Thump.

"Get off of me!"

"Sorry..."

"Ow, that's my hand! You stepped on my hand!"

Seth had landed horizontally on top of Nyx. As a playful smile began to form on his lips...

Nyx pushes him off of her. "Don't even think about it." Under her breath she mutters, "Ecchi."

The trenchcoat-clad girl took in their surroundings. A crowd of scantily clad beach goers in bikinis and board shorts had gathered around them.

"Uh--" was all Seth could say, as he stared at the Bay Watch wannabees.

"Awww...shimatte!" Nyx pounded her fist on the sand.

The imperssionist art work on the sides of buildings and the abundance of street performers, spandex, and bare mid drifts could only suggest one possible conlusion. Celly had sent them to Venice Beach, California.

Nyx stomped off with Seth following closely behind.

"How did we end up here?" he asked.

Celly's words came echoing back at her, "HammerSpace is defective... sometimes you don't get want you want or end up where you want to go..."

"Nevermind about that." She noticed Seth had been sizing her up. "What?" Nyx began dusing herself. "Something on my back?" She twisted her head to look behind her.

"No. I'm thinking we need to blend in."

Nyx responed with a raised eyebrow.

And before you can say "hentai" ...................................

Nyx quickly whirls around.

"Don't look at me!" she cowered.

Nyx had made a quick change. She had traded in her black trench coat and morbid dreads for another extreme. On her feet were hemp sandals; she had on skimpy, khaki cargo shorts and a grey bikini top. She had worn her hair down, swooshing it from side to side.

"What?" she asked when she noticed Seth's mouth beginning to salavate.

"Why don't you dress like that more often?"

Nyx grabbed her trenchcoat from Seth and threw it over her shoulders.

"Because I choose not to flounce around like a common whore, thank you." Nyx smiled as a pair of roller bladers passed them. "You know, that looks good... Maybe we can get some surfing in while we're here, eh?"

Seth scooted closeer to her, his hand wrapped around her waist, as he pulled her body to him. "Since there are no psycho chicks from hell. What do you say...."

"Hentai! Get away from me!" Nyx tried to push him from her.

Meanwhile a man who was standing not too far off from the two saw what to his eyes looked like Seth harassing Nyx.

A hand grabed Seth and suddenly, he was thrown clear across to the wooden railing of the pier. He landed on the boardwalk with a 'thud.'

Nyx looked up and her mouth gaped open, her jaw, dropped. Standing before her was a tall, man with flowing blonde hair. His hair and face and eyes seemed to sparkle as he smiled down a her. He had on a pair of black trunks with blue stripes going down the side of them -- he was bare chested.

"Uh--uh...." was all she could say.

Seth lay unconscious on the board walk as people steeped over him.

"I saw he was bothering you. I apologize for having been too harsh."

Nyx knew that she had come face to face with Nakago-sama's reincarnation.

"Nani-chan?" Nyx asked feebly.

The man who looked like Nani-chan smiled. "My name is Nikolas."

Nyx fainted.

He caught her in his arms. "Was it something I said?"

to be continued......