Author's note: I know there have been questions about Kurama being in his human form from the show. This issue will be addressed, it'll just take a little bit. No worries though, it will be explained.
Enjoy the chapter!
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
Part 5
**
Yukina stopped on the edge of the forest, when they reached the clearing with the wagon. A large youkai was sitting next to the fire, not making a single sound or moving, save for the small movements of his fingers against a large stone in his hands. Beside her Kuronue smiled.
"It's ok. He won't bite. That's Yomi."
Yukina looked back at the large youkai, curiosity filling her mind. She'd heard both Kurama and Kuronue mention Yomi's name a couple times within the last week, but she'd never actually caught more then a fleeting glimpse of the youkai, and usually that was when she went in the wagon to visit her brother and saw him move behind the curtain for the other small compartment. This was the first time she'd ever seen him outside the wagon and she couldn't help but wonder about him.
Trusting Kuronue to take care of her brother, Yukina cautiously approached the smoking fire pit, her eyes watching the larger demon. He was tall, nearly her height while sitting on the single log they'd found. Long black hair, reminiscent of Kuronue's, poured down his back, held back from his face by a pair of large curved horns which framed his eyes. Four smaller horns jutted out from his hair along the sides of his head, while one very large horn curved down the back of his head, following his long and straight hair. His skin was darker, no where near as light as Kuronue's pale color or Kurama's near peach. His was almost a tanned brown, set off by the dark purple of his outfit.
Yomi looked up as Yukina approached and she noticed one other aspect about him, his eyes were closed.
He was blind.
Yukina stopped in her steps and fidgeted. "Umm, hello," she said softly, watching his reactions.
The larger youkai favored her with a soft smile. "You may come sit down, I have no desire to hurt you. You're the young one they found… named Yukina."
Yukina nodded, then murmured a soft 'yes' after reminding herself that he seemed to be blind. Timidly she stepped forward, sitting on the very edge of the log he was on, just nearly within arm's reach. "And you're their father." She said softly.
Yomi gave a soft chuckle and smiled. "Actually, no. Neither Kuronue nor Kurama are mine. I am more of a father figure, but I am not really their father. Both of them are orphans, such as yourself."
"Oh."
"You may sit closer. I understand you don't know me well, but I assure you that I have no intention of hurting anyone. And yes," he touched his closed eye lids lightly. "I am blind."
Yukina found herself moving closer, her curiosity getting the better of her and this time she didn't stop it. Instead she moved closer on the log until she was practically sitting next to him. As such a close distance to him, she realized that he was telling the truth. While his horns and tall stance made him look threatening from far away, sitting this close to him she could tell how gentle he was. Something about him just seemed to project an air of calm. And the small friendly smile on his face didn't hurt either.
"I would like to ask a favor, if I may."
"Go ahead," Yukina responded softly, watching him.
"Kuronue and Kurama have told me a little of you and your brother… but I would like to see you for myself. To… make the picture more solid in my mind."
Yukina blinked. "I guess." She stayed very still, watching him. A blind youkai had just asked to see her, but he was blind so how was that possible? She didn't know how to respond or how to act. Her mother had always taught her to be polite to everyone and she knew she was close to overstepping her bounds in this situation. She didn't dare ask about his eyes or how he was going to see her, because the fact that he couldn't see might still be rather new. She didn't want to hurt his feelings in anyway or make him angry, especially since now her and Hiei had no where else to go. She would much rather stay with this mix-match of a family then be on her own again. Especially now that Hiei was getting better.
Yomi seemed to sense her hesitation, at least a bit, because he didn't move toward her either. For a long moment, the both of them sat there silently, seeming to ponder each other and what to do next. Then, after a moment, Yomi slowly reached toward her.
His large, dark fingers brushed lightly against her cheek and she didn't move. Strangely, his hands were smooth and warm, almost comforting in their touch. She'd expected, when she saw him, that his hands would be rough and coarse, being that he was such a large demon and looked so fierce from a distance. But he completely surprised her, because Yomi's hands actually reminded Yukina of her mother's.
She sat there silently as his fingers slid over her face. Yukina let her eyes drift shut, imaging for the moment that it actually was her mother's fingers gently touching and memorizing each curve and contour of her face. The fingers slid down her cheek, across her lips with the lightest of touches, and then up across her nose, ending by brushing just softly over her eye lids. Then the fingers disappeared, but they returned for a moment to touch one of her side locks of hair, feeling its texture and length between his fingers.
Yukina opened her eyes and smiled as Yomi pulled his hand back. He returned her smile, almost as if he knew she was smiling at him, and went back to holding whatever that stone was in his hand.
"You are a beauitful young Koorime. Am I correct in guessing that if I were standing you would about reach my waist? Koorime are usually short for youkai."
Yukina nodded, then quickly corrected herself. "Yes, my brother is also my height. But we're not that young. In fact, I'm guessing we're about the same age as Kurama, even if we don't look it."
"No, you certainly don't."
Yukina turned in surprise to see Kuronue stepping out of the wagon with a small pile of clothing. Kuronue flashed her a friendly smile as he walked over.
"I thought you might actually like some new clothes. It's one of Kurama's old outfits, but it should fit you. If not I can cut off a bit from the bottom so the skirt isn't too long. It'll probably be better then your torn kimono, and cleaner too." He winked at that last part and handed her the pile.
Yukina smiled and graciously accepted it, quickly heading behind the wagon. Once she'd made sure no one was watching she shed her old clothes and went about pulling on the new dress.
The fabric was a golden color, matching the sun, and the flowers that grew on the edge of the mountain territories to the west. The top was little more then a cloth that started behind her neck, wrapped around her chest and then tied again in the back, near where the skirt started. Kuronue was right, because Yukina found the skirt to be a little too long, but she didn't really care. Other then that aspect, the dress fit her perfectly and she began to understand why Kurama would wear such things so often.
Yukina knew the red haired youko was a male, that was easy enough to tell. But Kurama seemed to have a preference for outfits that more resembled what females commonly wore in the Makai. Long flowing skirts and small tops that would be revealing on any woman were what Kurama's small wardrobe consisted of. She'd thought it strange, but now that she was able to try one on she completely understood.
The fabric was light and nearly weightless, while the design made her feel like she couldn't have moved more freely in her own skin. The outfit was one of the most comfortable things she'd ever tried on and she found herself hoping that Kuronue and Kurama would let her keep it. Because even if it was a little low cut, she loved it the moment she'd put it on.
Yukina stepped back out, walking toward the fire pit easily, one hand hitching up the skirt so she didn't trip, while her other held her old outfit. Kuronue turned to see her and as soon as he did a grin crossed his face.
"Careful there, kit, or you're going to look prettier then Kurama."
Yukina found herself smiling and blushing a little at his comments. She thanked him then set her old clothes down by the fire. Kuronue moved toward her and tugged on the skirt a bit. Looking at the excess fabric he pulled a small hand blade from his pocket and began to cut it away so it was a better length.
"I was thinking we should stop and pay Mukuro a visit. Since, if I'm not mistaken, we are in her territory." Yomi said in a conversational manner. Once again he was turning the stone over in his hands and as Yukina watched, it began to mold into a long tubular shape.
Kuronue chuckled as he cut at the fabric. "Well, we are pretty close to where she stays this time of year. Yeah, let's stop by there, I haven't been drunk off my ass in a long time. And you know she's always able to convince you to open a bottle or two."
Yomi frowned at Kuronue. "Kuronue," he chided, his voice holding a disapproving tone. But even Yukina could tell he didn't sound completely serious.
Kuronue chuckled even more and sat back, gathering up the loose scraps of fabric and tossing them into what was left of the fire. "Oh come on, you know I'm joking… mostly." Kuronue winked at Yukina as he stood up and turned to face her. "In the meantime… your brother's sleeping soundly in the wagon. And as far as I know you can keep the dress. Since we're heading to Mukuro's I'm sure Kurama won't mind."
Yukina took a seat on the log, smoothing out the dress in her lap. She loved the feel of the soft fabric against her fingers and couldn't help but smile a bit. "Who's Mukuro?"
"She's an old friend," Yomi responded. Shifting in his seat he set the stone from his hand down on the ground, revealing that he'd somehow managed to shape the rock into what looked like a bottle. Yukina blinked at it in surprise as he continued.
"I believe you will like her. She travels, like us, though not nearly as much since her company has grown quite large."
Yukina blinked at Kuronue in question.
"Don't worry kit, they're friends. You'll see in a couple days and I promise, they're real friendly. We'll tell you more about them tomorrow. You should really go get some sleep so we can head out right after the sun rises."
Yukina nodded and bid them both good night. She would have liked to say good night to Kurama as well, but she didn't see him anywhere. A moment's pause and then she headed for the wagon, assuming he was off doing something else and probably wouldn't be back until much later. Not to mention the fact she has a suspicion that Kuronue wanted to speak with Yomi alone about something. So she listened to what the dark youkai said and climbed into the wagon, closing the door behind her.
The wagon was now quite familiar to her and it wasn't any trouble for her to find her way in the dark. She ducked under the patchwork curtain and climbed onto the mountain of blankets and padding that served as the bed on that side. She found her brother easily, dozing with soft snores in the blankets. And Yukina settled herself down for the night, wondering who exactly Mukuro was, and what these other travelers would be like.
**
Enjoy the chapter!
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
Part 5
**
Yukina stopped on the edge of the forest, when they reached the clearing with the wagon. A large youkai was sitting next to the fire, not making a single sound or moving, save for the small movements of his fingers against a large stone in his hands. Beside her Kuronue smiled.
"It's ok. He won't bite. That's Yomi."
Yukina looked back at the large youkai, curiosity filling her mind. She'd heard both Kurama and Kuronue mention Yomi's name a couple times within the last week, but she'd never actually caught more then a fleeting glimpse of the youkai, and usually that was when she went in the wagon to visit her brother and saw him move behind the curtain for the other small compartment. This was the first time she'd ever seen him outside the wagon and she couldn't help but wonder about him.
Trusting Kuronue to take care of her brother, Yukina cautiously approached the smoking fire pit, her eyes watching the larger demon. He was tall, nearly her height while sitting on the single log they'd found. Long black hair, reminiscent of Kuronue's, poured down his back, held back from his face by a pair of large curved horns which framed his eyes. Four smaller horns jutted out from his hair along the sides of his head, while one very large horn curved down the back of his head, following his long and straight hair. His skin was darker, no where near as light as Kuronue's pale color or Kurama's near peach. His was almost a tanned brown, set off by the dark purple of his outfit.
Yomi looked up as Yukina approached and she noticed one other aspect about him, his eyes were closed.
He was blind.
Yukina stopped in her steps and fidgeted. "Umm, hello," she said softly, watching his reactions.
The larger youkai favored her with a soft smile. "You may come sit down, I have no desire to hurt you. You're the young one they found… named Yukina."
Yukina nodded, then murmured a soft 'yes' after reminding herself that he seemed to be blind. Timidly she stepped forward, sitting on the very edge of the log he was on, just nearly within arm's reach. "And you're their father." She said softly.
Yomi gave a soft chuckle and smiled. "Actually, no. Neither Kuronue nor Kurama are mine. I am more of a father figure, but I am not really their father. Both of them are orphans, such as yourself."
"Oh."
"You may sit closer. I understand you don't know me well, but I assure you that I have no intention of hurting anyone. And yes," he touched his closed eye lids lightly. "I am blind."
Yukina found herself moving closer, her curiosity getting the better of her and this time she didn't stop it. Instead she moved closer on the log until she was practically sitting next to him. As such a close distance to him, she realized that he was telling the truth. While his horns and tall stance made him look threatening from far away, sitting this close to him she could tell how gentle he was. Something about him just seemed to project an air of calm. And the small friendly smile on his face didn't hurt either.
"I would like to ask a favor, if I may."
"Go ahead," Yukina responded softly, watching him.
"Kuronue and Kurama have told me a little of you and your brother… but I would like to see you for myself. To… make the picture more solid in my mind."
Yukina blinked. "I guess." She stayed very still, watching him. A blind youkai had just asked to see her, but he was blind so how was that possible? She didn't know how to respond or how to act. Her mother had always taught her to be polite to everyone and she knew she was close to overstepping her bounds in this situation. She didn't dare ask about his eyes or how he was going to see her, because the fact that he couldn't see might still be rather new. She didn't want to hurt his feelings in anyway or make him angry, especially since now her and Hiei had no where else to go. She would much rather stay with this mix-match of a family then be on her own again. Especially now that Hiei was getting better.
Yomi seemed to sense her hesitation, at least a bit, because he didn't move toward her either. For a long moment, the both of them sat there silently, seeming to ponder each other and what to do next. Then, after a moment, Yomi slowly reached toward her.
His large, dark fingers brushed lightly against her cheek and she didn't move. Strangely, his hands were smooth and warm, almost comforting in their touch. She'd expected, when she saw him, that his hands would be rough and coarse, being that he was such a large demon and looked so fierce from a distance. But he completely surprised her, because Yomi's hands actually reminded Yukina of her mother's.
She sat there silently as his fingers slid over her face. Yukina let her eyes drift shut, imaging for the moment that it actually was her mother's fingers gently touching and memorizing each curve and contour of her face. The fingers slid down her cheek, across her lips with the lightest of touches, and then up across her nose, ending by brushing just softly over her eye lids. Then the fingers disappeared, but they returned for a moment to touch one of her side locks of hair, feeling its texture and length between his fingers.
Yukina opened her eyes and smiled as Yomi pulled his hand back. He returned her smile, almost as if he knew she was smiling at him, and went back to holding whatever that stone was in his hand.
"You are a beauitful young Koorime. Am I correct in guessing that if I were standing you would about reach my waist? Koorime are usually short for youkai."
Yukina nodded, then quickly corrected herself. "Yes, my brother is also my height. But we're not that young. In fact, I'm guessing we're about the same age as Kurama, even if we don't look it."
"No, you certainly don't."
Yukina turned in surprise to see Kuronue stepping out of the wagon with a small pile of clothing. Kuronue flashed her a friendly smile as he walked over.
"I thought you might actually like some new clothes. It's one of Kurama's old outfits, but it should fit you. If not I can cut off a bit from the bottom so the skirt isn't too long. It'll probably be better then your torn kimono, and cleaner too." He winked at that last part and handed her the pile.
Yukina smiled and graciously accepted it, quickly heading behind the wagon. Once she'd made sure no one was watching she shed her old clothes and went about pulling on the new dress.
The fabric was a golden color, matching the sun, and the flowers that grew on the edge of the mountain territories to the west. The top was little more then a cloth that started behind her neck, wrapped around her chest and then tied again in the back, near where the skirt started. Kuronue was right, because Yukina found the skirt to be a little too long, but she didn't really care. Other then that aspect, the dress fit her perfectly and she began to understand why Kurama would wear such things so often.
Yukina knew the red haired youko was a male, that was easy enough to tell. But Kurama seemed to have a preference for outfits that more resembled what females commonly wore in the Makai. Long flowing skirts and small tops that would be revealing on any woman were what Kurama's small wardrobe consisted of. She'd thought it strange, but now that she was able to try one on she completely understood.
The fabric was light and nearly weightless, while the design made her feel like she couldn't have moved more freely in her own skin. The outfit was one of the most comfortable things she'd ever tried on and she found herself hoping that Kuronue and Kurama would let her keep it. Because even if it was a little low cut, she loved it the moment she'd put it on.
Yukina stepped back out, walking toward the fire pit easily, one hand hitching up the skirt so she didn't trip, while her other held her old outfit. Kuronue turned to see her and as soon as he did a grin crossed his face.
"Careful there, kit, or you're going to look prettier then Kurama."
Yukina found herself smiling and blushing a little at his comments. She thanked him then set her old clothes down by the fire. Kuronue moved toward her and tugged on the skirt a bit. Looking at the excess fabric he pulled a small hand blade from his pocket and began to cut it away so it was a better length.
"I was thinking we should stop and pay Mukuro a visit. Since, if I'm not mistaken, we are in her territory." Yomi said in a conversational manner. Once again he was turning the stone over in his hands and as Yukina watched, it began to mold into a long tubular shape.
Kuronue chuckled as he cut at the fabric. "Well, we are pretty close to where she stays this time of year. Yeah, let's stop by there, I haven't been drunk off my ass in a long time. And you know she's always able to convince you to open a bottle or two."
Yomi frowned at Kuronue. "Kuronue," he chided, his voice holding a disapproving tone. But even Yukina could tell he didn't sound completely serious.
Kuronue chuckled even more and sat back, gathering up the loose scraps of fabric and tossing them into what was left of the fire. "Oh come on, you know I'm joking… mostly." Kuronue winked at Yukina as he stood up and turned to face her. "In the meantime… your brother's sleeping soundly in the wagon. And as far as I know you can keep the dress. Since we're heading to Mukuro's I'm sure Kurama won't mind."
Yukina took a seat on the log, smoothing out the dress in her lap. She loved the feel of the soft fabric against her fingers and couldn't help but smile a bit. "Who's Mukuro?"
"She's an old friend," Yomi responded. Shifting in his seat he set the stone from his hand down on the ground, revealing that he'd somehow managed to shape the rock into what looked like a bottle. Yukina blinked at it in surprise as he continued.
"I believe you will like her. She travels, like us, though not nearly as much since her company has grown quite large."
Yukina blinked at Kuronue in question.
"Don't worry kit, they're friends. You'll see in a couple days and I promise, they're real friendly. We'll tell you more about them tomorrow. You should really go get some sleep so we can head out right after the sun rises."
Yukina nodded and bid them both good night. She would have liked to say good night to Kurama as well, but she didn't see him anywhere. A moment's pause and then she headed for the wagon, assuming he was off doing something else and probably wouldn't be back until much later. Not to mention the fact she has a suspicion that Kuronue wanted to speak with Yomi alone about something. So she listened to what the dark youkai said and climbed into the wagon, closing the door behind her.
The wagon was now quite familiar to her and it wasn't any trouble for her to find her way in the dark. She ducked under the patchwork curtain and climbed onto the mountain of blankets and padding that served as the bed on that side. She found her brother easily, dozing with soft snores in the blankets. And Yukina settled herself down for the night, wondering who exactly Mukuro was, and what these other travelers would be like.
**