Note: I'm late, almost 7 days late. I'm sorry for that.
Chapter 11 - Under the skin
Kuwabara silently said goodbye to the lone stone he was kicking from the station to the building's gate. A tired, despondent sigh, followed by a deep inhalation, but the smell of burn herb dulled his brain and lungs for a second. It didn't take more than two minutes to find the source of the smoke. Yusuke sitting cross-legged hidden between the vegetation and the wall of the condominium, smoking a suspicious cigarette in the middle of the night is nothing new, but Hiei sitting next to him is definitely new. They were both grumbling and fighting over something, they took a while to notice the third wheel.
"What the fuck?" Kuwabara pretended not to see Yusuke almost swallowing his cigarette in shock, then ignored the insults "What are you doing here?" he tried to get into the supposed hiding place, but his height made it difficult to develop the action, so gave up. He just opened the way for the other two to go out and show themselves in the light of one of the posts.
"A whore and a long history of shit" extinguished the joint flame gently before putting the leftovers delicately in the front pocket. He frowned when he noticed Kazuma looking over his disheveled figure.
"As much as it hurts to say, we were waiting for you" Hiei offered the explanation, to the surprise of those involved. He growled impatiently when he noticed the judgmental eyes of the tallest "The stupid detective here, lost the keys to the apartment" indicated Yusuke with his head, the other couldn't help looking guilty, even though the last hour of the night had passed justifying about the key always being in your pocket, also did not miss the opportunity to criticize the shortest who never got to have one.
Kuwabara had about two seconds to judge the apparitions in front of them, they looked tired, dirty and bruised. Several questions crossed his mind, but only one managed to find his way to his mouth.
"Isn't Kurama home?" Kazuma was struck by suspicious insecurity. They had lunch together, near the pre-university course last afternoon and the dissatisfaction in Kurama's eyes was overwhelming, probably because he didn't have the answers he wanted. In fact, Kuwabara didn't even know if there were any questions, since the friend never said if he knew or did not know the pattern of features and the function of the suspect symbol, Kazuma was only sure that it shouldn't be there, to make it worse, somehow, he knew that the situation harmed the fox's health. He offered to accompany his friend to visit Genkai, but the idea was rejected, not as politely as usual, he could almost compare the situation with that of a patient who does not want to involve his friends. He thought Kurama was going to take the first day of summer vacation to go to the temple alone, in the worst case, he would go to Makai look someone with information. The mere possibility that he still hasn't arrived home could still be a big problem.
"Nope" Yusuke's denial made Kazuma lose the ground for a second "Who is there is his evil twin, or his version of the inverted world" just hit the fabric of his clothes "Can feel the bad mood from here, when I called to say we were without the keys I heard the biggest lecture of my life, and hey! I already did much bigger shit! "interrupted his thought when he heard Hiei's insinuations about his supposed pimping plan from the past days being the main pivot of the rare lack of patience from others "You also have your ass stuck, shrimp. You also did some shit, otherwise he would be up there already" He grabbed the collar of the shorter one who didn't even bother to move his eyes.
"Don't make me kill you, detective" he felt his feet rise from the floor, but he didn't bother to take his fists out of his pockets.
"With what energy do you intend to do this?"
"Are the two children going to continue outside?" Kuwabara held the condo's front door while swinging the keys in the air, hoping the other two would become aware of his presence.
The history of mankind says that the key, as an object, was accompanied by the bolt and appeared in China long before the Christian time markers, afterwards, it was perfected by the Egyptians and gained the characteristic of cavities and orifices. Eventually, technology crossed the continents and in the 18th century it gained an british version, more secure, where it is necessary to combine positions, creases and blades to be functional. Parallel to the technological element, the symbolic relationships offered for the key are: to unite, to release, to retain or to arrest. Pandora had a box, forbidden to be opened, completely locked, so it is understood the presence of a key, mechanical or metaphorical, but did the box protect the outside of the content or the other way around? Hecate is a mystical figure who appears as a Witch, Goddess, Mother or Elder, usually represented holding a key, where it is his responsibility to keep the elements within his world, or outside others. Just like sliding a key into a modern lock, the inside and outside perspective is simple, but much more disturbing. Disturbance that went through Kuwabara's head as he squinted at the bunch of keys placed in the palm of his hand. Kurama's tired sigh, along with the train's jolt, stopped Kuwabara's conscience, who immediately stuck the keys in his pocket.
"Once again, the inevitable"
The words were whispered, so low and sorry that Kazuma pretended not to hear them. In fact, it is inevitable to change the lock, since one of the copies was lost. Just as it was inevitable to ask.
"What's happening with you?" he only realized what he had asked, so shamelessly and without ceremony, after he had done it. He felt the muscles tighten at his side, then the train started to move again.
"I don't know" the answer came out more harshly than would have liked. The question made him angry, but for the past few days, everything had made him angry. Getting angry easily was making him angry, as if constant tiredness wasn't enough, losing control of your patience is the limit of your sanity. Impatience made his mind blurred, his breathing short, as if he couldn't take much information at once. And the improbability of such an old mind to succumb to nervousness and anger only contributed to the cloudiness of the situation. "I didn't find much information" His right hand covered his shoulder where the invisible mark was fixed "Only that they are marks of invocations made by entities in a situation of possession" waited for the announcement of the next break to finish "Is usually the first mark of a process , it can be spiritual or evil, it can be expulsion or conjuration" was frustrated with the ambiguous situation that the research provided. I didn't have enough material on hand. Even Genkai did not have much information.
"Was that all the elder said?" Kuwabara can guess that the day before the fox actually went to visit the temple in the morning.
Kurama shook his head negatively, this information he found in the few books on the subject he had in the human world, Genkai only confirmed the veracity when analyzing the drawing made by Kuwabara, since he was unable to see the symbol on the skin. She defined that geometric pattern as stamps applied only by contact, not necessarily physical, connected to matter, but energies. This indirectly confirms that the seal was placed on the fox and did not appear mysteriously. It means that he needed to be touched, or his energy needed to be touched. Almost like a silent and painful reminder, he felt an uncomfortable pressure on his back, his reaction was to turn around in alarm. He only received the sincere and exaggerated apologies of a teenager who became unbalanced with the train stop.
"Did I do shit?" the taller was slightly embarrassed "I mean, I drew this shit on paper afterwards" scratched the top of his head in shame for his impulsiveness, but was quieted when Kurama immediately explained that a seal or symbol only works if there is an intention , the power and the right circumstances "Did you tell others?" Kuwabara tried to get his friend out of an uncomfortable situation by putting him in another.
"I already fought with Hiei for this whole story" He shrank in his place "Actually, we have been fighting since that day, Yusuke seems to have noticed and just kept himself far enough away not to receive splinters "At that moment he realized that the only person he was maintaining the minimum level of patience with was Kuwabara, however much he asks the questions that Kurama does not want to answer.
"It doesn't mean that they are not worried" was the opening sentence of the silence that followed until the destination.
Shizuru waited for visitors to come down the stairs from the train station exit, before putting out his cigarette. With Kazuma and Kurama just over two steps away, he remained motionless, with no movement in his face. He completely ignored the greeting addressed to her.
"You suck" pragmatical, always.
The younger brother squirmed. More invasive impossible, but apparently Kurama hoped for this, since he expressed absolutely nothing.
Nothing is the word that defines the environment, although there is nothing to see, there was a lot to talk, but nothing was said. Every time there was the possibility of some pronunciation, a glass was raised and its contents absorbed minimally, as if there was a desire for the eternal existence of green tea to ensure that the mouths remain occupied. The tedious, regular sound of the clock was the precedent march of impending doom.
"I forgot to thank you" Kazuma started "For you come to help" his speech seemed to follow the clock gear "Even though ... busy" the taller chose words. Kurama seemed to want to respond politely, but was interrupted.
"He didn't come for this" the woman interrupted the rhythm of the room "Come here with Kazuma, it's your idea of payment" did not divert "Whatever it is that you feel indebted" the fox's response to the comment was an indifferent look while the other man in the room looked confused "I felt like calling Genkai last night" saw no need to explain further.
The conversation ended there. The work needed to be done by early evening. The woman directed the appropriate tasks to each of them. The conversation ended, but it didn't die. During the beginning of activities, Shizuru realized that, unfortunately, she would have to play the role of enlightener.
"I don't have enough spiritual power to help anything, and he knows it very well" relaxed his expression again "The only thing I can do is say what I should have already said" she looked at her brother almost inside her soul "These three, living together, make a beacon of energy that doesn't move" He adjusted the weight of the earth bags on his arms when he saw his brother's face wither from being excluded from the account, again "You don't have demonic energy, Kazu. It should also be negatively influenced by that, but apparently it is the other way around" she offered a sincere smile, rare on the face of older brothers like her "I never saw you so happy and dedicated" pushed her brother's shoulder with his own, as a affection representation, but decided it was enough when he examined the painting work on the wall "Paint that shit right, it's full of flaws"
He was ready to make his sister swallow the brush, but he dismantled the attack pose when he saw her approach Kurama, crouched in one of the flowerbeds in the yard. He painted the wall again, impatient and with the irrational movement of the brush. In spite of everything, she was right, if the boys' demonic energies were in conflict and damaging their surroundings, he should be the first to complain. After filling a space slightly wider than his shoulders, came up with a theory. He was sad and alone when the three went to Makai to solve the shit of the damned Kings, excluded he from the opportunity to choose. His heart sank frequently at that time, almost synchronized with the training of any of them. He, who had grown accustomed to the weight of the three energies on his own, was light for a long time. The return of the weight made him so happy that his body and spirit understands that as something good, something that comes with his friends. Started to fill the space in front of him frantically, after all it was decided, whatever it is, it will not take away his joy again.
Kurama noticed the woman's approach long before she put the bags of soil beside her, but continued her work on the construction site pretending to be astonished when she went down to her current height. He could see in Shizuru's eyes that she knew about his farce. Accepted her assistance while completing the task, felt his patience and control drain like water in the sun. He struggled to concentrate on the soil, the last time that sensation ran through him all over his body ended with the loss of his control. The images of him and Hiei fighting, recklessly and meaningless near one of Makai's entrances, crossed his head in a cruel and silent way, forcing him to remember how painful it is to hurt someone he loves, or worse, to allow something hurt the person you love. Shizuru's eyes were a painful reminder that she could read her energy movement as clearly as Hiei could read minds with Jagan.
"The only thing I can tell you is that I see a whirlpool inside you. Before it was a weather vane in a storm, fast and uncontrolled, but still colorful and harmless. Now I see a mess that wants to get out, run away from itself and can't do it "she handed him a worn, rusted iron shovel, Kurama smiled at the object before taking it.
"It is very sensitive of you", he paused "For choosing pink carnations in honor of this woman" He positioned one of the plant's reproduction stakes in the earth cradle.
"That elder took care of me and Kazu when we were kids, while our parents were working" She pretended not to understand the double meaning of Kurama's first sentence "Her children and grandchildren never gave her much importance, when I learned that the family I was going to sell the house, I decided to buy it" None of her words carried sadness "Offering gratitude and happiness is the least I can do, the old woman rested in peace" delivered another package with carnation cutting.
"It is a pity that this species does not resist very well to the climate of this region" Kurama pointed bitterly, but satisfied with the change of subject "We are also not in the right time to plant them" pretended not to notice the woman rolling her eyes.
"So, I'm counting on you to apply some of your talent to them" Avoided using the word energy. She knew that Kurama wanted to get away from the subject, but she would not allow "Her burst of impatience and instability is the whirlwind wanting to escape her own movement" Her eyes landed on the fox's left arm, the raised sleeves allowed her to see a similar geometric complex on the skin near the elbow. Instinctively, he touched the marked skin. Kurama contracted all the muscles in his body, he didn't need to see the shape to understand that there was a sign, one more.
The cleaning, painting and maintenance work dragged on in the afternoon, even after the impromptu lunch, there was still a lot to do. Shizuru was washing the dishes when his brother entered the kitchen, kicking the air and with his hands in his pockets. She looked over her shoulder and waited for him to speak.
"I borrowed a rake from the neighbor" he pointed his thumb back over his right shoulder. He ignored his sister's speech, he didn't hear any of the new tasks, he was stuck in his previous vision. The moment he rang the doorbell and the door opened, he grimaced. He knew that Kurama's favorite asshole was familiar, mystery solved. Is the boy they played with as children "Mrs. Kiyohara's son is in the same college as Kurama" Kazuma interrupted his sister, whatever she was saying "The boy with the black, straight hair and nerd glasses" gestured to notice the woman's confusion "He answered the door, asked if we would mind being an iron rake, quite old"
"Kazuma" this time, she interrupted "That boy died before you entered high school"
After talking with the woman about carnations, swirls and pinwheels, Kurama was left with more questions than he would like. Instinctively he went down the sleeves of his shirt, but from time to time he looked at the location of the supposed new brand. In his mind, he tried to redo all the situations in which his arm was touched, but his concentration was not maintained for long, first because of his growing and overwhelming internal impatience, then by lunch break, the new instructions on the tasks, then, Kazuma coming and going from the neighbor's garden, muttering anything the fox was not interested in, finally, the most unlikely voice and image for his brain at that moment. He gets up from the floor and brushed the dirt from his hands and apron when the shadow of his college colleague holding something came into his line of sight. He saw the boy's mouth move and then bow in a polite smile as he held the object out in front of him. The fox did not hear a word, but recognized the metallic instrument as an old rake, without a handle. He heard his name being called moments before holding the offered tool. The touch of the metallic surface caused a cold and hot burn at the same time, it felt as if his skin was torn off, in fact, as if part of himself was torn off in half.
Standing at the entrance door, Shizuku vowed to be able to see, for a mere half a second, as if Youko's form came off the host human form. She could see the yellow eyes pop out of the greens and return in less than a second, as if he were being pushed out and pulled in again. Bewildered and with a hazy look, Kurama took two steps back looking at his hands, but he recognized the enraged form of Kazuma grabbing Kiyohara by the collar and throwing punches. The sound of the fifth impact and the endless insults of the taller redhead took Kurama out of his state of numbness, he reached the fight with the pretension of snatching any information from the boy, before he was killed by the violence of the other. He held Kazuma's right fist and for a second, he supposed it would be easy to get any information out of the subject. That second was enough for his brain to go through hundreds of ramifications of hypotheses and theories, but his mind went black when the brown of Kiyohara's eyes found his face, becoming a deep magenta. Kazuma forced his grip even more, he also saw the change and swore he saw an intention of smiling on his disfigured face, it was enough to make him shake the body attached to his left fist.
"Too slow, giving luck to bad luck?" the magenta glow left Kurama's face to face that of his attacker "This corpse has accomplished its goal"
Kazuma was ready to squeeze the boy, but the weight of body disappeared from his hands. He watched, disgusted, as the corpse crumbled into dust and brittle bones over time. Kurama heard his friend's explanation of the dead neighbor, he didn't need to see or be warned to know that a new seal appeared on the back of his left hand.
E/N: I couldn't avoid all these sequential cuts in the narrative. I hope it hasn't been too fragmented. Thanks for reading, see you in the next full moon, no delays this time, I swear.
xoxo