A/N: Hello once again, Beloved Yu Yu Hakusho Fans!
Yes, the chapter is late, but there was a family emergency.
Given that, along with other issues, I'm afraid I'm going to have to put this story on hiatus until the third week of June. Unfortunate timing really, because I was planning on starting a "part two" once this story reached 100 chapters, and this chapter is number 99. No worries about whether or not I'll be back; CM and I are STILL writing on the RP and we enjoy sharing the story will all you lovely Readers!
I made this chapter intentionally longer than the others as a way of making up for not being able to post it earlier.
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.
Akari felt the tension of the other she was pressed against, and her own lips curled upwards. She didn't have to look up at him to know the smile on his face. His negatory sound didn't thwart her in the least.
His response, however, was met with an unfiltered one of her own. "Well, you could always use mine. The door next to the closet leads to the bathroom, in case you hadn't noticed." She paused, lips curling inward just a bit, "It's always hot."
I blame this on so many things.
"Open to your convenience." *
[Oo, is Yomi still as uncomfortable with anything voyeur-like as he always was?]
Akari's comment, while getting Kurama to shake his head just slightly and release a silent chuckle, almost immediately sent Youko off the deep end in paths that, while would likely get the blind demon to stop listening in real quick, were also things Kurama wasn't about to try.
{She's still injured, fool.}
[So?]
It took a good deal of restrained not to let the strangled groan voice itself.
"Well, it's a good thing you don't mind. Since I'd already discovered as much for myself." His eyes actually came open and he stuck his forehead against hers, nudging it slightly as he teased, "How do you think you got so clean?"
~!**!~
Shikiyoku's mouth came open as if she finally had a response for him, an answer regarding what she forgot, or what he seemed to think she forgot.
But all she could manage to think about was the fiery look in his crimson gaze, the one that had her moments before rooted to the spot with little to no coherent thoughts passing over her mind.
How does he do that?
She felt the shimmer cascading away from her eyes, only now realizing that her energy had cropped up there in the first place.
There was no hiding the mixture of chagrin and amusement that fought across her features as he looked back at her, unable to truly land on one or the other.
How the hell does he do that? 3
Hiei felt the utmost amount of amusement at the confliction on Shikiyoku's face before he turned forward again, suddenly realizing he didn't think the Ninth Layer a good idea, no matter where on that layer they were. So when the layers unwrapped about him, he was dead set on the last location they'd been to: the cliff, where they had leapt and met the phoenix.
The same place he'd lost his jewel, and Uryo had literally run into it.
The thought had more amusement passing through him as he pulled to a stop in the small circle that was once his campsite. He turned to Shikiyoku, not yet releasing his hold on her.
"Think of anything yet?"
~!**!~
Akari's eyes remained closed as the pressure of Kurama's forehead against hers was added, and a wide smile formed on her features. I missed you so much, you stupid fox. "Well, to be fair, I hadn't had much time to think about it." She paused, lips parting slightly as she thought, and then released a huff. "Though, any alternative is certainly unacceptable." *
"See, I thought you might say that." Kurama told her. "Otherwise I would have just let Yoroi go through with what he had planned."
He still smiled down at her, "And let me tell you, it wasn't very nice at all."
~!**!~
Anything? You're kidding, right?
There was this slight dip in her countenance right before he turned to her as she became aware rather keenly of the bracelet at her wrist. The one he hadn't grabbed. The scales had only just settled when they stopped moving, and though they made no sound, she could feel them and struggled not to look at them.
Too soon.
"You know, I might have forgotten to turn the oven off." 3
Hiei's brows quirked downwards at her. Nope, not it. "It was certainly off." he retorted calmly, head tilting at her a little. He reached out with both hands and took her face in his grasp, eyes staring at her as if his stare would do any help.
Which, he'd become aware of it by now, was certainly not the case. Not in letting her think, anyway.
Which was, really, half the point.
"You," he began, giving a pause as he blinked once at her, "forgot me." His tone remained even, giving away none of his thoughts. "And I don't much appreciate that." His lips twitched, threatening a sneer as he pulled away. Which is why we're here.
~!**!~
"Well, I mean, once I woke I wouldn't have any qualms with my hand through his chest either." Her lips pursed, becoming a thin line for a moment before she flashed a smile. "I haven't been particularly nice myself." It isn't like Yomi doesn't already know. Yoroi would have told him everything, as would have the guard who'd been watching from the door.
"You know, the gardens are nice too!"
Nice subject change, moron. *
"I hear Yomi tends to them himself."
[Hee hee hee.]
~!**!~
What the f-
She didn't even manage to finish the sentence, which started once Hiei's hand moved up to her face, because about the time he was peering down into her eyes and speaking to her everything just...stopped. Including, she would have sworn, her heart.
Unfortunately for her, the thing made up for it in the next second as it dropped somewhere near her stomach.
Well. The rational part of her mind managed to keep it together. Now how in the nine layers did I manage that?
Forgetting him, that was.
Because at the moment, his presence was invading her every thought.
Heh. The real question is if he knows it yet.
...Taka figured it out pretty quick.
It was why he had pulled her away from the others so often. He discovered her thoughts couldn't help but center around whomever she was with at the time. And he'd exploited it as often as possible. To his definite advantage. 3
Hiei stared at Shikiyoku, watching the thoughts pass behind her gaze. His lips turned upwards just a little, a thought or two passing before his mind's eye. He waited for anything she might have to say, but when she didn't speak up, he didn't seem to mind.
His irises gleamed a little in sudden amusement before they darkened. He regarded her with a look from her head to her toes before he let his arms fall to his side, his muscles tensing just a little.
"As I said, I don't appreciate it. So, I'll give you a head start." His lips thinned out a little as he suppressed the sneer. "I suggest you take it and run."
~!**!~
Akari knew exactly where this conversation was going, and she opened her mouth, closed it again, and repeated the action once more before she came up with something to say that wouldn't be interrupted by a laugh.
"Well, I said they were nice, not color coordinated. No organization whatsoever. It is better than inside these four walls, however. Hence the word nice." *
Kurama cleared his throat before answering, biting at his lip for a moment as the fox howled with laughter and added a few choice comments of his own that Kurama had no plans of repeating.
"He hired an interior decorator."
~!**!~
Run...what?
There was no mistaking the confusion that suddenly washed over her features as Shikiyoku stared at Hiei, her mouth falling open a little.
"What are you...talking about?" 3
"I am giving you the chance to get ahead." Hiei said slowly, in a low tone. "Run."
He nodded at her to go, expression devoid of emotions.
On the inside, however, he was extremely amused at her confusion.
~!**!~
Akari's breath stopped and she struggled not to make a sound, swallowing hard to keep the sound down, but it didn't really seem to help. Don't. Laugh.
Her lips quivered and she took a long moment to release the air she had withheld.
"Some decorator he had there." She had to clamp her lips together again, not even able to go on to what she wanted to say next. She moved her head so that she could hide her face in the crook of his neck, breath occasionally hitching.
Don't you dare laugh.
Not a single sound. *
"I didn't get to see her myself, but I heard Yomi looked several of them over before spotting one he really liked."
Kurama wasn't exactly sure how he had managed to make his response sound as matter-of-fact as the rest of them had been, because he wasn't entirely sure he could make another sound without his amusement boiling over.
~!**!~
I...I don't...
It was still dark here. She didn't know the area in the slightest. And she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to be running from.
I don't understand.
Her confusion bubbled up into, "Um...oh...kay?"
As she managed to speak, Shikiyoku took a hesitant step back, her eyes glancing around for a moment before she ducked her head a little and turned away, having not the slightest idea what was going on and not sure somewhere in the back of her mind why she wasn't protesting. Or just going back home.
I...I don't...
The trees around her were dark as she moved around them, moving at just below the speed of a jog, her mind still rife with her bewilderment at her current predicament. 3
You know, the fire demon hadn't really thought he would be amused with this game, but so far, he rather enjoyed it. He wasn't one for games, but perhaps he'd make an exception for this one. It seemed to amuse him enough so far.
A brow raised as she slowly turned and began moving away, uncertainty in every single step she made until she was out of his sight.
In his head, he counted down from ten.
And then he took off, wasting no time in appearing in Shikiyoku's path, lips tilted just a little. "You're not trying very hard to get away." he commented, arms over his chest.
~!**!~
She couldn't help it. the words tumbled from her mouth, wavering and at a higher pitch as she struggled against her giggles. "I hear he really liked the way a few of them looked together, and he just couldn't resist putting them side by side! They looked wonderful, from what I hear!"
This time, she had to press her lips and nose to Kurama's skin to keep the sound from escaping, as her lips no longer wanted to stay together and restrain the sound.
Not gonna laugh today. Nope! *
Feeling how hard she struggled not to laugh, Kurama clenched his teeth together when she pressed her face against his neck.
He managed a restrained, "That's...not helping," through his teeth, voice as low as he could get it without letting go and having to laugh.
~!**!~
Shikiyoku dug her feet into the ground to step her forward motion when Hiei appeared out of nowhere in front of her, and before he had even finished speaking she already had a few steps of backpedaling between them, eyes wide with surprise and blinking at him as something in her head snapped into place.
This time...she turned and ran. 3
Hiei waited a few seconds, feeling rather smug that she seemed to get the point and take off at a decent speed. His eyes watched the direction she'd taken off in, but really, the Jagan told him exactly where she was, following her every move.
This time, he counted down from twenty, simply because he could.
And when he grumbled the last number, he took off, Using a good three-fourths of his speed to catch up, and then moving between the layers to appear in front of her again, irises sparking at her mischievously.
~!**!~
Akari's chest shook with the silent laughter, and after a moment she began taking in broken-up puffs of air, hoping to steady herself but only managing to make it that much harder not to laugh. "S-sorry, but I'm n-n-not really s-sorry." Another broken breath taken in. "Y-you started it!"
This is bad. If he's listening, we're in so much trouble. *
He nearly leaned farther down and kissed her, with the fox loudly deciding such a thought should most definitely be followed through, but instead shifted and pressed his lips into the midst of her hair, feeling his torso shaking up against her as if it accented what he already knew.
After a second he took in a larger breath of air and heaved it out, attempting to compose himself.
~!**!~
You do not play fair, do you?
At Hiei's reappearance, Shikiyoku shifted her weight so that she could easily push off the ground with her outside foot and dash to the right instead of careening into him, speeding up until her hair began streaming behind her. 3
Hiei hadn't meant to, but he heard the thought that crossed her mind, and a smug sneer formed on his features. What was the fun in playing fair when he had a fully-functional Jagan at his disposal? None whatsoever.
He watched her switch gears and go another direction, and amusement finally made it to his features, his lips retaining the sneer and his eyes glittering as he turned and took off after Shikiyoku.
He let her get some space between them, but for the most part, he kept her within his immediate sights.
~!**!~
Akari took a moment to try and rein in her fit of silent giggles, taking in a small breath through her lips and letting it out slowly. She repeated this twice more before her eyelids came open and she was staring at Kurama's shirt, listening to him do the same and gather himself.
And then the stupid thought passed by her mind again and she was fighting against the giggles all over again, her fingers curling around Kurama's shirt as if it would help.
Another deep breath.
"I'm okay, I'm okay." *
"Are you quite sure?" Kurama only paused for half a second before going on, "Because it doesn't look like you're okay."
[Eheheh. That's never gonna get old.]
~!**!~
She could feel the instant he took off after her once she changed directions again, and she managed to weave her way through the dark underbrush, only skidding to a slower speed just long enough to dash off to the left, having reached the edge of the cliff and starting to run parallel with it, her body crouched lower to the ground and the wind whistling in her ears.
Something about the way in which he chased her had the hairs at the back of her neck standing on end and she glanced behind her once to see his eyes gleaming in the darkness, letting out a nervous sound that did reveal her uncertainty still on what exactly was going on. 3
Hiei let the distance stay between them, catching the glance Shikiyoku passed back to him and noticing the slight confusion behind her gaze still remained. As if she wasn't exactly sure she had guessed his intentions right.
Good.
He slipped between the layers for a split moment, giving himself the ability to appear in front of her again, his expression remaining the same as it had been a moment ago: fully amused.
~!**!~
Akari took another breath in through her nostrils. "Shh! I'm okay!" She held her breath this time, and after a few seconds she let it go, not opening her eyes until she was absolutely sure she wasn't going to laugh again.
Except when she opened her eyes, the colors between Kurama's shirt, skin, and hair all seemed to be swirling together, and her head suddenly felt as if it were floating. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and swallowed a little.
She suddenly didn't feel so well.
Maybe I held my breath too long.
She kept her breathing calm and steady and forced herself to relax. How about no more of that? *
"I...don't think I would ever forgive myself if you died of laughter." Kurama told her quite seriously. "So, don't even try it."
~!**!~
This time he managed to pull a completely unintentional sound of surprise from her lips when he appeared in front of her.
After all, she had just seen him a few paces back.
It was rather disconcerting.
Aware of the cliff to her right, she chose left this time and took off into the trees again, glancing up and after a few paces leaping into the branches, dashing from one to the next at a much faster rate unhindered by the undergrowth below. 3
Hiei didn't allow her time to create space this time. He took off just as quickly as she did, though he remained on the ground, Jagan focused on her as his eyes looked ahead at the obstacles beneath the branches. He was suddenly reminded of the days when he'd baited demons into chasing him for his jewel, and he blinked for a moment.
How things change….
~!**!~
Akari gave a small huffed out laugh, her lips quickly pressing together to staunch any other sound. Now she could feel the room moving. "I'd take you seriously if it were a possibility," she replied after a moment, though she didn't open her eyes to look up at him. *
Kurama frowned.
"If it gets too bad, I suppose I could give you something to help." He definitely didn't sound as if that would be his first choice, however.
~!**!~
The trees ended abruptly, forcing Shikiyoku back to the ground only to realize the trees had ended because a mountain began.
And by 'mountain,' she actually meant 'cliff.' One that rose up almost like a solid wall in front of her, with a few bits of rock jutting out in strategic places along the face of it.
There was little to no hesitation in her footsteps, even as her eyes calculated the fastest way to scale the side, and as soon as she was within range, she made the jump for the first outcropping that looked steady enough to hold her, only landing briefly before continuing to appear as if she hopped up the face of the rocks. 3
The fire demon's feet carried him at a pace that matched Shikiyoku's, merely because he knew this area like the back of his hand. Like the blade of his sword. Whatever worked. He knew the cliff coming ahead, and knew she'd have to leave the trees soon.
And she did, only to take him by slight surprise and leap up the cliff anyway. He blinked once, though his steps never faltered except for the stutter-step he took to increase his speed. And then he too leapt, following close behind Shikiyoku until he thought he'd let her run enough.
At this point, he used the layers again to get closer, and he looked up for a moment, knowing the creature atop this cliff was one that usually didn't stir unless someone came too close.
Hiei swooped in from over her head and made an attempt to grab her about the waist, or in the very least force her to change directions. He didn't feel particularly keen on her getting in the territory of that creature.
~!**!~
Akari huffed at him and slowly opened her eyes, finding that the spinning had slowed way down, and she didn't actually mind it at the moment. "Don't sound so eager, fox." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you." *
"Good." He leaned down and put his lips as close to her ear as he could get to murmur, "Because I plan on staying here as long as possible." He only slightly tightened his hold on her, just enough to indicate what he meant by 'here' exactly.
~!**!~
In mid-leap, Shikiyoku's eyes widened as Hiei suddenly appeared and in the seconds before he grabbed her, she managed to get out, "Ack! Cheater."
The second word was overly accusatory, and she phased between the layers long enough for him to pass her by, literally pass through her, as well as get her to her next foothold as her upward motion was not interrupted.
Giving him only a passing glance as she hopped from this particular rock to one lower, back on the layer once more, Shikiyoku took off along the cliff-face, speeding along the side as if it were the ground and going at such a fast pace that her hair still streamed behind her as if gravity had no say in the matter. 3
Hiei sneered as he passed through Shikiyoku, finding himself not particularly surprised by her quick adjustment. He'd been waiting on her to resort to it, really. And at her accusation, his eyes flashed as he took hold of a jutting rock and pushed himself after her, easily following her lead and running along the cliff.
"Cheating is leading you through the various traps in the area." he replied after a moment, tone filled with amusement. And he couldn't help but silently admit that he was actually having fun. Like… a kid…
~!**!~
Akari gave a small smile. "Good. I was worried you would run away in a minute and find better entertainment." She shifted and, in a very dog-like manner, nuzzled her face into the space just under Kurama's ear, unable to resist because I'd missed you so fricken much you… you... person! *
"Mm." The sound escaped his lips before he could help it, very aware of her affection, though he went on, "Better entertainment? It isn't as if Yomi schedules daily Kabuki."
Youko erupted into laughter again at the thought.
"If that were the case, you might very well be out of luck."
~!**!~
"Really." She sounded bored, her reply coming across as if they were sitting across from one another enjoying tea instead of running along the side of a cliff.
There was no need for her to hide her smile what with him behind her and all.
"Well, you're kinder than I, I must admit. I can't say for sure if I would do the same were we to drop to my territory." 3
"I'll remember that." Not that Hiei really wanted to go to the Ninth Layer anytime soon. Too many things were happening around the layers for him to feel it safe for her there. Or, really, even himself, though that part didn't much matter. He had enough of an advantage with the layers all on their lonesome.
The thought, however, was slightly amusing.
…..Maybe he should lead her to traps.
He kicked up his speed and caught up with ease, his own hair laying flat on his head as he ran along the side of the cliff.
~!**!~
"I'm willing to bet you'd be too comfortable to get up and move," she whispered to him with a smile. She shifted herself a little, finding it a bit easier to move, and slid her arm up and over his neck almost lazily, quickly coming to rest as if she'd run out of energy at that precise moment.
And quite frankly, I wouldn't let you. *
"Oh, I don't know. I supposed I really could just get up and leave at any time." He started to shift around as if he was going to rise up and leave her there.
~!**!~
If Shikiyoku had been a cat, her ears would have twitched at the sound of Hiei picking up speed, coming up on her left from below.
Without hesitation, she spun the layers around her, moving up high enough in them that when she took the next step, she was able to turn herself and fall the hundreds of feet to the ground in an instant, unwinding herself from inbetween at a moment where her trajectory let her take the last few steps from the cliff-side to the dirt, the accumulated speed setting her off faster even than before as she tore back into the forest they had earlier left. 3
Hiei's eyes widened as Shikiyoku blurred from view, her fuzzy form dropping from the cliff and down to the ground they'd been running through earlier. He recovered a second later and followed, the Jagan locked on her as he used the same method she had, landing a second later on the soil and tearing off after her, feet actually kicking up dirt as he moved.
To say he was impressed would be an understatement. He'd completely forgotten about how long it had taken him to catch up to her the first time due to her methods of escape. And with the reminder, he no longer held back on his speed.
At his fastest, he was catching up pretty quick, sights dead set on her as he found himself sneering. He folded himself into the inbetween again, feeling his speed almost triple without even trying, and he actually had to force himself to slow down when he came to running at her right.
He didn't reach out. He actually wanted to see how she'd react.
~!**!~
"Nope," Akari retorted quickly, keeping her arm hooked around his neck so that she moved with him. "Uh-uh." Not allowed. Not happening. Nope, nope, nope. "If you leave, shower privileges are revoked permanently." Not that she could put up much a fight at the moment… *
Youko's ears perked up at that.
[Aw, come on, Red. Permanently.]
Kurama managed not to laugh at the both of them.
He huffed out a little sigh, pausing in place as if to consider it.
"Permanently is such a long time..."
~!**!~
She could tell he no longer ran on the Fourth Layer when she could no longer hear him tearing after her, but there was still the feeling of cat and mouse, chaser and chased, that told her he had not given up.
...and actually, he was gaining.
It seemed like such a long time since she had laughed, a good, free laugh, one that would have echoed in the air had she not been shooting along the ground, dodging and ducking through the bushes and trees and roots.
A laugh of...delight.
And just before it faded completely, she spoke up, "You want a chase, flame-boy? I'll give you a chase."
She stopped dead in her tracks as if it were the easiest thing in the world, and in the next second was dropping through this layer to the next, and then into the one below it, which actually had her dropping out of the sky, picking up speed in the air.
Just before she would have hit the ground, she folded back up to the third, and the ground below her became sloped as she slipped out from inbetween, setting her feet at a pace that didn't even give the rocks beneath her shoes a chance to be sent skittering across the dirt as she flew by.
The slope gave way to water, but her feet almost didn't even touch the stuff and after a few lengthened strides, she was wrapping inbetween again, never staying longer than it took to cap out her natural speed before she would drop onto more terrain to exceed it, shifting back and forth between a vast majority of the layers to exploit each slope and each fall with an ease she remembered from the decade she had spent running with a broken mind. 3
Ah. The nickname.
It has been a while.
Hiei paused when Shikiyoku did, momentarily watching her with the Jagan before he realized what she was doing, and remember that he never really did make any attempt to catch her in those days. He hadn't tried to catch up and grab her then, hadn't even considered it an option. He'd only tracked her down.
Now he remembered why she'd gone without being caught. Ever.
And why Yusuke and Jin had asked him to hunt down the demon that had eluded everyone else. He hadn't ever really seen her do it, and now that he did, he found himself absolutely astounded.
He'd never once considered it.
It took him a moment to get moving, and by that time, she was long gone from his sight- aside from the Jagan, obviously. He ran, moving to the inbetween first and pushing himself to his absolute limit there. It helped, but at her speed, he wasn't quite able to keep up yet, much less catch up. So he tried it.
He moved from layer to layer, feet kicking off of the slopes in the same way she had, trying to figure out how exactly she did what she did.
And before too long, he began to feel his feet moving faster, faster even than the moment when Uryo had set him and Shikiyoku moving away from Rae the day they'd gotten away.
And it was the most wonderful thing in the nine layers. Were it not for his Jagan, he likely wouldn't have seen the trees around him or the bushes he had to avoid. He likely wouldn't have missed the creature that jumped in his way out of fear for the disturbance it couldn't see.
It was exhilarating.
While he was fast, he noted that occasionally his foot wouldn't take to the ground and he would seem to almost slide forward here and there, instead of kicking off on the other layers before disappearing again. Something Shikiyoku had perfected long ago, he knew.
It wasn't as easy as she made it look.
Which made it all the more satisfying when he kicked forward and earned enough speed to gain on the female, eyes finally seeing her form ahead of him.
He spun through the layers again, completely taken with the feeling.
~!**!~
"And you know perfectly well how my stubbornness works too, fox." Akari took the moment to pull herself closer to him again, both arms now hooked around his neck as she quite effectively slid herself to lay on him. Not that her weight would stop him, being a demon and all. "How can I convince you not to leave?" she suddenly asked, expression completely serious even as she closed her eyes again.
She didn't want him to leave so soon. *
{No. You are not allowed to answer that question.}
[But Reeeeeeed!]
{Shush.}
"Not revoking shower privileges would certainly be a start." Kurama replied thoughtfully.
[BOR-ing.]
~!**!~
Her mind...was absolutely still.
There were no thoughts, no emotions, just a calm sea of glass as she closed her eyes and let the nine layers play with her while she danced among them from inbetween without a single faltering footstep.
She could feel the lay of the land shift beneath her, the subtle queue that led to her swirling either up or down depending on where exactly she was in the layers themselves.
There would be another moment of acceptance, her mind open to every single possibility, as she would just know which layer would best suit her current speed, would give her the edge she needed to dash along faster. And so she would let herself curl fluidly out from the middle-ground to catch herself along whatever proper terrain had been provided for her.
If she had not used this manner of travel at the consistent rate in which she exploited it, her speed would have constantly slowed, for her own personal cap, while slightly above average for a demon, was nowhere near this or even the cap of someone like Hiei or Uryo, who were naturally more predisposed for swiftness.
It was no longer simply running for her, but more like intricate steps, each just as thoughtfully placed as the last, but all occurring within tenths of seconds of one another.
The fleeting thought passed over her mind that suddenly understood how she was so easily able to lose herself in the ten years she still couldn't quite remember.
...because to dance with the nine layers was to have the perfect partner. 3
He was struggling, to be honest, to keep his steps as precise as Shikiyoku's were. To place his foot in the same vicinity as she had placed hers. It took every ounce of his concentration to follow her lead, to try and one-up someone who had clearly found something like this as easy as…
As her own rituals. Her own dances.
She'd done it long enough that it was likely similar to her.
Not that that helped him in any way. It only served as a distraction, causing his footing to falter for the briefest of moments that he had to take three extra steps to recover with before he could even consider placement that would allow him to surge forward again.
In fact… this was actually pretty tiring once he got side-tracked.
Too bad he couldn't teleport.
That would be cheating most definitely.
As the fire demon moved through the layers repeatedly, returning to his concentration and the feeling of the wind whipping by him much faster than ever before, he realized that he was sweating. He shifted through the layers again and again, but he was well aware of his lack in expertise at this.
The thought had him smirking in amusement as he settled for the inbetween layer, his eyes forward as Shikiyoku's form disappeared from his view again and his own speed slowed without the extra push of the other layers.
He was tempted to call for her, but decided he'd let her have her fun. He'd simply follow after her and watch from afar, occasionally shifting through the layers.
~!**!~
Akari huffed. "That's a given, don't you think?" Her lips twitched and she took a deep breath, releasing it as a sigh. For a minute, she forgot where they were and the recent events. Such an easy distraction. A blissful distraction. She let her eyelids open halfway, gaze sliding towards the window of the room and staring at it. For once, she saw the shadows underneath the windowsill pause, as if waiting on a command, before it continued moving as it should when the curtains occasionally lifted from the air moving in the room.
Her eyelids became heavy and closed again.
"Don't leave, please." The words were nothing more than a mumble, but she didn't want to be afforded the ability of her mind to wander to things she didn't want to think about yet.
She didn't want to see that thing behind her lids just yet. *
"The only thing that could tear me away is the very thing asking me to stay." Kurama told her, shifting around until he could face her again, which afford him the luxury of planting a kiss in the middle of her forehead, one that he wished would banish each and every sorrow in her mind.
~!**!~
No.
Shikiyoku's eyes blinked open and she turned around with two easy steps and looked around for Hiei's form, feeling the distance between them even as she continued to practically fly backwards.
I want you here. With me. By my side.
Equals.
She faced forward again, curving her path just so, in order that she might join up with him again.
Their strides matched up for a second and Shikiyoku glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
Stop thinking.
Let them speak to you.
His mind would be tired afterwards if he gave in, and truthfully, her own speed had lessened.
It had been some time since she moved like this.
Shikiyoku reached over and grabbed for Hiei's hand, her eyes closing again as she adjusted her mind into nothingness once more.
It was...different, trying to accommodate the two of them together, but she tried to let him feel how this was done, how she let the layers lead her, weaving her in and out of them even as she in turn led him through their intricate steps. 3
Hiei hadn't expected the sudden thoughts he'd heard from Shikiyoku, and really, he tried his best to act like he couldn't hear them. His expression remained neutral, with a tinge of amusement, as he noted she was making a small path around.
By the time she was at his side, his eyes were on her the same way her eyes watched him, curious. And with her telling him to stop thinking altogether, his brows furrowed a little. It took concentration to do this, especially if one had never done so before. Right?
He didn't protest when she grabbed his hand, and while he turned forward to see his surroundings, the Jagan stayed locked on her, watching the fact that she had her eyes closed and there was a blank nothingness in the air around her.
….Alright then.
After a few moments of her guiding him through the layers, he found it easy to clear his mind and watch the path ahead without any concerns. And when she continued to pull him along, he found it easy to follow her lead in this way. Found it much easier to let his feet fall where they did when he wasn't calculating each step.
It was even more exhilarating this way than it had been when he'd tried calculating his every move.
It was a process for sure, but… perhaps an easier one when he didn't have to think about it.
~!**!~
Her lips moved with a silent thank you to Kurama, no sound actually managing to be produced at the moment. Dully, she was aware of a few strands of the other's hair falling into her face, brushing her cheek, and a small smile tugged at her lips as the smell of roses wafted over her.
She almost said it, that she missed him. Except.. she suddenly found she wasn't much up for chatter.
She was perfectly fine with laying there and doing absolutely nothing. *
Screw you, Yomi.
[Yeah! Screw you, you bastard!]
Kurama smiled against Akari's skin.
{I can only imagine what you would be doing if it were you walking around and not I.}
[...probably not much, Red. Though this little rebellion you have going here is pretty bold. ...he still has her exactly where he wants her.]
~!**!~
...
Peace. Serenity.
And perhaps the slightest of smiles when she felt Hiei starting to understand.
I am the follower, they lead the dance.
Shikiyoku let the layer around her tell her when she needed to shift between.
I am the blank page, they are the pen and the writer.
She shot up the layers from the seventh, passing the sixth, the fifth...
I am the sword, they are the wielder.
...until while between the second and third that she felt the next move coming before it arrived, and she stepped lightly onto the third, opening her eyes to look over at Hiei.
Shikiyoku gave the slightest of tugs to his hand to get his attention and notched her pace one step slower, then another until she was even with him again, though her eyes flicked forward and she nodded a little in front of them.
The thought didn't completely form in her mind, but her intention was meant to ask if he wanted to lead her. 3
After a while, Hiei began to notice the subtle changes just before Shikiyoku would drop them to another layer. And when the Jagan picked up her thoughts, it was very easy to see what she meant. He'd never considered looking at things from the point of view she did; he'd always done what he wanted, when he wanted. Leading his own personal agenda.
And when holding a blade, he'd learned long ago that to be able to control the sword, one would have to understand it. Know its weak points and the way it balanced, the way it would move through the air so that he may adjust it for the best possible blow.
And this was rather similar, in its own way.
The small tug on his hand drew his eyes to the side again, to look at Shikiyoku curiously as she slowed to meet him stride for stride. For a moment, he expected her to say she'd had enough.
That didn't mean he was surprised when she nodded forward. His eyes turned to look ahead once more, and without a single thought in his mind, without a single hesitation, he began letting himself feel the layers around him, feeling out when the next transition would be and-
He adjusted after a moment, feeling himself slide from one layer to another without resistance. And then again. And again. While he was not as proficient at it as Shikiyoku, he did find that he enjoyed it. It reminded him of learning how to move a blade, how to swing a katana properly so that it may not be resisted by the wind or any other outside factors.
There was a moment where he almost missed a transition or two, but he always adjusted accordingly, letting his senses guide him and the layers pull him through.
He wasn't even sure when his eyes closed.
And it was so pleasing to have such an experience.
~!**!~
For the first time in a long time it felt like, Akari's relaxation wasn't forced. Her mind didn't wander away, and while she did feel tired, she didn't feel that sleep was necessary- nor did she particularly want sleep at the moment. She was aware of her surroundings- the parts that mattered anyway- and she calmly let her senses analyze everything before filing it away. The sound of Kurama's breathing and the scent of flowers and ferns. The slight flutter of the hair that had fallen near her face when she breathed. The smile against her forehead and the warmth that she'd almost forgotten.
All of things made it easier to lay there and not think. To only be, even if she didn't want to be where she was location wise. Those things made it easier to forget, even if for a bit, everything that had been previously pulling, fighting for her attention.
It made it easier to breathe.
Even if she knew that later, she'd be smothered again. *
[...you know what he thinks we'll do, Red.]
{I do.}
[You betrayed his friendship, and now he thinks you'll betray your other friends.]
Being a part of the most intimate of the circle of Yomi afforded Kurama coveted knowledge that only those closest to him were allowed to know.
Yomi was not the only would-be King recruiting followers from the outside. Mukuro had nearly as many as Yomi, if not more at this point.
Where Yomi had recruited Kurama, Raizen had already recruited Yusuke, though it seemed as if Raizen had no other plans of amassing more layer-walkers. And Mukuro?
...They had just intercepted the carrier of Mukuro's invitation within the last twelve hours, and it was unlikely Mukuro even knew of the capture yet.
It was addressed to Shikiyoku.
~!**!~
The imagery of a swordsman walking through his steps stuck with Shikiyoku, how he in battle did not have to even consider the next motion, instead letting it wash over him, and how the two of them were the sword, the extension of the wielder, meant to be malleable and bend to the will of that which held it, while at the same time remaining sharp and stable in the hand.
Shikiyoku's eyes came open, and as if her offering to follow the follower were not enough of an indication of how fully trusting the position put her behind him, she placed her steps exactly where Hiei's foot left off, feeling the ebb and flow of his reactions.
Strange.
This is neither less nor more difficult when together than when alone.
...
It is simply...different. 3
Step after step, Hiei found it getting easier and easier to adjust his footing, to find where the layers wanted him to go, all the way down to the seventh and then back up all over again. Back and forth, his speed increasing each time his feet left the ground.
By the time he realized they occasionally passed through a city here and there, he noted that no one gave them a glance. As if they'd never appeared on the layer in the first place. Not even the air seemed disturbed, or the dirt, or even water when they were brought over that as well. And still, he could feel his feet moving faster, never really actually seeming to touch the ground anymore.
He looked ahead, his lips twitching into a lopsided smirk of amusement.
How long had they been at this? He wasn't sure. He slowed just a little, deciding that they couldn't run around like this forever. And as fun as it was, he was beginning to feel the exertion. It was only at this moment that he realized the Jagan had closed, unneeded, not necessary for this.
He continued to slow, little by little, but not in a way that would leave Shikiyoku off guard.
"Intriguing experience. And you've perfected it." There was no mistaking the tone that hinted at how impressive he found it. HE'd definitely have to try it on his own sometime.
For now, however…
He raised a hand to wipe at his face.
He couldn't remember the last time running had him sweating.
~!**!~
She didn't mean to fall asleep. She hadn't intended to fall asleep at all. She'd been contentedly taking in everything she'd missed for the past few months, and then she found herself dreaming that she was standing over the bed she and Kurama lay on.
It was odd, really.
She regarded the scene with a tilted head. Was that really what she looked like when she curled up with him?
It's odd, seeing it like this. Then again, she was dreaming.
She laughed; she looked so small when tucked against him like that. She turned to look around the room, as if seeing it for the first time. The shadows all stopped in place, no longer moving with the light in the room as they should. She could feel their eyes on her, and it made the hairs on her arms stand on end.
She turned around and moved for the door, reaching for the knob and finding that her hand passed through it. She gave an odd laugh of amusement. "I'm a ghost then?" These dreams could be fun.
She moved through the door then, and turned down the hallway, finding no reason to look about her surroundings. She only let her feet carry her where they felt she needed to be. *
Kurama felt her relax into him, and he didn't think much of the extra pressure, chalking it up to the near-death experience she had been through only a few days previously.
He did let his eyes close, though his time was not spent entirely asleep as he and Youko made plans for the future.
~!**!~
Funny how she had expressed to them from the beginning that she wished to avoid anything below the seventh layer.
Funnier still how even without her in the lead, they still obliged.
She didn't answer him at first, pleased if a little amused at how he worded it.
"Well. I only resorted to it because you cheat." She told him loftily. 3
Hiei sneered as his feet slowed to a walk after a little longer. He even scoffed a little at Shikiyoku's reply. "Perhaps I should cheat more, if it gets something like this out of it." He had completely and utterly enjoyed the experience, and he filed the information away for a later time, where he might be able to give it a go on his own.
For amusement's sake, perhaps.
It wasn't often he found himself in need of more speed.
~!**!~
Akari's feet made no sound against the tile floor, and no one she passed seemed to give her a single glance. It made her lips pull up in a smile. Why can't it be like this all the time? It would be so much better if none of Yomi's men could acknowledge her presence.
I like this dream already.
She even found herself humming a tune from some television show she'd once watched before it grew boring. And she rounded a corner, pausing as she realized where she'd been going.
She didn't want to go in there.
She continued walking, fully intending to pass it by, except the person standing outside the door watched her pass. She scowled and turned her eyes to him at the corners, only to freeze in place. She blinked at the orange gaze that stared at her.
"Kyu?"
He smiled, though it didn't reach those eyes. "Hello, sweetheart. Good to see you're… well."
Her brows furrowed at him. She hadn't dreamed of Kyu since the week she went without sleep. Then again, I hadn't dreamed then. I'd hallucinated.
...Don't tell me I'm doing it again.
"You don't want in here." He suddenly said, tone calm as he gestured with his head to the room where she and Takeo had met each and every day. Where she'd killed the demon and-
"No, I don't."
"Good. I didn't want to stop you, kid. Be smart. Turn around, and go back. Don't come in here. Don't let your friend in."
Akari frowned. ...definitely a hallucinatory dream.
"Get going, kid. There's a reason I'm here, and I don't want you to be here."
She huffed at him and turned to leave, noticing vaguely that a demon paused at the door, Kyu turning a glare at him, and then the demon moved the other direction as if he'd forgotten what he was doing.
"This dream sucks." she grumbled as she stalked away, shadows moving to follow her along the walls. *
~!**!~
Shikiyoku made a sound of disapproval.
"That's not how that works, flame-boy."
As if he needed encouragement to go around cheating.
"Not for me, and certainly not for anyone else." She frowned at him. 3
Hiei sneered and let out a breath of amusement. He'd only been half serious about it. He rather enjoyed the challenge anyway.
...A challenge he wouldn't have if she left.
The thought had him scoffing again. He banished it, deciding he didn't feel like ruining his current mood, or Shiki's for that matter, with his thoughts on other things. Unimportant things at the very moment.
"No need. I wasn't fully serious." He wasn't sure where he was going, but he didn't mind the aimless wandering.
~!**!~
Akari wandered the building, passing by and even through demons and laughing when they seemed to pause and turn to look for whatever had grabbed their attention, whatever had raised their neck hairs in warning. Other than Kyu, the dream wasn't so bad. Aimless wandering, harmless fun. She could skip down the halls if she really wanted to, and no one would know!
...not that she enjoyed skipping or anything.
With her hands over her head, she felt extremely carefree. She could probably go back to the room and let her mind fall into the dark, dreamless sleep if she willed it so. But what fun was that when she could meander into Yomi's offices, when she could toy with things she'd otherwise never see in her lifetime?
Endless fun!
Except the further from her room she went, the less fun it seemed. More demons, but less to do. So she turned around and went back the way she came yet again, making sure to pass her hands through demons as she walked and humming a little tune to herself.
Stop following me, she thought towards the moving shadows, and obediently they scattered, returning to their respective locations.
She was passing by Kyu and the fighting area again when she stalled, turning her head in that direction again. Kyu was gone, and demons entered and left as they pleased. She continued on, all the way up to the room she was in and through the door, taking to sitting in the chair Yoroi had previously occupied. She crossed one leg over the other and let out a small breath, a shadow moving over the chair and up her arm so that she may let it run over and over her fingers idly.
She'd much rather keep this dream than chance dreaming about other things. At least this one was peaceful. *
~!**!~
"It's the fact that you were still 'partially' serious that worries me." She cast an amused glance in his direction as she let him pull her along a moment longer before trotting the step or two needed to walk next to him.
"Cheater." She narrowed her eyes up at him. 3
Hiei turned his eyes forward, amused at the repetition of the word she continued to call him. He found it funnier than she likely realized. "And what has you calling me that now?" He still didn't glance at her.
~!**!~
When Akari's eyelids slid open, she didn't feel rested. In fact, she felt.. icky. Her muscles were tight and sore still, her bones aching. And while she didn't exactly want to get up, she felt as if she needed to do so, even if to just stretch, maybe go take a shower.
Assuming she had the capability to carry herself that far.
She rubbed at her face with the heel of her hand, making it easier to clear her blurry vision before she began to shift around, bones cracking almost immediately. And boy did it take a lot of restraint not to wince. *
Kurama's eyes slid open and he frowned.
{Anything?}
[She looks fine. Mostly.]
{Yes, but she should be getting better, not worse.}
[True.]
Saying nothing, Kurama continued to look her over.
[She smells funny.]
{Well, she doesn't smell 'right,' if that's what you mean.}
[...you guys should take a shower.]
{Youko.}
[What!? It isn't like I would watch or anything. I've got Yoku to occupy my mind should I have need.]
{I...don't want to hear about that.}
~!**!~
"Because I was perfectly willing to run around the Fourth Layer and you," Here she turned her nose up, "Had to go and ruin it by moving inbetween. So, you're a cheating little cheater, Cheater." 3
...She's aware of my amusement it seems.
His lips twitched, curling up even further. "You can still run around the layer, if you want. I'm not stopping you." He paused, going over her words again. "Your use of the word 'little' means nothing, as I'm taller than you."
~!**!~
Akari managed to pull herself into a seated position before pausing and blinking at the far wall a few times, her hands moving to rub at her face again. I feel gross. She knew she had no reason to feel gross, except that she had lay there for a few days and hadn't gotten up and around.
Not that she'd been able to.
I'm getting up today, dammit.
Wait.
Tonight.
Day?
Her inner clock was all out of whack, and she didn't bother looking for a clock or the window. It would sidetrack her. So, determined, she slid to the opposite side of the bed and, after a deep breath, pushed herself to stand.
Shakily, but standing nonetheless.
Shower time! Robotically almost, she found her feet moving to the bathroom. *
"Does the offer still stand?" Kurama called after her, face completely devoid of emotion.
Amusingly enough, both he and Youko had voiced the question at roughly the same time.
~!**!~
"You-" She turned her head, having to tilt it back a little to look up at his face. She just as quickly faced forward again, consternation clear in the little pouting face she adopted.
Dammit, that's right. He is taller than me now. I forgot.
One of her eyebrows twitched for a moment.
She closed her eyes and took a little breath, "I am not going to run about willy-nilly like some sort of fool, flame-boy." 3
Hiei lifted his chin a little, brows raising as his eyes cut down to her from the corners, irises bright with expectation, waiting for the rest of that sentence. His shoulders moved a little when she quickly turned away, his silent laugh otherwise not indicated to have ever existed.
And at her next words, his brows rose higher, almost disappearing into his hair as he turned to look at her again with amusement clear in his expression. "Isn't that what we just did?"
~!**!~
It took a second, but Akari's feet paused mid-stride and she glanced over her shoulder at Kurama, both brows raised and lips pursing slightly. What?
Another pause.
Oh, right. Shower privileges.
Her lips twitched and she made a small sound akin to a snort. "That depends on your intentions, fox." She continued forward, a hand turning the knob on the door and pulling it open, but she didn't step inside just yet.
….Curiosity was probably going to get her into more trouble, but oh well. *
"My intentions?" Kurama echoed as if it should have been obvious, "I thought we had well-established that my intentions are always of the utmost in innocence and virtue."
His expression did not so much as flinch.
~!**!~
"We?" Shikiyoku turned to give him a plain look in deadpan fashion, "We do not run about like fools."
She turned back to face forward again with an almost noble air about her. 3
Hiei let out a breath of amusement as he kept his gaze forward, deciding he would agree with her statement. ...Despite the display they'd had.
Then again, the only person he could see being able to even notice their tirade would likely be Uryo.
The thought made it even more amusing.
"I guess we can't look like fools if no one sees us."
~!**!~
Akari rolled his response over and over in her head, back to him for the moment as she considered those words the best her half-awake mind would let her. She wasn't sure. Wasn't able to think clearly enough to assess him. She shook her head and spared a small glance back before shutting the door behind her, fingers touching the lock, but not really turning it.
She took a deep breath and looked at the towel rack by the shower, glad to see a few folded up neatly. Without further hesitation, she moved towards the shower, peeling clothes away as she did so, a shaky hand turning the water on. *
[I'd like to invoke those privileges now! ...hey, you didn't say it.]
{That's because while I am the paragon of virtue, you are the slut of corruption.}
[If you don't go in there and-]
{I'm ignore you, just so you know.}
[You can try, but you're not very good at it.]
{Just wait.}
[Mm?]
{It'll be funnier if she slips and falls.}
~!**!~
Shikiyoku shook her head, "No, you see, the key point there was we. We, you and I, have never done a single foolish thing in our entire lives."
Together. That's the important bit.
She went on sagely, adopting a strangely lecture-like tone. "One cannot feel ashamed unless one allows others to convince them they have done something shameful." 3
A loud scoff left Hiei's lips. "Who here is ashamed of anything?" He cast a gleaming stare in her direction. "I am ashamed of nothing." His nose lifted higher in the air. "I have no reason to be."
Though, he did rather enjoy her little… speech.
~!**!~
It took a bit to get herself clean due to the tightness in her muscles, but really, Akari didn't notice it. In fact, she shampooed her hair three times, instead of using the conditioner. And even after she was clean, feeling much better than before, she stayed under the water, letting it fall over her head at its hottest, the steam fogging up the opaque glass doors that separated the shower from the rest of the room.
It was nice to stand there, and she likely would have reveled in the way her muscles began to relax, if it weren't for the fact that she stared blankly ahead, mind completely blank and a hand occasionally rubbing at her eyes.
Maybe I should go back to sleep after this.
She rested her forehead against the shower wall and stayed there a while longer, before her body suddenly began moving, on instinct, as if on a clock, and was shutting the water off, grabbing a towel and wrapping it about herself.
She'd almost turned the knob on the door when she remembered Kurama on the other side, at which point her hand quickly jerked away.
Right. Clothes. *
Youko began grumbling once the shower turned off.
[Should have tossed a fail-safe in there just to make sure...]
He brought up several plants that they had on themselves that would have made a slippery surface even slicker.
Kurama let out a single chuckle, eyes flicking over to the doorknob from where he had propped himself up with a pillow against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other where they were stretched out down the bed.
~!**!~
"Are you kidding?" Shikiyoku's raised in mock-disbelief. "Walking around openly with a Tainted One? And holding her hand no less. Why, that's absolutely scandalous, fire-prince." 3
Hiei's reaction remained rather controlled, his muscles remaining lax and his eyes cutting to look at Shikiyoku. He'd forgotten that he had her hand, but it was easily dismissed. He instead gave a loud scoff. "You think they'll look twice at you when the cursed child is near you? I think we both remember how that one goes."
It took a lot not to comment on her words of being tainted. He couldn't tell her she was wrong, since, really… they both were.
Actually… that title worked well for both of them.
At least she didn't call herself cursed. Then he'd have a problem.
~!**!~
Akari rummaged through a few drawers in a dresser that was oddly placed, suddenly glad that the maids had decided to place it in here for her sake. It was her luck Takeo would have barged in while she had been searching for clothes at one point, and-
Doesn't matter, he's dead.
The thought brought a sneer to her features as she pulled the long tunic over her head, shortly thereafter pulling up a loose pair of pants. It felt remarkably like pyjamas and really, it made her feel that much more tired. So she simply placed a dry towel over her head and wrapped it around her hair, letting it fall over her shoulder so it wouldn't come undone and the water wouldn't drip over the shirt.
…. Back to bed.
She wasted no time in leaving the bathroom, not even caring to pick up her scattered clothes at the moment before shutting the door behind her and sauntering her way to the bed, crawling up to lay on her stomach next to Kurama.
...at least I don't hurt? *
Kurama's eyes scanned Akari as she walked back across the room.
"I think just the towel would have suited you better."
...saying things at the same time as Youko was apparently becoming habit.
~!**!~
"Pft." Shikiyoku scoffed. "Well, first of all," She took a moment to look him up and down as if to confirm something, giving a sharp nod to herself, before looking towards his face, "You aren't cursed, so you can stop with that ridiculous nonsense right here and now. And secondly, they always look twice at me." She reached her free hand up and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Tainted Ones are always lookers, after all." 3
Hiei raised a brow at Shikiyoku, mind scrambling for which part to respond to first. There was just so much he could say, so much that he usually would have said. And yet none of those things seemed… right. True. Whatever. In the end, he gave another scoff of amusement and turned his eyes forward.
While he could definitely argue the first, he decided not to. With her, he wouldn't get anywhere.
~!**!~
Akari settled with both arms under a pillow, her cheek resting so that if she opened her eyes, she'd see the door, not Kurama or the window. And after a moment, she turned her head to rest the other cheek on the cool surface, looking up at Kurama with a raised brow. It's like you know…
"I have a feeling you're testing me in some way." She frowned. "I'm not sure I like it." *
"Why on earth would I be testing you?" Kurama wanted to know, an eyebrow raising.
[I can think of a few reasons.]
~!**!~
Shikiyoku gave a self-important little sniff.
"That's right. Don't argue with me. I know I'm right, and trying to convince me otherwise will get you nowhere fast." Her nose was raised just a little as if to emphasize her arrogant manner, "I will say that I have met and interacted with demons who are cursed, I'll have you know, and I can assure you," She appraised him with another up and down glance before turning away, "You look nothing like them."
You're much too attractive to be cursed. 3
Hiei's amusement grew, and at this point he found himself almost entirely focused on the warmth at his hand. It was odd, because he remembered her latching onto his hand one morning when he'd moved around a little. Amusing, more like.
His eyes remained forward, and still he didn't reply to Shikiyoku with more than a sneer of amusement and a slight lift of his nose in the air when she looked him up and down.
~!**!~
Akari frowned at Kurama a little bit. "Because you're you." She blinked once at him before she let her eyelids slide close again. I dunno. Maybe I'm not thinking right. She took in a breath through her nostrils and opened her mouth to say something else, only to decide against it.
At least her filter was working a little. She didn't exactly want to share that she'd almost done exactly what he'd said.
….Stupid know-it-all fox.
Her lips twitched upwards at the thought. *
Kurama slid down until he was laying next to her, turning on his side to face her.
"Something amuse you, beautiful? Don't you want to share it with the rest of the class?"
~!**!~
"Hm." Shikiyoku grew more thoughtful, even reaching up and placing her forefinger over her lips as if it would help.
Forbidden, though. I might be okay with that one. It makes my position seem that much more...what was the word?
Scandalous?
Absolutely delicious, morelike.
Forbidden. Ha. Isn't something forbidden seen as that much more desirable? Don't we always want what we are told we cannot have? How come no one else has thought of this? 3
Hiei let the silence stretch on, eyes forward and mind carefully away from Shikiyoku's thoughts. It was an easy task, not listening in to a certain person's thoughts. He could direct his interests elsewhere for the time being, until she spoke up again.
Because he didn't mind the silence.
Not when she was actually with him.
He had to admit though, he was curious about the expression she wore.
~!**!~
"Yes, I'm amused. And no, I don't want to share. Not really," Akari replied easily, tone light and smile almost teasing as she shifted a little, bringing herself a little closer to Kurama, but not rolling onto her side. She was actually pretty comfortable the way she lay, and the towel on her head didn't bother her. She took another deep breath, and sleep was practically yelling for her.
"Anything else, fox?" *
"Not if you're going to rest." Kurama replied lightly, leaning closer to her and then stopping as if he changed his mind about something.
[Assuming that she's actually resting.]
~!**!~
"How do you feel about forbidden?" Shikiyoku asked suddenly, scrutinizing Hiei's face for even the slightest of flinches from behind his crimson eyes. 3
Hiei raised a brow, the word bouncing around his head. Truthfully, it didn't matter to him. It would probably be a relief, since the word 'cursed' was very overused in his dictionary.
He scoffed.
"I couldn't care less."
~!**!~
"Mmm," Akari hummed out, lips twitching up a little more before the smile slowly faded. The brief thought of him staying there made her lips twitch again very briefly. Probably not a good idea, but… whatever.
I sleep better with him here anyway.
"Just… so you know…" A small yawn made her pause. And whatever she'd been about to say never came from her lips, because this time, she actually fell into the darkness of sleep. No dreams, no thoughts. Simple… rest. *
~!**!~
"Honestly, I mean the only reason I would be okay with it is if I thought you were okay with it,"
"And to be fair, they're only talking about-"
-Well, I guess they could be talking about any interaction with you in general, but when they call you Forbidden Child, they're really just talking about mating, which is absolutely ridiculous if you ask me. Damn some demons and their 'pure blood' mentality. 'Oh no, his blood is all mixed and crap and if he has kids it'll just water down my power.' Mixed isn't even the right term for it.
"...I swear I'll burn them all."
Shikiyoku didn't appear to even notice how she slipped from speaking aloud to talking through the connect to the thoughts that rambled into her own head only. And the last bit came out almost growled and her eyes flashed as if she dared some demon to step out of the shadows and say one little thing, because that one thing was sure to set her off. 3
Hiei's brows raised in curiosity at the complete lack in full sentences, Shikiyoku not finishing the first two he'd heard. He shook his head back and forth a bit, amused with her and the fixation she had about what others deemed him to be.
It wasn't like she could change the minds of every demon in the Nine Layers anyway.
And it wasn't like she'd ever called him by any of those terms.
He made a sound of amusement, the sound dying out just as Shikiyoku spoke again.
Burn them, hm? As if that actually worked.
"Hn."
~!**!~
Akari slept for who knew how long, but boy did it feel wonderful to have a dreamless sleep, unlike the last time. Her body hadn't moved a single inch, so when she began to approach the waking world, she was very aware of that fact, hinted by the tightness in her shoulder muscles and the tingling feeling in her cheek that said it had rested on her arm a little too long. The pillow hadn't been enough to keep the pressure from creating that feeling, but at the moment, she didn't care.
Because she felt good. The soreness she could definitely deal with. Having her mind functional again when her eyes opened? That was good. Much better than the first time she'd- no, second time she'd woken up.
She shifted a little, eyes turning up to look at Kurama as she blinked twice. "...hey." She would've said 'good morning' or 'good evening', except she wasn't sure what time of day it was, and the light coming in through the window never helped much. *
"Hey yourself." Kurama smiled down at her, finding it harder this time than the last to resist just up and kissing that still sleepy face.
[Looks like she stayed with us this time.]
Kurama almost frowned, unsure how much longer he could delay rejoining Yomi completely if she actually were better. The demon had so far been more than generous in allowing Kurama to tend to her, though...Kurama might have had to promise a few things in return.
Everything has a price.
~!**!~
"The burning is purely for your benefit, by the way." Shikiyoku added lightly, glancing at him and giving him a wicked grin. "I know how you adore the smell of seared flesh in the morning." 3
Hiei made a sound purely of amusement, his eyes turning to the corners so that he may send such a glance in her direction. To be fair, he enjoyed the smell of just about anything burning, but yes, that particular one was a favorite. Especially when it was accompanied with the sound of an enemy's pain.
My favorite song, if I could consider it as such.
"Morning. Afternoon. Night." He turned his eyes forward again, lips twitching. "Any time, really."
~!**!~
AKari eyed Kurama for a moment before giving a sleepy smile and letting her eyes close again. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you never slept." She tugged on the pillow, bringing it closer to herself as she shifted a little, stretching her body to its full length before turning onto her side and curling up a bit. How long are you able to stay? "It's a good thing I don't spook easily. Waking up to someone watching you every time is disconcerting to some people." *
"Well, I have to make sure you aren't going anywhere, don't I?"
[And some people enjoy waking up with a fox.]
{I don't think it was that she didn't enjoy it.}
[Well, she has no idea how much she could enjoy-]
{Shush.}
~!**!~
Funny how many humans feel much the same way.
Shikiyoku's grin lessened as she turned away from him.
They have this habit when they cook of grilling everything.
She tensed for a second, fighting back thoughts of Taka, which were closely tied to 'cooking' for her, and managed to pull her mind to the present.
So far, she had managed to keep all of the extraneous sorrow under wraps, to lock it away while here next to him.
She could...mourn later. 3
Hiei let the silence drag on, thoughts slowly circling back to what he'd been thinking much earlier in the day. His sneer of amusement slowly faded until his expression was unreadable. It took a few minutes to push the thoughts away, but really, they stayed right on the edge of his immediate thought processes, sitting, waiting to invade again.
His eyebrows twitched just a fraction.
He didn't know what to do next. Really, he'd just been doing whatever popped into mind, whatever he could think of. And now that they were calmly walking along, he wasn't sure he wanted to actually do anything else.
~!**!~
A small breath of amusement left her. "I don' sleepwalk." She opened her eyes to look up at Kurama again. "I may talk in my sleep, but I don' walk in m' sleep." I hardly want to get up and walk now, when awake. *
[Sleepwalking isn't what we were worried about, pup.]
"You certainly do talk in your sleep. I can attest to first hand knowledge of that." His eyes glittered, teasing.
~!**!~
...with Kitoushi most likely.
It doesn't matter with whom, idiot. Just so long as it isn't now.
Doing her best to turn her thoughts away from such things, Shikiyoku turned her attention to the Mark she knew she could feel hidden underneath the dark cloak Hiei wore.
In some sort of twisted moment of dark humor, she noted how his was the most embellished out of the three now that D-
Don't.
The problem would be convincing the three of them to let her take them off.
Youko's a lost cause.
That's why he would be last. 3
Hiei's left hand twitched as his mind suddenly turned to the mark that had begun to scale that arm. He could see it, without even having to look over at the appendage. It was there because apparently he met a few requirements to be in the running for this whole mess.
He wasn't very good at it. Often times he didn't have a clue what he was doing.
Like now.
A frown briefly pulled his lips downwards. His previous thoughts nearly slid from his lips in accusation.
Because even now, he felt as if she didn't take him seriously. Even as they walked, he felt that he was nothing more than an old Champion.
Not a part of the Consort crap he didn't fully understand.
He let out a breath of mild amusement.
"What next?"
~!**!~
"Well, considering you're so quiet when I sleep, I'm more than certain I haven't had to tell you to shut up in my sleep before." Her smile widened, and Akari shifted just a little more, curling up a fraction more so her knees would touch her arms, if she had them on the mattress and not around the pillow under her head. "I've been told I can be mean in my sleep." *
"Mean?" Kurama sounded unbelieving. "I can assure you that you've been nothing but the utmost in kindness to me."
[Oh come on. You're not going to add anything to that? You could at least try and convince her that she tried things with you.]
{I think the only thing I might get away with on that front would be to tell her she was especially clingy.}
[Go with that then.]
~!**!~
There was this moment when he said 'what next' that the thought of broaching the subject about removing his Mark flashed full-force across the front of her mind.
What next? We let each other go so you don't die.
Instead, she let out a thoughtful noise that hummed against her lips.
You don't even have your own thoughts gathered about that whole mess, so best to leave it alone for now.
Shikiyoku raised and lowered the shoulder of the arm whose hand he wasn't still holding, looking off to the side.
I guess...it's the truth anyway:
"I don't know."
On so many levels. 3
Hiei glanced over at Shikiyoku, expression unreadable as he looked her over. You're usually the one with ideas. His amusement returned briefly at the thought before it fizzled away. She's not distracted enough. He turned his eyes forward again, and he changed directions, pulling Shikiyoku onto another path through the treeline.
Might as well go with it then.
He'd think of something, eventually…
The story will pick back up again with posts the third week in June! Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! BOOP! -Star