settle in. They showed him the two guest rooms.

"You can have your choice of room, out of these two," Peter explained. "We've also taken in a young man who needed a place to stay for a while, named Nicholas. He's Chinese. Anyway, he is staying in the attic. Behind that door," he said, gesturing to the door at the end of the hall, "is a flight of stairs which leads to his room. Meanwhile, your choice of rooms are these two. We figured you might like this one-" He opened the door to he pale green room, with the window. The plum blossoms, which were now arranged in a special Japanese way, were still growing as healthy as ever, and the room was filled with their luscious scent.

[Kyo Suzuki]

"Oh, no, not at all, Kyo," Danil said gently, smiling broadly. "We have one dog and one cat. That is why I asked. I hope you like them."
"Well, already, I like the animal in the window, but I do not remember if you said the name?" He gestured to the glass, but was surprised to find the cat had disappeared. Maybe he had slipped off to greet the new guest...Kyo turned back to his hosts. Danil was at the door, opening it, and suddenly, the poor exchange student was acknowledging the sounds coming from within the home.
Kyo felt a little nervous. Someone was obviously excited...Or maybe, annoyed? Did their dog not like new people? It was possible. Kyo knew of plenty of dogs whose sole purpose was to guard property. He just hoped this dog was not one of those types. He had been lucky to never encounter any as of yet and hoped to keep that record clean. Anyway, he doubted that was an option. Danil and Peter didn't seem like the types to have a grumpy-old pooch hanging around and warding off guests.

"Move back, Zoloto." In a moment, he opened the door, and commanded, "Sit."
Kyo slipped into the home slowly after Danil and Peter, still pressing the carry on bag to his chest. He was goggling at the home itself when his eyes met with an extremely excited pair of inhuman, yet somehow similarly human eyes. The dog they belonged to was beautiful. She hardly looked like the kind of dog who demanded anything other than lots of love, but Kyo still found himself torn between thrilled admiration and nervous anticipation. He had to admit, he had always laughed at the characters he had seen in movies, the ones who wake up with their pet dog lovingly, but wetly licking their faces.

"Wait," Danil said to the ever faithful golden retriever.

Kyo realized Danil must have been waiting for him to shut the door and gently pushed it closed.

"Okay, come Zoloto!"

The reaction was immediate.

The dog rushed over and jumped on her beloved master. Danil laughed, petting her lovingly. "This is Zoloto," he said to Kyo. "She is my dog."

Kyo watched the great dog bound from one master to the next. He could see how well the three of them got along, how sweet an animal she was, but he was still a little nervous when she bounded over to him. Kyo raised the carry-on bag a little higher, wondering if she might try to eat the snacks he still had inside there, then decided it didn't really matter. They were at the house now anyway.

"Hello, Zoloto." He knelt down to be closer to her height and was pleased to see she seemed to like him already, soaking his hands in doggy slobber. He laughed and rubbed them together. "Now I cannot touch anything in the house!"

"I hope she didn't scare you," Danil said with a chuckle, looking at the expression on Kyo's face.

Kyo chuckled. "Well at first...I was a little nervous. But she seems to like me, do you think? Soon I can be like all the movie characters. Shiloh's boy." He watched the pretty dog disappear off into another room then bent down to pick up the carry-on bag again.

"Right this way," Peter said, leading Kyo towards the bedrooms.
The pathway to the rooms was really short, but Kyo was still able to admire the house. Very comfortable. The whole place had a very homey feel to it, as it were. Danil and Peter had been right in deciding to choose to host an exchange student. They seemed to have it all down.

"You can have your choice of room, out of these two," Peter explained. "We've also taken in a young man who needed a place to stay for a while, named Nicholas. He's Chinese. Anyway, he is staying in the attic. Behind that door," he said, gesturing to the door at the end of the hall, "is a flight of stairs which leads to his room. Meanwhile, your choice of rooms are these two. We figured you might like this one-"

Kyo was anticipating the room he would stay in, but he had hardly assumed he would have options! His counselors for the exchange had told him to expect to be content with whatever he was given. And he got to choose!
His smile lingered. He was pretty lucky, he had to admit that much! And there was someone else staying at the house, a Chinese student...Yes, he was very lucky indeed. He could make another friend too. He wondered if the Chinese man was also an exchange student.

Kyo peeked his head into the room the men had indicated. His eyes widened. The room was gorgeous. It was perfect for someone staying at the house, even better than he could have expected, and Danil and Peter had obviously done some research on his culture to set it up the way they had. It was a nice thought, as though they wanted him to feel that he was not so far from home after all.

He already felt that way.

But what was really toying with his childish affections was the bed.
"A....a king size bed? For...me?"
If this was a movie, Kyo knew he would be spouting tears of joy. He wanted to drop everything, charge over to the bed, jump on it, roll in it...A king size bed!?!

[Angela]

Danil grinned, patting Kyo on the back. "Of course. We can afford such luxuries, and we have the desire and the space for them. There's a king-size bed in each bedroom. There's also a sofa in the attic," he added.

"Welcome to America, Kyo. Would you like to see the other room you could stay in?" Peter asked. The three of them went across the hall to the other room. The lavender flowers in the blue vase had also been arranged slightly different, in another Japanese pattern.

[Nicholas Wu]

Nicholas was working in his new room, hunched over the desk that had been installed into his bedroom. He was glancing at different job applications he had picked up while wandering around Pittsburgh.

His first few days in the city had been very...tense. While Pittsburgh wasn't anything like San Francisco, the big, city-like atmosphere intimidated him a little. He was so used to his tiny sub-urban town in Connecticut. His first few ventures out had been to watch the people, see what they were like, as well as explore the city. After a while, though, he began to search for places that were hiring. He'd checked the newspapers, checked online, but ultimately tried to avoid the embarrassing task of going into a shop and actually asking if they were hiring. He'd found several jobs, anyway, and was filling out various different forms, hoping to get some job--any job--to help Danil and Peter pay for the luxury place he was staying in. The two of them weren't much older than him, after all.

Finally getting a little sleepy from the busywork, Nicholas reached out for his glass of water and found that it was empty. He sighed. He would have to go refill it. The water was what was getting him through every single boring piece of paper in front of him.

Getting up from his chair, he left the bedroom and through the attic to the stairwell, heading down and then out to the second floor landing.

As Nicholas passed the guest bedrooms, he stopped. He could clearly make out three figures in the larger of the guest bedrooms. At first he was stumped. Then, he remembered. Danil and Peter had gone to pick up an exchange student from Japan who they had offered to host, who he, internally, was excited to meet, but, externally, was a little nervous. He wasn't sure how the exchange student would react to him. He knew now that this had to be the exchange student.

Feeling a little awkward, he peered into the room and tried to smile. "Uhh, hello. Welcome," he said, giving a small wave. He couldn't see the exchange student's face yet, but he wondered if he or she knew he was also staying here.

[Kyo Suzuki]

"Of course. We can afford such luxuries, and we have the desire and the space for them. There's a king-size bed in each bedroom. There's also a sofa in the attic," he added.
Danil gave Kyo a pat on the back like they were old buddies. Kyo wouldn't have minded if the room had just a plain, old twin-size bed. A king size bed was like a dream! An extra luxury! Even the fanciest hotels he had been to didn't supply king-size beds. He turned and faced his two hosts with his usual broad grin.

"Welcome to America, Kyo. Would you like to see the other room you could stay in?" Peter asked.
Kyo was almost ready to say that he didn't even mind just taking this one, it was certainly pleasant enough, and he wasn't picky, but he found himself following Danil and Peter to the next room anyway.
This one was very similar to the green one they had just left from, though there appeared to be no window. A bigger closet, that was for sure, but no window.

Kyo thought about the few belongings he had brought, his small suitcase now sitting somewhere near the front door, and how much he would really love to wake up with the sun shining through a window.
"This room is very nice, but a window...Yes, I think I would prefer the other one, if that is okay? Maybe if I was a girl I would ask for this room and then demand someone drill a window into the wall." He laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. "Then I would have maybe five suitcases. So is this okay? That I take the other room?"

He was looking at the two men to see their responses, when there came a sound from the doorway.
"Uhh, hello. Welcome."
Kyo curiously peered around his two hosts to see the speaker. He could have guessed who it would be by what Danil and Peter had told him earlier, but the man's evident Chinese nationality proved it without a word.

Kyo smiled. The other man was obviously older than him, but he still looked very young, maybe a few years younger than Peter? Kyo wasn't sure.
Anyway, he knew it didn't matter. Whoever he was, whatever his name was, he looked just as amiable as the other two men. Kyo scooted around his two hosts to make the other guest's acquaintance.
He bowed lowed. "Xie xie! Nihao ma? (Thank you! Hello!)" He giggled. "See, I can say in Chinese. But that is all I know."

[Angela]

Danil laughed at Kyo's words about the closets. "Of course it is okay, Kyo. That's why we say, it is your choice. When you get settled in, we have some food ready for you, all homemade. We hope you will enjoy it." He turned to Nic, who had just come in. "Ah, Nic!"

Peter laughed. "Oh, speak of the devil! Nic, we were just talking about you! This is Kyo, our exchange student," he said, patting Kyo on the shoulder.

[Nicholas Wu]

The exchange student was a boy, and very clearly of Japanese descent. Nicholas saw the teenager peer around from behind Danil and Peter, a grin on his face.

The boy moved closer to Nicholas before bowing respectfully and saying, "Xie xie! Nihao ma? (Thank you! Hello!)" He giggled. "See, I can say in Chinese. But that is all I know."

Nicholas bowed back slightly. He read the boy's lips and couldn't help smiling. He could tell that the Japanese boy's Chinese pronounciation was very good. The English was harder for Nicholas to read, but at least he had tried speaking to him. Nicholas nodded to the boy in response and said softly, "Bu ke qi. Ni de zhongwen hen hao...(You're welcome. Your Chinese is very good...)"

Nicholas turned to look at Peter, who had begun speaking.

"Oh, speak of the devil! Nic, we were just talking about you! This is Kyo, our exchange student," he said, patting Kyo on the shoulder.

Kyo, that was the boy's name. Nicholas looked back at Kyo. There was something about this boy--he seemed so optimistic...cheerful and just plain nice. Nicholas hadn't really talked to him yet, but this was the kind of personality he could already sense emulating from the younger boy. In fact, the boy's "happy" personality was almost infectious. Though Nicholas had gotten a headache from reading through tons of job applications, the headache seemed to be dissolving. He actually felt a little happier himself.

Trying to smile encouragingly, he said to the younger boy, "Very pleased to meet you, Kyo. You have been to America before?"

[Kyo Suzuki]

"Bu ke qi. Ni de zhongwen hen hao...(You're welcome. Your Chinese is very good...)"
Kyo blinked, blank for a second as he tried to recall his lessons of basic Chinese. He reminded himself that he needed to keep working on that, as soon as he understood Nicolas' response.

"Very pleased to meet you, Kyo. You have been to America before?"
Kyo's eyes lit up, but he shook his head. He was suddenly reminded of how lucky he was to be here, how envious all the kids back home had been when he'd told them he was going to America for a year of schooling. He could just imagine how greatly his English would have improved by the time he returned. He knew much of his was flawed and might even need some sort of special attention...Th's sounding like z's, and whatnot.
"So nice also to meet you. This is my first time here but I love it already! Everyone so friendly!"

Kyo paused, unsure what else to say--he had already been a lot more talkative with his new "family" than he was with most other people he had only just met. Feeling a little awkward with such a loss for words, he turned to his hosts and said, "Thank you very much for hosting me. I will gladly take the first bedroom. And also, I have some gifts for you."
Reddening in the realization that he had nothing for his fellow guest, Nicholas, he bit his lip and told him honestly, "I am afraid to not have the knowledge of another guest so I did not bring anything else! But..." He suddenly found that there was a very simple solution to the problem. "...even though it will not be made in Japan, I will make it up to you!" He rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Yes, I will find something else!"

[Angela]

"Oh, Kyo, how very kind of you," Danil commented when the boy said he had gifts for the two hosts. "We're glad to have you in our home. We look forward to introducing the two of you to our families as well. In fact, my brother and his family, as well as my father and his wife and daughter, will be coming to join us for dinner shortly. They are anxious to meet you." He smiled.

"And sometime soon, you can both meet my side of the family," Peter added. "They are looking forward to that too."

Zoloto bounded in at that moment, jumping on Kyo so hard that he nearly fell to the bed from the force.

"Zoloto!" Danil exclaimed with a laugh. The dog carried a large stuffed bone in her mouth. The bone was just fabric stuffed with cotton. Already, there were small holes in the toy where the golden retriever had bitten through. She offered the toy to Kyo, offering the toy to him while still keeping it tightly in her mouth.

"Don't worry, she is harmless, I promise you," Danil said, though he had said so before. At the look on Kyo's face, he felt compelled to reassure him.

"She just wants to play," Peter said with a laugh.

The dog suddenly stopped, dropped the toy into Kyo's lap, and stood at attention, barking in an attentive tone. Such behavior might have scared Kyo and Nic, but Danil and Peter were not worried. After some six years of having her, Danil knew his dog's mannerisms and what they meant.

"It's all right," Danil insisted as the doorbell rang, chiming a few notes of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake in a bell.

"She does that whenever someone's at the door," Peter explained. "I'll get it," he said, and promptly excused himself to answer the door.

"Probably my father, or my brother," Danil explained, patting the dog lovingly on the head. "Good girl," he praised. The front door opened, though only Zoloto could hear, and she barked and meant to rush towards the door. "No, Zoloto, stay here," Danil admonished gently. The dog looked at him, confused. He chuckled and took the toy from Kyo's lap and offered it to Zoloto. The dog looked at it in thought, and finally chomped down on it, tugging playfully. "When we have a lot of visitors like this, I try to keep her occupied until everyone is settled in," Danil explained as the dog wrenched the toy from him. Immediately, however, she offered the toy back to him, and the tug-of-war resumed.

"Hey, guys!" Peter said, back at the front doorway. "Come on in!"

Andrei Androov entered with his red-haired three year-old-daughter, Iris. Behind them came Lily Andropov, formerly Lily Blake. Andrei had been paralyzed from the waist down for several years, but four years ago, he underwen risky surgery and afterwards was able to walk again. The brown-haired man smiled and, after stepping inside, embraced Peter, kissing his cheeks.

"It's good to see you as well. We weren't sure what time you would get back. Is the exchange student here yet?"

"His name is Kyo, and yes, he's here," Peter replied, taking two beautifully-wrapped packages from him. One was marked "To Nicholas," the other was blank.

"Oh, how nice. We weren't sure what his name was. Can we mark his presents before he sees them?" Lily asked, stepping inside.

"Absolutely!" Peter smiled. "It's so great to have you over again. Hey, Iris!" he said, kneeling to her level so she could hug him. He ran his hand through her hair affectionately, and then stood up to greet Lily, who had a large shopping bag in her hands. "Let me take that," he offered, putting the boxes in one hand, the bag in the oher, then kissed her cheek. "They're in the green room. I'll go set these down in the living room."

"Such a gentleman," Lily smiled lovingly, her red hair pulled back in a sensible, elegant braid, with floral accents. "Thank you, Peter."

"My pleasure. You guys want to come into the living room?" he asked, gesturing to where the living room was beyond the foyer.

"Sure," Andrei answered, and the four went into the living room. Iris immediately snatched up Vaska, who was lounging on the seat of one of the recliners, licking himself casually.

"Be gentle, Iris," Andrei cautioned as she snuggled with him a little too tightly, causing the cat to growl.

"Vaska, you be nice," Peter admonished, tapping the cat on his nose.

"So what's he like? And what about the young man who's ging to be renting from you? He is going to pay rent, isn't he?" Andrei asked, raising his eyebrows. Lily had grabbed a pen and was quickly marking Kyo's name on the blank gifts - and there were a lot of them, for both Kyo and Nicholas.

"Hey, originally we didn't want to charge him rent, but he insisted. He also wants to pay for his own food and stuff. He says he wants to pull his own weight, which I think is pretty admirable. But you know, we didn't say to his dad, 'Oh, sure your kid is in a jam. We'll be happy to take him in, but only if he pays.' You know us, we're not like that."

"I think it's admirable of you both to offer your home to people who need it, and in Kyo's case, to people who want a different life for a while," Lily praised. "It's also very good that Nicholas wants to help out around here, that speaks well of him too."

"Nic is a really great guy. I'm sure you'll love him. And Kyo, wow. We have only just met him, but he is a sweet kid. You should have seen his face when we showed him the rooms he could stay in!" Peter laughed.

"So which room did he choose?" Andrei asked.

"The green one. He wanted a window," Peter explained.

"That's wonderful. I hope he likes my decorating," Lily said.

"He loves it. I think he was really impressed with it. You did an amazing job with this house, Lily. We can't thank you enough for making this house a home."

"Oh, well, it was my pleasure. It's not every day I get to experiment with my ideas."

"I keep telling her she should go back to college and get a degree in that," Andrei piped up.

"But I love being a nurse. Interior design is just a hobby, really," Lily pointed out.

"Yeah, and you do a great job with it. I can't thank you enough for helping me out with my shoulder injury two months ago," Peter commented.

"Again, it was my pleasure, Peter." Lily stood up from where she was seated so she could go and kiss Peter's head.

"Where's Zoloto?" Iris asked. Vaska had already managed to jump from her tiny arms and hide elsewhere in the house.

"She's with Danil in the green room. You can go in and play with her," Andrei said. Lily nodded, and Iris happily ran towards the bedrooms' hallway.

"Don't run!" Lily called, and Iris slowed down a tiny bit, and came to the green room.

"Zoloto!" the little girl exclaimed as she ran right inside.

"Zoloto, sit. Iris, what do you say?" Danil asked. Iris looked at him, then at the two young men with him. She stopped andcurtsied.

"Hello! I'm Iris Andropov!" she said.

"My sister," Danil explained. "Iris, this is Kyo, our exchange student, and this is Nic. He's staying with us as well." He gestured to the two of them.

Iris grinned and went over to Kyo. She bowed to him in the Japanese fashion. "Welcome to America!" she said cheerfully. She turned to Nic. Unaware of the differences between the two, she gave the same kind of greeting, bowing. "Welcome to America!"

Danil stifled a laugh at how silly that must have been to Nic, who had been in America most of his life, according to his father.

All this time, Zoloto remained in her sitting position, obeying her master's command, but wagging her tail as she looked at Iris lovingly.

Iris was skinny for her age, but slightly taller than most three-year-olds. Her red hair was done much like her mother's, in an elegant braid with floral accents. She was wearing a light short-sleeved white blouse, with a pale blue skirt. She was waring pale blue shoes, and white nylons.

"So where's Papa and your Mama?" Danil asked.

"Living room," Iris replied absently, still looking at Kyo and Nic with curiosity. Danil nodded in understanding.

[Kyo Suzuki]

OOC: Aw, poor Angie! No worries, I had no trouble with the site format! Either way works fine for me! :-D
I will tell you that I loved your response...I just, LOVED it!

IC:
"Oh, Kyo, how very kind of you," Danil commented when the boy said he had gifts for the two hosts.

Kyo waved a bashful hand and set the carry-on bag down on what would soon be his new bed. It had been getting a little heavy anyway. "It is nothing."

"We're glad to have you in our home. We look forward to introducing the two of you to our families as well. In fact, my brother and his family, as well as my father and his wife and daughter, will be coming to join us for dinner shortly. They are anxious to meet you." He smiled.

"And sometime soon, you can both meet my side of the family," Peter added. "They are looking forward to that too."

"Your family?" Kyo's eyes widened. He suddenly found himself a lot more nervous than he had been at the airport. Danil's family was coming...and soon!
A thousand thoughts were suddenly racing through his mind at once.
What if they didn't like him? What if he did something goofy or disrespectful? He wasn't sure of the household's customs, not even of all the American traditions. He didn't want to accidentally insult any of Danil's family members and disrespe--

"Oof!"
Kyo didn't have the opportunity to finish his dramatic train of thought, as Zoloto suddenly appeared in the room and pounced on him.
It might have been even scarier had he been expecting it. Kyo tumbled to the floor in shocked laughter, secretly thanking Zoloto for knocking him to his senses. He could be nervous all he wanted about Danil's family arriving. He would be the best guest he could be. He would make his family back home and this new family proud.

"Zoloto!" Danil exclaimed with a laugh.

Kyo giggled. He extended a hand to the dog to take the toy she was offering him, but she wouldn't let go.
Kyo angled his head to the side, confused. "You do not want to play?" He released the toy, wondering if he was upsetting the animal. He did not want to roughhouse the dog too much just yet. After all, they had only just met each other, though Zoloto was treating him like it had been a lifetime of pet love between them.

"Don't worry, she is harmless, I promise you," Danil said, though he had said so before. At the look on Kyo's face, he felt compelled to reassure him.

"She just wants to play," Peter said with a laugh.

Kyo watched the dog dump the toy in his lap, did a double blink, then looked up at Danil for a response. He wasn't really sure what Zoloto wanted...He wasn't familiar with dog behavior, as he was rarely around them.

"It's all right," Danil insisted as the doorbell rang, chiming a few notes of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake in a bell.

"She does that whenever someone's at the door," Peter explained. "I'll get it," he said, and promptly excused himself to answer the door.

Kyo allowed Danil to take the toy from him and watched, grinning, as his host began playing with Zoloto. She really was a good dog. Very obedient. She had even refrained from welcoming the new arrivals to the house. Danil had swept her up into a game of tug-of-war.
The exchange student heard the front door open, Peter's voice was greeting someone, then there were voices he didn't know and words he could not make out.
Kyo looked at his hands. They were shaking a little. He really was nervous, all over again, and yet he had no idea why. He looked over to Nic to see if he felt the same way, but he couldn't tell. The other young Asian man looked rather passive to him.

Kyo rubbed his hands together. He would not be nervous, he assured himself once more. He reached out an arm to pet Zoloto's golden coat, when a little girl came toddling into the room.

"Zoloto!" the little girl exclaimed as she ran right inside.

"Zoloto, sit. Iris, what do you say?" Danil asked. Iris looked at him, then at the two young men with him. She stopped andcurtsied.

"Hello! I'm Iris Andropov!" she said.

"My sister," Danil explained. "Iris, this is Kyo, our exchange student, and this is Nic. He's staying with us as well." He gestured to the two of them.

"Welcome to America! Welcome to America!"

When the little girl came over to him, Kyo pushed himself up onto his knees so that he was roughly the same height as her. A smile lit up his face once more and he bowed as low as he could, as if she were a princess.
"Thank you! You are Princess Iris, because you look and behave like a Princess. Should I call you this?" Kyo chuckled and looked up to Danil. "She is so ca-yut-ah. I like her very much!"

[Angela]

Iris giggled. "Thank you! Princess Iris!" She looked at her brother, who chuckled as he offered a hand to Kyo to help him up.

"All right, now that you've said hello, you may play with Zoloto," Danil said. "But be gentle," he added as Iris bounded for Zoloto and hugged her lovingly. The dog immediately showered her affection on her by liking her. "Why don't we go meet my father and stepmother?" he asked Kyo and Nic. "I know they are anious to meet you both."

Iris followed the three boys as they walked out, and Zoloto followed Iris happily jumping up on her, but not enough to knock her down. She was very gentle to her master's sister.

"Hey," Danil said with a grin as he saw Andrei and Lily. Lily had finished with the packages and was now sitting where she was, just talking with Peter. "This is Kyo Suzuki, and Nicholas Wu. This is my father, Andrei Anatolyevich, and my stepmother, Lily."

Andrei and Lily stood up and bowed to Kyo deeply. "We're so happy that you came," Lily said with a gentle smile. "It's an honor to have you both as part of our family." She understood that Kyo was the exchange student, and Ni was just staying with them, but still, she embraced them both as if they were family.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," Andrei agreed with a nod. "We have gifts for you both," he added, gesturing to the two piles of bags and boxes.

[Nicholas Wu]

Nicholas was happy to see that he had somehow made Kyo happy with his very indifferent question. Kyo's eyes had lit up the moment he'd said it. Then, the younger boy began shaking his head and spoke.

"So nice also to meet you. This is my first time here but I love it already! Everyone so friendly!"

Nicholas smiled and watched as Kyo turned to Peter and Danil, telling them something also. He saw Kyo form the word "gifts", but could not make anything else out when all he could see was Kyo's profile. Perhaps he was saying that he has brought gifts as thanks, Nicholas thought. He couldn't help thinking, perhaps it had been rude of him, not to bring anything. After all, what Danil and Peter were doing for him was very kind.

He began to feel a little upset with himself for not having even considered a gift, but he didn't have time to mope for too long. Immediately, Kyo spun around, biting his lip and looking a little upset himself.

"I am afraid to not have the knowledge of another guest so I did not bring anything else! But...

Nicholas' eyes widened. "Oh no! It's okay," he said, waving Kyo off with his hands. "It's fine, I don't mind."

But it seemed Kyo had already come up with a solution to his dilemma. "...even though it will not be made in Japan, I will make it up to you!" He rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Yes, I will find something else!"

Nicholas looked at him, nearly speechless. "Uhh..." He brushed a hand through his hair, looked down at the floor, and then back at Kyo. "It's really okay...uhh...Kyo. Please don't feel obligated," he added quietly.

"Oh, Kyo, how very kind of you," Danil commented when the boy said he had gifts for the two hosts. "We're glad to have you in our home. We look forward to introducing the two of you to our families as well. In fact, my brother and his family, as well as my father and his wife and daughter, will be coming to join us for dinner shortly. They are anxious to meet you." He smiled.

"And sometime soon, you can both meet my side of the family," Peter added. "They are looking forward to that too."

Nicholas listened to what Danil and Peter were saying and felt his stomach tighten up. While there was nothing wrong with meeting the families of such nice people, Nicholas didn't like being with too many people at the same time, especially when he would be the center of attention. He felt a little worried and strained, probably from all the work he had been doing, and was hoping it wasn't showing on his face.

Just then, a massive force pushed past him, into the room. Nicholas was nearly slammed backwards into the door frame as Zoloto the dog bounded past him into the room and pounced onto Kyo.

"Oof!"

The younger boy tumbled to the floor, laughing--or crying, Nicholas couldn't tell. He watched from the door and realized that Kyo was laughing. Even if he had been hurt, the boy was still very cheerful and excited to be here. He was playing with the dog now, trying to get the toy from her. Danil and Peter and Kyo were talking, while Nicholas watched from the doorway, when suddenly, all three heads swiveled around to face the door. Nicholas, shocked out of his train of thought, stood up taller, wondering why they were staring at him.

"I'll get it," Peter said.

Nicholas watched as the younger of his two hosts brushed past him, out of the room. What was going on? Was the phone ringing? Nicholas thought to ask but decided against it. Danil and Kyo were playing so happily with Zoloto, that he figured it would be rude to interrupt them.

He became lost in thought once more. But then, not too long after, Kyo looked up of his own accord, and he was looking at Nicholas. Nic wondered if they were expecting something of him. He was going to ask if he had missed something, because he felt very awkward indeed, when suddenly he felt something brush past him into the room for the third time that day. He looked down and was surprised to see a little girl toddling into the room.

"Zoloto, sit. Iris, what do you say?" Danil asked. Iris looked at him, then at the two young men with him. She stopped and curtsied.

"Hello! I'm Iris Andropov!" she said.

"My sister," Danil explained. "Iris, this is Kyo, our exchange student, and this is Nic. He's staying with us as well." He gestured to the two of them.

Nicholas could not help thinking the little girl was adorable. She had beautiful bright red hair and a innocent smile on her face. She looked so happy.

"Welcome to America! Welcome to America!" She was saying.

It was too much. Nicholas tried to hide his laughter. The little girl made him feel so cheerful. He watched as she bowed, Japanese fashion, to Kyo. She then turned to Nicholas and performed the same bow again. Nicholas, now grinning, bowed back, simply to appease her and show his respect.

Danil asked the little girl a question, and she responded "Living room", her eyes still roaming from Kyo to Nic.

Nicholas watched, feeling almost content because the little girl was so happy. She was giggling when Danil helped Kyo back to his feet and as Zoloto began playing with her.

"Why don't we go meet my father and stepmother?" Danil asked Kyo and Nic. "I know they are anxious to meet you both."

Nicholas paled. No wonder Iris had suddenly appeared! Danil's family was already here! "Oh, uh..." Nicholas realized that his voice was going to stutter, so he decided not to say anything at all. He was still hoping for that glass of water, but it was going to have to wait.

Danil left the room first, and Nicholas allowed Kyo out before following after them. Iris was tagging along behind, Zoloto at her heels. Nicholas felt a slight wave of nausea pass over him as he began to dread meeting Danil's family. What if they didn't like him? What if they thought he was imposing? Or maybe he was just overreacting. After all, he'd gotten very little sleep for the past few nights and had been working hard to make sure he'd have a job to pay his fair share of the house's rent. Still...

"Hey," Danil said with a grin.

They had finally reached the living room. Nicholas' stomach flipflopped when they entered, but he tried not to show how nervous he was. He stood beside Kyo, looking very passive. Danil began to introduce them.

"This is Kyo Suzuki, and Nicholas Wu. This is my father, Andrei Anatolyevich, and my stepmother, Lily."

Andrei and Lily stood up and bowed to Kyo deeply. "We're so happy that you came," Lily said with a gentle smile. "It's an honor to have you both as part of our family."

Nicholas tried to smile for them. They both already seemed very friendly. He watched as Lily bowed to Kyo, then embraced him. She then moved to Nicholas, and Nicholas reached out to complete the hug. Even if Lily was a perfect stranger, it actually felt good--almost relieving--to be hugged by someone.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," Andrei agreed with a nod. "We have gifts for you both," he added, gesturing to the two piles of bags and boxes.

Nicholas looked at where the man was pointing and felt sick all over again. More presents! And Nicholas hadn't brought any! "I-It's okay," he croaked. His voice had gone hoarse from lack of water. Hadn't he known he would need that water sooner or later? "It's okay," he repeated, for clarity. "You...don't have to give me anything." He didn't want to speak for Kyo, who he knew actually deserved a gift, considering he had thought to give one in exchange.

[Angela]

Once they arrived in the living room, Iris plopped right down on the floor with Zoloto.

"Iris, your dress!" Lily exclaimed. She sat down and patted her lap. "Come here, darling."

Iris obeyed her mother, and was followed by Zoloto.

"Zoloto, go play," Danil said, and gestured for Kyo and Nic to sit down. "So, would you like to open your gifts now, or would you prefer to wait until after my brother and his family arrive? We could even wait until after dinner if you like."

[Kyo Suzuki]

Kyo laughed at Iris' expression. He wondered if he had confused her. His accent was obviously strong. He watched her turn her attention back to Zoloto and directed his own at Danil, who was addressing both Nic and him.

"Why don't we go meet my father and stepmother?" he asked Kyo and Nic. "I know they are anious to meet you both."
Kyo felt a little sick again, but allowed Danil to help him to his feet, then took a quick look at what could be considered his "host brother", Nic, who was looking equally pale. His tan skin had turned a fair shade of white. Funny, they were both so nervous for something that really couldn't be all that intimidating. Kyo had to admit, selfish as it was, that he felt a little better having someone nearby who was just as confused and nervous as he was.

The three of them left the guest room for where Peter and Danil's family were waiting, Iris hurriedly toddling out of the room behind them.

"Hey," Danil said with a grin as he saw Andrei and Lily. Lily had finished with the packages and was now sitting where she was, just talking with Peter. "This is Kyo Suzuki, and Nicholas Wu. This is my father, Andrei Anatolyevich, and my stepmother, Lily."

Andrei and Lily stood up and bowed to Kyo deeply. "We're so happy that you came," Lily said with a gentle smile. "It's an honor to have you both as part of our family." She understood that Kyo was the exchange student, and Ni was just staying with them, but still, she embraced them both as if they were family.

Kyo met the parents' eyes and smiled shyly. He found he wasn't as bubbly around them as he had been around Danil and Peter upon their first meet. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he had the feeling it had to do with his usual case of making good first impressions and being sure to be respectful to one's elders.
He made sure to bow lower than Lily at her gesture, as was the traditional Japanese custom for a younger person greeting an older one. He was grateful that she was greeting him this way, it was very kind of her. He was a little surprised by her hug, but decided this must be the way they did things in America, and made sure to hug her back very tightly.
"Thank you, arigato gozaimasu, very nice to meet you also." Kyo bowed until Lily approached Nic to welcome him in an embrace.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," Andrei agreed with a nod. "We have gifts for you both," he added, gesturing to the two piles of bags and boxes.

Kyo looked Andrei's way. His eyes widened. "Present-o?" Kyo followed Andrei's gesture over to a large pile of packages. His heart skipped a beat or two and he swallowed a lump in his throat. He hadn't thought to buy presents for Danil and Peter's family...Were they expecting such a gesture? Maybe it had been in the host family suggestion guide given to him when he first applied to be an exchange student. He felt a little silly...How could he not know something so basic?

Kyo looked to first Danil, then Peter, as if they could give him the answer to his dilemma. Their gifts were still sitting in the guest bedroom where he had left them.
Looking Nic's way, Kyo could tell the other Asian man also seemed at a loss for words about the presents. Looking his way, seeing his completely stumped reacton, Kyo decided the situation was funnier than anything else. It occurred to him that it would probably seem ruder to refuse the gifts rather than just accept them with whole-hearted thanks. He nudged Nic with an elbow and nodded his head toward the presents.
"I think that the more rude thing is not to accept them, even though I also feel a little bad about taking gifts."

He said it in a whisper, hoping Danil's words to Zoloto would block it out. Then he almost smacked himself for his stupidity. Nic couldn't hear him!

"Zoloto, go play," Danil said, and gestured for Kyo and Nic to sit down. "So, would you like to open your gifts now, or would you prefer to wait until after my brother and his family arrive? We could even wait until after dinner if you like."

Kyo gratefully took the chair offered to him and politely shook his head. "I think that I can wait, though I am so grateful that you have thought of me so gen-rously. I regret I do not have gifts for you also, just my host family...I am sorry. But I told Ni-ge-las the same thing. That I can make it up to him later on! Does this sound good?"

[Nicholas Wu]

Nicholas bowed his head, waiting for something to happen. He didn't want to accept a gift when he had not even considered one in return. He didn't need it, anyway. This family was being too kind--they really had gone out of their way!

All of a sudden, he felt someone elbow him. He looked and saw Kyo staring at him. The younger boy nodded towards the presents and said,

"I think that the more rude thing is not to accept them, even though I also feel a little bad about taking gifts."

Nicholas had to pay close attention to understand what the boy was saying. Reading his lips was difficult because the young Japanese exchange student spoke with an accent. Nic was barely able to make out what he had said. He wasn't sure how to respond.

He was spared the trouble of actually responding, however, when Danil motioned for him and Kyo to take a seat. Nicholas followed the younger boy over to a set of chairs and sat down. There seemed to be a slightly unnatural silence to the situation, different from what Nicholas was mostly used to. He figured it was probably something only he could sense--after all, the family was very happy, and even Kyo--who might be a little confused and nervous--was beginning to settle in. Nicholas was the only one who was still very uncomfortable. What was wrong with him? Why did he get like this whenever he was meeting new people?

He felt really stupid. And yet, there was nothing he could do about how uncomfortable he was. He sighed and looked up in time to see Danil speaking once more.

"So, would you like to open your gifts now, or would you prefer to wait until after my brother and his family arrive? We could even wait until after dinner if you like."

Nicholas watched as Kyo eagerly began to respond. He didn't really know what to say. He didn't want to insult the family by denying the gift. But he also felt too awful to actually accept it.

He knew it was foolish, but he decided all he could really do was put it off. He couldn't make a decision, even over something so small. When he noticed Kyo had finished speaking, he quietly added, "I can wait. Thank you."

[Angela]

Danil smiled. "All right, we can just sit and talk for a while, and then when my brother gets here, we can eat. Sit down, sit down," he said, gesturing to the chairs in the room. Iris plopped on the floor and Zoloto started sniffing her, wagging her tail lovingly. She had a stuffed yellow duck in her mouth.

Everyone spoke slowly so Kyo could understand, asking him various questions about his background, his family, the place where he lived and so on. Soon the doorbell rang again, and Danil answered it this itme. It was, of course, Zhenya. They followed Danil inside to the living room.

"This is my brother, Evgeni Alekseievich," he said, gesturing to him, "his wife, Ekaterina Alexandrovna, his mother, Maria Ilishina, and these are his children, Margarita and Miroslav."

"Just call me Zhenya," Evgeni said with a bow. Katya followed with a bow of her own.

"Just call me Katya," she said, but in Japanese. "I learned Japanese from my utors several years back," she explained.

Zhenya blushed but said nothing.

"Just call me Masha, or Maria," Maria told Kyo.

"You can just call this little girl Rita, and the young man is Slava," Zhenya said with pride as he patted his children on the shoulders.

It was a conversation that seemed perfectly normal except for one thing. Everyone was making gestures with their hands as they spoke. Danil wasn't sure if Kyo would understand what this meant, so he explained.

"My nephew is deaf, so we talk in sign language as we speak so that he can keep up with the conversation. We can teach you if you like- both of you," he added to Nicholas. "Whenever you want, we can go out to the patio and eat," he added.

"Might as well go now, when everything is piping hot," Zhenya said with a shrug.

The group of them went through the kitchen, which still smelled of garlic and spices, yet was spotless, not a sign of dirty dishes, probably because they were hidden away in the dishwasher. A set of French doors led out from the large kitchen to the vast patio. The group followed Danil out to the patio. Once there, the long rectangular table was all set decoratively, and on either side of the table were ornately-arranged flowers in the Japanese fashion, similar to the guest rooms.

The patio itself was decorated in shades of green. It was also entirely enclosed in glass, with the exception of the back of the house. The glass was done in the French design, just like the French doors that led t the patio. There were curtains that were drawn so that everyone could see out to the full backyard, which was huge. It had fruit trees scattered through the yard, of apple, peach, plum, and cherry blossoms, also flowering dogwoods on either side of the patio, their branches hanging own and waving to those in the patio through the glass in the gentle breeze. Even maple and oak trees were seen in the yard too. There were plenty o areas where there was just grass, and in the middle of the yard, surrounded by grass, was a pine tree that towered overhead. As everyone sat down they could see various kinds of flowers blooming around he house, much like the kinds that grew in front, but there were different ones as well. There was a group of lavender blossoms in a bunch growing at the base of the patio. Lilacs were not far off, and on eiher side of he house were rose bushes. The area they were in led out to a smaller area, and from that enclosed area, a staircase went up o the second floor.

The table was arranged with a bounty of Japanese foods, including sushi. They weren't sure what Kyo liked, so Peter and Danil made a variety of dishes, pork, chicken, vegetables, lamb, and seafood.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Danil asked.