So its been awhile since I last posted a chapter. ^^;;; ( I had some serious trouble writing some of this and walked away for a little bit) Because of my lack there of posting, I'm making this a two for one deal! Once I've posted this, I plan on finishing what I've got for the next chapter and posting it hopefully within the next few hours. Look forward to it!
And now, on with the chapter!
Tamahome sat with his legs and arms crossed. He sat waiting for whatever welcome party would be coming to meet him within the Kuto Palace. His brows arched deeper and he ground his teeth just thinking about how he had been pulled away from Miaka the night before. Ambushed by one of the many assassins sent out by Kuto, the threat to his family and the village people along the Kuto boarder was too great, forcing the hand of the Suzaku warrior.
The danger was to great to risk staying away from Kuto; no matter how reluctant or protested his leaving had been.
Still, his blood boiled at the thought of it. Threatening the lives of innocent people, people that couldn't present a threat to the bandits that dotted the Konan mountains let alone that of the entire army of their neighboring nation, seemed like a low blow no matter what angle he turned it on. His disgust with Seiryu's country could only be compared with his determination to get back to Miaka and the others once the rest of the Suzaku warriors had been gathered.
Noticing Nakago as the general entered the room, there was no doubt in Tamahome's mind that he would get back to Konan and to the others when the the time came to summon Suzaku.
" Welcome, Tamahome, first of the seven stars of Suzaku." the older man stood, a hand resting against his waist, right above his sword as he spoke. A smirk colored his facial features, moving with all of the tall, commanding aura that he had the first time that Tamahome had come into contact with him. " I am a star as well, though I am a star of Seiryu."
" You piece of. . ." Tamahome's mouth couldn't articulate the anger that flooded over his senses, his mind coming up with multiple ugly words to use. None of them seemed a strong enough one, leading to a pause before he managed to snap out. " Was it you that planned all of this? What do you want from me?" These words didn't earn the Suzaku warrior much of anything from his Seiryu counterpart. The smirk on Nakago's face broadened slightly, though something about the tightness of his muscles seemed out of place on his features. Looking away from Tamahome, the general's crystal blue eyes rested on the far wall, outside the window the the tree that left long shadows over the sill.
" I don't want anything from you," he retorted, even toned, putting extra emphasis on the first word, " though," the tension on his face had eased, giving the smirk on his lips their original leisure as he strode closer, jerking Tamahome's chin upward so that their eyes were linked, " I do like you. You are the first person to have been able to hit me like that." Tamahome held those eyes steadily, a fire burning in his gray eyes as the corner of his own lip turned upward just slightly.
" Really?" he prompted as though at ease with everything that was happening to and around him. " Then you must've only met losers before." Izaya stood in the door frame and watched as Nakago struck Tamahome across the face after these words. Leaning, she gave a smirk of her own, snickering loud enough to make her presence known to those within the room. Nakago turned and Tamahome raised his head, his expression lost, blinking as he gazed childishly in the Seiryu priestess' direction. Meeting Nakago's eyes, Izaya smiled broadly, crossing her arms and raising her brows.
" Enjoying yourself?" she inquired. As the military general straightened to full height, Izaya did the same and swaggered across the room. Her arms dropped to her sides as she stood beside Nakago, gazing up at him intently and he returned it with one of his own. Frowning, Tamahome sat watching as the older girl held the gaze of the general for what seemed like far too long. Then, after what felt like hours, she patted his arm and took a step in front of him. " If you're quite finished with your fun, I'd like to spend a little time with Tamahome," glancing over her shoulder at the two assassins that were still standing at the far side of the room before catching Nakago's blue eyes and finishing, " alone." For a second, Nakago stood there, watching her, studying her body language and her facial expression. Again, Tamahome felt the action was prolonged, extending for minutes that should have been highly uncomfortable. If it bothered either party it didn't show; Nakago gave a short bow of his head once he'd finished his staring contest with Izaya.
" Yes, Priestess." with those short words, he turned, his cape whirling behind him like a royal blue cloud, and left, the two assassins at his heels. The two watched him go until his footsteps had completely faded away. Smiling at the empty door way, Izaya turned to Tamahome at that point and offered him a hand. The Suzaku warrior narrowed his eyes, glaring at her. She chuckled when he didn't reach for her hand right away.
" I'm not going to hurt you. Despite popular belief, I actually dislike violence." she said to him, moving her hand a little closer, to show her insistence on the friendly gesture. Still gazing at her with a certain degree of distrust prickling at his stomach, Tamahome reluctantly took her hand. His arm received a swift jerk, pulling him somewhat gruffly to his feet. Once he'd gotten his balance, Izaya had released his hand, popping her hip to the side and giggling again. " There; not such a little bitch now, am I?" she prompted him, raising her brows.
When he began to open his mouth to respond, Izaya turned around, giving a nonchalant wave before placing her hand against her swiveling hip. "Come on. I'll show you where you'll be staying while your here." Glancing over her shoulder, she noted that he hadn't moved from where he'd stood in the middle of the room. " You didn't think you were staying in this room, did you?" spreading her arms out wide, she raised a brow at him. " This room is completely empty; no furniture or anything. Come on now!" she smiled, slipping out of the room without making certain that he was following after. Tamahome had to scramble to catch up with her.
" Hey! Wait!" his voice reached her ears coupled with the sound of his bounding footsteps. " I'm coming! I'm coming!" When he came up beside her, Izaya glanced over at him, a pleasant smile plastered across her lips.
" Nice of you to join me." she replied, her chipper tone unnerving the Suzaku warrior slightly. Tamahome settled his step to match her shorter stride lengths.
As they moved side by side, he gazed down at her, silent. He couldn't help noticing her skinny framework. Coming from a poor family, the Suzaku warrior knew what starvation looked like, and recognized its signs from the people that had neither home nor family to care for or about. Izaya had the bony figure of one, though the signs were small, putting her at just under proper body weight.
Yet, as a warrior, Tamahome knew a fighter when he saw one. He knew their eyes and the small twitches and quirks that came from protecting ones self from the threat of others. The first time the Suzaku warrior had encountered her, he'd be distracted; taking care of Miaka and flustered by Izaya's words when she'd found them kissing upon her return with the Shi Jin Tenchi Sho during the failed rescue attempt by Miaka. Seeing the way she moved and actually watching her glide down the hallways beside him made it very clear to Tamahome that she was no ordinary girl. If someone came at her swinging, Tamahome had a feeling she wouldn't hesitate to swing back even harder. Though, the knife stuffed in the back of her jeans was a dead give away.
" Careful there, Tama-chan," she said, drawing his attention onto her face, which sported a small smirk and eyes looking at him from their corners, " stare for much longer and someone might think that you're checking me out." Stiffening instantly, Tamahome looked away. Izaya threw her head back and laughed, shaking her head. " I don't mind; stare all you like." She winked at him, a blush creeping across Tamahome's cheeks. Pressing a hand against her chin, the smile on her face broadened as she thought aloud. " Forbidden love between enemies can be kind of edgy. At least in some cases." Her choice of words had Tamahome's instant attention.
" Then you're-?"
" The Priestess of Seiryu?" she finished for him, grinning all the wider when she saw the Suzaku warrior's face flush deepened and his mouth tighten. She was stringing him along like a puppy on a leash. Dangling bits of information in front of him and waiting for him to bite. Giggling she nodded her head as she answered. " I am." scowling, she crossed her arms. " Why? Does that bother you?" his expression was blank, befuddled.
They turned a corner and then Izaya pushed open one of the doors of one of the rooms. She made a wide gesture around the room as she strode in.
" Here we are!" she declared, spinning around to face the Suzaku warrior once again. Frowning, Tamahome hesitated at the door frame. Rolling her eyes, Izaya's shoulders slumped, a heavy sigh exiting her mouth as she crossed back over to where he was and grabbed him by the wrists. " You're certainly expecting the worst, aren't you? Relax," she insisted, pulling him inside, " even if I can't guarantee this for everyone else in the palace, I can assure you that I won't do anything to physically hurt you." Stumbling along as she led him, Tamahome was thrown onto the bed that would be his, apparently, for his time within the Kuto Emperor's Palace. Shaking her head at him, Izaya sighed a second time. Heading across the room she pulled one of the chairs placed around the table where Tamahome would be eating his meals and placed it opposite of where the Suzaku was sitting on the bed. Frowning, he crossed his legs and arms, pouting, his shoulders scrunched up so that as a whole he looked like an irritated young child.
" 'Physically'?" he echoed her the priestess humming affirmation in return.
" I don't guarantee that I won't give a verbal lashing or a mental assault at some point or other." she waved her hand, dismissively. " We all have those days, you know. Not that I think you would in these circumstances, I would still appreciate it if you didn't, you know, try to kill me anytime I come to visit either?" running her hand through the short strands of her black head, she scratched the back of her neck. Tamahome raised his head slightly, observing her for a few seconds before giving any sort of responce.
" If I say yes will you leave your knife behind anytime you come visit me?" he prompted her. Smiling a little more broadly at him, she shook her head slowly, giggling softly.
" You might as well ask me to walk in here naked," she replied, once again drawing the blush onto Tamahome's face, " or without one of my hands. I sleep with this thing under my pillow." Digging into the back of her jeans, she pulled out the blade, still sheathed and held it up. " Sorry to say, but this stays with me no matter the circumstances." Flipping it open and then closed, Izaya shoved the knife back into her jeans. Watching her, Tamahome tilted his head to the side.
After sniffing, indifferent, he said. " Carrying around something like that everywhere, you must be paranoid." Izaya threw her head back and laughed.
" Very!" she insisted, bringing her legs up and crossing them on the seat of the chair. Placing her hands down on her lap, her gray eyes focused in on the Suzaku warrior, a sparkle in their stone wall stare as she went on. " I'd have thought someone like you would understand that better then anyone; from what I hear you come from the poorer side of life, neh?" Tamahome blinked, his blank expression riddled with the lines of befuddlement. The priestess of Seiryu watched him, narrowing her eyes for a second. Her attention to him set the Suzaku warrior's skin prickling. It felt almost as though she were staring straight through him. As though his skin, muscle, and bone had all become tranparent, leaving nothing to hide his soul from those cold, leering stones.
Still, he faced her head on, nodding in answer of her question. There was a small, inward twist of her brow as she smiled at him then. Leaning back against the chair, she gave a little sigh, speaking casually.
" Well, then we have something in common already, Tama-chan." For a few seconds, he gave her a long stare, observing her as though he were only seeing her for the first time at just that moment.
" I thought so." he commented, voice soft. " I'm sorry to hear that." His heart going out to her despite everything that had happened. The life of a poor person was a difficult one, intermingled with hard choices and constant fear of what tomorrow would bring. Often it was like fighting the very world itself. Putting her feet back down on the floor, she let one of her arms fall over the back of her chair. Her other hand gave a dismissive wave in his direction.
" Neh! We're one of many; doesn't matter what world you're in." the smile on her face was an honest, happy thing, her eyes focusing up on the ceiling for a time. " All of that has made me who I am today, and I am a perfectly proud of the person I am today. So I'm not complaining." Her head came back to level, facing Tamahome once more. He smiled back at her. " Albeit a little paranoid and less then scholarly." They both laughed, the Suzaku warrior nodding his head and pointing at her. It was then that a servant made herself known to them.
" Pardon me, my Lady," she said, bowing her head as Izaya and Tamahome turned to look at her, " the Emperor would like to invite you to join him for dinner tonight." As the woman spoke, Izaya rolled her.
" Again?" she scoffed. " How many times has he invited me to dinner, Meirin? 5? 6 times?" Unable to hold back a small smile and a delicate giggle, the servant girl kept her head low and eyes shut.
" 8, my Lady." she informed the Seiryu priestess who abruptly let out a terrible moan, throwing her head over the back of the chair and flailing both her arms and her legs in the space around herself.
" And I thought men in my world didn't know when to take a hint!" she exclaimed to no one in particular. Tamahome simply watched, lost, but the servant girl placed a hand over her mouth to keep her laughter at the volume of a giggle and hiding her smile, which had undoubtedly widened by that point.
" Shall I refuse him again, my Lady?" she inquired as Izaya brought her head up, back to its proper position over her straightened neck.
" Please. Get one of the soldiers to do it for you if you think he's going to get all upset about it like he did last time." the priestess advised. " Have the soldier say something like ' she's currently entertaining a friend'; that should keep him off all of our backs for the time being." Bowing once more, the woman stepped back into the hallway.
" As you wish, my Lady." she answered, sliding the door shut behind herself.
" JUST IZAYA!" after shouting this call after the servant, Izaya shook her head, her shoulders slumping back and letting her knees stretch out. Altogether, she looked sloven, the complete opposite of a proper lady, the idle image of a priestess to any god. Tilting his head, Tamahome raised a brow at her.
" You refused to eat with the Emperor of Kuto 8 times?" he inquired. Izaya didn't respond right away. She groaned, stomping her feet against the floor several times.
" Eat with that egotistical slob?" she scowled, shaking her head. " The one and only time that I sat down with that man, the more he talked the more my food started to taste like dirt. Now that I get to eat on a regular basis, it has become something I really enjoy and take pleasure in. The hell I'll eat with that man every again. I'd rather gagged." sticking out her tongue, she wrinkled her nose, as though the thought of it alone disgusted her. Raising her head a little bit, she added. " Besides, I planned on eating with you tonight. So really, I'm just refusing him because I had a prior date already fixed up." Tamahome blinked.
" You're eating with me?" he echoed back, pointing his index finger up at his face. Then Izaya blinked at him.
" Yeah, didn't I tell you?" she prompted in return, taking the small frown that formed on the Suzaku warrior's face as an invitation to continue. " While you're here, I'm going to be bringing you your meals; so long as I don't have other duties or get sick or something like that. I'll probably hang out here some too, between meals." she pouted. " It gets so boring, and since you're here anyways I thought, why not? It's not as though you'll be doing much of anything but sitting around in here all day." giggling, she added. " Neh, Tama-chan?" after absorbing the important information from her explanation, Tamahome frowned, narrowing his eyes.
" Tama-chan?" his voice was tight, one of his brows twitching as he spoke. Izaya grinned broadly at him.
" Yeah! That's my nickname for you; cute, isn't it?" she went on giggling, clearly delighted with her choice.
" Don't call me that!" he protested. " I'm a warrior, not a cat!"
" No! That's the name that I came up with for you and I'm going to use it!" she declared, crossing her arms and nodding her head once. Tamahome learned quickly that among the many things that Rin Izaya was, stubborn was most certain one of the strongest points in her.~~
Later that evening, Nakago slammed open the door to Izaya's room. Despite the darkness that had gathered around the palace so many hours ago, he found her as he expected to. Sitting on the floor, a candle beside her, a laying out in front of her. Upon his entry, her head had snapped up and her legs that had been swinging back and forth in the air slowed to a stop.
" Neh, Nakago, you're still up?" she prompted, smiling as she cocked a brow at him. " Rather late for you isn't it? But, come in." Pushing her torso up off the floor, she frowned slightly, rubbing a hand against her rib cage as she sat down, cross legged on the floor. The general didn't say anything; he didn't move. Standing in the doorway, his glaring blue eyes were fixated on her. It took her several seconds to notice it, and when she did a blank, baffled look loosened her features. " Nakago?" He remained silent in the doorframe, focused like a hunter leveling his arrow at a rabbit, just waiting for the chance to let it loose. Moving with a clearly forced slowness, he raised his arms and crossed them over his armor covered chest. Abruptly, Izaya's mouth formed into the shape of an "o" a light flashing behind her eyes for a second.
From then on, all of her actions and words were nervous.
Laughing, she ran a hand through her hair, her bangs falling back into place as soon as her fingers had swept past their ends. " You're mad that I refused the Emperor again, aren't you?" Lifting a brow, the general leaned his shoulder against the door frame, one foot crossing over the other at his ankle and settling back against the floor on the toe of his boot. Izaya watched him, shaking her head and giggling. " Come on, Nakago, you know how I feel about this. You don't really expect me to-" her voice cut off when Nakago's other brow popped up to join the other. With her jaw hanging, unhinged, she just stared at him. There was a pause then, one that lasted until Izaya clicked her teeth back together and started to grind them together.
" I see, and this is what happens if I refuse him the next time, am I right?" the general's brow dropped back down to level. It was as good as a head nod for Izaya, as right after that she gave a snicker. " It's a good try, but it's not going to work. Since you're not really a big talker to begin with, you being like this really doesn't change much." puffing up her chest and scowling deeply at him, there was another pause. Nakago began tapping one of his index fingers against the sleeve of his shirt. A short time pasted, Izaya's eyes narrowing, then widening back to their normal size again.
Sniffing, she spoke again. " The silent treatment, really? What are we? Five years old?" her sneer was met with absolutely nothing verbal. The only change at all was the pace at which Nakago's finger moved, speeding up as though it were the second hand of a clock. Another pause, gray eyes focused in on blue eyes so icy that it sent shivers up the spines of military men of all kinds. Moments passed, Izaya blinked her eyes rapidly and when she noticed her actions she forced herself back to attention. Nakago's regard of her remained as steady as it had since the very start, finger ever shifting back and forth.
" Alright, alright!" she insisted, throwing her arms up in the air, shaking her head and dropping her eyes to the floor. " You win! Next time he invites me for an audience I'll go! Are you happy now?" The general straightened up, letting his arms drop to his sides. Rubbing her temples and giving a long, exhausted sigh, Izaya grumbled. " You're a pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?"
" I know." he answered, smirking as he turned around, closing the door to Izaya's room as he left.~~~~~~~~
lol, at the end of the day Nakago wins! XD Next chapter will be up within the next few hours (hopefully). Read, love, REVIEW!