Hiei and Mukuro decide to sleep that day, catching up from their exhausted traveling along with Kuwabara and Yukina. Yusuke left shortly after returning fully dressed, and Keiko was not far behind. Both had errands to run; Yusuke to take care of the shop and Keiko to go 'wedding' shopping with her mother. As soon as they were gone, Mukuro felt more relaxed, and suddenly realized just how tired she was.
Hiei sprawled out on the couch, leaving no room for her.
"What?" He drawled, as Mukuro gave him a scathing look.
"Move your fat ass." Mukuro snapped, "I have to have somewhere to sleep."
"Sleep on the floor." Hiei grinned with dark malice. Mukuro's violet eye flashed, and she rose up swiftly to punch Hiei hard in the groin. Hiei wheezed, seizing up violently into a ball and pinching his eyes shut as his loins throbbed with hot pain.
"Fucking bitch!" Hiei grimaced, but he rolled off the sofa onto the floor with a muffled thump! Mukuro swiftly laid down on the couch, relaxing with a saucy smile.
"Goodnight." she sing songed, and from down below on the carpet Hiei let out the tiniest whimper of a strong man brought his knees by a stronger woman.
Mukuro felt herself awaken as the warm sun began to hit her squarely on the face. Her left eye, ever open, immediately winced and so she attempted to roll onto her side. Doing so, she opened her normal eye a little to see that Hiei was still on the carpet looking very uncomfortable though asleep.
His jagan, now healed by Yukina's graces, was open, and as she gazed upon it so too did it gaze upon her.
The iris was purple, just like her own, but it was intensely different and almost hot in nature. The pupil was dilated, and it looked upon her curiously with keen interest.
"What..." Mukuro whispered in the smallest voice. Unable to help herself, she reached out with her bionic hand and gently brushed the fringe on Hiei's forehead out of the jagan's way. "What are you looking at."
"You." Hiei muttered sleepily.
Mukuro fell silent, still touching the feathery soft tufts of Hiei's jet black hair with tenderness unfamiliar to her normal moments.
"... How strange." she began again in a soft whisper. "To wake, warm and unbothered. What is this world that you've stolen away with? You're very greedy aren't you."
Hiei opened his real eyes, smiling darkly at Mukuro.
"Terribly." He grinned. "I take what I want, and leave nothing for no one."
"You vile mean man." Mukuro smiled, her metal fingers leaving his fringe to touch his pert mouth. Hiei bit her metallic finger without true pressure. She pulled her finger away, flicking him lightly on his nose. He responded by trying to bite again and she grabbed him by the collar of his black cloak. "Get up here."
Hiei did as she asked, sitting up even as she pulled him onto the couch. With no real room, Hiei ended up atop her, so that they were a long table of arms and legs. His head fell just short of her chin, and he grinned into her supple flesh were acidic scars met smooth skin.
Mukuro took her arms and wrapped them around Hiei's back.
"... Where are the animals for eating." Mukuro asked, "And the rivers for bathing?"
"... Humans don't hunt for animals to eat. They buy food from the grocery store. Or from restaurants. Those are places that serve types of shitty food. For each type of restaurant, a different type of shitty food. Aren't you lucky."
Mukuro withheld a small chuckle.
"And rivers?" She murmured.
"They don't bathe in rivers. They have showers... all homes do. This one does." Hiei added, mumbling into her skin. "You can choose hot or cold water. It's actually a convenience I don't mind. Though their soaps are disgusting and smell far too sweet."
Mukuro smiled at this.
Kuwabara awoke around five in the afternoon, and he felt fantastic. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that he was on the floor next to Yukina's bed, and her beautiful arm was hanging over like the frond of a lily. He observed that beautiful arm, propping himself up on one arm so that he was tantalizingly close to her beautiful porcelain skin.
His warm breath upon her cool flesh must have awoke her, for she mumbled a little in her sleep and opened one sleepy eye. Her tousled aqua hair was frayed about her angelic face, and those beautiful crimson eyes beheld Kazuma with a twinkle of mild delight.
"Hi." She whispered.
"Hi." He whispered back.
She sniffled, taking her firmest pillow and shifting it so that her head was propped up. Now able to gaze upon him fully, she let her swinging arm touch his face. He kissed her fingertips, but just barely.
"Can I tell you a secret?" Yukina murmured. "If you promise to keep it?"
"Forever and always." Kuwabara assured her, smiling up at her dreamily as he relaxed back into his own pillow. He'd made something of a futon for himself on the floor entirely out of spare blankets... it felt like a slumber party- the best kind of slumber party that was.
"Last night, when I healed Hiei's jagan, and he looked at me... I felt so happy." Yukina mumbled. "Happier than I'd felt in years, and I don't know why... but there have been times when I'd wished he was my brother- you know? Even if he can be grouchy."
Grouchy wasn't exactly the word Kuwabara would have used to described the mean little midget, but then again Hiei was Yukina's brother. It made perfect sense for her to feel happiness. After all, hadn't Kurama said that Hiei's energy was similar to Yukina's own? Maybe her emotional comfort came from the familiarity.
"Kazuma..." Yukina sighed, "Do you think my brother is alive?"
Kuwabara flushed at this, feeling horrid for the consent that he had given never to speak Hiei's secret until Hiei was ready. Part of him realized now why Urameshi had never told him after all these years. Perhaps, even though Urameshi could be a douche-bag, he was a considerate douche-bag... and he knew that this situation would no doubt arise.
Maybe he'd been trying to spare Kuwabara.
"Kazuma?"
Kuwabara started, looking at Yukina once more. There was a nervous look in her eyes.
"You... do think my brother's alive, don't you?" Yukina whispered.
Kuwabara sat up so that their faces were eye level.
He looked into the eyes of the woman he loved.
And he told the truth.
"I think in your heart, you know that answer better than anyone." Kuwabara murmured. "You gotta look past the fear and the doubt, babe. You gotta look in your heart. So what does your heart tell you?"
Yukina bit her pink lips, furrowing her beautiful brow at this.
"... My heart tells me that he's alive. But he doesn't know who he is... and he's lost." Yukina admitted, and there was defeat in her voice. "And... he may never find me."
The sorrow was there, just beyond her usual calm.
"And so he is." Kuwabara agreed gently, sitting up on his knees to relax at Yukina's side. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, stroking the tender shell of her ear. "But maybe not in the physical sense."
"What do you mean?" She sniffed heavily, wiping the slowly forming tears out of the corner of her eyes.
"He's alive... but he's lost inside of himself." Kuwabara proposed. "And he's gotta find his way back to you, not only physically, but emotionally. He's gotta come to terms with who he is. That may take a long time. Longer than I wanna admit... but I don't think he's stranded in some jungle, Yukina. I think he's close. Real close. I think... he even sees you, he just can't... touch you yet." Kuwabara flushed. "Cause he's lost. But he's fightin'. So you gotta fight too. Till he gets back home."
Yukina wiped her eyes again.
"Why do you know exactly what to say?" Yukina asked. "To make me feel better?"
"Cause I love you." Kuwabara smiled. "And... Your happiness is my happiness. Your hope is my hope. Your brother is my brother." He finished.
Yukina smiled, and opened her arms wide to pull Kazuma into a tight hug that filled his heart up with pure delight. In an oversized t shirt and no makeup, she was the most beautiful thing in the entire world... and the comfort he found in her arms was staggering.
"I don't know what I'd do without you." Yukina whispered emotionally into his ear, sniffing again. "You're my best friend."
They broke apart a little, and Kuwabara blushed bright red to see that they were nose to nose.
Could he...?
... Dare he...?
No. He daren't.
He pulled away, stroking her hair with a smile, and he thought he saw the tinniest bit of disappointment in Yukina's eyes. But he couldn't kiss her this way. He'd longed for nothing else ever since he'd first met her, but he needed for the moment to be just right.
She deserved for more than he would ever be able to give her and the thought of it haunted him.
"Kazuma... Do you love me?" Yukina asked pensively.
"Yes." Kuwabara assured her, "More than anything."
"Then why don't you kiss me, as lovers do?" Yukina asked. "Do you not wish to kiss me?"
Kuwabara blushed, sitting back on his heels.
"... I wanna kiss you right." He explained softly. "I wanna kiss you after I take you out on the town, and buy you anything you want, and dress you up in a beautiful kimono... and make you feel like a princess. I wanna make you feel like you are the queen of the world. Cause you are. To me." He blushed at this. "I ain't worth your lips. I wanna prove myself before I kiss you."
Yukina sat up in bed, and she reached out to gently stroke his soft orange curls. He'd gotten rather a lot of lip in his life for his ginger hair, considering most asian men had dark brown or black hair. Still, Yukina had never once spoken out about his hair color (though to be fair demons had some wild hair colors).
"Kazuma, you don't have to do all those things for me just to kiss me." Yukina consoled him, "And you are more than worthy of me. You're the greatest man I've ever known... with Hiei coming in a close second." Yukina smiled at this.
"Yeah? I come in first?" Kuwabara grinned, "Remind me to rub that in his face."
"Don't..." Yukina whispered softly, "Be sweet to him. He's had a hard life, or so I fear. I think someone's hurt him in the past... and I think he's trying to heal. I was hoping Mukuro and he would be tender towards one another, but I think that they are rather vicious at times. You were asleep in the car, but you should have heard the things they said to one another. I'm worried about him."
"Ah..." Kuwabara sighed, shrugging his broad and muscled shoulders, "Babe, they're not like us. They take care of each other differently. They fight each other to prove they love each other. That's what they do." Kuwabara paused, "You're a demon. You know how most demons are."
"True." Yukina admitted, "Though sometimes I feel more human."
She paused, turning her hand palm upwards. In the very center of her hand, a freezing cold snow began to form, growing into a tiny white pure mound. Kazuma watched her, in awe of her power.
"I can heal... but I can hurt too." Yukina whispered. "My mother taught me how to hurt koorime who were unkind to me."
In that moment, Kuwabara looked up into Yukina's cold expression and saw Hiei staring back at him.
And it shocked him.
"But I never would." Yukina smiled, and the coldness in her eyes disappeared along with the snow in the palm of her hand. Yukina smiled sweetly at him. "My mother was very mean at times. But she had to be... for my sake." Yukina admitted.
"Mean?" Kuwabara asked, "Nah, babe... she was a mom. All mom's fight. My mom did." He smiled.
"Oh no." Yukina shook her head sagely, "She was very mean, Kazuma. Mean like Hiei." She added for emphasis, though she did not know the weight of her own words. "She protected the people she cared about... and she didn't give a damn for another soul. She could be violent, so violent that the elders thought she was possessed. Rui often told me that my mother spoke of a black flame that had greeted her one day in the field before she became pregnant with me and my brother. Apparently the flame had been so bright, and so beautiful, that it had caused her to become pregnant... and she was violent ever since. She said that flame was the reason my brother was born. She loved fire after that moment... She kept one going constantly when she was alive. Our house was always very warm." Yukina smiled. "You know, she said my brother was born wrapped in flame. So I think my brother is a fire demon. Rui met him once too."
"She did?" Kuwabara asked, confused. When had Hiei met Rui? And how?
...Had Hiei returned to the Hyouga?
"After I'd left for human world, she said that a dark figure came to the Hyouga. The elders were about to leave for the harvest of the frost, and had just put Rui in charge of the whole village. As soon as the elders were gone... he appeared to Rui, and asked to see my mother. Rui took him to her grave, and she said that he looked so heartbroken. He walked away after that, but not before she told him about me. It was as he was walking away that she realized who he was, and called out for him, begging for him to kill her." Yukina paused, "... You know... Rui always said my brother would come back to slaughter them all. She'd begged him too before she dropped him over the cliff."
Kuwabara stared up at her.
"Have I ever told you? How my brother left us?" Yukina whispered. Kuwabara shook his head.
Yukina let out a deep sigh.
"The elders found us shortly after my mother gave birth and took me away from her. They tortured her for her crimes, thinking that she'd left the Hyouga without permission to find a mate. She put up a fight... and to break her spirit they forced Rui, my mothers best friend, to throw my brother over the great gorge. It's a huge cliff on the side of the Hyouga. The Hyouga is a floating glacier in the sky, so any drop would kill a grown man. An infant would stand no chance. But before she did so, Rui gave my brother one of my mother's precious stones and begged that when he returned he kill her first."
Yukina paused.
"Isn't it funny... when he did return, he didn't touch a soul." Yukina finished softly. "Maybe my brother isn't angry at them."
Kuwabara just stared.
He thought of Hiei, and how austere he often was. Hiei was angry constantly, sometimes at people who'd done nothing to ensue his rage save for ask a polite question or get in his way. Yet there was a method to his madness, or so Kurama had often swore. His anger was directed at the wrong people, yet was it done so on purpose?
Kuwabara fretted that he might never know, frankly because Hiei was an enigma and Kuwabara didn't have the patience or the enthusiasm for his games.
"Maybe." Was all Kuwabara could say.
"Mmm... it's almost five thirty." Yukina commented, looking at the alarm clock on her bedside table. "Perhaps we should get up and see what's going on with the others."
"Yeah, good idea." Kuwabara agreed, standing up to begin folding his pallet of blankets. "Man is my back stiff though. Might need to give Urameshi a good poundin' to get it sorted out! This floor sucks for sleeping." He admitted, taking the folded blankets and placing them high in the closet. He noticed two boxes, one broad and nearly flat while the other was small and square. "Hey babe, what are these?"
"Hmm?" Yukina peered over Kuwabara's shoulder, "Oh..." she paused, turning away to rustle through a plastic packing box that was still full of her clothes she'd hastily packed at the temple, "Those were my mothers. Please don't touch them. They're very fragile."
"You got it." Kuwabara stowed the blankets far away from the little boxes, not wanting them to knock each other off the high shelf. "I'm gonna go phone Urameshi. You want anything from the kitchen?"
"Some juice would be wonderful." Yukina smiled, and Kuwabara left her to dress in privacy. Heading down the hallway towards the darkened living room, he entered into the kitchen without casting a look around. Fetching the land line which hung on the wall next to a cat clock and a calender full of scrawled plans, Kuwabara dialed Urameshi's cell number and looked over his shoulder at the couch.
And that was when he forgot what he was doing.
The couch had become a bed once more, though this time it was not Kuwabara on it... but Hiei and Mukuro. They were entwined, both fast asleep and looking- dare he say it?- charming.
"Yo!"
Kuwabara was startled out of this bizarrely touching reverie to greet Urameshi on the other end.
"Hey man, we're up. What's the dig." Kuwabara asked.
"Kurama wants to do dinner round seven. Whadya say?" Yusuke offered.
"Yeah. Sure. You comin' back to the house anytime soon?" Kuwabara asked, wondering if Urameshi might get the chance to spot this ungodly sight. "You gotta come see this."
"See what?"
"It's a surprise, but it won't last long. You better hurry back here if you wanna get a glimpse of something nuts."
"Sheesh, now I'm curious." Yusuke snorted on the other end. "Alright. Alright. I'm about four blocks away. Keiko's probably gonna pull in about five minutes from now. She just got finished shopping for wedding kimonos. She said it was her 'warm up' whatever the hell that means. Anyways. See you in a few?"
"Yeah man. Hurry, okay?" Kuwabara muttered into the receiver. They hung up, and Kuwabara leaned against the kitchen wall to stare at the pair on the sofa with a weird grin. Yukina soon emerged, now in a purple jumper and soft jeans. She'd pulled back her hair into a small bun, and was applying a liberal amount of chap-stick to her plump lips. She spotted Hiei and Mukuro on the couch, and paused with care. Compassion spread across her face, and she tilted her head as she paused to examine the odd site. Kuwabara fetched juice from the fridge, pouring her a glass which he passed to her as she sat down at Keiko's new kitchen table (courtesy of Kurama).
"How sweet." She whispered, smiling at Kuwabara, "That's so nice to see."
"I'm a little weirded out." Kuwabara admitted with a grin. "But yeah, you got a point babe... it is nice."
Yukina sipped her juice, never taking her eyes off the couch where Hiei and Mukuro lay entwined.
About five minutes later, the telltale sound of a key sliding in the lock announced that Keiko and Yusuke had returned home. As the door opened, Kuwabara immediately pressed a finger over his lips so that both Yusuke and Keiko (whose cheeks were pink from the cold wind) paused with curiosity.
Looking at one another they entered their home to place keys in the usual jar, shedding coats to hang on pegs and taking off their outside shoes. Keiko had several bags in her arms, all of which were a glossy white to suggest a bridal boutique. Yusuke on the other hand had a brown paper bag from the gas station down the street, and Kuwabara thought he saw the outline of a pack of smokes at the bottom.
They entered the communal living room and kitchen area, and spotted Hiei and Mukuro on the couch.
"Aww." Keiko murmured softly, obviously touched by the rare and sweet sight. She crossed her arms over her chest, slightly put off as Yusuke pulled a slim jim out of the paper bag and snacked on it. It smelt foul, and stunk up the whole apartment.
Hiei's nose twitched.
"Yusuke, what are you eating?" Yukina asked. Hiei's nose twitched again, and suddenly Hiei groaned, putting his hand over his nose.
"Dead meat?" Hiei growled, sitting up and rubbing his nose again. He opened his eyes, to spot all four of his friends staring at him. Glancing at Mukuro, who was still beneath him, Hiei immediately pulled back to rise off the sofa.
"What are you gawking at?" Hiei snarled, angry at being awoken in such a way. Storming from the living room, Hiei slammed the door to the bathroom so loud that the pictures on the walls rattled. Mukuro awoke with a start, her fists up and her teeth bared as she emitted a snarl that earned her a terrified squeak from Keiko.
Upon spotting the four watching her from the kitchen, Mukuro jerked up from the couch and fixed them all with an irate glare.
"Is this human nature? To stare like mute fools till something worthy of your attention passes along? I will not be gazed at like an animal for purchase!" Mukuro snarled.
"Take it easy!" Yusuke offered a slight grin, "It's all good. We're gonna have a real fancy dinner tonight, in your honor. That ought to cheer you up."
"Fancy dinner?! Whose payin'?" Kuwabara demanded at once, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Yusuke's callous grin, "I'm not made of money you know!"
"Kurama, who else!" Yusuke waved off Kuwabara's question like an irksome fly, "You know how he likes to spend cash on friends. He said he wanted to do dinner with us, so why not? Besides, he's takin' us to a real swank place called Kobe. It's up on fifth avenue, in the real classy part of town. I just got back from his place, and he gave me a wad of cash!" Yusuke added, and from inside the paper sack that Kuwabara had originally thought as full of smokes and dirty magazines, he pulled out an enormous stack of yen.
"Holy shit!" Kuwabara cursed excitedly, "Is that all for us?!"
"You wish." Yusuke rolled his amber eyes, "It's for the girls. Kurama leant this to Mukuro and Hiei to get something nice. And Yukina too if she needs a dress. Keiko's got a few-"
"I could always use a new one!" Keiko cried out indignantly, and there was a slight gleam of lust within her usually gentle eyes. Yusuke just laughed, but Mukuro was still scowling on the couch.
"You humans are pathetically glutinous. Seeking rich clothing to pretend you have wealth." Mukuro rolled her eyes. From within the bathroom, Hiei re emerged with a freshly washed face that still couldn't wipe away his firm set scowl.
"Hiei, your friends are taking us to dinner. Apparently the fox gave the Mazoku a great deal of money in the hopes of dripping us with lavish clothing." Mukuro called out from the couch, and Hiei rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh.
"Fucking fox." Hiei cursed. "Can't ever keep his money to himself."
"Well don't sound so ungrateful." Yusuke shrugged, "It's more for the girls than you. Apparently this place he's taking us is real swank and we can't get in unless we look nice."
"Vanity." Hiei sneered, "It has a mane of red hair upon its head."
"Cheers to that." Yusuke grinned through a mouth full of slim jim, handing the wad of cash to Yukina who promptly brushed and stared agog at her handful without a clue as to what to do. "We've got about an hour and a half, so snap to it ladies."
"Oh!" Keiko cried, setting down her bags and leaping up again to grab Yukina by the arm, "Yukina go grab your purse!"
"But I don't have a-"
"Well use that white satchel! Use anything! You can't just walk around with your hands full of money! Mukuro, would you- um..." Keiko blushed fervently as she caught Mukuro's gaze. Mukuro curled her lip, irritated and not wishing to be bothered anymore by the human girl.
"Go." Hiei grumbled, "Our attire will draw far too much attention. You'll need to have some clothes that don't blacken your eye."
"I'll black your eye." Mukuro sneered, but Hiei merely shrugged his shoulders.
"Go." Hiei sighed, "The foxes plan requires it."
Mukuro looked like she'd rather eat shit.
"I'll just go grab my satchel." Yukina agreed, tottering off to her quarters with her hands still full of the money. A few loose yen drifted to the ground, and Hiei bent to pick them up, handing them to Mukuro.
Mukuro took them, and stared at them.
"What is this." Mukuro snapped.
"Human money. Yen." Hiei explained.
Yukina re emerged, all the money now safely tucked inside her bulging white satchel.
"Shall we go?" Yukina beamed, and Keiko looked ready to bolt out the door. With an irritated sigh Mukuro rose to her feet, cracking her neck with menacing talent to slowly saunter after Yukina's retreating back.
"If this is some kind of fucking game, I will kill you!" Mukuro seethed over her shoulder, pointing warningly at Hiei.
"You will try." Hiei jabbed.
"Go to hell!"
"Already there."
"We'll be back in a few!" Keiko sang merrily from the door, and as Mukuro finally crossed the threshold with one last angry look, the girls were on their way.
Hiei scratched his neck with idle care, wondering what on earth Mukuro would make of human clothing. Still, she needed an outfit or two just to smooth over the wrinkles of their mission. The element of surprise was of extreme importance.
"Real nice girl you go there. She go all the way?" Yusuke snickered. Hiei gave him a dirty look.
"Not in the way you'd hope." Hiei taunted. Yusuke did a double take, his expression going from humor to confusion in two seconds flat.
"Oh what to wear, what to wear? Kobe's such a wonderful place, you're both going to love it I can already tell!" Keiko jabbered at the head of the group, walking from shop to shop with care.
They were cutting a path through the meager crowd, with all eyes falling upon Mukuro. Some were irritated, some were frightened, some seemed to think it funny- a few people were attempting to take a picture of her on their cell phones. Mukuro's temper wasn't known for its longevity, and had it not been for Yukina walking quietly at her side she'd as soon slaughtered everyone in the vicinity. Including the human girl named Keiko.
The street was crowded, lined on both sides with towering buildings that cut off the view of the surrounding landscape like fortress barriers. The clothing venues ranged from small boutiques to massive fronts, but all were well lit and held displays in the window that rotated on spinning platforms. The ideas were hideous, and Mukuro refused to be seen in them. She might have to wear their garb, but she would do so on her terms thank you very much.
"Fucking ridiculous." Mukuro seethed underneath her breath as Keiko carried on without pause.
"Try not to mind them." Yukina offered pleasantly, "Humans can be rude, and even cruel but they are not important to us."
"And do you enjoy wearing human garb?" Mukuro asked, a little more coldly than she intended. They passed into a different avenue, which seemed to consist of finer wear, and Keiko made a bee line for a particular shop called 'Savarino'.
"Oh, I try not to put much into it." Yukina shrugged with a calm smile. They crossed the street which was full of human cars that were all honking and packed like fish into tightly woven baskets. Steam wafted up from the streets, and the chatter of humans about them was like the hum of bees, "I think of the clothes that I used to wear in demon world and enjoy them more... but human wear can be nice too. For instance, they aren't as rough on the skin, and come in more colors. They also are warmer." Yukina added, "Or cooler depending upon what you want."
"I suppose all things have their uses." Mukuro grumbled.
Yukina gave her a wider smile.
"You don't have to be optimistic for me." Yukina assured her as they reached the other side of the street. "I understand."
She added after a moment, "Hiei is very dear to me too. Almost like the brother I wish for."
Mukuro flushed at this, looking away. The girls innocence was almost damning.
"Savarino! Oh, I am so excited!" Keiko cried, pushing open the glass doors and stepping inside on the polished wooden floors. The atmosphere instantly quieted, and Mukuro could see that the store was clearly for the richer women of human world. The dresses were all in plastic holders, upon long metallic racks that were prowled by none. Clearly the shop was not used to customers, and the snooty waiter behind a sleek black counter bowed to them with cool indifference.
"Welcome... lad-" The man paused, staring at Mukuro in horror.
"We do not allow cos-playing in our shop." The man snapped with a scowl, "Please leave." He waved Mukuro off, and Mukuro felt a wave of anger rise inside of her. How dare he-! But Yukina caught her hand even as she made to raise a fist, and chided the man.
"She's a burn victim!" Yukina corrected the clerk, "Not a cosplayer. Please do not be mean to my friend. She has suffered greatly in her life."
The man's expression changed from anger to shock, and he gave Mukuro a scrutinizing sweeping view.
"... I see..." The man finally spoke after a long moment. "A burn victim. Clearly lucky to have made away with your life, miss?"
"I'm hard to kill." Mukuro finally spat out through ground teeth, wanting to throttle the bastard. The man was taken aback, but stepped out from behind the counter with quickly recovered grace.
"To what do we owe your visit, ladies? The occasion?"
"We're going to Kobe!" Keiko beamed at the man, "We need dresses suitable for their establishment, but not out of budget please." She added with care. The man bowed again, moving to the very back row where a sale sign hung on the final bar. These dresses seemed less flashy, but Mukuro found that better to her style."
"These dresses are our cheapest." The man sneered, a little put out that his customers were not extravagantly wealthy, "Kobe will take you, though." He added in undertones.
"Oh thank you! Thank you!" Keiko was practically bouncing on her heels, and she began to look through the dresses with care, "Hmm... what do you think Yukina? Pink or yellow?" Keiko asked, "Though red's a good color too. Maybe even green? But what about white on you... White would be nice!"
"I suppose." Yukina peered at a dress or two, looking to Mukuro. "Mukuro, would you like me to pick something out for you? I bet you'd be around an eight or a ten." She added with thought.
Whatever that meant, Mukuro shrugged and went to take a seat by the wall.
The two girls were meticulous with their combing. Keiko picked out a plethora of dresses, holding one or two against Yukina before even looking at Mukuro through a dark navy one.
"Your red hair might look nice with dark blue. What's your favorite color?" Keiko asked Mukuro. Mukuro sneered, but said nothing to this.
Favorite color? Pathetic.
Keiko looked a little put out, but she continued none the less. Taking her choices and heading off for the dressing room, Yukina and Mukuro were left alone.
"Do you have a favorite color?" Yukina asked, peeping around the rack with a mischievous grin.
Mukuro raised an eyebrow.
"What do you think." Mukuro snorted.
"I think you don't have much time for things... but if you did, you'd have a favorite color. I didn't have one till I came to human world. Now I like white." Yukina explained, "It reminds me of freshly fallen snow."
"...Mmm." Mukuro murmured, watching as Yukina pulled out a long black dress.
"Here. This one has long sleeves and doesn't reveal too much. You might like it." Yukina offered, and Mukuro rose up with a heavy sigh to take the bag from her.
"...Now what." Mukuro snapped. "Do I pay for it?"
"You should try it on." Yukina advised. "To make sure it fits the way you want it to. If you don't like it you can always get another one."
Yukina had a white dress in her arms as she spoke. "I'll take you to the changing room. Come on."
Yukina lead her across the shop, to a small oval space that was full of mirrors and a small platform in the middle where Keiko stood in a red dress admiring herself.
"You look nice!" Yukina complimented Keiko, and Mukuro noticed an even smaller room with a slightly open door. There was only one. Was this a changing room?
"Oh. We'll have to share. No matter." Yukina giggled softly, and pulled Mukuro into the tiny changing room as Keiko stepped off the platform with a firm nod.
"Yes. I think I'll get this one. A pretty red dress will be a smart investment. I can wear it at my after party!" Keiko called from outside.
Inside the cramped space, there was only a bench, a long mirror, and two hooks upon the wall. Yukina hung up the two dresses side by side on the hooks, and began to remove her clothing. Mukuro was slightly taken aback, and looked away with a tiny grain of embarrassment as Yukina revealed her pale skin laced with graying scars.
"It's alright." Yukina offered soothingly. "We're demonesses, after all. Why should we be ashamed. I like to think of it as a mission." Yukina smiled. "And I am a proud fighter, putting on my fine robes."
"These gaudy outfits are hardly robes." Mukuro snapped.
"Well... That may be true. But we'll have to make it work." Yukina nodded, slipping off her jeans.
She was petite in frame, but Mukuro could not help noticing all the terrible scars upon her body... horrible horrible scars.
From where?
Yukina caught her staring. Instead of looking away, Mukuro simply pointed at all her wounds.
"You fight?" She offered, impressed.
"In my own way." Yukina chuckled. "... I was tortured. For my tears." Yukina explained. "By a human gem lord. But Hiei saved me." She smiled at this, unzipping the white dress. "... Hiei always saves me." Yukina whispered.
"... I know the feeling." Mukuro murmured.
And she did.
With a cough to relieve the emotional tension, Mukuro began to pull off her clothes. As she revealed her scars, Yukina stared with awe. Topless, Mukuro ruffled her dark red hair and slipped off her pants. Unlike Yukina, she wore nothing underneath, and Yukina blushed a little.
"Mukuro, your body." Yukina whispered. "What happened to you? Why were you attacked so viciously?"
Mukuro shrugged, taking the black dress that Yukina offered her.
"Poured acid on my skin as a child." Mukuro muttered. "It doesn't matter. How do I get into this damn thing?" Mukuro snarled, irritated by all the overflowing black fabric.
"Hold on! Hold on!" Yukina urged, slipping on the lovely white dress that flowed in riveting folds with an x strap across her well rounded bosom. In her own gown, Yukina helped Mukuro to step into the dress before pulling the strapless hold all the way up to her chest. "Now we just zip it up." Yukina finished it off from behind. "See?"
Mukuro stared at herself in the mirror.
She hardly recognized her reflection.
In her traditional garb, she was a warrior and a lord. She was a murderer, tyrant, torturer, and even queen over her men. She held respect, she commanded attention, and no one dared to cross her path.
... In this dress... she was a woman.
She was... feminine, looking lost and even a little pale. Her breast was accentuated, along with her hips, and her long legs made for a very flattering figure that was only slightly altered by her bionic arm. Yukina reached up to tuck her shock of red hair behind her ear.
"There." Yukina offered. "You look very pretty Mukuro. Don't you feel pretty?"
Mukuro did not feel pretty. She felt nauseous.
"Come out and let me see!" Keiko urged from outside, "I know you two will look lovely!"
"Shall we?" Yukina offered.
Mukuro just stared
Looking from herself in the mirror to Yukina, Mukuro shook her head.
"No." Mukuro grumbled, and immediately reached behind to unzip her dress. "You go. I am not wearing this shit."
Yukina looked a little disappointed, but acquiesced. Stepping out of the dressing room to show Keiko her white gown, Yukina left Mukuro to undress herself. Mukuro tossed the ridiculous frock onto the floor, not caring to put it back up in the hanger or the plastic. Grabbing her familiar garb, Mukuro donned herself once again in the broad cloth that felt warm and comforting on her skin compared to the shoddy dress. Leaving the dressing room, Mukuro stepped back outside to glare at Yukina and Keiko who were both very happy with their decisions. Deciding to purchase them, they were handing their tags to the clerk who gave Mukuro a scowl which she gladly returned.
"Perhaps you two are content to lower your standards for the sake of men's comfort, but I am not." Mukuro snapped, storming past the clerks counter to head for the door. "I will wear what I wear- to hell with your society and it's disgusting ideals! In my world, women are warriors, not dolls to be dressed."
She heard Yukina cry out, but did not turn back as she made her way out onto the street once more and headed off in an unknown direction. Fucking humans! She shoved herself through a group of giggling girls who immediately shrieked in protest though she did not care. The nerve of all of them, demanding that she wear something degrading simply to be worthy of an establishment. Who the fuck did this 'Kobe' place think they were, and the shop Savarino too! Was all of human world this vain and ridiculous?
The group of girls that she'd crashed through were making a ruckus, pointing and her and screaming foul names in protest. She knew she could not retaliate or risk abandoned the sanctioned laws between humans and demons, so instead she side stepped onto a smaller street that was less crowded and more quiet. These shops were certainly less haughty, and Mukuro even paused in her pursuit of peace as she noticed a shop in particular.
It was vacant like Savarino, but not for the same reason.
Stepping into it's dusty threshold, Mukuro looked around curiously to see an ancient withered woman behind a small counter where she was sipping ramen from a chipped mug. She had barely any teeth left, and her wispy gray hairs did not conceal her speckled dome.
This ship was a kimono shop, and Mukuro was entranced.
"Welcome." The woman whispered, bowing as she ushered Mukuro in, "Is this your first time dear?"
"Yes." Mukuro answered shortly, beholding the many clothes that were draped along the walls.
Kimonos were greatly appreciated in demon world though the shop keeper did not know it. They were formal, they were traditional, and even came with a couple of rules that were known on both sides of the border: The younger the sleeve, the younger the wearer... brighter colors for younger women... silk was more formal than cotton... dyed was more formal than woven... patterns ought to reflect colors and seasons... and of course sleeves were either square or rounded depending on the sex of the wearer.
Mukuro stopped short as she spotted one kimono in particular. It was a creamy white, with folds of gold, dark olive green, black-blue, and even blood orange. The colors were familiar, reminding her of home, and as she reached up to touch the beautiful fabric the shop keeper spoke up again.
"My entire family was devastated by the bomb." The woman commented. "You must have experienced the pain of pika too. Were you in Hiroshima or Nagasaki?"
Mukuro flushed, unsure what the hell the woman was babbling about. She looked around to see the woman had come out from behind the counter.
The woman did not have legs. She was in a seat that rolled on metal wheels.
"I lost my legs in Hiroshima. Burned right off my body... I ought to have died, but a few doctors still remained after the bomb. They saved me. It took me two years in the hospital to fully recover. Did you loose your arm in Hiroshima or Nagasaki?" The woman asked.
"...Uh... Hiroshima." Mukuro mumbled, lying on the spot as she turned back to the kimono, "How much for this Kimono-"
"Oh but you must have been very little. You're so young." The woman laughed. "I was a young woman at the time- newly married... I'm sorry dear, you wanted the kimono?"
The aged woman was foolish, clearly loosing her mind along with her teeth, but she beamed up at Mukuro anyways. She was incredibly short (whether by chair, or simply be genes), and only came up to Mukuro's waist.
"I have somewhere important to dine tonight. My comrades wish to discuss a plot." Mukuro grumbled, "But I must wear something formal or I cannot enter the establishment. Will this Kimono do?"
"Where are you dining dear?" The woman asked, curious.
"Kobe, or so I've heard it's called." Mukuro rolled her eyes. "Utterly ridiculous."
"Ah..." The woman bowed her head. "What a lovely place to dine. Yes, dear. Kimono's will be more than fine for the occasion, and this one is particularly nice. Silk! Very good condition. It's a furisode kimono dress with a design of bloody clouds. These are for unmarried women. Are you unmarried?" The woman asked timidly, "I do not mean to pry."
"I am not." Mukuro shook her head.
"What a shame. You are a lovely girl. You ought to have someone to love you and treat you well..."
"I have someone." Mukuro snapped. "I am not married."
"Oh!" The woman beamed, "Well I will keep my fingers crossed. Who knows? One day he might very well ask you to wed."
"I doubt it." Mukuro sneered, grinning at this. "So this is a good one. I'll take it. How much."
"Oh, but you must try it on first." The clerk insisted. "And you will need an Obi and Haori?"
"Fine." Mukuro snapped. "Where do I get them."
"There you are!"
Mukuro whipped around, alarmed to find both Keiko and Yukina in their regular clothes once more carrying two shiny black bags that surely contained their dresses. Both girls looked utterly relieved, and Yukina even clutched her heart with a sigh as they both entered the old woman's shop.
"Mukuro, what are you doing? You can't just go running away like that you have no idea where you are!" Keiko urged. "This place is so big and confusing, we could have lost you entirely, and then where would we have ended up."
"It is not your job to shepherd me around, I am not a sheep!" Mukuro snarled back, and Keiko quailed at once as the blood drained from her face.
"Ladies, ladies..." The shop owner complained, wheeling herself in between Keiko and Mukuro. "There is no need to bicker. Your friend was just about to purchase a kimono, see? She was in good hands." The woman beamed. "My aren't you all so pretty... what a lovely hair color you have." The woman offered to Yukina. Yukina bowed in thanks.
"It's just- I didn't mean-" Keiko flushed, "You just scared me. I don't like it when people run away... Yusuke runs away a lot and whenever I see him next he's always been in big trouble."
Mukuro rolled her eyes.
"The Mazoku is not of the same pattern as me." Mukuro sneered. "He seeks trouble out."
"He does not!" Keiko frowned. "He just-... has a habit- well." Keiko paused, finally emitting a small sigh of defeat, "Perhaps sometimes he does seek things out but he means well."
"And so all men do." The shop keeper added. "Why, that's but their nature. We women know best, still they never listen."
Mukuro grinned at this. Yes... women did know infinitely more than men. She rather liked that concept- and this woman.
"We're sorry to bother you ma'am." Keiko apologized. "We have to find something Mukuro to wear to- "
"I am wearing this." Mukuro pointed up at the Kimono, and both girls gaze on it in awe.
"... Oh my..." Keiko murmured, stepping forward around the shop keeper so that she was side by side with Mukuro. She touched the fabric. "It's lovely. But this is so lavish, Mukuro. It's perfect." She nodded. "You have to get an obi and haori to match."
"As I was saying!" The shop keeper added with a toothless grin.
"Try it on, Mukuro." Keiko encouraged, "It won't be like the dresses Yukina and I bought-... it was wrong of us to think you'd want a dress." Keiko admitted, casting Mukuro an apologetic glance. "Human fashion isn't your style, and it shouldn't be... this is much more appropriate. Won't you try it on?"
Mukuro rolled her eyes, and reached up to take the Kimono from its long hanger. Folding it over her arm, she turned to the shop keeper expectantly.
"Well?" She sneered.
"Obi!" The shop keeper sing songed, wheeling her chair all the way over to the wall where she had many obi displayed on a long wooden rack. "Something to compliment the white... what about a Cardinal?" She offered, holding up a dark red sash. Mukuro shrugged.
In truth it reminded her of the skies of demon world... not a half bad idea.
"After all, this is an Autumn obi." The woman agreed, pulling the obi into her lap and wheeling back to the girls. "And it has a design of pampas grass! How nice..." She sighed, "Shall we?"
"... Whatever." Mukuro grumbled, heading to the back of the shop along with the clerk. Yukina and Keiko took a seat, looking at ease as Mukuro vanished behind a long curtain with the kimono and obi.
"Do you need help?" The woman asked as Mukuro jerked the curtain closed.
"No." Mukuro snapped. "I have worn a Kimono before."
This was another lie. Mukuro had never worn a kimono before.
"Then what about your tabi socks? And your juban?" The woman laughed from outside.
Mukuro paused, staring at the massive fold of kimono cloth.
"Fuck it." She muttered irritably under her breath, "Get in here you legless freak!" She snarled with mild humor, "I can't do this shit myself!"
The old woman burst out laughing.
As it so turned out, Mukuro knew utterly nothing about putting on a kimono. The whole affair had to be monitored by the sweet toothless clerk, who showed her that putting on tabi socks first was smart. Then she had to put on her white juban slip, which was like a thinner kimono that apparently one had to wear under the actual kimono. Putting on the actual kimono wasn't so bad, and Mukuro had to adjust the white slip collar to show evenly around her neck just under the kimono collar since the clerk could not reach from her chair. She then tied her koshi himo belt about her waist, crossing the belt in the back to tie it in the front. Over this, she put her datejime belt, wrapping it atop the koshi himo belt, tying it in front. Finally she put on the obi, tying it in front, and then sliding it around to her back. She straightened up her kimono to make sure all the seams were centered... and she was ready.
"Lovely..." The clerk sighed.
Mukuro had never called herself lovely and she never would. Lovely was not a term that she used, and frankly it amazed her that it even existed in a world full of blood and vile hate. Still... some things could be bearable. Wearing a kimono was one of them, and Mukuro titled her chin up with pride as she straightened her collar again.
"I'm not taking this fucking thing off." She snapped. "So you better ring it up while I'm wearing it. I can't undress myself and be expected to do it back again properly. It's far too complicated."
"I had a hard time at first." The woman agreed, wheeling out from the dressing room and moving to pull back the curtain, "My flesh was scarred from the radiation, and I couldn't bear the feeling of the satin against my tender skin... but I grew used to it, and now I don't feel much anymore. Do you?" She asked. Mukuro shrugged.
"I do not care about pain." Mukuro grumbled. "Pain is life."
"Unfortunately." The woman sighed. She pulled back the curtain, and Keiko rose up at once with a beaming smile.
"Oh how beautiful!" Keiko cried, "Yes! Yes! We'll buy it at once! Yukina, where's your satchel?"
But Yukina was transfixed with the sight of Mukuro, and took far too long in retrieving her white bag so that Keiko had to pry it out of Yukina's hands. "How much is it?" Keiko asked cheerfully. "Do you have any geta shoes as well?"
"Of course, of course." The toothless old woman wheeled back around her clerk counter, writing down the sum on tax paper while fetching a cardboard box from behind her back. "The price is a little steep, my dear. But I'll make it half off for my friend." The woman smiled at Mukuro. Mukuro rolled her eyes.
"You've hardly known me an hour." Mukuro grumbled, taking the cardboard box from the woman to pull out the wooden shoes which she dropped to the floor to toe on.
"Ah but you and I, we have known each other long." The woman smiled as Keiko promptly handed over the astronomical sum- a massive pile of yen! "After all... You and I both knew the pain of Hiroshima, did we not?"
Mukuro flushed.
Keiko looked at Mukuro quizzically, mouthing the word 'Hiroshima' in such a way that Mukuro realized it held significant meaning. Glaring at the woman, Mukuro rolled her eyes.
"Take all the money. We don't need your sale." Mukuro snapped. "You need it."
"What I need is more people in the world to understand and accept the illnesses that the horrible radiation caused us." The woman sighed, but she begrudgingly accepted the yen Keiko gave her. "Sometimes... I wish it had never... ah.." the woman shook her head, "but when I open my eyes, nothing has changed. Why bother."
She handed Keiko back a few rolls in change. Keiko accepted them with a bow, putting the change in Yukina's satchel, before stretching with a yawn. Mukuro's regular garb was packed in a bag which Mukuro took at once.
"Thank you very much for your help!" Keiko waved goodbye, ushering Mukuro out the door, "We best be going! Much to do!" Mukuro was practically shoved out the door, and as she descended the steps in her new kimono. "Goodbye!"
"Farewell!" The old woman called, looking more tired and haggard than ever.
As Yukina lead the way down the small street, heading for a much quieter district of the city, it seemed that Keiko had a bone to pick with Mukuro.
"Hiroshima?" Keiko demanded, "You knew the pain of Hiroshima?"
"Fuck off." Mukuro snapped, still irritable. Her geta shoes were difficult as hell to walk in, and she was three seconds away from chucking them in the ally and putting back on her old shoes. "She insisted it, not me. I just went along with it. I don't know what her fucking deal was, and I don't care."
"Well you should care!" Keiko snapped right back, "Because Hiroshima is a big deal here in Japan, and people who went through it get bad lip all the time."
"Your human problems do not bother me." Mukuro sneered. "They are trivial at most."
"Excuse me!" Keiko cried, halting Mukuro in her tracks by grabbing her arm. Mukuro wheeled around, about ready to pop Keiko across the face to teach her her place. Yet Keiko didn't seem scared in the slightest. "I am a teacher, Mukuro. I teach about that time period. You can say what you like about Human World, but you don't get to pretend that our problems don't matter. Hiroshima mattered. Hiroshima will always matter. It was horrific, it was inhumane, it killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Maybe you demons enjoy mass slaughter, but we humans don't."
"You humans are weak and vain!" Mukuro retorted at once. "You rely on the help of others, you cannot support yourself. Those people should have gotten out of the way, not stood by like dumb-"
"They couldn't get out of the way, it was a nuclear bomb! It destroyed the entire city of Hiroshima!" Keiko was getting pink in the face, "And we aren't weak or vain! I can show you what I'm made of! Yusuke said you were mean and cruel! That people were scared of you! But I am not scared of you!"
Mukuro had had enough.
She grabbed Keiko tight by the neck of her shirt, her energy exploding about her in a massive wave of heat. Energy crackled, static filled the air, and a deep rage in Mukuro's belly began to grow.
"Mukuro!" Yukina bolted from a few paces away, coming right to Mukuro's side only to be stopped by her energy. "Mukuro please listen to me! Don't do this! I beg of you don't do this!"
Mukuro and Keiko's eyes were locked. Fury on fear.
Mukuro's lip twitched angrily.
"Mukuro, please!"