Living in the Moment: Advice for Yuusuke

The day after he made the decision to seek out a mate, he began to figure out details. First and foremost, where would he begin his search?

Demons, naturally, would be best to find in Demon World, but there was a much larger search range there, and he couldn't very well disappear for however long it took him to find a mate.

He couldn't start attracting too much attention in his search, either.

Human world demons, while not particularly strong, were smart enough, at least, to not get caught. Strength, while a good thing, would be unnecessary in his mate--he was strong enough to counter any foe.

To break down where he should begin, he started considering what traits he would like in his mate.

Human world demons were likely to be less wild, less bloodthirsty, and less violent, more humanoid. They would be more willing to pick a mate and stay with them. The more animalistic ones wouldn't seek out more than a one-time mate.

"Shuuichi?" called Shiori outside his door.

"Yes, Mother?" he asked, turning around in his seat to look at the door. "The door's open."

She opened the door, but did not come in. He smiled at her, to ease that look of concern off her face. She smiled at her son. "Shuuichi, dear, why is it you've closed yourself in again?" she asks, moving into the room to open the curtains. Kurama did nothing to stop her, merely watched politely. She paused as the sunlight filled the room, and she even went as far as to open the window. "It's such a lovely day outside."

Kurama knew that she was trying to hint him to go outside, pretend to be social. He didn't like being social. Humans were simple creatures. There were exceptions, but he didn't often bother with finding them. Kaito had sought him out, but even Kaito had his limits in his being interesting.

"Shuuichi, dear?"

Kurama nodded a little. "Sorry, Mother. Yes, it is a lovely day. I think I'll go to the park, or for a walk. I'll be home before too long," he declared. She smiled, and his face softened to see it. He rose to his feet and kissed her cheek, then, as he and his mother left the room, he headed downstairs.

Just at the door, Shiori stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Are you feeling alright?"

He nodded and smiled reassuringly in an attempt to appease her. "Yes, Mother. I'm quite well, I've simply been thinking."

He would have to talk it over with her later. He was of age, he was ready to move out, now, and he was still considering seeking a mate. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to do go about this. As Youko, he was more social, and he had taken a few lovers (though tales of him seducing every woman he came across were common, mostly related to the fact that he was considered an ideal mate (and picky), and women wanted others to think he had taken them. This was not true. In fact, it was mostly Kuronue that did that…) but in this body, the women seeking him out were unwanted, and the ones not seeking him out were hard to find.

Damn.

He couldn't ask his friends, either. Kuwabara and Yukina were the result of mere chance, and Yuusuke and Keiko had been children together... Hiei had, no doubt, never been in a relationship. Except Mukuro, admittedly-- there was certainly something between the pair, but that was initiated by her, rather than him...

Perhaps he should merely wait for the chance to arise?

He was not that kind of person, typically.

He was young, still. Getting older, of course. It was still hard to think that he would not stop aging, or that the aging would not slow down at any point. Growth would, but he wouldn't even be amongst the living after one hundred years in this form. As Youko, he had over one hundred times this lifetime, and he had been almost-killed in his prime…

That was another decision he had been pondering. Did he want to die in this body?

Later, later, right now, we are thinking about girls.

How did he choose his mates in his previous life?

Well, that's a silly question. Usually their attractiveness--he usually did not care. His chosen mates were merely to get his needs met, sexual or otherwise. Of course, he did hold some feelings of love toward a few--very few, considering how long he had been alive...

"Hey, Kurama!" called Yuusuke from behind him. Kurama turned to see his friend running to him.

"Hello, Yuusuke," Kurama answered lightly. "How are you? Where is Keiko?"

"Keiko's workin'. What's up? You look kind of... Um." And then Yuusuke, apparently lost for words, decided to express the look with his face, sticking his tongue out and letting his head and neck slouch forward in a show of the expression.

"I've been thinking, Yuusuke, that's all," Kurama told him, smiling blandly at the former Detective.

"Ah, okay," Yuusuke answered easily, standing back upright again. "Hey, man, tell me, what do you know about girls? I mean, you're old and really smart and stuff--"

Kurama almost laughed, but only a small smile crossed his face, and he chuckled. Yuusuke shifted on his feet, apparently uneasy at his fox-friend's reaction. Kurama merely thought it was funny that they would be thinking about the same thing. "Yuusuke, are you planning to propose to Keiko?"

"I proposed before I left, I'm just trying to make it official," Yuusuke answered. "I'm just not sure how to actually do it."

Kurama started to walk again and beckoned for Yuusuke to follow him. "Come, walk with me, we can discuss it. I'm on my way to the park."

"Oh, okay." Yuusuke started following Kurama slowly.

It was quiet for a second, then Yuusuke pressed Kurama again, "How would you propose to a girl?"

He paused and thought for a second. "I have no idea, Yuusuke. Have you considered that ancient, classic, romantic one, showing her the ring on bended knee?"

Yuusuke nodded. "Yeah, well, you see, when I was little, I used to do that a lot. Every time she'd get pissed at me, I'd propose to her like that, and I want her to know that this time's different."

"Have you not considered that she might find it a declaration of love that stretches back all those years?"

This gave Yuusuke pause. Kurama continued walking, almost ignoring his companion. He was rather intent to get somewhere surrounded by green things. The early summer air was warm, and everything plant was beautiful and offered him a rather strong source of comfort, what with the ability to fight all around without having to dig into his hair's stash.

Yuusuke ran to catch up to his friend and followed him. "You think that'd really work?"

"As long as you gave her the ring, I don't see why it wouldn't," Kurama replied brightly.

Kurama seated himself in the back of the park, in the shade of a rather large tree. He remembered, vaguely, climbing this tree when he was a child, to get away and hide from his mother. That was before he thought of her as his mother. Amazing, what love can do, he thought rather admiringly.

Yuusuke sat down next to Kurama. "Are you really sure, man?" he asked.

He paused. Considering Keiko... "No. I suppose, from you, it would seem to lack sincerity," Kurama admitted airily. "Especially after so many times, and considering that, while you hold a taste for dramatics, you are not one to take typical ideas and stick with them. Tell me, Yuusuke, if you didn't think about that one, what would you do?"

Yuusuke leaned back and thought for a second.

"Does putting the ring on her finger and asking her if she'll mind cleaning my dirty underwear and not squealing when I grab her boobs count as romantic?"

"No, Yuusuke. That first part was good, but the second and third parts need a little work. Perhaps a simple 'I love you'?"

Yuusuke nodded slowly. "That. Sounds good. Now that my dilemma's taken care of--what're you thinking so hard about? Everything's okay, right?"

"Of course."

"What are you thinking about?" Yuusuke insisted.

It was quiet for a second, while Kurama considered telling him the truth. He decided, in the end, that seeing Yuusuke's face after the admission would be worth it. So, in the simplest way he could, he explained. "Females."

It was, indeed, worth saying. Yuusuke's jaw dropped and he nearly fell off his seat. Kurama feigned an insulted look.

"Why the surprise, Yuusuke? Did you think I was completely celibate? Or that I was more interested in the same sex?" Not that that would be bad, he admitted, he was open-minded and a few of his lovers in the past had been men, though it had always been him that did the taking.

"No, no, no, man, I just. I don't know--I figured you were..."

"Above that?" Kurama asked, now, quirking an eyebrow.

"Kinda, yeah," Yuusuke admitted. "I mean. Well. I don't know. I guess, in the end, you're just a guy."

"Women need it, too, Yuusuke, it's just less of a driving force with them," Kurama informed him snidely. Yuusuke nodded thoughtfully. He hadn't considered that. Huh. "Actually, it's my mother; she's been kind of pushing me into it, because of her happiness with her love life. She thinks that I will be happier with a mate." And he paused a second. "While I don't agree, I suppose that it is time that I started considering the option, rather than becoming a chaste scholar."

Yuusuke nodded again, thinking. "Well. I don't know. I can't help you, man; I don't really know many girls. I could get Keiko to introduce one to you..."

"Actually, Yuusuke, I was hoping for a bit of depth. Keiko is intelligent, but she is also merely a girl."

"Huh?"

Kurama smiled wryly. "You see, Yuusuke, charming someone would be far too easy. I, naturally, am seeking a challenge, not someone I have to know the right answers for."

Yuusuke still looked puzzled. "Huh?"

Kurama sighed, now. "For instance; you recall when Keiko asks you a question, and then hits you when you answer honestly?"

"You mean like when I complimented her ass? Or. Oh! Yeah, I know what you mean."

"I want to avoid 'being with' someone like that."

Yuusuke nodded again. "Dude, you're gonna have to get a boyfriend for that. And be the girl for him."

Kurama laughed. "I don't think so, but I am not sure where to begin my search. I was considering a demon woman, too. They often show more depth than the typical human girl. However, I think it would be unfair to inflict my humanity on a demoness. She would lose me before the first eighty years, even if we did not lose interest in one another."

Yuusuke sat back. "Oh, yeah. Kinda reminds me. You think I'm gonna be immortal?"

"You are a demon, no?"

"Yeah, but I don't eat humans."

"Hm."

Kurama stretched back against the back of the bench, putting his arms over the wood easily, and crossing one knee over the other. He was considering, again, allowing someone to introduce him to someone. But all the people he knew that knew girls would not know what he was looking for, and would never quite understand just what it was.

"Well. I think it'll be good for you. Something that ruins your plans for you makes you think more. Good luck, man. I'm gonna go. I dunno. Put together a proposal for Keiko."

Kurama sighed and watched as Yuusuke left. It was good to have someone to talk to, whether or not he cared or listened. Oh well.