I'm typing fast.
I'm typing as fast as I can for a reason... Hiei could show up any minute! I didn't tell him I was here but we all know that won't save me... Damn his Jagan eye! I always thought it was sweet but, to tell you the truth, right now I'm really hating it! That and his ability with telepathy. It puts me on hyper alert every time he's around. I mean, I love him like everybody else but geez... the boy wears me out!
Oh, I know you guys are in danger too, but don't worry! I talked to Kurama and he'd said he'd handle it so...I'm sure we'll be ok, right? Right? HELLO? *hearing crickets now...* Did...everyone run? That can't be good...
But whatever, I'll get on with what I wanted to say. We all know I'm running out of time...
Well, First I would like to say something to a girl that has been R&R'ing since the beginning. I have found that you are confused... ALOT. Well, um, I can't help you by clarifying it, if you never tell me exactly what you are confused about! Be specific and I'll try to catch you up, I'd hate to leave you behind!
*everyone is way up ahead. Suddenly everyone stops...* "Isn't there suppose to be one other chic with us?" states one reviewer. "Yeah, She was just here. Wasn't she?" questions another reviewer. "Well, We can't go back now." says yet another reviewer. "Maybe she'll meet us ahead." says the first reviewer impatiently says. "But..." squeaks a small reviewer.
See? It's just not good. We have to stick together or Hiei will pick us off one by one! 'Man, I hope he didn't just hear me...' *looking around frightened...* _ ..._
By the way, Does anyone have some bandages left over? One desperate reviewer has gotten blood all over my desk and floor. She definitely needs something to stop the bleeding. (I keep telling her it doesn't help me to write faster when she bangs her head...)
And to one wild reviewer, well... What's the matter with you?! I warned you he was crazied! And you still antagonized him with an outrageous challenge. You knew full well he'd take that insult badly, even on his good days (wait. Does he have good days?). BUT NO! You said it anyways. You know I can't stop him. Just slow him down enough (at my own personal expense and, trust me, I'm hurting!) for you guys to escape. But here you are, starting somethin... *someone hands me a piece of paper* "Uh. What's this?" I read it. "We would like to formally invite you to the funeral of one wild reviewer on August 26, 2013. The wake will be held on August 24, 2013, closed casket."... closed casket? Ummmm... uh... OH MY GOD! I'm, uh, really sorry...really sorry...
But I guess I should do the obvious and inevitable, I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. What a stupid thing to say. Would I be writing here if I did? NO! I would be adding more episodes to the show as we speak. But here I am instead writing so it should be...
*One kind reviewer taps my shoulder*
I turn around. *!* *White streaks appear in my hair* Here comes Hiei...and he still looks wicked... Holy Crap!... this is it! I don't think I'm going to survive. Don't forget one reviewer you promised me revenge...
*He walks up to me at a normal pace but his eyes never break contact with mine*
ME: Uh.. Kuwabara, Kuwabara, Kuwabara! (a chant I borrowed from a fun reviewer that's suppose to protect me) *he's still coming...*
ME: *reaching into my bag I pull out the book "War and Peace" that I stole... I mean, borrowed from my father (he doesn't read it!)* Take that you freak demon boy!
*I fling it at his head and it misses because he disappears... then reappears at my side*
ME: AAAAAHHHHHHH! I didn't mean it! I swear! There was a fly on your head! REALLY! *I quickly reach into my bag one last time and pull out...* HAH! Take this!
*I shove a cute and fuzzy pink bunny in his face*
*He incinerates it*
ME: NOOOOOOOOOOOO! * I drop to my knees and pick up the poor crisp bunny.* I'm SO sorry bunny... It's all my fault...
~Someone touches my shoulder. I jump back! It's Kurama! Thank god! ~
ME: Kurama... he burnt the bunny... T_T
Kurama: -_-'' Is that one of your reviewers bunnies? How many times have I told her they're flammable! She never learns... *he reaches his into his hair and pulls out a beautiful yellow rose bud and places it on the crispy critter.* We'll bury it, ok?
ME: T_T ok...
HIEI: hn...
(uh, yeah, if these author notes and the reviewers part make no sense, it's because I USED to have lots of reviewers and we had a lot of fun. Though no one bothers to review these days, it's very sad…)
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"Life In Free Fall"
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Previously:
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Forcing myself to smile as nonplussed as possible, I prod her "Sure. Well, are you ready to go now?"
She nods, letting me play pretend, and says goodbye towards the others with a wave and a smile and walks outside. I start to follow her, then stop and turn around to look once more, looking past Yukinas' cold eyes still focused on me, towards the window sill.
Reaching down, I feel the place where he sat with the flat of my palm, pressing into it gently. It's still warm...
But I shove back the creepy feeling and turning, wave silently goodbye to Genkai and Yukina, tepidly following the direction Botan went, to go out...~~~~~
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A smooth and feckless exit out of Genkai's temple was not for me.
The front door slid to the side easily enough, but my pinky suddenly jutted out of its curled position and punctured a hole in the paper screening of the door!
My eyes widen. 'Holy crap! Why the hell do these people use paper for their doors anyways? I mean, PAPER? REALLY?!'
I lean down to get a better look at it. There's got to be some kind of band-aid fix for this, right?
Deciding this might be fixed with a little water on the edges to try to kind of, um, adhere it, I look around quickly and see none available. Unless, I uh, want to go back through the living room to the kitchen and let everyone know what I just did.
Since I'm anxiously trying to avoid that, I decide all I can do… is maybe push it back into place? Stupid, I know, but whatever. I turn my common sense off and keep trying to push the torn paper back into place over and over, like I actually expect it to have mercy on me and give in. Like some god is going to answer my desperation and make it obey me and stay.
Shut up. I know what you're thinking, but just shut up!
In my head, I still hear Jazz's words drift back to me from years ago~ 'Enigma, you know what the definition of insanity is? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result'.
'Shut up!' I mentally snap back at her again 'It'll work this time, you just watch!'
When (no surprise) that fails, I ignore her laughing in my head.
I growl, then, a light bulb goes on!
I try to lick my finger, than press the paper back into place, but my finger keeps drying faster than I can touch it to the edge of the paper. It's not like this should be rocket science…. but come on! Why am I having trouble with licking? I mean: stick out tongue, swipe. How hard is that for God's sake!?
I sigh. I press on trying. So what if this makes me insane, right? Umm… right?
Getting really desperate now, at possibly being caught, having stood there so long, I give up all my pride and drop to all fours to lean in and try to lick it directly. All I have to say is… if Hiei or anyone else sees me like this, I'll die!
I manage to lick the other side of the tear but licking near the inside by the wood of the door frame is… really hard. My tongues' not long enough, or my face is too fat, your call. I try to push my face against the door frame and come at it at an angle instead… but slip and my face jerks forward to get balance. So instead of a little grace, my nose punches another hole above the first!
I want to cry,
I really do.
In a total panic at this point, I'm crouched and half bent over. I manage to lick the hole I made from my nose a lot easier than the other one, and I push it back into place.
Itkind ofsticks like it's supposed to and I feel like cheering.
I try to change my position to lick the hole from my pinky finger again, only now that I was more in line with the door, my leaning in so close pushed my chest into it. And to my complete and abject horror, there was now a very large hole from my left breast…. Nope, not trying to brag. Dude, it's really not funny.
My face was hot. My eyes were stinging and here I now heard Botan calling for me. Even worse, I could see her from my breast hole….
This is not my greatest moment.
This is not my day. Hell, it isn't my week… Nah, screw that! It isn't MY LIFE!
I sigh and sag onto the floor… I'm really starting to feel the jet lag of my travels.
It's only my second day in Japan. With all the excitement of the previous afternoon, night and then morning, I'm really starting to feel the drag. I can only hope that Koenma's "Building of God" isn't far from here. I'm too tired now to do much walking around town...
I figure I'll try to make a quiet escape and hope someone else gets blamed, someone else… like Hiei! Ha ha
I hear someone scoff and I turn around in surprise, only to nearly jump high enough to touch the ceiling! There, leaning against the hallway door frame is Genkai with a bemused smirk on her face!
I went cherry tomato colored, I kid you not… I wanted to melt between the floorboards and just disappear! Yes, just kill me now! I didn't even know how to apologize in Japanese, so I awkwardly tried to look sorry and bow…
Genkai laughed openly then. And in the face of her pitiless humor, my pride was the incredibly shrinking man with no pants on…
Botan yelled louder for me from the outside. My frayed nerves made my skin itch. Time slowed to a standstill.
But Genkai heard her too, and took her hand and mercifully waved at me to leave. And before her good nature could disappear, I stumbled out the door, and nearly fell down the stairs in my rush to get away from the holes and the only witness to my embarrassment…
Please don't let her be a gossip!
As I step out on the grass, there is Botan on the grounds waiting for me. She smiles, oblivious to my humiliation and chaos, and I sigh in relief and walk over. Safe.
"Ready to go?" she says way too cheerfully. "Sure" I say casually, yawning and suddenly as tired as an old man at this point.
Then she lifts her hand into the air and suddenly an oar appears in it!
And no, I'm not saying, as in 'she picked up an oar off the ground and there it is.' I'm talking, there was nothing, NOTHING there on the grass but her and then there was an oar.. a freaking oar! There's no way that was hiding up her kimono… or up anywhere else for that matter!
'Where the hell did that come from?' I think incredulously.
And you know? Seeing people with large pieces of wood in their hand… yeah, that's just threatening.
People are nuts.
Especially these ones. I start to feel a little paranoid 'Not only do I not understand how that just 'got there' but WHAT does she intend to do with that thing...'
Oh crap… What if this is about me totally ragging on her guy? And, yeah, I was kind of flirting with him… oh shit. Not good. I'm totally dead.
"Uh, Botan, I wasn't really that rude to Koenma." I say, while trying to subtly back up and not trip on my own feet. "I mean, I get that he's your man and all but really... the violence isn't necessary..." I stutter cautiously as I continue to back away, watching her carefully, hands up.
She looks at me. She looks at the oar. She blinks. She blinks again.
"Huh?" Then it smacks her like a train "Oh! No! HaHaHa! This is for us to ride to Koenma's! You know," she says, suddenly saddling the oar "kind of like a… a Horse!" She does this little pretend gallop with it between her legs…
Not turning my back on her, I take another two BIIGGG steps back…
…at least she didn't slap her thigh and shout 'giddy up'…. At least not yet… That shows some restraint, right?
My lip begins the familiar twitching 'Oh God! I don't know how many more of their whoppers I can take!'
My back hits a tree trunk, preventing me from backing up anymore…. Screw it!
We're all mad! I'm staying with them after all, aren't I? And wasn't I just on all fours a minute ago licking paper? Ha ha I'm obviously as cuckoo for Coco Puffs as they are!
I grin widely, holding fast to my self control. 'I'll give her a good taste of reality by playing along'. "Sure Botan. Let's go..." I gather all my bravado and strut back towards her and stand next to her and wait. 'he he he, This should be rich... Let's see what she does now.' I think, a little sadistically.
Botan certainly doesn't seem to pick up my sarcasm though and instead sets the oar mid air. It complies by floating right where she left it! Botan hopped on light as the wind. I, however,...
I back up. My resolve instantly shattered. And back up and back up….
Botan turns to me to see what the hold-up is.
"Enigma? What's the matter?" she asks me as she hops back off and picks my jaw off the ground and pushes it back into place on my face. She waves a hand back and forth in front of my eyes. No response.
"Hmmmm...This isn't good. I thought she understood and accepted all we told her." Botan says, clearly speaking only to herself. She shrugs her shoulders and grabs my hand and pulls me onto her oar before I can shake myself from the shock.
Then suddenly, it ascends.
Swiftly and straight up.
I gasp. Coming out of my stupor, I wobble on the thin handle and grab Botan's shoulder to steady me. "Thought that might snap you out of it!" she laughs.
Yeah. Ha. ha. NOT FUNNY!
I've got nothing to say.
Crap, I don't even know what to think. This is insane. This is not going on. Clearly I'm still asleep on that long plane ride to Japan. It's got to be 'cuz this just isn't something that can happen.
But, of course, it is.
I'm just not taking this blow to reality as I knew it, very well. Who would?
Logic has no place here and that's how I deal with things. Now it's my turn to blink and blink and blink. The wind and thinner air make my eyes sting. Splinters from the wood are burying themselves in my hand that is wrapped so tightly around it, that my bones almost break through the stretched skin. The ground grows smaller and smaller and breaks into lines and patches of green and concrete gray, like an aerial map of this city, no longer looking quite real.
I wonder what Jazz would think of me telling her this, of describing these moments one by one.
Then I realize that I know EXACTLY what she would think and I can almost hear (said in Jazz's voice) "What are you talking about? What's the matter with you? Are you doing drugs now, is that it? I can't believe you! What's wrong with you? You know better!"
Yep. I know what she'd say about it. I won't be telling her about this. I know better. I'd never live it down. She'd still be making fun of me 25 years from now when both of us have hair streaked in grey.
And Botan, well she's still chattering away at me all this time. But I haven't heard a word.
I'm still quite busy trying to deny this impossible reality and arguing with Jazz in my mind about whether what is really happening at this moment, is ACTUALLY happening. And whether or not I'm really here.
Sadly enough, I really hate to admit it, but I'm losing the argument inside my head with her...
(THE ARGUMENT INSIDE MY HEAD WITH JAZZ)
ME: Jazz.. I can't believe I'm mid air on an oar... MID AIR!
JAZZ: You're not. You're delusional. They have finally managed to make you as crazy as they are. Welcome to the land of Schizophrenia!
ME: No. You don't get it. I'm actually, at this moment, in the air on a piece of wood.
JAZZ: Let me ask you something...
ME: Sure.
JAZZ: How long was your flight?
ME: Umm…. Hmm. I'd say about 23 hours?
JAZZ: And did you get where you needed to be? And if not, wasn't it stressful?
ME: You know I couldn't find it. Of course it was stressful!
JAZZ: Okkkk… AND when you went off with this "girl" Botan, did you have a nice quiet evening and a peaceful night's rest?
ME: Uh, no. As you ALREADY know, I met a bunch of hot guys, got scared to death, banged my head and uh… oh yeah… had a nightmare. Why?
JAZZ: Oh, I see. So you've been traveling hard, stressed out, knocked yourself senseless and haven't had a decent nights rest in three days?
ME: Umm... Well, uh, you make it sound worse than it is...
JAZZ: Pssss! Yeah right.
ME: Now just a minute! I'm not losing it! I'll prove it to you!
JAZZ: How?
ME: I'll fall off.
JAZZ: You'll what?
ME: I'll fall off. If I'm dreaming, then I'll wake up before I hit the ground, right?
But Jazz never gets to answer me, because I put the conversation on hold to find out, once and for all, who's right (I never could stand to lose an argument!).
And with that, I let Botan go...
It was easy and careless and, for a moment, absolutely frightening.
But I just leaned back and slipped off...
And I felt it. The sensation. The feeling of my stomach as it clenched and lurched inside me.
My body fell downwards in a horizontal position, with my back facing the ground I plummeted towards and was cradled slightly by the force of the air. My hair whipped alongside my face straight up and in a wild dance of flailing helplessly, while I watched on. It looked like it's trying desperately to grab the passing air, while I myself, stare deeply into the ocean blue sky and fragmented white clouds beyond it.
I never screamed. It never even occurred to me that I should.
I wondered now, will I win this argument?
Then I stopped at that thought.
I wonder if I really want to!
But it is TOO late for that now, so I simply enjoy the freedom that I feel in this free fall. Gravity and air controlling me and I don't have to do a thing.
I close my eyes and smile... accepting the fate I'm to be handed.
Only a moment later, I crash ungracefully into someone's arms that can barely hold onto me.
I look up into Botan's very confused fuchsia eyes, "Enigma, Are you ok? What happened? How did you fall off? Was I going too fast?"
I stare at her a moment, suddenly very irritated. Now how was I going to settle the argument with Jazz?
Yes, I know the conversation was really just with myself, technically, but I know Jazz well enough to know exactly what she'd say. So it's the principal of the thing! I have to prove her wrong. Even if she didn't say those words herself. Because... right now...she can't say them for herself...
I really miss her...
But I cross that thought out in my mind, and twisting my mouth into a semi-smile, I gaze at Botan absentmindedly and say "I don't know what happened. One minute I was on your little match stick- uh I mean oar, the next I wasn't."
She looks relieved it wasn't her fault, per say, and helps me back on again.
So, it has come to the point...that I can't deny it any longer.
This... as fanciful as it seems to be...is true.
What an ugly yet beautiful world!
And with this weary acceptance comes questions, lots of them.
And who better to ask then Miss talks-a lot in front of me!
I think that I should make small talk first, that is the normal way of things, but really, I just can't deny the question that just burns at the end of my tongue, demanding to be asked "Botan?"
She turns to me with a smile "Yes?"
"Is... Hiei really a demon? Uh, and Kurama and Yukina?"
Her smile widens, as she recognizes that I'm finally believing and looks also kind of relieved "Yes he... they are."
"And they come from a different world entirely?" I continue softly, testing the weirdness of the idea.
"Yes. A world called the Makai, a very wild and dangerous place but also very beautiful." she begins. I am quite confused, I'm not going to lie.
"So then. If they are from another world," I press "how do they get here?" She stops for a moment to think, then says "Well, there are different ways, but usually it's through a portal."
I continue her thought, not letting the incredulousness of the idea go "Then there is one around they can just pass through anytime?"
She stops "Well, yes and no. There is a secret one or two that are open all the time, and some you make. It's dangerous to have them because the Reiki has to monitor that humans don't accidentally wander into one and no demons without consent come here."
I feel my curiosity getting a firm hold on me…
Suddenly I find that I MUSTknow where one is "Botan? Can you show me one? I would love to see what it looks like!"
At this, I swear that I can almost see the hairs rising on the back of Botan's neck. Realizing the suddenly dangerous direction this has taken, she looks at me startled "I can't… I'm not allowed to without permission."
I swiftly conceal my zealous look and switch over to puppy dog eyes "Oh come on Botan!" I shake her shoulder playfully and whine "I just want to see it. After all you guys have tortured me and freaked me out… Can't you just humor me just this once?"
She looks very uncertain. She waivers, I look at her and bat my eyes, gripping her shoulder. A moment passes, then another. But then she caves! The girl has no back bone!
She doesn't really agree or not verbally, she just sighs and her oar changes direction and heads back to earth.
To Japan. To not even a mile from Genkai's temple. Down to a corner park. We land roughly in a dense forest area and she walks me towards an old gnarled tree that is 50 feet high and disgustingly dead. Most definitely dead. And that's probably a blessing for it with all the fungi growing like wild nose hair on it, and bugs making big tracks up its trunk. Gross.
"This is it." she says in a rush. And not making eye contact, I'd like to point out.
"What is?" I asked, looking around but not seeing it and starting to wonder if she's screwing with me after all, in revenge. She laughs and takes my hand, and before I can screech about my hand going anywhere near that nasty tree, she shoves it into the center of its thick and gooey black green trunk.
But I don't break nails and crush fingers like I expected to, instead, my hand just disappears!
I pull it back. And then stick it in again.
Satisfied it's really there, I screw up my courage and put my head in and am about to step in all the way, when Botan snatches at me, forcibly pulling me back.
I stumble backwards for a moment, flailing my arms out to catch my balance, than trip on a root and land extremely hard on that stupid tail bone on my ass. I yelped loudly, partly from pain, partly out of anger.
Great. That's going to bruise.
"What are you doing?" she says, more than alarmed. Her hands shooting to her hips in anger as she shifts from one foot to the other, and then those hands jump like fish to cover the top of her head as if this was the most shocking thing she's ever seen go on. What a drama queen!
"I wanted to see inside it, that's all" I state, shrugging and not getting what the whole freak out is about. Are they hiding something fantastic in there and she's just a jealous Jill?
What's the big deal? I just wanted to look.
"You can't. It's very dangerous there. Especially for a human!" she tells me, looking at me suddenly as if this should be the most obvious of things. I'm a little annoyed at that but she continues"Besides this portal you can only cross from the human realm to the Makai. But you can't come back this way. You'd have been trapped!"
I think about challenging her on this, as I pulled my hand in and out of it just fine a moment ago.
I'm sure too, that I don't look even slightly convinced by this odd show of alarm and anger but at watching the agitation and knowing she's probably just broken a lot of rules by bringing me here at all, I feel suddenly bad about it and I decide I can let it go. For now...
But this is it. That whacked out portal was there! Insane. INSANE. INSANE!
I think I'm finally, really and truly on board with the craziness and it being real now! This whole damn thing and these people… demons… WHATEVER they are! I decided it's the real deal.
So here we go!
My mind was racing.
Spilling over with the madness of this reality, I feel stupid that I didn't see the truth sooner. I don't entirely believe. Not everything…
The curiosity burns my lips, and I turn fully to Botan, asking question after question. If my mouth was a gun, it would be an AK-47 and she'd be dead! Swiss cheese kind of dead! ha ha!
"Does everyone know about these worlds and Koenma?"... "Why aren't there more demons here, or are there?"... "Are you a demon?"..."Koenma doesn't act like a god, why?"... "So how does everyone know each other?"…
Botan's eyes swirl in her head as I fire questions in quick succession at her, without taking a breath.
My thirst for answers makes me impatient and edgy.
Her body backs up from me slightly for a moment, leaning away as if absorbing the verbal avalanche. There's a great pause, as we square off and then, she seems to decide to use this about face for her own purposes.
Not really saying anything, she beckons me as if to tell a secret and then pulls me towards her oar again and we're back in the air. I know what she's doing. I'm not that distracted like she hopes, but I know she'll keep talking to 'distract me', so I allow it and act like I didn't notice.
And she begins, finally speaking, as we fly through the air higher and higher, this whole place becoming nothing more than an aerial map again beneath my feet…
She tells me that most people live their whole lives knowing nothing more than I did before, there is no need for them to know. She says that there are demons here but not many because they are too accustomed to a more violent freestyle life and cannot adjust to this world. Also, that most demons don't look enough like us to blend in, as they have horns or scales and are of different colors, and that the strict condition of coming here is that you have to blend in, and most demons just can't.
No, Botan says. She isn't a demon. She works for Koenma as a ferry girl for the dead, and is more a spirit than anything else. And Botan then laughs at me, How is Koenma suppose to act? He acts like a god to me! She states.
She takes a deep breath then, to answer my last question. She glances back at me from the corner of her eye, for the first time with a look that seems to say so much, but I can't quite read the words in them.
I'm suddenly very and acutely aware of her abrupt hesitation, and I feel my hairs prickle at the warning. She looks uncertain how to start but then she shrugs her shoulders and simply opens her mouth:
"Well, It's kind of complex but really, Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama are spirit detectives that work for Koenma." she shrugs even more pronounced, as if giving over and continues "Koenma sends them to do things for him like take care of demons who violate the laws. Keiko is Yuusuke's childhood friend. Yukina is Hiei's..." Botan screeches to a halt and smacks her mouth hard!
My ears prick, I look at her skeptically "Hiei's what, Botan?" She shakes her head and smiles apologetically "I can't say."
I grab her, startled at my own intense reaction. "His girlfriend?" I press, suddenly making sense of all those icy glares I've been getting from her…
A millisecond after the words leave my lips, I'm horrified at my open omission of my naked thoughts! Jesus! Open mouth, insert foot!
I blanch visibly and then go red at what clearly sounds like some kind of love confession! As if! I'm just being nosy, that's all!
She looks at me for a moment, pausing, than a knowing smile creeps across her lips "Oh no, silly! Yukina isn't Hiei's girlfriend! Don't worry about that! Yukina is Hiei's sister." Then her eyes bulged cartoon like as she realized what she said and smacked herself so hard in the forehead she almost fell off the oar.
Then she looks REALLY panicked. "Oh god, he'll kill me if he finds out I blabbed that to another person!" she shrieks more than a little afraid. "I'm so stupid" she moans.
I look at her and rolled my eyes "What's the big deal? She's his sister… So what?"
Though instead my head, I get creeped out that maybe Yukina, sister or not, is in love with Hiei. After all, those looks weren't all in my head…
She looks at me desperately now. "Yukina doesn't know that Hiei is her brother."
Well now, is that so? The warning bells in my head about Yukina just got louder…
She looks right, and then left, as if Hie's just going to pop out of a cloud or something "He won't tell her. He has also made sure, that everyone that knows, knows that if they tell her, he'll kill them. And make no mistake, he will! In fact, he may kill me just for telling you!"
I suppress a smile "Well, Botan, the only way he'd find out is if YOU told him. Which, given your past record so far, seems like you might!" I laugh. She's obviously just being dramatic. What a hack!
"You won't tell him them?" she asks hopefully.
"Of course not." I answer as though it should be obvious. "What the hell do I care? So, why doesn't he want her to know anyway? She seems like a nice… uh, a um, well a girl that wouldn't mind. Matter of fact, it doesn't even seem possible that they could be related! I mean, they don't even really look alike." I say next.
She's still hesitating visibly and doesn't look like she likes this subject but decides to answer anyway "Well, he's never actually said, but I think he's afraid she'll be embarrassed to be related to him. That she might reject him."
I look a little confused "Why would she do that? She's a gentle person. Mostly."
"That's just it. She is a really kind person. While he has lived the life of a thief and a murderer." She informs me.
A thief AND a murderer. A mur. der. er. Someone who kills. Mostly for no reason. Over and over.
Huh…
Seems like a heavy thing to suddenly tell me, and yet she said it like she was telling me he was a shoes salesman. Not a particularly respectful job, but the truth.
I'm not sure what to do with this scrap of the insane. I try to process it, and I realize… yeah, it's just not going to happen right now. That's just a little too heavy for the moment. So I fold that little thought up in a tight square and tuck it into my mental jacket pocket.
With any luck, I'll mentally accidentally 'wash it' and it will be unreadable later. Yep, that's just what I'm going to do… Erase.
I try to imagine, instead, Hiei caring what anyone thought about him. I find it very hard to believe.
But it would seem that I misjudged him some, as I find that his affection and protectiveness towards his sister proved he was capable of feeling something beyond anger and hate after all. Who would have guessed?
...but then again, if I was honest with myself, I would have to admit that people could, and have, said the same thing about me.
Mostly, I use those two overly used emotions as a cover. They always seemed to be the only emotions I considered acceptable to show. But you know, in reality, they are a mask I wear across my face. Kind of like a doll. A lifeless doll. Ouch. What an ugly thing to admit, even if it's just inside my head.
A darker part of me finishes my thoughts I refuse to, whispering against my ear secretly 'You hide from the world and yourself, but in the end, you're hiding from the pain. You're a coward.' I wince. I've always hated that that voice, at the admission, even if it was only to myself.
Could it be that it's the same for him?
I bring myself out of my wicked musing quickly, dropping back into the heart of the real conversation stopper "A murderer? Why is he with you guys then?" My eyes are wide open now.
I could tell she wished I'd stop asking questions and she didn't turn to look at me as she answered "Koenma sent Yuusuke after him and Kurama when they stole some very important things from the Reiki. This was back long before they knew each other or were working together, obviously. Koenma decided to give them a second chance by allowing them to avoid going to the Reiki prison by working their sentences off as spirit detectives, instead."
Kurama, too? Really? A thief? I just can't picture it! I look at her skeptically "How do you know they won't take off or turn on you?"
She finally smiles at me softly. "With Kurama, he really isn't at all like he used to be, you have no idea! He has come to be a very trustworthy person. We really don't worry about him. Hiei, though, is a little different." She says, mostly shrugging "To be rather honest, I guess we can't really be sure he won't turn on us! But he has his own code of Honor that he follows and we know that he doesn't go back on his word. It is both a security and a worry. I'm sure you can guess why it would be a worry, as you have attracted his attention several times now!"
I smile at that, a little weary, a little un-nerved, and yes, slightly flattered because I'm a moron.
'Yes I have gotten his undivided attention several times, haven't I?' I think, preening in my head.
The rest of the way there Botan continued to tell me about each member of the Reiki Tantei. But I only half heard, as one particular person demanded all of my thoughts and he just wasn't the kind of person to take no for an answer...
When Botan finally landed, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but a castle in the sky seemed a little cliché. It even kinda looked like a happy place and I giggled. I tried to stifle it, but Botan noticed and gave me 'the look'. I shrugged. What did she want from me?
But once I stepped inside it gave an entirely different impression...
It was dark and shadowed.
The only light came from the torches along the walls.
The walls were a deep gray stone of mortared blocks that seemed to be white washed only half way up and then higher than that, they were untouched, covered with what looked like a millennia of layers in grime and dust and a rusty red that I denied to myself might be blood.
I shuddered involuntarily. Botan didn't notice.
In fact, Botan was as chirper as she ever was.
While I, myself, couldn't help but look up at those walls.
There were paintings hung one after another. Thick and ancient frames that looked almost Russian in the elaborate designs carved into the wood, much like I'd seen in old world art books.
They all held male figures, clearly not humans, though they did bear resemblance. These figures looked angry and violent without exception, their faces pulled tightly. If they claimed to be gods, I might believe them. Their eyes bore down at me as though they challenged me to defy them.
Botan continued to chatter in their presence, but I was silent, watchful. I was definitely on guard.
The most peculiar thing I noticed though was that, they seemed... almost... alive. As if I were to stop and really look at them, they may blink down at me, open their mouths and toss curses like sharpened spears!
The very thought made me shudder harder, and I hurried along to catch up with Botan, nearly stepping on the back of her heels, as we went down the long corridor. I shifted my gaze firmly to the white washed floor.
After what seemed like a walk through eternity, we finally came to a large set of double doors. These too, were made of an immense section of wood, that had those deep and elaborate cravings that clearly matched the frames of the pictures in the hallway.
It made me nervous. I don't know if they were really there or if it was my over active imagination in overdrive, but I was starting to see all kinds of wicked looking creatures doing very lewd and violent things in the wood…
Botan knocks.
I wait a moment and then hear the massive moan of the door as it's pulled back and a bluish thing, a monster answers. Its got a horn, short and stubby white, on its head. It's naked except for a small Amazonian type of loin cloth about its waist, and… it's staring right at me! It grins its terrible grin.
I hold my breath for a moment… then scream!
"AAAAHHHHH!"
My heart stops and I jump back. Tripping on my own feet, I crash back into Botan who tries to steady us, but then we fall. The blue demon does, too. Crashing backwards into the door, the thing nearly knocking itself into unconsciousness.
It would seem he's even more frightened then me! Botan laughs from under me "Enigma, you're so funny! That's just George!"
Just George? JUST George? What the hell does that mean?
But 'just George' scrambles back to his feet and dashes away, giving me no further chance to figure out what that's supposed to really mean, when you name a monster. But it's gone now and I've survived my heart attack.
What else is there to do but straighten my spine and head further into the creeping place? It's not as if I can just 'go back'.
I give an "irritated grin" and fake laugh "ha ha... Not funny." And follow her into what's supposed to be Koenma's office...
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Ok guys! It was another great chapter. Well... I'll see you! *I start rushing off and Kurama grabs my arm*
*I turn to him, pleading with my eyes...*
KURAMA: I can't let you run off. I won't be able to be here every chapter. You need to make some kind of deal with Hiei.
ME: ! A deal? I'm too young to die!
*Hiei stands across the way with the most vicious look of amusement on his face*
KURAMA: Not that kind of deal. Something that will make him content enough to let you finish your story.
ME: But Kurama... Why does he have his sights set on me? I mean, there are a ton of authoresses that have done a Hiei and OC fan fic. Why is he just picking on me?
*Hiei suddenly gets uncomfortable and looks away*
KURAMA: *smiles at Hiei's sudden change of disposition, then he lowers his voice* Well, I think that your story was so realistic and accurate to how he behaves that he found that he could actually see it happening and he couldn't deal with the fact that it's possible for him to fall prey to the weak human emotion of love.
ME: ? That's dumb.
*Hiei is at my side in an instant*
HIEI: What did you call me? *his hand on the hilt of his katana*
ME: *feeling foolishly brave with Kurama right there* I didn't "call" you anything. I said your reaction is dumb. The story can only happen if you let it. OR are you saying you've actually fell for someone?
*Hiei's eye starts twitching and his fists ball up. He definitely looks ready to strike*
KURAMA: *pulls me closer to him, sensing the danger* Hiei, you know, love really isn't a weakness. But let's put the argument aside for now and get on with making a deal with her so she can finish her story.
HIEI: *still looking like a viper* hn... *looks away and crosses his arms*
KURAMA: Now then. *He pulls Hiei close to us and starts whispering*
*Hiei whispers back*
ME: What? That's... that's just wrong! *Kurama silences me*
KURAMA: Yes, Hiei, I must agree. That's really harsh. But how about if instead... *whisper whisper*
Hiei: *whisper whisper* fine... if she agrees to that I will keep my temper *he emits a low growl*
ME: Kurama... that's just not right...*whimpering pathetically*
KURAMA: Don't worry. I'll come around to make sure he doesn't take it too far. Perhaps it could even be fun?
ME: *whimpering pathetically still* Hiei, can't you reconsider? Don't you think that what you're asking for is too much? *looking at Hiei's cold garnet eyes helplessly*
HIEI: Don't show how truly pathetic you are! This is nothing compared to keeping your life. One more word and there will be no deal... *glaring at me and waiting for me to challenge his words*
ME: T_T ...
KURAMA: *looks startled at my tears* It's not that bad. You'll see. And this way you can continue your story any way you like! Isn't that what you wanted? *puts his arms around me to comfort me.
HIEI: Answer him!
ME: Yes Kurama... T_T
HIEI: Stop that pathetic crying Baka!
ME: (-_-)...
