Italics thoughts
% memories
Disclaimer: I don't own the Yami no Matsuei characters or the Yami no Matsuei story. They belong to their rightful owner. I have made up Aki, Gracie and Akira, hopefully from the top of my mind.
PART 2- DREAMS AND DESIRES
"Ne, Tsuzuki-san, what do you know about Aki?" Hisoka was sitting up on his home bed looking at some paperwork with Tsuzuki. Somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to tell his partner about his incredible discovery. It's like, this special feeling, this private feeling, that I just don't want to share. It's just me and her, and she cares about. It's a different world.
"Aki, well, she became my partner 20 years ago, more or less. She was impossible at first." A smile flickered of Tsuzuki's face. A wave of affection swept him through as he thought about her and their old days together. "She had no trust, no respect, no sense of co-operation. Compared to her, you were great on your first day! She didn't seem so powerful, even though she had gotten hold of the most powerful protection shiki around, Aracne. And she was a very undisciplined empathy. As usual, I got dumped with her, or rather she got dumped with me. But I could tell there was more, that she was hurtÉ" Anxiety.
"you wanted to help her.
"I wanted her to feel she could trust me. In the end, we got caught up in a bad fight and I had to rescue her, but got badly hurt in the process. SheÉ she got mad and unleashed an amazing power, then she saved my life, just like she saved yours last week." Tsuzuki paused again. "From then on, we were the best pair on the market. And I discovered about her past. Did she tell you about her son?
Hisoka repressed his surprise and responded nonchalantly, "She said something about his death and how she failed to help him. Briefly.
Tsuzuki nodded. "I don't remember the details, provided that I ever knew them. She died while trying to rescue her illegitimate son from his father, who wanted an heir to take on the family curse and might kill him. In the end, the boy was raised by the father, some kind of nobleman, and despite the treatment that he was getting, she was happy he was alive. She hoped she could work on the family curse and get it lifted, so that he could be free from those constraints. She spent all her free time researching the curse, and eventually managed to get transferred to the Spell department, where she could work at it better. It hurt me a lot to lose her, I knew I was in for more random short partnerships, but I knew that's what she wanted, what she was here for in the first place. So I tried to stay close to her nonetheless.
It was hard, sometimes, her son was always between the two of us. "I admired her so.
"But then the boy died?
Tsuzuki's look clouded."This was maybe ten years ago. Less than a year later she came to me in despair telling me that her son was dying of a curse, something like what happened to you I guess." Whoever it was, just like Muraki, just deserves to die. "She reacted as she usually did. She buried herself in work to try and stop the curse. But eventually time ran out." Tsuzuki's voice had lowered to a whisper, full of fury and pain. "One day she showed up at my door, an arm torn to shreds. She was catatonic for a week. From what I could figure out, she had tried to lift the curse, because time was running out, but it didn't work. Whoever set the curse watched her in action and then hurt her so she could watch him finish her son off with her own eyes." Tsuzuki clenched his fist and his face twisted in an expression of pain. "I frankly don't know how she survived it and why she is still here. We are still friends, but we have grown apart. She was never quite the same as before. I remember going to her son's funeral with her. She cried so loudly that even though we were in spirit form I had the impression everybody could hear her.
You were at my funeralÉ. Baka. She never told you anything.
"I heard she is teaching you to control you empathy.
Hisoka nodded. "We are going over to her department to talk about it. Did you really offer to teach Gracie more about fuda?
Tsuzuki shrugged his shoulders. "It was part of the deal. AndÉ she spoke to me, when you were unconscious. She doesn't generally speak, as you will notice when you get a chance to see her more.
"Baka. You are moved.
"The rumors say she was crazy all her life. I guess I feel a certain empathy with her
The Spell Department at first sight didn't look any different from theirs. At first sight. But a few things distinguished it among the Enma Cho departments, some which Tatsumi had explained on the way over, and some which he had glossed over with a blush.
First of all, it was a small, 7-person support unit for other departments in trouble. Getting in was a feat. Empathy, excellent track records, and several years of service were generally the pre-requisite. Gracie-chan was the only person in history who had gotten in directly, from the start. But all would have agreed she was more than a little odd.
Secondly, their empathy was so well tuned that they rarely communicated with speech, which in turn made them into a cast apart among the shinigami. All the other people felt cut off and looked at them in awe.
That's what Tatsumi had told them.
What he hadn't told them, which made sense with the insight of beyond, was that in history it had turned out that many of the partnerships in the Department didn't stay as just working partnerships. It made sense, if you could imagine the in-depth knowledge that these people had of each other. People were allowed to pick partners, and ended up picking the same people they chose as lovers. Aki and Gracie were in fact a rare exception, probably due to the incredibly motherly attitude that Aki displayed towards the girl. Quite a different brand of love. Tatsumi had probably glossed over this because currently both of the other pairs/ couples were same-sex, something which had initially sent ripples around Enma Cho. But that had been many years before even Aki had joined their forces.
The realization had taken no time to sink in, because even though you could have missed the reality of Yuko and Nozomi's relationship (their matching clothes and hairstyles made them seem more like sisters), Akira and his partner were far more brazen. The Shokan shinigami had opened the department door to the sight of them kissing lovingly.
Tatsumi had breathed deeply. Hisoka had blushed to the tips of his hair. And Tsuzuki had had to repress a secret wish. It didn't seem a good idea to have such thoughts in a room full of empaths.
"Baka, get back to work we have VISITORS" shouted Yuko, more for the newcomers benefit than anything. Akira and the guy parted in giggles, obviously enjoying the attention they were getting.
Their eyes are glowing, thought Hisoka, finding that he had to repress his own desires too.
Hey, control yourself, mused Akira. The guy's gaze was piercing, like it was undressing him. His partner and him were making no effort to control their fantasies about the newcomer, though.
Yuko and Nozomi were more discreet, but it was only Gracie and Aki that really bothered to control themselves, knowing that he was still extremely bothered by crowds.
As they came out of an office in the back of the room, they introduced their boss, a blonde tall woman, to the trio. "Well, why don't we talk over coffee? I have along day in front of me," suggested the kacho.
For Hisoka, it was a relief to leave the room. These people projected their thoughts out, which made it almost impossible to avoid them, at least at his preparation level. "We plan to make it better," answered Aki with a smile.
"Depending on the case loads you guys will have, we suggest you train for an hour a day for the first couple of months. We can go from there." Explained Yamada-kacho. "That's about as much as I can spare my staff." She mused.
"In exchange, Tsuzuki is prepared to spend a similar amount of time teaching Gracie more advanced fuda," Tatsumi explained while Tsuzuki nodded.
Gracie surprisingly smiled. She likes him, registered Hisoka not without some jealousy.
The answer came as swift as the thought has entered his mind. Not like you. And by the way, I don't care for such images in my mind, I have enough to put up with Akira all day!
Hisoka repressed a blush with some effort. His mind had been wondering back to the guys kissing, and then off to images of Tsuzuki. I really need to stop thisÉ.