The wind violently tousled my hair as we plummeted through the air. We were falling and fast. Just a moment ago, we were three bodies bunched up and soaring through the air on an oar; until, I started slipping.
"You may want to grab onto Botan. At this rate, there will be two people arriving if you slide down anymore." Kurama was gripping the handles of the oar tightly as Botan focused on our destination.
Botan glanced behind us over her shoulder, "C'mon up. The weather's fine!"
Carefully, I shimmied up the handle of the oar until I was directly behind her and reached out to grab her waist.
"Baha!" Botan exploded in laughter, and we began falling. I wrapped my arms around her torso as we started to dive. My head jerked as the oar pulled up and Botan found her equilibrium.
"Sorry about that," Botan said sheepishly, "You have tickly fingers."
"What the hell, Botan!" I gripped her like a lifeline and I'm not sure how, but Kurama managed to stay on the oar. Afterwards, his right arm attached to me automatically while his left fastened behind him to prevent slipping. For a moment, I was relieved that I lacked a bit of blood circulation. Otherwise, my cheeks would darken and it seemed it was hard to hide things from the astute eyes behind me.
And, I wasn't entirely sure if a fall could permanently kill-kill me, but I wasn't ready to find out. So far the status quo was fire and decapitation. Let's not add to the list of things that could put my lights out.
Botan pouted from the top of the handle. She looked apologetic.
"Sorry, Botan. I didn't mean to yell." I sighed in relief as the ride became smoother and we were buffeted less violently by the air.
The ferry girl broke into a smile, "Apology accepted."
She was certainly easy to please. Now that I was pressed against her back, I could see all her features in technicolor. Plush electric blue strands now looked cerulean under the natural lighting. Full lips rested just below a petite turned-up nose set in a round face that crinkled towards the edges when she grinned. But her round, doe-eyed magenta eyes that came alive when flying was her best feature.
I felt like such a creep checking her out while gripping onto her slim waist. And slim, she was. Slim arms, slim legs, slim everything.
"Like what you see?" Botan teased me. It seemed I had been staring for far too long. I caught myself and dipped into my mental filing cabinet for any questions related to her looks.
"Hey, Botan. You're from Spirit world (I assumed since she works for Koenma), so what does that make you?" I rested my head on her shoulder and looked up at her.
"I'm a Grim Reaper." She said, somewhat rehearsed. "I ferry the souls from the physical to the spiritual."
Oh, now I had to introduce her to Charon. He'd get a kick out of that.
"Your hair and eyes give the 'I'm not from around here' vibe." I spoke, still gazing at her features. A shade of rose tinged her cheeks from my close inspection and I turned my head away. I looked down for the first time and immediately regretted it. We were entirely too high for comfort. However, as the sun was meeting the horizon, the clouds reflected hues of pinks and lavenders and momentarily I was distracted. The lights from the cities began to illuminate and they glittered below like fireflies.
"Spirit World has a flair for wild features. I'm surprised that you picked me to go along." She pressed a hand to her chest. "My hair is not exactly 'unassuming.'" She was right, it wasn't, but only among humans.
"You are for where we're going. The weirder you look, the more you'll fit right in. Trust me." I flicked a cerulean strand of hair that trailed from her head to my face and she giggled.
"Hold on to your butts!" She cautioned and we began the plunge to the ground. I heard a chuckle from behind as I clutched Botan tightly.
Don't fall, don't' fall, don't fall.
And suddenly, we peeled upwards and slowed to a halt. I don't remember shutting my eyes, but I peeked from one hoping we made it. I hopped off as I realized we were three feet above the asphalt of a familiar alleyway.
"Thank you for flying Botan Airlines. We hope you enjoyed your flight!" Botan and Kurama slid off the oar and she bowed jokingly and reached a hand towards the alley as if directing us off a flight.
"I'm issuing a complaint on account of turbulence." I countered. I was relieved to be back on the ground.
Botan sucked her teeth disappointedly that no one was amused. Even Kurama, who had a calm countenance smoothed down his hair obviously miffed.
I hurriedly walked down the alleyway zig-zagging though sharp turns and through the labyrinth placed as a precaution before our destination. When I stood several yards from the tin roofed shanty, I stopped. Kurama and Botan quickly followed along and looked at the dead end searchingly. Where supernaturals saw a shanty squeezed between two walls, others saw nothing.
"Where are we?" Botan turned in a circle her eyes scaling the three walls surrounding the entrance of The Hollow.
"Yes, I hoped this would lead somewhere. I do hope you're not planning anything rash." Kurama cautioned. His hands were buried into the pockets of his pea coat while he searched the walls too.
"Calm down. Attacking people in the alleyways is not my style." I joked. At their glances, I realized my comment wasn't appreciated. It was too soon to trust a stranger in a dark alleyway, anyways.
I ignored them for the time being and strode to the canvas door of the shanty and wrinkled fingers pulled away the curtain.
"Old friend," Octavius' mouth turned upward in a toothless grin, "What news do you bring today?"
"I have new friends for you to meet." I patted his weather hand softly and with his other hand he curled them in a beckoning motion.
I waved Botan and Kurama over, but they were gaping at me as if I'd grown several heads. It must have seemed like I was talking to an empty wall.
"Who are you speaking to?" Kurama asked bewildered.
"Never mind that. Come here." I grasped his hand and pulled him forward and he gazed down startled. "Now this, is a somewhat a big deal." I looked between the two heads towards the darkened exit always wary of another party that may have wondered to the gate of the waystation of Neutrality.
"This is the home of my faction. And, I'm bringing you in as my guests." I reached out and clutched Botan's fingers. "We don't- We never allow outsiders in. Ever."
It was true. Humans were only allowed in The Hollow if they were partnered or working for a supe. And by then, they weren't considered outsiders anymore. They were completely integrated in supe society, but the downside of this was they had to give up most of their human life. It's why outsiders were so rare.
"Even if you're overwhelmed by what you may see, do not," And I was mirroring Daisuke, "under any circumstances cause strife or trouble." Botan shifted nervously from one foot to the other.
"Once inside, you're my responsibility and your crimes," I shared an intense gaze with Kurama, "are my crimes. Agree?"
Botan nodded energetically and her cerulean ponytail bounced about. Kurama's viridian eyes were scanning my hands intensely and he raised his head and said, "Agreed."
I pulled them forward tentatively so their hands were hovering just below Octavius' reach. The back of his hand beamed with gold speculate that filtered through his fingers and speckled the palms of my two guests. Kurama gasped as the gold particles dissipated into his fingers and his eyes widened into twin viridian globes as he glanced up and found Octavius.
Botan let out a shriek of shock before saying, "Sorry, sorry, you just surprised me."
"That's who you were speaking to." Kurama confirmed to himself.
Octavius warmly shook his hand, "Welcome, friends." Then, he reached out to Botan and planted a dry kiss on her knuckles. Surprisingly, she didn't try to retract her hand.
I reached into my pocket for various amounts of coins and dropped them in a clay bowl that was filled to the brim with cover charges from new people that weren't aware there wasn't an entrance fee. An old joke Octavius played, but he never gave the money back.
"I think that certainly deserved a charge." I spoke and added a few coins to the pile. Octavius patted me on the back and stood from his bucket to move the second canvas that concealed the stairwell leading downwards.
I tilted my head towards the stairwell signaling the other two to follow. "Thanks, Octavius." I waved at him before heading down the steps and Botan scrambled behind me. Kurama strode calmly through the gargoyle's abode, but glanced at the cramped living space as he did.
At the bottom of the steps, the door housing the half-Taijitu symbol pulsed like a beacon beyond dimly lit steps.
"Another door?" Kurama asked quietly.
"It's the hardest club to get into this side of town." I quipped. I patted Botan's hand that had managed to stowaway under my arm. She was gripping me tightly.
I pressed my palm against the sigil and the door responded with the 'clack' of a rusty latch and fell away like it always did.
I was overly appreciative of the sounds and routine sights that met my eyes. Pixies bounced and collided into each other creating bright pastels of trails that dove downward and zipped back to the ceiling. A lamia woman was arguing with a naga man over a worn, cracked table; however, their colorful scaly tails were intertwined beneath indicating they were together. A harpy with downy feathers rushed past giving chase to a satyr that was waving what must have been the few newly grown feathers that were plucked from her tail. Every table was mottled by the supernatural.
"Welcome to The Hollow." I peeked behind me and was greeted with mixed expressions of confusion and astonishment.
Kurama turned towards me and he scrutinized my entirety as if to reassess everything he knew about me. However, Botan stepped forward her hands no longer gripping me and passed the threshold in curiosity. She marveled at every supe that waltzed by and let out a chortle as two sylphs whirled around her experimentally and retreated to a corner of the room where they stared fascinated by the new guest.
I tugged on Kurama's pea coat as I passed the threshold. "They're friendly," I paused.
"Mostly." I added honestly.
He relented and walked in; but, he curiously peered at creeping vines that shrouded the buttresses above. As he walked by the first row of booths, a succubus and satyress eyed him hungrily from their seats near the entrance. I let out a huff of breath. They were incorrigible and eyeballing Kurama without abandon.
As I spotted the crown of maroon hair from behind the bar, I realized I had never told Botan or Kurama any of the case details. I'd play it by ear. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too annoyed. But I suspected this case was more of a house call then an actual case, anyways.
I approached the bar and slid onto one of the wobbly stools and Kurama followed behind and sat beside me. I glanced towards Botan and she had found her way to us. After a quick scan, I realized there were a few supes staring in our direction, but they kept to themselves.
"Your friends, are a little too friendly." She was suspiciously eyeing a tawny haired satyr that winked at her.
"They like new people." I replied. When I first walked past the gates of The Hollow, had Miki not been at my side, all manners of supernaturals would have smothered me with questions. They did manage to ask them, but Miki mostly kept them at bay with her 'Fuck off, I'm a Hara' presence. Now, that I was closely associated with her, they remained at bay.
"What brings you to The Hollow so soon, Yoko." The minotaur, Jax, that had brought me a plate of pork just yesterday was wiping down the bar top with a worn rag.
"Your cooking, of course." I spoke and pointed at him accusingly. He beamed proudly from his spot behind the countertop.
"Then, another?" He suggested. "I'll bring a plate of…something for your human friends." He eyed Kurama and Botan warily.
"Sounds good, and have Lucas bring over his famous blood beer!" I called after his retreating form. He tied an apron to his broad waist and disappeared behind dividing doors. His hooved feet clopped heavily on the hardwood below.
"A minotaur…" Botan murmured as she watched him leave.
"Yes, I would hardly believe it myself had I not seen it with my own eyes." Kurama leaned his elbows on the bar and observed the other patrons at the bar curiously. His eyes met with the succubus that provocatively gazed at him with half lidded eyes and dilated crimson pupils.
"It seems you have a fan." I leaned and nudged him with my shoulder.
"I lived long enough to know that look means trouble." He dismissively turned his gaze from hers much to her annoyance. She stood from her table and sashayed to the bar.
"Here comes trouble." I perked up and spun on my stool with my hands grasping the edge of the seat.
"Justicar." That was my official title as an investigator and I recoiled hearing it said aloud. She addressed me brusquely, but her eyes were trained on Kurama. Her copper hair swished behind her when she paused in front of me and she rested a palm on her round hips.
"Yesinia, it's rare for you to grace my eyes. To whom do I owe a favor." I graciously acknowledged her. Flattery with a succubus could get you everywhere and anything.
"You owe the favor to your friend here, but he seems too shy." She coquettishly placed a palm under her cheek and copper strands fell to the side of her face.
"I assure you, he's not shy." Botan lectured her and half-swiveled on the stool indignantly at her accusation.
Do not talk to her, Botan!
Within, I panicked. Succubi tend to be tricky and if you replied to their accusations they always asked you to-
"Prove it." Her lilted voice commanded.
"And why would I need to prove anything to you?" Kurama spoke icily without sparing her a glance.
"Because I can ask your amiable sponsor if I can borrow you for the night. Poor thing, doesn't know the rules." Her sing-song voice carried over and a few denizens occupying a table turned to listen. Botan grasped my shoulder from behind and her navy compact was open. I swiped it from her hands and buried it in my coat. There was no need to call the others for every small incident.
"He may not know, but I do." I leaned forward on my chair and glanced down the aisle of chairs. Kaito stood further down just to the left of Botan and his hands were buried in a tweed blazer. In that moment, he looked like a less-imposing version of Daisuke. His golden eyes glared at the succubus and she stepped away from Kurama muttering, "Haras…."
The Hara prestige was a fearsome thing.
"She's not allowed to touch Yoko's property unless permitted. Speaking of," Kaito had closed the distance between us and swiveled me around in my chair so I was facing the bar. He leaned down to my ear.
"Why have you brought guests to The Hollow." His breath brushed up against my cheek as he spoke and I swatted him away.
"For, my case." I replied vaguely. Then, I had a thought, "Maybe you just might be the person to help."
"Oh?" He glanced appreciatively at Botan and she waved. Flirt. I gave Kaito a reprimanding look and he grinned.
"I need to ask Lucas something. Follow my lead?" I asked and Kaito nodded.
Botan fretted in her chair and she grinned Cheshire-ly, "While we're waiting for…well, whatever we're waiting for…." She leaned, and her face was inches away from mine. "Mind introducing us to your…."
Her face almost transformed into that of a feline as she purred, "Boyfriend."
"He's not-," I guardedly began, but a blood beer appeared in front of me and I quickly shut up. Lucas had his back to me as he was fixing the second glass on a countertop beyond the bar.
"So, Lucas." His pointed ears twitched in response and I could see the corners of his mouth turn into a grim smile.
"Oh, this can't be good. Not if Nakajima's talking to me…." He batted his long eyelashes playfully.
"Oh, calm down." I said exasperated. Kurama had placed his palms face down on the countertop and all his attention was on Lucas. From my exchange with Kaito, I assumed he gathered this was why we were here.
"You know there's stories about you now. The new Big Bad." He placed another glass on the bar, this time in front of Kaito. Kaito placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned down to grasp the handle of the glass. Botan's face scrunched into her feline expression once more.
Certainly, there were rumors I had heard from other factions about someone skulking around and sticking their nose where it didn't belong. However, Lucas wasn't in another faction. He was part of Neutrality, so he had nothing to fear from me. Our indiscretions were shared in Neutrality. We may never get along with so many varying natures, but at least we could trust that our patrons would not overstep the boundaries that the other factions had blatantly made a habit to do.
"I just want to know…," I languidly took a sip from the frothy beer in front of me, "what are your intentions with Miki."
He spun so quickly that beer sloshed everywhere and his barbed tail whipped around agitatedly behind him. His hand buried into is locks and he searched my gaze questioningly. "We're having that talk already?!"
"She's my sister." Kaito had pressed both hands against the counter on either side of me and loomed over me like an ominous stone statue. Well, like a gargoyle. "And anyone that potentially hopes to enter the Hara family answers to me first."
Kurama watched the exchange with intense fascination, and his hand, I noticed, was buried at the nape of his neck as he rested his head on his hand above the bar.
"Lucas, this isn't an interrogation," I placed my glass down and it created a wet ring of condensation, "I'm asking because we care about Miki." I half-lied, but it wasn't the exact reason I was asking.
He sighed and maroon tresses fell over his shoulder as he loosened it from his usual loose braid. "Well, I like her, certainly!" He leaned against the counter behind him. "And, I've asked her out, sure." He admitted, "I want to get to…know her. Slowly, but yeah."
He shrugged, "I like her." His gaze was determined as if he'd made a decision.
"Then why, Lucas, have you not told her about your son?" I revealed the photo of the small boy I had deftly pocketed from the manila file. Genkai hadn't noticed, I think, but her eyes were sharp.
I waved the photo of the small boy that had identical obsidian eyes to the incubus standing in front of me. He reached up to snatch it and searched the photo anxiously. "How did you get this?"
"Earlier today, I received a case file about a human boy that was kidnapped. I know now, he's not human at all." I admonished and Botan's looked between us rapidly, "It had your picture in it." Kaito's fist closed on the edge of the counter in front of me.
"Why didn't you notify Neutrality?!" Kaito growled and a fang escaped from the side of his mouth.
Lucas snarled, "Because his mother was human!"
Ah, that explained why he squirreled the boy away. Human and supe trysts were expressly forbidden unless they were willing to pledge and claim a faction. And to my knowledge, Lucas had no human lover.
Wait. Pause.
"Was human?" I asked and Lucas' snarl transitioned into a defeated glare.
"She passed away when Ambrose was born. And I took him in because he's incubus through and through." He spoke, deflated.
He pocketed the photo and turned to me, "What now? You're going to arrest me?"
"Hell. No." I stated flatly. "Kaito?"
"Bring the boy to the Hara house tomorrow. He needs to be under the veil immediately." He leaned in so that he spoke in my ear, but addressed Lucas. "We need to have a long discussion about the faction rules."
"Yeah, okay." Lucas nodded, but he pointed at me, "Like I said, Big Bad." I finished my beer while looking over the rim of the glass at him.
"I don't know what you mean…." I trailed off as Kaito spun my chair around once more.
"There's a table back there with your name on it." He meant literally and figuratively. There was an actual table with Kaito, Miki, and my name scrawled on it. The same one we always played poker on.
"I'm waiting on a meal anyways. I could use a respectable surface to eat off of." I hopped from my chair and Kaito expertly avoided drunk patrons of the bar as he walked to the table.
"Case closed." I spoke to Botan and she clapped enthusiastically, but Kurama grasped the handle of the beer and stared blankly into the contents.
"You alright there?" I had asked hoping for some form of confirmation, and he nodded placidly. But it wasn't what I was hoping for: he was so hard to read.
"I'm sure Kaito could answer some of those questions on your mind," Kurama was startled from his thoughts, "And then some." I added.
Botan had slid off her chair and practically pranced to the other side of the room. She waved us over and we followed her lead. Jax had carried my plate along with plates full of grapes and cheese once he saw Kaito occupying our usual spot.
I slipped into my usual chair on Kaito's right and the smell of grizzled pork wafted to my nose. I melted into a smile and relished in the first bite. Oh, Jax. I'm going to buy you the nicest ornament for those horns of yours.
My leisure eating was interrupted by the sound of Kurama's voice. "You have quite the appetite."
I nodded silently while I chewed and after I swallowed a chunk of food grinned. "Jax's food is insanely good, and I'm insanely hungry."
"I do like women with a healthy appetite." Kaito glanced at me between his fingers then his eyes moved across the table to Kurama who was inspecting the contents of my plate.
Brains. I realized he was looking at the brain portion that Jax always made sure to include. Shit, shit, shit.
Then Botan, my conversational savior spoke, "What's the veil?" And she successfully segued the conversation away from my plate to more relevant matters.
"The veil is similar to," Kaito tapped his fingers to his chin, "an enchantment. It hides the existence of supernaturals from prying eyes."
"Ah, to hide the boy." Kurama spoke in an acerbic tone. He was accusing us of masking the incident. I suppressed a sigh.
"To protect him. He's supernatural, so he belongs with his people. Protected by his people." Kaito made the definitive statement. I set my utensils down mid-bite expecting a spat between them.
"Kurama," I actually sighed. "This isn't a case where we're trying to hide some reckless mistake."
"Then what is it." He asked in a voice laced with scorn.
"A supernatural growing into their power without guidance is a terrifying and dangerous thing." I spoke from experience, not that any of them knew it. "The reason we use the veil is mutual protection. It denies access to humans from supes, and supes from humans."
Kurama initiated a counter argument, but I cut him off before he could begin, "And, yes. I realize that there is family from his mother's side worried sick to death about him. But Lucas is his father. Does he not have any input on raising his child?"
Kurama rested his face against laced fingers, quiet for now. I could see the assumptions flying wild in his mind.
"I can admit. The human mother thing, is a mess." I understood why Daisuke looked so annoyed when dealing with trifling supe matters if it felt anything like this. "We're not concealing the boy for some idiotic supernatural conspiracy. It's to save him, I assure you."
The veil would not only prevent his human family from finding him, but any faction that thought adding an incubus into their ranks would benefit them. It's happened before, and Miki was adamant that I join neutrality as soon as she found me. Nearly forced my hand as they binded the veil to my flesh. People like myself who were new to being supernatural were the most vulnerable. Despite feeling violated at the time of my binding, I was relieved that it prevented factions like The Company or Order from owning me.
I spoke hesitantly and looked towards Kaito testing whether he'd be furious of me leaking information, "I mentioned before that this place is the home of my faction."
Kaito indifferently took a sip of tea. I'm in the clear.
"We are Neutrality. We remain impartial and objective in supernatural politics. However, there are factions with less model decorum. Someone like Ambrose without the protection of a faction…." I was attempting to find the words that wouldn't make us appear callous. That was the last thing I wanted.
"They would take him." Kurama supplied.
"They would use him. Like a slave." Kaito corrected. "We offer freedom. Freedom to exist."
"Will he be safe?" Botan sanguinely asked. She nervously bit her thumbnail between her lips.
"I can't promise you he'll be safe. But he'll be free to choose his own path." Kaito replied. The vampire ran his fingers through inky black hair and his hand trailed to the crook of his neck where he massaged a tense shoulder.
"Earlier, you said that succubus 'could not touch Yoko's property unless permitted.'" Kurama asked and all anger from before was replaced by mild irritation. Of all things, that's what he remembered?!
A piece of cheese fell from Botan's mouth comically and she scrambled to pick it up, but a pixie beat her to it.
"A poor joke on my part." Kaito smirked behind his mug of tea and his eyes darted between Kurama and I mischievously. "When humans bear the mark of a faction, it means the person that had the mark issued indentured them. Owning humans is an archaic practice."
Botan squawked and a platoon of pixies circled around her in response, "That's what that hoodoo at the door was?"
"But that rule doesn't apply to you, because you're not human. Consider yourselves guests of The Hollow." He clinked his mug with the full glass of beer in front of Kurama and settled back into his usual nonchalant position.
"And you're aware I'm not human how?" Kurama placed his chin on top of his woven fingers
"As certain as I know you're a demon and as certain as you know that Yoko isn't human." He winked at me and tipped the mug to his lips before placing it on the table. He left loose change on the worn surface and exited the gate of The Hollow leaving Botan and Kurama with more questions than answers.
NOTES:
I'll consider Thursdays my de facto update day. Hope you enjoyed the update.
Writing about The Hollow so soon is a mixture of fun and difficulty. There's so much I want to describe about it, but it would give too much away. Now, we know a little more about Lucas and Miki. And just a bit about The Hollow itself.