Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.
KopyKat: It is June 27, 2004 & it's 4:00 in the morning. I've been awaiting this chapter & those that follow. Lately, I've been listening to M.C. Hammer's "Can't Touch This" & T.A.T.U.'s "All the Things She Said" repeatedly as I typed up these chapters. Just by going through & reading, you MIGHT be able to figure out just what song I was listening to by the mood of the story. But I was inspired by one of the songs somewhat. It got my heart racing when I thought about it fitting into a future part in this fic. As for this second, I've decided to be 'different' & I'm listening to Trapt's "Headstrong."
Oh, and now Kurama is basically the Youko we all know & love, except a little shorter & scrawnier. And what about this 'figure'? I guarantee that it's not a made-up. Let's see who all knows who this mystery character is before the identity is revealed! Be honest.
It had been quite a few years since the unlikely meeting of Kurama and Botan. The two were in their later teens and surprisingly enough, they were still together (though not as a couple). They now lived near a town, having moved out of the cave two years before.
Youko, as called by other demons, had grown a little taller than 6 feet tall by this time, though he wasn't quite finished growing yet. Recently, he bought a white tunic with the money he swiped. He was an accomplished thief & much more experienced with plant life. His features were sharper than they were when he was a child and his amber-colored eyes sent chills down almost anyone's spines, especially when he glared. Actually, one of the only people that can get a smile (not a smirk) out of him is none other than Botan.
As for Botan, she had grown to a height between 5 and 6 feet, possibly in the dead middle of the two numbers. Her pale blue hair would normally fall around her shoulder blades, if she hadn't kept it in a ponytail. Unlike the calm Youko, Botan had a cheery attitude and was the most colorful out of the two. Quite the contrast of the thieving fox demon.
While walking through the demon-filled town, Botan looks over (and up) at Youko, "What are we out here for again?"
He looks down at her, "Would you like to starve? We're trying to find some food."
She bops her head, smiling brightly, "Oh yeah, sorry. I kinda forgot..."
Youko smiles and shakes his head, "Really Botan, how absentminded can one be?"
She looks down, blushing from embarrassment, "Well... extremely absentminded in my case."
The fox demon sighs, "I was only teasing, don't go putting yourself down."
She brightens up immediately, "Ok!"
Youko looks ahead and narrows his eyes when he sees a small group of low- class demons staring at both Botan and himself. The demons immediately scamper away, not liking the look Youko was giving them. He felt that he couldn't trust any of the demons around here, especially when it came to Botan. That's why he rarely liked to leave Botan anywhere alone. Demons and humans just didn't belong together. Botan and himself are a special case however. These lowlifes would do something.
He growls, "Filthy demon scum..."
Botan blinks and looks up at him, "Kurama...? Something wrong?"
He looks at her, giving a small smile, "Nothing. A demon just looked at me funny.. or it could've been you. You look pretty funny yourself." His smile becomes a playful smirk when she shoves him, a mock-angry expression on her face.
The same figure from that one night years ago watches them from one of the rooftops. He (revealed gender!) had been watching over them for some time now, especially the fox demon. Some other demons caught his eye. They were following Youko and Botan from a safe distance. He narrows his eyes; the figure knew of them and their intentions. He also knew that it wouldn't be pretty. He had to meet this Youko Kurama and tell him, though it might not be in his best interest. After all, that human girl wasn't important to his plan. He drops down from the roof, almost gliding to the ground, before following Youko.
"Botan," Youko starts, glancing over at a tavern.
She looks over at him, having been eyeing some neat little trinkets, "Yes?"
"Up for a little drink?" he asks, turning back to her.
She blinks, a confused expression on her face, "But what about the food? We haven't gotten any yet..."
He smiles a bit, "We can get it after. Besides, then we don't have to lug it around as long."
She sighs before nodding, "Alrighty then, let's go. But no getting drunk, PLEASE don't get drunk."
They enter the tavern, immediately becoming the center of attention. There were all sorts of demons there, though most were low-class. Botan made sure to stay close to Youko, especially when some demons were giving her malicious looks. They sat at the bar and ordered their drinks.
Botan glances behind her when some other demons entered. She rolled her shoulders, a chill going down her spine. She had a bad feeling about something, but she couldn't explain what. Then, something else caught her eye. She glances over a couple seats down and saw a little human girl sitting there, though no demons took notice of her. She also noticed that there was something 'otherworldly' about the girl and decided to ask Youko about it, "Hey, Kurama..."
He looks over at her, "Yes Botan?"
She points to the girl, "See that girl?"
He looks where she's pointing, but sees nothing, "No, I'm afraid that I don't..." He looks back at her, slightly concerned, "Are you feeling alright...?"
Her eyes widen. How could he not see her?! She was sitting RIGHT THERE! The bluenette turns to look at the girl, but finds her gone. She stares at where the girl once was, confused. She seemed real enough. She sighs, "I don't know, maybe I AM losing it..."
For once, Youko wasn't to make a joke about it. He stays completely silent until they are given their drinks. He offers her a smile, "Drink up... you need to loosen up a bit it seems...."
She smiles in return, picking up her glass, "I guess so, cheers then!"
They both tip their glasses up and chug it like old pros. Botan coughs after finishing, nearly falling off of her bar stool. She chuckles a bit, "That stuff was a little strong..."
He flicks his tail while looking at her, "Don't tell me you're drunk from that one beverage."
She shakes her head, "No, of course not! I just said that it was a little strong." She glances over to the side and sees the girl again. Her face pales before she slides off of her stool, "I'm going to go to the ladies room, excuse me."
The kitsune watches as she leaves, noticing that she seemed a little paler than normal. He sighs before facing forward, resting his chin in one of his hands. He narrows his eyes slightly when a demon takes a seat next to him, but he pretends to ignore him.
The demon orders a drink before looking over at Youko, "Greetings Youko... or should I call you Kurama?"
The fox demon raises his head and looks at the demon, glaring lightly, "Who are you?"
The stranger smiles, "You're quite rude. You're demanding to know my name before you even introduce yourself."
Youko growls a bit, "It's not considered rude if you already know my name. Now, tell me, who are you?"
The demon tips his hat a bit, "The name's Kuronue, a fellow thief. Pleased to meet you."
Youko's scowl remained on his face, "The pleasure's all yours."
Kuronue's smile disappears, "You are such a rude individual. Oh well, there are much more important matters to discuss. For example, that human female you were with is in danger. You should not have even let her out of your sight."
Youko's eyes widen for a second before narrowing, "What do you know about it? Are you planning on hurting her?" His tone was a little harsher than normal, showing that he was perturbed.
The raven demon frowns, slowly shaking his head, "Not I. Some other demons wish to harm her though."
The kitsune growls, "Give me ONE reason why I should trust you."
Kuronue shrugs, "Give me a good reason why you shouldn't. You have nothing to lose by checking up on her, do you?"
Youko stays completely silent and still for a moment before jumping out of his seat and heading towards the restrooms, Kuronue following.
The fox demon reaches the door to the 'ladies room' and is about to enter when a familiar scent reaches his nose. But the scent led away from the restroom and down the hallway, which also led to a back alleyway. He sped towards the door that opened to the alleyway and flung it open. He cringes when he sees droplets of blood on the ground and balls his hands into fists, realizing that it was Botan's blood from the scent.
Kuronue comes up behind him and looks down, also spotting the blood, "You know, you might want to hurry if you want to save your mate. If she's not dead already, she's going to be soon."
Youko glares back at him before running, "She's a friend, not a mate."
Kuronue watches him before quickly following him, frowning slightly. "She's close enough... especially since you're so intent on getting her back safely," he mutters to himself.
Youko didn't even notice Kuronue tailing him as he ran, following the trail of blood. He narrows his eyes, wincing, "I hope that I'm not too late..."
KopyKat: It is June 27, 2004 & it's 4:00 in the morning. I've been awaiting this chapter & those that follow. Lately, I've been listening to M.C. Hammer's "Can't Touch This" & T.A.T.U.'s "All the Things She Said" repeatedly as I typed up these chapters. Just by going through & reading, you MIGHT be able to figure out just what song I was listening to by the mood of the story. But I was inspired by one of the songs somewhat. It got my heart racing when I thought about it fitting into a future part in this fic. As for this second, I've decided to be 'different' & I'm listening to Trapt's "Headstrong."
Oh, and now Kurama is basically the Youko we all know & love, except a little shorter & scrawnier. And what about this 'figure'? I guarantee that it's not a made-up. Let's see who all knows who this mystery character is before the identity is revealed! Be honest.
It had been quite a few years since the unlikely meeting of Kurama and Botan. The two were in their later teens and surprisingly enough, they were still together (though not as a couple). They now lived near a town, having moved out of the cave two years before.
Youko, as called by other demons, had grown a little taller than 6 feet tall by this time, though he wasn't quite finished growing yet. Recently, he bought a white tunic with the money he swiped. He was an accomplished thief & much more experienced with plant life. His features were sharper than they were when he was a child and his amber-colored eyes sent chills down almost anyone's spines, especially when he glared. Actually, one of the only people that can get a smile (not a smirk) out of him is none other than Botan.
As for Botan, she had grown to a height between 5 and 6 feet, possibly in the dead middle of the two numbers. Her pale blue hair would normally fall around her shoulder blades, if she hadn't kept it in a ponytail. Unlike the calm Youko, Botan had a cheery attitude and was the most colorful out of the two. Quite the contrast of the thieving fox demon.
While walking through the demon-filled town, Botan looks over (and up) at Youko, "What are we out here for again?"
He looks down at her, "Would you like to starve? We're trying to find some food."
She bops her head, smiling brightly, "Oh yeah, sorry. I kinda forgot..."
Youko smiles and shakes his head, "Really Botan, how absentminded can one be?"
She looks down, blushing from embarrassment, "Well... extremely absentminded in my case."
The fox demon sighs, "I was only teasing, don't go putting yourself down."
She brightens up immediately, "Ok!"
Youko looks ahead and narrows his eyes when he sees a small group of low- class demons staring at both Botan and himself. The demons immediately scamper away, not liking the look Youko was giving them. He felt that he couldn't trust any of the demons around here, especially when it came to Botan. That's why he rarely liked to leave Botan anywhere alone. Demons and humans just didn't belong together. Botan and himself are a special case however. These lowlifes would do something.
He growls, "Filthy demon scum..."
Botan blinks and looks up at him, "Kurama...? Something wrong?"
He looks at her, giving a small smile, "Nothing. A demon just looked at me funny.. or it could've been you. You look pretty funny yourself." His smile becomes a playful smirk when she shoves him, a mock-angry expression on her face.
The same figure from that one night years ago watches them from one of the rooftops. He (revealed gender!) had been watching over them for some time now, especially the fox demon. Some other demons caught his eye. They were following Youko and Botan from a safe distance. He narrows his eyes; the figure knew of them and their intentions. He also knew that it wouldn't be pretty. He had to meet this Youko Kurama and tell him, though it might not be in his best interest. After all, that human girl wasn't important to his plan. He drops down from the roof, almost gliding to the ground, before following Youko.
"Botan," Youko starts, glancing over at a tavern.
She looks over at him, having been eyeing some neat little trinkets, "Yes?"
"Up for a little drink?" he asks, turning back to her.
She blinks, a confused expression on her face, "But what about the food? We haven't gotten any yet..."
He smiles a bit, "We can get it after. Besides, then we don't have to lug it around as long."
She sighs before nodding, "Alrighty then, let's go. But no getting drunk, PLEASE don't get drunk."
They enter the tavern, immediately becoming the center of attention. There were all sorts of demons there, though most were low-class. Botan made sure to stay close to Youko, especially when some demons were giving her malicious looks. They sat at the bar and ordered their drinks.
Botan glances behind her when some other demons entered. She rolled her shoulders, a chill going down her spine. She had a bad feeling about something, but she couldn't explain what. Then, something else caught her eye. She glances over a couple seats down and saw a little human girl sitting there, though no demons took notice of her. She also noticed that there was something 'otherworldly' about the girl and decided to ask Youko about it, "Hey, Kurama..."
He looks over at her, "Yes Botan?"
She points to the girl, "See that girl?"
He looks where she's pointing, but sees nothing, "No, I'm afraid that I don't..." He looks back at her, slightly concerned, "Are you feeling alright...?"
Her eyes widen. How could he not see her?! She was sitting RIGHT THERE! The bluenette turns to look at the girl, but finds her gone. She stares at where the girl once was, confused. She seemed real enough. She sighs, "I don't know, maybe I AM losing it..."
For once, Youko wasn't to make a joke about it. He stays completely silent until they are given their drinks. He offers her a smile, "Drink up... you need to loosen up a bit it seems...."
She smiles in return, picking up her glass, "I guess so, cheers then!"
They both tip their glasses up and chug it like old pros. Botan coughs after finishing, nearly falling off of her bar stool. She chuckles a bit, "That stuff was a little strong..."
He flicks his tail while looking at her, "Don't tell me you're drunk from that one beverage."
She shakes her head, "No, of course not! I just said that it was a little strong." She glances over to the side and sees the girl again. Her face pales before she slides off of her stool, "I'm going to go to the ladies room, excuse me."
The kitsune watches as she leaves, noticing that she seemed a little paler than normal. He sighs before facing forward, resting his chin in one of his hands. He narrows his eyes slightly when a demon takes a seat next to him, but he pretends to ignore him.
The demon orders a drink before looking over at Youko, "Greetings Youko... or should I call you Kurama?"
The fox demon raises his head and looks at the demon, glaring lightly, "Who are you?"
The stranger smiles, "You're quite rude. You're demanding to know my name before you even introduce yourself."
Youko growls a bit, "It's not considered rude if you already know my name. Now, tell me, who are you?"
The demon tips his hat a bit, "The name's Kuronue, a fellow thief. Pleased to meet you."
Youko's scowl remained on his face, "The pleasure's all yours."
Kuronue's smile disappears, "You are such a rude individual. Oh well, there are much more important matters to discuss. For example, that human female you were with is in danger. You should not have even let her out of your sight."
Youko's eyes widen for a second before narrowing, "What do you know about it? Are you planning on hurting her?" His tone was a little harsher than normal, showing that he was perturbed.
The raven demon frowns, slowly shaking his head, "Not I. Some other demons wish to harm her though."
The kitsune growls, "Give me ONE reason why I should trust you."
Kuronue shrugs, "Give me a good reason why you shouldn't. You have nothing to lose by checking up on her, do you?"
Youko stays completely silent and still for a moment before jumping out of his seat and heading towards the restrooms, Kuronue following.
The fox demon reaches the door to the 'ladies room' and is about to enter when a familiar scent reaches his nose. But the scent led away from the restroom and down the hallway, which also led to a back alleyway. He sped towards the door that opened to the alleyway and flung it open. He cringes when he sees droplets of blood on the ground and balls his hands into fists, realizing that it was Botan's blood from the scent.
Kuronue comes up behind him and looks down, also spotting the blood, "You know, you might want to hurry if you want to save your mate. If she's not dead already, she's going to be soon."
Youko glares back at him before running, "She's a friend, not a mate."
Kuronue watches him before quickly following him, frowning slightly. "She's close enough... especially since you're so intent on getting her back safely," he mutters to himself.
Youko didn't even notice Kuronue tailing him as he ran, following the trail of blood. He narrows his eyes, wincing, "I hope that I'm not too late..."