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Music: Waru – Bad Blood, Slayers Try Treasury VOX, Takagi Wataru (Valgarv), Slayers Try
"What is it?"
Startlingly green eyes glared up at the trespasser in his meditation. The owner of these eyes – sometimes as pale as the sun viewed from underwater, sometimes as dark as the purest emerald – was Kurosaki Hisoka, famous heir to a family line as long as it was proud. It was a proud, proud line. He was to inherit a huge estate, immeasurable amounts of wealth and of course all the prestige that came with the blood of Clow Reed, ancient magician. He was also the inheritor of the family trade of magic. And assassination.
For Clow Reed, famous for his kindness and benevolence though he may have been, and still is, found his way to fame and riches through the once-honored task of killing. Serving no one master, only their own power and whichever noble paid the highest, Hisoka's family pride – and traditions - were the only things that had passed down through the generations to him. In all else, he looked nothing like Clow's descendant. Fair-skinned, with hair the shade of wet sand and the aforementioned jade for pupils, he had clearly received his mother's side of the genetic set. Indeed, his face was pointed and his skin was soft, blushing soft pink when he was embarrassed, and those eyes were fringed with long, curved eyelashes whose darkness accentuated his paleness.
Kurosaki Hisoka, walking alone and unarmed on the street, was easily mistaken for a young, innocent girl and accosted by gangs of men looking for fun or profit. Kurosaki Hisoka, alone and unarmed, could easily destroy a whole sect within the hour. Hisoka was the jewel of the family. Cold, calculating, and deadly, he had spent the majority of his life locked within the gloomy, richly decorated mansion, learning martial arts and combat magic. By now he was a renowned killer, well known for bringing merciful deaths, quick and precise, whether by a fight, deception, or poison. Kurosaki Hisoka was an accomplished assassin.
Kurosaki Hisoka was 16 years old.
His closest friend was his cousin, two years older than him, who had trained with him as long as they could both stand. Watari Yukata, with his sun-kissed hair and bright golden eyes, was the only other member of the family to have a fair complexion, also the result of foreign genes. He was related to Hisoka through their mothers. Watari was also the resident healer and mad scientist. And, speaking of Watari, it was he who had entered the room mere minutes ago.
"Hey, Bon!" Hisoka looked calmly at the older boy, energetic and lively. People, even closely related, were very different. Hisoka responded to his harsh life by shutting himself away. Watari retaliated against the strict rules by being outgoing and imposing, but in a manner that was both endearing and annoying at the same time.
"Yes, Watari. What did you want?"
"I didn't want anything." Came the reply with a distinct air of injured innocence. Hisoka sighed and rolled his eyes at him. "Ok, ok! Tatsumi-sama wants you." Seiichiro Tatsumi was, in fact, Hisoka's uncle, younger than his deceased father by at least 20 years, but acted far older than that. The elder Kurosaki had perished on a particularly dangerous mission, followed by his wife by a mysterious sickness. As Hisoka had been only 10 at the time, Tatsumi, older by a mere four years, had taken command of the family. Despite his young age, there wasn't a doubt that he was an excellent leader.
"Tatsumi-sama?"
"Yup. Within five minutes, he says." Hisoka's frown deepened. Being wanted by Tatsumi meant one of two things: 1. He had done something wrong and needed to be punished, or 2. There was an assignment for him. Either way, it wasn't a pleasant prospect. However, nothing could be done. If Tatsumi said you were to be there within five minutes, you were. Consequences were rumored to be dire if one was tardy with the head of household.
"K'so." The expletive left the boy's lips even as he threw the door open to leave. Before disappearing down the hall, he turned his head slightly- "Thanks, Watari."
"No prob, Bon!" Watari smiled. Lovely. With Tatsumi occupied with Hisoka, he would have time to test out a new experiment. "Thank you, young Lord Heir …"
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Nukumoriya yasashisaha iranai
WARU na mewokorashi Asunoemono niranda
[I don't need warm feelings or love I just need myself
Casting a look of evil and glaring at my future enemies]
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Hisoka skidded to a halt just before the wide open doors of the main room. One of the guards' lips twitched as if to smile, but on closer examination he decided it was a figment of his imagination. None of the guards were so much as moving. It appeared even the wind had no effect upon their clothing. His clothing, however, was another matter. Straightening his shirt and slacks and flattening his hair into what he hoped was an acceptable shape, he slowly entered the room to face his uncle.
"Kurosaki Hisoka. This is the boy I was telling you about, Hisae-san." Hisoka looked up sharply. A woman with long dark hair twisted into a loose knot stood politely beside Tatsumi. Who was this? He had yet to hear of assassins working together, especially outside of family lines.
"Ah yes, the boy that murders." Hisoka's jaw tightened. Murder … he was no murderer. But the steady brown gaze that held him was full of nothing but warmth and understanding. For a moment, he felt comforted, as if with a real mother, but then closed his mind. Assassins weren't like this. This kindness must also be an act, and he knew that all sorts of disguises were necessary to succeed within the dangerous world of death. And if she really was as gentle as she seemed, then there was no way that she could possibly understand him. People with that kind of eyes always had a good life.
"Hisoka is a very peculiar assassin." Tatsumi was saying. "He's an-"
"Empath. I see that." Hisae's face was sad. "You feel everything, don't you?" Green narrowed at tender brown, then glanced towards Tatsumi's deep sea-blue orbs, seeking permission to speak.
"Go on." He said softly.
"I have learned much from my teachers here. Shielding for an empath is a very basic skill." He glared at the woman, then suddenly realized that he was being impolite to a guest, and chose instead to direct his withering look at the rich Oriental carpet. In his imagination, the elegantly wrought flowers wilted and died, dry petals falling around the stem. Her voice when she spoke again was serious, and slightly commanding.
"There will be those that will pass your barriers. When they do, you must be prepared."
Tatsumi coughed. "If I may …" Hisae smiled and nodded. "Hisoka, you have a mission. There is wealthy trader who has recently set up shop here, in this city. Rumors about him are already flying, and a noble who was cheated by this man has hired us to destroy him. He will have many guards, all of whom should be well-trained in the martial arts- what?" For Hisoka was quite obviously itching to say something.
"Who is it, the noble that's hired us?" Tatsumi stared, then frowned.
"You do not need that information. The trader's name is Kirua. Find out all you can about him and proceed. Hisae will be watching you to evaluate your performance."
Hisoka bowed stiffly. "Hai, Tatsumi-sama." And left.
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Shaking Shaking in my Soul Tenshito akuma
Shaking Shaking in my Soul Senaka awaseninaru
[Shaking, shaking in my soul, heavenly being and devil
Shaking, shaking in my soul, what am I really like on the inside?]
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Time: 1:23 AM, July 15 2003
Iya … I can't believe I'm actually spending so much time on this! I'm so tired I can't even type correctly! I nearly wrote time on time … I can barely keep my eyes open … they keep falling down on me … but I'm really on a roll! I took a break in between to take a bath though! It relieves me that it didn't take me a whole hour to write that little blurb … Anyways! I will post this on Fanfiction.Net tomorrow *looks at clock* … uh, today, and if I get enough reviews (5! 5 is minimum! I hope people don't hate this too much!) I will continue to write. If I don't, I will cry, watch the 7:30 run of CCS, and get some sleep. *nod* I need … rest … *wobbles off to bed* Sayonara for now!
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Music: Exit Running, Slayers Try Treasury VOX, Megumi Hayashibara (Lina), Slayers
"Ne, Tsuzuki-chan … are you certain you sensed something?" A slightly whiny voice arose from a dark, secluded street. Most peculiar, as the speaker was a small, yellow-orange stuffed animal, floating in the air with the aid of small white wings. "It's so cold … did we have to come here?" It fluttered said wings and inched closer towards the slightly warmer air under a streetlamp.
"Kero-chan, shut up. I'm trying to concentrate!" A tall, black-haired man, presumably the 'Tsuzuki-chan' that 'Kero-chan' had been addressing, stood just outside of the light. Suddenly, a hearty growl broke the silence, followed by another, longer chain of the same sounds. "Aa …" A blush crept across hollow cheeks, and he clutched his stomach convulsively.
"What is it?" The flying toy spoke again, tones tinged by worry.
"I'm hungry!" Kero-chan crashed to the ground. Tsuzuki, however, brightened and stood straight again. "Hey! I remember seeing a 7/11 at the corner we just passed! Let's go get something to eat before we check this out!" As he stepped into the golden glow of the more than somewhat dirty lamp, his features were illuminated, revealing him to be even younger than originally thought. Clad in a long, ill-fitting black trench coat and black gloves, the teen – for that was what he was – gave off the distinct air of having been stretched. The bones of his face stood out sharply, throwing dark shadows on the pale face that would have looked sinister had the owner not been grinning as happily as a child. Under the bulk of the jacket, his body was long and lean. He didn't look to have enough flesh to cover the height of someone half his size, let alone his considerable height. It looked almost as if a 7-year old had had his bones suddenly grow, leaving his skin to cover twice the amount of area it should have.
"You'll drag me all the way out to nowhere, a whole fifteen minutes away from the warm cozy carriage, because you detect the slightest trace of magic, but the instant your stomach kicks up its complaints the problem is instantly out of mind?" Poor Kero-chan was infuriated.
"Aww, Kero-chan!" Said Tsuzuki with all the air of a small child. "I really am hungry! I missed lunch and dinner again today because Kirua-sama forgot to tell the cook I needed to eat too! And besides, you know I can't use magic on an empty stomach." Kero sighed, then conceded defeat by slowly trailing after Tsuzuki to the next light. The boy didn't get enough to eat anyways. If he didn't find a way to live a normal lifestyle soon, he would die of starvation … or at least drown in his own drool when he happened to pass a bakery. "And besides," Tsuzuki continued, "I'll buy you some chocolate. You must be hungry too! After all, when I don't eat, you don't eat." Kero perked up.
"YAY! CHOCOLATE!" Zooming in circles around Tsuzuki's head, he proceeded to dance a complicated set of in-air steps before coming to rest on wide shoulders, absurdly wide and well-developed for someone who got so little to eat. "But don't you need today's pay for your savings?"
"Aa, it's fine, Kero-chan!" As he passed under the glare of another light, his bright amethyst eyes were eerily lit – purple fire in the white face – for a moment before fading into shadow again. "It's not like I'll die because I spent 50 cents on chocolate for a friend!"
"If you're sure." Said Kero, with a notable lack of protest. As the two converged upon the helpless Seven-Eleven, dark figures slipped expertly in and out of shadows, tracing the still loudly talking boy.
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gimon darake no ame furasete kasa mo sashikakete wa kurenai
konna yo no naka, umoretetara nanimokamo nagasarete yuku yo
[I think with the corrupt rain falling, I won't quit holding this umbrella
In this world, to be buried, and anything and everything is to fall!]
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"What an idiot." Commented Hisoka, forgetting for a moment that he was working with another person. "He doesn't even realize that he's being followed."
"I didn't see his face, but his voice sounds somewhat familiar …" From Hisae-san's tone, he could tell that he wasn't the only one with a wandering mind. Reaching out through his heavy shields – always required before a mission, no matter how trite, as emotions tended to overflow in … certain situations – he briefly touched the other boy's mind.
He was shocked. Expecting to find flowers and teddy bears – all right, not exactly in those terms, but certainly happy, carefree, light items – he encountered a dark veil unlike any other he had ever felt. It was almost as if there was a wall. At first glance, the mind seemed like that of a little boy's – at this point, Tsuzuki was singing "Chocolate gateau, lemon meringue pie, why are you so expensive, why oh why?" – but abruptly an intruder came across a heavy barrier between real thoughts and exterior appearances – "Hershey's chocolate, Caramilk bar, you are beautiful, yes you are." – which, to any inexperienced empath, seemed impenetrable. Hisoka – "Angel food cake, Devil's too, I so want to eat you, yes I do," Kero-chan yelled, "Shut up!" - was no inexperienced empath.
However, as he began to slowly pick away at the material, Tsuzuki broke off from his reverie at the store window and looked sharply in Hisoka's direction. "Shit." He cursed soundlessly and withdrew his reach. After a moment, during which Kero ranted about how annoyingly depressed Tsuzuki's singing was making him, not to mention hungry, he slowly turned back towards the glass. Hisoka was pissed off at his own stupidity. He should have known that someone who could detect their carefully held auras from a distance would have had a powerful sense for magic.
"I see you underestimated him." Hisae's smiling face appeared from seemingly nowhere, and startled the sandy-haired boy so much he nearly fell from his perch on a wall and gave them away. Hisae's hand grabbed his arm, but Hisoka had already regained his balance and was blushing with fury and embarrassment. If Tatsumi could see him now … he shuddered to think of the scolding he'd get ("Kurosaki Hisoka, you are a shame to this family! If you are this clumsy, you don't deserve to share the great Clow Reed's blood! Blah, blah, blah …"). Sometimes Tatsumi really reminded him of an old nagging hen. Mistaking his shiver of fear for one of cold, the warm brown eyes asked, "Are you cold?"
"No!" He snapped forcefully and wrenched his arm out of the nice – nice? She was not nice! She was a killer and he'd have to remember that – woman's grip. "Let's go."
They followed Tsuzuki and the talking stuffed animal as the two left the store, still arguing over whether Cadbury's Caramilk bar or Hershey's Cookies'n'Cream chocolate was better. Nearing the carriage – they could see the dark shape outlined against the night sky – Hisoka settled down. This, he knew. This was what he was good at, what he understood. Death was quick and simple as opposed to the confusing boy with the mind barrier and the assassin with the tender eyes. His job was made easy by knowing that much of the city disliked the wily trader; this way he knew that by killing Kirua he wouldn't be hurting too many people.
Hisoka's senses began to tune in on other activity and human life in the area. Too many all at once, all thinking more or less the same thing ("It's so damn cold!"), broke through the complicated shields he was holding and he was forced to slam them back up with more force than before, taking energy away from any combat magic he might need to perform.
"A shortcut. This way." His voice was muffled against his mask, but Hisae knew and understood him. Slipping through the alley, they found the group long before Tsuzuki could have hoped to arrive. Why was he thinking about finding this place in terms of that man – boy – anyway?
"Ready?" Asked the kind-eyed assassin.
"As always." He replied shortly. They dropped to the ground.
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Daremo shirankao shiteru naka de sonzai wo sakebetai yo
Kizutsuku koto mo yogoreru koto mo saketari wa dekinai
[Everyone's in apathy, my existence wants to scream!
Being hurt, being dirty, unable to avoid it]
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Tsuzuki felt the presence of other beings with magic long before he heard the sounds of a fight. Speeding his pace, with a worried Kero riding on his shoulder, they both nonetheless managed to consume their food within record time. Just before turning the corner, he stuffed his last bit of lemon tart into his already crammed mouth and skidded to a stop. Peeking cautiously around the corner, he saw …
A young boy in black robes was chanting an attack spell while another person, a woman, protected him. Finishing, the boy threw a piece of paper into the air, which immediately burst into flame. Screams of horrified and dying people lay heavy on night. "Fuda." Commented Tsuzuki.
"This isn't good." Said Kero. A pause occurred, during which the woman took a turn at spell-casting.
Suddenly both Tsuzuki and Kero-chan seemed to snap out of a daze and charged the mob. As they went, the stuffed animal's wings grew rather larger, enveloping the small figure, and then flipped away to reveal a lion-like creature that breathed fire at the two in black. Both turned to look, the smaller parrying an attempt at his legs, and the taller slashing at a man who was going for her heart. She remained that way, sword held high above her head, in shock. Tsuzuki's eyes widened, and his voice tore across the street –
"NEE-SAN!" But even as his shout died out the small boy cried out.
"Hisae! Look out!" But the warning came too late.
The man Hisae had just struck down had raised his short knife one last time and brought it down right into her stomach. A second passed, then a second. Finally, the third moment of silence passed, oh-so-slowly, and Hisae fell, strands of rich black hair coming loose from her scarf and fluttering with her to the ground. Tsuzuki ran towards her.
"NEE-SAN!!"
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Tsuyogaribagari ja kowareteku kokoro wo toki ni wa sarakedasu
Sugao wo hajitari wa shinaide sore wa tsuyosa he no puroro-gu
[Just a show of courage broken, when the heart is exposed
Don't disgrace honesty, that's strength's "prologue"]
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TBC (Bum-bum-bum)
Time: 1:32 AM, July 16 2003
What the hell? Why can't I work on this thing during the day? I sat down today after lunch, planning to work on it (my Internet's not working so I thought I might as well write some more before posting) and found myself totally lazy and unwilling to work. So I didn't. What did I do? I played Solitaire … poor, bored me. Poor, tired me. I'm gonna go sleep now … *staggers towards bed and falls down halfway there* Oh right … I need to … turn off the computer … *turns around* push
BLACKOUT
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