Bright Lighter

I don't own anything blah blah blah etcetera etcetera! I plan to update every Friday or Saturday so stay tuned ! Warning may contain spoilers!

2: Things to Do and People to Meet

By the time Akira made it home it was around 8:30 PM. She prepared some instant ramen, fed the dog and sat down in front of the TV. The news was playing, and as usual they were listing crime after crime.

"You were a bit more testy today, eh Hakudo?" She said teasingly.

"The blonde kid rubs me the wrong way. He's too cheery for a human. He's most definitely hiding some deep dark secret." Came the animal's gruff reply.

"You think so?" She looked at him curiously. He grunted. "Sounds interesting." Hakudo shook his head at the girl's crazy antics. He got up and headed to the window. "You leaving again bud?"

"Yeah, I got some things to take care of. Try not to kill yourself while I'm gone" He replied.

"No promises!" She called back. He snorted and leapt out of the window, disappearing from view completely. Akira turned back to the TV and yawned, as the newscaster listed the names of several dead gang members. She felt little sympathy for these people, and almost snorted when they said the group died in a fight. She changed the channel to some TV show starring some actor by the name of Yuhei Hanejima.

'Huh, he's a pretty good actor.' She mused, nibbling on some pocky. Akira glanced at the clock after a while and saw it read 10:17. "Well, I guess I could go for a walk." She sighed and pushed herself off of the couch. She grabbed a hoodie and slipped on her shoes. She snatched up her key, phone and her lighter, locking the door behind her.

Akira wandered the streets of Ikebukuro. She knew this place like the back of her hand. The air was sticky and the smell of car exhaust filled the air. Her hands were stuffed in the pockets of her jacket and she absentmindedly kicked a pebble as she walked.

"People paid no mind to the girl's somewhat odd evening stroll. The dark gray bystanders didn't stray from their own thoughts, after all, most humans are selfish creatures .It is rare for humans to care for others more than themselves. Most don't want anything to do with the things outside their own worlds. Perhaps that is why so many of them find themselves alone. They can never find it in themselves to care enough to search for someone to hold on to."

Akira soon made her way to the familiar overpass, she would spend nights looking from. She stopped abruptly when she saw a tall blonde male in a bartender outfit leaning on the rail. She shrugged and made her way over anyway.

When she first stood just a few feet away from him, he simply glanced at her and returned to staring at the lights through his purple sunglasses. In a moment of bravery, that Akira was surprised at mind you, she got up the nerve to say one word. "Hi."

He turned and met her gaze. He saw a shy-looking, brown-haired girl looking at him with gray-blue eyes. She had her hair in a high ponytail, exposing the many piercings in her ears.

Akira stared back, and suddenly it clicked. "You're Shizuo Heiwajima, aren't you?" He grunted quietly. "Cool! I'm Akira Xiame. You as strong as they say you are?"

"Yeah, I guess." He muttered. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" He cast her a somewhat anxious look.

"Nah, not really. Besides, it's always nice to meet new people, right?" She said, tilting her head to the side.

"But, why would you want to talk to me? Everyone else stays away, why not you?" He glanced at her as she mulled over his words.

"Well, this dark brooding thing definitely works for you, but you kinda look like you need somebody to talk to. And anyway, I'm not afraid of you. Maybe a little intimidated, I mean who wouldn't be? But you aren't so scary." She was surprised at her ability to talk to this stranger. She was always quiet, so this was an anomaly for her.

Shizuo didn't exactly know what to say to this. Most people avoided him at all costs, and would run the opposite direction when he approached. I mean, who wouldn't, having his temper and inhuman strength did not exactly make him approachable.

The familiar sound of a motorcycle snapped him out of his thoughts. Celty Sturluson pulled up and nodded to both of them. Before Shizuo could say anything, Akira beat him to the punch. "Hey there Celty. How've you been?" She asked the Dullahan. There was the tick tak of typing.

"Hey Akira, been a while. I've been pretty good. I mean you know how it is. What about you, where's the pooch?" She typed.

"I've been good. You know Hakudo, he's always wandering around. We should hang out again sometime."

"Definitely." Celty then turned to Shizuo and showed him something. He nodded and muttered a "sure". She nodded in return and revved her engine before driving away. Akira, was curious about what just went down, but knew it wasn't her place to ask.

"So, you know Celty?" Shizuo asked, peering at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Yep."

"Who's Hakudo, if you don't mind me asking." Shizuo was surprising himself as well, at how freely he was talking. Normally he didn't do more than exchange a simple sentence and a few grunts.

"Oh! He's my dog, well, I guess you could call him that, haha. He wanders off by himself sometimes." Suddenly, an eerie howl ripped through the air, followed by several yells of terror.

"AHHH! It's the Demon Hound!" She heard one guy yell.

"Speak of the devil." She said, sighing. Shizuo raised an eyebrow, questionably. Hakudo made his way over growling and snorting." What happened this time 'Demon Hound'?" Akira asked, laughing. "Earn yourself a new nickname?" Shizuo looked at her like she was crazy. That is until the animal answered in his gravelly voice.

"Bastards hit me with their car. I got pissed and my eyes glowed red. Serves 'em right." Akira's shoulders shook with silent laughter and Hakudo rolled his gold eyes.

"Why couldn't you just walk away Haku? You can't die anyway." She smiled.

"Just because I can't die doesn't me that it doesn't hurt."He grumbled. "Who's the Blondie?" He looked over at Shizuo, who's mouth was open slightly in surprise.

"Oh right! Shizuo, this is Hakudo. You know Celty's secret correct?" Akira clapped her hands and looked up at him. He nodded. "Well Hakudo's kind of like her. He's a Cù Sìth*, or as I like to call him, a grim reaper hound. Cool right?"

"Uh, sure." He looked around, slightly uncomfortable. Hakudo seemed to sense his discomfort and turned to his master.

"Time to go Kira. It's late and you have work tomorrow." Hakudo said, starting to walk home.

"Ok, Haku! Nice meeting you Shizuo-San! Hope to see you again sometime. Bye!" She waved her signature one wave, before running after her dog to go home.

Shizuo stared after the girl for a moment before shaking his head and walking to his own home.

"I never expected you to start making new friends Akira." Hakudo said as he settled on the couch in their apartment.

"I know right? I didn't know what I was thinking." She said through her toothbrush. She spit before continuing. "I don't know where all that courage came from."

"Yeah, I was surprised. It's so unlike you. I don't know if I should be happy or worried." He said with a wolfish grin.

She laughed lightly. "Well goodnight Hakudo, see you in the morning." Yawning, she turned off the light and climbed into bed. Sleep took her over almost instantly.

*The Cù Sìth (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [kuː ʃiː]) of Scottish mythology is an enormous, otherworldly hound, said to haunt the Scottish Highlands. Roughly the size of a cow or large calf, the Cù Sìth was said to be dark green in color with shaggy fur and a long braided or curled tail. The Cù Sìth was feared as a harbinger of death and would appear to bear away the soul of a person to the afterlife (similar to the manner of the Grim Reaper).

According to legend, the creature was capable of hunting silently, but would occasionally let out three terrifying barks that could be heard for long distances, including by ships at sea. This was said to be a warning to farmers to lock up their women, lest the beast abduct them and take them to a fairy mound (Scottish Gaelic: sìthean) to supply milk for the children of the fae (daoine sìth).

Cù Sìth literally means "barrow hound". Supernatural dogs in Celtic myths are usually completely black, or white with red ears. The Cù Sìth's coloration is therefore highly unusual, although it may be derived from the green color often worn by Celtic fairies.

A/N: I personally just used the grim reaper aspect of the Cu Sith, but as you can see that isn't all there is to it. I also hid his true form, and in the future, he will be bigger than a cow. Just a heads up.