A/N: Hello once again, Audience. Sorry for the lateness. Completely forgot. Also, bare bones post since I'm in Italy.
Ciao for now!~
We know you have things to take care of.
We can only allow you a single day.
Kuwabara sighed and cast his eyes around the clearing, able to see the lifeforce of each portion of creation around him, able to sense their spirit, their element.
Kearia, the demon of pain, Renai's Consort-Mate, as well as the impersonating demon were gone by the time Kuwabara awoke, and so too was Kurama the Youko. He had sat down upon a tree stump as the Kami started speaking with him, instructing him, and their presence only drew away from his immediate attention when he heard his name spoken.
Turning, the redhead quickly stood.
"Are you alright?" His radiant countenance was filled with concern for the reawakened demon as he approached her and held out a hand to help her stand. 3
The world was as if someone had ripped glasses from her face- glasses that had kept her from seeing color- and replaced them with newer, sharper lenses, and she wasn't even beginning to adjust. She had to blink a few more times, but even then, it was a little… uncomfortable, she supposed.
It also happened to make it harder for her eyes to keep up with Kuwabara as he abruptly rose from where he'd been sitting, and even though he only walked to her, it seemed much faster to the demon than reality.
It was only instinct to close her eyes and scrunch her face up a little, as if it hurt.
"You're very...colorful," she commented, a hand blindly reaching out to take the one offered to her. "We're back, aren't we?" *
Without hesitation, Kuwabara finished the gesture, grasping Akari's hand and pulling her to her feet.
With just a touch, his mind became filled with her: her past and present brimming into his very being, and without exactly intending to do so, his newfound powers flexed in a knee-jerk reaction to her uncomfortableness and he strengthened her so that her vision might clear and her mind rid itself of immediate concerns.
He nodded in response to her question, letting go of her hand when the moment between them passed. His fingers went up to the back of his head and he gave a bit of a laugh.
"Noticed that did you? It, uh- look..." He paused and tried to figure out how to ask her what he wanted. He sighed. "I've only got about a day to tie up loose ends, and then I won't be back for a year." He stood up more straight. "I...I'm going to ask Yukina if she'll...that is..." He cast his eyes to the side and mumbled, "I don't want to make her wait for me, you know? And if she doesn't I'll understand...it's just..." 3
The second Akari's hand felt Kuwabara's grab hers, there was a moment where everything she ever knew seemed to pass before her closed eyelids, as if on a reel. Part of her wanted to cringe, but before the chance even seemed to come up, she felt an odd sort of sensation wash over her. A warmth that made every ache in her muscles release, every distraction fade into nothingness. And when she opened her eyes again, it was as if she'd never interchanged between seeing color, not, and then seeing it all again. All worries seemed to simply…
Vanish.
She could only blink at the boy and tilt her head, as if asking what had just happened.
Her hand fell to her side as she eyed Kuwabara, noticing the glow that still emanated around him, and finding that it was calming even in its own way.
It took an extra second before she could pull her eyes back to Kuwabara's when he began stammering, and really, she couldn't help the small smile that slowly stretched her lips in patience, waiting for him to find his tongue. *
Kuwabara could feel his connection with the Kami tinge with amusement, advising a deep breath and to say his intentions clearly.
"Before I leave, I'm going to ask Yukina if she'll marry me. In exactly one year. Don't really have time to do it today." He laughed nervously. "If she...says yes...will you...be a bridesmaid?" He began speaking very quickly, "She doesn't have a lot of friends, but I've known you a long time and want you to, but if you don't want to it's alright, but I want you to be there anyway it-" He took another breath and finally looked at her with sincerity. "It would mean a lot to me if you would." 3
Even when Kuwabara was finished speaking, Akari's head remained tilted at the carrot-top and her eyes gave way to a little sparkle, as if considering the idea. But really, in her head, all she could imagine were the movies she'd seen with weddings in them- she'd never seen an actual wedding in person, didn't really even know much about them other than the fact that they were the humane way of choosing a partner.
And those partnerships sometimes didn't last, she knew.
This one though, the image of Yukina and Kuwabara together…
It was a pleasant one.
Wait, a day? A day for what?
Nonetheless, her small smile stretched a little wider as she straightened up.
"Of course." It wasn't like she was going to tell the boy no, especially since he seemed to be saying he'd be gone for most of the year from here on out. "It'll be wonderful." *
He gave her a sidelong grin, "I hope so. She, uh, has to say yes first, though." He admitted.
His expression fell away, "And I'll...it'll only be the one day that I get to see her, so it's not like I wouldn't understand if she said no." 3
Akari's smile was kind, one meant to be of comfort as she reached out and pat him on the shoulder once. "You'll just have to find out then, hm?" Her hand fell away again, and after a brief pause, she took a step around the boy, a certain canine coming to mind that she wanted to greet. "Let me know." She took a few steps forward before pausing, turning to watch Kuwabara as he moved for Yusuke, whom she hadn't noticed still unconscious on the ground.
Deciding to let the boys have a moment, she continued moving towards the sounds of a busy town nearby.*
~!**!~
Time marched on, as it had a habit of doing.
Shikiyoku busied herself with the caretaking of the bar, finding that more and more often when Hiei would return from his mercenary ventures that the two of them would retire up the stairs in the establishment in either one room or the other, instead of traveling across town to her home.
The nightmare of the journey from the Eighth Level lessened over time and allowed her the ability to sleep quite soundly. At least when next to Hiei. She rarely slept when he was not there. In fact, she quite specifically avoided it. He would only be gone for a few days at a time, however, which meant she could manage such a thing.
She would receive correspondence from time-to-time entailing Kasai's latest ventures, which impressed her given the fact that the number of demons with the capability of reading and writing were really rather few if they did not originate from Human World.
Somewhere along the way, Nabu found her, much to her delight, and when she discovered from the now fully-grown dog that Akari-as well as many others of Hiei's former group prior to the mess with the three would-be Kings-was missing, she entreated Hiei to make an effort to look for them, though Nabu informed her quite confidently that they would soon return on their own.
His original intention in approaching her had been because of his knowledge of her expanding into other businesses, and he wished for Akari's previous home to be sold, given to a family that might have need of it.
Shikiyoku saw to it as the dog asked.
And so it was that she rarely kept track of the days, as one whose lifespan stretches longer than that of a human might. In a word, she found herself content. Happy, even. There was no boredom in the routine of her business, and she have more than enough entertainment, if not there, in following her investments and playing a sort of economic game within New Human World, one that kept her interest flowing. The tactics from days long past afforded her a knack few normal beings had, and while in the end she cared little for the payout, between that and her bar she kept herself well-occupied.3
~!**!~
Despite her eagerness to find her old friend, Akari took her time in getting to the city, letting herself take in the sights and sounds of a city she'd been away from for a time she couldn't even begin to guess at. Buildings that had once been small and humble were now unrecognizable, some closed down, some replaced with taller, shinier buildings that reflected the sun off of their glass windows. Streets she vaguely remembered meandering down were now lined with more shops, more business, and somehow, less people. More cars filled the streets, and with each person she passed she found them holding foreign devices that to her looked like calculators in shape. Some touch screen, some flipping open and closed with a clack.
The noise? Had her ears been any more sensitive, she would have found the sound of the engines on the road overbearing, and the music inside shops overwhelmingly loud despite the closed doors. And the large screens on the buildings in the city square were just as loud, and after a moment she realized that they were nothing more than oversized televisions. Flat and large televisions, but televisions all the same. They displayed recent news broadcasts, ads for some product or another, and even music videos. And the little devices in the pedestrians' hands? They beeped with each button pushed, dinges with notifications and rang loud until someone answered the call.
She walked for a few hours, taking her time in remembering how to maneuver these streets that she hadn't walked in what felt like an eternity. It didn't help that some of the street names had been changed since she'd last been here.
Eventually, she found herself standing outside a house that was now only vaguely familiar. The windows that had once been boarded up now had sparkly clean windows that hid the rooms inside. The wood that had once been rotting and falling apart had been revitalized or perhaps replaced with new wood, and looked bright and fresh. New. The roof that had once had a hole somewhere on the East side was now whole, and a completely different color than before. She couldn't remember the initial color at present, but she knew it hadn't been the dark mahogany that is currently was. And the hole that had been in the side of the house? It was as if it had never been there.
Inside, where it had once been just her and a particular dog friend of hers, there was now sounds she didn't immediately recognize. Feet were shuffling about and she could hear plates being stacked one atop another, and maybe some glasses being clinked together as they were picked up. Music from a radio played at a soft volume. Children's voices.
Akari stared at the front of what had once been her home, suddenly at a loss. She crossed her arms, her eyes finding a crack in the curtains that showed her just a glimpse of the world inside those four walls. A man passed by, a little one in his arms.
For a brief moment, she remembered a time- so very long ago now it seemed- when she had wanted such a thing. But that had been a lifetime ago.
Her lips gave a twitch, and Akari turned on her heel and began moving back the way she had come, moving further into town again in hopes of finding a solution to the handful of problems she now faced.
One, she had no home. That would be an easy fix, if she found another abandoned building like she had before.
She had no money. Not so easily fixed.
And on top of that, she suddenly realized she didn't know where to begin looking for her furry friend. It was, of course, top priority for her to find her companion, if he hadn't found someone else to keep him company since she'd been gone. Part of her expected that to be the case, but really she found herself hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, he had decided to wait. Where he would have gone, though, was the million dollar question.
She first turned to look in the park, where the pair had often gone for a game of fetch or just a nap in the sun. Inside the gates, she found children running around, playing games like hide-and-go-seek or tag. Unlike the rest of the city, the park seemed almost unchanged, as if time hadn't touched the place a day. Perhaps the only thing that had changed was the color of the monkey bars and how many swings were occupied at once. The trees had bright leaves that towered high above the denizens seeking the shade below. The swings still creaked with each back-and-forth motion. The monkey bars still gave the quietest of whines when an older or sometimes even more mature kid would climb its metal surfaces. The sand in the pits nearby were still full of toys left behind and forgotten.
And out of all this, the park still lacked one crucial element that she had been searching for. With unwavering determination, feet made rivets in the grass as she turned on her heel, sending curls flying over her shoulder as she backtracked.
Venue after venue she visited, each just as bare of hide and hair of her friend as the first. Akari weaved in and out of shop after shop, both looking for her friend and memorizing how the city had changed over the time she'd been gone. Several shops that had once been empty buildings were now popular stop-and-shop places, clothing stores, eating joints. All unrecognizable.
Really, the only indication that any time had passed in her escapade was the setting of the sun, which had begun to dip just below the horizon and color the sky a salmon color she couldn't say she remembered before then.
Before she knew it, the sun had set and Akari was standing outside one of the only buildings that even remotely seemed familiar: a bakery of sorts. The smell of bread wafted outside as a mother and her child exited the building, carrying with it the smell of cheese and butter and something… sweet. Delicate. Mouthwatering.
Above those scents was one she didn't know. Not intimately, anyway. It was strong and, in a way, soothing. Bold. It was a smell that brought to life an image of a tall, dark-skinned man in blue jeans and a dark shirt. Slanted eyes. Dark eyes and an aura to match. A flat in another city with windows wide and open to the streets below. When she closed her eyes, she could see the lanky man circling a white loveseat with a mug in his hand, steaming and letting off the same aroma that seemed to caress her senses.
"What in the three worlds is that putrid stench?"
"This, Akari, is coffee. Most people drink it with the notion that without it, their day would not go smoothly."
"And what do you drink it for?"
"The taste," came a third voice from the kitchen. "Shinobu has always enjoyed the sapidity of it."
When Akari blinked her eyes open, she again stared at the front door of the little shop she had once frequented, a light smile on her face. "Even you have changed."
"Everyone changes from time to time, Akari. No one creature can survive without changing at least once."
"You've got a point there, my friend." Akari bowed her head as if to hide the smile that twitched her lips as she turned to continue walking down the sidewalk. She continued on a ways before turning into an alley, where she stopped. And so did the sound of claws on the pavement behind her.
"Except you. You haven't changed a bit."
Akari spun to face her friend, her knees hitting the sidewalk with a thud and her arms open wide. As if having anticipated the gesture, Nabu met her halfway, climbing into her lap and resting his head on her shoulder with a tail that wagged so fast that Akari could almost hear a whistle on the air. Her arms wrapped tight around her friend and her nose buried into his fur, relief flooding her and releasing tension at her shoulders at the prospect of her one best friend having waited.
"I've missed you, Nabu. You don't even know."
His feet did a little dance against her thighs before he puffed at her. "I ran out of food, Akari. That wasn't very nice. Do you know how hard it was to track down a good source of food?"
A small laugh left her, muffled against the dog's fur as it was. She would have said something had she not heard another little doggie puff from a little ways away. When she lifted her head and opened her eyes again, she found herself staring into soft, dark brown eyes staring at her from a canvas of white fur. A pointed nose and short, triangular, upright-standing ears pointed at her in weariness and attention. The black nose at the end of the muzzle pointed in her direction twitched, testing what Akari knew to be her own scent, trying to discern if there was a threat.
Akari slowly let go of Nabu, letting her Shiba Inu friend slide away and turn to look at the white, bushy-haired female standing a few feet away. He made a noise at her that really, in Akari's ears, held no meaning, but the other dog twitched her nose as if discreetly disagreeing, her feet shifting ever so slightly in place.
Akari could see that her double coat had grown more than it should have, the portion at her chest hanging lower than what could possibly have been comfortable. In places, white was matted with brown and black- dirt and trash, she guessed- and the dark claws that clicked with each motion of her feet were overgrown, beginning to curl.
"Nabu-"
"I found her a few months ago. She won't let anyone else near her to trim them."
Akari gave a soft sigh at her friend, though a smile ghosted over her lips. "She's skittish."
"And you're as observant as ever."
"I've honed it a little." She paused, taking a moment to sit back on her ankles and observe the dog across the way, who seemed to mirror her and sit on its rump with a slight tilt of her head. "She kind of understands me, but not quite like you do."
"It hasn't been easy. I don't think she can comprehend much more than what she knows now."
"Where are her people?"
"Gone. Left her here when they moved."
"Jerks."
"That's putting it mildly." Nabu padded over to his friend, sitting next to the canine and producing quite the contrast to the other. Where the female was tense, Nabu was relaxed. Where Nabu sat still, she shuffled. When he was the perfect moment of silence, she was a shuffle of sound in distress. Where he obviously trusted Akari, she did not.
And for the first time since waking up in the forestry outside town, Akari made an attempt at changing from one form to the other. She waited, expecting the change, only to find herself completely the same. No fur, no claws, no muzzle.
When Akari looked up from her hands, she found herself blinking at her companion and his friend, finding that he had scooted closer in encouragement to the other, his side touching hers despite the fur that stood between them, and a new understanding came over her as the female reacted and moved even closer to Nabu.
The smile she found this time remained on her lips, soft and understanding. All she could do was watch Nabu and his newfound love with a satisfaction she couldn't quite understand. Perhaps it was because she knew he wouldn't ever be alone were something to happen to her.
"Akari?"
The copper-headed female slowly reached a hand out, palm facing up for the white dog that hadn't so much as moved from her spot. And neither moved for a time, Akari silently offering a sniff, Nabu encouraging his friend and the female remaining unmoving.
But when she finally did move, it was only when Nabu did, as if he were her insurance. A dry nose just brushed Akari's palm, and for a few minutes more the demoness didn't so much as twitch.
It wasn't until the other rested her chin in Akari's hand that she moved, slowly running a hand over the dog's head and assessing the fur between her ears. "That's right, girl," Akari cooed at the dog with a soft smile. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Except maybe when you clip her claws."
Akari paused, a thought crossing her mind as she eyed the fur underneath her palm, matted and full of stickers. "Nabu, I don't have any means of caring for either of you at present."
"We're well aware."
"I can't groom either of you, much less feed you two."
"We'll just have to think back to the beginning, yeah?"
Akari blinked and turned to Nabu, eyeing him with a tilt of her head in confusion. Beginning? She scrutinized the lightly-colored dog in thought, suddenly noticing light greys around his nose, the beginnings of his age showing. How long have I been gone?
"I'm sure sleeping on a few park benches and visiting a few old cafes won't hurt." The Shiba Inu gave the dog equivalent of a grin. "Just like old times." *
~!**!~
"It's fine, love." Shikiyoku reached out and rested her hand around the arm of the waitress, patting it reassuringly.
The two had stepped over into a corner so that they could talk a bit more privately, though their heads were close together as the noise of the area was filled with raucous laughter and drink-clinking.
"You're sure?" Their conversation had consisted of the neko demon having gotten a job elsewhere, and needing to be there the next day. She still seemed nervous about having to leave on such short notice.
"Don't worry about it." Shikiyoku started to move past her, back to her station as other demons began filling the stools. As she kept going, she winked at the neko and told her, "And there will always be a place for you here if anything happens."
The neko's face grew softer as she watched the owner quickly take her place behind the counter and smoothly begin conversing with and preparing drinks for the newcomers.
"She's somethin' else, isn't she?"
Nodding and clutching her tray to herself, the neko stood in place for a moment longer before she jumped, startled, the fur on her tail standing straight up as she took a step back from the dark-haired stranger that had come to stop next to her.
He gave her a kindly grin full of mischievousness and waved off her babbling response, not waiting for her to gather herself before he darted around the side of the building, trying to get positioned behind the female behind the bar, but not being particularly successful.
As Shikiyoku bent down to retrieve a glass from below the counter, she felt the twinge of a desire, but no malicious intent behind it, and so only stood up as if she did not know that in the next second a pair of hands were going to slip themselves over her eyes.
To the vast amusement of those watching, she did not so much as pause as she continued preparing the drink, her lips curling into wry humor as she deftly mixed together everything that she had already put within arm's reach, measuring out with just as much precision as she had when she had been able to use her eyes.
"Now that just made the whole thing SO not worth it."
The statement was almost lost in the cheers from those at her station as the hands removed themselves and Shikiyoku turned to see none other than Urameshi, Yusuke standing with his hands now on his hips in mock-disappointment.
Laughing and waving the cheerers quieter, Shikiyoku's green eyes glimmered up at the Mazoku.
"I didn't even get to say 'guess who!'"
"Would you like to have another go at it, then?" She resisted sticking her tongue out at him.
"C'mere, you." He growled in good-nature, reaching down and wrapping his arms around her in a giant hug, lifting her from the ground as she laughed again until he set her back onto the floor.
As one of the demons seated in front of her leaned forward to order something else, Shikiyoku found one of the other bartenders had scooted down to pick it up, nodding towards an empty table and hip-bumping Shikiyoku out of the way.
"Go talk with your friend." He told her. "You're officially on break."
"Yeah!" Yusuke agreed, reaching down to ruffle her hair.
She didn't let him, ducking out of the way and grabbing the two of them a drink as she slipped past him and lead the way around the counter.
"It's good to have you back, Yusuke." Shikiyoku told him as they slid into chairs at one of the only empty tables in the establishment.
He nodded and took a swig of the bottle she handed him.
"How mad was Keiko?" Shikiyoku managed to ask before he finished his gulp.
His eye gleamed at her as he put the bottle back down.
"Very."
"You make up with her?"
"We only got back yesterday. I'll be making this up to her for the next six years."
"It'll be good for you."
"If she doesn't kill me first."
"But you managed to get away so soon!"
"She's at class right now. And I asked her permission to spread some news today and only by promising to be back in time to fix her dinner was I allowed to leave the apartment at all."
Shikiyoku sniggered into her bottle as they both paused to take another drink, Yusuke leaning back in his chair with a grin as he finished his swig.
"So, basically, I'm here to make sure the red-headed doof actually followed up on his word and got around to everybody before he had to leave. I made him promise he'd go see Yukina first, and I wouldn't doubt it if he took a little longer than he expected talking with her." He grinned, and didn't specify exactly why it might have taken "a little longer," but Shikiyoku only huffed in amusement as she could tell exactly what he meant to imply.
"I think you underestimate your friend's sense of honor and duty."
"Maybe." Yusuke scratched under his nose with a finger. "But did he make it here?"
"Naturally. I spoke with him myself."
"How did ol' three eyes take the news?"
Shikiyoku blinked at the nomenclature, but knew exactly about whom Yusuke was speaking and chuckled, "Hiei has been away on business and likely will not return to the level until tomorrow at the earliest."
"Well that's good. I wouldn't exactly want to be around when he hears about the fact that his sister said yes to the big lug."
"They'll make each other happy, Yusuke, and that's really all that matters."
"I dunno..." He took another contemplative drink and Shikiyoku waited for him to continue. "I mean I guess neither of them want anyone else, but only getting to see each other once a year? And for barely twenty-four hours at that?" He shook his head, but lifted the bottle to his lips again and said nothing more, leaving Shikiyoku momentarily reminiscing about her encounter yesterday with the tall redhead...
As soon as the energy signature stepped over the threshold to the bar, the place went dead silent as a being radiating golden light paused just inside the door, scanning the room with purpose before finding the individual he sought standing in the back behind a counter serving drinks.
He did not appear to notice all the eyes that watched him, many backing away, unable to withstand the holy light with which they suddenly found themselves bathed.
Her eyes wide, Shikiyoku stepped quickly around the bar and dropped to one knee as he approached, her face towards the ground.
"My liege."
"Not you too." The voice seemed a little weary at her reaction, as if it had happened too many times that day. "Look, it's still, me, alright? I've just...I'm just...a little different, that's all."
"You've been elevated, my liege-
"Yeah, yeah but-"
"You're not just another human any longer. They've turned you into their...you're something of an avatar now, you know. A Celestial Warrior."
He sighed, "That's what they keep telling me, but I promise, I'm not- Not right now-"
"You're a little too...glowy for any of us to react any different, you know."
Appearing to check himself, after a moment the permeating warmth and light faded and it felt as if the entire room released a breath they had not known they were holding.
Looking none too different than she remembered, other than the growth of adulthood and the newfound strength of aura, Kuwabara, Kazuma's form finally became visible as he reached down to take Shikiyoku's hands in his own and stand her on her own two feet.
Feeling a surge of his presence overtake her, Shikiyoku might have reeled back had his grasp not held her in place, and she suddenly felt him fill with a new understanding as she looked up at him and realized that he suddenly understood her on a level few others had ever known.
He blinked as if he might have been overwhelmed, then gave her an apologetic smile, "I forget about that."
For a moment she could say nothing, only staring up at him.
His smile grew more genuine, more accepting, "I did not know-" He let out a self-aware little laugh. "Really, it's me that should be bowing to you, I think."
Shikiyoku shook her head, finally finding her voice, "The Celestials are closer to divinity than one such as I could ever become."
Kuwabara gave her a soul-searching sort of look, wondering exactly how much she knew of herself and what he might tell her. "Your capacity for Love undiscriminate is..." He only smiled, unable to quantify what he wished to say. "They are most proud of you, Junai."
"-that they'll make the best of it. They really suit one another, you know? ...don't tell Hiei I said that."
Shikiyoku blinked, only catching the last of what Yusuke had been saying. The rest of her experience with Kuwabara had consisted of him inquiring after Hiei, and then telling her that in a year's time he and Yukina would be wed. He wished Hiei to be a groomsman, and "runt-boy isn't allowed to say no," adding that Yukina might wish for her to be a bridesmaid, but that he was leaving that part of things up to her since she had more time to consider.
"I'll make sure not to mention it." Shikiyoku smiled.
In the silence of the next moment, Shikiyoku could sense Yusuke attempting to gather himself for whatever else he had sought her out to say.
"Did he...he told you we were all back, right?"
Shikiyoku nodded, making no hesitation to openly gesture to the bartender that when he had a moment they could both use another, "Everyone caught in the blast." She added.
Yusuke nodded, saying nothing as the bartender walked up with another set of bottles and put them down before moving away.
"Did he tell you about...about Kurama?"
The change in his tone did not go unnoticed, and she responded with equal carefulness.
"Not particularly." Not specifically.
It was just before he left, actually, that Kuwabara had said one last thing to her, his expression hesitant and clouded for the first time since he entered her bar.
Junai...keep your ear to the ground. There will be some news soon that you will be interested in pursuing. ...I am not the only one to return from the past changed...
Given that the number of their group who had left consisted of he, Yusuke, Akari, and Kurama... And that information had already reached her as to Akari's return to the city...
Shikiyoku could only assume Kuwabara's concern lay in regards to Youko's avatar, whom she had not particularly been in contact with since Youko himself attempted to get her to accompany him to Yomi's lands on the Eighth Layer.
That and not a single one of her contacts had neither heard nor seen hide or tail of either inhabitant of the human boy's body.
Yusuke's expression took on that same clouded look that Kuwabara had worn the day before, and he actually leaned back forward to rest his elbows on the table with a more serious atmosphere surrounding him.
He wasn't exactly sure how much to tell her. Or what she knew.
At first he only shook his head, staring absently at the bottle in front of him.
"He's...changed." Yusuke reached out and traced a line through the condensation on his bottle. "That damn king messed with his head, I know it. Or maybe he had to mess with his own head in order to survive. Or maybe he hit his head too hard when he got blasted back to-" Yusuke grunted and stopped himself, shrugging and looking over at her. "I've only heard stories about how Youko used to be, but I can tell you for a fact that it was not the Kurama I know that we came across back then. He was too-" Yusuke tried to grasp for an adjective, but seemed unable to come up with one, finally sighing. "I dunno. Too much like an animal. Kind of. I dunno." He took another drink, this time more somber in the gesture, finishing off the last of the bottle as he started to stand.
"I've got a few more people to talk to before this evening, but-"
Shikiyoku mirrored his movement and got up herself, grabbing for his empty bottle as well as her own.
"Look, if you hear anything about that guy would you- Could you-"
"I know where to find you." Shikiyoku replied simply.
"I'm just...worried about him, is all. Kuwabara said he saw him dashing off right before he sat up, and that the look in his eyes wasn't-"
"Yusuke." Shikiyoku reached over and gently rested her hand against the young man's arm, sensing his anxiety over the situation. "If it is in my power, I will do everything I can to make sure he is safe."
Yusuke blinked down at her, somehow finding that what she said had been what he wanted to ask her to do without knowing what or how to ask it.
Giving her a nod and a bit of a smile, the two said their goodbyes, and Shikiyoku dutifully returned to her place behind the bar.
~!**!~
"...and I have an Earthquake and a Tamagozake." Shikiyoku set the drinks down in front of their respective owners and let the small tray on which she had carried them over from her bar station fall to her side, giving the group a friendly smile.
"You lose your neko, eh?" One of the demons at the table was a regular, though she did not recognize any of the rest of the group with whom he sat. They had picked a table off in the corner several feet from her bartending area, and were therefore within her waitressing section for the evening where she hopped back and forth from bar to delivering drinks as was necessary.
"Didn't lose 'er." Shikiyoku quickly replied with a small smile, her eyes flashing. "I know exactly where she is." She pushed her glasses up father onto her nose loftily as the group chuckled. "And she's welcome to come back any time she likes, if she wants."
"Doing well for herself, then?"
"I can only hope." Shikiyoku started moving away from the table, noticing that one of the ones seated got up to follow her back to the bar, his drink in hand.
"So, have you had anyone ask to take her place?"
"No." She admitted, placing the tray back into its slot before hearing an order from someone at a stool nearby, nodding, and starting to fill the order. "But I haven't done any asking either."
He slid into an empty stool, watching her work. "You can fill the position pretty easily then."
"I don't tend to get so easily concerned over such small details." Shikiyoku shrugged, "People come and go."
"I am surprised more do not stick around. I certainly would not be in such a hurry to find employment elsewhere."
"Is that so?"
He gestured around the room, "The atmosphere here is the single most welcoming to our kind of anywhere on this level. Other places are not so understanding. Sometimes the humans even try to keep us out completely. There are more areas cropping up across their world that they are attempting to keep 'clean.'" He took a drink as Shikiyoku finished up the order and slid it down the bar to the awaiting patron, starting two others as the demon continued to watch.
"Not to mention the fact that the management herself is reason enough to stick around." He finally said pointedly, as if his other comments had been too vague.
"I find that particularly hard to believe."
"No, you don't." He gave her a sidelong smirk and a knowing look. "In fact, you're rather pleased about it, really. And so enticing too."
Another from his table that Shikiyoku did not know took the seat next to him and rattled off their next set of orders before asking, "So, how exactly might one get a job in a place like this?"
"Well, first there has to be an opening-"
"I've heard there's an opening."
"And knowing the owner is generally required."
"That one I do not have fulfilled, but am more than willing to follow up on. Would you care to get to know me, Kuraku?"
"Who said I was the owner?"
"I'm fairly certain there are few souls among our kind on this level who don't know you. Or know of you, in any case. It is however a problem I am willing to solve should you be so kind as to allow it."
"Now see, there's an issue with that." The first demon who had sat down in front of her finally interrupted his friend. "Because I was here first."
"Who said she only had to hire one of us?"
As if of one mind, they both turned towards her with inquiring, if slightly coquettish expressions.
"There's technically only one position open."
"Is it a position you like?"
"Would you like it to be a certain position?"
She blinked at the two of them, suddenly reminded of herself and Youko and realizing that she hadn't taken a moment to look either one of them over and thus hadn't the faintest idea which one of them asked which question.
In any case, for her the two demons seemed rather interchangeable.
"You're...twins."
"She finally noticed."
"Took her long enough."
"Does that make our offer more appealing to you?" He threw his arm over his brother's shoulders and the two drew closer to one another, still giving her a rather undisguised 'come hither' sort of look.
"I'm not really sure if I should answer that question at all."
"Why not?" The other pouted gloriously.
"Because no matter what I'll say, it'll only encourage you."
"That hardly seems like a problem."
"Tsumo-ri!" The last syllable of the name came out in a mocking-whine as another member of the table approached, notably more drunk than the current two occupying chairs in front of Shikiyoku, and he stumbled over to throw his arms over their shoulders and forced his head inbetween them, knocking his head intentionally against the second demon who had approached. "You weren't supposed to stay, you were supposed to come back. With drinks."
The newcomer appeared to notice his arm over a second set of shoulders and stared through glazed eyes at the other demon for a moment before brightening, much to the amusement of the twins.
"Moru-chan! Leave the pretty lady alone. Come back and-hic-sit with us!"
"Only if the 'pretty lady' joins us." He replied with his nose stuck slightly in the air.
"Momentarily." Shikiyoku conceded, correctly guessing to whom three of the glasses in front of her belonged and setting them in front of the three across from her. Without bothering to retrieve a tray this time, she simply grabbed the other drinks to transport them to the awaiting table, stepping out from behind the counter to deliver them, unsurprised to find that the other three followed, the first two walking with the third strung between them, laughing.
Moving around the outside of the table, Shikiyoku placed the drinks in front of their respective owners until she ended up on the far side, her back to the corner and a self-satisfied little smile on her lips.
"Tsumoru! Actually going to join us now?" The demon Shikiyoku actually knew as a regular raised his glass to the first twin that had sat down in front of her at the bar.
"Momentarily." He replied with a glance in Shikiyoku's direction, raising his glass as well and taking a drink as the demon did.
Shikiyoku only scoffed appropriately and shook her head. "Is there anything else I can do for you at the moment?"
While those still around the table indicated negatively in the midst of their revelry-also expressing thanks and making noises of approval as they took the first sips of their drinks-Tsumori moved to lean against the wall directly next to Shikiyoku, blocking her path to the bar from that side, his arm almost brushing against her as he held his drink in front of himself.
Reflexively taking a step back to distance herself, she looked up at him and nodded at the drink.
"Satisfactory?"
"You rather are. I'm impressed. How long have you been at this?"
"Long enough." She gave him a small smile.
"This...is exsheptional." The third demon who had retrieved the twins from her bar stepped up in front of her, giving Shikiyoku an appreciative glance as he took another gulp from his mug.
"Thank you." She took another small step backwards, aware that this demon appeared to have lost his understanding of personal space somewhere between this and the previous beverage. Before she could continue on her way, averting any attempts to move beyond Tsumori and simply walking around the other side of the table, she found that Tsumoru had suddenly taken to leaning his arm against the wall in the path of her escape, bringing his glass to his lips as his eyes roved over her openly, daring her from over the drink to try and slip by him.
"He's absolutely right." Tsumoru finally spoke once he lowered the glass. "You're quite exceptional."
"I know."
The three of them laughed as one said something about 'and so humble too.'
Sticking her nose in the air, Shikiyoku stood her ground, "There is no sense in being humble when the truth is too obvious to deny." She could feel her eyes beginning to glitter. If pressed, she wouldn't deny the twins' obvious offer as being delightful to consider, though she did not share and in truth preferred the desires she felt from Tsumori to the ones from the other, but for the moment she could not honestly say she minded being trapped in a corner surrounded by such attractives demons, any of which she could picture doing quite nicely should she actually decide to bed one of them.
Unlikely, given the double shifts she was covering-Shikiyoku glanced around Tsumori to make sure no one at her station was in need-but the thoughts were entertaining enough that for the time being, she remained standing in place as the banter passed back and forth.
In one moment where Moru and the third demon had started discussion something of no small importance to ones that had consumed the amount of alcohol they had, Mori considered Shikiyoku with a thoughtfulness that had her turning her glittering look of amusement from the argument next to her to inquisitiveness aimed at the currently silent one.
"There's...something about your eyes." He murmured, close enough to her that the word only just drifted between them to her ears. He reached up to tuck a strand of her hair that had fallen from the bun at the back of her head behind her ear and she allowed it, only blinking at him once. "They're...they're almost...glowing."
His hand had not dropped far from her face and he slowly reached for her a second time, his intentions unclear to anyone save the she-demon who felt his desire course through her veins.
Just as he might have touched the frames of her glasses, her hand gently reached up between them and knocked his away, knowing that the slight shimmer in the air around her had concentrated behind her eyes, the majority of that power, at least for the moment, shielded by that which rested across her face.
The two of them kept their hands poised in the air exactly where they stopped, and Shikiyoku finally looked up at him.
"I am afraid you do not have the privilege of removing these from my person." Her voice rose no higher than his had, their words almost whispered to one another. "I assure you the consequences of doing so would be too much for you to handle."
He paused for a moment, considering what she said, and then admitted, "You do realize that only further ignites my desire to do so."
She had felt it wash over her, in fact, and stronger than previously.
The very corner of her lips twitched upwards, but she did not look away from him, slowly lowering her hand back down to her side.
"I do." 3
Hiei hadn't been able to say he was around the bar as much as he liked these days, only coming back from little merc missions and getting enough sleep to be called out again. Little by little, he found himself called in for extra help when his group came in over their heads. That too happened more often than he liked.
They were learning, however. With each venture to another Level, the group began to come more in sync with one another, to the point where even their steps were taken at the same moment, down to the millisecond. They began to grow closer, until the fire demon considered each one of them a part of his slowly growing family- not that he'd told anyone as much. They all seemed to have understood at some point, however, that this was the case.
It made spending forty-eight hours with the same demons more than bearable, almost enjoyable despite their run-ins with other groups that weren't so keen on the competition. It made the trips a little more fun even when they were a little worse for the wear.
This time was no different. Hiei lead the group at a fast pace, never going fast enough to leave a single person behind. They ran from Level to Level on the retrieval mission, keeping the child they'd been hired to find in the middle of the group and safe from any outside threats. Nobody said a word. Not verbally, anyway.
"Hey boss, the kid's slowing down a little. Not as athletic."
Hiei slowed his pace a fraction, ears trained on the only set of footfall that didn't fit into the rhythm of the merc group. He didn't have to look back at the child to know he huffed and puffed.
"Hiei."
This time, crimson eyes shifted to the demon at his right, looking from the corners at his right-hand man. "I saw them."
"Should I do the honors?"
"If you wish."
The other broke away from the group, though his spot was readily replaced as the group moved to rid the circle of its hole, keeping the formation without fault. He didn't bother keeping an eye on the other. They didn't have the time.
Several more hours passed before the group of eight reached the Second Level, where another group of demons waited. Hiei pulled to a stop, the rest doing the same.
"You're back sooner than anticipated, Gouka," the ringleader spoke, his tongue heavy and his words guttural. "The boss will be pleased."
"As a precaution, my men will be escorting you all to the center of the Level," Hiei began, his eyes never wavering from the dark ones staring down at him. "We've run into a few problems, and I'm sure more lie ahead."
"We won't be paying you for the overtime."
"I never asked." With that, Hiei stepped to the side, revealing the small child that still huffed and clutched at his chest. Tired, but unharmed despite the circumstances he'd been caught up in. "As requested: untouched by us."
"Let's get moving, then." The large claw of the other waved ahead of him, inviting Hiei to take point. "Your Jagan will foresee any… obstacles."
And it was in the same fashion as before that, for another two hours, Hiei lead demons through another Level, never speaking aloud unless spoken to by the ones who did not seem to enjoy the telepathic communications. Occasionally, one of his men would branch off, as before, but eventually each member returned to their place, as if never having left in the first place.
And so all went well, the only hindrance in their movements being when the child had begun to whine about the running, wherein the group had paused just long enough to pick the boy up and begin again.
As such, when confronted with the woman who had hired them to find her son, the group had been very nicely endorsed for their troubles, each one given a knapsack of currency with none having more than the other.
This made the trek to the first Level boisterously joyful for his men, who all joked and laughed about things that didn't really pertain to recent happenings. Some spoke of their lovers, some of their friends, others of their fights when they'd broken away from formation.
Each guild member followed after their leader, back to the bar that had been the origin of their motley crew. Hiei was the first to enter the facility, following an internal compass before actually using his eyes to find the woman he most wanted to see. And at first, his own group had been too loud for him to register much else other than their banter as they tromped to the bar or to their reserved seating in the farthest left corner away from the door.
He did, however, find his eyes focusing on a few demons in the far right corner furthest from him, noting that while he did not see Shikiyoku immediately, he was aware that that was the only place she could be within these four walls.
He would have smirked to himself at their banter, were it not for the slight ire that momentarily bubbled at their intrusion. So, instead, he let himself skirt around the table where the friends of the offenders sat, then slip between the trio blocking his view of Shikiyoku until he was standing in front of her.
Without so much as a bat of an eyelash at her, his index finger moved first to the necklace he had immediately noticed missing from the forefront of her person, tugging at the string and plucking the jewels from underneath her shirt and into view. "That's better," he remarked, pausing only briefly to glance them over before grabbing at her hand and turning her around, gently but swiftly removing the glasses from her face to see her eyes. He folded them up nicely in one hand, finding her chin and tilting it upward until she had no choice but to look up at him, at which point he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. On a whim, the hand that still held hers moved, pulling her hand up until he could press it to his core and spread her fingers over the marking underneath his cloak in silent prodding of what he wanted.
In that moment, an amount of satisfaction swept over him at knowing the rest in the bar would not get the pleasure of seeing those glowing irises that he'd unveiled, or get to do just as he was doing. That no other had been able to get close enough to be allowed to be so close to her.
It was with this thought that he pulled away from her finally, a slight twitch at his lips as he unfolded her glasses and calmly slid them back onto the bridge of her nose.
(Miss me?) *
It was almost too perfect for her when Tsumori gave her a tiny flirt of a smile, still gazing down at her as he went on with, "You're certainly not all alone in this world. Not someone like you. Who exactly has such a privilege, may I ask?"
The timing couldn't have been better for Shikiyoku to suddenly find her view blocked by a dark cloak, Mori's question being answered without her saying a word as Hiei spoke up and revealed her necklace, which she had in truth forgotten, noting somewhere in the back of her head as he turned her back to the other three that she really should consider doing it on purpose at some point.
She had no doubt in her mind that Hiei must have come into the bar just in time to hear the earlier portion of her and Tsumori's conversation, as his removing her glasses seemed too well-timed to have been coincidence, her eyes gleaming up at him with energy that had increased in the moments in which he had appeared.
As he kissed her, she could feel her energy begin bubbling through her veins, but a foreign sense of control over how it reacted momentarily had her turning inward to check herself before she quite willingly released it with a precision that had some part of her astonished as it did exactly as she wished and wrapped itself around the newly arrived fire demon in an embrace that left the two of them standing together for a beat before she felt him place her hand over his core, knowing even without the sensation washing through her what he desired her to do.
(Cheeky.)
The sentiment mirrored her acquiescence as she set his marking aglow, noting between them something about 'the glasses not being enough, hm?' without so many words.
Though it did not pass through their bond, for just a moment something within Shikiyoku protested when he pulled away, as if she were to say 'I wasn't done,' though she actually said nothing as she lowered her hand and his marking returned to normal, her energy invisibly snaked back towards her and became tucked away, gleaming only through her eyes which grew shielded once more as Hiei returned her to nearly the state in which he found her.
(Always.)
A sigh just behind her drew Shikiyoku back into the real world and away from the bubble Hiei had created around them in those few moments, and she turned just enough to be able to look back up at Tsumori, feeling from him a jealousy that stemmed from wishing something like that for himself, and not necessarily a jealousy in finding her in the arms of another.
"Pity." He murmured absently into his drink, still looking at her, but with a different emotion behind his eyes than before.
Facing him, Shikiyoku crooked a finger at him and he curiously bent down to her level, whereupon she reached up and turned his face so that he could see the rest of the room.
"There is a lovely creature in the corner who has been eyeing you since you walked in." They were practically cheek-to-cheek and Shikiyoku pointed briefly so that he could spot to whom she referred. "I would suggest talking with her."
She let go of his chin and he stood back up as she gave a coy shrug and said, "But what would I know."
Blinking, Tsumori this time caught the glance from across the room, though the other just as quickly looked down at realizing they'd been found out, and he began to move away, after a couple of steps turning back to give Shikiyoku the strangest look, to which she responded by shooing him further, encouraging him silently and watching him go. 3
For once, Hiei felt he had to restrain himself, his initial reaction to the look Shikiyoku gave him being to press his hand on the top of her head. Instead, he tucked that hand into the pocket of his cloak, his eyes watching her as she turned back to what's-his-face and eyed him for a moment.
He watched her, noting every motion she made when she moved and how relaxed it was. His lips gave the slightest of twitch before his expression returned to neutral, something grabbing his attention.
Something about her seemed… different. As he watched, there was some inexplicable notion that she was showing him a different side of her, one he'd never before seen. At first, he thought he might have been imagining things, but he couldn't quite shake the feeling.
And it was a feeling that seemed to only pique his interest further; he'd thought he'd learned so much about her within his days at her side that he'd figured her out.
And here she was, somehow giving him the feeling that he was far from figuring her out. Even as she shooed the other demon away, he found himself seeing little ticks that were new, that she had never before shown.
He wasn't entirely aware of his amusement on the matter filtering through their bond.
(You've been busy I see.) The comment was an off-hand one, more meant for casual conversation than teasing. (How many shifts are you pulling today?) Before she could answer, he was turning and moving further into the bar, nodding at those who met his gaze as he moved for the door to the stairs.
He didn't so much as glance back as the door slid open for him to enter, though his attention was still irrevocably on Shikiyoku's side of the bond. He made the quick trip up the flight of stairs, turning and moving into his room. (Where's the Neko?) Usually, he wouldn't notice a missing patron of the bar, but the one he inquired about was probably one of the only ones he didn't mind occasionally acknowledging in the bar.
He quickly changed from his cloak and black pants to a clean pair of the same black pants, this time grabbing a blue tank and pulling it over his head. The bag of change he'd been rewarded was safely tucked away in a nearby drawer, Hiei straightening himself as he turned to make his way back to the hallway, down the stairs and into the calm atmosphere of the bar, where he slid behind the counter and took a few drinks from the closest person and slid them down the way to the awaiting customer. *