A/N: Hello once again, Audience.
Bare bones post since I'm still in Italy.
Ciao for now!~
"That...that is just not fair." The other twin who had been momentarily distracted from the going-ons around him turned back and pointed at Shikiyoku's necklace, half-aware on some level of the exchange that had occurred as well as the sudden absence of his brother. He was not, however, too drunk to be unable to recognize the easily distinguishable mark of a Cursed Child. It did not stop him from protesting, even as Hiei moved away.
Shikiyoku raised and lowered a shoulder.
(All of them. As always.)
"You are mean, Kuraku."
"If the rumors themselves do not carry his name alongside my own, then I suppose I should really remember to keep track of the necklace, shouldn't I?" She winked at him as she began moving away, settling behind her usual station and beginning to create from memory the order Hiei's guild would have as soon as they remember to make it.
(Gone. As of yesterday. Which is why I'm filling two shifts simultaneously this time.)
She glanced at the door as he reentered the room and passed behind her to help one of the other bartenders further down.
In only a few more minutes she had the entire guild covered and set to handing each one of them what they wanted, moving fluidly among them with equal parts smiles and conversation.
A blip of the weariness that had piled up over the past few days accompanied her next statement between them.
(It's good to see you.) 3
Hiei took orders from patrons at the bar, turning and nodding at the other bartender that skirted around him for a tray and began making a larger order for a table further into the room. He made a gesture to the other, finding that she smiled gratefully at him when he motioned that he could handle the bar while she was busy.
(Shame. She's a hard worker.)
He slid a few more drinks down the bar before reaching below, his hands finding snacks hidden below the counter. Deft hands had a bag of chips open, and was assembling a sandwich before he was occupied again with another order.
By the time Shikiyoku said anything, he had a chip in his mouth and was looking up at the room, watching her circle the table with his group of mercs.
(Same to you.) He took a quick bite from his sandwich before wiping his hand on a towel and turning to make another for the demoness taking orders at a nearby table. By the time she passed by, he had the order made and was passing her a tray with a nod.
(I've been unable to keep track of current happenings; any news on the others?) *
Shikiyoku started on the second round of drinks for the guild as Hiei asked about his friends, and there was a tick of pause as she reached to pour a portion of the mix, and for a moment a flood of indiscernible emotions washed over her before she could reign it in and continue working.
(I spoke with Yusuke yesterday.)
She assembled the drinks fluidly on her tray again and stepped around the counter once more, those that had been given their first drinks already ready for their second as she knew they would be.
(And Kuwabara the day before.)
While the idea of Yusuke in her mind was little changed when she relayed the statement to him, that of Kuwabara differed greatly, and for multiple reasons that she felt she could not take the time at the moment to explain.
(Remind me later.) She decided to convey that now she wouldn't be able to aptly describe what had happened in the midst of the organized chaos around them.
Moving back towards the bar to fill her tray with other orders that were done but remained undelivered, Shikiyoku slipped between two stools across from where Hiei stood to grabbed the drinks the bartender had prepared, and when Hiei reached across the counter as if to hand her a chip, she glanced up at him, eyes glittering, and without stopping her other movements, craned her neck towards his fingers and took it from him, stepping away as she gave him a grin and drew the chip into her mouth passed her lips and turned away. 3
Had the fire demon been looking at Shikiyoku, he would have tilted his head ever so slightly at her in curiosity. Instead, he settled for a simple will do passing over the bond while his hands worked at orders and tossed the occasional chip into his mouth. As she took the one he offered to her, he found himself only mildly surprised at how she accepted his offer, though more so amused at her antics and the fact that he was again struck by the sense of her having changed.
Or, maybe it was more apt to say that she seemed to be simply more. More of herself, more like the nature of her energy, which he was slowly learning more and more about. More… free-flying.
More everything.
The notion had him momentarily staring after her, as if he might find a physical change as well.
(Your hair is growing back.) It was an offhanded comment, more of a sudden realization than anything else.
Before he could say anything more, he found himself a bit preoccupied with a chatty demon at the bar. A regular, asking of his most recent runarounds of the levels.
Too bad the Neko is gone. She'd be handy here. *
Having momentarily caught up with the members of the guild allowed Shikiyoku to help smooth out the rest of the orders by acting as whatever role was required at that moment, receiving more than one grateful word or look as she did so without hesitation.
Gracefully moving through the crowds as necessary, Shikiyoku felt her vanity at the state of her hair sliding over the bond when Hiei spoke of it with her.
(Not nearly fast enough to suit my tastes.) She found herself giving an audible sniff of derision as she self consciously reached up and moved a strand that had fallen back to its place behind her ear.
As the memory of the encounter which had resulted in her loss flashed across her mind, she felt her previous smile returning.
While that particular interaction had not resulted in any positive leads in regards to her finding her lost Consort, in the end she would have given that and more. Even perhaps making the journey into the Realm of the Dead if she thought it would have helped.
For some reason as she darted back between bodies, Shikiyoku was struck by the thought that perhaps Hiei had meant it as a compliment, and what was something she could come up with to say in return.
A table stopped her and she maneuvered around it so she could get close enough to hear their request.
(Mm. You are looking as handsome as ever, aren't you?) The off-handedness of the remark could have been aimed at one of the regulars at the table where she had stopped. However, while her ear may have been trained on the conversation at hand, her eyes flashed across the room and were themselves glued to the hybrid she could make between bodies where he stood behind the bar. 3
He understood her disdain at the length of her hair, though a part of him found that it being short wasn't so bad either- other than the ties it had with her power. A part of him was almost amused by it though, that she immediately turned to that disdain. He almost wanted to tease her on it, except he knew it to be a touchy subject. Instead, he only let himself lower his head to hide the gleam in his eye.
"-sure you guys have lots of fun out there!"
Hiei gave a curt nod to the demon in front of him, his hands working on another order as the other chattered on some more about how he too used to be a mercenary and his many adventures in the world. Loon.
At first, he didn't quite catch Shiki's comment, his hands too busy and his ear full of the conversation he was all but forced into. But the moment he slid the finished concoction away, he felt eyes on himself and glanced up, flashing the briefest look in her direction.
(I woke up like this.) A brief smirk flashed across his lips before he turned his back on her to fill another drink. (My looks are rather easy to manage, you know.) *
(I know many a human female that would be jealous to hear such knowledge.) Shikiyoku lowered her eyes to finish her interaction with the table before moving on again, becoming stopped a second time for another reason.
(I, however, also woke up like this.) She reminded him. (Though you ought to know. You were there.)
(I must admit that I'm rather surprised you haven't returned with some female or another on your arm. You do realize you could have your pick of any of them, I'm sure.) Even with his markings clearly visible on his cheek and bared arm, there was always a glance in his direction from newcomers when they first entered, and not a single one went unnoticed by Shikiyoku, who would find herself fighting off a smile each time it happened. 3
Hiei let out a breath of amusement at the first remark Shikiyoku responded with, and then a second at the recollection she forced to the front of his mind of him waking up to Shikiyoku's messy hair and sleepy face a little over two days prior. Part of him looked forward to that, but part of him also enjoyed helping her in her own business. He saw it sort of like… a bonding thing, really. Maybe it was one of the only ways he knew how to support her interests.
The last remark that he got from her had him pausing and looking over his shoulder and into the crowd for her, his eyes narrowed a little. He didn't immediately see her, so he turned back down to what he'd been drafting, thinking for a few more moments.
(Now why would i have interest in any other but you?) He turned and set the tall glass onto the bar top, a brow raised as he began wiping the surface with a wet rag. (Besides, they're not…. Interesting enough for my tastes.) *
As Shikiyoku passed by the large gathering of guildmates, checking on them and their drinks, one of the ones that was already three sheets to the wind wrapped his muscular arms around her in a giant hug as he began thanking her profusely for looking after them, and for always looking after them and-
Catching sight of Hiei as various bodies parted, Shikiyoku focused on him for a moment, even reaching up and lowering her glasses a hitch so she could truly see him as he stood wiping down the bar.
Before he could look up at her, the other demon let her go and Shikiyoku returned her attention to the matter at hand, graciously accepting the thanks as she pushed her glasses further up her nose as if the jostling had loosened them from their usual placement.
As with most times, Shikiyoku felt...well, nothing from her Consort. Not even with the hyperfocus she had been afforded this day. He simply...was. Nothing more.
It wasn't as if she thought he was lying to her, it was only that his interest apparently fell more scientific in nature than she might have hoped, and that perhaps he hadn't quite picked up on her meaning.
She had done as she wished and planted the notion within him, so she glazed over the subject matter with the thought that should something happen while he was out in the future, he could recall her words on the matter if he so chose.
(I suppose.) She allowed, moving to drop off the empty glasses at the further end of the bar and then starting to move down and making her way back to the edge and her own station. (But you shouldn't let yourself be so close-minded. Something absolutely wonderful could walk right in front of you and you might find yourself letting it pass right on by.) 3
Hiei once again turned his back to the bar, this time filling multiple glasses, each propped against the fountain, and grabbing the tray that was slid across the bar from the other waitress. One by one, he filled the tray, forming the glasses in the most optimum design to assure perfect balance, all the while listening to the bond in his head.
He picked up the tray, testing the balance in his palm before he turned around, watching Shikiyoku as she came around the bar with the intent to pass by, her words making him blink as she began to pass in front of him.
….
Cheeky.
He adjusted his stance, moving the tray up and into the air over their heads, his free hand reaching out and passing a small glass in front of her, blocking her path with an unwavering stare.
"For table three," he said to her, never once moving despite the waiting demoness on the other side of the bar. *
Eyes scanning the general crowd next to her as she moved, Shikiyoku stopped short of the glass that had appeared rather suddenly in front of her, reaching out in a knee-jerk fashion to retrieve it only after she felt her entire body flush in what could have been embarrassment, but about what she wasn't sure.
Tucking her tray under an arm, she moved back out into the tables without so much as looking at Hiei, her ears having registered his words and her feet moving the appropriate direction without much thought.
Her ears burned and she felt the remnants of her energy from when he first approached her stirring in her veins as she quickly delivered the beverage and dodge through the various bodies to return to her place.
Halfway there, she abruptly wavered in place as a sudden thought struck her and she glanced over her shoulder in Hiei's direction, blinking for a second.
Did he just...
No... Pulling her eyes away and shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, she kept going. 3
In truth, it was a little difficult to keep a straight face when color came to Shikiyoku's ears, though somehow he managed to do so when she turned on her heel and moved into the crowd. It was even easier to do once he realized that she didn't understand.
Dammit.
He lowered the tray and passed it across the bar to the waitress, who gave him a look he didn't understand before she turned and moved for her table of waiting customers. He saw the waitress be stopped again and listened to the order from across the room, this time reaching beneath the bar and grabbing bottles. Again, he turned his back to the bar to mix beverages, and turned around in time to, once more, hold an arm out in front of Shikiyoku before she could pass.
"Here," he passed her a drink with a raised brow, then turned and passed the three others to patrons at the bar. "For the customer on your end," he finally told her, eyes watching her as he stepped out of her way to fill more glasses.
(Having fun yet?) *
I've gotta stop going back this way.
The thought was only half-formed in her mind as she took the drink and moved down to the end of the counter, establishing who required the glass in her hand before she slid the tray back into place and started filling out the third round for the guild members still present.
Still blushing nearly from head to foot for reasons she could not place as she rattled through the ingredients and measurements in her head, she only blinked once as Hiei's inner voice brushed against their bond.
(I don't understand you.)
She hardly took notice of her response as she finished and took an empty tray from a passing worker to use, moving once more for the group with drinks in tow. 3
Hiei found his lips twitching upwards into a smirk as he wiped a glass dry before beginning a new drink, his sense of smell guiding him through the process by memory of the ingredients until it was filled to the brim. As she moved by again, he set that glass, tall and colorful, on her tray. "For his lover," he whispered as she passed, gesturing to one of his mercs at the table who now had a woman hanging over his shoulders.
"Thanks boss."
Hiei nodded to his friend before turning back to the bar dutifully. (Hn.)
Soon enough, the business at the bar began to slow down little by little, demons slowing down on their drinking and giving Hiei enough time to do a few dishes. He stood back on his heels, a glass in one hand and a towel in the other, his eyes following Shikiyoku as she moved around the bar.
(You've not eaten since I got back.) It wasn't a question, simply an observation. Without another thought, he was working on making another sandwich at the bar, assembling it bit by bit until it was sitting in a little basket, a bag of chips set to the side. Telepathically, he asked the nearby waitresses not to bother Shikiyoku, and warned that he would be stepping away from the bar for a moment.
He moved around the counter and towards where she was stepping between bodies, grabbing her by the arm and tugging her away from the crowd. (Come. Sit.) He didn't let her argue, instead guiding her to the bar and gesturing to the empty end of it, where the sandwich and chips sat. (Eat.) *
Orders and mixing and walking and delivering all began blurring together in her mind, which on some level surprised her given that Hiei had returned and it was a state of mind she typically only reverted to when he was not there.
Perhaps because she was down a body on her staff.
Not that she particularly had time to consider it.
The next time she felt Hiei speaking with her, her answer back to him that inadvertently passed between them consisted of the notion that she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, though she was not expecting him to specifically seek her out and all but carry her back to the bar itself, especially since she wasn't feeling all that hungry anyway.
She obliged him, though initially only took a half-hearted bite, taking her time absently chewing it as her mind blanked out once she stopped moving, leaving her unaware that she sat blinking at nothing as the bar continued to busily exist around her. 3
Behind the counter once more, the fire demon let his eyes wander the bar, taking in each pair of eyes that glanced his way, noting here and there an odd gleam in one's eyes or a lack of light in another after they'd had too much to drink. One demoness smiled at him, but his eyes moved on anyway, uninterested.
He watched his group of guild members, amused that they were the loudest bunch in the whole establishment, and at the same time unsurprised at the fact. A couple of them had attracted some attention, but over all they seemed harmless.
Finally, his eyes turned back to Shikiyoku, who he noticed staring blankly at the wall behind him. Still wiping a glass, he watched her for a moment before he had to shuffle aside for a waitress retrieving a bottle.
(Shift change is in five.) he told her, moving to stand in front of her as he too finally began to feel the wear of the last two and a half days. (You'll be covered then.) He set the glass down in its rightful place, turning to a nearby patron who waved a hand and taking that order, in no real hurry. *
Food pretty much forgotten where it sat in front of her, Shikiyoku only leaned her cheek into her hand as she rested her elbow on top of the counter and let out an inaudible sigh as she watched Hiei move about.
(I'm sorry you got stuck working again. You could just disappear upstairs when you get back, you know.) 3
"Thanks, pal," the demon said as Hiei passed the drafted beverage to the guy, to which Hiei nodded quietly to before he leaned away and against the countertop, hands clasped in front of himself calmly. He merely watched the thriving business, his ears finding different sounds for a while before the bond awakened again.
(If I did not wish to be here, I most certainly wouldn't be.) Hiei sent a sidelong glance in Shikiyoku's direction, a gleam flashing in his eyes for a moment before it too disappeared behind his calm expression. (I rather enjoy the atmosphere anyway.)
As if on cue, the door chimed open again and a couple of demons entered the place, both dressed in the same attire as the current waitresses traipsing about the place. The fire demon folded the towel he had been using and turned to move around the counter, giving passage to the employees about to clock in.
He nodded hello to both as he passed, but continued to follow the bar all the way until he reached Shiki, who he reached out for with the intent of walking her up the stairs.
(Your shift is done, my wind. Let's go.) *
Shikiyoku had managed to slide off the stool as she felt the approach of the next set of workers, the bartender at the station next to hers already waving her away to cover what she would not be.
Taking the food in one hand, she did not hesitate to grab for Hiei's when he offered it with the other, though when they reached her usual station next to the door leading upstairs, she tugged at him as she moved for that counter.
There was a moment where she huffed, looking at first one of her hands and then the other and then passing her food to Hiei so that she did not let go of him as she made off with two cold ones, finally heading up the stairs. 3
Hiei paused when Shiki tugged at his hand, turning to look at her and noting the comical dilemma she seemed to have. He waited patiently until she handed her sandwich basket to him, which he calmly took from her, and then watched as she grabbed for two bottles before turning and moving for the stairs again.
Amused, the fire demon only followed in silence, one hand still in hers as she took the lead this time.
For the fifth time this day, the thought I missed you flew across the forefront of his mind before leaving his awareness altogether once more.
And for the first time all day, he couldn't think of anything to say. *
Shikiyoku knew that it would be likely that she wake up in the morning, ravenous as usual, and the sandwich would be the first to fall to her appetite. And she wouldn't even have to leave the room this time.
By the time she reached the door to Hiei's room, the caps on the bottles had been removed and were palmed in her hand, and as she stepped inside she finally let go of his hand, passing one bottle to him and taking the basket from him as she moved over to set the sandwich down on the table and let the bottle caps clink together as she dropped them next to the sandwich.
She stood over the table as she took a long drink of the cold liquid and let it settle in her stomach, glad to have Hiei nearby once more. 3
Hiei took the bottle offered to him, though he himself waited and watched Shikiyoku as she took a long swig, partially amused at her. Really, all he could think about in the moment was the warm, comfortable bed nearby, and how nice it would be to be laying there with Shiki, not a worry in the world.
Instead, as she lowered the bottle from her lips, something came tumbling from his own with a sidelong smirk.
"What, no fancy toast? No clinking of bottlenecks?" With gleaming eyes, he lifted his own bottle until it nearly touched his lips. "Suit yourself." Then he too took a long drink from the glass bottle. *
As Shikiyoku cleared the drink from her mouth, she looked at Hiei with amusement. "You want we should toast to the finishing of another shift? Hardly seems worthy." She turned slightly away from him as she continued, starting to take another drink, "And maybe I just didn't want your drink jostling mine." 3
Hiei's brow twitched very slightly as if to rise, but never completed the gesture as he swallowed another gulp from his bottle. When he finally pulled the mouth of the bottle from his lips, it was to reveal the slightest of sideways grins, though he said nothing more on the matter.
"Feeble excuse," he remarked as he turned and meandered his way to his bed, scratching at his chin as he turned and sat on the end. He resumed watching her with gleaming irises. *
"Well if you have a better one, I'm certainly listening." She replied, moving the bottle just far enough from her lips to get the words in before she took another drink.
Despite the strength of what she grabbed and how she could feel the dulling effect just beginning to seep through her veins, it seemed that it did nothing in regards to her having any less control over her energy than she had the whole day.
She couldn't think of anything specifically to attribute the phenomenon, not even the bobby pins holding up her hair, whose enchantment had been better refined over time to assist in keeping her energy generally under wraps. 3
Hiei shifted his weight, setting his half-finished drink on the nightstand. "How about to escorting a kid through four Levels without incident?" The fire demon sat upright and gave a little smug shimmy of his shoulders, his nose going a little higher in the air with pride. He let his chin fall after a moment, this time shifting to make room on the corner of the bed for Shikiyoku to sit, where he pat the comforter in a silent offer to help remove the pins in her hair while she ate or drank.
"This is also me reminding you of the others- Yusuke and the oaf especially." *
"Mm. That's certainly something I would drink to." And she did, setting the now-empty bottle on the coffee table and absently noting Hiei's desire. She blinked as his words successfully brought to her mind all she had to tell him and she blinked again, starting to move for the door. "I am not nearly comfortable enough for all that. It is my understanding though that they made it back two days ago, all of them-"
As she opened the door and stepped into the hallway towards her own room, she continued speaking.
(-the four that we were missing. The blast that separated you and I was the result of a combination of spells, one of which was something of a time reversal meant for Kuwabara who had fallen in the fight, but was being resurrected by the Kami themselves.)
When she got to her room, Shikiyoku started shuffling through drawers as she discarded her current clothing and pulled a nightgown over her head, fondly smooth it down as she thought briefly of Toriko-who apparently had a thing for adorable night wear, some of which Shikiyoku brought over from the house.
(Long story short, they ended up back when there was only one world, Sekaiju, and apparently were present for the Sundering, which is how they got back here.)
Grabbing a brush from a different drawer, Shikiyoku made her way back to Hiei's room to sit next to him with her back to him, legs crossed on the bed and hands in her lap.
(Yusuke came to catch up for a few yesterday-)
"-mostly to make sure that Kuwabara had gotten time to visit." As Shikiyoku settled in, she paused again in her story, remembering how overwhelmed she and everyone else in the bar had been when the formerly brusque redhead had entered the room. 3
Hiei listened as Shikiyoku left the room, having guessed that she was going to go change. He didn't mind so much, and really, it gave him an opportunity to do the same. In fact, he knew that she'd gone out of her way to invest in some clothing for him that varied from his usual, and decided he might as well utilize the things she'd given him.
So as she chattered in the bond, Hiei giving the appropriate little moments that told her he was listening, he too rummaged through drawers until he found a comfortable pair of sleep pants. They were simple, black with white checkerboard patterns, but he found he kind of liked the pattern.
He had just gotten comfortable in his previous spot when Shikiyoku reentered the room, and he noted the nightgown she wore with silent approval of the red-on-black color scheme.
Finally, when she sat in front of him, he began removing pins from the back of her head, watching little strands fall here and there as he picked up on the conversation. "'Gotten time to visit'?" He repeated, curiosity bubbling. He pulled a few more pins from her hair before he spoke up again, tone quiet and almost one of distraction. "And Kurama?" *
"He's- Kuwabara's-" She let out a little huff of air. "He's sort of the Grim Reaper now. Or in any case, that's one of his duties. He'll get one night a year where he can interact with our side of things. He's actually what's called a Celestial Warrior. There haven't been any of those in a very long time. Mortals deemed worthy of a rank that's near godhood in status. Almost always a human. He was hoping you would be around when he came to see me. He had...wanted to ask your permission about something." 3
Hiei didn't mind the glossing over of the fox demon in question, since originally Shiki had been on the subject of Kuwabara anyway. The information given to him did give him pause, two fingers holding a pin that still kept her hair in place at the top of her head. "So, the oaf has a purpose, hm?" If he were honest on the situation, he'd say he was quite amused by how it ended that way; the human dying only to be brought back by the Kamis.
What an honour it must be.
He wouldn't say that aloud though.
He pulled the last pin from her hair just as she finished speaking, and he leaned around her shoulder to look into her face in curiosity. "And why would Kuwabara be looking for my permission for anything?" *
Shikiyoku calmly met Hiei's look, before answering finding that she had lifted a hand and brushed the tips of her fingers lightly over the markings across his cheek.
"Because he knows Yukina is your sister." 3
For a moment, Hiei didn't so much as move. He didn't blink, didn't even breathe. In that moment, the fire demon could only begin to put puzzle pieces together, realizing all at once that the boy being chosen by the Kamis meant that he would know anything and everything about anyone and everyone he came into contact with.
Not excluding family relations that were meant to keep under wraps.
One thought crossed his mind.
If he tells her, not even the Kamis could save him from my wrath.
The moment passed, leaving Hiei to staring at Shikiyoku with raised brows, waiting for the other shoe to drop. *
"Do you know how he knows?" It was a rhetorical question that she obviously intended to answer directly.
Her hand lowered from his cheek to the gem he wore around his neck, the one that sang out Yukina's name as she rested her hand against it and murmured the next words at him.
"Because she knows, prince of fire. Why else would she truly give you this except to show you as much? She accepted you long before you knew you were accepted. And though you can never tell her, you'll never have to." 3
For a few seconds, Hiei wasn't sure how to feel about what Shikiyoku said. First, he was angry, thinking perhaps in the beginning someone had told her despite it not being their tale to tell. Second, after he realized it likely not as such, he felt an unnameable emotion that had him blinking at the woman in front of him; she never really was supposed to know.
Finally, at the realization that the ice demoness had figured it out on her own, Hiei slowly, gently, let his forehead fall until it rested on Shikiyoku's shoulder. For some reason he didn't understand, he felt relief. As if no more did he have to tiptoe around and be mindful of his words should he decide to go see Yukina. And, really, he hadn't told her, so his deal with Shigure still stood.
With his head still resting on Shiki's shoulder, he took a breath in. "There's more." There was no denying the pause that hung on the air, as if the room itself waited for the rest. *
Shikiyoku closed her eyes when Hiei rested against her, letting her head tilt and touch his comfortingly.
She almost shrugged, "And they're engaged. Kuwabara came looking for you to ask you your blessing." No need to also tell him she was supposed to pass the same word onto Uryo, knowledge Kuwabara had gotten from her, since Kuwabara's original purpose had been seeking out Hiei. "But I'm also supposed to inform you that you're going to be in the wedding party. Under the premise of it being at Kuwabara's behest, if you still feel it would bring up too many questions to do so for your Koorime twin." 3
If Hiei had parted his lips, he wouldn't have been able to stifle the groan he almost made at this third shoe that dropped. On any other day, he probably would have been irritated with this string of news. Currently, all he could feel was exhaustion, and a bit overloaded.
"One wrong move and he answers to me," came his gruff voice after a few seconds, on one level acknowledging the fact that Yukina was happily agreeing to be with Kuwabara despite the once-a-year visits.
On another level, he was sure the Kamis were laughing at him in some way.
"Anything else?" *
Shikiyoku let out a little chuckle at his first reaction, "Believe me, he knows. And she is perfectly aware of what being joined with him will mean for her. She still agreed to the terms, as they were."
She nudged her head against him, murmuring, "They'll be happy. And in the end that's all that really matters."
"Not particularly." She added as he asked, enjoying the contact with him too much to actually begin brushing her hair, and thus remaining unmoving as they sat together. 3
Hiei didn't say anything more in regards to the Kuwabara subject, knowing deep down that so long as Yukina was happy, he himself wouldn't actually particularly mind their union. And with Kuwabara being away so much, the fire demon wondered just how boundless the ice maiden was in her capacity for love and affection.
Something Hiei was only just beginning to learn, it seemed.
"These are yours," he said suddenly, both arms reaching around her waist to show her his open palms, both holding the pins he'd pulled from her hair. Part of him wanted to simply pull her down to lay with him so they could both relax and either chatter as per usual or sleep. Instead, he found himself comfortable right where he sat, and with no objections from the woman. *
Shikiyoku only shifted a little as she felt Hiei moving his arms and then revealing the bobby pins that had been in her hair since they parted a few days before.
For a moment she only sat looking down at them, feeling that Hiei was not adjusting himself further in any way, and she let the brush rest in her lap as she reached with both hands and took the bobby pins from one of his palms, placing them on the bed in front of her and then absently taking his empty hand in hers, starting to massage it as other thoughts roiled around in her head.
She was fairly certain she could get in contact with Uryo, or at least she knew someone that likely knew someone and so on until he was found and a message delivered.
The wedding would not be a large one, and the planning for it sparse, but she did mean to write a letter to Yukina on the subject, and perhaps could do that during the next stint of Hiei's leave. Which reminded her that a letter from Kasai was due soon.
She stopped what she was doing altogether for a few seconds as she was reminded of Kuwabara's warning and Yusuke's concerns in regards to Kurama.
Releasing the hand she had, Shikiyoku took the bobby pins from the other and laid them out on the bedspread next to their brethren. 3
Hiei let the next few moments pass in silence, his eyelids sliding closed as Shikiyoku grabbed his hand and rolled her finger over the top of it. He found himself growing more and more comfortable with how he sat, turning his head until his cheek rested on her shoulder and his nose just brushed her skin. He gave a small sigh that nearly turned to a yawn.
(You're thinking too hard, for not having had any rest since I left.) *
Gently taking a hold of his other hand, Shikiyoku began rubbing it as well, running her thumbs over his palm, thoughts buzzing freely through her mind with the absent minded busyness of her hands.
She glanced over at what she could see of his hair when he spoke, releasing an amusement breath.
(We could always lay down if you prefer.) 3
Hiei gave a slight shrug at her, mumbling something about being comfortable. He enjoyed the feeling of her playing with his hands, finding that it was easy to focus on and relaxing in its own way.
He shifted a little closer and stretched his legs on either side of her, feeling a few joints crack and then relax. (Tell me about the Neko's departure?) But before he could register any semblance to an answer from the other, he was met with the blackness of sleep.
~!**!~
Time felt irrelevant to Akari. Days blurred together, with no real way to tell one apart from the other. In the beginning, she had allowed herself a resting period, using the time she spent in the park or wherever else the trees remained in town to catch up with Nabu and slowly introduce herself to his new friend, whom he had come to call Kiyoko. Akari certainly thought the name appropriate, and had taken to using the name as well.
At some point, the copper-headed female had come to possess nail clippers and a file, which she knew had been uncomfortable, but had done well in shortening Kiyoko's overgrown claws. It had been more than unpleasant for both of the girls, but with both having a patience that seemed boundless, the task had gone uninterrupted while Nabu watched with a twitching tail. Afterwards, all three had decided to take a break.
Some time within the span of five sunsets, an odd feeling had begun to creep up in the back of Akari's head. An itch at first, she ignored it. It went ignored, drowned out with her duty to the two canines she now cared for until both had been groomed to manageable lengths of fur and less irritating claws. The trio meandered town often, Akari searching for food for the dogs while she simultaneously considered building after building, her options slowly beginning to become clear to her in the new city. She had looked for rundown buildings, and found that any she located were far beyond habitation. The few that seemed habitable were occupied in some way- some by insects and pests that she didn't want to bother with, others with humans fixing it up for sale. Or whatever.
Sometime after the teens of sunrises she had counted, the itch had returned with an odd thump to her core. And occasionally, she would awaken from a dead sleep, entirely certain that someone had called her name in the dead of the night only to find that only her friends were near and both had been sleeping peacefully side by side. One particular morning she had awoken as if she'd been attacked, and she'd bolted upright, dumping Kiyoko onto the ground in a heap of confusion and flopping limbs.
And little by little after that, she began losing sleep more and more. In her head were voices- or perhaps impressions of voices- yelling for her, screaming in pain, or whimpering in fear. Crying for help. Voices she vaguely recognized, but could not place. It made her very core ache and her soul quiver in response, giving her some sense of urgency that she didn't understand. And yet at some level, she knew what it was..
Lying awake one night, staring up at the sky that had clouded over, it had struck her. Her eyelids slid closed and she focused inward, finding that bonds she had long before now forgotten how to feel were coming to life, slowly thawing out. Bonds that were strained, as if she herself had forgotten that she was a pack leader. Or maybe to keep from overloading her senses. She didn't know. All she knew was that she had to get moving. *
~!**!~
As the sun began to rise, Akari sat up and gently pressed a hand to Nabu's head, nudging him awake with a soft expression. "I'm going to visit the pack, Nabu."
The dog blinked at her sleepily before curling up again. "We'll wait here."
Akari smiled; had he been waiting for this moment? "I won't be long."
He puffed at her before falling back into sleep, and Akari rose to her feet. She brushed her jeans free of the greenery she had been laying on, and then her blue shirt of the dirt that had somehow made its way onto her front. Quietly, she tiptoed away from the sleeping canines until she was walking the streets again.
A little tired and a little low on patience, Akari dropped into a shadow, her body enveloped in complete and utter darkness before she emerged on familiar, unchanged territory: the Fourth Level. The moment her foot hit the soft soil of the level, her core gave a lurch and her nostrils flared at the stench.
Her finger rubbed at her nose as if to rub away the smell of death and illness. It hung on the air, pungent and a little sickening to her adjusting senses. Overloading for a minute. Cringe-worthy.
She stood in place where she had landed, turning her head this way and that as if she might find a clue somewhere about where to begin looking for any particular pack member. And the moment the thought crossed her mind, an instinct she vaguely remembered kicked into gear, guiding her to turn a direction and begin running.
So she did. And as she ran, she began to recall the moments when, under Yomi's care, she had done just as she was now: hunting. *
~!**!~
"The job is amazing." The neko practically had stars in her eyes. "I mean, sure, I'm really just a glorified gopher as the humans call it, but my boss is so nice and-"
Shikiyoku had to tune out the story as she moved passed to the next table, delivering drinks and making small talk before turning back and taking her seat nearby where the neko's old coworkers had gathered for this surprise visit.
It wasn't a particularly slow evening, but there weren't as many in the bar as usual, and the various shifts were being covered well enough despite the obvious distraction.
"Well..." The neko blushed a little and Shikiyoku had no idea what had been asked, though when she thought about it, the question might have contained 'romances' which did seem like something one of the waitresses might ask about office life. "There's more than just a few, really. In a place as big as that. But-"
"Oh c'mon, spill already! Who caught your eye?" One of the other more romantic waitresses wanted to know.
"Actually, it's-" She seemed pleased, "My boss."
Most of the group gasped appropriately.
"He's just so sweet and caring and-"
It amused Shikiyoku as the neko went on to see more than one of her underlings glancing in her direction, but she kept her attention strictly on the girl and the rest of her story. 3
~!**!~
The first demon she came across had been one she'd never seen before. His eyes had been tired and glazed over, his skin wrought with dehydration and his hands shaking. His lips had been dry and cracked. Oddly, they hadn't been bleeding despite the various splits on his bottom lip.
The only words he'd had for her was to remain away from the center of the level. "If you want to live," he'd said. Then he'd turned and run for it, as if she might attack. For all she knew, he had found some place to hide out.
The second hadn't been so pleasant. It had wheezed at her and watched her with eyes that were unsettling, to say the least, and lips that curled upwards with thoughts she couldn't read. It had charged, teeth bared and claws ready for a strike. For a minute, she'd had to recall moments like that one when she'd been out of Yomi's palace.
It hadn't taken her long to figure out her situation at that point, and to turn tail and run. Getting away hadn't been easy- the demon had been fast, running with abandon as if its entire being relied on catching her. Luckily for her, another demon had intervened, striking the other with an arrow in the knee and allowing her to get away.
The more she ran, the stronger the feeling of being pulled in one direction became. And the stronger that feeling became, the more she began to feel associated with the demon she now knew she was chasing. Fear. Anger. Pain. None of those were hers, but she felt them as if they were. And she also heard within her head a cry for help. Screams of pain. Whispers of fear.
When she finally did find the demon she knew without a shadow of a doubt to be a member of her pack, she was reminded of her friend. The demon sat on the ground, knees to her chest and nails in her skull. Mumbles. Growls.
Akari slowly approached the girl whom she didn't personally know, and yet somehow did know. She let herself crouch in front of the other, though she didn't touch the dog demon. "Kai?" She didn't dare speak too loud, for fear of startling the other.
The girl's head reared up, wild eyes finding focused, calm ones. For a moment, Akari saw recognition behind those brown eyes. And relief. "You're my Alpha."
Akari's breath hitched; Kai's voice was raw and guttural, as if she'd been growling nonstop for days on end. Not only that, but her stomach gave a churn at the color of the other's skin- pale white and clammy. Drops of sweat rolling on her forehead. Rings under her eyes. And something dried at her hands, which now covered her mouth. Akari could only nod once.
"Y-you're here to help? But you've been gone for so long. The pack thought-"
"I took an unplanned trip, Kai. I'm sorry."
Tears rolled down the other's cheeks. "You smell different than I remember. Different than I imagined. Like… like Rosemary and Lilacs but.. Sweeter."
Akari watched the other's pupils dilate, and everything she felt from the other end of the Alpha's bond was suddenly gone, replaced with something she couldn't really explain. All she knew was that within the span of a blink of an eye, Akari was fighting to remove hands from her own neck. And as Kai drew ever closer, cracked lips pursed, Akari could make out the scent of an illness that she knew in the very pits of her soul to be incurable.
And that knowledge stunned her with recognition. She remembered fighting an infected demon for the first time, and how she'd only gotten away out of luck. She remembered how useless her energy had been, which still to this day was her go-to fighting mechanism. Sure, she'd learned some new tricks, but nothing that might help in this situation.
Those thoughts were banished by a darkness that filled the bond she felt between herself and Kai, who straddled Akari to ensure she wouldn't escape. A darkness that was overwhelming, smothering, and accompanied with a frenzied need for something. An angry, revolting need for blood that had every thought she could possibly hope to have diminishing before it even began. Toxic. Demanding. Disarming in its own way.
She struggled silently for a few moments against Kai, whose strength was unlike any she'd ever felt before. Desperate.
She couldn't think. She couldn't plan an escape route. She couldn't fight. The Alpha's bond between herself and her pack member overrode every single thought, forced her to concentrate on the fear, on the hopelessness. On the hunger that was not her own. On the need to feed.
Stop it.
Akari tried rolling away, kicking her legs one way and jerking her head the other.
"Let me eat your life energy, my Alpha."
No!
"You're mine! All mine!"
Go away!
Akari pushed, her own self preservation calling upon a strength she hadn't had to use in weeks. Every ounce of strength was focused on her hands and on her mind, her eyes closing so she wouldn't have to see the dark eyes staring hungrily down at her. She desperately wanted to forget the thoughts that intruded against her own, desperately wanted to separate herself from them before she became them.
Her entire being pushed against Kai.
I said go away!
Suddenly, all was quiet. Her mind was no longer plagued with Kai's desperation for sustenance, and said female no longer pinned Akari to the ground. Akari huffed, the hands at her throat gone and allowing her breath again. There was no pressure at her hips. Most importantly, she was able to think again.
Akari turned her head from side to side, suddenly wondering what had happened and searching for the demon she'd been hoping to save.
All she found was a cliff's edge. There was no sign of the attacker ever having been present other than a redness at Akari's throat and a pain in her side.
Before she could think anything more on it, every bond in her head came to life with each and every voice from her pack. Each word enunciated, somehow understandable despite the cacophony, despite the headache that came with them. *
~!**!~
Akari lay on the ground, her arms spread to her sides and her eyes up at a darkening sky. Her breathing had long since leveled out, but that did not quiet the rampaging thoughts in her head. Thoughts that occasionally made her breath hitch, her core ache, and a new fear bloom in her belly. When she closed her eyes, she could see countless faces behind her lids, each unknown to her but at the same time very familiar, each one a member of a pack she never wanted to lead, and now had every desire to save. A pack that had bonds alive in her being, screaming with pain and anger, or hunger. Fear. Some of the bonds were silent completely- white noise that she didn't know how to interpret. But for the most part, she could sense now that if there were any healthy demons left in her pack, they were no longer tied to her by any means. Rogues, probably, if only to save themselves.
Or dead.
Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Her lungs felt empty, and her head felt light. Her nerves were alive and her brain dead. Her nostrils flared as she tried to suck in the oxygen she had somehow lost, until she was just shy of hyperventilating.
What do I do now? *
~!**!~
Shikiyoku didn't feel the emotional tirade until the doors of the bar were thrown open and a familiar shape ducked through them and headed straight for her, ears flat against the head and face hidden behind hands as Shikiyoku caught a telltale sob.
Expertly passing the tray in her hands to a nearby worker, Shikiyoku had enough sense to brace herself as the neko practically slammed into her, head tucked under Shikiyoku's chin as arms wrapped themselves around her in a position that might have been comical given Shikiyoku's much shorter stature had the neko not been in so much distress.
A couple of the other workers started to gather as the neko began to cry freely, murmuring questions at Shikiyoku who only shook her head and held the girl close, knowing they would not get answers out of her any time soon.
After relocating her to a bench, Shikiyoku managed to get a story out between sniffles as the neko continued to cling to her, Shikiyoku having a drink mixed sans alcohol and brought over along with a plate of food upon which the neko was munching as if she could drown her sorrows.
She had been romantically involved with her boss, alright. Which was something everyone she had worked with here at the bar already knew given her last visit. But what Shikiyoku ended up cobbling together was something about the neko believing the relationship was something lasting, only to have stumbled upon said boss saying the same sorts of things to another female as the prick was doing just that to a different woman pinned against the wall.
"-th-that I thought Minamino-san was s-so nice-"
Shikiyoku had to concentrate very hard not to twitch violently, pushing part of the neko's bangs out of her face and handing her another tissue as she very measuredly and lovingly asked for the girl to repeat herself.
When there was no mistaking the name the second time, even the neko stopped her mourning for a moment to blink and then look up at the dark-haired woman holding her.
Shikiyoku forcibly released the sudden tension that had her practically jumping up and dashing out the door, berating herself for not having pried into what job this girl was taking, for not having kept tabs on her and the company she had been hired to work for, blaming herself for the puddle of a demon currently weeping in her arms and swearing that if this 'boss' was who she thought it was that she would-
"Kuraku?"
Shikiyoku blinked and smiled down at the neko who sniffed, "Yes, love?"
Tears welled up in the edges of the neko's eyes and she couldn't even bring herself to say anything further, instead bursting into tears again.
This time, Shikiyoku motioned for one of the bartenders to come over and she whispered a string of words into his ear, letting him walk off to a phone on the wall and promptly leaving him to what she requested as she murmured comfortingly and stroked the neko's face and hair.
~!**!~
Several long hours passed before Akari had been able to move from the spot she'd been lying and to stand up. She had looked back once at the edge of the cliff, eyes straining as if to make out what should have been Kai's body at the bottom of the crevasse. "I'm sorry."
She stayed where she stood, allowing her shadow to envelop her and pull her into its realm of Darkness, where she lingered for a few moments to gather herself, to prepare herself to see Nabu and Kiyoko.
When she did finally allow herself to be dropped on the First Level again, she kept her head down and walked the city with hands in her pockets to hide the bruises there, her hair parted in the back and slung up and over her shoulders to hide the marks on her neck too. She only stopped once before continuing on to the park, her hands and face clean when she finally did step into line of sight of Nabu and Kiyoko.
She watched the pair run and play with the children in the area and each other, doggie smiles on their faces. It was a refreshing sight after the last one she'd seen, and she found herself welcoming this part of her life much more readily than before.
"Hey Nabu, Kiyoko! Let's go get some food, yeah?" She called to the duo with raw vocal chords, watching as the two pulled to an abrupt stop to turn and look at her. She gave a ghost of a smile at them before turning to leave the park, knowing they'd follow.
"Hey Akari! How was your walk?"
Akari gave Nabu a glance over her shoulder before turning forward again. "Not near as fun as your play date, Nabu."
"Do we wanna look into more places to live?"
Akari shook her head. "First, you guys need food."
"We already went to that shop. You know the one- it's run by that elderly couple you used to visit a lot. They see us every day now!"
"I'm glad. I like them. They're nice."
"Yeah. They're really getting up there in age." There was a pause. "So, how are you gonna get food? You don't have money, and you used all of Sensui's a long time ago. What's next?"
Akari didn't answer his question. She simply walked into the grocery store she had been looking for and began moving up and down each aisle, noticing Nabu and Kiyoko remained outside the doors. That makes this easier.
As Akari eyed each item on the shelves, she began thinking back to before Yomi, before she had been kidnapped and thrown into imprisonment. Before she had been returned to more demonic cuisines and foods alike. She couldn't even remember what she had liked in the Human World anymore. Not even the smells were familiar to her.
As she browsed the snacks, a few labels seemed to jump out at her. She turned to look over the crackers and things before she let her hand encircle a box in curiosity. She scrutinized the packaging before remembering snacking on the crackers a few times right after finding Nabu. She couldn't rightly say she remembered if she had liked them or not.
She put the box back and reached for the single packaging instead, stealthily pocketing it before turning and walking out the doors. With the store lacking an alarm system- unlike other places she'd visited- she added this one to the top of her list of places to frequent. It required less shadow use.
She walked right by Nabu and Kiyoko, opening the package and nibbling on the crackers she now had. Cheese, peanut butter, cheese. "Do you guys have any preference to which side of town we stay? The city's changed since I was here last."
"You don't mind letting us choose?"
"Not at all."It wasn't as if she wanted to continue hunting for the 'perfect place' anyway. This was simply easier.
"Well, there's these buildings-"
"Lead the way, my friend." Akari waved a hand to her front, smiling as Nabu and Kiyoko both bounced ahead of her, Kiyoko staying more to Akari's side than her front. Both females eyed one another for a few moments before simultaneously looking up to watch Nabu.
"They allow pets, and are less noisy than every other building I've seen." Nabu explained as he maneuvered through town and towards a more populated area. "And it's close to the shop we like, so Kiyoko and I can get treats whenever we want and-"
"It looks like apartment complexes," Akari commented, eyeing the buildings around them as they walked.
"Well, yeah. I mean, the city does well in reconstructing old buildings these days. Kiyoko and I have been unable to find one untouched by the city since last year. They're cracking down on it since crime is picking up."
Akari's head turned a little at her friend. You sound… older. "And this is the one you've decided looks best?" As the trio stopped in front of the front gates of a complex, she looked up at the four-story building with watchful eyes and listening ears. They looked new, and pretty nice from the outside. And as Nabu said, not too populated, despite it being in the center of town. "Are you sure?"
"Well, to be honest, no. I'm a dog. I don't know much about living places other than roofs and food. Oh, and comfy laying spots. But from what I know of you, I figured this one would be the first you'd want to look into." He gave the complex a thoughtful turn of his head. "And there's a play area for kids. And a running trail just down the road that leads into the river walk. I think it would be nice."
"Not bad, Nabu." She had to admit, she kind of liked it.
"The only problem is that you need money for one. Monthly. A steady source of-"
"I'm aware." She didn't have to look away from the building to see Nabu turn his head to her in curiosity. She didn't have to look down at him to sense the slight wagging of his tail at her. She had to admit that the idea was a pleasing one; she could really go for a soft, warm bed after the morning she'd had. But she knew it wouldn't be so easy. It would be at least a few weeks before she had enough for something like this, and that wasn't including money for furniture and food. And whatever deposits came with the first month of rent.
So much.
Almost too much.
She turned to walk away. "Obviously, that kind of thing will take time, Nabu."
"Is that a yes?"
"Not yet, it's not."
"In the meantime, can we take a jog by the river?"
"Why not?" *