Initialization
Sao: And here we have it, folks. The eighth chappie! Yay! I'm so proud of myself.
Saor: (sitting at a desk with cheek on hand looking bored) Will you shut up already?
Sao: NEVER! MWAHAHAHAHA!
Saor: (mutters) I hate you.
Sao: I know.
Neko: You guys are interrupting my concentration.
Sao: I know.
Neko: That means no story.
Sao: I know.
Neko/Saor: WILL YOU STOP SAYING THAT ALREADY!
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The silver moon hung round and full in the velvet night sky, shedding it's soft illumination onto the dark forest below. A breeze whipped through, swirling leaves magically around the two in the very center of the clearing, all silvered with moonlight. Silver hair mixed with faded-out blond-to-red-to-black, as tails of the same colors twined sinuously around each other, creating a mix of red and silver and black.
"Initialize."
The whisper hung on the wind to be documented by the moon and stars.
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Karuri couldn't help being happy he meant it, even though it would be much more appropriate to play hard to get and be annoying like that. She loved playing hard to get... especially when she first turned 150 and everybody started paying attention to her. It didn't get more fun than to be followed by a worshiping male and totally ignore him.
Of course, that was what was special about this situation. It involved equals. Both of them liked (loved?) and respected each other, and it felt right. That was the most important part of intuition. It just felt... right. It was a warm and tingly and comforting feeling, a feeling of safety and fun.
She grabbed what clothes she actually needed (or, okay, wanted...) out of the box and stuffed it into the suitcase that she had emptied and stuffed into a closet when she very first moved in. Grabbing her CD case and radio, she went back into the other room to announce,
"I'm ready, I guess." For some reason she felt suddenly a little shyer. ((A/N is that a word?))
"Would you like me to take that off your hands?" Kurama asked as she fumbled the radio and the suitcase, trying to get it balance."
"Hai, arigato." she acquiesced, handing over the troublesome electronic device. They exited and she went to lock the door, only to realize that she didn't have the key. Kurama locked it for her and handed the missing object back with a small smile on his face. Dratted thieving kitsune.
"You stole it." she accused.
"There was really no other way to get in with you halfway unconscious." he replied seriously, vivid emerald eyes smiling at hers. She sighed at this, as there was really no way to combat the statement; it was perfectly true and both of them knew it.
"How long have you been addicted?" he inquired as they made their way down the creaky steps. She flushed immediately. She hadn't figured he'd know she was addicted to chocolate, damn the substance for its mere existence.
"Ano... pretty much since a year or two past when I turned a hundred." she admitted. Her mother had kept the stuff out of the house like poison, until she died around that time. His eyes glinted amusedly at her, and she glared back playfully as they trekked along the sidewalks.
"Kurama... where are we going, anyway?" she asked a minute later.
"It's not too far away." he assured her. "You live on the right side of Tokyo, anyway."
Karuri gained a nervous sweatdrop. A.K.A. they were going to be walking for a while...
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((A/N just so you all know, I'm figuring it to be a little past noon by now, okies? Right))
They arrived at Genkai's in about an hour, after having received many strange looks for going through the streets loaded with a CD player and a suitcase. Kurama did have to admit it would look a little strange from the other side of the glass.
"Say, what is this place we're going, anyway? Can you be sure we won't be found?" Karuri asked as they exited the city limits.
"It is the shrine of a friend of mine." he answered simply. There really wasn't any other way to answer that question.
"A shrine?" she inquired further. "Doesn't that mean there will be people?"
"Well, yes." he admitted. "But no one who doesn't know about youkai. That any of them are completely aware of kitsune mating rituals, I can't say."
"Oh joy." she muttered.
She had been even more thrilled with the mountain of stairs that loomed in front of her once they actually reached the shrine, though she didn't complain the way Yusuke did whenever forced to climb the steps.
Youko, why are you singing?- he asked the kitsune, who seemed just a tad bit too happy about something.
–: Hmm:– Youko asked, mentally blinking at Kurama.
You are way too happy and I demand to know why. -
–: Really? Why worry over something you can't change:–
Youko. -
–: It's not something that REALLY matters, anyway. :–
What is it! - Kurama demanded.
–: Well, you see, the proceedings demand one being in your youkai form... :–
Hai, soo... - Kurama trailed off as he realized EXACTLY what this meant. -NO! Absolutely NO WAY! -
–: You don't have a choice. :– Youko responded smugly. –: You are turning the majority of control over to me-e... :–
If it weren't so enraging, it would probably have been comical to hear the feared thief of Makai taunting the human and singing in victory so immaturely.
They were met at the top of the stairs by Yukina, who looked up from daily caretaking activities to smile at them.
"Hello, Kurama," she greeted, looking curiously at Karuri. "I don't believe I've met..."
"This is Karuri." he supplied for her.
"Ah. Konnichiwa, and welcome." the koorime bowed, which Karuri attempted to respond to, but was partly foiled by the suitcase she was carrying.
"And Karuri, this is Yukina. She also lives here at Genkai's shrine." he elaborated for her benefit.
"Oh, right. Salut." she stated off-handedly, shuffling the suitcase a bit nervously.
"Do you need something today?" Yukina asked.
"Actually, we're going to be staying for a while. I already made arrangements with Genkai." he told her.
"Oh." she said. "Would you like me to show you to your rooms, then, or do you know where yours is? I'm sure I can set up one next to it for Karuri-san."
"Another room will not be necessary, arigato." he said, flashing her a fanged grin that was all Youko. Her eyes became slightly wider as she fumbled with that for a moment.
"O-oh." she drew a deep breath, before finally allowing what was reminiscent of an entirely evil grin creep across her face. "Of course..."
–: If only the hybrid could hear this... :– Youko found it highly amusing that one who was supposedly so innocent and pure could also be this... 'Understanding' was the word the silver chose, though Kurama wasn't sure that was necessarily the right one.
Karuri drew nearer to him as Yukina lead them through the hallway that was completely new to her.
–: Aww... :– Youko crooned. –: We're scaring her. :–
Whatever tone of voice that was, it wasn't sympathy.
"Ah, Kurama, and your friend, you're here. Little late?" Genkai met them in the halls.
"Good afternoon, Genkai. We had a little delay."
–: (cough)chocolate(cough) :–
Shut up Youko. -
–: But it's so endlessly amusing. :–
Kurama resorted to ignoring his counterpart.
"What type of delay?" she asked. From the look on her face it was plain she was imagining some sort of demon attack. Karuri flushed a slight pink, knowing exactly what delay he was talking about.
"Nothing like that, Genkai." he assured her. "It was much more mundane, I assure you."
"All right." she acceded. "I take it you are going to be staying for a while then?"
"Hai." was the calm response.
"I will be seeing you, then." she said, before going off to do whatever she found to do all day. ((A/N what WOULD she be doing all day? I require constant internet/ school to keep me occupied...))
They put the CD player and suitcase in the room by the bed, and then Kurama and Yukina proceeded to take Karuri on the tour of the temple, including a slight (very slight- within tree-line) foray into the forest on Genkai's land.
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That night they merely sat up on the bed talking; there was nothing else to do and come sunrise, that would have to stop.
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Karuri woke up on top of the covers of the bed, Kurama's arm wrapped around her waist and pulling her snug against him. She nearly laughed when she discovered that they were both in the same clothes they had been wearing the day before.
Slipping out of Kurama's grasp wasn't exactly the easiest thing she'd ever done, but she managed to do it without waking him all the way up and was dressed in a burgundy sweatshirt and faded black flare jeans by the time he was all the way awake, and was attempting to get her hair to stay up using just the pair of chopsticks that she had packed in her suitcase.
He smiled warmly at her in the mirror's surface, sending a slight shiver down her spine. Tonight was a full moon; tonight was initialization of the full month of the twisted morals and rules of mixed intimacy and platonics that was the kitsune courting ritual. Most youkai considered kitsune insane. There were fairly good reasons for that.
She gave up on the chopsticks after five minutes had passed and Kurama was watching her with a grin on his face, already dressed for the day in simple off-white slacks and a dark green, almost black sweater. Deciding that by now, it really wasn't worth her time, she tugged it up into a ponytail instead of a clip, crossing the chopsticks in that. Hah. Suck on that, stubborn uncooperative chopsticks. ((A/N; the number of times this has happened to me... minus the Kurama in the room though. It's not even funny, kami. Those chopsticks hate me))
They exited together to find Genkai heading past them out towards the entrance to the shrine. Curious, Karuri followed her, knowing Kurama would tail her, whether he already knew where Genkai was going or not.
The weirdest thing about initialization day? For the sunlight hours, you were not allowed to talk. At all. Actually, you weren't supposed to attempt any kind of communication whatsoever. Other people can talk and you can respond by actually paying attention to them, but no replying. And, you were not allowed out of your future mate's presence. Actually that rule applied throughout most of the courting ritual, but most on initialization day.
Karuri was surprised to see the boys Yusuke and Kuwabara chasing each other up the steps yelling insults and threats to each other. What could they be doing here? Of course, Kurama knew them, but from the look on his face he had very little idea what they were here for either.
"Hey grandma!" Yusuke panted as he stood next to the twitching form of Kuwabara, who he had punched halfway unconscious moments earlier.
"Dimwit, what do you want? And how many times have I told you not to do that?" Genkai responded dryly to Yusuke, motioning to Kuwabara during the last of her statement.
"Well, one, somebody said Kurama might be here."
Karuri realized with an inward laugh that he had still not noticed her and Kurama standing not even ten yards away.
"And two, we have big time trouble brewing in Makai, namely some type of tournament for some royal position or another. I wasn't paying that much attention to the toddler but for some reason he wants us to go."
"So, in other words, you came here to get more training." Genkai clarified.
"You bet." Yusuke said, straightening and looking around nonchalantly. He passed over Kurama and Karuri once, then immediately jerked his gaze back to them.
"Ano... Kurama? And... Karuri or whatever it was? What's she doing here?" he demanded. Karuri gazed demurely back at him, feeling Kurama stare gently from over her shoulder.
Yusuke edged away from them just slightly before turning his question on Genkai.
"Oi, grandma, what is with them? They aren't under some kind of hypnosis are they?"
"No, dimwit, they're not talking today." she snapped back. That was all they had told her before hand, since obviously they didn't want everybody wondering why in hell they were suddenly getting no response from either of the kitsune.
"Not talking? What the hell is up with that?"
"Try asking them. Of course, I doubt you'll get any answer." Genkai said amusedly.
Kuwabara managed to get back up, immediately yelling,
"Urameshi! I'll get you for that!"
"Yeah right, baka." Yusuke shot back, attention immediately diverted.
"Hey, what's Kurama and that girl from before doing here?" Kuwabara noticed the two kitsune just before the new verbal fight could escalate into (yet another) all-out war.
"No idea." Yusuke said. "And no way to find out either."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Anyhow, toddler dragged us out way too early. Got any breakfast, grandma?" Yusuke suggested.
"I might, if you stop calling me grandma. I believe Yukina was fixing it before I came out here to figure out what you two were up to."
"Yukina?" Kuwabara asked, a dreamlike cast coming over his face. Karuri nearly cracked up right then and there, but managed to keep it down to muffled laughter.
&&&& Later; let's say... mid afternoon. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Yusuke had come in from the beginning of his training with Genkai and was collapsed on a couch in what might pass for a living room, if it weren't in the corner of Genkai's spiritual measuring arcade room, when Kurama and Karuri bounced in, both with almost identical evil smirks pasted on their faces.
"What did you guys do?" he asked.
They both looked at him and didn't reply; Kurama raised one eyebrow at him.
"Damn it, why won't you answer me? This is getting really annoying!"
No answer. They sat down on the couch at a right angle to the one he was sitting on.
"Not to mention freaky!"
Karuri draped herself over the arm of the sofa on the side nearest his sofa and just looked at him, still with a hint of an evil smirk on her face. Kurama sat next to her and fiddled with a loose thread on his sleeve.
Yusuke gave up.
"Kami! And we thought Hiei was all into the 'never answer anybody' thing!"
Kurama looked up and blinked innocently at him, as Karuri yawned and twisted over on the sofa arm so that her back was bent over it.
Kami damn kitsune.
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–: Almost sunset. :– Youko announced as they were eating dinner.
You don't say. - Kurama responded dryly.
–: Well, we want to be ready, don't we:–
I thought you said it hinged around moonrise? -
–: It does:–
Then stop being paranoid. -
–: I'm not paranoid. :– Youko pouted.
Right... whatever. The kitsune was currently as paranoid as Kurama considered it possible to get.
The table was cleared, and with a nod of farewell, he and Karuri exited for their room.
Without a word they made whatever preparations deemed necessary. Karuri released her hair, letting the long dusky brown strands play across her back, and exchanged the sweatshirt for a halter top. He changed into a simple training outfit; nothing extremely intricate was needed for today.
They left by the window in the room, streaking one after the other into the forest where they couldn't be seen.
–: Moonrise. :– Youko intoned, more serious now than excited as before.
"Moonrise." Karuri said, restrictions on speaking gone now that the sun was.
"You first." he murmured.
"Right..." she said. "Do you realize that I've had this illusion up for the past three years?"
"Must have been fun." he said, teasing.
"Oh, yes, lots." she mock agreed, rolling her eyes.
With a hint of concentration she swept one arm up into the air, followed by the other as if calling upon something from the sky. She closed her eyes gently, and a breath of wind whirled through the clearing along with a tumble of leaves. Snowflakes danced down to cover her and smoke rose to cover the place where she had been.
It dispelled in a swirl of blond-red-black tails wrapping themselves around her body, being as the only thing she now wore was the pointed-oval copper pendant. Fox ears tipped with black and fading only to the dark red twitched slightly on her head as the wind swirled her hair around, which was now longer by nearly a foot and with the same fade-out of colors as her tails. He stopped to count. There were seven.
She herself was taller, her features slightly smoother, but sharper. She maintained the small waist that was present in her illusion, but her hips and breasts were noticeably fuller, even hidden under the tails. When she opened her eyes, he saw that they were currently a clear shade of violet. Graceful claws adorned her fingers, and her shy smile revealed milk-white fangs. She was beautiful.
"Now it's your turn." she whispered.
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((A/N guess what? I can't remember the pretty transformation scene for Youko. All I know is that there was lots of clouds and some lightning. So, yeah... That's all there is to it, isn't there? (Sweatdrops) going on now...))
Mist filled the small clearing they were in, engulfing Kurama's form entirely. Lightning played sporadically across it, causing a feeling of suspense and danger. Karuri shivered slightly, but it was not from cold. A final spark of lightning and a low hush finally signaled that the transformation was complete. Youko Kurama stepped from the mist, all seven of his silver tails wrapped around him as hers were, molten gold eyes staring at her intently. It was one thing to see him in a history book.
It was another completely to have that golden gaze turned upon you.
"Well, kitto. It seems we truly meet for the first time." he purred. His was the voice of seduction and danger, pure and simple. His perfect form in front of her taunted, ensnared. She could match it.
"Do we?" she asked, stepping carefully around in a semicircle. They followed each other halfway around before he took the first step forward.
"Yes." he whispered.
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"Initialize."
Their voices twined as their fingers interlaced, claws simultaneously digging into the back of each hand they held. Auras flared higher, drowning out those of any lower level youkai hanging around and alerting anyone remotely sensitive in the area. The gentle wind reached a new pitch briefly, wildly fluttering their hair.
And then all was calm as before.
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Sao: okay, guess what? I feel like a very very good person for making this so long even though it meant writing it at two am. The only problem? My internet crashed on me, so I'll be uploading tomorrow. (Winces) GOMEN!
Saor: (yawns) Neko, why do you insist on working best when it's past midnight?
Neko: I am a cat. Cats are nocturnal.
Sao: partially. Where are Karuri and Kurama?
Saor: sleeping.
Sao: right. Lucky them... Anyhow, MUCH THANKIES TO:
Ugly Kitten: I just had way too much fun on that chapter. I'm glad you liked it. I wish I was part kitsune... (sniffs)
sillylittlenothing: where the chocolate came from is merely the depths of my insanity... and it's really fun to write characters when they're hyper and delusional. They do cute things.
blankgravity: I'm glad you like it! I've never actually collaborated before... and if I did I daresay my co-collaborator would not be very happy with me because all my chapters get written mostly the night before I'm supposed to post them. (Sighs) I'm such a procrastinator...
Princess Kandra: Yay! (feels loved) I try to write more... This was a long chapter tho... (o.O lol don't worry I know what you meant– I think...)
RoseFire-shadow666: I'm glad you like it! Update is right here! I'm sorry it's a little late. My internet crashed the night I was supposed to post it.
NekoGuyFan: lol, I know chocolate is an overused idea... but I guess it doesn't make it any worse! (And anyhow, this is worse than a little hyper– it's kinda more like hallucinations) I love chocolate too! .
KawaiiYuki: thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like it! . oooh! I get chocolate? Arigato! (feels loved) just so long as you don't give karuri any. (Shifty eyes)
halfbreedmutt: right here! .
SmileAtTheDevil: arigato! I'm glad you like it! Heh heh, you're schedule isn't much more messed up than mine. I finished writing this chapter at two thirty in the morning... O.o
Youko's Daughter Sakaki: hi! I'm very happy everyone likes this! Ooooo! chocolate! Karuri: chocolate? Sao: BACK, KITSUNE, BACK! Agh! and sadly, no, i haven't seen the neon birdies. i just take Karuri's word for it that they exist. Karuri: OI!
Rachel: akai needs help... and she can't have neko. Neko will use her amazing muse powers (which basically overpower anything thrown at them . drat it...) and dress akai in hot pink. And katie doesn't know about this account. Or, at least, she shouldn't.
Sao: O.O so many reviews...
Saor: aren't we loved?