"Did you feel that?" A tall red headed figure asks emerging from the tree line, his companion close behind. They are running late to their appointment due to some unfortunate events in the demon world. Well, unfortunate for the bandits that had tried to attack the two.
"Hn" The smaller figure grunts, he stands at about 5'8" not including his spiky black hair that seems to defy gravity. He wipes his katana on his billowing black cloak before sheathing it.
"You don't think it strange for Yukina to flare her energy in such a manner?" The first man asks, his emerald green eyes sliding across the temple searching for reasons to be concerned. His delicate features are almost feminine, a quality added to by his slender frame and long red hair which is currently pulled into a high ponytail. Despite his frail appearance there is a predatory quality about him. A quality inherited by his demon soul Youko. Hiei simply shrugs and heads toward the kitchen entrance of the temple.
"Come on fox, we're late." The fire demon states, which roughly translates to 'I'm already in a bad mood and I don't care to hear Koenma's bitching.' Kurama nods and moves to follow, keeping his senses on high alert. On their way through the kitchen the red head pauses, the lingering scent of Mae's cooking reaching him. He inhales deeply, his brow furrowing slightly, Yukina's always been an adventurous cook, her results usually turning out well; but this mixture of spices and seasonings doesn't seem right for her. Shaking it off he takes long strides to keep up with his smaller companion, Hiei has always had a fast gait, even when he was less than five foot. If the fox had stopped to inquire further into the cooking he would have noticed Yukina's plate in one of the ovens, arranged in such a way that would have instantly alerted any familiar with the ice maiden's cooking that she was not the one to have prepared the meal. The two stragglers make their way to the tea room, entering into a heated argument.
"I said I'm sorry! Do you think I lost this file on purpose? This file has been missing since before you were spirit detective Yuske!" Koenma whines, crossing his arms over his tiny chest. Even though it has been several years since the spirit prince became involved in the lives of his spirit detective team the prince only seems to have aged six months.
"So you just call us in the middle of dinner and say 'show up or else'?" Kuwubara shouts back, glaring daggers at the toddler. Kurama and Hiei linger in the doorway for a moment, taking in the scene. Koenma sits on one side of the table, retaining his toddler form to conserve energy with a manila folder placed carefully in front of him. The folder appears old, the edges tattered and the papers not quite wanting to rest correctly within the brackets. Yuske and Kuwubara sit across from the spirit prince; the former fuming silently while gritting his teeth and the latter poised so he looks as though he will launch himself across the table any moment. The final member of their strange team sits at the far end of the table, sipping her tea and refraining from the argument. Though she is obviously irritated her polite nature keeps her from saying anything, further she appears exhausted from flaring her energy and maintaining such a high level. The fire demon rolls his eyes and makes his way to perch on the window ledge at the far end of the room.
"Wait, what do you mean you had this case before I was spirit detective? Besides that why the hell are we still doing this, I'm not even officially spirit detective anymore!" Yuske asks, losing what little patience he had. Koenma chuckles and rubs the back of his head sheepishly; it's true the group no longer officially works for spirit world but, they are still regularly called upon by the spirit prince. For their efforts he opens lots of doors, including: allowing Yuske to travel back and forth from demon world regularly, posting guards around his, Kuwubara, and Kurama's families while on missions, and providing more than adequate compensation for their efforts. Despite this they could very easily refuse any of the multitudes of missions the prince showers on the group.
"Well, you see this mission is actually twenty years old." Koenma explains, folding his hands neatly over the manila folder. It seems strange for the ogres to suddenly find this file after so many years. He grimaces; thinking back to the day it all began:
"Sensui, please report to spirit world immediately. I have an important mission I need completed immediately." The younger spirit prince had sat back, fidgeting in his chair as he awaited the current spirit detective. This case was highly unusual, rarely did large amounts of spiritual activity occur outside of Japan; and when they did there were only a couple of instances that warranted spirit world involvement.
Sensui had never shown for the meeting, having been ambushed by a group of demons at the portal sight. In his panic over the threat of demons in human world Koenma had abandoned his office to check on the young man in a human hospital. Thankfully the attack hadn't drawn much attention and Sensui wasn't badly injured, only in need of some stitches and the setting of a three fingers on his left hand. By the time the spirit prince had returned the document had vanished. He and all the ogres under him had searched for months, finally giving up the hunt when Sensui stole the blackblack tape. After that it seemed the file was forgotten, more current and pressing matters constantly popping up.
"You must understand that the loss of documents such as these is highly unusual; spirit world has the most security and well documented… well, anyways. Sensui should have had this mission; it would have been shortly before he stole and viewed the blackblack tape. Because it has been missing for so long I believe some of the files are missing, so we'll have to make do with what we have."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a sec. What do you mean this is twenty years old!" Yuske exclaims, his jaw dropping. "How the hell do you lose something that important for that long?"
"Yuske these things happen." Kurama replies from his seat. His voice has a slight edge to it and his hands are gripping his tea cup a little too tightly. "It is interesting that spirit world would happen to lose such a file."
"Like I said before," Koenma sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off a headache. "This is a special case, and I wouldn't ask if it weren't completely necessary-"
"You ask a lot that ain't 'completely necessary' short stuff." The dark haired man grumps, crossing his arms defiantly. Yukina quirks an eyebrow at Yuske's statement but says nothing, choosing instead to focus on her tea. Kurama and Kuwubara exchange looks before rolling their eyes at the former spirit detective. Though what he says is partially true, many of their missions could be avoided by further diligence on the part of spirit world all of their missions have been crucial to the survival of humanity as well as themselves.
"Idiot" Hiei murmurs at no one in particular, shifting his ruby gaze to the forest outside. He huffs in aggravation, the fire demon would much rather be outdoors either lounging in a tree or fighting one of the lower class demons that lurk in the trees. He continues to aid in the missions under threat of Koenma retracting their deal of working off his crimes; this debt should have been paid long ago, but the spirit prince finds new ways to extend the sentence unwilling to give up one of his most valuable assets. Though it is not intended for him Yuske takes the comment to heart, jumping to his feet poised to fight.
"You wanna come say that to my face punk?" The spirit detective challenges, a growl emanating from his chest. Hiei scoffs, not bothering to look at the detective. The smaller demon knows the detective is itching for a fight, if he intended to attack the koorime he would have done so already.
"Just shut up Uramshi! I wanna get this over with." Kuwubara whines, burying his head in his hands as he slumps forward. I'm getting too old for this shit…
"Agreed," Kurama says. "It's getting late."
"Well on that note," Koenma begins, shuffling the file. He is unsuccessful in his attempt to make the papers lay nicely within their folder. "This case is going to be a little more challenging, not only has it been twenty years, but we didn't know much to begin with. The subject was six at the time, making her around twenty six now. We have been able to gather some more recent information, but nothing concrete."
"Oh that's helpful" Yuske grumps.
"If you think you can do a better job be my guest! Here's the file!" The toddler prince shouts, throwing the file in Yuske's general direction. However Kurama snags it out of the air and flips it open. He scans the meager contents of the manila folder a small frown creasing his delicate features, and then looks at Koenma with a single delicate eyebrow raised.
"You really are useless." The spikey haired demon states while looking over Kurama's shoulder. The papers within the folder are yellowed with age; smudges and stains obscure parts of the information. In other places the text is too faded to read. Three photographs are paper clipped to the edge; none of which are good quality.
"Well it's all we have!" Koenma whines and elaborates for the others. "We know she's originally from America. A strange energy flared from her on her sixth birthday. We lost track of her after that. Recently we discovered she was in Germany for a time before completely disappearing for almost a year. If I didn't know better I'd say she was dead; further more we have reason to believe she's currently in Japan."
"So why do we care?" Hiei asks, clearly unimpressed.
"Spirit world wants to know what that energy was. We weren't able to gather a clear reading at the time so we still have no clue what type of energy was coming from this girl." Koenma states and nods his head in a matter of fact manner. Besides that there's a chance a demon, or group of demons, is pursuing her. What demons would want with her is a mystery, but if demons want this girl then spirit world definitely doesn't want them finding her. He adds silently.
"Well at least give us a name." Yuske mumbles squinting at the blurry images in the file. The first image is yellowed and depicts a child. The girl appears to be five or six; a bright grin splashed across her face as she stares up at the stars. The second shows a slightly older girl who looks radically different from the first. Her face is hidden, but her body language communicates agitation and a desire to disappear. The third is of similar quality to the others, though slightly less grainy. In this picture the camera has managed to catch her face. Though this is hardly helpful as a scarf conceals her hair and lower half of her face; a few dark hairs have escaped the head dress and frame the bluest eyes the detective has ever seen.
"We, um, don't have a name" The princeling confesses sheepishly, a shameful blush staining his cheeks.
"What? Then how the hell are we supposed to find her?" Kuwubara exclaims snatching the photographs. "You can't even really see what she looks like, and these don't even look like the same girl!"
"Sorry guys, I really am, but this is all we have. It is the same girl in the photographs, I don't know why she looks so different, but the energy reading was the same each time those were taken." Koenma sighs, slouching back in his seat. An air of defeat and desperation hangs around him.
"Perfect!"Yuske snarks, "because there's no way she'd have left the country in the time it took you to find the damn file! Even assuming she hadn't whaddaya want us to do? Go around asking everyone: Hey did you move here in the last few years? Oh you did well gee, do you happen to have a weird energy about you that started when you were six?"
"Yuske, that last picture was taken three weeks ago." The spirit prince retorts, glaring at the former detective.
"A lot can happen in three weeks, diaper breath." He shoots back, crossing his arms over his chest causing the material of his shirt to tighten and reveal lean but well defined muscles.
"Come now Yuske" Kurama chuckles. "We only need to ask the women."
"Hey wait!" Kuwubara yells, suddenly excited "Couldn't Hiei just use that creepy eye of his to find her?"
"Moron." Hiei growls in frustration, glaring daggers at the carrot top from his perch on the window ledge. "That's not how the Jagan works, and even if it were what makes you think I'd want to go through the minds of all those pathetic humans?"
"Geez it was just an idea" The carrot top mutters, halfheartedly returning the glare.
"Honestly all we can do is to keep our eyes and ears open at this point." Kurama states and laces his fingers together and resting his hands on the table. By this time the tea has gone cold and been long forgotten, the sweet scent of honey and vanilla fading from the air around them.
"Thank you" Koenma sighs, "That's all I'm asking."
"Is that all Lord Koenma?" Yukina inquires, speaking for the first time since entering the room. Her candy red eyes are hard; she's clearly displeased with the spirit prince.
"Y-yes…" The toddler prince gulps, nearly dropping his pacifier in the process. With a small nod the ice maiden gathers the tea set onto its tray. Without a word Kuwubara hops up and helps her deliver the dishes to the kitchen to be loaded into the dishwasher.
"It's awfully late." Kurama says looking at his watch, earning a groan of agreement from Yuske. "I propose we spend the night here."
"Suit yourselves, goodnight." Koenma yawns and steps into a portal to spirit world. Once returned to his own realm the prince is still unable to shed the sense of foreboding that has hung around since finding the file on his desk earlier that evening. Please find her, find out what's going on Yuske. He prays silently, I have a bad feeling about this.
Mae starts awake, breath caught in her throat in a soundless scream. She shudders in memory of the nightmares that plague her subconscious. Knowing sleep is a futile pursuit she drags herself from bed. It's early, well before the sun will be up. She stumbles to the bathroom and turns on the water to heat the shower. As the water begins to warm Mae turns to face the small mirror hanging over the sink. Her dyed brown hair coupled with her paper white skin cause her to appear more strange than usual. Her veins crisscross under her skin, making blue patterns in the artificial light. Her skin has become nearly transparent from the lack of sunlight, granted she does burn easily, but no sun can be just as detrimental. Frowning she notices the hair dye is starting to fade and her roots are showing. I'm going to have to go into the town today. I wonder if all those people stayed over last night, maybe I should cook breakfast just in case… I should probably leave tonight, I don't think that girl will mind, what's her name anyways… she allows her mind to wander as she steps into the warm spray of the water. She scrubs her skin until it turns red from abuse, trying to ignore the puckered skin that forms the scars that litter her small frame. Lathering her hair into a thick soapy mass she thinks back to when she had to fight to get hot water for a shower in an attempt to banish her recollection of the cause of the scars she tries so desperately to ignore.
Cassidy, one of the older girls had always managed to get up earlier than everybody else and use up all the hot water. The girl had insisted she needed the extra time to get ready so she could make her 'big break.' Cassidy was an aspiring actress, constantly insisting someone just needed to look her way at the right moment. The older girl was more right than she knew; with dark thick curls always tamed into a complicated up-do and her perfect smile causing her lightly tanned skin to glow Cassidy certainly possessed the looks of a famous actress. Mae could remember pounding on the door demanding Cassidy hurry up and save some hot water for the rest of them. Cassidy would reply with a laugh that rang through the air clear as bells, popping her face out the door just long enough for her caramel colored eyes to sparkle mischievously as she winked and promised she would be out soon.
Mae let out a small sigh. She hasn't had to share a bathroom in so long; when she did stay in hotels she would pay the extra charge for a private bathroom, preferring the odd looks over having her secret discovered. Once the water runs cold Mae finally steps out from under the spray and towels herself dry. A frown creases her features for a moment before she carefully wipes the expression from her face; now she is ready to face another day as Rumiko.
Mae pulls out a pair of too big jeans, cinching them at the waist with a belt and slips into a grey oversized long sleeve tee. Next she applies the disgusting amount of makeup she wears every day over a generous layer of sun screen; it used to take her hours changing her face from very much of European decent to Japanese with just a hint of European. Now she can do the full transformation it about half an hour. Once finished she slips from her room, careful not to make any noise as she shuffles down the hall shoes and shoulder bag in hand. Soundless, she is able to make her way to the kitchen in order to prepare a large traditional Japanese breakfast as quickly and quietly as she can. She sighs with satisfaction as she steps back to admire her handy work. The rice and miso soup rest in large serving bowls, broiled salmon and horse mackerel are arranged on a serving tray, the natto, nori, tomagoyaki, and takuan placed in various serving dishes. Yukina enters the kitchen just as Mae sets a light green tea with floral undertones to steep.
The ice maiden looks around, slightly surprised to find her guest up so early. Her candy colored eyes widen as she sees the extent of the breakfast Mae has prepared. The full breakfast would take at least two hours to prepare and is more extensive than Yukina usually attempts by herself. The young girl has yet to notice the demoness as she places small portions onto a plate and clicks on the middle and lower ovens. Mae starts when she catches Yukina watching her and nearly drops two of the ceramic serving dishes. Recovering quickly she places the dishes back on the countertop. The younger girl turns to face her hostess, a blush dusting her cheeks. The demoness is dressed in hip hugging jeans and a rust colored sweater, the swooping neck line revealing a generous amount of cleavage. Her hair has been twisted into a half-up do, the remaining waves cascading down her back creating a teal waterfall ending just above her waist line.
"Good morning" Yukina offers with a small smile. Her bright ruby eyes dance in the overhead light, the nude eyeshadows blended into a simple smoky eye and deep black of her lashes compliment her porcelain complexion and coral painted lips causing Mae's blush to deepen. She desperately tries to hide the blush with her right sleeve, offering a small bow in return. Wow, she was beautiful when I met her yesterday; but today she is simply breath taking… Taking a breath to steady herself Mae rerolls her sleeves in order to expose her hands and signs to Yukina, good morning, what is your name?
"What? I don't understand." Yukina states, her voice once more guarded against the strange girl. She also takes a plate and bowl of miso soup. Mae sighs and pantomimes you-called-what.
"My name?" The demoness asks around her chopsticks, no they hadn't been properly introduced thanks to Koenma finding that file she remembers. Mae nods; glad she's able to communicate with her hostess. "My name is Yukina."
Mae's brow furrows in thought, names are difficult to sigh due to the different kanji and origins. She decides to use the kanji meaning rare and endure to form the name. She turns to face Yukina and finger spells the kanji slowly so the ice maiden can follow her hand movements. Candy red eyes follow her fingers as they repeat the motions, committing the sign to memory.
"So when you sign that it means 'Yukina'?" She asks, mentally tracing the movements. Mae offers a small nod in return, signing the name once more.
"I meant to ask you last night," The demoness begins, leaning against one of the counters. "Aren't you a bit young to be travelling on your own?"
Mae shrugs turns to finish loading the ovens so the food will stay warm. Her shoulders tense under Yukina's heavy stare. Please just let it go she prays, breathing a small sigh of relief when Yukina just hums at her lack of response.
"Thank you for cooking breakfast, however, my guests are very familiar with my cooking so in the future please refrain from cooking for anybody but yourself. I'm perfectly capable of preparing my own meals." Yukina remarks, Mae's face loses its color at the comment. She hadn't meant to insult the ice maiden. Yukina, however, is completely focused on the food busy noting the different spices in the dishes; interesting, though the dishes still taste traditional there are definite flavors that are not native to Japan. The undertones come from a different country I'm sure, but where I can't place. She takes a bite of the tamagoyaki pausing at the unfamiliar flavor. The dish is traditionally sweet and an unexpected zest attacks the woman's taste buds; Mae turns to her hostess when she sees the woman freeze. Yukina chews slowly, taking in the flavors added to the egg. A smile spreads across the ice maiden's face as she savors the tang of fruit Mae had added to the mix.
"It's good" the demoness states, unable to hide the shock in her voice. Mae lets out a breath she didn't realize she's been holding. She offers a small smile to her hostess and begins gathering the dishes. Yukina sighs and places her plate back on the counter, she knows the girl can't stay, not with the boys coming and going because of the mission. This conversation isn't going to be easy, and being unable to give a good reason as to why she can't stay isn't going to help.
"Ah, Rumiko was it? We never got to finish our conversation last night and well…" The ice apparition pauses. Taking a deep breath she decides to seek out her guest when there isn't a chance one of the guys will stumble in on their conversation. "Never mind, we'll talk later. My guests will be up soon so please try to stay out of sight today."
Mae nods her understanding; I guess it's a good thing I need to go into town anyways. She plunges her hands into the soapy water and scrubs the various pots and pans clean, pausing to take bites of her breakfast between dishes. Yukina sighs and places her empty plate beside the sink before wandering off to make sure no one stumbles into the kitchen unexpectedly. Finished with the dishes Mae wipes down the cooking area and sweeps the floor before disappearing from the temple.She takes the stone steps two at a time, her black shoulder bag banging against her legs. She takes her time walking to town, enjoying the leisurely sounds of nature waking up. Bird song fills the air as the sun peeks over the tree tops illuminating the dirt road leading from the temple.
By the time Mae reaches the town the sun has been up for close to an hour. Surveying the main street shops for the store to best suit her need she quickly spots a small chain corner store. She ducks into the convenience shop and snags a box of hair dye. She quickly makes her way to the bathroom, careful to avoid the shop employees ducking behind displays when she hears them approaching. Thankfully the town is small enough that there are no security cameras in the store; Mae locks herself in the bathroom jiggling the handle to make sure it takes, and proceeds to once again dye her hair dark brown. At least this way I blend in She says to herself. Once the dye set she rinses her hair as best she can, not bothering to check it in the mirror. After dying her hair for years she's confident in her ability to keep it off her skin, which ruins the illusion of the hair color being natural.
Walking out of the bathroom Mae grabs two more boxes of dye before depositing some money on the front counter and slipping out of the store unseen. She stashes the dye in her bag and looks around before spotting a small coffee shop. Her mouth waters at the thought of the drink, granted the coffee would most likely be awful as it usually is in small shops, but anything to allow her to escape back to her western roots was welcomed with open arms. Checking the street to make sure it's clear of cars she saunters over to the shop.
Standing at the counter Mae kicks herself for forgetting why it is she rarely steps foot into any form of restaurant. It's always an ordeal to order anything seeing as almost no one in Japan knows any form of sign language. After about ten minutes and having to resort to writing her order on a napkin the girl at the counter finally got it: small coffee three creams no sugar. Mae shakes her head paying for the drink; it wasn't a difficult order by any means the baristas just seem to over complicate things. What with their trying to get her to buy the most expensive drinks and then trying to push the stale and chalky pastries on her.
She retrieves the steaming beverage from the counter and seats herself at one of the chic little tables that have been artfully arranged within the space. Mae sips her drink, observing the people that wander in the shop sleepy eyed and back out again not noticing the lone girl seated in the corner. Once business begins to pick up Mae finishes her drink and vacates the table, tossing her cup in the trash on her way out the door. Once on the street she stretches her arms above her head, relishing the warmth of the late autumn sun. She looks around, more businesses are opening and the streets are quickly becoming crowded. I guess I should be heading back then. It's too late to try to find a park to wander around, plus I don't know the school schedule around here and the last thing I need is to be stopped because someone thinks I'm skipping. Mae stuffs her hands in her pockets and ducks her head so her hair falls across her face. She hunches her shoulders ever so slightly and takes quick strides to keep up with the flow of bodies. She's practiced this pose and walk so often it is second nature, keeping her from being noticed by most everyone.
Not sparing a glance back Mae glides down the sidewalk leading to the outskirts of the town. Once off the main road leading through the town she walks in the middle of the dirt road due to the absence of traffic. A slight breeze sends a shiver through Mae as she stands in the shade of a large Japanese Oak that has rooted on the roadside. The red and gold leaves tremble on their branches, clinging to the tree in a desperate attempt to defy the coming winter. Like fire she muses, watching the dancing colors for a moment arms crossed tightly to ward off the cold. Closing her eyes Mae takes a deep breath, relishing the bite of the crisp autumn air as another gust snatches leaves from their summer homes and stirs the dead leaves at her feet. Her eyes glue themselves to her shoes in a glare I hate brown; it's the color of death. Brown has ruined my life- it stole everything, my eye color, my hair, even my skin! I may not have liked the way I looked before, but at least then I knew who I was. Her eyes brim with tears she refuses to let fall; I miss you mother. I know it's been nineteen years, but I still miss you…and dad before he started drinking…
"Kurama" Hiei states; the fire demon doesn't bother opening his eyes as he can sense the fox standing beneath him. A frown fits itself on the koorime's face. Usually his senses are much sharper, but his twin's energy seems to be drowning everything else for miles.
"Something strange is going on. Yukina has continually flared her energy since our arrival last night-" The red head begins, folding his hands behind his back as he cranes his neck to see the fire demon, causing his thick red hair to fall away from his face in blood colored rivulets and hand down his back in dense streams which all but obscure the cream of his turtleneck. Before he can continue the fox is cut off by a low growl from his companion as molten ruby eyes slide open to meet his own emerald.
"If I cared for your opinions fox, I would ask for them. Leave me be." The dark haired demon hardens his eyes further as Kurama opens his mouth in protest. Hiei shifts his position on the heavy limb, causing his cloak to fall open and reveal his usual black attire. He turns away dismissively, effectively breaking eye contact and snuggles the lower half of his face into the stark white scarf he wears regardless of the temperature. The fire demon draws his cloak closed and refuses to look at his red headed friend as the fox sighs and shakes his head before turning to head back to the temple.
"We will have to talk at some point Hiei." Kurama calls over his shoulder, pausing at the door to peer across the clearing at his friend. Upon receiving no response he pulls the back door open, allowing it to slam closed as he stalks through the temple.
Mae approaches the infinite stone steps leading up the mountain. Yukina said to stay out of sight while she has guests, but I can't go back into town it's too crowded. I don't even know if they're still at the temple and what if someone sees me? She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, nerves taking over and revealing compulsive habits. She pulls her dyed hair to the side and fiddles with the ends while chewing the inside of her cheek. Mae glances at the densely wooded area surrounding the steps. She also said to stay out of the woods, but I'm sure that having someone see me would be worse. Having made her decision she steps from the dirt road into the grass at the edge of the forest. A chill seeps down her spine as she leaves the sunlight for the unbroken shadows of the trees.
Mae whips her head around as she feels the warmth leave her cheeks. A rustling catches her attention and she wraps her arms around herself defensively. Uneasiness settles in the pit of her stomach, a heavy stone lodged in her gut that hordes of butterflies are trying to dislodge. Mae swallows heavily; she's had this feeling before. Twice, she's had this feeling and both instancesended tragically. She clenches her jaw and edges further into the undergrowth; sighing in relief when the feeling dissipates. She wanders through the maze of trees, unable to navigate because of the thick foliage and uneven terrain. Once or twice the feeling returns, but only briefly as she all but stumbles over exposed roots and fallen branches.
Mae exits the tree line, staggering onto the sandy beach and into the sun. A grimace works its way across her face as she clutches her complaining stomach; having not eaten since breakfast, and having really only picked at her food has not left Mae in peak hiking condition. She surveys the beach, really it's a hole carved into the face of a cliff by the waves but, this reality allows for complete privacy from the outside world. I'm about as alone as I can get she realizes with a grin. With a deep breath Mae allows her excitement to overcome her as she shrugs off her bag and oversized clothes. She giggles at the appearance of the makeup lines on her arms, not bothering to blend the area covered by clothes has left a distinct line of makeup making the disguise look ridiculous and unrealistic. With a shrug she ties up her hair, there was nobody around to see her running around in just her underwear anyways. She stretches in the warmth of the sunlight, glad she remembered to pack extra sunscreen. The heat of the sun allows her lean muscles from years of running and fending for herself to finally relax.
With a childish giggle that betrays just how young she is Mae runs into the spray of the waves, but doesn't allow the water to go above her ankles. She stops so suddenly from her full on sprint into the water that she about topples face first into the waves. Taking a deep breath she begins to retreat to the beach; it's ridiculous really, how afraid she is of open water after everything she's been through. For some reason, one that she can't explain, water terrifies her she can't even swim in a pool. Baths are too much sometimes, showers being the only thing she feels truly comfortable in. Terror overcoming her she dashes away from the water, gathering her things in her arms and retreating to the tree line. Mae pants, forcing herself to calm down, do not panic. Don't. I can't panic, not here. Do. Not. Panic. Once she catches her breath she slips her oversized shirt back on and makes her way back to the beach stopping just short of the lapping waves.
It's been forever since I've seen the ocean. I remember going once with the orphanage, but the sisters made me stay inside so I wouldn't get sunburned so it doesn't really count. She smiles sadly wishing she could stay on this beach forever, warm sand between her toes and sticking to her thighs. The gentle beat of the waves would sing her to sleep each night and whisper her awake the following mornings; maybe she'd even overcome her fear of water and swim in the endless, rolling blue before her. The daydream allows a small, but genuine smile to rest upon her face for the first time in months; but Mae knows in a few weeks it will be time for her to move on. Don't overstay your welcome, keep moving, and stay hidden she reminds herself. It's the only way to keep them, whoever they are, from finding her. She knows they are still looking, they'd almost found her six months after she moved to Japan. She'd been careless in Germany, being snatched up only a short while after deciding to settle down; once she escaped she swore to never let it happen again. She'd thought moving to the other side of the world would be enough; but she came back to the little place she'd found to smoldering ashes and bodies littering the ground for blocks. Just like D.C., just like the halfway house. Ever since then she'd never stayed in one place more than a few weeks. Today though, she decided, today I can be twenty five and spend a day at the beach. With that she scoops up some sand and begins to construct a crudely hideous sand castle.
"Shouldn't you be out looking for that girl?" Yukina asks softly, placing the last plate on the table as the group gathers for supper. A small line of sweat has gathered along her hairline throughout the day as she continually flared her energy. Normally she doesn't push the guys so hard to start their cases as many of them are dangerous and the ice maiden cares deeply for her friends, but she knows she can't continue to flare her energy in such a manner without exhausting herself and making the others suspicious.
"We don't even know who we're looking for." Yuske counters, piling his plate high with the fragrant stir fry and plopping down in his usual seat. He begins shoveling food in his mouth, pausing between bites to speak. "Besides I feel like I've earned a break, I'm not that brat's errand boy despite what he thinks."
"Yeah, I'm sure spirit world can wait a few more days." Kuwubara adds sitting between the dark haired man and the ice apparition.
"Is that what you said about me?" Yukina asks her voice cold as her candy colored eyes harden. She glares at Kuwubara through her lashes. Internally she cringes, she knows this isn't what the boys meant but she really needs to get them out of the temple long enough to send the girl away. Her statement causes Kurama and Hiei to pause, the fire demon stiffening at the accusation.
"N-no, of course not Yukina!" Kuwubara stutters, turning a bright shade of red. Both he and Yuske are oblivious to the rigid set of Hiei's shoulders and stern bites he's taking. The red headed fox glances at the koorime from the corner of his eye as the fire demon attacks his food with his chopsticks, biting down on the untensils hard enough it's a miracle they haven't been bitten through. Hiei refuses to acknowledge the fox, "that was different!"
"Is it though?" Kurama asks in an attempt to break the gathering tension. "This girl has been on the run for who knows how many years-living in fear…"
"Fine, fine whatever." Yuske mutters into his tea. "We'll start in the morning. We'll split up into pairs and start by checking the surrounding towns and villages."
"Good, Hiei and I will take the outlying villages since we travel faster on foot. We should come up with a cover so we don't seem out of place." Kurama states in between bites, glad when the air clears as the plans are laid out.
"Well, not too out of place." Yuske comments looking at Hiei, a smirk forming on the former detective's face at the thought of the surly demon wearing human street clothes.
"I'm not wearing your stupid ningen clothes." The fire demon growls, refusing to look up from his plate.
"I'm sure it will be fine Yuske. We can tell them we're relatives of the girl; she's obviously wearing some foreign styles. Many who live in small villages don't keep up with the western world so they will simply assume Hiei doesn't live in Japan." Kurama explains, his trademark smile falling into place. Kuwubara nods thoughtfully, considering the idea carefully.
"Yeah, from what I could see she looks Japanese but a lot of Japanese business men travel so explaining the way she looks shouldn't be hard. Besides in larger towns girls dress in strange styles all the time. So it's a plan, we'll hit as many towns as we can travel to and from in a day, using the temple as the central point." A huge grin plasters itself across the carrot top's face. Yuske nods, chewing on the idea for a moment before grunting his agreement; Kurama peers at the fire demon once more, he only makes a small noncommittal noise in response.
A weight summons Mae from her fitful sleep; her eyes snap open. Ignoring the scraping dryness of the contacts in her eyes she scours the shore line for the weight that drew her from her slumber. With a strangled cry she starts, realizing the tide has risen in her sleep and she's been caught in the waves. She tries to smother the panic that swells within her chest as she scrambles to her feet. Her soaking top clings to her, water streaming down her legs as she scrambles further up the beach thankful she'd left her remaining belongings further up. I can't believe I fell asleep! How could I be so stupid? Ohmigod, what time is it, how long have I been asleep? Mae regards the rising moon warily as she pulls her pants, socks, and shoes back on shivering at the cool northern breeze. The gentle wind causes her dripping shirt to cling more vigorously to her skin, eliciting a series of shivers. Maybe I should just stay here. I don't know if I can find my way back in the dark…or at all. Damn that was stupid, I'm going to have to make a fire just so I don't freeze my ass off tonight. Stupid Japanese weather, stupid winter, stupid, stupid, stupid… A howl from the forest cements her decision, there's no way she's going to waltz into the trees just to get eaten by whatever the hell that was. Mae gathers some drift wood and the emergency lighter from her bag to start a fire, figuring she has a better chance of not getting eaten if she stays further from the tree line. This causes her to build the fire about half way between the lapping waves and looming trees as she settles next to the comforting blaze she doesn't even glance upward, too afraid to spare any thought for the twinkling stars illuminating the sand. Taking a deep breath to steady herself Mae knows she can't risk falling asleep again and begins reciting the prayers seared into her memory by the church. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
