A/N: Hello once again, Dear Reader!
Never fear, for I have returned and updates will continue on their usual Tuesday/Thursday schedule as previously!
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!
Isamu follows Akari around as she begins the task Genkai gave to her:
noting the buildings that are existing on all the layers.
After three days of work, she begins to get fed up with him
and they separate to make the work faster.
About two weeks after starting, Akari ends up getting caught by a she-demon,
and subsequently rescued from the situation by Kurama.
The two of them head to Yusuke's ramen stand for food after a brief encounter with Isamu,
ordering food and striking up a conversation with the former Spirit Detective,
whom neither of them had seen in a good while.
~!**!~
Meanwhile, three days have passed for Shikiyoku and she announces to Kitoushi and Youko,
both of whom are at the time in her home,
that she is going out to look for Taka, whom she has not heard from in that time.
As the two accompany her, they come across Hiei lounging in a tree,
though Shikiyoku is at first the only one who directly notices him,
and after that an airborne Taka swoops in and steals Shikiyoku away.
Almost as soon as he lands deeper inside the city,
a crowd of marked demons forms around them.
Instead of letting her remove the markings,
it is Hiei's turn to appear and whisk Shikiyoku between the layers,
the two of them eventually making their way down to the Ninth Layer
and to the Northern Tribe, where they meet the Elder at the edge of the camp.
After rejecting the invitation to dance for the encampment that evening,
Shikiyoku moves further into the camp and both she and Hiei continue to be stopped by members of the tribe.
Each member seems to be pleased that she is here, expecting her to dance for them,
and after several such encounters, she ducks behind a tent to escape them for a moment,
revealing to Hiei that she made the journey down here because there is a marked one among the tribe members.
Shikiyoku admits to Hiei that she wished he was around more,
and while he internal regrets not having realized such a thing,
he only tells her they should keep moving...
Shikiyoku made no comment to the wheels she could see turning behind those crimson eyes, only giving him a deft nod and moving back in the direction they had been heading, towards the Northeast corner of the camp.
The bustle of the site had been a consistent, low-key murmur around them, but as they approached this particular area, before they broke through the tents, there were more chirps and chitters at a pitch higher than the rest of camp.
When they stepped out from where the line of tents ended, they were accosted by the sight of too many lur'mogs to keep track of, and a young demon seated on a log in the midst of them with many of them scrambling over and around him, one or two clinging to bits of his hair, his shirt, his pant-leg. Others were all along the ground, interacting on various levels. There were two that appeared to be fighting over a place on his thigh, starting to roll over one another in a grapple, but he separated them good-naturedly and placed them in his palm, appearing to give them a semi-stern talking to.
"Lur'mog!" Shikiyoku exclaimed with a little more buoyancy than she had been expressing at that point.
She was specifically speaking to one particular creature larger than the others who had two or three smaller ones that he appeared to be entertaining in some manner or another, and he spotted her before she had spoke, zipping away from the others to appear at her shoulder, chatting joyfully into her ear.
However, her soft shout garnered the attention of the entire clearing, since in reality they were all lur'mogs and knew that's what they were called, and every single creature froze in place, turning their large eyes in her direction.
The abrupt silence had both Shikiyoku and the lur'mog at her neck, giving her a hug that included his tail trying to wrap across the back of her shoulders, also pausing in place, turning curiously to look at the others who were staring back at them, taking in with solemn eyes how the largest among them was affectionately speaking with her.
The lur'mog himself appeared to give an expression that said 'uh,'as he blinked twice at the crowd and disappeared from her just as the rest of the lur'mogs started giggling and chattering in excitement.
She seemed to just know what was about to happen in that calm before a proverbial storm and Shikiyoku took the extra couple of strides into the area and started to sit down, just as the lur'mogs before her disappeared and reappeared all around her, clinging to her clothing, her hair, her fingers and a few wrapping themselves around her arms and ankles as she began laughing and given them attentions, their scales dry and smooth against her skin.
The lur'mog who had first moved to her appeared on Hiei's far shoulder, nuzzling his face into the fire demon's ear with a good deal of affection before hunching over a little bit to watch, one tiny paw bracing himself upon Hiei's earlobe as he did so.
While his first murmurings to Hiei were of similar ilk to what he had given Shikiyoku, the following sounded much more like grumbles once he took the moment to watch her, the spines down his back raising and lowering in agitation as he resigned himself to having to wait to get her to himself.
He let out a little sigh. 3
Hiei remained standing the few feet from Shikiyoku that she'd established when she had moved towards the little creatures. The fire demon himself was impressed with the sheer numbers of them, having forgotten that such an amount of the lur'mog had resided here. By the time Shikiyoku was seated and covered in the little scaled creatures, Hiei had his eyes over at the one on his shoulder.
He raised a brow at the chattering the creature made, feeling the slight impatience in the air about it and giving a scoff, raising a finger to poke ever so lightly at its face. "Patience." he murmured. I know. He poked at its stomach next.
~!**!~
Akari listened to the back and forth banter between the pair with no small amount of amusement, her fingers grabbing at the chopsticks and twisting the utensils about in the steaming bowl, making no hesitation in closing her lips around the utensils, a few noodles hanging down her chin for the briefest of moments before she slurped them up.
She raised a brow; Sherlock?
Oh, right.
She shrugged to herself and made a sound of amusement. "Good to know you're plenty entertained," she commented before stuffing her cheeks full with noodles again. *
"Entertained is putting it mildly." Yusuke rolled his eyes, starting to clean up his station. "I could do with a great deal less entertainment in my life."
"So you can go train more?" Kurama picked up his own bowl and scooted it closer to himself.
"That among other things." Yusuke answered, putting his nose slightly in the air and giving his response an air of 'I'm not telling.'
~!**!~
Seeing the finger moving for his face, the lur'mog ducked a little and closed his eyes, the muscles near his nose-slits squinching in preparation for the contact.
His large eyes opened again once Hiei pulled his finger away.
He huffed upon seeing Shikiyoku start to pet and talk with the others, upset that he had little chance to do so himself.
Distracted by the scene, he didn't notice the finger aimed at his stomach and it warranted an unintentional squeak of surprise, eyes growing wider if possible as he batted his free hand too late to prevent the contact. 3
Hiei held back the sound of amusement he nearly warranted, his finger brushing against the belly of the lur'mog very briefly before his hand fell away again and his eyes turned to Shikiyoku. He too watched her interact with the creatures before he suddenly remembered another to be present, his eyes turning to the male who'd been sitting on the ground. Who still sat there, watching with a peculiar expression.
The fire demon eyed the male, a brow raised at the mark he could clearly see on the other's skin, creeping up from under the shirt that hid the main portion of the mark Hiei could just see. It curled and swirled up the demon's neck, ending just about an inch up the other's jugular, almost reaching the jawline of the younger demon. He noted the fact that most of it appeared to be hidden from immediate sight. It was something he hadn't considered as of yet.
They aren't all obvious then.
It seemed there didn't even need to be any sort of connection to Shikiyoku to be marked other than… simply having met her? Very minimal requirement indeed.
"Comfortable?" Hiei mused, noting the very lack in movement from the other. As if he had forgotten how to work his muscles.
~!**!~
Akari's brows raised even higher at Yusuke's reply, but she didn't give into the bait and make a remark or voice her curiosity. His business was his business, after all. No matter how curious- or amused- she was on the topic, she wouldn't push it. Her smile, however, did hint at the thoughts behind her eyes.
She swallowed a mouthful of noodles again and poised her chopsticks for another round, pausing briefly to glance at both parties in turn. She opened her mouth to speak.
"I knew I smelled you here."
Akari glanced over her shoulder at the dog that padded his way into the shop. She gave Nabu a grin and fished a piece of meat from inside her bowl, lowering her hand to share with her friend. "Why are you on this side of town?"
Nabu chewed for a moment before answering. "Because your…. friend paraded into the house again quite a bit ago. Raiding the fridge and making a mess."
"He's cleaning it up."
"I warned him of that. Just laughed and told me, in his words, 'get lost'."
Akari made a displeased sound and turned to her bowl again, twisting noodles on her utensils and slowly raising them to her mouth.
It seemed that moment Nabu noticed Yusuke. "Hey! Stripes!" He turned to Kurama. "And Flowers! It's a party!" *
At the bark, Yusuke leaned as far over the counter as he could manage with a grin.
"Lookie! It's my favorite dog in the whole wide world! Come for a visit!" Yusuke ducked quickly back behind the counter and pulled out the plate full of scraps of the meat he had been working with earlier that day and coming around the outside of the stand to put the plate on the ground, squatting down to scratch at Nabu's ears.
~!**!~
Douji's eyes lifted quietly from Shikiyoku, a shyness that had been in place even when the three of them first met clear in his aura, indicating that it was likely a part of his personality and not attributed to being in any specific person's presence.
"More so than before." He admitted a bit timidly, ruefully passing his gaze over the mass of lur'mogs that were no longer clinging to him.
His apparently reserved nature was off-set a little by the youthful grin he gave as he scratched at his face, just above where the mark stopped, continuing on in an almost boyish manner, "They mean well, but some of them don't know exactly how to handle their sharp bits yet."
Shikiyoku held up a hand that had a small lur'mog dangling from the tip of her finger by its teeth.
"So I've noticed." She commented wryly. 3
Hiei continued to stare at the male, eyes occasionally drawn to the mark that the demon scratched at, that occasionally was hidden from view when the demon shifted too far to the side. Red eyes turned to Shikiyoku after another one of those moments, amusement flashing in his irises as he saw the lur'mog hanging from her finger.
The lur'mog on his own person chattered a little, bringing the fire demon's finger up to prod at it again, this being his form of attention to the creature. Patience. Patience. He turned back to the other demon. "Quite a large grouping. I assume you're the only one who tends to them?"
~!**!~
Nabu's tail moved furiously back and forth in excitement. "I'm always the favorite."
Akari rolled her eyes. "I can't win."
"Of course you can, love. Just have to smile more." A hand landed on the top of her head as another person slid into the seat on the other side of her. He turned his eyes to Yusuke. "Surprise me?"
Akari had to still her hand for a moment before directing the chopsticks to the bowl, instead of where she initially wished to put them.
"Why do you keep showing up?"
Akari had her mouth full before she couldn't resist the temptation to remark as well, her eyes turning to Kurama for the briefest of moments before down to her bowl. This is getting old. *
"Par for the course: my least favorite dog." Yusuke announced as he stood up from patting Nabu, leaving the plate for the dog to consume. "I suppose the day was going too well to expect it to not somehow take a turn for the worse."
He dutifully moved back behind the counter and set to working again.
~!**!~
Douji nodded, "We didn't actually have any until I came along. And we only have so many now because of that one." He pointed at the one on Hiei's shoulder. "Some of the new ones are what he's scouted out, but most of them are his children."
Shikiyoku had lowered the lur'mog teething on her finger back to her lap, attempting to delicately remove it.
Finally fed up, the lur'mog at Hiei's shoulder hopped down and stomped over to the group, at first ignoring the others and crawling up over Shikiyoku's thigh and into her lap, chirping merrily at her, then a little more insistently when she did not first see him and giving a slight stamp of his foot, getting her attention.
Delighted, Shikiyoku scooped him up in her hands and brought him up to her face where she cooed something inaudible at him as she nuzzled her nose up against him, closing her eyes.
He reached up, clacking and purring the whole time, and resting a tiny clawed paw on her face for balance, tail wrapping gently around one of her wrists and pleased with himself for taking matters into his own hands.
When she pulled back and murmured something at him, the lur'mog blinked at her and answered, briefly glancing over her shoulder in the midst of the exchange at Hiei and blinking slowly at him one single time, perking up a little and then turning his attention back to Shikiyoku. 3
Hiei raised a brow when the lur'mog disappeared from his shoulder, then reappeared with Shikiyoku, chattering louder than the rest at the female. Without looking to the other male nearby, he replied with mild interest: "Interesting creatures." He blinked once at the creature that turned to look at him, a single brow raising. I see what you've done here.
Hiei moved, turning to find a tree nearby and lowering himself to the ground, taking to lounging with his back against the base of the bark. Interesting creatures indeed.
~!**!~
Isamu's lips turned up in a grin. "I enjoy the flattery, Yusuke Urameshi." He shifted his weight, leaning forward and placing both arms on the counter. "How's the underground world treating you? Enjoy it yet?"
Akari's eyes cut to the male, her expression carefully unreadable. "I thought you said you were going back?"
"Well, actually, I remembered what today was. You have a deal to uphold, remember?"
"There was never a set date, and we agreed that I'd go when I finished the map."
"Which is why I finished it for you. Dates, times, locations, everything. I'll even return it for you if you want."
"I don't think you'd survive that encounter."
"I'm well aware of Genkai's power."
"Of course you are."
"I will deal with it later. Right now, I'm on a break." *
Yusuke bit back the reply he wanted to give, exchanging a look with Kurama and surprised to find the darker red-head had much the same feeling of it as he himself did.
Kurama only let the eyecontact last long enough for Yusuke to acquire that realization before turning back to his bowl calmly, leaving Yusuke with a bit of a smile as the former Spirit Detective almost flopped the bowl down in front of Isamu, not spilling even so much as a drop despite his apparent inattention.
The thought passed over Kurama's mind to slid back from his chair and leave, once his food had been finished of course. But given that Akari had been the one to personally ask for his presence, he only ate in silence, holding back any biting witticism that he wanted to give voice to, in spite of the fact that Youko kept providing him with rather good ones.
~!**!~
Slowly at first, a few of the lur'mogs clinging to her clothing tumbled off into the dirt together, some play-fighting, others napping, but for the most part moving back in Douji's direction, spilling out into the area between himself and Shikiyoku.
Any time her attention wandered from the lur'mog in her hands, the creature would wait a beat, then pull her attention back to himself either with a chirp, or more often both a chirp and some sort of touch like a delicate tap of his foot on her palm or on several occasions sitting down and reaching over to nibble gently on her thumb.
Each time, she would respond exactly as the lur'mog intended, her eyes coming back him, and with a gentleness unafforded to the others of his kind nonetheless.
When two of his brood started climbing their way up her arms, peeking their heads up over the edge of her hands, he admonished them fiercely in a moment when Shikiyoku wasn't looking, sending them off as they deferred to his demand.
After the second or third time this happened, while another started scaling some of the hair that had fallen over her shoulder and pulled her attention away, the lur'mog got to his feet and unwrapped his tail from around her wrist, opening his mouth to reveal the double stacked rows of teeth and making a strange sound as if clearing his throat.
Each lur'mog on her person froze and turned to stare at him, causing Shikiyoku herself to follow their gazes and see that the lur'mog in her hand had his spines fluttering up to stand briefly on his head.
The showing appeared to amuse her, and more so when the other lur'mogs, still staring at the other, larger one, slowly started to remove themselves from her person.
The lur'mog huffed once and sat down again, his demeanor immediately changing to one of immense enjoyment when she reached forward and started petting him in an effort to placate his mood, the spines along his back relaxing under her touch.
Douji had become distracted himself with some of the others that had already moved themselves upon his person, so it wasn't until he realized all of them had gotten off of her that he finally looked back up at her. 3
Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and continued watching Shikiyoku and the single lur'mog that remained, demanding that he be the sole creature in her presence. Demanding her attention. He made a small sound that resembled a scoff of amusement at the display.
If he wanted to spend time with her, he was going to have to stop waiting for her. He'd simply have to make his own point.
He shifted just a little.
Fine.
He'd remember that later.
~!**!~
Isamu looked to inspect his bowl before turning to inspect Akari's, something the female noted as she pulled her chopsticks from her mouth. "Hey, there's one of those things you don't like," he commented, reaching for her bowl with fingers twitching.
"Sorry, Yusuke." Akari grumbled.
She waited until Isamu was just touching her bowl before she slammed her chopsticks into his hand- through his hand, really- and pinned it to the table. His eyes lifted to her, darkening, but hers mirrored the expression. "That's quite enough, Isamu." There was a pause as the smell of blood filled her nostrils, the other demon crinkling his nose at her in ire. "There's a reason I'm here, trying to eat. You… are getting on my last nerves." She pulled her utensils from his hand with a jerk, eyes turning to Yusuke as she fished into her pocket, her lips twitching apologetically as she passed him enough money to pay for all three bowls.
"Come now, love-"
Akari's glare snapped over to him again, meeting the gaze that swam with energy. "Good luck with that one. Remember, it doesn't work on me. I'm not your omega." Without another word, she turned to leave, waving away the flags and ducking under them, turning and continuing down the sidewalk without pause.
Isamu sighed and looked at his already-healing hand. "Such a fuss."
Nabu huffed and moved towards Kurama, but not before turning and giving a sound to Yusuke that, if could be described, was nothing more than a small whine that could easily resemble a sound of apology. *
Yusuke let Akari have her say, staying quiet and knowing that he needn't interfere.
Granted, it wouldn't be the first time the stand had been blown to smithereens around him, had it come to that.
As any good server-owner knows, there is a time to pay attention and there is a time to give the appearance that one has no idea whatsoever of anything that is going on in the near proximity. And what with the task of cleaning his station after making the bowl, such a thing wasn't all that difficult.
He only looked up with a neutral expression when Akari apologized, letting her words pass by with little interruption.
Kurama said nothing during the exchange, knowing first of all that nothing would happen given his and Yusuke presence, which would be enough to deter most, and secondly that he doubted it to be anything Akari could not handle herself.
By the time they finished and Akari walked off, Kurama just reached the end of his food and calmly pushed it in Yusuke's direction.
"Quite delicious, Yusuke." Kurama started to stand up.
"Always." He grinned back, silently passing him the money Akari had given him as he reached for the bowl, which Kurama took without a word, turning to give Nabu a pat.
"I would think an aspiring Alpha might have enough wisdom to discern a lost cause from an actually interested one."
"Seems they'll let just about anyone become Alpha nowadays." Yusuke's reply was just as shoot-the-breeze in tone as Kurama's as he set to washing out the bowl.
"Seems so." Kurama started to take his leave, heading in the same direction Akari had taken. 3
Isamu flexed his hand, a calm smile forming on his features even as the pair spoke, his eyes lifting to stare at the wall past the detective. His thoughts churned for a moment before he made a sound of amusement. He didn't share his thoughts, however. Instead, he waved his hand, as if there hadn't been a hole in it mere moments ago, and completely dismissed the pair while his other hand slid underneath the bowl he'd been passed. He lifted it to the chef. "I'll bring this back."
Then he disappeared, ramen in hand.
~!**!~
Akari twirled one of the chopsticks in her hand near her face, as if twirling a pen idly in a boring class. She had wiped away the blood on her utensils by this time, one stuck between her teeth to chew on and the other still twirling between her fingers in her left hand.
Her eyes found the bracelet Kurama had given her and the outline of a very faded mark beneath it. Weak, but there anyway.
He'd become more persistent since seeing the bracelet. Calling it a romantic gesture and declaring it inconsequential to himself, but a major object to her. Her lips twitched into a slight sneer. A romantic gesture? She twirled the chopstick again and turned her eyes forward. Fun.
Despite the sarcastic word, she found her stomach giving an odd sensation at the thought and her smile softening in severity. Her footsteps halted and she turned around, standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Waiting.
I can't bel-
Actually, yes I can. But it doesn't matter. She took a deep breath, spinning the wooden object faster between her fingers.
And then she began walking back the way she'd come.
I'm not making him come to me, when I can go back to him. I walked away, after all. No use in making it difficult for him too.
She pulled the chopstick from between her teeth and tossed it in a trashcan as she passed, the other following it soon after.
~!**!~
Nabu moved after Kurama, taking one extra step to walk beside the male as he took his leave, tail calmly swaying behind him as he looked up at the male. "You know what baffles me?" the dog suddenly piped up. "That she left before finishing her food." He swished his tail twice in amusement. "No dog does that." *
"Can you blame her?" Kurama replied easily, pulling one of his hands out of his pocket as he turned a opened a door to a small store along the sidewalk, making it obvious by the shift in his feet that Nabu was welcome inside, "But that's precisely why we're stopping here."
As soon as the door opened, the warm smell of sweets filled the air around them, the bell on the door ringing pleasantly, and Kurama walked up to the counter with familiarity, engaging the older lady behind it.
The older man walked around from behind the glass case to Nabu, setting down a plate that smelled nearly as sweet as the air around them and squatting behind it, winking at the dog.
"They're just for your kind." He told Nabu amiably, "Sweets that won't kill yah."
~!**!~
"Shikiyoku..." Douji hesitated, but his use of her name instead of what she expected him to call her had her blinking and looking up at him. "I know why you're here."
His gaze was on a lur'mog in his hands, tickling it at its cheek absently.
"Oh?" She prompted when he didn't continue, turning her attention to the boy, the lur'mog in her own palms content with her not looking at him as long as she didn't stop smoothing her fingertips along his scales.
"And I can't-" He let out a little breath of air, "I've thought about it a lot, and I want to-" He made a noise of frustration and let out an amused huff, "I had everything I was going to say all planned out and now that you're here, it all seems really silly."
Shikiyoku's expression softened a good deal as she regarded him, "Douji."
He looked up at her sheepishly.
"What do you desire?" The question was simple, and she said it as if it were the most obvious place to start in the world.
It appeared to take a great portion of his confusion from over his face and he relaxed, blinking at her and making a sound with his throat as if amused with himself for not just starting there.
"Above everything else," Shikiyoku continued, "Removing everything else from the equation," She could sense his uncertainty in relation to his age, among other things like his duty to the tribe and his inability to up and leave them for anything, "What do you desire?"
More relaxing as he looked at her and a true smile settled over his features.
"To try." 3
Hiei regarded the pair as a conversation stirred, his eyes calmly moving from one party to the other before he decided it was none of his business. His eyelids slid closed and his ears tuned out the conversation- mostly- and he found his thoughts turning to something he hadn't considered before now. Thinking over numerous things at once.
Such as the light smile Shikiyoku gave Douji in reassurance, which made his mind flash an image of her earlier smile aimed at him. The words Kitoushi had said just days ago. The way the cat had slowly calmed Shikiyoku.
But not near as quick as his own presence had.
Hiei's eyes came open to regard the female again, suddenly finding himself thinking over the question she'd aimed at the boy. A question he'd heard a million times himself.
"What do you desire, fire-prince?"
His eyelids slid shut again as a simple answer floated across his mind.
To be involved.
That was it. He wanted to be involved in everything surrounding her. He wanted to have a reason to be around her that didn't consist merely of his own selfish wish to monopolize her time. And she'd granted him that earlier.
Until now, he hadn't realized that it wasn't enough to know she enjoyed his presence.
He had realized that… being involved was much more…
There was a word.
It wouldn't come to mind at the moment but-
There it is again. Hiei didn't react outwardly in any way, but he felt the oddest sensation across his skin, which had his eyes turning to Douji, landing on the small black mark he could just see. His eyes locked onto that little black line that curled and swirled, and for the first time…
He felt as if it were essential to keep his thoughts to himself. Give no indication of anything surrounding them. So he closed his eyelids and leaned back further again.
~!**!~
Nabu turned and followed Kurama inside, his nose twitching furiously when the smells hit him all at once. Breads, Sweets, Cherries and other fruits, Drinks, and a few other things he recognized pretty quickly. He paused when the older gentleman moved around the casing and towards him, kneeling and placing a plate in front of him. His tail moved slowly in respectful thanks and cheer, his tongue quickly falling from his mouth to taste the air.
"I like people. They give me free food when I'm with someone." He paused with his nose just shy of the treat. "Before Akari, people saw me as a nuisance. A problem. Funny how company changes that." He calmly began chewing on the treat, eyes moving up to the man with an unblinking stare and made a small sound.
~!**!~
Akari continued down the sidewalk, unaware she had moved so far so quickly. She took another deep breath, her thoughts very quickly turning away from her frustration and pushing it away for a later time. Her footsteps were sure and calm, her eyes roving the crowd just in case she missed the redhead, which she highly doubted she would.
She did pause here and there to glance within a shop or two, but only for a mere second before continuing on, pausing outside of another shop and staring at the door in consideration. Don't tell me.
She gave a sigh. Why are you so good to me? She waited a few moments before moving inside the shop, knowing Kurama was inside with Nabu. *
"Come here with or without companion and you'll get free food every time." The older man spoke quietly, putting a finger to the side of his nose and winking at the dog.
He stood back up to go behind the glass and fill the order for the redhead at the counter, handing Kurama the small, brown paper bag with a smile as Kurama exchanged currency with his wife as well as pleasant words with the both of them and turned around to take a step, glancing down at the dog who still ate at the plate, and gave Akari a nod, gesturing over to a small table at the other side of the tiny shop.
"Join me?"
~!**!~
His eyes remained gratefully fixed upon her own, as if she had solved all his problems in one fatal swoop.
"But I-" Even as he protested, it didn't seem to matter to him as much anymore, "I must stay here. And- What would I offer to you? I-"
Shikiyoku had started shaking her head when he began to speak and he faded off, "I will not-I cannot-take away from you that with which you will not freely part. Your age, your so-called inexperience, your ties here with the tribe... These are not marks against you, Douji. They are what set you apart from any others who feel as you do."
And they are also what set you apart for me. She could easily see taking this particular demon under her wing and raising him up, in a fashion. He would respond easily to her and with little question.
Certainly with much less trouble than any of the others that passed over her mind at that moment.
The change was almost imperceptible, but Shikiyoku was looking for it as she felt it happening, and spotted the swirl that bloomed up the side of Douji's face, feeling a portion of what she had come to think of as her 'energy'-though it's relation to her was likely small, she did not rightly now-settling in the thin mark that now further decorated the side of his jaw.
Douji's eyes widened, feeling strangely different and unsure as to why.
Shikiyoku smiled again, pulling the hand with the lur'mog closer to her chest as she started to shift onto her knees and move forward, extending her other hand in Douji's direction.
She placed her palm over his chest on the right side and Douji's expression turned more awed as he felt for certain now that there was a warmth in a particular pattern spreading down to his stomach, over a part of his arm and back, and up his neck.
The dark markings just visible past his clothing started to glow a yellow color, though Douji himself couldn't see it, and the glow grew briefly more brilliant before the moment had passed and Shikiyoku sat back on her feet, lowering her hand, she and Douji's eyes still locked together. 3
Hiei's eyes remained closed, his arms still crossed over his chest despite the urge to uncross them and peel away his cloak. He crossed one ankle over the other and rested his head back against the tree, his hair sticking to the bark. He stilled completely, relaxing entirely as his mind settled from whatever thoughts threatened to stew again.
With one inaudible breath, his head was bowed slightly again.
If she needed him, he'd know.
For now, this was her business, no matter his suspicions.
~!**!~
Akari entered the building with the ding of the bell over the door, her eyes turning to Nabu only briefly before she turned to look at Kurama with an unreadable expression. When he made a gesture to another end of the shop, her eyes followed to stare at the tables, her lips twitching and giving away her feelings on the matter.
"Of course." She moved by him and towards the table, sliding into a seat calmly and resting both arms on the table. She kept her eyes down for a moment, thoughts churning and hesitation keeping her from looking up.
Because it was her fault the male had appeared in the first place. An eye twitched, which she quickly controlled before looking up again. Now she knew what he meant about her not knowing how to ask before. How was she supposed to ask him to forgive her for the display she'd shown?
A smile lifted a corner of her features. "You're amazing." *
Kurama easily slid into the chair across from her, reclining a bit and intermittently reaching into the paper bag to calmly extract a treat from within to place into his mouth, taking to watching Akari with a neutral expression and he chewed almost thoughtfully.
"I know." Another treat. Another chew. He pulled another out of the bag and appeared to scrutinize it. "Certainly took you a while to admit it aloud, though."
~!**!~
The two of them simply looked at one another for a moment longer before the lur'mog in Shikiyoku's hand chattered curiously, for she had stopped petting him.
She looked down as he peered up at her, the crinkles at the edges of his eyes almost indicative of a humanoid smile.
A pair of the creatures starting fighting with each other again and Douji separated them, further breaking the brief moment.
"Are you going to dance for us tonight?"
The question came out of nowhere, the chittering of lur'mogs somehow louder than it had been while they were talking before and making the speech of the demon seem out of place.
Shikiyoku shook her head after a pause, "I...don't think so."
"You don't think so?" Douji echoed absently, "Is it because there's too many of us?" He lifted his head to give her a sharp grin, "If I ask you to dance for me tonight, would you do it?"
Shikiyoku actually had to look up at him in order to catch his slightly wicked expression, and he managed to pull a laugh from her, at which point his suggestive look faded, happy at the result.
She still didn't answer him at first, using the excuse of petting the lur'mog to give her time to form whatever she was willing to admit to the boy.
She sighed and decided there really wasn't a 'nice' way of putting it, not to her mind, and also did not want to give him anything less than the truth.
"You don't want me to dance for you." She mumbled, "Not really. I'm damaged goods at this point."
Douji strongly disapproved of the sudden darkening of her mood, and adopted his earlier face, "I don't want you to dance for me?"
Shikiyoku laughed again, shaking her head, "It's funnier because I'm fairly certain you don't mean it that way."
"I don't." He told her frankly, dropping the act and shrugging, "I'm not even a hundred years old yet." He paused, considering it, "I'm sure I would eventually mean it, but if it gets a smile out of you, why not employ it?"
"Smart boy." She arched an eyebrow at him approvingly.
That shyness from earlier cropped up again and Douji didn't answer, pretending that the lur'mogs needed more attention at the moment than she needed a direct response. 3
Hiei had his eyes staring at Shikiyoku when she spoke, her dismal words about herself rousing a desire to counter them. His mouth even opened, but Douji beat him to it, and his mouth fell shut again at the sound of her laughter. Unsatisfied, he gave a small scowl.
Perhaps the fire demon needed to consider ways to pull such a sound from her lips as well. He didn't hear it near as often as he wanted.
He could always-
"Smart boy."
Hiei raised a brow, the words strikingly similar to something he'd once been called by her. Maybe more than once. It didn't matter.
"Clever demon."
His scowl deepened, but he wrangled his expression into one of calm neutrality, as if he hadn't been listening at all. He scratched at his skin somewhere beneath his scarf, eyes moving down to the irritated skin as he pulled a small insect away after it had stung him.
He flicked it away calmly and adjusted his scarf back into place, effectively hiding what he'd just seen. And he gave no indication of it whatsoever on the outside.
On the inside, however, he felt a sudden influx of determination. His eyelids were closed again and he settled into place. This demon.. among others… are in the way. He brushed the thought away. It wasn't like he was going to kill them. It wouldn't be as fun, in the end.
And, shockingly enough, he didn't… want to. Not even the most annoying of them all.
"Call yourself those words again and I'll toss you back into that mob you hate so dearly."
~!**!~
Akari's lips twitched. "Well, until now, I felt no need to tell you what you already knew." She considered him some more for a moment before turning her eyes to the side again. She considered telling him she was leaving for a few days. Considered telling him that she was going to go back with the person she'd just stabbed with eating utensils.
But, what then would she accomplish? Tossing his kindness into his face by thanking him, and then saying she was leaving anyway, even after the display.
Tch. Who's the idiot now?
But, she'd made a deal. You could break it.
A sound caught her attention and she was looking down at Nabu, who was standing on his hind legs, his front paws on her chair and eyes watching her. Had he spoken? She wasn't sure. She reached out and rubbed at his head with a smile.
I… don't want to be like him in any way.
"I'm going to be gone for a while," she finally admitted, not looking up. "I have a few things to take care of elsewhere. Just figured you should know." Nabu gave her a look before she turned back to face Kurama. "Are you going to share, or am I going to buy myself some too?" *
Before giving her his response to the news that he had already guessed at, Kurama deliberately popped the next treat into his mouth, leveling an even gaze into her hazel eyes.
"I'll miss you."
He silently placed the bag on the table between them, nodding towards it for her to take if she wished.
~!**!~
Her inner amusement at Hiei's sudden interjection might have shown a little in her eyes as she cast a challenging glare over her shoulder in his direction, as if daring him to try.
She turned back to Douji, "Don't get me wrong," Shikiyoku looked at him in a strikingly similar manner to the face he had been making at her, "It's being 'funnier' because you aren't interested only goes so far. I'll be more amused the day you actually mean it."
"And by 'amused' you mean 'pleased.'"
"Naturally. You know me so well already."
Douji smiled down at the lur'mogs, "So, will you dance tonight?"
"I had thought we might have glossed over that part of the conversation."
"Glossed, certainly. And now I'm returning to clear it up."
"Couldn't we have just left it glossed?"
"No."
"You're exceedingly stubborn."
"I'm waiting." He turned to stare at her openly.
"I shouldn't." Shikiyoku said quickly, dropping her gaze, "I'm-" The phrase she had used before caught in her throat, Hiei's face flashing in her mind's eye. "Like I said, you don't want me to."
"That's what you keep telling me, and I've got to say I'm not particularly convinced."
Consternation with him plain on her features, Shikiyoku fought for the words she wished to say, coming up with nothing so quick that Douji did not himself find his gaze softening as he countered, in a small voice said with a mellowness she had afforded him earlier:
"What do you desire?"
That got her attention and her head almost snapped up from where it had dropped, staring at him. 3
Hiei's eyes remained on Shikiyoku even after she turned a look onto him. A look he almost considered acting upon, which brought the slightest of sneers on his features before it disappeared again. He remained silent, even when Shikiyoku seemed to almost repeat her earlier words, something he silently waited to hear. He wasn't surprised when she danced around it, having nothing similar to her earlier phrase to say and thus straying from it altogether.
He let his eyelids slide close again, listening but not watching. Not speaking. Not making a single sound to draw attention to himself again.
~!**!~
Akari reached inside the bag, grabbing one of the small bread balls from inside and holding it up for inspection. "I don't plan on staying. Not longer than a few days, anyway. Certainly not a week." She tossed the treat in her mouth and chewed, her other hand still ruffling Nabu's ears.
She swallowed and grabbed another of the treats, still looking at Kurama. "But… I.." Why is it so hard to admit stuff to you? "I can't say I won't miss you too, honestly. I mean, the only sanity I'll have is what I take with me. No escapes." She shrugged and gave a lopsided grin. "Where I'm going… is nothing like this. I'd hate to miss out on the fun." *
"Well, I mean, I could say that I forbid you from going and you could pass along the excuse. There are few who would challenge the infamous kitsune thief at his word." Kurama shrugged, leaning forward onto the table with his elbows and reaching for another one himself.
He was only...half kidding.
~!**!~
Before that moment, she had been going to go with, "You have got to be just about the worst person that I've ever tried to have an argument with."
But instead she just sat there half-gaping at him and his question.
It took a few seconds for her to manage to get her mouth closed, and even then the question kept her rooted to the spot, giving him that same look of incredulousness that bordered on shock at the audacity.
At the-
...
"No one-" She began very quietly, finding herself unable to look away from another's eyes for the first time in her life. "No one's ever-" She frowned suddenly, wracking her brain and trying to come up with some time when someone had surely-
Nope. Not even, well, not even Kit, who, naturally, out of all of them, might have been the one to-
"No one's ever asked me that before." Her gaze had dropped again, this time to the side, completely confounded by this...this child who appeared to have, without prompting, without training, without knowing, posed a question that left half of her wanting to laugh at it-the half who was still a Ward with a Champion-and half of her wondering why no one had ever asked it of her before now.
The pause went on too long, though Douji seemed unaffected by how mind-blowingly she sat there in silence, and he only urged her to actually consider it.
"Well?" 3
~!**!~
The look Akari gave as she chewed on this treat was one that read 'it isn't that easy'. She took in a deep breath and released it slowly through her nostrils. "I…" She paused and leaned back, Nabu now laying by her chair on the floor, chin on his paws and eyes roving the room. "I'm sure you can understand why I can't take you up on that offer. As much as I'd like to… I feel as if the only other way to get rid of my current problem is…"
Killing him. And as irritating as he was, she didn't want to kill a former pack mate.
Speaking of… She turned inward for a moment, her eyes closing briefly as she considered the complete and utter lack of the… the bond-like kinship that had been there just two days ago. Maybe she'd severed it after he'd let her be-
Not now.
She'd been fine for a while. Even enjoyed their peaceful moments.
"This is how you keep busy?" He'd asked, eyes on the map at the time.
"Better than following in your footsteps and… 'settling old scores'."
"Hm. You may enjoy that, actually. If… you had any such thing. I have a feeling you don't." He'd turned to look at her for a moment with a calm expression. "You want to scope the building out, or just mark them down?"
"Just mark them. This one I'm going to add the date when I first found it."
There had been a pause, and she could have sworn she had said something in that moment, but he'd merely laughed and turned away. "Let's get started then. Keep you busy."
And then every time they found trouble, he enjoyed watching her talk her way through it. Or not, and killing the demon she tangled with. Her patience after that had lessened, and little by little she'd decided that she didn't need him to get out of her situations. That she could talk herself out of them.
And he'd let her.
She blinked, suddenly remembering she'd been sitting in a shop, eating some sweet stuff and talking to Kurama. Her eyes focused on the redhead again and she wondered how long she'd been stuck in her thoughts.
What had he said again?
Oh, right.
"Thank you for the offer, though." *
Kurama shrugged, "Feel free to use it in the future if necessary."
He pulled another treat from the bag and shifted it around in his fingers.
"I'm not really sure if you particularly want to hear this, so that's why I'm going to say it anyway, but if you so chose, you could be an excellent leader. If you so chose, you'd make a wonderful follower. And one can be many things, and one can shift from one thing to another as one pleases." He stopped fiddling with the treat, only considering it with a slight tilt of his head, "The question within each moment to ask is, as a dear friend of mine is so fond of saying, 'What do you desire?'"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku was fairly certain she had come up with the answer to Douji's question in the same instant the demon had asked it of her, and she found that fact almost laughable, because really, there seemed to be few things of late that she actually enjoyed, and after all hadn't dancing at one time been one of them?
Even after her first Champion had forced her into it, hadn't he been wise enough to find something she was good at and something that he had known would take little effort to get her to enjoy so the ritual might be more effective?
Her eyes darted to the side again.
But that was it, wasn't it?
It wasn't that they wanted her to dance. When they asked her to dance, what they were asking was for the ritual. The Odori Iro.
Truth be told, she didn't exactly find herself wanting to simply dance, only to weave the ritual for them, to do as they wished, because she found it fun to bind them all together.
What do you desire?
I want to do this for them.
"Douji, I can't."
"Won't."
"What?"
"You won't." He repeated. "You're perfectly capable of it, assuming you haven't suddenly lost a leg while I wasn't paying any attention." His eyes dropped to her knees for a second before returning to her face. "And it was obvious as soon as I asked what your answer was."
She gave him a look that said 'Oh really?' though she found herself vastly interested in how he could have known.
"So, I suppose then I should be asking 'why not.'" Douji went on in a vaguely bored manner. "Though you seem to have made your personal reasons for it crystal clear, and I wouldn't want to risk inciting the fire demon's ire in having you repeat it." It's so strange not to call him Champion. "And, forgive me for indulging her for a moment-" He looked over her shoulder at Hiei for a second before turning back to her, "-But what does being damaged goods have to do with anything?"
"Would you like me to start listing things?" She went on with a raised eyebrow before he could answer her directly, "Or should I start saying it other ways? That I'm no longer pure? That I am corrupted? Contaminated? Tainted? Yes, that's probably the best one. I can't even say that the 'dance' as everyone keeps calling it, will even work, that it will do what everyone seems to be assuming it's going to do."
"Have you tried?"
"What?"
"You haven't tried."
"Why would I bother?"
"To see if it will work?"
"And risk a catastrophe if it doesn't? Been there, done that, massacred the members of the Southern, Western, and Eastern tribes. I'd just as soon not do that again."
"Dance for me."
Shikiyoku's mouth came open as he shifted characters again and she let out something of a scoffed laugh, her frustration with him completely diffused as she didn't rightly know what to do with him.
"Seriously though," His face shifted appropriately, "Try it for me. What's the worst that can happen?"
"Did I not already explain that part?" She found herself rolling her eyes heavenward, something she had not done in over two centuries. 3
Hiei listened carefully to the conversation. Each rebuttal Shikiyoku gave, a thought passed by Hiei's mind. A single thought. Over, and over again. His eyes came open to stare at her back, noting her reasons carefully and, while they were valid, they were also… Not. From what he could see, she was referring to before she had eligible consorts around. Before she was back in her normal form. Her true self, as she had put it. That was before… before now.
And the urge to speak up was too much.
"While your worries are validated, you're also leaving out critical things." His voice was even, quiet enough to even be hardly carried to her without the wind. "Your energy? It's as pure as your thoughts. Your soul is as pure as you make it, and thus your energy is affected by such a thing." He shifted and pulled himself forward.
He remained quiet as he stood and moved to stand over her, looking down at her calmly. "Do you desire to harm them?" He didn't give her time to answer. "If you did, you wouldn't have second thoughts. They will not harm you, thus you have no reason to suddenly switch." He looked at Douji briefly. "And even if you did, you have your marked being."
He didn't specify, really, which he was referring to.
"If you have any whim to do them harm, then do not step up. However, if your intentions are true, your desire nothing more than to bring peace and happiness…"
He crossed his arms at her. "Isn't that what your ritual is all about? Feel free to clarify if it is not."
~!**!~
Akari leveled Kurama with a stare, unwavering and unrelenting. What I desire? Not to be there the rest of my life. Not to leave here and never come back, to never see you or, hell, even Yusuke again. Don't badger me. I already know what I want.
She could have said all that, but she didn't. She instead gave a sigh. "And if I so chose, I could also rid myself of the issue in the first place by killing the Alpha, which would in turn do me no good and plop me right where I never wanted to be." She flashed a smile. "What I desire, however…" She leaned back in her chair. "That's my little secret." *
"Well," He leaned forward to counter her moving away, eyes gleaming, "While it was in fact merely a rhetorical question meant for your consideration, I do hope that someday you'll find yourself able to confide in me your...desires." He hadn't strictly meant it in the way he knew the question was often asked of another from what he had heard...not until now, when it amused him to do so.
~!**!~
"The ritual-" Shikiyoku held up a hand to Douji, whom she could just sense was going to say something about at least one person around here being reasonable, and then shifted around until able to see either Hiei or Douji by simply turning her face, "-is binding. It's a spell meant to weave their very souls together, and without getting into the logistics of such a feat, taking my energy into consideration is a very serious matter." She frowned.
"I may have what you see as extremes in physical form, but in truth I am still one being, and my energy is no longer of the pure nature that I can only assume is required within the very intricacies of the spell itself." Because that's how my damnable Champion worked. Exploiting everything to the Nth degree to weasel the highest level of efficiency. 3
Hiei's stare remained calm, his tone even. "Your energy." He paused, head tilting almost imperceptibly at her. "Access it." While he was telling her to do so, his tone was not harsh, was not impatient by any means. "Gather your energy, and with every ounce of your being," he gave another pause, "aim for harm. And attack. Either me, or Douji, it does not matter. Attack with everything you have."
~!**!~
Akari raised and lowered a single shoulder, her head tilted to the side and eyes closing as her lips formed a lopsided smile. "You'll just have to wait and see." She crossed her ankles underneath the table, one foot bouncing as she opened her eyes to look at the redhead again. "I mean, assuming you're still around at that time, and that I haven't bored you." *
"Ha!" He sat back in his chair, "Assuming you bother to come back and find me. Assuming you bother to come back at all."
~!**!~
Shikiyoku almost lifted her hand at Hiei's behest, but as soon as he went on, she leveled a blunt, slightly irritated glare at him.
"I. Can't." Her jaw clenched slightly, "And you know that. But me sitting here and luring you closer so I can kiss that smart mouth of yours when I meant to punch it is vastly different from using it in an attempt to bind the souls of demons together in camaraderie. Instead of ending up with the peace and happiness that you seem to associate with the ritual, it's quite possible that my energy would instead incur pain and hatred. Or perhaps it could lure them in the opposite direction and they would all turn on one another to torture each other. Simply put: I have no way of knowing. And I am not about to experiment on the likes of either of you, much less the entire populous of the Northern Tribe." 3
"And if you had a pure energy to conjoin with yours? To counteract your… impurity, as you continue to say?" Hiei turned away, not looking at either demon. "While you insist you simply cannot, I disagree. If you had the help of another pure soul, to aid your spell of binding, then there would be no worry, correct? You won't dance with impurity," the word was disgusting to him, though he could understand her outlook on it, "then why even consider the simple desire to do so? You would be dancing because you not only enjoy it, but because you know others enjoy it as well."
He finally turned to look at her again. "Now, if you could seek out a demon with 'pure' energy to help and add to your energy, would you be willing to try it? Obviously, upon us first."
~!**!~
Akari scowled for a moment. Hadn't she just told him she'd be coming back?
"If you're so unsure, we can make a deal." Her lips pulled up into a roguish grin as she crossed one knee over the other and linked her hands atop the joint. "Would that ease your mind, fox? As you have seen thus far, I don't run back on my word. Of course, if you fancy it, I wouldn't mind you coming up with your own 'insurance'." *
"A pact with a pup?" There was an unmistakable gleam of yellow that glinted briefly in his eyes before faded away, making it impossible for Kurama to hide his interest in the proposal. "Intriguing. What did you have in mind?"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku frowned, running the plausibility of what Hiei suggested through her mind.
"It has nothing to do with the purity of one's soul." She clarified, "Otherwise, I doubt I would have been able to do the ritual at all, no?" The wheels were still turning. "Purity of energy on the other hand..." She let out a pent-up breath, "I do not know." She finally allowed. "If anyone could do the ritual, then where would The Lover have been?"
She pursed her lips, obviously not entirely dismissing the notion.
"At the same time," She started to allow, then shook her head, "I truly cannot see a workaround." Stop haunting me, Champion. I can just feel you leering at me with the answer. My mind could never work through this sort of thing as quickly as yours.
"My energy is what makes the ritual binding." She looked at Hiei, "While I could take your energy and use it to supplement and spread my own farther, in the end, my energy still had to reach each and every member of the tribe, no matter how insignificant the amount may have ended up being." Her eyes grew faraway, "Taking another's energy and using it to mask the contamination of my own...?"
She trailed off, but her mind provided her with no immediate solution. Finally she rejoined the present and shook her head.
"It is beyond my means. My knowledge." She raised an eyebrow, "And testing it on the two of you is absolutely out of the question in any case." 3
Hiei continued to stand over her, his eyes looking about the area even when Shikiyoku declined again. "Don't do it then." He finally said. "No one is forcing you, though the ideas shared were entertaining enough." He let his arms fall as he turned, giving Douji a small, unreadable look before turning to Shikiyoku again. "You could always simply dance," he suggested, knowing full well it was not what she wanted to do. "Or you could simply leave and tell them you've retired it. Your decision."
~!**!~
Akari's brows raised; she hadn't expected him to jump on board so quickly. She'd thought he would wave her away. Even better. So, she gave a shrug. "I can promise you that I'll come back. I can even promise a meeting day, if you want it. But really, it's up to you. I.." she tilted her head in the opposite direction and gave a small smile, "I am interested in what you have in mind, should something happen and I not show. What is it that you, as you quoted a friend, desire?" *
Kurama actually had to strain to prevent Youko from simply taking over, and the fox fought so hard Kurama wasn't sure for a moment if he would win-out.
"How about this," Kurama began after appearing to consider it when in truth he fought Youko for control, "Each day that you're gone and you intend to return, shift your seed." His eyes flickered to the pocket he knew she kept it in. "If you fail to do it," He shrugged, "I'll assume you have no intentions of coming back, as it likely means you've forgotten about me."
~!**!~
Douji had remained quiet, feeling intimidated by the interactions of the older demons before him, also having the knowledge that these two demons had a past together.
So, when his first instinct was to argue with Hiei's final word-but that isn't what she desires-he held his tongue and said nothing, because truthfully wasn't what she desired to be pure again? Wasn't that what she was saying?
"Try it on the lur'mogs." He spoke up into the silence that followed, the one in which he felt strain from Shikiyoku at any of the decisions Hiei presented her with.
Shikiyoku turned and gave Douji a look, "What?"
He shrugged, "You said you hadn't even tried it. And they're just as much a tribe as what you used to bind. As far as I can see it anyway."
"You would be the one to know."
He conceded with a little nod. "Do you think it would kill them?"
"I can't say. I don't know."
"Have you ever killed anyone? Like, besides that other time you mentioned? There was someone else helping you then, right?"
"I have." Shikiyoku replied blankly. "And in a similar manner to what you consider my dancing."
Douji moved his tongue over his lips, refusing to suggest anything akin to the lur'mogs being expendable. Because they weren't. Not to him.
"I wouldn't risk it, anyway." She told him kindly, "But it was a nice thought."
She recognized the expression on his face to be the same obstinate one he had worn when she attempted arguing with him earlier.
All at once he was standing up, unfolding himself and taking the stride required to grab for her hand and drag her off the ground and onto her feet, turning and pulling her along behind him, leaving her looking up at the back of his head from behind as he stood a full head taller than she, if not two.
"You're not going to just let this go, are you?"
"You desire something, right?"
She opened her mouth.
"Don't lie." He didn't even look back at her, pulling her for the trees. "How often do you have your desires fulfilled? We'll figure out how to make it work."
"Before tonight?"
"Before tonight."
He considered it, "Well, at least, we'll figure out if we can make it work. You don't even know that yet."
They passed the edge of the encampment, diving further into the underbrush of the forest around them, the lur'mogs all chittering behind them and around their feet, some of them through the trees above their heads at what must have been little more than a leisurely stroll as they scampered along, though Douji was tromping at a fair pace.
He finally stopped in front of a tree whose leaves appeared to be rustling though there was no wind.
He still had her hand in his. And he pointed upwards with the other one.
The lur'mogs were suspiciously refusing to get anywhere closer to the tree than the two of them stood.
"This is a single tree, right? Like a tribe is a single tribe? And it's made up of leaves, like the members make up a tribe. Well, they're alive. In a way. And they absolutely hate each other. Not to mention the fact that there are a zillion more trees like this in the area."
"You want me to dance for a tree." Shikiyoku summarized deadpan. "You've got to be kidding me."
"I'll be watching if it makes it any better."
There was that same look again, one he graced her with as he looked down over his shoulder at her.
Where on earth did he learn that at his age? Give it another hundred years and he would set my energy buzzing with a look like that.
"I dunno..." Shikiyoku debated, "Seems pretty ridiculous to me." 3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star