Reaching Your Limits: Continual Cycle
Episode 22: A Troubled Mind. A Hybrid Child.
"So this is where you've been!" Keiko exclaimed, her hands on her hips.
Yuusuke didn't even look toward her, his eyes fixed on the sky above. He'd skipped out on class again, and Keiko had been sent to find him. It hadn't taken her long to reach Yuusuke's favorite hide-away attop the school. As she'd expected, she found the youth leaning against one of the walls, his eyes fixed on the clouds.
"Just because you've been training hard with Genkai doesn't mean you have permission to skip your classes. School is just as important as fighting, you know," Keiko scolded.
She was concerned when Yuusuke shrugged instead of arguing back. Despite their relationship, he loved to get her riled into a fight. Said she looked cute when she was mad, which of course only made her more angry.
"Is something wrong?" Keiko asked, coming to sit next to him.
Yuusuke finally tore his eyes away from the sky and looked over at her. "I can't stop thinking about what Miya told me. About being half demon," he admitted quietly.
The battle against Miya had happened a week ago. The girl had been traumatized after being possessed by the parasite, afraid to leave Genkai's temple should she be caught by another demon. It kept the girl out of their hair for the time being, giving Kurama time to finally catch his breath and to think about what he was going to do with the present situation. Honestly, Keiko had forgotten about what Miya had yelled at the beginning of the battle. After almost losing Kurama, Keiko had done her best to push the incident to the back of her mind.
Now the words came back with full force. Miya had said that Yuusuke's father was a demon. Keiko felt guilty about having forgotten. It was obvious that Yuusuke was very much upset about it.
"What are you thinking? That you hate him, like Miya hates Kurama?" Keiko questioned.
Yuusuke shook his head, his brow furrowing. "We aren't the richest family in the world, and we have our share of problems, but my mother and I are close. She wasn't shattered by his leaving and we're doing okay on our own. Still, I'm... confused, I guess. It's like suddenly finding out that I'm not what I've always thought myself to be," he replied quietly.
He paused for a moment, lifting his hand and looking down at his palm. "I never thought of myself as anything but human, even after learning about Hiei and Yukina and the Demonworld. Now, to find out that I'm actually half demon. It seems... impossible," he continued.
Keiko tilted her head. "Has your mother ever said anything about him?" she asked.
Yuusuke shook his head, snorting slightly. "No, she won't talk about him. I asked her once, a long time ago. She simply said that they were once in love and now they aren't, and that the two of us are better off. Still, I can't help but be curious."
Keiko was quiet for a moment, thinking about the problem. "Maybe, if you asked her again, she might tell you more," she suggested.
Nodding, Yuusuke got to his feet. "I'll do that," he replied.
Smiling, Keiko watched as he made his way downstairs. Suddenly, a thought occured to her and she went racing after him. "After school!" she yelled to his retreating back.
***
Atsuko bent over the pot she was making stew in, inhaling the tantalizing aroma with a sigh of appreciation. They didn't often have stew, since most of their meals were the instant kind that only took a minute to prepare and stewing meats were very expensive. She wanted to do something special tonight. Not for any specific reason, simply because she wanted to.
She was aware that her son was watching her, and she wondered when he was going to tell her what was on his mind. To most people, it didn't appear as though the two of them were very close. However, Atsuko was always aware of the special connection between herself and her son. She knew something was troubling Yuusuke, but would have to be patient and wait until he felt like talking to her.
That moment came when she was pouring the stew into their bowls, Yuusuke's eyes not meeting her own as he finally spoke. "Mom, what do you know about my father?" he asked.
She almost dropped the pot she was carrying. She'd expected almost any question but that one. Yuusuke hadn't asked about his father since he was eight years old.
"I knew many things," she answered evasively, hoping he wouldn't press.
No such luck. "What type of things?" Yuusuke asked, his tone sounding strange.
Atsuko sighed, taking her seat at the table. "Does it really matter? He left before you were born and we're fine on our own," she replied.
Yuusuke seemed to hesitate, staring down at his bowl. "It is, actually. I can't help but be curious about who he was, what type of person he was."
Taking a bite of stew into her mouth, Atsuko thought about how she would answer. She had known that there would come a time in his life when Yuusuke would want to know. She'd simply hoped to avoid it for as long as possible.
"Well, we met I was in highschool. I partied almost every day back in those days," she admitted. "He was... well, what can I say? Charming, handsome, wealthy, and he romanced me in a way that I'd always dreamed of being romanced. Despite my love of drinking and parties, he saw past the outside to the woman inside and our relationship blossomed. "
"You were in love with each other?" Yuusuke questioned.
Atsuko made a face at him. "I know that I haven't lead the most glamerous of lifestyles, but you shouldn't make such assumptions. Of course we were in love with each other. We were together for almost two years before the day came that he told me he had to leave. He was moving to Europe or something like that. Although we loved each other, we decided to end our relationship. Long distance wouldn't work for either of us. It was two weeks later that I found out I was pregnant with you, but I was never able to get ahold of your father."
Yuusuke was quiet for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "What was his name?" he finally asked.
Atsuko had to think for a moment. It had been so long since she'd thought of him that she couldn't remember the name off hand. "I called him Rys. I think his name was Rysai Tomashita."
"Thanks," Yuusuke said, finally smiling and digging into his stew.
Unable to help but wonder what had brought this on, Atsuko smiled and nodded. "Anytime, son," she replied.
End Episode 22
Author Note: ^^; Yes, I know, it's very short. Gomen! It's mostly a space- filler/prologue to the next plot line. Also, I know that Rysai is not the name of Yuusuke's actual father. *grins* There is a point behind it. Anyways, please R&R!
Episode 22: A Troubled Mind. A Hybrid Child.
"So this is where you've been!" Keiko exclaimed, her hands on her hips.
Yuusuke didn't even look toward her, his eyes fixed on the sky above. He'd skipped out on class again, and Keiko had been sent to find him. It hadn't taken her long to reach Yuusuke's favorite hide-away attop the school. As she'd expected, she found the youth leaning against one of the walls, his eyes fixed on the clouds.
"Just because you've been training hard with Genkai doesn't mean you have permission to skip your classes. School is just as important as fighting, you know," Keiko scolded.
She was concerned when Yuusuke shrugged instead of arguing back. Despite their relationship, he loved to get her riled into a fight. Said she looked cute when she was mad, which of course only made her more angry.
"Is something wrong?" Keiko asked, coming to sit next to him.
Yuusuke finally tore his eyes away from the sky and looked over at her. "I can't stop thinking about what Miya told me. About being half demon," he admitted quietly.
The battle against Miya had happened a week ago. The girl had been traumatized after being possessed by the parasite, afraid to leave Genkai's temple should she be caught by another demon. It kept the girl out of their hair for the time being, giving Kurama time to finally catch his breath and to think about what he was going to do with the present situation. Honestly, Keiko had forgotten about what Miya had yelled at the beginning of the battle. After almost losing Kurama, Keiko had done her best to push the incident to the back of her mind.
Now the words came back with full force. Miya had said that Yuusuke's father was a demon. Keiko felt guilty about having forgotten. It was obvious that Yuusuke was very much upset about it.
"What are you thinking? That you hate him, like Miya hates Kurama?" Keiko questioned.
Yuusuke shook his head, his brow furrowing. "We aren't the richest family in the world, and we have our share of problems, but my mother and I are close. She wasn't shattered by his leaving and we're doing okay on our own. Still, I'm... confused, I guess. It's like suddenly finding out that I'm not what I've always thought myself to be," he replied quietly.
He paused for a moment, lifting his hand and looking down at his palm. "I never thought of myself as anything but human, even after learning about Hiei and Yukina and the Demonworld. Now, to find out that I'm actually half demon. It seems... impossible," he continued.
Keiko tilted her head. "Has your mother ever said anything about him?" she asked.
Yuusuke shook his head, snorting slightly. "No, she won't talk about him. I asked her once, a long time ago. She simply said that they were once in love and now they aren't, and that the two of us are better off. Still, I can't help but be curious."
Keiko was quiet for a moment, thinking about the problem. "Maybe, if you asked her again, she might tell you more," she suggested.
Nodding, Yuusuke got to his feet. "I'll do that," he replied.
Smiling, Keiko watched as he made his way downstairs. Suddenly, a thought occured to her and she went racing after him. "After school!" she yelled to his retreating back.
***
Atsuko bent over the pot she was making stew in, inhaling the tantalizing aroma with a sigh of appreciation. They didn't often have stew, since most of their meals were the instant kind that only took a minute to prepare and stewing meats were very expensive. She wanted to do something special tonight. Not for any specific reason, simply because she wanted to.
She was aware that her son was watching her, and she wondered when he was going to tell her what was on his mind. To most people, it didn't appear as though the two of them were very close. However, Atsuko was always aware of the special connection between herself and her son. She knew something was troubling Yuusuke, but would have to be patient and wait until he felt like talking to her.
That moment came when she was pouring the stew into their bowls, Yuusuke's eyes not meeting her own as he finally spoke. "Mom, what do you know about my father?" he asked.
She almost dropped the pot she was carrying. She'd expected almost any question but that one. Yuusuke hadn't asked about his father since he was eight years old.
"I knew many things," she answered evasively, hoping he wouldn't press.
No such luck. "What type of things?" Yuusuke asked, his tone sounding strange.
Atsuko sighed, taking her seat at the table. "Does it really matter? He left before you were born and we're fine on our own," she replied.
Yuusuke seemed to hesitate, staring down at his bowl. "It is, actually. I can't help but be curious about who he was, what type of person he was."
Taking a bite of stew into her mouth, Atsuko thought about how she would answer. She had known that there would come a time in his life when Yuusuke would want to know. She'd simply hoped to avoid it for as long as possible.
"Well, we met I was in highschool. I partied almost every day back in those days," she admitted. "He was... well, what can I say? Charming, handsome, wealthy, and he romanced me in a way that I'd always dreamed of being romanced. Despite my love of drinking and parties, he saw past the outside to the woman inside and our relationship blossomed. "
"You were in love with each other?" Yuusuke questioned.
Atsuko made a face at him. "I know that I haven't lead the most glamerous of lifestyles, but you shouldn't make such assumptions. Of course we were in love with each other. We were together for almost two years before the day came that he told me he had to leave. He was moving to Europe or something like that. Although we loved each other, we decided to end our relationship. Long distance wouldn't work for either of us. It was two weeks later that I found out I was pregnant with you, but I was never able to get ahold of your father."
Yuusuke was quiet for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "What was his name?" he finally asked.
Atsuko had to think for a moment. It had been so long since she'd thought of him that she couldn't remember the name off hand. "I called him Rys. I think his name was Rysai Tomashita."
"Thanks," Yuusuke said, finally smiling and digging into his stew.
Unable to help but wonder what had brought this on, Atsuko smiled and nodded. "Anytime, son," she replied.
End Episode 22
Author Note: ^^; Yes, I know, it's very short. Gomen! It's mostly a space- filler/prologue to the next plot line. Also, I know that Rysai is not the name of Yuusuke's actual father. *grins* There is a point behind it. Anyways, please R&R!