Last Time: After the fight Etaila and Hiei had, we are with Etaila, who's
fuming in the garden.
Etaila stomped into the garden, her charm on her neck filled with a glowing violet. 'He has no right to say anything about me. It's none of his damn business what I do and where I do it. The little stalker. . . I should have kept my torture spell on him, then maybe.' Lost in her thoughts, Etaila didn't notice her roses and other flowers trying to stop her until about six vines wrapped around her waist, stilling her. Sighing, Etaila stopped totally, carefully pulling the vines from her waist. Once one vine was free, another wrapped around her arm. Then if she let go of another, it would go to her legs. Laughing at the flowers, she continued to try to free herself from the playful vines until all of her tension was gone, leaving her feeling refreshed and content again. The charm she wore was now swirling violet in fathomless black. Letting go of their master, the vines silently slid off the girl, letting her pass.
'Hm. . . it's almost morning. I'd better get back.' She started walking back, but every once and a while, she would turn around, searching the trees.
'Maybe I am expecting to much. It's not like I want him to be there. . . watching me. . .' Shivering, Etaila raced back to the temple, not disturbing a soul.
Silently she ran to her room, not even bothering to get changed, and lied on the futon there, falling asleep, her mind filled with the events of the day that passed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hiei woke up to the sound of his name. It was barely a whisper, but loud enough for his ears to pick up. Rolling over, Hiei groaned when the sunlight hit his eyes. Squinting, he could see Kurama's face looming over him. Blinking a few times, the fire demon glared at the happy face above him.
"Nani. . ." Hiei whispered, unhappy that his slumber was interrupted. A soft laugh came from the kitsune.
"Gomen Hiei, but you need to get up. We are going to see Genkai today." Kurama laughed again as Hiei's eyes widened.
"You want me to die, don't you?" Shaking his head, Kurama moved away from the fire demon, grabbing some clothing from his closet and a towel.
"Where are you going?" A gruff voice mumbled. Kurama sighed.
"To shower. You should take one too. Shiori found your cloak and clothes in the bathroom. She washed them and folded them. I found them near my door." Hiei growled a little before getting up.
"Baka ningen." He muttered to himself. Staring at the door Kurama was near, he got off the bed and cautiously looked out of it before grabbing his articles of clothing. He held his cloak up to his nose. 'Hn, now I'll smell like lilacs.' A picture passed in his mind, grey-silver eyes showing through. Shaking his head, he willed the picture out of his head. 'No point thinking of her.' Just as he looked up, Kurama stepped in.
"Your turn."
"Hn. Fine, but how do you take a 'shower?'" Laughing, Kurama led Hiei out of his room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Come on Yukina!! I need some sleep! I don't need to wake up for another hour!" Etaila whined, hiding her face from the disapproving look coming from Yukina. The koorime placed the demoness' own clothing on the ground next to her futon.
"Wake up, Kurama and Hiei are going to be here soon." The sleepy demon shot up, all thoughts of sleeping disappearing.
"Kurama's coming?" Yukina nodded.
"And Hiei." Etaila rolled her eyes.
"Why would I care?" Yukina made a delicate shrug.
"I don't know. I guess you should get ready now, they will be here in about an hour or so." Nodding, Etaila got up, stretched and carefully folded the futon into a closet in the room.
"Yukina, where are the hot springs?" Etaila asked, picking up her clothing. Yukina quickly told her where to go, gave her some soaps and a cloth, and left her.
----------------
Finding the hot springs, Etaila made some simple vines around it, not making a scene, but enough to hide her from questing eyes. Walking around the perimeter of the spring, she put the towel she found and her clothes near a corner so they don't wet. Walking up to the spring, Etaila gingerly peeled the kimono off and other vestiges she was wearing and stepped into the pool of water, the steam surrounding her. When she stood up, the heated water reached up to her hips, which she was comfortable with. Taking the soap, she lathered the washcloth up and started to wash her top half of her body. Closing her eyes she thought of a certain visitor coming over.
'I can't wait for them to come! Kurama's coming. . . I love his silken hair, the color of the brightest rose, and eyes of the greenest emerald. . .' Etaila continued to think about Kurama, about the way he acts, the way he lives, and the way he was around her.
'He was always so gentle to me, the way he touched me, the way he hugged me. . . his embrace was so soft. . . so comforting. . . so. . . brother- like.'
Etaila blinked, rinsing her body. Dunking her head into the water, Etaila whipped her head up before rubbing a lilac-smelling substance into her crimson locks.
'Sigh, that's probably all he thinks me as. A sister.' Feeling a brush of someone else's ki, Etaila's eyes shot open, immediately stopped lathering her hair, and crouched down into the water. Someone was watching her. Scanning the area she was in, she realized that the vines didn't quite reach the trees. Blood-red eyes made their way into her thoughts, and she glared for a second before her face went back to normal, except for the bright pink flush across her cheeks. Carefully she rinsed her hair out without revealing anything. Finally rinsing out all of the bubbles from her hair, Etaila looked at her towel. Summoning a vine, it slid around the towel and went towards her. Just as she was about to grab the towel, a small ball of fire hit the vine, making it fall and drop the towel in the spring.
"Shit." Etaila cursed, her charm around her neck barely violet from stress. Growling in her throat, the demoness searched her mind for a way to protect herself. Then it clicked.
"Sensazione." She whispered to herself, watching as the violet flames came up from her charm and body, covering her from her breast to her knees. Getting out of the springs, the flames protected her until she put on her clothing. Summoning the flames back, she silently brought down the vines and walked back to the temple, watching each tree as she passed by.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He didn't expect to see her there, she just was. After Kurama tempted to teach him how to use the knobs on the shower, he left him in frustration, going to the springs in the temple where he usually bathed. He said his greetings to Genkai and Yukina, telling them where he was headed. Genkai looked like she didn't care 'Which was a good thing', but Yukina had this weird glint before saying 'ok'. He guessed she knew she was going to be there.
Jumping from tree to tree, he noticed that around the springs were surrounded by a small bunch of vines. He couldn't feel any dangerous ki, so he jumped up to a tree not too far away from the spring. When he kneeled onto a high branch, he lost his breath for a moment.
Down in the springs, with her back to him, was a demon. For a second he didn't recognize who she was, so he did what all naughty demons do. He watched her bathe. 'She's so. . . perfect.' Hiei thought to himself, watching the curve of the youkai's back as she started to rinse off whatever soap she put on her body. She turned slightly, showing off the curves of her body. He continued to watch her, but now she was facing him. A blush crept up on his face. 'Etaila?!' Looking away, he felt his body heating up. 'What is she doing to me?' Looking back, he hid deeper into the tree as she stopped washing her hair, looking into the trees. She glared at the tree he was in, but stopped it and blushed herself. 'I guess she found out who's watching her.' Hiei smirked to himself. Etaila continued to wash herself off, but stayed low in the springs. When she finished, she called on a vine to give her a towel nearby. Eyes glinting, Hiei playfully shot a fire ball at the vine, making the towel fall into the water. He held back a snicker as she cursed. Quickly she whispered a spell and was surrounded in her flames. Sighing, Hiei left the demoness alone and went back to the front of the temple.
Etaila stomped into the garden, her charm on her neck filled with a glowing violet. 'He has no right to say anything about me. It's none of his damn business what I do and where I do it. The little stalker. . . I should have kept my torture spell on him, then maybe.' Lost in her thoughts, Etaila didn't notice her roses and other flowers trying to stop her until about six vines wrapped around her waist, stilling her. Sighing, Etaila stopped totally, carefully pulling the vines from her waist. Once one vine was free, another wrapped around her arm. Then if she let go of another, it would go to her legs. Laughing at the flowers, she continued to try to free herself from the playful vines until all of her tension was gone, leaving her feeling refreshed and content again. The charm she wore was now swirling violet in fathomless black. Letting go of their master, the vines silently slid off the girl, letting her pass.
'Hm. . . it's almost morning. I'd better get back.' She started walking back, but every once and a while, she would turn around, searching the trees.
'Maybe I am expecting to much. It's not like I want him to be there. . . watching me. . .' Shivering, Etaila raced back to the temple, not disturbing a soul.
Silently she ran to her room, not even bothering to get changed, and lied on the futon there, falling asleep, her mind filled with the events of the day that passed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hiei woke up to the sound of his name. It was barely a whisper, but loud enough for his ears to pick up. Rolling over, Hiei groaned when the sunlight hit his eyes. Squinting, he could see Kurama's face looming over him. Blinking a few times, the fire demon glared at the happy face above him.
"Nani. . ." Hiei whispered, unhappy that his slumber was interrupted. A soft laugh came from the kitsune.
"Gomen Hiei, but you need to get up. We are going to see Genkai today." Kurama laughed again as Hiei's eyes widened.
"You want me to die, don't you?" Shaking his head, Kurama moved away from the fire demon, grabbing some clothing from his closet and a towel.
"Where are you going?" A gruff voice mumbled. Kurama sighed.
"To shower. You should take one too. Shiori found your cloak and clothes in the bathroom. She washed them and folded them. I found them near my door." Hiei growled a little before getting up.
"Baka ningen." He muttered to himself. Staring at the door Kurama was near, he got off the bed and cautiously looked out of it before grabbing his articles of clothing. He held his cloak up to his nose. 'Hn, now I'll smell like lilacs.' A picture passed in his mind, grey-silver eyes showing through. Shaking his head, he willed the picture out of his head. 'No point thinking of her.' Just as he looked up, Kurama stepped in.
"Your turn."
"Hn. Fine, but how do you take a 'shower?'" Laughing, Kurama led Hiei out of his room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Come on Yukina!! I need some sleep! I don't need to wake up for another hour!" Etaila whined, hiding her face from the disapproving look coming from Yukina. The koorime placed the demoness' own clothing on the ground next to her futon.
"Wake up, Kurama and Hiei are going to be here soon." The sleepy demon shot up, all thoughts of sleeping disappearing.
"Kurama's coming?" Yukina nodded.
"And Hiei." Etaila rolled her eyes.
"Why would I care?" Yukina made a delicate shrug.
"I don't know. I guess you should get ready now, they will be here in about an hour or so." Nodding, Etaila got up, stretched and carefully folded the futon into a closet in the room.
"Yukina, where are the hot springs?" Etaila asked, picking up her clothing. Yukina quickly told her where to go, gave her some soaps and a cloth, and left her.
----------------
Finding the hot springs, Etaila made some simple vines around it, not making a scene, but enough to hide her from questing eyes. Walking around the perimeter of the spring, she put the towel she found and her clothes near a corner so they don't wet. Walking up to the spring, Etaila gingerly peeled the kimono off and other vestiges she was wearing and stepped into the pool of water, the steam surrounding her. When she stood up, the heated water reached up to her hips, which she was comfortable with. Taking the soap, she lathered the washcloth up and started to wash her top half of her body. Closing her eyes she thought of a certain visitor coming over.
'I can't wait for them to come! Kurama's coming. . . I love his silken hair, the color of the brightest rose, and eyes of the greenest emerald. . .' Etaila continued to think about Kurama, about the way he acts, the way he lives, and the way he was around her.
'He was always so gentle to me, the way he touched me, the way he hugged me. . . his embrace was so soft. . . so comforting. . . so. . . brother- like.'
Etaila blinked, rinsing her body. Dunking her head into the water, Etaila whipped her head up before rubbing a lilac-smelling substance into her crimson locks.
'Sigh, that's probably all he thinks me as. A sister.' Feeling a brush of someone else's ki, Etaila's eyes shot open, immediately stopped lathering her hair, and crouched down into the water. Someone was watching her. Scanning the area she was in, she realized that the vines didn't quite reach the trees. Blood-red eyes made their way into her thoughts, and she glared for a second before her face went back to normal, except for the bright pink flush across her cheeks. Carefully she rinsed her hair out without revealing anything. Finally rinsing out all of the bubbles from her hair, Etaila looked at her towel. Summoning a vine, it slid around the towel and went towards her. Just as she was about to grab the towel, a small ball of fire hit the vine, making it fall and drop the towel in the spring.
"Shit." Etaila cursed, her charm around her neck barely violet from stress. Growling in her throat, the demoness searched her mind for a way to protect herself. Then it clicked.
"Sensazione." She whispered to herself, watching as the violet flames came up from her charm and body, covering her from her breast to her knees. Getting out of the springs, the flames protected her until she put on her clothing. Summoning the flames back, she silently brought down the vines and walked back to the temple, watching each tree as she passed by.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He didn't expect to see her there, she just was. After Kurama tempted to teach him how to use the knobs on the shower, he left him in frustration, going to the springs in the temple where he usually bathed. He said his greetings to Genkai and Yukina, telling them where he was headed. Genkai looked like she didn't care 'Which was a good thing', but Yukina had this weird glint before saying 'ok'. He guessed she knew she was going to be there.
Jumping from tree to tree, he noticed that around the springs were surrounded by a small bunch of vines. He couldn't feel any dangerous ki, so he jumped up to a tree not too far away from the spring. When he kneeled onto a high branch, he lost his breath for a moment.
Down in the springs, with her back to him, was a demon. For a second he didn't recognize who she was, so he did what all naughty demons do. He watched her bathe. 'She's so. . . perfect.' Hiei thought to himself, watching the curve of the youkai's back as she started to rinse off whatever soap she put on her body. She turned slightly, showing off the curves of her body. He continued to watch her, but now she was facing him. A blush crept up on his face. 'Etaila?!' Looking away, he felt his body heating up. 'What is she doing to me?' Looking back, he hid deeper into the tree as she stopped washing her hair, looking into the trees. She glared at the tree he was in, but stopped it and blushed herself. 'I guess she found out who's watching her.' Hiei smirked to himself. Etaila continued to wash herself off, but stayed low in the springs. When she finished, she called on a vine to give her a towel nearby. Eyes glinting, Hiei playfully shot a fire ball at the vine, making the towel fall into the water. He held back a snicker as she cursed. Quickly she whispered a spell and was surrounded in her flames. Sighing, Hiei left the demoness alone and went back to the front of the temple.
