Chapter 7
"You don't have to carry me..." I whispered, unsure if I really wanted him to put me down.
"I'm sure you a supposedly average human like you will be able to keep up with me. But let's leave that theory for later." His voice was full of sarcasm as he jumped onto the next building as if he already knew what he was looking for. He sighed setting me down for a moment.
"Is something wrong?" I muttered struggling to not be embarrassed. Who wouldn't be? Kidnapped from your backyard and carried carried bridal-style across almost the entire city.
"My arms are tired." He was lying he was just letting me switch position without giving himself away. I sighed as he picked me up and I was allowed to piggyback.
"What's with the my princess line anyway?" I muttered letting my head rest upon his back.
"Well, apparently we're supposed to like each other so the best way to lure whoever is after you out is to play the part." Youko explained to me as I glanced through the alleyways that seemed to pass as if they were a mirage.
"So I just have to act that I like you?" I reiterated.
"Careful not to actually fall in love with me." Youko smiled as i felt myself miss a breath, he was teasing me. He was hoping over buildings, carrying me, and still had enough breath to tease me.
I blushed glancing away furiously. "Have you already?" Youko smiled this must've been one party for him teasing me in such ways.
"I'm not like that...I don't know you..." I whispered.
"Of course you know me. I've always been there." Youko smiled I could feel my heart pounding at such a killer smile.
"What do you mean?" I muttered as I tried to look over his shoulder into his eyes within them there was the slightest emotion I still couldn't recognize. "Youko?" I asked tilting my head with no reply.
"Once we get to where we're going, stay very close." His voice became something more stern than what he was using before. I nodded wondering exactly where we were going. "No questions, and don't speak much." Youko instructed as we finally landed into the streets not a single person noticing us as odd coming down from the roof.
"Welcome back, Youko!" A lady smiled on the streets as she continued pacing towards the other end of the streets. I glanced at her she had cat ears? Was it cat eats? She had cat ears upon her head and they were displayed proudly as the twitched back and forth, moving with her as she sneezed.
"Don't stare...people don't like it." Youko sighed as I blinked turning my head back around as Youko set me down it wasn't just her, this entire town seemed to be participating in some form of festival.
"Come here, blend with the locals." Youko smiled heading into a shop coming right out with a pink kimono.
"I've never worn one though." I whispered realizing once again that my skirt was too short.
"A woman so pretty that's never worn a kimono? That's just a tragedy right there." Youko smiled as the shop's assistant came out of the shop shaking her head.
"You're doing it again." I managed to whisper.
"Come with me." she instructed pulling me closer. Within moments I was back outside standing in a pink and blue kimono decorated in butterflies. As I glanced up towards Youko who was still standing outside waiting for me.
"So...um does it look right?" I whispered touching the soft texture as Youko glanced towards me from whatever had the ability to achieve his attention.
As he glanced towards me. "Pick another." He sighed as I glanced at the ground having a second of self doubt wondering if I was actually as pretty as I hoped I was. "It's too nice...give her something where no one else will be tempted to look at her." Youko sighed to the assistant who shook her head.
The employee laughed shaking her head, "I don't believe the kimono is the problem, sir", the fins on her head bobbled with each giggle.
"Fine." Youko sighed as we left the woman waving goodbye towards us.
"Is it alright to just walk away with the kimono on?" I asked as I didn't remember paying.
"I paid her when you were getting changed." He sighed as if he was disappointed with himself. I glanced towards him wondering how much of that word was trustable since he was supposed to wear the title of a thief. I felt disappointed. I had believed the other person's words swiftly. But Youko had replied to the line. That meant if he was a thief didn't that mean it was alright for me to stay because I was an arsonist? "Come on just don't stand there." Youko shouted back as I ran towards him where he was sitting upon a blanket.
"Is this a festival?" I whispered trying to keep my voice down glad that no one tried to come too close.
"In a way...but this town's always like this...every single night...it's how they make a living." Youko explained brushing his hand through the air as if he were moving away some spider webs most likely to draw my attention towards the floating lanterns on strings and the parade that was moving in front of the blanket that we were sitting upon. "I really didn't want to go alone tonight." He laughed as I glanced at him. That had to be a lie with the way he looked I wanted to bet he had a lot of 'friends' that he could've invited both male andfemale.
"Can I have a drink over here?!" Youko shouted over his shoulder as someone rushed up towards him.
"Sure, all drinks are free during today." The waitress smiled handing him a drink, hesitating for a minute.
"Wait...aren't you supposed to possess-?" She muttered as Youko hushed her and gave her a swift glance in my direction.
She huffed, "fine but you're on limit...i'm going to research, but if you ask for anymore than five you're trouble." The waitress sighed going back to work a constant eye upon us.
I glanced at him waiting for an answer. He placed his hands against the blanket that covered the ground. "Ugh, I didn't want to explain it. It's a hassle" He muttered, I glanced towards the blanket. It wasn't my fault that she had piqued my interest. I was with a stranger of course he was going to have some situations I knew nothing about. "I'm possessing a human body right now."
"Parasitism?" I whispered unsure how I was supposed to reply, there was no way for an average person to reply to that.
"Just joking! That Lady must be drinking too much of what's she's serving." Youko insisted waving that off quickly as I turned back to him feeling the relief become obvious on as my shoulders shrugged down in it.
"Hey Youko..." I whispered as he looked up from his drink again.
"Um...this isn't the first time I've been attacked...the other time they were looking for some man named Kurama." I glanced up towards him waiting for recognition to appear on his face.
"I have no idea who that is. I only have Youko the famous thief." Youko sighed placing his hand behind him as he leaned back staring up at the parade, finally getting his drink in.
The crowd hustled and bustled as someone waltzed towards us, promptly blocking the view of the parade. "Do you mind?" Youko practically growled, he was obviously enjoying the serenade of colors that echoed out from the parade annoyed by the shadow disturbing him.
"Is that your woman?" The shadow asked immediately sitting down further away on the blanket as I glanced up knowing that the pink was probably displayed on my face for the world to see. The beautiful magical world I was just about to learn about.
"And if she is or isn't? Who wants to know?" Youko glared towards the person sitting at the end of the blanket.
"Just an old friend that's all...hey girl what's yer' name?" The shadow figure asked turning towards me waiting for a reaction as I shook my head 'no'.
"She's mute, leave her be." Youko sighed gaining the attention upon himself again.
"A mute girl with the mighty Youko? Now that'll be interesting to see what happens to this one." the shadow laughed.
"Those were my partners for jobs, nothing is going to happen to her." Youko insisted grinding his teeth.
"Fine, but I'm off to the betting hall...see how long this one lives...I think I'll bet low because of you but a little higher because she has the traces of human scent on her." the shadow laughed an eerie laugh before disappearing.
"If it wasn't hard enough." Youko sighed glancing back at me.
"You can speak now...no one can actually hear us as long as we stay here on this blanket." Youko sighed as I looked at him wondering why he would tell me to not say a word at all without explaining about the magic of the blanket.
"Um...how is it going to get harder?" I asked as he stood up.
"First I should probably bring you home and second some people aren't easy betters they 'adjust' the bets to what they need which means people are probably coming to kill you from the gambling hall." Youko sighed like it was an ordinary occasion, he handed me the bucket of flowers that had been left by the blanket.
"Come on, I'll take you home...then I'll deal with the gambling hall it should be fine by the time you have to go to school...just stay inside." He instructed picking me up as I felt my eyelids become heavy.