Lina, Zelgadiss, Gourry, and Amelia sat at a pleasant café. Their table was outside, and passersby got quite a show as Lina, Gourry, and Amelia inhaled an unhealthy number of pies. Zel, half-way between mortified and amused, watched the show for a moment before taking a sip of his coffee.
Zel frowned. The coffee tasted...odd.
Before he could further ponder his hot beverage, however, Xelloss appeared before the group. The pie-devowerers paused to look at the priest.
"What're you doing here?" Lina asked. Actually, it came out more like "Wah ah ewe dowin ear?" as Lina had a mouthful of pie.
"Why, just wondering if you're enjoying your snack, Lina-san... and if Zel-kun likes his coffee."
Zel became totally still. "What about my coffee, mazoku?"
"Uh-oh," Lina muttered sotto voce.
A small can appeared in Xelloss' hand out of nowhere. "I switched your coffee with Mazoku's Finest™ Instant Crystals!"
Lina bit back a smirk. Gourry and Amelia ducked under the table.
"You...gave me instant coffee?"
Xelloss looked at the now very scary-looking Chimera and replied calmly, "Yup."
"Instant Coffee?!"
Xelloss seriously considered disappearing, or at least backing up, but that would look like he was worried. Which he wasn't. Really.
Zelgadiss started mumbling something.
"What's that?" Xelloss asked. "Speak up - "
"Dug Haut!" the Chimera cried.
Xelloss opened his eyes just in time to see a spike impale him in a very uncomfortable place.
Amelia climbed out from beneath the table, looking more than a little ill. Gourry stayed crouched beneath the table, wincing in symapathetic pain.
Lina stared at the twitching priest for a few moments, then turned to look at Zel. He now looked utterly calm and collected again.
"That's it, Zel," she said. "You're switching to decaff."