A/N: Hello once again, Readers!
Whoops. Totally lost track of time/forgot what day it was, and I had so much editing to do on the chapter that it took over an hour to get it where I wanted/needed it to be. Since CM and I had just talked outside of the RP as to various events that took place, the beginning of this chapter would have skipped quite a few things that are important as a reader to know in regards to the plot.
In other news, a good deal of this chapter (the parts involving Kurama anyway) is lifted directly from Episode 101: "Reunion of the Bandits" (Demon Realm Thieves-A Thousand-Year Reunion) of the anime YuYu Hakusho. No copyright infringement is intended, of course, all rights belong to blah, blah, and I'm not making any money off of this anyway, heh.
As you may have noticed, CM and I's story is finally circling around back to the Three Kings Saga just as we always intended for it to do since very early on in our RP. There will be a lot of similarities between the plotlines, but many, many differences as well.
There will be several "time skip" moments at the start of this chapter where if you watched the episode, I skip forward so that we can only touch on the important bits of time and dialogue (with "corrections" sprinkled in the midst of them) before moving on.
I made it a little longer for you to make up for how late it got posted.
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.
"...I told you, mother, you needn't worry about me. Stay on your trip as long as you want, you deserve it. And don't worry about the house, it's in good hands."
Kurama rested on a rock on the Eighth Layer, cell phone held up to his ear. Thanks to a clever patch he made before leaving, his mother still thinks he's at the house.
As Kurama hung up and slipped the phone into the bag he slung over his shoulder, he briefly thought of his goodbye to Yusuke a month or so back as the teenager himself left for Raizen and for Demon World, having discovered, or rather been told by Raizen's lackey's, that he was a blood descendant of Raizen and therefore a prime candidate to assist the would-be King in his campaign to invade the Ninth Layer and place the rightful ruler on the throne.
Youko had of course received a 'spirit of words' from someone he thought he would never hear from again: Yomi. A long-ago acquaintance recently risen to power on the Eighth Layer to contest Raizen and Mukuro for claim of the throne.
The belief was that whoever controlled the throne controlled the others levels, or rather layers at this point. Where Raizen wished the blood-ruler to be put in place, Yomi wished to claim the throne for himself. And Mukuro? Likely wanted to destroy the throne and let anarchy be the true ruler of Demon World.
Kurama's thoughts drifted back towards his mother as he began moving towards Yomi's lands.
He had gifted his mother and step-father with an all-expenses paid trip to Europe, promising to watch the house in their absence. Since Yomi did not think the coming war would be over any time soon, Kurama had timed and coordinated an opportunity in the United States to open up for him just before the pair returned home, an entire scheme set-up so that they would think he was off on an internship overseas that was intended to further his step-father's company upon his return.
The internship would be for an indefinite amount of time, insuring that no matter how long the trip to Demon World, and Yomi, took him, Kurama would still supposedly be gone. He had been very thorough in the masquerade, and for all intents and purposes he was actually going to be where he said.
He had only one condition with Yomi: that he come to him as Kurama the human instead of Youko the fox. The spirit of words had been addressed to Youko, and there was little in the way of charading that the fox was perhaps trapped within him still, or slumbering, or unable to be called out at will, because it was likely Yomi's information told him that Youko was free to walk when he pleased.
Perhaps not, but Yomi agreed to the condition in any case.
For some reason Youko had not wanted to confront his former comrade.
~!**!~
"Yomi. Was it necessary to have your men attack me?"
"Hello to you too, Kurama. It's been far too long since I've seen you. You dispatched them with ease, did you not?" Yomi stepped out from the shadows of the trees just outside of his base. "
"I don't appreciate the pun. And what sort of welcome is that? I came all this way to help you, not to be attacked."
"Don't be cross. I wasn't entirely sure it was you. After all, I originally intended for it to be Youko here, if you remember. And your energy feels so much different than it did before. I have to be sure I'm not advised by the wrong man."
"So you sent them to identify me. That's playing it very cautious, Yomi, a trait you never had when I knew you."
"You're not the only one who's gone through changes, especially if you and Youko are becoming more and more of one as you seem to imply. But I can't afford to be reckless now. Mukuro and Raizen have had centuries to gain their foothold, to research ways to invade the Ninth Layer. With the discovery of the layer-walkers, things are moving much more quickly. And now that I have an equal share, they'll take any chance to dethrone me."
"A thousand years is a long time."
"For some things it's not."
~!**!~
"I've charted how many layer-walkers there are of each of the three territories in Demon World. Now, the numbers are relative, they don't mean anything material. And here are the numbers as they will be a year from now."
"Raizen's numbers haven't moved at all!"
"That's wishful thinking!"
Yuda shook his head, giving a smirk, "These projections are simply following the patterns already in place. That fool has not so much as recruited a single layer-walker to his side since their discovery when the worlds shifted together. This comes from highly dependable sources."
"Your tactics are by the books, Yuda." Yomi praised mildly. "Kurama, I'd like to hear your opinion now."
The other four members present chimed in their desires to hear Kurama's words and how resourceful he might be.
"I'm confused. The power of each territory simply mirrors its ruler. I'd like to see individual stats of the first and second strongest in each land."
"Strength of the leader is strength of the team." Yuda quipped, "But if you need proof, I can show you stats of every single warrior."
"No, the first and second will suffice."
"I see." Yuda laughed, "All that information would be too much for your brain to handle."
Yuda continued talking as he pulled up the three rulers, their stats, and the second-highest readings they had compiled: Hokushin for Raizen. Kirin for Mukuro. Shachi for Raizen.
The differences in strength between the King and their next strongest were vast.
"Well, that confirms it for me: the right-hand man of two-thirds of the lords has not been present long enough to be collected into your database. Let's assume for a moment that your data is complete, and that Raizen will continue to not recruit layer-walkers. Does this not place him out of the foot race? The instant either Mukuro or Yomi make their move and descend to the Ninth Layer, the other will follow, will they not? But according to your information, Mukuro and Yomi are evenly matched, which means the deciding factor would normally be the number twos of either King. But in this case, they're all too weak to make any difference. And if they're the second best, logic follows that all warriors besides the lords are useless.
Now, to tie this in with Yuda's intelligence, in the end what will it matter how many layer-walkers each King has if the only fighters who matter are the two Kings themselves? Would they not each only need one that would take them through the layers, bypassing altogether their former inability to cross the barrier between the Ninth Level and the Eighth since they were not born within the Ninth itself? Yuda's information is useless. It will only take a single layer-walker to transport a King and their right-hand man, but even then the number twos' strength must match their King's in order to make any difference whatsoever."
"So our only tactic is no tactic? Sounds like you've been wasting Lord Yomi's time." Shachi crossed his arms over his chest.
"Not at all. Because the whole balance is about to change."
"What?!" Shachi growled.
"As I've explained, it is not the number of layer-walkers that will make a difference. Instead, it will matter who those layer-walkers are." Kurama glanced back up to the screen where the six faces of the demons he asked to be displayed still looked out. "Yuda, of the six you show here, how many can walk the layers?"
"What kind of question is that?" Yuda demanded, "None of them! Everyone knows that!"
"Exactly. What good is a right-hand man if they cannot transport their lord at a moment's notice? The second in command is who will determine who prevails here. In half a year's time, the faces of the number twos here will change-"
"You damned fool! Watch your tongue!" Shachi pounded on the table. "These hierarchies of power have survived here for five hundred years, unchallenged by any demon, and only a sword will make them change!"
~!**!~
"...there it is. 'Course, I long suspected it, but I didn't want to believe. I should tell you right now that I bear no grudge against you, old friend. In the enterprise of power, you made a business decision. Thinking back, I was a liability. Rash. Disobedient. I lost countless men. I would have tried to kill me too."
"What do you want from me?"
"Precisely as my spirit of words told you: I want you to assist me in any way you can. Just as I assisted you in the past, despite my mistakes of immiturity. I learned much from you, Kurama. I tried to model myself after you. I only brought up the past so we can move beyond it."
"And yet...if I say no..."
There was a long pause.
When Yomi spoke, his voice was much quieter.
"Your human mother is on a plane right now."
"No, Yomi."
"At least according to the schedule my agents have supplied. That was nice of you by the way to give them that trip."
Kurama could no longer hold back his distaste for the situation, letting out a brief, low growl.
"I just hope it doesn't crash. Middle-aged newlyweds dying on their second vacation together is a bland topic for even your lousy, human T.V. shows."
"You bastard."
"Quite a life you had after my hit was botched-"
Yomi went on for a moment, but Kurama's mind, while part of it listened to the recapitulation his former bandit partner gave of Youko's subsequent invasion of Shuichi, was instead turning over everything Yomi was revealing to him, things he could not have known the aspiring King of Demon World kept track of.
"-which in turn led you to facing off against the dog demon Akari, henchman of Sensui. And it is her disappearance which in turn led you to me. Don't like that I know of her too? How about this, then: you appear to hold rather high regards of her. Almost as high as mommy dearest."
The edges of Kurama's eyes twitched and he let them narrow at the blind demon who had by this time turned to face him.
"Collecting information. Another lesson you taught me. It showed me how much they meant to you. Of course, I knew I couldn't get away with capturing your mother. No, it would be better to have her free, on her own. Under careful watch. But the dog demon? ...well, let's just say she's here as collateral. Your collateral."
"Earlier today you said you didn't recognize me. A smart lie to disguise how much you knew."
Yomi chuckled, "I've angered you greatly, and yet your mind's already considering our every encounter calmly, trying to sniff out an advantage. While others would be overcome with real emotions, blinded by their rage, you're methodically planning how to save your mom. And the girl. And no one can say if that's because you actually love either of them, or because you don't want anything to handicap your control of the situation."
It was all Kurama could do to stay his hands, to keep from striking out at the demon. If only because perhaps the blind fool wouldn't see it coming.
Yomi wasn't wrong; Kurama's mind was already tumbling through the multitude of answers to the dilemma put before him. When he and Youko had agreed to come down here, and in the red-head's form no less, he did not think either of them suspected what truly lay in store for them.
Youko's icy, seething anger easily seeped out of Kurama's green eyes, for there was no denying how the fox felt about their mother now, regardless of how strongly Kurama felt about the news of Akari as well.
"That's cold and very threatening." Yomi spoke into the silence that had grown between the two of them.
The brief thought that Yomi knew for certain Youko was free to walk the world again, and yet hadn't brought the fact up to the red-head in person, kept Kurama on edge, as if the unspoken knowledge between them hung over their heads to be used and abused by Yomi whenever the demon saw fit.
"Very soon every single layer of the combined worlds will fall into chaos, and that's when I'll need your calm and cruelty, your ability to think without emotion. Join me, Kurama." Yomi started to walk out of the room. "Help me to unify them all under my command, under the new royal order." 3
~!**!~
Hiei had eaten a little from the ice cream tub before putting it back, finding he wasn't near as hungry as he'd thought he was. So he'd slid it back into the very cold box that kept it from becoming a disgusting slosh, and then he'd turned and meandered back up the stairs before Kitoushi had even had a chance to wake up and see the fire demon.
He lingered by the bed for a moment, considering simply falling onto it and making an attempt at a nap. But…
He made a sound to himself and moved for the window, unlocking it and quickly slipping into the branches of the nearest tree. He climbed high up, until he could see nothing more than the bed underneath the window, and then he got comfortable. It was the very same thing he'd done for the past couple of days and nights.
He'd continue to observe. Even if, in the back of his mind, he wasn't happy with just sitting around. However, it was clear he wasn't near as high in the ranks as he'd originally thought.
The only thing he could do now was see just how behind he was.
And then he'd make his comeback.
For now, however, he crossed his arms over his chest, rested his head back against the bark, and let his eyelids close, ignoring the image of Youko and Shikiyoku at the bottom of the stairs, disappearing from view.
~!**!~
"I said again!"
Akari huffed through her nostrils in defiance, taking another step away from the other as he swung again, missing. She'd learned his tell-tale signs by now. His torso always gave him away.
"Your little game of keep away won't last forever."
Her back touched the wall, just as she'd known it would. But at the moment, her mind was elsewhere, unregistering the words that were dripping from Takeo's lips like venom. Yes, the air about them registered, but their meaning did not. Because…
Too soon, Kurama. She growled, eyelids sliding closed. You're not supposed to be here.
Her stomach did a flip and her core churned. To say she was unhappy was much more than a simple understatement. In fact, she could almost be sick at the thought.
Because there was no way Yomi wasn't aware of their…
Was 'relationship' really the right word?
Her stomach did another roll, and her eyelids slide open to stare at the demon whose breath washed over her face, his nose inches from hers. "You're too distracted."
Akari didn't reply, not even with a twitch of her expression.
"Why?" When she gave no answer, his lips twitched down, his brows furrowing further and creating shadows over his eyes. "I've been very lenient with you, dog." His finger was already tracing her jawline, eyes following the motion. "Perhaps… too lenient?"
"Probably. I mean, I'm still alive, which means your patience matches that of Yomi."
"You are not to address him in such a way."
"I haven't been stopped yet." Her eyes stared daggers at his face, though he didn't grace her with his own gaze aside from the trail his finger made. "I'm hoping that your lack of progress with me will end in your demise."
"I am well aware of that." His left hand came up, grabbing her elbow and pulling her from the wall, shoving her a few feet away from himself and out into the open floor. "I would claim that you're forgetting a few things, but I've come to learn that your own life means nothing to you. Should I arrange for another visitor? The girl… Manami?"
Akari's brows raised and she gave a wide smile. "Do it. I didn't care for the first, why would I care for the next?"
"It's a matter of finding your loyalties. Every dog has a few."
"You're looking in all the wrong places, I'm afraid." It took a lot not to react to him. A lot of restraint that she didn't much have anymore. "I can give you a hint or two, if you're willing to listen." Because she could certainly guide him to his death in this way.
"I think I'd rather continue my own digging. After all, we do have a new guest today, and I'm curious of your reaction. I've been informed that the two of you are lovers."
Akari's laugh was loud and it bounced off the walls of the empty room. "You've been misinformed." Irritated, she turned and moved for the door. "I'm done. I've been in here long enough. After all, I'm allowed just enough sleep to stay sane, yes?"
Surprisingly, she wasn't stopped from leaving. *
~!**!~
[It seems this time, Yomi is the one three steps ahead.]
{Indeed.}
Anyone that knew Kurama would have recognized his walk through the dark hallway was as close as he would ever get to stalking off because of a bad mood. His eyes faced forward, seeing nothing and everything at the same time, his hands thrust deep in the pockets of the clothing Yomi provided.
[You're not going to the meeting?]
Kurama gave the fox a silent sigh.
{Not this one.}
[Are you sure that's wise?]
{There are a few more important things that need to be taken care of first. And surely Yomi can understand my own information collection before joining him at his table.}
[You'd better hope so.]
~!**!~
"Princess...I'm not letting you leave like this."
Shikiyoku had made it out of Horu's bedroom door, getting far enough down the hallway before pausing that when the demon followed after, stopping at the open portal, he couldn't reach out and grab for her arm.
"You're so mistaken about that." Shikiyoku reeled around, unsteady on her feet even this morning after.
Horu made a sound of impatience and moved towards her, his feet and chest still bare since he had scrambled out of the bed after her once he realized after a sluggish awakening that she wasn't quite...sober yet.
She stepped back out of his reach again, giving him a glazed sort of glare that did get him to pause in place for a moment.
"How much of that stuff did Kafu give you?" Horu asked incredulously.
He could see the wheels in her head were difficult to get moving at best, but he gave her the extra moment to consider it.
"Like...two glasses...full?"
Horu scoffed with irritation at the old bartender, knowing how big those glasses were.
"You're lucky he stopped with two, I think." Horu made a grab for her arm and managed to get his fingers around it this time. He knew why Kafu had done it, given her reaction to Horu wanting the Mark removed. Less troublesome this way probably.
Maybe.
"He...cheated." Shikiyoku told him, blinking slowly, but not letting Horu pull her back towards his room.
"Of course he did, princess." Horu tried giving another gentle tug at her arm, but this time Shikiyoku frowned and slid herself from his grasp, turning to waltz back down the hall.
"Shiki-ugh." Horu didn't even finish her name, taking the two strides to catch up with her, knowing that, while nighttime was not a fantastic time for her to be walking about, it was likely daylight would be worse.
When he made a grab at her this time, she phased between the layers and left him reaching through her.
He made another noise of impatience, blinking at her fuzzier form and starting to shift himself.
"Uh, Horu?"
The white-haired demon paused in place, turning to see that Shikiyoku had led him far enough down the hallway to reach the intersection, and in the path of two of his guild members who looked as if they had been coming to get him.
They refrained from commenting on his state of attire, though he could tell what they wished to say by the looks they gave him.
By the time he glanced back at the direction Shikiyoku had been going, she was already out of sight and Horu stood back up, slightly put-out at her stubbornness and hoping nothing too terrible happened to her. It wasn't as if he could go after her.
Hopefully she'll just phase back home.
The two members started briefing him on the current situation and Horu found his eyes wandering off to where she disappeared.
...right. 3
~!**!~
The door behind her slammed, echoing down the otherwise quiet corridor. It was light outside, though what time of day, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that one, Kurama was here. She'd known the very instant his presence had moved through the main doors of the main building. Two, she was tired. Three, she was very irritated, very cranky.
Four, Kurama was here.
Wait…
I already said that one.
She rubbed at her face, the tension in her shoulders from Takeo's presence suddenly dissolving, her body slumping forward just a little. It was so much work to keep from acting on impulse, to keep from looking for the very best opportunity to knock the guy's head off.
Coming closer.
Akari paused in the middle of the hallway, head coming up and eyes looking forward for the briefest of moments before dropping to the tile again. She really, really didn't want to go the long way around to the room she'd been thrown into.
A hand came up and over her head, fingers curling about the material of the cape she'd almost forgotten today. She pulled it up and over her head, deciding that while he may not be able to smell her or sense her presence, she was almost certain Kurama would know it was her passing by. Hopefully he'll understand.
She continued moving again, slowly moving down a flight of stairs to the next floor below.
Maybe he won't actually come by me today.
You're not supposed to be here, dammit. *
[You're really just going to pass her by, Red?]
Kurama kept his eyes steady on the end of the hallway.
[It isn't like Yomi doesn't already know about you two.]
{Yes, but there is the chance that some of the others do not.}
[...a very, very slim chance, you do realize.]
{It would likely create more trouble for her in this particular case should we actually confirm any suspicions other demons here might have in regards to the two of us.}
[Fair enough.]
Kurama kept walking, not so much as slowing down or glancing to either side.
[Looks like she doesn't really want to talk to you either.]
~!**!~
If her senses hadn't already been so fuzzy, Shikiyoku knew the light outside would have bothered her.
She actually had trouble not stumbling down the pathway, and more than once she grumbled at the ground to stop spinning so much and making it hard to walk.
It was in the middle of one such utterance that Shikiyoku, struggling to stay on her feet, paid no attention to where she was going whatsoever and slammed right into another demon.
"Hey, watch where you're goin-" The demon cut herself off, eyes bulging out of her head as Shikiyoku swung her face up drunkenly to look up at the tall, pink-haired demon.
"You!" The demon exclaimed, quickly grabbing a hold of Shikiyoku's arm with more force than was really necessary.
Shikiyoku frowned for a second.
"Me?"
The demon's lips spread into a wicked, self-satisfied smile.
"The Queen will be ever so happy to see you alive and well, seductress."
"The who to what now?" Shikiyoku closed her eyes for a second before opening them again.
"Hey, I know you!" She said after a moment, lifting a hand to point up at the female. "You're..." Another frown, though this one was more indicative of difficulty of thought.
The demon's eyes narrowed, and she started to pull Shikiyoku away, leaving whatever group she had been interrogating staring after the pair.
"Taikou!" Shikiyoku landed on the name, her mind turning to another thought more quickly, "Whadd're yah doin' out here in the guild district?"
"None of your business." Taikou growled, still dragging Shikiyoku along, her other hand's fingers wrapped around a dagger at her back and her eyes scanning the crowd as if she expected an attack from any one of them at any moment.
Shikiyoku finally made a noise of protest when she tripped over her own feet and tried to jerk her arm out of Taikou's grasp.
The only thing it did was to get a growl from Taikou's lips and a tightening of the hand around her arm.
"That'sh not a very nice way to treat a lady."
Taikou's grip on the hilt of her knife tightened as she froze in place.
Uryo's black hair in the ponytail at the base of his neck lifted a little in a breeze that passed by, other demons shuffling around him, giving him a wide berth where he had stopped a few feet in front of Taikou and Shikiyoku.
One of his hands was in the fold of his tunic, just over his waistband, the other hanging at his side.
...it was 'the other' hand that had Taikou concerned. The one that only had to reach over less than a foot to reach his sword.
"This one is mine, fire demon." Taikou growled threateningly.
"That'sh funny." Uryo took a step forward. "She doeshn't look like she wantsh to be yoursh."
"I don't." Shikiyoku proclaimed loudly and clearly, trying again to remove her arm from Taikou's grasp.
"You're going to...hic...give her to me, pinky." Uryo informed Taikou.
"Oh?" Taikou's eyes narrowed and her hand gave a little tug at her dagger, pulling it up just enough that it would slide the rest of the way from the sheath at a moment's notice.
"You don't really want to fight me...hic." Uryo took another step, "I can't promishe a quick death at the moment. It would probably hurt."
Taikou clenched her teeth together, her eyes glancing up over the city buildings to see the Palace, where Queen Rae resided.
"You can't make it there before I take her anyway, but you're welcome to try." Uryo threw his hands out to either side of his body as if to shrug before taking an unsteady step to the side and gesturing with both hands at the place Taikou calculated the distance to.
She tentatively took a single step, still keeping Shikiyoku at her side.
"Uryooo," Shikiyoku complained.
Taikou took off at a run, dashing to the right through the passing crowd of demons and dragging Shikiyoku after her, practically carrying the smaller female so that she would not slow them down.
Uryo disappeared from view, sliding himself between the layers and taking a couple of steps before catching up to the pink-haired Lieutenant, calmly placing a hand on Shikiyoku's shoulder and pulling her inbetween with him.
Taikou continued moving as if she didn't notice, but truthfully she was not positive Uryo was going to let her get away with her own life.
Once he had Shikiyoku with him, he took another couple of steps, getting halfway through the city before dropping them back into the Ninth Layer.
Shikiyoku let out a sigh of relief and turned her face up to the other demon, holding up a finger.
"You..." She gave a pause before going on, "Are good." 3
~!**!~
Akari had to pull on her self restraint to keep from turning her head in Kurama's direction, to keep her feet moving and her head down. And when she was sure she was past him and the urge to say something passed by, she lifted her head and dropped the hood, not caring if he turned back to look at her.
Satchi was down this hall. Moving away, but still in this direction anyway. If he saw her hiding her face…
No good.
That's what would come of it.
Her fingers twitched and she rounded the corner, going down another flight of stairs before turning around one last corner and moving to the middle of the hall, not even glancing at the guard at her door as she slipped into the room designated as hers.
She stared at the bed, void of any covers whatsoever. The maids still haven't returned? She glanced to a clock and frowned. She hadn't been in that room near as long as she'd thought. It was simply too taxing to stay within Takeo's presence now.
Because she couldn't even get to the Ninth Layer, much less the tenth. The most difficult one to traverse to. She hadn't even known there was a tenth before Yomi had snatched her up.
With a sigh, she locked the door and tossed her cloak to the side, kicking her shoes off and pulling her hair down.
Might as well sleep while I'm given the opportunity. She had a feeling things were about to start picking up around here. *
~!**!~
The Kings still sought control of the Ninth Layer. Because they thought it would give them power over the rest.
The fact that Yomi had latched on to the archaic belief that whoever ruled the Ninth Level would rule them all had Youko practically laughing.
{The only trouble is, we don't know if it's actually true or not.}
[Yoku said as much herself: that it's a ridiculous notion. And untrue.]
{And when has she ruled the Ninth Layer?}
Youko didn't have a retort for that.
~!**!~
"And you-" Uryo gave that same pause as he peered down at her, "Are drunk."
Shikiyoku gave him a smile that only served to confirm his statement.
"How...are you sho drunk?" He started moving through the crowd at a slow pace, Shikiyoku walking beside him.
"It's Kafu's fault." Shikiyoku pouted, reaching up to itch her nose with the side of her finger. "He made me this way."
"He made you this way?" Uryo couldn't believe that much. "That doeshn't sheem like him."
"He's a sneaky little bastard."
Uryo's laughter rang too loudly in the crowd.
"Really now?"
"Uh huh." Shikiyoku nodded, almost putting herself off-balance by doing so.
"What would make him do shomething sho shneaky, hm?"
"He doesn't like me."
"Aw, come on now, lady. That'sh not true."
"Yes it is!"
"Did he shay that? Do I need to beat him up?"
"He did. And yes."
Uryo laughed again, "I don't believe you! What'sh not to like about you?"
Shikiyoku pouted, "Lots of things."
"Name one."
She tried. She really did. But at the moment her mind wanted to turn to other things...to the other reasons Kafu rejected her, which is how she started viewing it in her own mind.
"...Uryo, am I not pretty enough?"
Her question had the fire demon stopping dead in his tracks and turning to give her a strange look.
"Who told you that you weren't pretty?"
Shikiyoku didn't answer him at first, thinking about how badly she wished she could change into her demonic form.
...no one had rejected her then.
She shrugged, "I did."
Uryo raised an eyebrow at her, "Well, then you should lishten to yourshelf in that ca'she."
"Everyone..." Her eyes shifted to the side, "Everyone's leaving me though."
"Everyone?"
"Horu. And Kafu. And Taka. ...and you." She lifted her eyes up to look at him. "You're leaving me too, aren't you?"
Uryo opened his mouth to answer her, but the only answer he had for her off the top of his head was 'yes.'
"Don't...don't group Taka in with the resht of ush, lady." Uryo said, his voice growing lower.
"But..." Her gaze dropped, "...he left me too."
Uryo had a hard time not releasing the sigh he wanted to let go of.
"Everyone 'leaving' you has nothing to do with you. Not...not personally anyway." Did that come out right? It was hard to explain.
"...what else could it mean?"
"That you're getting closer to finding the right one?"
Shikiyoku frowned almost immediately, "But you're all the right one. It's just that...none of you see that."
...except maybe Youko. ...I hate it when he's right though.
"And it's...maybe it's me who's the wrong one."
That time Uryo did let out an impatient sound and he squatted down to her level, tipping the hilt of his sword so that the end of it wouldn't catch in the dirt and putting his other hand on her shoulder.
"You are...a rather singular demon, lady. And if Kafu is right about just exactly what it is you are capable of doing...then I can tell you that it is not myself who is the one for you, because I have already experienced what it is that you can share." His eyes shifted to the side, "Not that I would mind-" He cut himself off and changed the direction of his words, moving his hand to her chin and getting her to look at him.
"There's nothing wrong with you, Shikiyoku. Not in this form. Not in your other form."
"Feels like it." She grumbled.
He let out a huff of amused air from his nose, "Well, until you find the right one, you might have to get used to that feeling. It'll all go away though."
"You sound so sure of yourself."
"I'm not...hic!" He sounded much too cheery in his reply as he lowered his hand.
That managed to get a small laugh from her and Uryo grinned.
Shikiyoku was quick to let out a sigh.
I guess...I guess I might as well look for Youko.
She felt rather rueful at the thought that she would be giving in to what she knew the fox had intended all along, but...she wasn't really sure if she could wait much longer. It was all getting harder and...more painful.
"-was looking for you." Uryo reached into his tunic and took a drink from his flask.
Shikiyoku blinked, unaware that Uryo had gone on talking.
"He was headed back to your house. Seemed concerned about your well-being. Thought you might be with Kafu, so he asked if I would check."
Uryo was smiling at her.
"I told him I'd send you his way if I found you."
Shikiyoku blinked at him again as Uryo shifted around hesitantly, lifting his sleeve to reveal the black marking on his forearm and almost regretfully extending it in her direction.
I'm...not good enough.
Though he could not read her mind, Uryo could see the thought passing over her downcast expression as she took his arm in her hands, bent down, and pressed her lips against it. 3
~!**!~
"Are you sure this is what you want, young one? It's yours by right, and the only one stopping you is yourself."
The voice floated through the darkness of her sleep, and a moment later the image of the very old and wrinkled demon came to view, her milky eyes reflecting the only light in the tent.
"I wouldn't have come to you if I didn't want it this way."
"Child.. you have much to learn."
Akari's laugh was very short and quiet. "So I've been told."
"The pack will be disorganized. Unsure. They will think you had a hand in his death. Are you sure you want your friends, your family, to think so low of you?"
Akari blinked slowly at the older woman who stared ahead, unseeing eyes somehow still boring into Akari's own gaze. A frown pulled at her lips briefly. "I only wish for Manami to be the Alpha. Everything else is unimportant. She's capable."
"You could be as well, with the proper teachings." There was a pause as the elder scowled at Akari, her hands moving away from her lap and down to the fur rug, running her hands over it as if in thought. "But you have other things. It is understandable; your priorities are that much greater than those of the pack?"
"I'm still here. The pack's priorities, at this moment, are being taken care of. It's why I am here. I do not want to be Alpha, and neither does Isamu deserve to hold the title. Not anymore."
"I suppose you are doing as you must." The other leaned away, turning to the side and grabbing a few jars and bowls. "I will do this, but it would be nice to see you again sometime before my passing, child."
Akari almost commented on the play of words. "I will do what I can," she said instead, offering a small smile. "But I don't see you going anywhere any time soon. Just as strong as ever."
"Do not take the next few days lightly, young one. You have a new journey coming ahead, and you would do well to be patient and weary." The demon's grey ears turned just a little atop her head. "In the mean time, I will make sure Manami is set to take over. You're being called away."
Akari bowed her head in respect to the older woman before pushing herself to stand. "Thank you."
"Akari."
She paused at the flap of the small tent and glanced over her shoulder.
"Listen to your instincts. They are serving you well, if only you heed their warnings."
A small smile and Akari left the woman to her work, moving away from the tent and towards camp again, eyes searching for Isamu and a pit in her stomach.
~!**!~
Every instinct in her being told her to strike, to roll over and throw the intruder's head against the wall repeatedly. Instead, she took a deep breath and let her eyelids slide open, glad to see that instead of someone standing over her, it was a demon sitting in a chair by the window, her armor in his hands.
"How long have you been there?"
The demon looked up briefly from his work, hands stilling over the leather. "Do you always talk in your sleep?"
"Not usually, I don't think."
"Hm. Bad habit, if I do say so."
Akari huffed and rolled over, turning her back to the other. "You make house calls now? Room service?"
"Takeo's request. Yomi's orders."
"Oh, joy."
There was a long pause that hung on the air, the only sound being of leather moving around and the occasional sigh from the other.
"Still no way I can get better coverage?"
"Not from me."
"You're no fun."
"I'm not here for pleasure purposes. Only business."
"So you keep saying."
"Takeo is going to start pushing you around. Holding off won't do much for you anymore."
Akari sighed. "I know." She pulled the pillow up and over her head. "But I don't particularly want to form into what he wants me to be either. While Yomi only wants me for the stupid layers, Takeo's trying my patience. He wants me to take that attempt on his life." There was a pause. "And while it would be pleasing, I don't particularly wish to follow him to the afterlife. Nor do I want to fall back into that mindframe again."
"And you're telling me this… why?"
"Because I can. And you woke me up, so you get to hear my babbling."
"There's another person here who'd likely not mind hearing your babbl-"
"Don't."
The demon let out a puff of amusement. "As if it matters either way." *
~!**!~
[I don't remember ever having this many boring meetings when I was leader.]
Kurama couldn't agree more.
All this talk of strategy and placement and personnel, and even though Kurama had debunked it all, maintaining that the second-in-command would need to be a layer-walker with strength equal to their king, it appeared that Yuba took personal pleasure in torturing the rest of them with numbers and charts.
[Uuuuuugh.]
~!**!~
Not for him.
Not for the others.
...not for any of them.
"You deserve...more."
They meant 'better.' All of them did. And they were wrong. They were all better. What right did they have of feeling worthless?
None. Absolutely none.
Because at that moment, the phrase was haunting her, leering at her, twisting itself until they were the ones deserving better than her, better than her ugly human form and her broken heart and her stupid energy and her-
Damaged goods.
She stumbled through the inbetween place, mind having taken another dive, though this time she had nearly determined her only course of action to be removing all the markings, sending them all away.
And then what?
Crawling in hole.
And staying there for a very long time.
Until you're good enough?
Eternity, then? Seems fitting.
...finding Youko was going to be a pain, though.
There was bound to be at least one of them at the house, though.
She appeared in the middle of the downstairs from inbetween the layers, the dryness of her eyes very quickly becoming tinged with tears, her vision blurring for a different reason this time.
As if her subsequent sniff was the only thing that pulled him from his slumber, Kitoushi sat up in the couch and turned to see her over the back of it, her shoulders slumped and her-
He didn't wait a moment longer, getting up and going over to her before her legs collapsed underneath her, dropping to his knees to be at her level and grabbing the outside of her shoulders to hold her up as he watched tears begin streaming out the corners of her eyes.
"Yoku-"
She tried to reach up for his hand, the one that held her mark, but he peered into her face and she shut her eyes as if she didn't want him to see her, her own hands dropping back to her sides and her head lowering.
It didn't matter what was wrong.
It didn't matter if she didn't want to be held, or touched.
Kitoushi didn't ask her about the first, and he neither did he pay attention to her when he pulled her forward to lean into him and hugged her, only to have her trying to push him away.
"I'm not going anywhere." He murmured to her. "So you can stop thinking you can make me."
She still hadn't made a single sound, though he could feel where his shoulder was growing a bit damp, but her hands stopped pushing at him, instead resting in place against him.
"Shikiyoku..." This time when he said her name, it was only meant for comfort, said low into her ear as he felt her chest shaking against him while she intermittently breathed and cried. One of his hands had almost automatically taken to gently pulling down through her hair, weaving his fingers in and out before finding her scalp and starting over again.
Kitoushi pressed his lips affectionately onto the cheek he could reach before picking Shikiyoku up and patiently walking over to the couch, thinking how the last time he did this had been when Taka died.
His recent excursions into the other layers with the express purpose of pursuing the disease had left him tired enough that he went ahead and laid back down on the couch, back to back with it, and gathering Shikiyoku into his embrace as he closed his eyes, one hand under his head and the other calmly moving through her hair in a motion that had her breathing more evenly overall until he felt her finally relax, exhaustion setting in and pulling her into sleep.
He made no hesitation to follow after her. 3
Hiei had seen Shikiyoku stumble about into the house from inbetween the layers. Despite how much he wanted to go to her, how much he struggled against that wish, he didn't move from his branch, eyes following her until she was out of his sight, at which point he'd only taken to listening.
Because he could hear her perfectly from here.
He wasn't afforded much by the brief one-sided conversation he heard. His eyelids slid closed after a few moments of silence, and it wasn't hard to guess that both patrons in the house were now asleep. On the couch, he was more than certain.
I don't like it.
But he'd learn a few things here and there, he supposed, if he didn't interfere. Such as Youko tickling her, forcing her from the mood she'd been in that day. Stealing her away.
Hiei himself hadn't seen reason to steal her away. Because she'd always come to him at the end of the day.
Now he would have to become more creative, because that clearly wasn't much of anything.
Especially not when she'd rather sleep on the couch than next to him.
Hn.
Perhaps she didn't want him around?
…
An eyebrow twitched.
He wasn't sure how to feel about that thought.
~!**!~
Akari was just beginning to drift back into sleep when the chair the other sat in moved, making a very small sound against the wood floor. She felt the weight of the leather bodice fall over her back and her hands lifted the pillow a little to allow her the ability to look at the back of the retreating demon. "Takeo's on his way. You'd better get up."
She groaned. She hadn't even slept that long!
"I at least gave you time. He won't."
The door clicked shut and Akari groaned again. I should've showered first.
~!**!~
This time when her back hit the wall, panic pulled at Akari's thoughts, trying to scatter them and keep her from assessing the way the blades moved through the air- as if it wasn't hard enough already. "Are you a master at every weapon on this flippin' planet?!" Her voice was higher in pitch, wavering when she ducked away from the very small and shiny things she could only describe as darts flying at her.
"Pretty much."
A couple whistled by her ears, lodging in the concrete wall and staying there. Those could easily go through an eyeball or… or… hell I don't even know right now. "Well, let me tell you, I hate it." she growled, voice cracking as more whistled through the air.
"Then go to the next layer to avoid them!"
"I can't! You know I haven't-"
"Not sleeping enough is an excuse and nothing more! Do it!" He threw more, and these were aimed perfectly, moving much faster than the rest and catching the thin threads at the cuff around her right wrist, pinning it effectively to the wall. She growled, her jaw working around as he came closer. "I'm losing my patience."
Akari's hand twitched at her side as she tugged at the thin thing keeping her wrist there. How can such a tiny thing do so much? She pulled again, but all efforts were stopped when Takeo's hand grabbed hold of her chin, forcing her eyes to his.
Darkness.
I don't like this. This isn't good.
"Your excuses are getting old, dog. This isn't a game you want to play."
Her lips moved before her brain's filter kicked on. "I was actually having fun with this game. I thought you were too?"
His hand came up and slammed a good amount of the darts through her already pinned one, earning nothing more than the grinding of her teeth and the extreme amount of breath intake she currently held back. After a moment, she hissed out the air.
"Did that hurt?"
"Not as much as you wanted it to."
His sneer disappeared, the hand at her chin tightening its grip before his fingers uncurled. For a moment, he stepped away. When he came back, however, it was with a brightly-colored glow around the fist that hit her, making her head jerk to the side where he kept it with a palm against her cheek. "You're a pain."
Akari could have laughed. "So I've been told."
His hand added pressure to the side of her face, making her cheek press harder into the wall. "I've noticed something new about you, Akari."
He's never actually used my name….
I don't like this.
"While your life holds no meaning, you don't seem to like close quarters. You fidget, probably without your direct notice. Like now, your hand is twitching and you are curling your toes for a quick escape." He came closer, his breath beginning to rove over her jawline. "It's easy to guess why, though I don't particularly see why a fox demon would care for someone like you."
Her eyelids squeezed shut as he dragged his lips along the scar. Her right hand came up with every intention to push him away, and he barred it just as easily as he had with her other hand.
"Don't like it? Move layers." The words were spoken against her neck, and suddenly, her entire body relaxed. He paused, eyes looking up at her.
She felt.. calm. A sneer formed over her face after a moment, and that calm became a sudden torrent of anger. Her right hand jerked free of his, and before she'd even had a single thought, before he'd even been able to see what she was doing, she had struck, her hand wrist-deep into his chest and the room around them blurring as her feet landed on the inbetween layer, leaving her left hand free of its earlier restraints.
"No one," she began, tone dark as her lips came close to Takeo's, "has the right, except one. Only one. And you are not he." Her hand twisted in the male's chest, and just as suddenly as her strike, a black curtain fell over her sight.
For a moment, she wasn't sure what had happened. Only that it was dark, and she still had a hold of something. Did she pass out? It wouldn't be surprising considering how tired she was.
She flexed her fingers on whatever she had a hold of, and suddenly she saw a bright light flashing, as if someone held up a spotlight to her face after she'd sat in darkness for too long. She blinked several times, a hand in front of her eyes as if it would help.
And after a moment, her eyes adjusted to the brightness. She became aware of the energy around her, as if it was all from one being, enveloping herself and Takeo, who she now noticed stood beside her. His eyes were forward, but her eyes did not follow his gaze yet.
Everything was so… bright? Warm?
She wasn't really sure what to think.
Except that this energy was massive and rather… intriguing. She was almost in awe of it and it's huge capacity.
Her eyes continued to wander, until they landed on a being who sat on a rather large chair, his head turned away for the time being. He was- she? it was hard to know- rather… large. Tall, muscular, obviously a person of power. She found herself staring.
Who is this person, and where are we?
And then the person's head began to turn in her's and Takeo's direction, and something within her screamed. Alarms began pounding in her head, and she felt her breath hitch.
Don't be seen.
She pulled away with all the strength she could muster, and suddenly she found her vision wavering, the light giving way to an almost completely dark room. A room that was only in focus for a moment before stars lit up her vision.
She was sure that she was falling, but whether or not she actually hit the ground, she didn't know. *
~!**!~
[Blah-blah blah. Blah-blee-blah-blah.]
{I take it you're not amused?}
[This demon has talked in circles for three hours and we've established no new ground about anything.]
{You mean to tell me you're not interested?}
[Don't sound so shocked, Red.]
The sound of a demon slipping into the room perked Kurama's ears up, however, though he struggled not to immediately turn his face in the direction of the intruder, who stepped quietly over to Yomi at the head of the table.
Yomi nodded to the demon giving the presentation to go on, even as he leaned down to listen to what the demon had to say.
"You think I didn't hear it?" The blind demon almost growled at the other, who cringed as if Yomi might hit him. "Why do you tell me this?"
"Should we send someone to clean up?"
"That is what you came in here to ask?"
Kurama heard none of the conversation that passed between the two, though he did note the cringe of the second demon, sensed a few more words being exchanged, and then heard the demon slip away almost as quietly as he had come, if not a little more hurriedly.
[Now that, I am interested in.]
{Agreed.}
~!**!~
Kitoushi had woken back up as soon as he felt Shikiyoku sliding away from him to silently get up from the couch, and he only waited a beat until he was certain she had taken the few steps around the furniture before rising like a ghost himself, making even less noise than she.
Night had not yet fallen, though it was evening, and if she turned around for any reason she would see him, but...well...
It wasn't difficult to smell the remnants of alcohol that left a trail behind her as she almost stumbled towards the stairs, Kitoushi following after, feeling confident her mind was one-track for now.
Her hand turned the doorknob and she practically fell into her bedroom, releasing her hold and moving for the desk to her left, the bracelet around her wrist making the barest noise as the scales brushed against one another.
Shikiyoku collapsed almost into a heap at the bottom drawer, sliding it open and reaching inside, fingers finding the feathers they sought as if they might give her some comfort.
She didn't even pull her hand out, her head drooping and tears starting to drip down onto her thighs.
Kitoushi only watched her long enough to see her make no indication she planned to get up before he swept over to her and lowered himself behind her.
This time she leaned into him without his prompting, though he did pull her the rest of the way into his lap, and he rested his chin on the top of her head, one hand gently taking hold of her wrist and bringing her hand out of the drawer as her fingers clutched at the feathers, the other almost petting her hair, moving over the strands near her ear as he planted a kiss in the midst of it at the top and let his mouth and nose rest against her.
When her tears began to fade again, Kitoushi picked her up, though it appeared that as soon as he stopped his attentions she drew a shaky breath.
The cat demon didn't think much about laying her out on the bed, although he gave a little huff of amusement when, because of how he had picked her up, he suddenly realized that her head ended up at the end of the bed instead of the top where the pillows where.
Not that she appeared capable of caring.
More light comes in from the window down here though. Kitoushi noted.
She was on her side facing away from it, so Kitoushi didn't bothering moving her around, only climbing in next to her, facing her-and as a result the window-himself and pulling her close.
Much like when he had put her on the couch, as soon as he stretched out, Kitoushi reached over her shoulder and buried his right hand in her hair, starting to both rub at her scalp at the back of her head with his fingertips and occasionally moving that hand through the rest of her hair.
This time he slipped the other arm underneath her neck though, his own head resting against a portion of the blanket that bunched up underneath his head, letting her use his arm as a pillow, and passed it up behind her shoulders, beneath most of her hair, to let his fingers gently rest on the outside of her shoulder, which allowed him to have her as close as possible.
Her hands were pinned against his chest, her chin tucked behind them where she stared for a little while at the feathers she held until her breathing evened out again, the flow of tears slowing, and her eyes fluttered shut, lulled back into sleep as Kitoushi continued to play absently with her hair and move his slender fingers around on her scalp.
Kit smiled, his eyes having long since been closed, as he felt her relaxing into him.
Works every time. 3
Hiei hadn't slept a wink while in the tree, his eyes open and continuously looking about for some form of entertainment. So when there was movement in the house, he was fully aware of it and was listening, eyes moving down to the part of the window he could see through.
After a few moments, he wasn't very surprised to see Shikiyoku and Kitoushi move to the bed. With a raised brow of curiosity, he noted the movements of the cat's fingers in Shiki's hair. He turned his eyes to the side as a passing vehicle earned his attention with a loud sound, and after a moment his eyelids came closed.
The other Champions kept providing him with interesting bits of knowledge.
And yet another.
~!**!~
She was only barely awake enough to know she was cold, and that there was a very uncomfortable feeling on her face and the disgusting taste of something thick in her mouth. Oh, and she was… swaying? Or was she spinning?
Yoroi had entered the room at just the right time. He'd come in unnoticed, and he'd seen the strike the girl had been preparing to give. And with that look in her eye, he didn't see any reason to stop her. She was beyond reason at this moment.
He wasn't prepared, however, for the disappearance of both her and Takeo. He blinked twice at the blood that continued to run down the wall where her hand had been pinned, confused. Perhaps she thought she could get away from Yomi by moving from one layer to the next?
And then she was in his view again, standing a few feet away from the wall, staring at him, but not seeing him. His keen eyes saw her muscles give out before her body had even begun to fall, and he made no hesitation in catching the girl and pulling her up into an easy grasp.
She was breathing, if only barely. And her skin was… not its natural shade. The scar along her jaw stood out much more prominently, and the sweat that had formed over her face became mingled with the blood that began bubbling from her parted lips and running from her nose.
The ties she had to Takeo were broken, he knew, but the energy she had within her likely wouldn't do much for this. It wouldn't be enough.
He moved for the door, not even pausing when a demon moved by him and stopped at the door. "She'll need attention. Attention I cannot give her."
When the other demon didn't respond, Yoroi gave a growl. "Yomi has her here for a reason. If she dies, it's on your head."
"Y-yes!" The other took a quick exit and Yoroi continued on his way to her room, eyes up as wheels began to turn.
I'm not sure what's worse: Yomi putting her here, or her doing it to herself.
He gave a small breath of amusement.
The fox won't be happy. *
This time Kurama stalked down the hallways and didn't give a care who or what saw him do so.
It had not taken him long to catch wind of what exactly had occurred to send a demon scurrying to Yomi's side-once the meeting was over of course-and while it was just as much in his own curious interests, it was also clear Youko wasn't going to leave him alone until they found out.
...Youko was in fact leaving him alone now.
There were a few stray glances that demons gave him as he turned the hallways, cursing how far away the meeting room was from where he had learned shortly after arriving that Akari was being kept, but for the most part his reputation preceded him and he was not bothered.
Yes, I know you can hear the direction I'm going, Yomi. And no, I don't particularly give a damn at the moment.
~!**!~
This time Kitoushi did not wake to Shikiyoku leaving him, but to the afternoon light that brightened the room.
He hadn't exactly intended to sleep that long, but given what he'd been through up until the last couple of days, he didn't find himself particularly surprised.
The feeling of Shikiyoku up against him, warm and relaxed, was a sensation he only just realized he had missed dearly, and as he felt her stirring against him, he realized he had gone the entire night without changing forms.
Heh.
He stroked his hand through her smooth hair as he mused on the thought, wondering if the next night would be the same.
A sound from downstairs had his ear flicking towards the open door of the bedroom and he glanced down at Shikiyoku to see that despite his attentions she was blinking sleepily, waking up.
"I believe you have a letter, my lady." He murmured, scooting himself closer to her so that he could bury his face in her hair.
"Mm letter?" She managed to mutter back at him.
He nodded, "Landed on the table a moment ago."
"Who's't from?"
"I haven't the slightest idea." He paused. "Would you like me to go check."
"No." She replied hastily, shifting closer to him.
Another pause.
"'Cuz you're warm."
"Mm. And that's the only reason."
She nodded, smiling, and he let out a little laugh.
"Well, one of us should see what it is. Someone went to a lot of trouble to deliver it like that."
She repeated his last few words mockingly and grabbed part of his shirt in her hands as if to keep him in place.
Kitoushi gave a long-suffering sigh and wrapped his arms around her, only to start to move around so that he could get up, still holding onto her.
When he actually stood up, her pinned against him, the laugh she had been trying to hold back snuck out of her mouth.
"Kit! Put me down!"
"But I'm warm."
"Kiiiit."
Moving down the stairs was slightly more difficult, but she wasn't very large and he was rather tall.
He had her laughing harder by the time he got downstairs and she began slipping out of his embrace.
Bending over her after she wriggled free, Kitoushi tipped her face towards his, grinning down at her.
"This mood I like much more."
Shikiyoku's eyes sparkled a little and he closed the last bit of distance and kissed her, only managing a few seconds of her warm lips against his before she slipped away with a sultry smile and moved for the table with the letter, leaving him narrowing his eyes playfully after her and contemplating tackling her to finish what he'd started.
Half-heartedly reaching for her, he wasn't surprised to find she felt it coming and shifted forward just enough with her next step that he didn't even brush her skin.
"If you got what you wanted all the time, where would the fun be for me?" She voiced without turning to face him, closing the distance between herself and the table, where there had most obviously appeared a letter, closed with a seal that she couldn't make out from where she was.
For a split second, Kitoushi contemplated letting her get the letter, his mind rationalizing that it was probably important, and yet he immediately dismissed the thought because after all he had gotten nothing from her in a very long time.
This led to a bit of a growl sneaking out of his lips, and this time when he reached for her, he made certain she wouldn't be able to avoid it, catching her shoulder in one hand and forcing her to turn back to face him, seeing only the barest hint of surprise in her expression, which was coupled with the surety that he was going to do what they both really wanted him to do in any case.
Which was kiss her again.
He made for certain she couldn't simply pull away from him, smoothing his other hand down her jawline to the back of her neck and tipping her face upwards into his.
Shikiyoku could feel that her energy would fizzle along her skin in a heartbeat if she wanted it to encourage his touch, would encircle him in little tendrils to keep him with her longer, and could release particles of her energy from her scalp that he would smell and be drawn towards.
None of it she actually did though, instead only reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck as if she could pull him closer, grinning through the kiss as a portion of his hair fell against her cheek and tickled it.
Kitoushi's eyes opened briefly at her grin, he deepened the kiss as he closed them again and her grin disappeared, as did most extraneous thoughts in her mind as her fingers started to tangle into the hair at the base of his neck.
She made a little noise of...discomfort as her core lurched strangely, but when it felt as if Kitoushi was going to pull away to question her, it was her turn to keep him there, to turn other thoughts out of his mind.
The second time it happened, she jerked a little, ending up unintentionally breaking the kiss, though the two of them breathed heavily over one another's lips, the warm air mingling over their skin.
"Ooww," Shikiyoku cringed just as she jerked, glancing into Kitoushi's eyes and very quickly adding, "Not you," when she saw the concern there that it was something he did.
The one side of her lips pulled up into a smirk, expression growing more seductive as her eyes glimmered and she intended to say something about 'never you,' but the next jolt of her core had her saying 'ow' again instead, though this time one of her hands made a fast retreat from Kitoushi's neck to press against her ribcage.
Pain stinging in her eyes, this one took longer to recover from, and it was easy to see both her and Kitoushi's growing concern when the cat could tell she had no explanation for him even if he were to ask.
It felt…
Well, honestly, it felt as if the heartache she had been feeling for the past few days was finally becoming more substantial, manifesting not only in her mind thinking her core ached, but instead actually aching.
No.
Her eyes darted to the letter on the table and she made a lunge for it, Kitoushi letting her go as she snatched it up.
The seal was of the Northern Tribe.
No. Please no.
Practically ripping the seal upwards, Kitoushi now looking over her shoulder.
What he saw first was that the letter had a date more than three days ago from the current date of the first layer, for all the numbers mattered anymore. The letter had only just appeared on the table that morning, though. He was certain of that.
What she saw was the steady hand, the single line of text.
Your presence is requested.
Shikiyoku flipped the letter so that the seal would fall back over her thumb.
The Elder's seal.
For some reason that didn't make her feel any better.
She dropped the letter back onto the table as if it were on fire, standing frozen in place for a moment and leaving Kit about to open his mouth and say something before she turned to him and his question went unaired at the sight of her expression, her lips set into a grim line and her eyebrows tensed together over her eyes as she reached for his hand and wove their fingers together, bending the layers around them and dropping until she stood inbetween the Eighth and Ninth before dashing off with Kit close behind.3
Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off!