Hello lovelies, this story goes out for Ashley R.T. for the MOOD BOARD challenge.
Hope I lived up to your expectations and that you enjoy it 3
Sarayashiki city, a never ending flow of energy and electric sounds, filled with commotion and so many people you would think it was one of Japans main cities that attracted tourists by the dozen, making them all melt into one huge crowd of whispers and lovely chatters. But no, this was how the city acted, a constant replay of scenery, customs, sounds and even smells.
By now Kurama had memorised all its behaviours and managed to dull out all the patters, thought out all the scenarios of his human life. People were blending into one another, sounds dimmed and colours faded before his eyes. With Hiei and Yusuke gone in Demon World to handle the demon transfers to Human World and Kuwabara leaving for University in the next town it felt like he remained the sole demon around those parts. Especially since the rain, that blasted small rain, constantly falling upon the city, singing outside his window, keeping him awake for most parts of the night. That accursed rain leaving the city less provocative, more crowded than ever. Wet, grey, soulless.
MUNDANE
His habits have already been carved out and became part of a slow daily painful ritual. Waking up at 06:00 am, making his coffee and never forgetting to always add one sugar. Getting dressed for work arranging his tie in the same manner, making sure it matched the colour of his suit, never standing out with anything. Faking a smile for the few familiar faces, the director, lab director, secretary, head gardener, colleagues in his lab that barely registered in front of him. Returning home, calling the family to make sure they were well, happy even though they were an hour drive away by car. Making dinner after which taking a quick shower then going to bed and trying to ignore the pouring rain outside his window.
SIMPLE
Alarm going off at exactly 6:00 am
Coffee – 1 sugar
Ironing a shirt for work
Getting dressed
Faking a smile
Home, finally home
Calling his mother
Making dinner
Taking a shower
Going to bed
UNEVENTFUL
Alarm
Coffee – 1 sugar
Work
Smile
Home
Washing some laundry
"Yes mother, I am well, I just arrived home from work. How is father?"
Dinner
Bed
DULL
BORING
PLAIN
A vicious cycle weighting down with each passing day. An organised chaos smothering those living inside it. And the rain, the never tiring rain.
Sighing, he stepped away from the window looking over the schedule for that day: a meeting at 8, inspecting the botanical garden from 10 to 12, filling out the necessary paper work, lunch at 13, lab duty until the end of the day. He already knew what the meeting was about. All the rain was causing trouble for the plants in the outside gardens, drowning them, making their roots rot, stripping the soil of the nutrients they added themselves. But it wasn't like they could fight against the elements. Nature had the ultimate say in their predicament.
Speaking of which, their meeting was held at one of the cafes on the ground floor and just as Kurama predicted it was crowded. Too crowded, too loud.
They all sat around a small table trying to take notes, some leaning against the wall, some trying to balance a coffee and a notebook on their knees.
"Such a dull affair."
Just like he thought, nothing new, nothing exiting. All possible thought out scenes and conversations were there, replying in front of his eyes. The director not having time to iron his shirt for the third time that week, his assistant constantly searching for something in her huge bag. His colleague that insisted on keeping his hair long, however had absolutely no idea how to maintain it as it always looked like he didn't even try to put a brush through it.
Kurama's pen dangled loosely between his long fingers, eyes focusing on the director's face, trying his best to ignore the dry spot of toothpaste in the corner of his mouth. The rivers were overflowing, changes needed to be made, parts of the gardens were being shut down for visitors due to all the water and mud, water tanks were useless now for the outside gardens, but they still had to drain them and have them ready just in case.
The sound of paper rustling and a pen furiously scribbling down notes drew his attention to the lab director. She's always been the quiet type, never speaking unless spoken to, but she always knew what the plants needed. A genius in the botanical arts.
She had been looking sickly lately, worn out to the bone, constantly cold. Messy crunched up curls fell from her lose bun as all her energy poured over the notebook she had placed on the table. The thick rimmed glasses cast shadows on her already dark circles making her look even more tired. As she shivered her free hand tucked the flannel sweater closer to her body to the point you could have sworn it melted into her skin.
Kurama's eyes diverted back to the director as his hand wrote down a word, reading it in his mind over and over again..."desiderium". It wasn't Japanese, it wasn't English. Latin? Was she writing in Latin?
Glancing back he caught on her face an expression depicting pain and worry as her hand stopped the feverish tornado of words as a shiver took her over. She wasn't well, that was obvious, yet the rest were too engrossed in the director's speech. Her eyes darted to him for less than a second before staring at the doors that opened in a panicked rush, the head gardener running to the table.
"The hill at block E collapsed from the rain sir."
After two weeks of rain the entire city was worn out. People had stopped wishing for the sun to caress their faces, they would be content will just grey skies as long as the rain stopped drowning everything in its wake.
Traffic was horrid, Kurama having to switch his schedule around in an attempt to beat it and always arrive on time. But even if he was driving to work an hour earlier, the usual fifteen minute drive managed to stretch to almost an hour as if anyone and everyone that owned a car was out there, driving to the same destination at the same early hour.
Even work became crowded, the employees not having much outside work due to the rain. Usually the gardens were a calm and serene place. Even inside when they had classes with small children it was quiet, still an escape for most. Now they were tired, nervous and anxious, apologising for being late, getting sick of being inside, getting sick from being outside.
Thunder roared, the wind was merciless and soon the entire place got shut down after lightning struck a tree in B block. Only a few came to still work in the labs while the others could only pray for the blasted rain to end, watching the news constantly in hopes of something better, some good news.
With almost everyone out of the way a small mission became Kurama's daily task. The lab director had been avoiding him, making up excuses not to be around him too much and it was unclear as to why that was happening. It could have well been something as mundane as her being shy, him intimidating her, but nonetheless he had to know.
He would get a coffee from the vending machine since all the cafes were now closed. He would go to her lab and share his ideas on hydroponics since it would be a good idea to try and grow plants outside in a watery solution of minerals and nutrients instead of soil. The list of flower that could bare such a ritual had already been memorised: the African Violet, Begonia, Helxine, Hedera. His plan was to get her input on some soil nutrients, that woman was a genius when it came to that. She knew what plants needed, she knew if they were hurting by the first signs they displayed.
The machine creaked and vibrated echoing in the empty hallway, filling the air with the scent of cheap coffee. Outside it was finally raining softly, the storm had passed and this was perhaps the only day when you could see the clouds clearing a bit.
Footsteps echoed softly on the floor as he made his way towards her lab in block A. The lights were still on, an indication she still hadn't left work despite the late hour. Setting the coffee on the table he took note of the countless papers and books scattered on her desk. Most of the information he was certain she had it memorised as he heard her quote paragraphs word by word, yet there they were still on her desk, opened at certain chapters as if she needed to double check the information she provided workers.
From the window there was a beautiful view over the Japanese garden, flowers of endless colours on display waiting for the visitors to admire them. From the scattering clouds the crescent moon made a shy appearance, trying to conquer the darkness around it. But that was not all that caught his attention, the sprinklers were on although he knew for certain they have been turned off and not needed during the rainy period that struck them. Then why were they on? Perhaps a mistake made by one of the gardeners, yet he still left the lab to check, not like he had anything better to do since the person he was searching for was not where he expected her to be.
As he drew closer the feeling was undeniable, all his senses kicking in one after the other. His wide eyes turned to dangerous cold slits as they survey the corridor leading to the tank room. His nose sniffed the air trying to decipher what laid behind those closed door that he was edging closer to. His body moved with great precision, stealth being one of the many qualities he possessed.
There was no mistaken by the scent, the lab director was in there, he knew her perfume since she'd been wearing the same one over and over for the past six months, but the reason for his change in behaviour wasn't due to that but to the demon energy resonating from the room.
Pushing the door slightly he let himself in without making a sound.
"On this New Moon I plant a seed for the universe to tend, set your vision upon the stars little ones."
His forehead creased as the hushed voice repeated two times over the same phrase like a mantra for the skies. A splash made him stop for a moment his search of the energy, yet whoever it was did not make another sound while the scent from the perfume faded rapidly. One second of panic stole a beat of his heart as he imagined the worse, stepping in front of the tanks, whip in hand, ready to fight only to not see a soul in front of him.
The lab director stood motionless inside the water tank demon energy surrounding her, steady, calm, almost serene. Placing the rose back in its place he edged closer in a rapid motion shedding the lab coat and his shirt from underneath, his hands gripping the tank's edge as he peered once more inside the water.
He didn't have time to jump, her eyes opening to the shadow cast upon the water. For a moment they just stared at each other, before she finally emerged from the water going to the opposite side of the tank. For the longest time she didn't move, didn't take her eyes off him, not even when he climbed down and put back his clothes. But there was no running away from it.
"What do you want?"
Kurama's head tilted slightly to the left, curiosity taking form in his emerald eyes.
"In all honestly I came to speak to you, but you were not in the lab."
Slowly crawling out of the tank she flinched when he raised a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear. It was clear she knew he was more than Shuichi Minamino, human. Placing the dry lab coat over her body, she straightened herself.
"Will you hurt me?"
"I don't know why you have that impression, but my answer for now is no Lily, I will not hurt you if" he mentioned taking a seat on a chair and crossing one leg on top of the other "you tell me what you were doing."
She wanted to look at the tank once more, but her wide stare wouldn't leave Kurama.
"They are hurting."
His brow lifted as he took in the few spoken words she was willing to provide him.
"The plants?"
A small nod came from her, wet locks sticking to her face as she shivered slightly, the temperature in the room being lower than she needed while having wet clothes on.
"I feel them, I can listen to them and they are crying, screaming."
A small smile graced his lips as he got up ready to leave her to get dressed.
"And you are giving them your energy right? If they feel better so do you, so I am safe to assume you are a type of plant demon."
She didn't answer, but her eyes finally left him even if it was only for a brief moment. He didn't ask her how she managed to get to Human World, she could have well been there for many years. Also she didn't seem to possess a lot of strength, plant demons weren't fighters in general but more healers.
"Do not worry, your secret is safe with me."
"No" she mentioned lowering her face "it's not. You will send Yusuke or that brute Hiei to take me back."
And there it was, the reason why she was avoiding him.
"I know who you are, Kurama."
Inhaling slowly he nodded once, yet did not provide her the verbal confirmation she had expected.
"That chant, what was it?" her eyes finally moved back to him, steady and alert "About the New Moon."
He could of sworn she smiled a fraction, something that he could only describe as fondness and longing washed over her features. She turned to the window, towards the moon, ignoring the fact that he could have ended her life in a second.
"It is said that if you make a wish whenever there is a New Moon in the sky and is visible, that wish will come true."
He wasn't there anymore when she turned, there was no reason for him to hinder her further since it was clear she didn't enjoy his company. He was impressed she managed to hide from him all this time so in light of that new found ounce of respect he would not bother her from that moment on.
Three months have already passed since he had started working for his step father's firm. It was the same old routine, just a different scenery playing out in front of his, different faces that he had to fake a smile for. All things considering he now had more time to spend with his family, but apart from that nothing much has changed.
At 07:30 he would be in his office going over the documents on his desk, opening his computer and checking emails, all before the rest could get in. That moment of peace and solitude providing him the will to get through the day and it was what he looked forward to going back to.
"Kurama."
Surprised by the sudden verbalisation of his true name he turned to the source of the voice to see Lily. She was glowing, the dark circles vanished from the small face as a hint of red coloured her cheeks. It was spring so all the plants coming back to life were providing her the energy she needed to smile. Pushing a potted plant in his hands she whispered for only his ears to hear.
"Donec iterum conveniamus Kurama."
"Pardon?" he asked confused by the events unfolding in front of him. With one bright smile she took a step back folding her hands to her chest.
"It means may we meet again, that is my wish that I will be sending to the moon tonight." she took note of the gentle smile forming on his lips as his eyes fell to the small plant in his hands.
"Then I will listening to the winds tonight."
The weather predicted clear skies after all that night.