A/N: Hello once again, FanFiction Enthusiasts!
I should be packing. I should be preparing for my week and a half long trip I'm leaving for tomorrow. But I'm not. I'm preparing this chapter for all you lovely people. And I've even gone and made it a little longer than I should have. Truthfully, I got caught up in the re-reading of it and by the time I looked-up/stopped, I had a little more than I tend to shoot for and said 'Meh, close enough.'
As I've been mentioning, there will be no updates next week as I'm fairly certain where I am going I will have no service on my phone and therefore not even be able to post bare-bones chapters like I have in the past. I haven't even prepared any, so even if I do, don't expect to hear from me until the week after.
Happy reading!
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 Youko/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.
[Anything written in italics inside square brackets is Youko speaking to Shuichi/Kurama inside their mind and is private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.]{Anything written in italics inside curly brackets is inner dialogue by Shuichi/Kurama to Youko, and is also private conversation, unable to be picked up by telepathy.}
"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).
The above rule also applies to Akari's old friend Isamu when he is in his dog-form.
Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!
Shikiyoku asks Youko if he will help her cure her disease, maintaining that if she asked Kitoushi,
the cat demon would insist on contracting the virus himself in order to analyze it,
risking activating it and becoming a 'vampire' himself.
Youko agrees and gets her to switch forms by attacking her, though she collapses quickly
before she is able to retaliate against him. Youko carries her back to her home on the First Layer,
and Kitoushi assists Youko in getting Shikiyoku to one of the guest rooms upstairs.
In the conversation following, it is revealed that when Kitoushi kissed Shikiyoku upon reuniting with her,
he siphoned some of the sickness away from her, only changing her forms as an accidental by-product of the intent of the kiss.
He has spent his time in front of the television attempting to analyze the virus,
and with the information Youko provides, Kitoushi deduces that Shikiyoku has become a 'Crusnik,'
at least while in her pain form.
Supposedly, the original Crusnik had the virus divinely implanted within him or her
while the world was still young and demons were overpopulating and wiping out the human race.
The disease burns through its host at a rapid pace to ensure that the super-empowered demon,
who feeds upon the energy of a demon much like a vampire does upon blood,
does not completely wipe out its former demonic brethren,
and while up to this point Crusnik had been something of a myth to the cat demon,
the legend insinuates that should demons become too many or too powerful,
the line Crusnik will rise once more to maintain the balance between demons and humans.
Kitoushi has so far been unable to activate the portion of the virus he stole from Shikiyoku.
~!**!~
Having traveled to Genkai's lands with the means to place a portion of her grounds on multiple levels,
Akari meets up with Kita, a boy whom she brought to Genkai several months back.
While Akari had originally been planning on surprising Genkai by going ahead and activating the spell,
Kita informs her that Genkai believes surprises are 'stupid,' and Akari changes her mind,
digging up the stone she had already buried and also summoning Nabu to her side,
who had been with Akari when she 'rescued' Kita.
Expecting the pair, Shizuru greets them with lemonade and a treat,
saying that Genkai is waiting for them before she excuses herself to teach the class the master would be missing.
After explaining to Genkai that she had no idea who was responsible for the spell,
Akari and the old woman make the rounds to implant the bricks and activate them.
After they finish, Genkai gives Akari a map and asks her to mark buildings that exist on multiple layers,
mentioning that she could put the date the buildings had been found as such.
When Akari returns to her home, she finds Isamu there once more,
and gets roped into showing him television shows,
specifically soap operas...
"And what in the hell does that mean?" Isamu's tone changed to one of mocking sarcasm. "Like sand through the hourglass-"
"Isamu, you haven't even been watching for more than five minutes, and you're already driving me insane."
"The scenes jump around, the people are ridiculous. The actors, as you said, can't even make me believe what they're saying. What's the point? It's almost as if it was made to-"
"Act as mindless entertainment?"
"Yes!"
Akari blinked once at Isamu and gave a smile before turning back to the television, the commercials ending and the show coming back on. "Just shut up and watch, okay? I happen to enjoy these."
"Then you're as mindless as the humans."
"If you wait, you might see what I enjoy about these-"
"Good grief, there's already a murder. If humans were really like this, they'd be the ones hunting us."
"You're impossible." *
~!**!~
"Do you really think she's going to teach you how to be a Crusnik?" Youko crossed his arms over his chest, the silence of the room going on long enough that it led him to catching the look in Kitoushi's eye and easily following the cat's thought-process.
Kitoushi didn't answer at first, his tail swaying up and down twice.
"'Teach' isn't the word I would use. That might not even be a possibility." Kit responded loftily. "We won't know until she can tell us."
"Tell you." Youko corrected, "I have no intention of getting caught up in any of this outside of curing her, if such a thing is even possible. And considering the fact that the virus kills whomever has it, what in the nine layers makes you think you'll be able to convince her to teach you?"
"If she wishes to save her own life, she may have to figure out a way."
Youko pursed his lips, muttering, "I doubt she would in any case." He spoke louder, "How much have you gotten to talk with her of late?"
Kit finally broke his stare upon Shikiyoku, eyes shifting to the side in an expression of slight embarrassment, "...very little. Most of my time has been spent attempting to analyze the virus."
Youko nodded as if confirming his suspicion, and repeated, "I doubt she will. She would sooner kill herself than be the cause of your death I am sure."
The two looked at one another, a frown settling over Kitoushi's features.
"Really."
Another nod from Youko.
"...perhaps I should spare some time to speak with her." His words took on an edge, eyes flashing.
Youko raised and lowered a shoulder, "It likely won't do any good. While she may not be willing to sacrifice others to save herself any longer, I highly doubt she would sacrifice you regardless of the situation."
Kit did not answer, both ears twitching this time as if in annoyance.
"You're not seriously going to try convincing her, are you?"
"You think I won't?"
"I think you'd be a fool to try."
"Then it's a good thing we both know I'm not a fool."
"Debateable."
At this last bit of exchange, Kit had gotten up and started slinking towards the immobile female on silent, padded paws, hesitating only once when he saw her eyes under her lids move briefly.
Walking up to her cheek, he stretched his neck out to sniff at her skin, the stench of death and sickness making his stomach blanch.
"You should change her back. The less time she spends like this, the better." He turned tail and hopped off the bed, disappearing into the darkness of the room, marking a mental note that he needed to make an effort to spend time with her. Soon. If for no other reason than to attempt to persuade her to share her knowledge of the Crusnik and her experience with the disease.
He glanced over his shoulder to see the kitsune leaning over the bed again.
...and for more reasons than just the virus itself.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku stalked down the staircase.
Three days. Three days with no word whatsoever.
She could feel a vein in her forehead pulsing with irritation, one that lessened a good deal when she reached the first floor and spotted a dark head and a silver head from over the back of the couch, both of whom appeared to be relatively enraptured with whatever ridiculous show was playing on the screen.
Her expression took on an amused air as she closed the distance and popped her face between the two of them, glancing from one to the other with no small amount of gleam in her eyes.
"I'm so glad the two of you are getting along."
"We're bonding, can't you tell?" Youko gestured towards the screen, "I've heard this is what lots of human families do in order to draw closer to one another."
"Sit in silence and pretend the other party isn't actually nearby? I'm not exactly sure I follow how that works."
"It works quite well." Kit piped up, "As you can see, we haven't argued with one another once today."
Shikiyoku frowned, "You haven't said anything to one another all day."
"Ah, yes, but we also have not argued, see?"
Neither Youko nor Kit's eyes had so much left the screen, though if one was looking closely, one might see that Kit's expression seemed more inwardly focused than actually on the TV itself.
"I give up." Shikiyoku shook her head, finding herself grinning in spite of the duo.
"Wise." Kitoushi's eyes cut to see her smile, his face mirroring her own.
The fact that he was able to express himself more of late had not gone unnoticed by Shikiyoku, and she felt glad to each day see more and more of the old Kitoushi shining through.
...even if he still seemed to be incapable of coming out of cat form at night.
Being stuck in his smaller form for over a decade had come with such side-effects.
Shikiyoku frowned, thoughts turning back to her previous mental complaints.
"Have either of you see Taka?"
Youko and Kit exchanged glances, Youko giving a shrug.
"No." Kitoushi shook his head, turning to see Shikiyoku's frown and giving her a toothy smile, "You're not...developing feelings for him after all this time, are you?"
Shikiyoku gave him a glare, "Don't even go there, cat."
"Go where, m'lady?" He asked innocently.
"I'm going to go look for him." Shikiyoku said after a moment of staring absently at the screen, standing up from where she had been leaning her elbows against the back of the couch.
"Then I'm going with you." Youko responded, leaving no room for argument in his tone.
He and Kit exchanged a similar glance as the one before, if a bit more unreadable from both of them, Kit finding that he still hadn't exactly made an effort to spend time with Shikiyoku. At least not like Youko had.
It was the damnable virus, which seemed to avoid his every effort to-
Should have just cornered her and asked about it. He clenched his teeth.
"Well?"
Kitoushi blinked at Youko, suddenly realizing that both the fox and Shikiyoku were staring at him.
Youko appeared amused when he saw Kit's eyes focus back in on his face.
"I said, you're a cat are you not? Shouldn't this be your area of expertise? Chasing down birds?" Youko stood up in one smooth motion and Kitoushi found himself following suit, though if with a bit of a bemused expression on his face.
Shikiyoku had already started walking towards the door and the pair followed after her.
"Care, fox." Kitoushi's eyes flashed, "Get on my bad side and not even nine tails could save you, much less your measly four."
"Hmph." Youko stuck his nose up in the air and sashayed out the door and down the sidewalk after Shikiyoku. 3
Hiei stretched only slightly before settling into place again, one leg now hanging from the branch lazily, his arms still behind his head and eyes closed as if he had just come to awareness and wished nothing more than to slip back into sleep. His foot twitched, sending an odd feeling up his leg that he completely ignored. His foot twitched again and he gave a small sound as he pulled his leg back up to rest along the branch again, crossing one ankle over the other in a calm manner.
It's not as comfortable anymore.
The wind rustled the leaves around him, carrying a few scents and sounds on the air that brought his eyelids open and his irises down to the sidewalk below. He couldn't see them yet, but he could hear them. Their footsteps. Their voices.
When they did come into view, Hiei was watching with a blank stare, expression unreadable as he noted the trio meandering around the sidewalk, the amused smile on Shikiyoku's face.
It was good to actually see she was well, rather than being nearby enough to feel her energy was normal.
~!**!~
"Why are we doing this again?"
"If you ask me that question one more time-"
"You'll murder me, I know."
"No, I will hang you by your tongue."
"That actually sounds fun. How would you pull that off?"
"Very thin wire that would ensure you would no longer have the tongue to speak with." Akari's eyes turned up to the building again, then quickly back down to the map in her hand. "Give me that marker."
Isamu passed the sharpie to her. "Well, that wasn't the form of 'pull it off' I meant, but it works too I suppose. WOuld you be the one setting it up?"
"Nope. That's the beauty of it. I can convince another to do it for me, so I don't have to touch that disgusting tongue of yours." She made an X on the map in blue. "Where's the next one?"
"Well, there's a few areas we can check."
"You go there."
"Are you… splitting with me?"
Akari's glare was harsh, a complete opposite of the smile on Isamu's face. "I can split you in half if you wish."
"I'd like to see the little one try."
Akari's eye twitched. She stared at the male, the marker in her hand still poised over the map still as she considered several things and weighed her options. She took a deep breath. "Fine. We can look for a while longer. But, we will be going separate ways in a while. Got it?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Don't."
"Now I can't be respectful?"
"Just… go to the next location."
"You got it," he opened up his own shadow, dropping them both through and landing them in front of a building she'd seen just days ago. *
~!**!~
Youko and Kit's banterings had not stopped since they left the house, every subsequent usage of 'cat' and 'fox' respectively, becoming more and more sardonic with each passing comment between them.
Even with her attention mainly focused on the marking she knew Taka wore-and attempting to locate him with it-Shikiyoku felt a presence from above the sidewalk that had her eyes lifting as they continued at their leisurely pace.
There was no mistaking the darker form mostly hidden by the leaves and branches above them. At least, not for her.
And neither was there any mistaking the sudden adjustment from amused half-listening to the conversation passing literally over her head between the parties on either side of her, to a particular brightness that lightened her eyes upon seeing him, her intention of not actually giving away his position clear in the way her chin stayed parallel with the ground, only her eyes moving to look at him.
After all, if he really wanted to join them, he would do so. And if he did not, she wasn't about to let the others know he was there.
"Hm?" She intoned absently, not even noticing the fact that her lips were pulling into a smile, aware on some level that she had just been addressed, but still removed from the conversation around her.
"See there, cat? I was right. Even she says so." Youko announced triumphantly, despite the fact that Shikiyoku's 'answer' had not given any indication in either way to the current topic. He pulled his hands up and clasped them together behind his head, chest bowing out pridefully.
Kit, on the other hand, being the one who asked the question, took the moment to look downwards at her, a puzzled expression passing over his face when he caught her look, and finding himself following her gaze quietly as Youko continued going on about something or another that neither demon with him paid the least bit of attention to.
When Kitoushi spotted the fire demon who appeared to be observing them, his face shifted from puzzled to a sudden understanding, giving Hiei a look as he let his eyes pass quickly from Shikiyoku next to him and back up to Hiei, as if to say with a certain silent poignancy, 'See?' 3
Hiei blinked once at Shikiyoku when her eyes turned up to his, his expression remaining unreadable even as he saw a shift in demeanor about the female. Or, perhaps not demeanor, but expression. Her lips turned up even more than before, her eyes flashed at him with a gleam of cheer. He refused the urge to raise a brow in curiosity, instead observing from his distance as she and the other two passed. His eyes trailed from the female to the two males, finding himself first half-surprised by Youko's appearance- yet he'd expected the fox's arrival- and the glance the cat sent to him.
A glance that read, very easily: "I told you so."
He refused to let his scoff leave his lips, instead turning his head away from the trio and resting back once more, eyelids closing.
"I've never seen her smile at anyone like she smiles at you."
He shifted just a little, his arms falling from behind his head to cross over his chest. So what?
His eyelids slid open again and glanced down at the trio one last second. *
As a seemingly removed observer of the situation, and as someone who had known Shikiyoku the longest, Kitoushi did not miss the strange sort of acceptance that settled over her features when Shikiyoku looked away, her mood...not precisely darkening, for that was too strong of a word, nor exactly disappointed, though he felt it to be a closer term...but simply, moving on, the way her shoulders set in a particular way giving him a feeling of 'not today.'
He blinked and she was pulled back into the conversation at hand which Kitoushi himself had lost track of, and while she appeared to be keeping in perfect stride with the obviously innuendo-laced statement of some kind or another that Youko had apparently made-firing back a similar phrase of double meaning-Kit noticed that the wry smile she and the silver-haired demon exchanged with one another held very little of the same...affection, as it were, as the look she had just given-likely without her direct intention-the fire demon above them.
Without letting the sigh that he wished to release pass out his lips, Kitoushi couldn't help but remind himself, once again, that he needed to find some way to catch up with her, to spend time with her.
Something he had, quite unintentionally, avoided of late.
This was not the same Shikiyoku he had once known. 3
Hiei let his eyelids close again, taking to ignoring the voices below and the topic of.. whatever it was that was passing. He didn't care enough to listen in, since he was well aware it had nothing to do with himself. How pointless it would be to listen into the conversation.
He did, however, decide to send a wordless greeting the only way he knew how. A wordless, telepathic greeting that enveloped both his 'hello' and his 'good to see you alive and well'. Neither of which he would normally say. No use in leaving his tree to convey the message when he could do the same without attracting the fox's attention as well.
As much as he respected the fox, he felt no reason to give the male a greeting, or anything of the sort. Nor did he feel it necessary to do the same for the cat. *
It took a great deal of effort for Shikiyoku to not look up again as they passed underneath the tree Hiei sat in, for it was just about that moment she felt a brief warmth invading her mind which she recognized immediately, one that had her closing her eyes for the moment and passing back to him a similar word of hello and pleased to see him instead of simply knowing he was about.
They passed the overhanging foliage within the next few strides, stepping out from the shade into the sun, each letting their eyes fall half-closed to adjust back to the brighteness as they kept walking and talking.
It was at that exact moment Shikiyoku suddenly realized Taka was rather close, and within the next moment, in his arms, subjected to the vibrations of his chest as he laughed merrily, wings pumping once from what had been a silent soaring-dive while he swooped in, to an effort to increase their altitude.
Kitoushi knew immediately what had happened when Shikiyoku disappeared from between himself and Youko, his eyes following the noise of beating wings with a rather amused expression on his face, if he did scoff at the abrupt, and flashy, entrance and exit.
Youko's reaction came only a second after Kit's, since the cat guessed more quickly the reason, and even if Kitoushi did not respond with dismay, Youko still found himself annoyed that his company had been so unjustly stolen, and actually took off running after the flying shape which had not gotten terribly high away from the ground at that point.
When Youko brought his arm up across his body, a whip was already in his hand, an irritated look passing across his features as the whip snapped forward into the air.
Taka easily avoided the attack, catching Youko a little off-guard, though it only made the fox clench his teeth and bring his other hand back with the first, a whip forming there as well, which he brought up at the same time as the other, doubling the amount of times the whip might make contact, truly intending to snare his enemy. And if injury accidentally happened to occur, Youko wouldn't complain.
Once more, Taka gave the appearance that dodging the cracking whips was no difficult task at all, his hold on Shikiyoku remaining firm-she did give off a little sigh as he made a rather flamboyant and unnecessary turn meant only to exacerbate the fox, followed by another laugh as he turned and hovered in mid-air.
Youko's ears were already almost flattened against his head from the velocity of the run, but at Taka turning to watch of all things, they sat against his skull of their own accord, the edges of his eyes narrowing dangerously.
He brought the whip in his left hand up to snap at the bird, following with a gesture from the right that sent a plethora of flora shooting forward at Taka.
Taka barked another laugh, avoiding the whip and then flapping higher to escape the other vines that seemed unwilling to give up as they snaked through the air towards him even as he turned away and shot off faster than Youko was willing to chase.
As the fox slowed down, peeved at the occurrence and making mental notes that would ensure the next time Taka would not escape with her, he turned to Kitoushi, who was meandering at much the same pace as they had been walking, and put his hands on his hips, earning himself a questioning tilt of the head from Kitoushi as the other demon approached.
"You're the cat." He pointed with agitation at the disappearing dot that was Taka. "You do something about it."
Kitoushi brushed past Youko, barely glancing upwards, "And what exactly do you propose I do?"
Youko turned to fall in step beside him, the pair making for quite the contrast in both appearance as well as mood.
"Stop him?" Youko provided as if it were obvious.
"I see you know very little about hunting birds." Kitoushi went on as he felt Youko opening his mouth and about to make another comment as to Kit's particular breed. "And even less about hunting Taka." 3
Hiei let the telepathic connection fade away after Shikiyoku's response, his eyes remaining closed even as he heard the slightest of sounds from above. A sound he at first ignored, brushing it away as the mere wind on the leaves. About the time he became more aware of the sound- and rather confused by it, admittedly- there was a laugh filling the air.
An annoying, irritating laugh that brought Hiei's eyes open again to glare in the direction the bird was going. He noted the firm grasp on Shikiyoku, and the way the bird made a game of the fox's ire.
Before the bird disappeared entirely, Hiei slid between the layers and moved, easily keeping up by running among the trees, following by the sound of the bird's wings rather than moving within the sight of anyone else who could move through the layers, just in case.
No use in bringing the attention to himself, yes?
Ridiculous demon.
He kept his distance for a bit, deciding to let the bird have just a bit of time with her before swooping in and disappearing. Because, really, what was more cruel than to slide her from his grasp when he felt comfortable? *
Catching a bit of an updraft, Taka's wings settled into simply letting the warm air keep him aloft with his prize, the triumphant sparkle gleaming in his eyes not going unnoticed by Shikiyoku as she looked up at him just about the time he glanced down at her, and she found herself smiling at his unbound joy, if shaking her head a little with chagrin.
"What?" He asked teasingly. "Not having any fun? I could drop you if you'd rather."
"No fun? While around you, bird-brain? The very idea."
A rumbling chuckle moved through his chest as he took a breath of the higher air, enjoying how the forward motion sent his mess of brown hair dancing in the wind, adjusting a few feathers to keep their path relatively straight.
His grasp was warm and strong, and while it had been a very long time since Shikiyoku had been quite this high, it was an embrace she found herself easily slipping back into familiarity with.
"That's more like it." Taka murmured to her as he felt her settle down.
Shikiyoku glanced up at him again with an air of perplexity.
"What's more like it?"
"You being comfortable with me."
"Taka." Shikiyoku said his name as an admonishment, though he cut in before she got any further.
"Don't 'Taka' me." He gave an accurate approximation of her tone as he started to lower their altitude, aiming for one of the shopping districts. "And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, either." He said as her expression shifted into one of feigned innocence.
Taka actually frowned, Shikiyoku finding the face so unlike him that it had her frowning back at him.
"I want you to take me seriously, Shikiyoku."
His tone of voice had her continuing to stare at him, his face just as 'serious' as his statement was meant to be taken.
"This...this Consort thing, I'm in the running for it just as much as those other two. And I know a part of it is a choice-thing. A choice that I make by wanting to be your Consort, and a choice by you to-"
"It's not that easy, Taka."
The way she said it, Taka let her stop him in mid-sentence, his mouth closed as he righted them to land softly onto the sidewalk, letting her down to stand in front of him with her hands on her hips as she looked up to regard his face.
Whatever she had been about to say flew from her mind as she craned her neck.
"When did you get so tall?"
Taka's laugh was soft, barely passing his lips, finding her consternation rather adorable.
"You're cute when you get your feathers all ruffled up like that." He reached out and grabbed her chin, tilting her face this way and that just a little.
She huffed at him and swatted his hand away, missing as he released her just in time.
"But you're not allowed to change the subject." He scolded, "Stop acting like I don't matter."
"Taka!"
"No, you listen." He frowned again and it had her taking in his face with a frown of her own. "They're not better than me anymore, they're not any different than me anymore." As he spoke, his pent-up frustration leaked out and he clenched his teeth together as he tried to reign it all in, but the appearance of her frowning face nearly had it bubbling over as he could just sense she wanted to argue, but he didn't let her. "We're equals now, can't you see that?"
He wasn't shouting at her, though he desperately wanted to and they both knew it, so it came out sounded more angry than he meant it.
"Um, excuse me?"
The voice from nearby had the pair of them blinking at one another, clearing their thoughts as they turned.
"I don't mean to interrupt, but does this mean anything to either of you?" The demon may have said it to both of them, but he was very clearly holding out the palm of his hand in Shikiyoku's direction.
A heart very clearly marked his skin.
Taka held back the exasperated noise he wished to make as Shikiyoku, who felt much in the same way in spite of herself, gave a smile and reached for the hand, planting her lips on the marking and releasing the demon from it as she could easily sense he wanted to be free from it.
The relief on his face was palatable as he nodded thanks, seemed to brighten, and moved along.
Unfortunately for Shikiyoku, as she turned back to make reassurances to Taka, another demon appeared, one right behind him, and another, leaving Taka just on the edge of either laughing at the situation entirely or picking her up to take her off so no one else could spend the time with her that he had coveted for so long.
He only grinned at Shikiyoku when he sensed her mild vexation, though he wasn't sure at what exactly she meant to aim it, and he crossed his arms over his chest to watch. 3
Hiei had landed on top of a building, almost seeming to hover over the concrete roofing from the inbetween layer as he looked down, expression void of any emotion as he noted the pair standing on the sidewalk. He remained where he was, not really caring for the conversation, but waiting until he saw the precise moment where it would be more irksome for the fire demon to drop in. Because he wanted nothing more than-
He raised a brow at the demon that he saw moving towards Shikiyoku and Taka, watching as more seemed to pop into his radar and form a sort of line for the female, who he could just sense wanted nothing to do with it at the moment. Just as he had the smallest of inklings that Taka was much less happy about it than she.
Except maybe that less marks might mean something better for the bird. And the others, if his suspicions were right.
Too bad.
Hiei dropped, remaining in between the layers until his feet were mere inches from the ground. By the time he was on the layer and making a sound of amusement at the bird, his feet had touched the concrete sidewalk and he had a hand on Shikiyoku's shoulder. Within a second later, Hiei had Shikiyoku with him on the in between layer and was pulling her away, feeling completely satisfied with what he'd just done.
~!**!~
Another big X on the map and Akari was tossing the marker at Isamu. "Then you take care of it, mister 'big bad alpha'!" She growled.
"Gladly. You can handle this one then, miss sweet talker." The male reached forward and rapped her on the forehead once with his index finger before disappearing, taking the map from her hand before leaving.
"Have fun with that one." she grumbled and turned away, arms crossed and eye twitching. Why am I putting up with this again? She took a deep breath. Maybe… Another deep breath.
She hadn't heard from Kurama in a few days- not that she had expected to, really. It was a simple observation.
One she hadn't previously thought about. Isa is driving me insane.
Akari's hands found her jean pockets, her eyes turning down to the right pocket in consideration. She battled over it before pulling her hand away from the temptation, deciding she'd leave the redhead to whatever it was he was doing for the time being. She could deal with…
Whatever she was left to deal with.
Her eyes turned up to the building again, rundown and ramshackle from what she could see of it, but inside… She could smell a disturbance, but could not see or hear one. Why was this her problem in the first place? Was it even really a problem?
"Are you sure you want to go to the next one? They have nothing to offer." He'd said. "At least here, you might find some trinket or another. I know how much you enjoy the little things."
That's when she'd gotten tired of his mouth.
Idiot.
Why would random trinkets pique her interest? What gave him that idea in the first place? I could leave and go watch tv.
She sighed and moved forward anyway, curious of the inside of this little building and why it would exist on the layers. There had to be a reason behind it. Demons never gave without taking, after all. Most of the time. *
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's look of befuddlement at the back of Hiei's head cleared quickly when she recognized him, the abrupt blurring of the world around her taking her by surprise for the moment in which it took for her to realize what had happened, after which she allowed him to pull her along, unsure of where exactly he meant to go.
Or why, for that matter, though she could have guessed vaguely as to his reasons, even if she felt his motives might be a little misplaced.
"Problem, Hiei?" She asked calmly. 3
Hiei pulled Shikiyoku along in the inbetween layer, no initial destination in mind, not even when Shikiyoku spoke up. His lips twitched and his amusement doubled. He continued moving, glancing back after a moment with a blank expression. "Must there be a problem?"
Really, there wasn't a problem.
It was just.. easier to deal with one bird rather than a fox and a feline. Especially after suddenly deciding he'd been bored for long enough. And in one tree for much too long.
"I can return you, if you wish."
~!**!~
Akari refrained from sighing in exasperation. In less than two weeks, she'd been hung upside down… how many times? If she'd been keeping track, this would be another tick mark on her tally. Except this time, she wasn't…
It was challenging.
"You're going to have to try harder than that. Come on, give me something worth my while."
"Rabies work for you?"
The grip on her ankles loosened, and Akari ground her teeth together as she scrambled to keep her shirt from falling over her face, a hand keeping it in place while the other struggled with her pockets. Come on.
There were no thorns on the rose, but the fact that she was crushing it in her pocket and didn't have enough concentration on it to change it back was… irritating.
"You're cute, young one, but not cute enough. Act like your life is in danger."
"You mean it isn't? The sludge below is fake?" Her eyes turned down again, noting the dark ooze that continued to slowly bubble underneath her, reminding her vaguely of a heated swamp. Or wax. Neither of which she had any good experiences with. "Huh."
The grip loosened, causing a small jolt throughout her body that caused her hold on the flower to slip, the rose falling from her pocket and to the ground, just barely missing the pool of disgust. Well, at least that didn't mess up too bad.
"You're pushing it."
She refused the retort this time and instead pulled herself up to look up at the pointy-eared, sharp-toothed demoness. "What exactly is it you want?"
"That's part of the game. You tell me, since you're so good at this." The amount of sarcasm had the dog demon snarling. "That's not very kind of you."
"I never was the nice kid on the playground." *
Kurama blurred onto the layer a few feet to the side of Akari and her captor, his face set into nothing more than mild interest, his tone of voice mirroring it.
"Excuse me, is there a problem here?" He let his gaze pass back and forth between the two demons without betraying his feelings on the matter, settling one hand in the pocket of his pants and resting his weight on one leg as he regarded them, lifting his other hand to casually flick his hair behind his shoulder, using the motion to slip a seed into his fingers as the hand came back down to rest at his side.
~!**!~
"Well, you snatched me so quickly I thought it only right to inquire as to if there was a particular reason you had for doing so." She found herself giving him a sly smile even if he wasn't looking, "And would you really? I can't help but think you might not return me even if I wanted to go back. I appear to have had little choice in the matter to begin with." 3
Hiei paused for a moment, turning to look at Shikiyoku over his shoulder. "Right," came his lone response, his lips turning up into a sneer. He wouldn't return her even if she decided it was worth fighting over. As for the reason? He had several.
"I was bored. And I'd rather avoid the fox." She'd understand his reason for not joining them earlier and stealing her away before now.
He really, really didn't want to fight the fox.
~!**!~
"Tell you what, young one." The demon paused, clucking her tongue. "What's with the jewelry? It's quite colorful."
"You want it?" Akari replied quickly, momentarily ignoring the new voice. Fun. A party.
"Well, not if you aren't going to fight for it."
Exactly what I thought you'd say.
A lull passed between them, one where the demon standing atop the building glanced at Kurama, then over the roof again. "You're the one she summoned via rose?" Akari gave a huff. Not purposely. You weren't part of the plan.
The demon made a sound of approval as she looked up at him again. "You could do."
Akari's laugh was dry. "He could do many things, but he isn't for sale."
"Oh. A challenge. I do need a replacement for the one your other friend killed."
"Seriously? Which one?"
"Don't play dumb." Akari sighed. "Three days ago."
"Oh! That one! ...you know, he didn't look like he would work in a brothel."
"Yes, well, he was my hardest worker." The female turned to stare at Kurama again. "You'll be the replacement, though that hair has to go." She gave a long sigh. "My company is rather diverse, but I have enough long-haired freaks to last the rest of my lifetime."
"Oh my god." Akari groaned. "I couldn't care less for your type of.. business. And I'm sure he wouldn't particularly enjoy parading around in womens clothing for your disgusting desires."
"You'd be surprised what demons will do." *
Kurama took the exchange in stride, adopting a more bored expression as he appeared to consider what the demon offered, deciding he may not have to kill her off after all, instead manipulating the seed in his fingers in another direction before shifting his weight from his one foot to the other and letting the seed drop to the ground silently.
"I'm really rather afraid that you simply couldn't afford to hire me." He informed her almost in monotone. "Hair or no."
~!**!~
"Ah. Well...yes. I can't blame you for that."
Youko had put up a fight when Taka took her away, hadn't he? For good reason, she supposed, since she didn't think the two of them had actually been introduced. And it was no secret Youko Kurama did not take kindly to things being taken from him. That was only allowed in the reverse, with him taking things from others. 3
Hiei turned to face Shikiyoku, releasing the hold he had on her arm finally. He eyed her with a raised brow, as if saying he'd stated the most obvious thing in the nine layers mere moments ago. He continued to stare, searching her face for a moment as he recalled the smile she'd given him earlier. One Kit had pointed out rather quickly.
He crossed his arms. "Your turn to choose the destination. I chose last time."
~!**!~
Akari let one arm hand down past her head, the other still keeping her shirt in place as she considered kicking the demon, and then the wall. Dammit. I hadn't meant for him to show up now. Frustration gave way to a small growl at herself as she eyed the rose at the ground, wishing she could not only will it into seed form, but will it to come back, like a boomerang of sorts. How nice would that be?
"Love the confidence." The demoness above commented before turning away with a shrug. "That's too bad." There was another moment as the grip on her ankles tightened, as if Akari might be pulled up, before the demon hesitated again. "Trust me when I say, dog, that I'll find something worth my time. Mmmkay?"
"Ah, the old line of revenge. Cliche."
"Back to the sarcasm."
"And you're back to the sass."
There was a long pause before the demon released a sound of irritation. "Your friend is causing trouble."
Akari laughed. "Good. I think you like that rather than causing your death, right?"
"I forget how sly a fox is."
"Hey Kurama, I dropped the, uh," she glanced down at the spot where the rose was now gone, "seed. Care to pull me up so I can retrieve it?"
Another energy joined the area, and Akari was looking down at Isamu, who had his arms crossed at her from below, unaware of the seed he stood on. "Nice to see you hangin' out, love."
"I swear, I'm sick of your remarks. Now, do yourself a favor and move three steps to the left."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because I'm asking nicely." *
Without much pause, Kurama obliged, closing the distance between himself and Akari and making easy work of extricating her from the grasp of the demon who could no longer move thanks to the work of the seed which had permeated the ground by this time.
It took little effort to right her, though he made no motions to assist the demon who had been holding onto her, and Kurama cleared a part of Akari's disheveled hair from her face, peering at her underneath the veil of hair.
"Better?"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku gave him a smile at both the slightly obstinate pose and the manner in which he stated her 'option.'
For just a second, she looked beyond him as if hearing something inside her mind, and when she came back to the present she couldn't decide whether she felt apologetic about being handed an answer, or glad to have an excuse to spend time with him.
"I...have some business to take care of on the Ninth Layer." She said carefully, trying to gauge his reaction, her lips wanting to smile as she explained further, "With the Northern Tribe. You're coming with me."
She left no room for argument as she started to shift herself further in the layers, watching him with amusement in her eyes. 3
Hiei raised a brow. The Ninth Layer? His first thought was of that palace, that queen. Rae, right? It sounded right. But when she didn't actually give him a choice to choose whether or not the idea was a viable one, he realized it didn't matter. He'd said he'd chosen last time, and she'd followed without hesitation.
So as soon as Shikiyoku was folding between the layers, he was following soon after, a calm expression of 'yeah, okay' on his face.
Because, really, he didn't mind it. He'd follow her wherever she wanted to go.
~!**!~
Akari blinked several times when she landed on her feet, somehow missing the actual transition from upside down to right side up. She gave a puff of air at the strands of hair that still blocked half of her vision of the world. She turned from Kurama and raised an arm to move every strand at once, flipping her hair back over her head to settle where it belonged before righting again, albeit a little unsteady, as the world swayed for a moment.
Another blink.
"Much," she finally answered, giving a delayed smile as her senses returned to normal. Her equilibrium, however…
She didn't move yet, not sure if it had adjusted too.
"Oh joy, the fox."
Akari turned to glare in the direction of the demon she couldn't see, giving a huff at the murmured words she'd caught. "No one asked you to be here. Don't like it? Leave."
"Actually… You know what, forget that thought. It wasn't nice."
Akari rolled her eyes and turned a small smile to Kurama, mouthing a silent thank you before actually speaking aloud. "And now you know how I've been spending my time. Bat style." She gave a shrug. "I can't say I'm a fan." *
[Her and Kuronue may not have gotten along then.]
"There aren't many that are." Kurama replied, having eyes only for Akari and leaving the rest of the world to muddle about as it pleased. "Glad to see you aren't getting into any trouble, then."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku worked her way down until just before she would have landed on the Ninth Layer, moving faster between and covering a great deal of distance in a short amount of time.
It only dawned on her as she slowed that she wasn't actually sure what the reception would be for her now, and that the main reason she felt tugged in this direction could actually be several little reasons. She had no way of knowing.
Instead of simply appearing in the midst of the campsite unannounced, Shikiyoku shifted onto the layer a few hundred feet out and approached in the normal manner.
When she could see the edge of the trees, she actually stopped in place, hesitating as the noises of a busy afternoon carried easily between the trees. 3
Hiei kept pace with Shikiyoku just as easily as he could, as if there were no efforts at all at keeping up. He even left the inbetween layer before she did, landing on the Ninth Layer and slowing to a jog, and then a walk when he noted that she'd stopped in hesitation. He only stopped when he was beside her, staring at the trees ahead and listening to the shouts, the laughs, and the various other sounds of life beyond his eyesight.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Why was she hesitating? What brought her here anyway?
"If you stand here, nothing will be accomplished." He commented calmly on her lack of motion, his hands in his cloak pockets even as he took a few steps forward. "This was your idea."
~!**!~
Akari's lips turned up in a wide smile. "Tell you what, if I end up in any trouble, I'll let you know, mkay?" She turned and moved by him, her first step cautionary but the ones following calm and confident in her ability to keep from falling face-first from the building. "By the way, I didn't… ask you to come here because I was hanging upside down. It just, happened like that."
A sound- a scoff, it seemed- reached her ears from below, and a second later Akari was dropping to the ground on the safest side of the building, landing on dry dirt rather than in some disgusting, tar-like liquid. She circled the building and approached Isamu, sticking her foot against his shin and pushing him out of her way. "I said move. You're in the way."
"Apologies." He held out the map and marker. "I'm going home."
Akari knelt to the ground, retrieving the seed and inspecting it, not surprised to find it intact and as if nothing had happened. "Take those with you. I don't need them right now, and I really don't want to keep them in my pockets."
"Yeah, yeah. Are you coming back this time?"
"I guess you'll have to see, won't you?"
She stood back up and turned her back to the male entirely, her hand sliding the seed back where it had been before she'd grabbed for it earlier. "So, I wanna do something different today. Is that okay?" *
Kurama easily followed after Akari, remaining silent until she addressed him.
"I suppose that depends." Kurama allowed, "Are we going to be doing any hanging from our ankles?"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's eyes softened to regard Hiei with a certain fondness once he stepped passed her, once he couldn't see her expression change.
"Well I suppose," She began in a bit of a murmur, skipping a step to match up with his stride. "As long as you're here next to me, I really haven't a thing to concern myself about, have I?"
It may have been a question, but she didn't let it come across as one, the sentence ending more as a statement of fact as she let herself take the lead again.
Before he had any chance to respond, the Elder was already in view ahead of them, moving in their direction.
"Iro! It has been quite some time." Her smile was genuine, her hands held to either side of her in greeting.
While the emotion did not quite manage to pass over her face, Shikiyoku inwardly flinched at the name, "Yes. It has." 3
Hiei let amusement pass over his features when Shikiyoku passed him, and he made no move to catch up or pass her again. He merely followed in her shadow, only pausing an inch or so behind her when a demon moved to address Shikiyoku. Hiei himself fought his initial reaction to glance at the female beside him in curiosity of the slight change in air, instead keeping a steady gaze on the woman who had approached. The elder, if he remembered correctly.
And he hardly ever forgot such things.
Hiei's eyes looked past the elder and to the camp beyond her, watching busybodies move around in their routine. Odd how he remembered the camp being filled with demons, to the point where he'd felt suffocated at times. There was still a large number of demons here, but nothing like that night.
He turned his eyes to the elder again, still calm as ever.
Surely she wouldn't ask of it?
~!**!~
Akari opened her mouth, first armed with a sarcastic response before rethinking and, instead, giving a soft "ha, ha". She shook her head, her smile lopsided and sheepish. "No, I'd rather not." She waited until she felt the last of Isamu's energy dissipate with his departure. "I was thinking food first? If you're not busy, that is." *
Kurama gave her an easy smile, "Not busy at all. What did you have in mind?"
He gave no outward sign of it, but Youko had analyzed the signature left behind by the other and fed Kurama the information of it, the both of them storing it away.
~!**!~
"And Hiei." If she was surprised, she did not show it, only giving him the same welcome she gave Shikiyoku. "Here of your own free will this time, no?" Her eyes glittered with cheer at the prospect. 3
Hiei raised a brow at the elder, for a moment considering her greeting and giving her a nod of his own greeting. His gaze remained steady, his lips remaining closed as he saw no need to actually reply verbally. After all, the first time they'd been here, it may not have been a planned occurrence, but he hadn't exactly been there begrudgingly. He'd, in truth, enjoyed it. He'd considered saying that, but decided against it.
Instead he merely stood there silently. Shikiyoku was here for a reason, and he wasn't going to be a distraction.
~!**!~
Akari hesitated for a moment before giving a small shrug, her entire being relaxing once she was sure the other party had left. It was a wonder Isamu hadn't decided to come along. To play the distraction at every turn. He'd gotten rather good at it.
"There's a place I haven't been in a while. How does ramen sound?" She flashed a smile at him. *
Kurama took note of the way her shoulders released the tension they had been holding, but he said nothing of it, only maintaining the smile he had been giving her before answering, "Ramen sounds wonderful."
He made a gesture for her to lead the way.
~!**!~
"I would ask what brings you here, but I've already been given a notion on that front." The Elder said nothing as to who had given her a notion, "Seeing as it has been a while, you will be dancing for us tonight?"
Shikiyoku's answer was not hesitant, but the entire time the Elder had been speaking, her thoughts had consisted singularly of 'Please don't ask me to-'
"With all due respect, Elder, I don't think you want me to do that." She managed the sentence with an evenness that surprised even her considering how rapidly devolving her mental franticness at the mention of it had decayed into a spiral of distress.
The Elder's response came a second later than necessary, her head tilting a little as she appeared to be actually considering Shikiyoku herself for the first time.
Her searching look did result in a sort of light settling in her eyes, and though Shikiyoku was certain she could not explicitly understand the reason why Shikiyoku denied her, the elder most obviously took note of a certain difference in the demon before her.
"I'm fairly certain that I do." Came the delayed counter, her acceptance of whatever she gleaned in her moment of assessment rather obvious.
When Shikiyoku parted her lips, the Elder shook her head to stop her speaking up.
"But I see that it is you who are not sure." She took a step back and gestured in the direction Shikiyoku needed to proceed, a faint smile on her face, "Perhaps you will find yourself better served by waiting to give me an answer. There is still a little while before darkness falls. You have some time to decide."
It took everything within her not to stamp her foot and tell the Elder that she had already decided, thank you very much, and spending more time among the people she would be dancing for would do nothing to change her mind.
Instead, Shikiyoku only gave a curt nod that was borderline disrespectful in its dismissal of the demon, and swept past her, headed further inwards in the direction the Elder indicated. 3
Hiei wasn't surprised when the Elder made a request for a dance, nor was he surprised by the answer Shikiyoku gave. His hands found his pockets by the time the Elder was speaking again and he turned his eyes to the business beyond the woman. He felt as if the longer they stood here, chattering, the less Shikiyoku would get done before deciding she'd had enough.
Whatever it was she was evading.
He didn't notice right away when the female moved on, so he was more than a few steps behind before his eyes turned to the Elder to give another silent nod before he too turned to pass by her, eyes turning to set on Shikiyoku's back.
What exactly are you up to?
~!**!~
Akari pursed her lips for a moment in thought, giving a small hum before she flashed a smile at him again. "How about this," she began, taking a step away as if to turn. "I'll race you." Her smile widened to show her teeth. "For the sport of it."
Before the redhead could reply, she was dropping into a shadow, even waiting a moment in the weird time-space of the shadow world before she dropped to the first layer, sitting in a stool in Yusuke's little ramen place even before the last shadow slid away from her skin to reveal her profile.
"So, what's the house special today, hm?" *
Kurama gave out a resigned sort of noise, not even bothering to respond to the pleasant, ringing laughter that echoed in his mind.
{You've been in a rather good mood of late.}
Kurama slipped between the layers and reached out to sense the seed in her pocket, following its signature to make his way...wherever she had disappeared to.
[Want to ask why?]
{Not with you leering at me like that.}
He didn't have to ask anyway, the reason was as plain as the expression he could just envision on the fox's face.
~!**!~
"Akari!" Yusuke exclaimed once she had actually appeared at the stand, "My second favorite doggie!" He leaned up against the counter with his typical foolish grin. "Where yah been lately? It's gotten a little boring around here without you running around!"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku tried not to make it terribly obvious that she was avoiding as many tribesdemons as possible, but even with her knack for turning and going around a tent just as another would pass by in the other direction, it seemed there were many demons actually in camp and wherever she went, up went cries of 'Iro!' followed by a general greeting to both her and 'Hiei,' whose presence seemed to generate nearly as much enthusiasm as her own.
It had her stopping to talk pleasantly with whomever had paused her, usually hindering her progress for more than a few minutes at a time as other demons would approach for the same reason.
As if there wasn't already a set tension at her neck and shoulders ever since speaking with the Elder, it seemed to twinge each time she heard the name, though her welcoming demeanor would not have indicated as such to these, and she patiently let the demons talk with her about this and the other, giving advice when asked and being told within every group that stopped her that they were excited or looked forward to seeing her dance tonight.
Apparently her arrival had not been too announced, despite what the Elder seemed to indicate, as there was no plans for a Great Feast such as the last time she made an appearance, but each demon that spoke with her seemed pleased to have her returning after 'all these years' and they all appeared to expect her to dance.
Shikiyoku did not turn down any of those 'requests,' only sidestepping the subject without actually giving them an answer, but it was obvious as she moved on through that the campsite had taken on a decidedly different air than the general grind, the usual day-to-day activities.
It was after one such encounter that Shikiyoku once again made her excuses and moved past the small group that had formed around them, leaving them behind to chatter amongst themselves before they too went off likely to spread the news before returning to whatever it is they had interrupted to meet her.
This time, however, she stepped in the shadow of one of the tents and let out a frustrated sigh, for the first time letting the tightness of her shoulders show on her face, though she covered her features with her hand and just sat there for a moment. 3
Hiei, through the entire time Shikiyoku was paused and chattered to, remained within a few inches of the female, scowling at any demon who came too close to either he or she. And when he was occasionally bombarded with a few questions and random greetings, hands outstretched to shake, he would stare at the demons for a moment before dismissing them, his own tension rising, mirroring Shikiyoku's rather quickly.
He did give his fair share of greetings, despite his quickly souring mood. When offered to join a hunt again later in the night, he gave a simple answer: "No, I'm with her." He had no plans on leaving her side unless she asked of it. Just in case.
By the time they broke away from another group, the fire demon had a scowl etched into his features and a vein in his neck protruding each time he worked his jaw about.
He took a deep breath and turned about in place, hands at his sides and eyes making for certain they wouldn't be mobbed again.
When he knew the coast was clear, he turned back to the female, calmer now. He eyed her calmly, his expression a blank slate and gaze level as he watched her chest expand with the great intake of breath, her hand covering her face. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to.
~!**!~
Akari's grin turned wolfish. "Oh you know," she began, lifting one shoulder nonchalantly as she leaned forward and into the counter. "Saving the world and stuff. Helping children. The cliche 'superhero' stuff." She made a sound of amusement. "And making maps for fun. Anything but being bored." She shifted in her chair for a moment before settling in completely. "Enjoying your stand?" *
"It's perfect." Yusuke replied once she asked, leaning back away from the counter and started to cook, talking as he prepared the food. "I love being able to do this sort of thing, plus it gives me the freedom to close up shop anytime I want since I'm my own boss. Lets me set my own schedule for training, and if I need to adjust to meet up with someone specific as they're passing through, I can do that too!"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku finally lowered her hand after a moment, turning her face up to the sky and keeping her eyes closed for another second before she said anything.
"I don't know which is worse," Her eyes came open and she looked at nothing, not actually speaking to anyone in particular, though the only one around to hear her was Hiei, "Having them all think I'm the same demon I was before, or not actually being the same demon I was before." 3
Hiei remained silent for a moment, choosing not to answer for the time being. He wasn't even sure she wanted to hear an answer, a rebuttal, an agreement… He had several thoughts, but none of them quite sufficed for him at the moment, so he continued to stare at her.
"Why are we here?"
His tone was even, if mildly curious. He gave no indication that he disliked where he was, that he wished to leave. Oddly, despite his irritation here and there, he actually didn't feel the urge to leave. He refused the sound that threatened to move up his throat and out his mouth.
"I assume there's a reason."
~!**!~
Akari gave a small smile. She was glad to see the detective using his abilities to stay out of trouble. He was almost an entirely different person than she'd met over a year ago. An entirely different person than who had worked for Koenma. Odd how that freedom brought about the relaxed air of the boy. "Glad to see you're being constructive."
And staying out of trouble, unlike me.
Then again, she didn't actually mind getting into tricky situations. Rather enjoyed it, despite the fact that she occasionally had to deal with another 'lending her a hand'.
"Oh, by the way, another will be joining me soon. Might as well make two this time, before you get too far ahead." She gave a smile. "And he's not allowed to pay." *
"I beg to differ." A low voice said from next to her, "But I doubt you're going to allow me the pleasure."
"Kurama!" Yusuke let out an exclamation in much the same way as the one he had graced Akari with, following it up with a laugh, "If I haven't seen her in a while," He jabbed a thumb at Akari, "Then it's been forever since I've laid eyes on you!"
"A situation I intended to remedy, but never found the chance to."
Yusuke nodded in understanding, "It isn't like I've gotten a chance to seek anyone else out."
He paused in mid-preparation and looked thoughtful.
"It's so weird." He came upon the revelation with no small amount of surprise, "It seemed like we were around each other all the time less than a year ago, and now-" He shrugged, turning back down to his work.
"I think we've all done a little growing up." Kurama smiled.
Yusuke let out a chuckle, "Or something. You know about Kuwabara, right? Making it into high school? And here I thought you'd be the one to do that out of all of us."
Giving a slight nod, Kurama smiled, "I stay busy enough at my step-father's company."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku stayed in her pose for a moment longer before shifting her feet and turning to face him, taking a moment to look to the side as if she didn't want to meet his gaze.
"There's..." She made a noise akin to a sigh, "There's at least one here, but the duty to clan is enough to dull my senses...or-" The word wasn't quite right, but she shrugged, unable to find a more precise term and went on, "-and I don't actually know if there's more than the one." She finally looked at him, giving him a small smile that did not hold one wit of teasing, "He's younger even than you, which is the only reason I can feel him in the first place. He isn't old enough to be tied more strongly with his kin." 3
Hiei raised a brow curiously, noting the delay in her eyes coming to meet his. Was he supposed to be of help? Was there a way for him to be of help, to quicken the process and create less stress for her? Likely not. Though, the fact that the demon was younger than him did narrow it down a lot.
Because, in the world of demons, Hiei was pretty young.
He glanced to the side, as if he might have a thought or two about the matter.
In the end, he turned to look at her again with the same even, calm expression. "We're in no rush." He paused. "Unless you want to go back to the chaos on the First Layer. Personally, I would rather deal with this tribe than those mobs."
~!**!~
Akari glanced to the side at Kurama, flashing a smile that read 'of course not'. She continued to watch him, glad that she'd decided to visit Yusuke instead of Shyn. It would make lunch a little amusing, to say the least. And for the upteenth time since it had begun, Akari found herself glad to find random moments where she could spend her time with these people, despite the fact that she didn't usually call upon them for such a simple thing.
At least they enjoyed it- or seemed to- right?
She turned from the redhead to face Yusuke again. She opened her mouth to say something, decided against it, and closed her mouth again, instead settling for a smile of amusement. *
"The word is you've been seeking out anyone that can teach you anything Genkai couldn't. Or wouldn't." Kurama noted mildly as he continued to watch Yusuke prepare their food.
"Word is you've been skipping around the layers and making off with anything that isn't bolted down." Yusuke replied pointedly.
[He's been making me give it back.]
Kurama, for once, wished the others could hear the grumbling of the fox.
"They tend to get their things back." He replied loftily.
"Even if you usually send them on a treasure hunt to find it."
[He can't stop me from everything.]
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's smile seemed more true than before as she let out a breathy little laugh of amusement.
"Leave it to you to put things into perspective," Her hand flinched, the desire to pat his cheek affectionately almost irresistible, but she moved her fingers up to rest them on her hip instead. "This is why I wish you were around more." 3
Hiei didn't smile, but his expression did soften just a little at her words. His eyes turned to the side, looking to the tent they were standing within the shadow of. If he'd known that, he wouldn't have hesitated to barge into the house the other day and demand sweet snow. Or strawberries. Or.. anything. If he'd known that she wanted him to come about more often, then he would've done so.
He'd have to remember that.
"Let's get moving. Get it over with."
~!**!~
Akari's lips twitched up into the widest of grins at the turn of the conversation. She hadn't realized Yusuke had such an influence with the fox demon. Her curiosity on Yusuke's matter, however, had the smile lessening and her brows raising.
And why would you want that? He had a stand, was happy with it. Why seek more power if he was perfectly content where he was?
Why cause trouble when you're perfectly content just meandering about? Why would you go on escapades with a demon that always brought trouble when you could just as easily find entertainment elsewhere?
Idle hands, she supposed.
And laziness, on her part. But that didn't say much about Yusuke.
Boredom.
That sounded closer.
"Not enough fights for your liking?" Akari asked Yusuke, tone light with amusement. "I mean, I've found plenty if you wish to join in some day." *
Kurama and Yusuke turned to her with similar expressions of amusement, leaving Kurama turning away again with a chuckle as Yusuke spoke up.
"I get a lot of complaints about a silver-haired demon taking off with things." He shrugged, "Not that I tend to do anything about it. I usually know who it is and tell them they just have to look for whatever it is they thought was stolen." He eyed Kurama with mock-suspicion, "Though the last one still hasn't found her chalice."
"Yusuke is apparently considered a sort of mediator nowadays." Kurama explained further, making easy work of side-stepping the chalice, which had been one thing too shiny to convince the covetous Youko to return. "He has humans and demons alike coming to this very stand, seeking him out for assistance in supernatural occurrences or otherwise. In the underground of demons, he's considered a sort of last resort." Kurama grinned, "They tend to come to him begrudgingly, if I remember correctly."
"They only respect me because I'm stronger than most of them." Yusuke gestured with the knife he held, "But I get all kinds around here, to tell you the truth." He turned back down to their bowls, "If binky-boy didn't exactly assign me 'detective' work, I'm certainly getting a lot of that now."
"It's been a while since you've called though." Kurama suddenly realized, mentioning to Akari that, "He's consulted me every so often when stumped via phone call."
Yusuke set the bowls in front of them, "There's a knack to it and I've picked it up of late. Certain patterns you can look for. If I wasn't so good at fighting, I might consider taking up a pipe like that one famous guy."
"Sherlock." Kurama provided.3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star