"I just find myself trying to figure out some sort of rhyme or reason to your established habits," Hisoka replied carefully. "Clearly, the kitchen is well taken-care-of, and it is your space. I only wondered if there are other such anomalies in the house, and why they seem to exist." He was experimenting a bit, he would admit that. He wanted to see what kind of reaction a straight-forward answer would get, since a simplistic answer didn't seem to be satisfactory enough.

Kris sniffed carefully and nodded at that when she didn't smell a lie. "Alright," she agreed. "That is acceptable, if we must endure this." She leaned back against the counter, taking a sip of her coffee. "The library is clean too."

"The library..." Yes, Hisoka remembered Aurellia saying that the library wasn't an issue... "Is the library yours, or is it hers?" he asked. It was also possible that the library was mutual space, but the entire house seemed to be mutual space, so why would one mutual room be clean if the rest wasn't?

"Hers. I have some things in there, but it's her space." Kris shrugged. It had never been an issue before now. They kept clean what needed to be clean, and everything else was fair game.

Fascinating. Hisoka had never come across such a paradox before. Each had two rooms that were claimed as their own, but only one room each was kept clean, and he couldn't understand why.

"Interesting," he commented finally. "Only a couple more questions, then... Do you have a day job? And if you do, how would we be able to reach if if your assistance is required for some stage of the organizational process?"

"I don't work at the moment." Kris managed a sardonic smile. She didn't mention that she was independently wealthy through very creative accounting and investment over the past couple hundred years. "So that will not be a problem."

She froze when she heard Sesshomaru approaching them, and a moment later he stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, glancing between the two. He quirked an eyebrow, and Kristine glared at him. Well, she obviously still did not like him.

Hisoka looked over when Sesshoumaru appeared in the doorway.

"Ah," he said, "I believe that means it is time to begin working." He gestured to Kristine. "If you would be so kind as to join us...?" He glanced around. "And where is Aurellia?"

"Probably in her library," Kristine said after a moment. "I doubt she will want to help." Come to think of it, she didn't want to help, but she had to keep track of them.

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow. "Her library?" He'd picked up on that, and it confused him a little.

"Yeah. It's hers." Kris shrugged. "Don't even try to question it, dog."

"Regardless of who the library belongs to, I believe it would be best if she were present," Hisoka said. Ground rules needed to be laid, responsibilities needed to be handed out, and work needed to be started. Aurellia would never learn anything if she wasn't present for the work. Hisoka glanced at Sesshoumaru, clearly suggesting he find Aurellia.

Aura was indeed in the library, curled up in her big chair with a book. She was completely absorbed in it, and didn't seem like she was about to put it down for anything.

Sesshomaru nodded imperceptibly and vanished, going to the library. He figured it was the library, since he could hear Aurellia in there. He knocked quietly on the door and, when she didn't respond, he opened the door a little ways.

"Aurellia?" he called quietly.

Kris watched him go, able to track his movements, before she snorted. "Oh this has entertainment potential," she muttered with a wry little grin. Her eyes flickered to Hisoka. "I suppose you want me present, too."

Aura didn't notice the door to the library opening. She was more interested in the scene she was reading in her book. Her attention was grabbed when she heard her name, although she didn't react to it. She'd learned a long time ago that ignoring someone by pretending to read was easier than just flat out trying to ignore them. She turned another page in the book and shifted slightly on the chair.

"It would be beneficial if you were present as well," Hisoka replied. He went to the door and watched down the hall curiously. He could see Sesshoumaru leaning into the door of the library, but he couldn't tell what was happening. "How much of a chance would you say my lord has of stealing her attention?" he asked her.

Sesshomaru frowned and moved all the way into the library, approaching her again. "Aurellia." He wouldn't stand being ignored by anyone. Especially not this woman. Even if he had to take her book.

Kris snorted, not even watching, just listening. "Very little,' she said with a grin. "I wish him luck, because he will need it."

Although she was thinking mutinous thoughts herself. She had started to wonder just how far he would to make her cooperate, or make her stay there.

Aura focused on the book. Ignore ignore ignore ignore...

"I'm reading, go away."

Damn it. She acknowledged him. Now he would never leave. Her eyes flickered up to meet his for the briefest of seconds before returning to the page she was on and she snuggled a bit deeper into the chair. She wasn't going to move.

Hisoka watched, a bit intrigued. Sesshoumaru hadn't had anyone put up outright rebellion like this in a long time, and it had never been a mere human girl who had done it. He almost wanted to see how long it would take before the taiyoukai got fed up and hauled the girl up from wherever she was and put her into the living room himself.

Sesshomaru's eyebrows shot up before he walked over to her. Without any effort, he picked her up from her chair, carrying her out into the living room easily. He didn't even try to take the book from her. Yet.

Kris took her chance while they were both distracted to slip outside. Maybe she'd go for a run until they left... That thought in mind, she cracked her knuckles, flexing her claws, which were not trimmed evenly and worn around the edges, no longer as sharp as they should be.

Aura shrieked in surprise when she was picked up. She hadn't been expecting that, and it made her shriek hit painful registers fairly quickly.

"Put me down!" she said shrilly. She squirmed and flailed a bit, but it didn't help any.

Hisoka noticed Kristine trying to leave, and followed her outside.

"When everything is done for the day, you may have all the time you like," he said calmly from the back porch. "For now, your presence is required inside." After a moment, he added, "if for no other reason than to observe how his lordship handles the current situation. It may very well be amusing."

Sesshomaru was mostly immune to loud sounds. Mostly. That, however, hurt. He didn't drop her though, instead setting her on her feet once she was in the living room.

"If you run, I will have to retrieve you again," he said, managing to stay calm.

Kris narrowed her eyes at him, uncertain if she should stay or not. Then she shook her head.

"Nope, apparently there will be lots of times to see those two together. I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe." And she turned so she could take off.

Hisoka let her turn and then got in front of her, blocking her path.

"I must insist," he said. "I would advise that you come with me... His lordship will not be so polite if he has to retrieve you." And it would be Sesshoumaru who did it. Hisoka himself, being a feline, wasn't much of a tracker. Sesshoumaru was much more skilled in that area.

"I know I can't outrun you," Aura replied, sulking just the slightest bit. Settling herself on the couch, she opened her book again. She could ignore him with her book just as easily there as she could in the library.

Kris growled quietly, annoyed, before she huffed. She'd find something to do during the days from now on. Every day.

But she slunk back inside, clearly unhappy, one of her tails flicking from side to side.

Sesshomaru snorted and decided to disillusion her. He plucked the book out of her fingers and marked her place before he put it back in the library and returned, faster than she could keep track of. It was a good reminder to her that he could do whatever he wanted.

Aura gasped and reached out for the book even as it was taken from her.

"Give me back my book," she said. She watched a bit helplessly as he disappeared with it and reappeared without it, and seriously contemplated going back to get it. She wasn't just going to sit around and let him turn her life upside-down. She glanced around the living room, and then leaned over and reached underneath one of the side-tables. She came back up with another book, grinning. "I knew I left something down there... And it's a good one, too."

Hisoka followed Kristine into the room, making sure she didn't try to run again. They would get through to the girls eventually, he was sure. It would just take a certain measure of skill and stubbornness.

Sesshomaru plucked that book out of her hands as well. "I can do this all day, if it is necessary," he informed her. He quirked an eyebrow at her. He doubted she could continue to pull things out of nowhere forever. He'd have to find her stash, and soon.

Kristine glanced back at Hisoka, and her expression turned speculative. "You're obviously stubborn, and you seem to have done this before. And you are apparently not leaving until you're done. So how about we make a deal?" She kept her eyes on him.

Hisoka raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I suppose that depends on what you plan on proposing for this deal," he replied. He knew better than to accept any deal that didn't directly support the result that he and Sesshoumaru were trying to achieve.

"I have more books," Aura replied, just shy of an actual challenge. "I'm sure there are four more just in here, somewhere." And she would find them. She wasn't going to give in that easily.

"You and your partner leave my room alone, and I will agree to not try to keep kicking you out of my house." Kristine kept her eyes on him, looking speculative. She figured if he refused that, she could always ward her door with youki and escape the house for long runs during the day if she had to.

"Hnn. I will enjoy removing them all." Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow at her. He would not tolerate her continued attempts at ignoring him, and he would get her attention focused on him and his task, even if he had to get creative. Especially if he had to get creative.

"You'll never find all of them," Aura argued. Even she didn't know where ALL of her books were, but she figured she had a better chance at finding them and re-hiding them elsewhere than he did.

"I'm afraid I cannot agree to that," Hisoka replied. "Our contract specifically states that the entire house must be organized. That includes every room within it." He spoke calmly and quietly, making an effort not to rile Kristine up at all. But he would stand his ground if he needed to.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "On the contrary, it is my job to find all of them." And he did have better physical senses than she did. He was not opposed to a challenge.

Kristine's eyes narrowed at him. As a youkai, especially one of his age (she guessed he was older than her by his power and even-headed demeanor), he should know better than to enter a private den without permission. "So be it," she said quietly, watching him before baring her teeth in a rather agressive smile. "Good luck getting in." And she sauntered past him and up to her bedroom, shutting the door loudly and pointedly. She had preparations to make.

Hisoka didn't react to the challenge. They still had time to change her mind about her decision, or to wear her down enough to get her to give in. They didn't HAVE to start with the bedrooms, and in fact, they had found that starting with common rooms rather than bedrooms got better results.

Aura just shook her head a bit. He would never find all of her books. She glanced at the ceiling briefly when she heard Kris's footsteps going up the stairs. Interesting... She kind of wanted to know what her friend was doing, but she wasn't going to leave the two youkai unsupervised.