Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites! It's been a lot of fun writing Ella's story, and trying to figure out the relationship version of Hiei. I hope you enjoy the next installment of Dragon's Muse :)
"No three letter word could rule my fate... HOT."
I let my head fall onto the table, sighing. Of course he did. Of course he has to defy the very simple, very straightforward rules because he had to be the toughest kid on the block. Why am I surprised at this?
"I don't want to hear it." I grumbled to Genkai, who just smirked and focused back on the screens. I glowered at her and fixed my gaze back on the piece of defined rock that was now the remains of my boyfriend, his pinkish soul resting in Kaito's outstretched palm. They did a good job of the setup, I'd give them that. Now it was just a matter of Shuichi defeating Kaito and getting the key from Yana without using violence.
Botan fanned herself on screen as the minutes ticked by, groaning.
"I'm tired of this." Kazuma bit out, sweat trickling down face. "We're still allowed to talk, right? We just can't say the H-you-know-what word. That's nothing tough."
Kaito flipped pages in his book, deciding not to dignify him with an answer. Knowing the egotistical little punk, he probably didn't deem my cousin worthy enough to bother with. I couldn't decide if that offended me or not.
"Hey Kurama." Kazuma continued, turning to look at him. " You said you had school with this dork. What other stuff do you know about him?"
"Yu Kaito." Kaito raised his gaze minutely, interested in whatever Kurama had to say. "My classmate, as we've said. He has garnered much attention at my school in light of his IQ results. His intellect is ranked at the genius level, with some of his scores the highest since the school's inception."
Kaito lowered his book, leveling Kurama with a cool look. "Well that's a roundabout way of bragging, isn't it, Shuichi? If I'm such a prince, you must be the king since you always beat me on tests."
"Cumulatively, yes, my grades are superior. But in certain subjects, such as language and literature, you far surpass me." Kurama praised. "You've even published essays on literary theory."
"Why does everything turn into a pissing match?" I groaned, pressing my palms into my eyes to quell the coming headache. "He knows he's smart, we know he's smart; why does his superiority complex rule his entire life?"
"Because Kaito validates himself through his intelligence. If Kurama is his intellectual equal, despite that they excel in different ways, he is no longer able to maintain the idea that his mind is what holds him above the rest of his peers."
I bit my tongue to hold back the sassy remarks, being mindful of where I was projecting my irritation.
"He could learn from the people around him if he deigned to pay attention. His intelligence shouldn't be the only thing that defines him." I vocalized instead.
"Maybe there's hope for you yet, kiddo."
"But if the conditions are making you thirsty," I tuned back in on what was going on, noting Botan's increased fidgeting. "I have plenty of drinks in the fridge. I even have glasses."
With a snarl of frustration, Kazuma pushed himself up, stalking until he stood in front of the smaller teenager before him, still calmly engaged in his book. Kaito chuckled at my cousin's obvious attempt at intimidation.
"What are you chuckling at, bookworm? Did you poison 'em or something? Maybe you should drink one first."
"Waste all my talent to poison you? That's brilliant. You know, you're a very intelligent guy."
"And you bark a lot for a weenie dog." He scoffed, turning to the fridge. He took two steps before Botan shot up, her nerves written on her face.
"Uh, hold up Kuwabara. Why don't you let me get that? I, uh, wanna keep my hands full." She jogged to the fridge, opening it and letting the cool air soothe her skin. "Okay, looks harmless enough. And quite a selection. Let's see... OJ? It's better for you than soda."
"That's fine. Just pour it over ice and we can share with each other as long as we have two straws."
"Your confidence in my health is charming." She turned back to grab the can, and Kazuma grunted in discomfort. I frowned when his yellow soul erupted from his body, turning him to stone as well. When did he say 'hot'?
"Just pour it over ice and we can share with each other as long as we have two straws. Share with each other. Share with... Oh, that's a dick move." I snapped, unwilling to admit the fraction of my brain that was maybe, kind of, sort of impressed.
"But why?" Kurama demanded at Kaito's chuckling.
"You're cheating, Kaito, he never came close to saying 'hot'!" Botan jumped to the rescue, and I groaned again when her blue soul ripped out of her body and rested alongside Kazuma and Hiei's in Kaito's palm. My face was going to have a permanent indent of the table by the time this was all over. How the hell did she mess that up so easily?
"That's three. Heh, I can't believe that was so easy." Kaito mused. "Forgive me for not explaining the specifics. I didn't think your friends could handle it. In my territory, you can't say the letters H, O, and T in a row even if they are parts of different words. It's no simple child's game; it's a puzzle of diction, and I can't bend the rules."
"That's fair enough." Kurama acceded, and even through the camera I could feel the shift in his mindframe.
"Souls are so pretty." Kaito raised his palm to get a closer look at the three he had stolen. "I like the girls' best. Souls are the only thing you can't make stronger by training. You can only make them darker." He looked up at Kurama with a deadly smile on his face that made me on the other side uncomfortable. It was hard to tell if he was still playing the game or if his curiosity was actually winning out.
"What do you say, Shuichi?" He continued. " Should I darken mine right now by breaking these? It feels so strange having this power over people... You must feel it all the time." He raised his hand over the orbs, and Genkai rested her hand on my shoulder to usher me back into my seat while my adrenaline soared. "Maybe I'll just make a little scratch..."
"I'm warning you. You so much as bruise what's in your hand and I'll show you pain. The hue of your soul will cease to matter because you will not be judged when you die; it will no longer exist." Kurama raised his folded fingers in a final threat, aiming them at his opponent. Kaito pushed his glasses up his nose.
"Interesting. You'll have to show me how to talk like that once I beat you."
Kurama was unimpressed. "How long can you afford this brazen facade?"
I grinned at as he held up the key, and Kaito lost every ounce of his confidence all at once. We couldn't see them, but Kurama's plants had plucked the key from Yana's pocket at some point during that long-winded conversation. Now it was just a matter of getting those souls back.
"Tell me; is it possible to change your taboo?"
"Hm?"
"Naturally neither of us will say the word; thus we are locked in a stalemate, and I was hoping we could increase the challenge." Kurama explained.
"Of course Shuichi! I had been planning that all along. I don't want to beat my great adversary with a simple word gag; I want a battle of wits. I can change the rules whenever I please."
"Then let me determine the rules of the word game, and I assure you I will force you to speak the taboo within forty-five minutes, and thereby free my friends' souls."
"Oh? You're that confident you can outwit me?"
A sardonic smirk grew on Kurama's suddenly amused features, and I relaxed into my chair. Now the real challenge would begin, and there was no way Kurama wasn't going to win.