A/N: Hello once again, Readers!
Onwards to the chapter!
Symbols Guide:
* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko/Shikiyoku and Kurama
~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.
As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts.
Unless it's used in a sentence like this, which merely indicates emphasis.
"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."
The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).
In this chapter, the small, black dragon named Ryou has dialogue. The dragon "speaks" by telepathically projecting images or pictures and emotions directly into the mind. His so-called dialogue will be in quotes and italics, but because this is a fire-breathing dragon, the dialogue will be followed by a tilde, in a similar fashion as the All-Fire, and will look like the following:
"We fire!"~
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
Akari and Yusuke head to the ramen stand that Toriko took Akari to a while back.
The two of them spend their time talking with Shyn, the cook, and eating their food.
Yusuke gets a dreamy look in his eye as he thinks about bringing Keiko there sometime in the future.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku and Hiei arrive at the second city in their journey across Demon World,
with the lur'mog and the little black dragon named Ryou in tow.
They have a run in at the front gate, one which is tempered by a bird demon named Taka.
He and Shikiyoku are apparently well acquainted and they travel to a nearby tavern named The Niiro Kaga.
Hiei is sitting at the table with the other two, petting Ryou who is still on his shoulders...
Ryou took to Hiei's attentions with pleasure, his throat vibrating like a purr, if muted what with the tavern noise around them.
When the fire demon didn't reach for his drink, Ryou slunk off of Hiei's shoulders onto the table, tiny claws clicking almost imperceptibly against the wood as he got over to the stein, which was nearly as large as he, and stood up on his hind legs with his claw clutching at the rim. He easily dipped his long neck down and started to drink at the liquid therein.
An uproar that superseded the ruckus around them started in the other corner and had Taka rolling his eyes.
"The he goes again."
"Who?"
He glanced back at Shikiyoku.
"I forget it's been a while." He mused for a second, "After you left the level, but not too long after. Demon came into town and hasn't left. He's a drunk. Stirs up trouble every so often, but no one can seem to off the guy. Name's Uryo. Or at least that's what he's told us. Who knows. He's never sober enough to get a straight answer from."
The table and bench combo next to them-a good thirty feet away-suddenly flew up in the air, doing a somersault before landing back upright. In the meantime, however, the demons who had been sitting at it got uprooted and tossed about the tavern, into other patrons, and so on. Their drinks went everywhere too, though the table at which the trio of demons and dragon sat luckily stayed out of the line of fire.
"That would be where he usually sits." Taka noted.
A slender demon slid onto the bench at the end of the now no longer uprooted table, drink in his hand and several more appearing on the table in front of him from somewhere they could not see. He appeared to have one hand resting inside the left part of his overcoat on top of his belt and it likely had some sort of beverage, but seeing as it was his right arm, the side facing the trio, it was hard to tell.
His hair was the darkest black, and he actually had a line of age underneath each bloodshot eye, but there was a horizontal grey mark near his forehead that stretched almost from ear to ear just behind the bangs that shaded his face. The rest of his hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck and hung down straight and long almost touching the floor.
"Not a very pleasant fellow is he?"
"Depends on the night." Taka admitted.
The tavern had grown extra silent at this point as a figure stepped up to the demon Taka had called Uryo with two swords drawn. He proceeded to point them at Uryo.
"You're very rude." Came the steely voice of the demon.
Uryo didn't bother looking up at the kid, "And you're very shtupid."
The demon didn't take that very well and immediately lunged forward.
Without rising or pausing in the middle of the drink he had just begun to tip his head back to take from his right arm, Uryo flashed out his own sword and calmly blocked every double-bladed attempt the punk at his side tried to put through.
"Look, kid." Uryo mumbled as he placed the drink back on the table. "Jusht give it up."
"The price for your head is a high one."
Uryo swung over to actually look at the demon for the first time.
"Tell yah what," Uryo's face was flushed with drunkeness, "If you can sh'o much ash hit me, I'll turn my own damn sh'elf in." He looked back at his drink, throwing his head back as he reached the bottom.
The demon's pointed ears perked, but his expression remained otherwise irritated, his breath coming rather quickly, which was no surprise given the amount of forced he'd put behind the attacks just now.
Coming at him again, the demon tried to get past Uryo's defense, but to no avail as the swordsman deflected each blow single-handedly without so much as pausing between drinks, staring almost vacantly at the wooden table while he did so.
Finally fed up with the drunk, the demon slashed out at the drink Uryo held in his hand, slicing it completely into pieces and leaving Uryo holding only a handle.
"You sh'ouldn't have done that."
"Then get up and fight me." The demon growled.
"You're...hic...already dead."
The demon's eyes narrowed and as he moved his arm to make another slash, blood crept out of his mouth as the arm fell off into four pieces, the body falling to the floor.
Uryo stood up suddenly and yelled over at the barkeeper, "How many wa'sh that?"
"Only twenty, Uryo." The white-haired barkeep appeared to be frowning in disappointment.
Uryo swayed on his feet and started counting his fingers, looking over at the body on the floor as he mumbled to himself.
"But that'sh only twenty!" He shouted back after a moment.
The barkeep nodded.
"Damn." Uryo sat back down and started drinking again as a nonchalant server started to clean up the demon on the floor and the rest of the tavern started murmuring again.
Taka chuckled as he turned back to Shikiyoku.
"He thinks twenty-one is the number of perfection, so he's always trying to get there. Only ever manages four slices on the arms, legs, and torso. Twenty." Taka explained with a bit of a shrug as he smiled. 3
Hiei frowned slightly to himself as the dragon moved away from him and to the drink he had left on the table. He didn't find himself very surprised. He merely watched the long necked creature stick its head into the glass, momentarily amused by the amount of stretching that it required for the dragon.
But in the next second, Hiei was entirely distracted with a new scene. In moments, there was a fight going on and things were being thrown about wildly. Calmly, Hiei turned to witness the scene, a neutral expression taking in the flying drinks and such. He almost found himself interested.
He turned away and watched the dragon again.
Until the table across the room moved slightly. Red eyes again moved to the fight scene, watching the events unfold without much interest.
It was a scene he'd imagined a million times when younger. A particular reason why he'd avoided pubs- they were a waste of time and energy for him.
But this one… This particular tavern was beginning to prove him wrong about the normal inhabitants, he realized. He watched as a single demon blocked a dual-wielding swordsman, eyes following each movement even as the one named Uryo continued to drink.
He watched unblinkingly until, finally, a carcass was in pieces on the floor. The fire demon eyed the fighter with no small ounce of interest now, slight respect bubbling to the surface. It was clear this demon was very skilled in his art of sword fighting, since even Hiei had had a bit of trouble keeping up.
He'd only counted fifteen.
"Hn."
~!**!~
Akari listened idly to Yusuke's quiet musings before he too went quiet, the sound of his bowl touching the counter again after he'd slurped up all the broth ringing in her head. But she wasn't much listening to her surroundings after that. If he had spoken up, she hadn't noticed.
She was too busy thinking about the human who had done just as he had said he'd dreamed to do since High School. A small twitch of her lips threatened a smile.
She'd been wrong about humans.
Most of them.
They were actually… decent, on some level.
"I have found that their merits lie deeper than just their smell and their intelligence."
She finally understood what he had meant back then. Kurama had seen the best of the humans, and with Sensui, much of the worst as well. Hell, Yusuke would be classified as one of the best, despite his rambunctious and fiery nature.
Even as an enemy he taught me something new.
Another image flashed and she found herself ashamed of that day.
Yet it was almost as if that hadn't ever happened, since days like yesterday had happened.
She gave a small sigh, no longer fighting the thoughts. Might as well, eh? *
"So, what happened?" Yusuke said abruptly, though his voice held none of the usual brusqueness that the Spirit Detective tended to naturally carry.
"I mean," He quickly retracted, pulling his arms down and leaning up against the table without looking over at her, "You don't have to tell me-"
He cut himself off again, "Dammit, here I was trying to get you to forget about all of that and now I'm just bringing it up. Stupid." He gave a nervous chuckle, but wouldn't raise his eyes in Akari's direction.
~!**!~
Somewhere in the middle of their distraction with the scene that Uryo unfolded next to them, the small lur'mog had extracted himself from where he had taken up residence next to Shikiyoku's core down the front of her shirt. That spot against her skin on which he had curled was quite warm and he blinked his eyes sleepily as the light from the tavern hit them when he crawled out from the folds of her cloak.
The webbed spines along the first few vertebrae of his back perked up as his nose separated all the different smells in the room away to let it concentrate on the one in the strange shiny tower before him.
He watched with interest as She reached out and picked it up, its size appearing to mean nothing to Her. The creature knew then that the liquid inside must be good, as if he had not already guessed at that.
As soon as the tower was put down, he skittered over to it and hopped up the side, grasping at the lip and pulling himself high enough to peer within it.
Nothing.
Making a small huff of displeasure, the creature zipped to the other tower across the table, finding the same absence of the liquid.
When he got up to the third and started to peer in, he felt a puff of energy waft over his face and he let out a tiny cough, looking up to see that the dragon, whose eyes were a half-lidded, and whirling in a contented brown, was starting to swirl a light pink with irritation while the two creatures stared at one another.
Before the pink got darker with anger, the lur'mog decided to hop back down.
His nose-slits still sniffed at the air, large eyes zeroing in on several more towers of different colors on the table just across from them. His scaly tail flicked once in excitement.
And without further hesitation, he was speeding from this table to the next at such a pace that he had no need for the floor, in essence running over the air between the two, his invisible path going unnoticed by those around him.
Not so much as a millisecond had passed since he disappeared from sight, already nearly at the closest tower, when he suddenly slammed into a wall that had not been there half-a-millisecond before.
To anyone watching, the lur'mog was standing curiously at the edge of one table and the instant the creature disappeared, Uryo's left hand came down and hit the table, thumb facing upwards, and the lur'mog was reeling back from the impact with his palm.
Uryo took that moment to gently curl his fingers around the small creature while it could make no protest and he brought it up closer to his face, blinking drunkenly at it from behind the black bangs that were a bit longer than he liked them.
The lur'mog curled his claws around the apparition's thumb in a soft reaction-type gesture, his tail wrapping around the rest of the man's hand, and he had recovered his senses by the time he had been lifted up to be scrutinized and he started chittering as he found himself inspected by a pair of strawberry irises whose color was almost indistinguishable by the amount of blood-shot veins surrounding them.
"I ush'ually don't sh'are...hic." Uryo point out, his head bobbing a tad bit as if his neck could not hold it up. "But you're cute."
He reached out with his other hand and stroked a finger down the spines of the creature who gurgled with pleasure as his spikes lowered underneath the touch.
Uryo reached for one of the tankards in front of him. "If you can take thi'sh sh'tuff...hic...then maybe we can be drinking buddies." He loosened his grip on the creature and lowered his hand towards the edge of the mug, before giving a small chuckle.
~!**!~
"The servers always were fast on the cleanup." Shikiyoku noted as the server who had knelt down to remove the gore rose only a minute or so later.
"They've gotten much faster at it ever since Uryo arrived. It seems like he always has some punk demon or another trying to collect the bounty on his head. It's at least once a day. And it always happens in here if its just the one."
One of Shikiyoku's eyebrows raised, "I would assume one of the merc guilds here in the city would just send their entire force after him and split the bounty if it really were so high."
"You noticed how slack the security is around our gate?"
Shikiyoku nodded, unsure how that mattered.
Taka held up his hands, elbows resting on the table, and began ticking off the fingers of the one with the other.
"First came the bandit clans stationed outside and around the city to claim Uryo's life. Bunch of the smaller ones. They failed and the rest all tried. Got up to the largest two. All dead. There's not a single one of them left. And finally House Youhei decided to take him on."
That got Shikiyoku's attention.
"You're kidding."
"Nope." Taka lowered his hands, "The entire household, the largest mercenary guild in the city and the third most powerful, sent every single apparition in their ranks after him. All at once. Couldn't touch him. And he was in a drunken rage at the time too. I doubt he was able to see straight."
Shikiyoku nodded with a grim expression. She knew of House Youhei. Heh. She more than 'knew.' She had taken jobs on several occasions at their behest. And now that guild was no more?
She turned back over to look at the drunk with more respect than she had previously.
"The other households wizened up and left him alone."
"And no one knows where he comes from?"
Taka shook his head.
"'Course, no one's bothered to ask."
During the time it took for Shikiyoku and the bird-demon to get halfway through their conversation, Ryou had downed the entire tankard that had been intended for Hiei, climbing further and further inside the mug as the liquid lowered until only the end of his tail had been visible, wavering slightly back and forth in the air as it helped the black dragon stay balanced as he braced himself against the smooth sides of the inner walls.
That tail disappeared now as Ryou curled himself around at the bottom of the empty beverage in order to be able to lift himself up and climb back out.
The sturdy mug did not wobble in the least as the dragon heaved himself out of it, using even the barely manipulatable talons at the top of his wings as leverage against the edge of the tankard in order to pull himself up and plop back onto the table in so many limbs and wings, his stomach protruding ever-so-slightly from the drink inside.
He easily righted himself, his thin tail swishing back and forth elegantly, but the tips of his wings against the table as if he were a wyvern that did not possess the full four legs he had, crouched over in much the same position that one of his dragonkin would have been, the talons on his wings that he had used earlier now delicately hitched into the wood of the table.
A puff of the dark purple energy-smoke whooshed out of his mouth as his body lurched with an otherwise silent belch, but he raised his neck up to stare at Hiei, eyes swirling in a satisfied brown.
Impressions came from the dragon and slipped into Hiei's mind as it looked up at him.
"Fire!"~
This time the excitement was much more mellow and contented, and centered specifically around the 'fire' that had settled in his belly, and not 'fire' in the literal sense.
"I am going to go give my regards to Kafu." Shikiyoku stood up after lifted her tankard to her lips and finding it was empty, letting her seat shift backwards behind her knees.
"Ha, you do that, sweetheart." Taka appeared to find the notion amusing, "Just don't rob him of too many drinks. More than three and he's liable to recognize you from the way you're batting your eyes at him."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, bird-brain." Shikiyoku flipped her dark hair over her shoulder, unwittingly releasing some of the scent of her energy that it contained into the air.
As she started to walk away, Taka had his eyes narrowed, that tantalizing smell reaching his nose, and a portion of his lips lifted in a snarl as he growled at her almost playfully. She turned back and batted her eyes at him. 3
Hiei stared across the room at the demon that Taka had continued explaining about. The names of the people who was being described as previous challengers of this particular drunk. meant nothing to him. He never had been good at keeping up with names and dynasties around the different levels of demon world. He hadn't needed to, since all he ever needed had been within reach.
Sure, it took all ten fingers and a quick run to get something of importance here and there, but never had he decided to challenge any guild or family known for fighting. As amusing as it would be, he wasn't sure how much he'd lose to something like that.
At least, that's how he had viewed it then.
Now, he simply didn't care. But, from the sound of surprise from Shikiyoku, this demon had to be rather high up on the rankings. A challenge, from what Hiei could decode. A challenge of the best kind.
But he didn't care for a fight. Not here, not now. He wasn't in the mood to fight for fun. Especially not since Shikiyoku was with him.
And if there was any shadow of a doubt about winning, he wouldn't dare put her life on the line as well. That would simply be too… troublesome.
His eyes slid over to Taka and Shikiyoku again, watching as she turned to leave and his nostrils flaring at the scent that wafted his way. Otherwise, he gave no notice of her banter. He simply turned away again, eyes going down to the dragon that was now grabbing his attention.
His expression didn't change as he regarded the scaled creature. He merely let out a small hummed word that indicated slight irritation. Though, it wasn't aimed at the dragon specifically, just the atmosphere in the tavern.
His eyes turned up again, staring unblinkingly at Taka, almost curiously, but completely blank as he assessed the demon.
~!**!~
Akari had to fight herself to simply let the thought pass by uninterrupted by her own emotions, hoping that just letting them slide across her mind, they'd leave her alone for a while. But it didn't seem that would work. At least, not right away, because her mind became quickly stuck on the moment in the gym, replaying it like a video she'd seen a million times.
And the question he had posed.
She still had time, but still. The thought of all scars leaving her body was something she'd dreamed about for a long while now. She would be able to be completely confident in herself again.
So what made her hesitate?
A small growl left her throat as he leaned closer, a small warning about personal space. She attempted to growl out a rather rhetorical, angry question about his intentions, but with their proximity closing, she felt a movement in her stomach that silenced her again as his breath washed over her face. What are you-
Her thought, which had been intended to be voiced, was cut short when his eyes closed and, before she could even register the second, his lips gently touched hers.
Soft was the first impression.
Akari's eyes slid open, but the image remained. Her second impression, one she hadn't been aware of, was genuinity. Warmth. What that what was holding her back? A stupid little gesture from a fox demon who-
She suddenly blinked, realizing Yusuke had spoken up. She looked up at him, only just realizing that she had stopped breathing for a beat of a moment and her ears had become very, very warm.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, having only heard a part of his question. But the last part she heard made her freeze, her mind scrambling away from the image and searching for something- anything- to say.
"Uh, It's just, uh…" She was fumbling, embarrassment, confusion, and several other emotions rendering her from thinking properly. "Just uh-" She took a deep breath. "It's nothing." she settled, forcing herself to turn and face the counter, so she couldn't look at the detective. "Nothing of consequence." *
"Liar." The word was simple, a rebuttal to ensure that she knew he knew it wasn't 'nothing' in spite of her statements to the contrary.
Yusuke released a sigh that could have been taken as either relief that she did not want to discuss it, or a noise of hesitation on whether pursuing the matter would be prudent.
It had to be the fox. Who else could get under her skin? The kitsune had a knack for getting into people's heads after all. This particular case didn't come as a surprise.
He released another one of those sighs again, though this one was more hesitant in nature.
"Look, if you don't want to talk about it, I'm not gonna bother you about it. Just-" He pursed his lips together, "I'm pretty good at listening." He grinned just to offset the seriousness he found himself slipping into, "When I wanna be."
~!**!~
Taka's eyes followed Shikiyoku as she made her way through the crowd, watching the way her hips swayed and her hair shifted in the opposite motion of her steps. He almost made a disgruntled noise as she reached up and pulled her hood over her head before disappearing behind several bodies, but he also knew the intelligence behind such a gesture as her appearance was startlingly different than previous.
Well...almost all of her appearance.
Geez, Taka. You slipped into that 'regression' you mentioned pretty quickly. Taka forced his gaze over to the brooding male he'd taken for a swordsman when he'd noted the stance the shorter demon had shifted into when Shikiyoku was threatened.
"So, what brought the pair of you to the Ninth Level?" He lifted his own tankard, which was not yet empty, up to his lips.
Ryou's movements appeared so sleek that he practically glided over the table back to Hiei and the shoulder he had taken to resting on, actually laying down this time with his tail hanging behind the fire demon's neck and lazily swishing around over Hiei's shoulder and his four limbs and head laying down on the other shoulder. 3
Hiei considered Taka for a moment in silence, at first not sure what he should tell of what he was doing here. But, he decided he could still disclose some information, without being too descriptive, and his eyes slide to the dragon that was getting comfortable on his shoulders.
"Tracking down a demon," he said casually, eyeing the creature that rested across his shoulders with a small ounce of fondness bubbling up. He actually enjoyed this one's company on a level he didn't quite understand.
Maybe it was due to the dragon he'd consumed.
"A challenge that's amusing enough to pursue."
~!**!~
Akari didn't reply to Yusuke, her mind now entirely stuck on repeat on the single moment that left her frazzled. Each time it replayed, she could still feel the contact.
"You're not a sibling, Yusuke," she said without thinking, her eyes staring blankly forward as her expression smoothed out to a facade of calm neutrality. But after a small bit of hesitation, she gave a resigned sigh. Again, her lips moved without her brain telling them to do so.
"He's made a very tempting offer in a very twisted way." She didn't even name the person involved. She didn't deem it necessary. "And I am not sure what I wish to do, which I'd rather live with." *
"Hey, don't ruin me trying to be nice to you and all." Yusuke gently punched at her shoulder when he accused her of acting like a brother.
At her next words, Yusuke was taken aback, his thoughts-of course-immediately turning inappropriate, which he forced away in the next second to better scrutinize her statements.
Offer? Kurama? What on earth-
He forced away those thoughts, instead taking her at face-value and turning thoughtful.
"Hm." He stalled for time, resting his arm on the counter and putting his face in his other hand, his expression turning faraway. "So, refusing him could be good, but accepting him could be good?"
~!**!~
Taka felt his eyebrow quirk at 'challenge,' but he remained silent.
"My first instinct was going to be to next ask you which merc group hired you, but your traveling companion hasn't been a mercenary for centuries."
Not since she shacked up with that bandit of a kitsune. He had her at his beck and call and coveted her in who exactly got to use her and when. Which meant her attentions were exclusive to his gang's interests. Intelligent bastard.
His thoughts were a bit jaded, even if he couldn't fault the famous Youko, and he could still feel the scent that Shikiyoku had left at the table stirring in his mind and though he didn't show it outwardly, Taka had been deeply moved by her sudden reappearance.
He'd been the third wheel from the moment she and her Champion rolled into town, and though the trio ended up hardly apart, there was always that other layer of interaction occurring between her and the other apparition that he had never been able to crack.
And now...
Taka's eyes flitted over to the bar where he could just make out the top of her scarlet-colored cloak as she engaged the bartender in deep conversation.
"So, who did hire you? Or should I just go ahead and hazard a guess?" 3
A sneer formed on Hiei's face. "Hiring wasn't necessary for this one." His teeth flashed momentarily as his lips parted in a lopsided gesture of malice before his expression swiftly shifted back to neutral and he sat back again, a hand moving to pet the dragon at his shoulder now that he was certain the creature was fond of such a thing.
"This one is for personal amusement, and even if it weren't, I suppose it wouldn't matter to you anyway." The tone he used and the glare he aimed at Taka held no small amount of ire, his telepathy having picked up on the demon's musings when he'd been listening into the minds of the others in the room for reassurance of Shikiyoku's safety. "It only concerns Shikiyoku and her Champion."
~!**!~
Akari barely noticed the pause Yusuke gave, her mind again playing over her options. If she kept the scars, would the newest one matter? Would it help, or cause more distractions than it was worth? If she got rid of them…
If she were rid of them, what would she do then? A solemn expression took over her features at a new realization. Even if her scars were gone, her ears and tail would still be gone as well. There was no fixing that. Nothing could bring back her most desired thing in the world..
But, would getting rid of the scars matter?
I wouldn't be reminded of…. those days… without them.
"I'm not sure," she finally replied to Yusuke with another sigh. "I suppose so, but both have… repercussions like anything else." Her eyelids slid closed again and she found herself mirroring Yusuke's sitting position almost perfectly. "That's the problem. I don't know about the bad and the good collectively. Only the good, and making a rash decision about it isn't something I want to chance on." *
Yusuke nodded at her wisdom.
"Sounds tough. Damned if you do and damned if you don't." He sighed again, "I wish I could be of more help." He confessed. "I guess...just do whatever's going to make you happy in the long-run. You already kind of said that though. About not knowing which one you could live with." He paused. "Maybe try and think about which one you couldn't live without."
~!**!~
Taka chuckled as he lowered his drink again.
"Personal amusement, huh?" Of course it would matter. Or course he was interested. It was Shikiyoku after al-
What did he just say?
Taka's eyes moved back across the room, a frown obvious on his face.
She isn't marked. Claimed. Whatever.
He couldn't recall the exact word, but there had been this definite scent mixed in with her own: the scent of her pact-mate. He knew it helped mute her energy, ward off others from her power. At least the smart ones. Iro had been strong enough to take care of anyone stupid enough to get close and stay close. And maybe the scent-mixing had to do with the fact that she had been romantically involved with the demon. Taka had no idea in that regard.
What he did know is that Shikiyoku also held no physical manifestation of the supposed 'pact' her companion across from her claimed to be in place. Taka would have seen it. Not to mention sensed it. There had been actually markings on her face the last time, ones that would glow when someone would get close unless she intentionally resisted it.
But then how would this-
His eyes dropped back to Hiei.
Really?
His silent question was to all the unfairness that the sudden prospect of his thoughts conjured. 3
Hiei stared at Taka with a glare that used to be completely etched into his face, before he'd come across the detective. He hadn't shown such an intense glare very often since being stuck in Human World, and here, it held more meaning anyway, though demons normally seemed to ignore it.
The thoughts of Taka floated to the front of his mind as he continued reading them, and if it were possible, his glare intensified. He felt as if he were about to be challenged, and Hiei was definitely in a bad enough mood to strike without much caring of the aftermath now.
He decided he didn't care for this character. It irked him, made his desire to slit someone's throat stronger than anything had in the past few days. He would say longer, but Otento was pretty high on his hit list with more ire held towards him than perhaps any other being Hiei had ever encountered.
He didn't say anything to the demon. He merely sat, silent and watchful, waiting for any sign that the demon would do something rather foolish.
~!**!~
Akari blinked and turned her face to Yusuke, chin still in her hand. That was an angle she hadn't considered taking over the matter. She eyed him for a few moments before turning her face away again, catching Shyn turning away from her and Yusuke silently, busying himself with dishes.
Which I.. couldn't live without?
She sat there for a moment, completely lost. She could live without either.
Right?
A small huff of air left her lips in a puff. She felt calmer now, in a sense, but now she felt that she could look at the situation differently. Would either affect the way she saw herself, as well as the people around her in a way that would make her resent what she'd decided?
Her eyes slid over to the detective again, her gaze softening slightly. "Thanks," she mumbled before turning away again, digging into her pocket for cash for Shyn, despite his words of taking her meal and letting her have it for free. She even grabbed enough to pay for the detectives, tossing it on the counter before shifted and letting her feet touch the floor, sliding off the stool almost lazily. "What other games do you have? Anything more interesting than fighting or racing?" *
Yusuke raised an eyebrow as he noticed Akari paying for his meal and he fought inwardly for a second about making a fuss.
Would you protest if she actually were your sister?
His gut still told him 'yes,' and he clenched his teeth together before released a sigh that turned into a laugh at his thoughts.
"Maybe." He said teasingly, getting up as well, "And the only reason I'm letting you do that," he pointed at the money she'd put down, "Is because if I paid for yours then this is a date and Keiko would kill me.
"Does this mean you want to go back to the arcade?"
~!**!~
Taka stared at Hiei, matching the crimson gaze with his own darkened, brown one.
As the tension began rising, Taka finally released the breath he had taken with the intention of saying something. He shook his head and instead spoke with more resignation.
"So, you're the lucky one, huh?" It was not difficult to hear the longing in his voice as he went to take another drink.
The three worlds go to all the trouble of dropping her back into my life...
He never would have admitted it, but there was little he wouldn't have done at that moment to have been in this apparition's shoes.
I think the Kamis enjoy laughing at me. 3
The silence stretched on, but only in Hiei's ears. In his mind, there was a flurry of voices, of thoughts that were loud with the number of drinks each demon had had, and it set him on edge even further.
But the breath released by Taka seemed to collectively effect the fire demon as well, causing his shoulders to relax just a fraction, no longer readying for a fight that he hadn't realized he'd been preparing for. In fact, with the words Taka spoke, he felt an odd sense of satisfaction well up, as if this simple fact of another knowing that he was the Champion of the seductress was something he'd been waiting for. As if it were something he'd always been very proud of.
Not that he hadn't.
He simply didn't know all of the guidelines.
A slight sneer ghosted over his features before disappearing again and he sat back in his chair, not sure when he had leaned forward, placing his ankle over his opposite knee again in a show of calm. "Certainly seems so," he retorted, both to the thoughts that he heard and to the words that reached his ears.
And again, the satisfaction was simply amazing.
~!**!~
"How sweet," Akari gave a small smirk at Yusuke, "she must be able to keep up with you well enough to keep you in line, if you're that wary of her anger." She turned to leave, calling a small see ya to Shyn on her way out, who only shook his head at her back and waved her onwards.
"As for your question, I suppose the arcade will do. It's a good way to kill time, is it not?" WIthout another word, she turned to lead the way back to the very same arcade Yusuke had been in earlier that day, deciding she actually wouldn't mind games now that she felt a little better, her mind a little clearer, about the situation she hadn't been able to think through previously.
"But, we are stopping at my place first. As comfortable as your jacket is, I think I'd prefer not to be seen wearing it, in case some kids decide to step in and waste our valuable gaming time." *
"Eheh," Yusuke nervously rubbed at the back of his neck as they left, "I'm fine with that. Can you just imagine what she would do to me if she saw you wearing it?"
~!**!~
The look of smug satisfaction that settled over Hiei's face was not lost on Taka.
"You have every right to that look on your face." Taka pointed at Hiei with a finger that held the mug up. "There are some extremely specific requirements to being her Champion, not the least of which is a considerable amount of battle prowess."
He took a drink and swallowed before speaking up again. "Walking around as her protector is one of the highest stations in Demon World that an apparition can achieve. At least everyone around here always seemed to think so. I don't know why you haven't claimed her yet though. It'd make things a lot easier for the both of you, especially since she's wandering around like a human nowadays for whatever reason." He scoffed into his mug as he took another drink. 3
Hiei raised a brow at Taka as the bird-demon pointed at him, spoke, took a swig of whatever he was drinking, then continued on. At first, he hadn't found much worth in his words other than the simple fact that he did rather enjoy the sound of being called a Champion. But as the demon went on, Hiei's right eyebrow went up a little further until it hid in his bangs entirely.
Though he didn't speak, he made sure his expression conveyed the message:
What the hell are you talking about?
Wasn't just making the pact enough?
~!**!~
Akari's grin widened at Yusuke's unease, simply picturing the scene that could only have Yusuke cowering the way he would in front of a girl whom she could only guess had a good slap, in the least. It was all she could picture, quite frankly.
Perhaps she nagged a lot.
The thought made her huff in amusement. This human needed someone like that to keep him in line.
"I suppose it wouldn't be much of a problem if I showed her the rips in my shirt from the creature we killed. Unless, that is, she doesn't know of your…. extracurricular activities," Akari said with a light tone. "Then Spirit World, I'm sure, would have to kill me for disclosing that type of information to a human."
She took a deep breath as she continued walking, hands toying with the jacket sleeves as she contemplated rolling them up to her elbows. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable in such a loose article of clothing.
"...Urameshi."
Akari's ears twitched with the whispered name and a sigh left her lips, the sound of a group of people falling into step behind her and Yusuke making her feel slightly exasperated. Well, so much for that.
"Oi, Urameshi!" a voice boomed from behind, much closer than she'd first anticipated. She didn't exactly fight against the hands that grabbed her shoulders and pulled her backwards, an arm replacing the grip as her side was pulled against a human's rather brawny chest. "Nice girl. Maybe I'll keep 'er."
Another sigh.
"See, Yusuke, this is what I wanted to avoid." *
Yusuke made no move to defend her, putting his hands out to the sides in a shrug.
"Hey, if they don't know any better than to mess with me, that's their own problem.
"Oi, idiot! You're about to get an unpleasant surprise!" He called to the gang members.
~!**!~
Both of Taka's eyebrows raised at the reaction he received from the demon across the table and he lowered his mug and gave him a guarded look.
"I've assumed thus far that the physical mark of her Champion isn't visible because of her human form. And that alone would be more than enough to stave off all but the lowest levels of demons from pursuing her with a relentlessness that I can only imagine you've had to deal with already, especially if you've been in the Ninth Level for very long. But-"
Here he had to take a drink as his next thoughts scattered into place, his mind only slightly addled by the beverage, but enough that he didn't think too hard about putting anything delicately for this apparently uninformed Champion.
"Claiming?" He went on, "You know, mating? You're walking around Demon World with the most potent aphrodisiac and have managed to resist its wiles." He seemed almost impressed, "Which I can tell because your scents aren't mingled together. That alone would also stave off any would-be...admirers from her person." He practically scoffed another bark of laughter, "Don't tell me you're really a Koorime in disguise or something. They're the only apparitions I know of whom could possibly have that much willpower when it comes down to sex drive. Since they seem to have none." 3
Ah.
Hiei continued to stare at Taka in silence, as if he hadn't understood a word that had been even uttered. Sure, he knew what mating was, but he held absolutely no desire for it, and likely never would. His eyes shifted to look at the cloaked figure of the woman across the room, sitting at the bar with a drink in hand and seemingly chattering, though he couldn't tell since her face was not where he could see it. Slowly, his eyes returned to Taka, his brow slowly moving back into its original position at the last few words that came from the demon's mouth.
Again, he didn't answer verbally. He merely crossed his arms over his chest and blinked once at him, waiting to see if the bird-brain would understand. 'Course, it didn't matter one way or another to him. He was what he was, and that was all there was to it.
~!**!~
Akari sighed at Yusuke and glanced up at the human whose arm was tightly around her shoulders, squeezing her side up against his. His brown hair was a mess, something she figured was natural for him since he didn't seem the type to groom himself often. His black jacket was completely out of season, the hood lined with fur and the inside, she could smell, was lined with fleece. His jeans were ripped at the knees and ragged at the ends that scuffed the ground over his sneakers. Typical human.
There were four others, one on her left that wore a plain red tshirt and black headphones around his neck, his obviously-dyed blackish-brown hair neatly tucked under a cap, only his bangs falling from the white accessory. The other two stood behind the first two, silent, but watching. They didn't seem as important. They merely seemed to act as insurance, for purposes that even Demon World seemed to use from time to time: influence, to cause unease and make the scale seem tipped in a certain direction.
"What, that you're baby fists actually sting now?" The one who held her retorted snidely, a corner of his lips lifted up and parted slightly in mocking at the boy. "We've got your girl, you can't do much now." As he spoke, he bowed his head, brown eyes still trained on the detective as he ruffled Akari's hair with his nose, his breath making the hair atop her head move and her skin crawl.
Anger.
"Step away," she warned to the boy, eyes now trained forward, looking past Yusuke's head in an attempt to keep calm enough not to snap some bones.
"Awh, feisty," the second commented, smirking at her while several chuckles resounded from the two behind her. "Cute. Especially since you're so small and.. fragile." *
"You know..." Yusuke folded one arm over his stomach so that he could rest his elbow in his hand and then tap the side of his face with the other, "I was going to warn you, but now," he lowered his arms in a shrug, "Eeeeh. You deserve what's coming to you.
"I'll beat a couple of them if you want me to. But then I'd be having all the fun." Yusuke rested all of his weight on one foot, "Let me know if you get tired of it, though."
~!**!~
"Second guess," A mischievous grin spread over Taka's face when he noted that Hiei did not so much as flinch at the mention of mating with Shikiyoku, "You haven't hit your hundred years yet." He lazily took another drink.
Holy hell, what's it been like for her? He suddenly wondered.
Even if this Champion hadn't gone through the second hundred of his years yet, that oh-so-interesting coming of age time that plagued them all, Shikiyoku certainly had. And come to think of it, if she'd been lying low in Human World, it's very likely...for how long?...fifteen years?
Taka managed to not release the sigh that he wanted to grunt from his throat. Hopefully she'd managed to catch some sort of comfort when she'd landed back in Demon World. He probably would have gone crazy now if he'd been her.
It was almost insulting that the Champion was not only that young, and naïve about his seemingly new station in life, but that he likely held power enough not only to be her protector now, but would only increase in power with his age. Barring extremely extenuating circumstances, it meant there would be no chance of Shikiyoku needed to pact with anyone else. Ever.
Taka couldn't hold back the groan he released into his cup as he had lifted it to his face once more. 3
Hiei's brow raised briefly once more at the demon's second guess, obviously not taking the hint that he'd been right the first go round. A sneer formed on his face in an almost condescending way as he released a small sound that he'd begun using more and more lately, as if he'd forgotten it and only just remembered how to use it to his advantage. "Hn. Why would it matter otherwise?" His irises gleamed slightly with the amusement from Taka's accusation.
He knew why the question had been posed. But, in short, those laws of Demon World development didn't really apply to him, in a sense, as Taka had said about the Koorime.
"Lingering on it does no good. Perhaps you should take to a more interesting topic other than my age."
~!**!~
Akari hadn't blinked once since a small part of her had snapped into anger that almost was considered rage. Her body had stilled, and for the moment, she found herself concentrating on the beating hearts of the humans. If she so desired, she could make the sound simply…
Stop.
"What, not going to fight for your girl?"
Akari shifted her weight, strategically placing a foot over the jeans of the boy who held her, glad that this one was dumb enough to wear jeans that were scraping against the ground. Finally, her eyes turned up to the boy, her head retreating from under his nose. "Because, you moron, he doesn't have to fight for me."
Before the boy had time to react, Akari grabbed the hand that was dangling over her shoulder, to keep the boy in place, and her other elbow slammed into his stomach. She could hear the breath leave him in a very audible sound that made her lips curl into a dangerous grin. She twisted the boy's wrist, then released him to allow him to stumble, only for the boy to fall backwards, his pants falling just enough to reveal his pinstriped red and blue undergarments.
The second blinked, all of that having happened in seconds, and he reached for her with a yell that she considered to be a battle cry. Just as quickly, she had him laying on his back on the sidewalk, head hitting the concrete hard enough to knock him unconscious.
She had half a mind to continue, but kicking a dog while it was down wasn't something she enjoyed, so she rounded on the last two. She regarded them for a moment before turning to walk away, satisfied for the moment and returning to Yusuke's side. "Those two are yours, if you so wish." *
Yusuke was grinning at her response to the male, which would have been the exact reply he would have made.
"Alright." He moved forward lazily, bent his neck to the side and rolled his right shoulder in his socket before he made a quick dash forward that made it appear to the humans as if he'd disappeared before coming back into view bent slightly beneath the first one, his first pulled back.
Yusuke had to hold back his strike so as not to completely explode the head off of the punk, but even so, the kid was lifted off the ground when Yusuke thrusted his body upwards and landed a solid uppercut underneath the other delinquent's jaw.
Spinning horizontally in the air at least twice, and clearing the head of his friend, the punk did actually shudder to get up from the ground, though he meant to scramble away.
"You want some?" Yusuke grinned wickedly at the remaining member.
~!**!~
"Or what if it's both!" Taka continued, rakish smile on his features.
He shook his head, dismissing that portion of their conversation, "Even if you aren't living up to the fullest of your, or her, potential as pact-mates, I envy you the position even without the perks." His eyes glimmered, "As far-fetched as that sounds. For that matter, I would wager every high-leveled demon here would envy you if they knew you were the one with it. They'd definitely fear you more than they are right now, that's for certain." His eyes roamed over the raucous uproar of the room. "You have power you haven't even dreamed about in your wildest considerations."
Taka leaned back in his chair, "And much more. All of which you have so far simply refused to take advantage of. Pity." He arched brow and half-smile countered the word gloriously. 3
Hiei regarded Taka with his sneer still on his lips, the expression of snide amusement never wavering as the demon before him spoke. He wasn't, quite honestly, sure what Taka wanted him to say. Maybe that he was wrong? Even if he was, the fire demon wouldn't have enlightened him on the fact. He didn't know this demon, and while Shikiyoku seemed to trust him, Hiei did not. There wasn't much real reason other than his own wariness and ire at people who were of the jealous nature, as it seemed this one was.
"I suppose, as I said earlier, it is none of your concern." he said casually, again letting his expression turn to one of neutrality, his eyes assessing not only Taka again, but the way he sat, the way he moved. When he was bored with that, his eyes shifted to survey the building again, watching each and every demon in the room.
He didn't need them to fear him yet. Only if they attacked would he decide to make them realize he was here, and only then would he make his presence dominantly known. If any of them dared to even consider an attack of any kind, he wouldn't hesitate to step in.
"Discretion tends to be my ally."
~!**!~
Akari turned around to face the remaining two humans when Yusuke moved forward, her expression slightly shifting from mild anger to wicked amusement at the speed Yusuke used. For a human, it was likely a very chilling thing to have someone move with that much speed.
And she didn't even have to duck for the boy to miss her when he'd been thrown into the air.
The last human took several steps back, hands up in surrender and expression holding no small amount of fear and desperation, like a smaller animal cornered by a much, much larger creature. "N-Nah man, I'm not involved. Just- I haven't been a member long!" With that, the boy turned to leave, making Akari chuckle to herself.
"At least one of them is smart?" *
Yusuke shrugged, "They were stupid enough to jump 'me' like they did in the first place. What did they seriously think that was going to do? It's not like I couldn't have thrown him off. Ridiculous."
It wasn't hard to see the grin that plastered across Yusuke's face just from that short brawl.
"Now, where were we?"
~!**!~
"Strange little demon, aren't you?" Taka's eyes glittered amused out from over the tankard at Hiei.
"Doe'sh zh'ish...hic...belong to you?"
As Taka lowered his mug, he found a small creature stuck in his face.
Uryo had appeared without warning next to their table and held the lur'mog loosely in his hand where it was not hard to see that even the cold-blooded, scaly creature had the same flush around his nose-slits, as he clutched lightly at the hand holding him, that Uryo wore just underneath his eyes.
Taka gave Uryo an inquisitive look.
"What is that?"
Uryo shrugged, though it almost made him stumble.
"He came to sh'teal my drink." Uryo stated. "But I sh'natched him first." His lips parted for a drunken smile, "Little bugger can hold the Demon Fire, but he'sh no mat'sh for me."
Uryo blinked for a second, then rolled his neck over to spy Ryou who was thrumming pleasantly against Hiei's shoulder, half-lidded eyes almost black for how dark brown they were.
"Ryou!" Uryo's eyes grew big as his emotions flipped again, "I can't believe you! First you leave me! And now you come back! With someone else!" Uryo appeared to be near the brink of tears, "And you've even been drinking with them. How could you? How could you do this to me?"
Ryou lazily lifted his head, his eyes becoming a mixed red when he saw Uryo speaking to him. Strangely enough, it appeared as if Uryo had somehow sobered almost immediately, though his eyes betrayed the still-hazy glaze of drink.
"Oh, don't give me those eyes. You can't make up for this! You've betrayed me, Ryou!" Uryo pointed his other hand accusingly at the dragon. "...hic."
"Ah, cut 'im some slack, Uryo." Taka said lazily, "You were smothering the little guy."
"Sh'mothering him with drink!" Uryo protested, finger still pointing. "And you know he loved it! Everyone knew!"
Ryou's eyes still had the brown in them, but the red was more prominent now, and a tinge of purple started around the outside edges as he began to get up, and started to crawl away from Hiei, delicately wrapping the talons of his paw around the pointed finger and climbing up Uryo's arm.
"Don't laugh at me!"
Ryou's eyes did not change at the demand, but he continued making his way until he reached Uryo's slender shoulder, passing deftly behind his neck and spreading himself out between the two and Uryo's hand lowered, though he continued staring at Ryou with glassy eyes.
"Ye'sh, ye'sh. 'We fire.' I know." Uryo made it sound as if he heard the sentiment often.
A pair of hands slammed down on the table and Taka started back, at first thinking Uryo had shifted into a rage, but it was only Shikiyoku who had appeared, her petite form standing right inbetween Uryo and the table, bending over a little so that her face was at Taka's eye level.
Her neck only held the slightest pink twinge of drink behind the hood that had miraculously stayed up at her speed across the room, but part of her hair had come out and was laying over her shoulder and halfway down her chest. Her green eyes were practically sparkling, gleaming, though she did not appear to notice.
"I'll have you know," She leaned in closer to Taka, confidingly, the smile playing over her lips a wicked one, "That he didn't recognize me until the twentieth one." It seemed to be a point of pride for her. "And I managed to finagle a room out of him before that." She primly stuck her nose in the air and shifted her face a little so that he was looking at her cheek.
"Then he's losing his touch." Taka lazily reached up as he leaned towards her and spoke, bringing his left hand to her face and gently holding her lower jaw, turning her countenance back to him where they were maybe a foot apart by this time.
Their expressions mirrored one another, half-lidded eyes with a wicked smile, and Taka kept moving forward after that brief pause, lightly pulling her to meet him as he put his lips near her ear on the side away from Hiei across the table and murmured something.
Shikiyoku's smirk grew until her teeth were showing. She moved her right hand over to take Taka's face in much the same position his was in, but successfully knocking his down all in one smooth motion. She turned his face to the side so that she could lean farther over the table, putting her own lips almost against his pointed ear, her cheek pressed up against his.
"Get your own room." She murmured back at him. As she breathed her words over it, the ear twitched, and there was no mistaking that the air coming from her mouth was thicker, shimmering in the air like heat from a hot stove.
"That can be arranged." He replied archly as she stood back up, folding her arms over her chest. His cheek felt like she had set it aflame with just that small moment of contact and he felt a pang across his stomach that told him he wanted more. Much more.
Shikiyoku felt a slight tug and her hood fell back from her head, and as her hair scattered freely over her chest and back, the smell of it rose strongly into the air. It was so potent that its heaviness was almost palatable, muted by being in the cloak previously.
The perfume wafted up to Uryo's nose, he had been the one to pull the hood back, and his nostrils flared as he took in the smell, his eyes having slid down to regard her the instant she appeared, but there was no other visible change.
He squatted down and spun Shikiyoku around to face him, keeping the hand he used to do so-the one without the lur'mog-at her shoulder,
and peering into her eyes which widened at the sudden motion.
Anyone watching would have felt like the air grew a sudden tenseness-Taka had certainly grown wary and that partially accounted for it-but nothing happened between the two as Uryo and Shikiyoku only stared at one another.
Uryo's face broke into a many-toothed, genuine smile.
"You're a cute kid." He ruffled the top of her hair, which released more of the smell, "Sh'ee one'ah your'sh?" He asked the two gentlemen at the table as he stood back up, spinning her back around as he did so and leaving his hand to rest familiarly on her shoulder.
"Sh'ould be proud. Ha'sh energy rolling off her." His smile hadn't left his face. "Thick. Like a cloud...hic."
Taka's left eyebrow twitched as he closed his eyes during the exchange between Uryo and Shikiyoku, his jaw clenching together.
It had been a long time since he'd been exposed to Shikiyoku, but it appeared the affects her powers had would not lessen without her presence when reintroduced. And the drink within his belly did nothing to help at the moment.
Even he found himself having greatly underestimated Uryo's strength if he had that much drink within him and did not appear outwardly phased by the strength in Shikiyoku's smell.
Taka had also forgotten that she exuded it in such a manner, and for Uryo to be able to see it, his own power had to be very, very high indeed.
No one Taka knew had ever been able to see the energy that swirled around the female apparition. Oh, he knew it was there. Anyone with half a mind could smell her, but to his knowledge that's as far as anyone had ever gotten. Anything but an extremely above-average apparition's senses couldn't handle the energy level, so instead of seeing it, it manifested for the rest of them as that god-forsaken delicious scent that was accosting his nose at the moment.
Shikiyoku didn't even appear to know she was doing it, but through talks with her Champion, Taka was able to make his own conjectures. Not that he had shared the information with anyone.
Taka's eyes flew open when he felt the light press of lips against the tip of his nose, seeing Shikiyoku's cruel gaze that was most obviously enjoying his tortured state.
A low growl resonated deep within his chest, almost in his stomach, and he remained unmoving in his seat, but it took all of his willpower to do so. From that growl he managed one word as his chocolate-colored eyes glared at her from under the red bandana over his forehead.
"Tease."
Shikiyoku's brows flicked upward slightly as she pulled away, but she made no attempt to argue in one direction or the other.
She turned away and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she began moving for the stairs. 3
Several of my OCs I tend to base on the look of another character already in existence mostly because I can't draw and it makes it easier for, say, a role-play partner to picture the character in their head. For example, Uryo resembles the character Stefan from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance except that Uryo is left-handed and his hair is mostly black with a long ponytail.
Uryo - (as uryou:) Rainfall. This is actually just what I came up with when I did an anagram of 'Ryou.'
Kafu - I can honestly say I don't remember what meaning I meant for this name. Depending on the kanji used, it can mean several different things, among them "widower" and (amusingly, considering the name of the bar) "flower album." Other kanji translations are "steward" and "one's father." Also "fireman." Again: I pick names with a specific purpose, so I know the name was intentional, but I apparently need to keep track of those things...
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star