Chapter 28 - The Third Date?
Rin hadn't intended for everyone to know that she and Hiei had split up – not that they were ever really together, of course. She hadn't said anything, and she was sure as the sky is blue that the fire demon hadn't, but somehow people knew. The circumspect sympathy texts disguised as 'just seeing how you're doing' kept coming. It was embarrassing to be the object of pity, and she hated that she had failed at something so simple as keeping a boyfriend – she knew that was an unhealthy way to think about a break up, but she couldn't help it. High standards. In any case, she wasn't about to let her old friends slip away again. And she wouldn't let misplaced pride keep her from accepting compassion when it was offered.
Botan had said, "Oh, you know Hiei. He'll come around," and poured her another margarita. But the ferry girl's magenta eyes were shadowed, as though she didn't believe what she was saying. To her dubious credit, Botan had kept the booze flowing, and Rin had ended up throwing up in the bathroom that night while the ferry girl held her hair back.
Keiko had not said much of anything when she saw Rin again, just looked at her with those soft, knowing brown eyes, murmured soothing noises, and gave her a hug. That was the closest that Rin had come to crying in front of someone else. She, like any self-respecting recipient of a break up, reserved her crying jags to the privacy of her own apartment. Yusuke, never one with a high level of emotional intelligence, had mumbled something about 'that little asshole' and wandered away to let the girls have their gross emotions all over the place.
There was one contact in her phone that went ignored. Rin couldn't bring herself to talk to Yukina, even though the ice maiden had sent a few texts. Rin had swiped them away without reading. What could she even say? Hiei was Yukina's sister. Of course she would have Hiei's best interests at heart, which were not necessarily Rin's best interests. The same for Kurama, who had gone radio silent since the fight had occurred. Not that their friends had to choose a side, but some of them had closer ties to the fire demon than others, and Rin knew they would consider his happiness first.
Rin didn't like the way the fight with Hiei had gone down, but she knew she was right to stand up for herself. A boyfriend who would only show up when he felt like it had all the power. Everything would be on his terms, and she should feel lucky to get the scraps of attention he'd throw her way. Surely Hiei preferred it that way, but Rin was too old to play that game anymore. He didn't have to be 'tame' - how he hated that word, how she wished she could take it back - but he did have to respect her time and agency. That was not something she could compromise on.
Predictably, Rin saw neither hide nor hair or Hiei in the weeks, and then months, that followed. He was proud, and he was stubborn, and he would not apologize or capitulate. Rin mourned what could have been, then got on with her life. She was nothing if not practical. She threw herself back into her work, hobbies, and friends. But she did think of him more often than she wanted to admit.
Rin found herself leaning more on Botan than she had anticipated. Botan was perpetually (and happily) single, so the two of them went out to dinner, got coffee, or saw a movie together almost every week. It was strange, but a good sort of strange, to have a female friend. Rin had spent her teen years believing she was 'not like other girls:' better than the other, normal girls around her because she had 'traditionally male' interests. She had only realized the misogyny of her views when she got to college. This made interacting with other women difficult, so she didn't have a lot of female friends.
Botan was happy to keep Rin company; she seemed to need a friend as much as Rin did. Rin supposed that ferrying dead souls to the underworld kept Botan from making and keeping friends - from what Botan had said, it was a busy job with not enough staff to go around. Handily, Botan also kept Rin apprised of any Spirit World news and occasionally passed on messages from Koenma.
Mayuga had apparently spent weeks in the hospital but eventually recovered; she had taken political asylum in Spirit World, where she acted as a diplomat in exile for the peaceful anthropovore demons. One evening, Rin found a shimmery, iridescent card, scented with a subtle flower perfume, on her patio: a thank you card from Mayuga. The demons of the rebel faction had apparently tried a few desultory skirmishes at the border but were mostly (suspiciously) quiet. Taking that as a sign, Rin went to visit Genkai. Even if everything seemed calm on the surface, something in her could feel the thunderstorm building on the horizon.
At their latest brunch date, rather than launch into a full-throated account of the latest Spirit World gossip, complete with voices and exuberant gestures (Botan was an aficionado of mess and scandal but was scrupulous about never being involved in it herself), the ferry girl gave Rin a sealed manila folder emblazoned with the official Spirit World insignia.
Inside was an invitation to a peace summit at Demon King Castle. The event would include Spirit and Demon World representatives, as well as leaders from both sides of the anthropovore demon divide. Why Rin kept being invited to important state functions, she had no idea. She wasn't even a resident of Spirit World.
When she got home, Rin threw the envelope into the pile of mail on her kitchen table and ignored it along with her bills. But she could feel it staring at her over the next few days; the foiled logo on the corner kept catching the light and drawing her eye. If she was smart, she'd stay out of the whole thing. She'd had enough Spirit World drama to last her three lifetimes. Plus, the summit was being held at her ex's ex's castle. But Rin had to admit she was curious, and she didn't like to leave things unfinished. She weighed her curiosity and sense of duty to Spirit World against her practicality and need to stay alive and stay out of things. In the end, her need to know won.
Rin regretted her earlier decision for the fifth time that day as she looked up at the looming palace above her. Demon King Castle reminded her very strongly of the old Dark Tournament stadiums on Hanging Neck Island, with jutting buttresses, poisonous-looking spires, and strange, bulbous curves. The windows were small and narrow, with none on the ground floor; Rin assumed that the building had originally been built as a fortress. Apparently each Demon King took up residence there for the duration of their term as King and could decorate the inside as they chose, but the outside remained imposing and eerily insectoid.
Along with a colorful swarm of aides, retainers, ferry girls, heavily armed security, and various ogres of all colors, Prince Koenma of Spirit World had come to Demon World. Rin was somewhere in the back of the throng, riding along in a trundling truck, sandwiched between two arguing ogres, her suitcase tucked protectively between her knees. She had a hell of a time trying to pack for this. What did one wear to a peace summit at the Demon King's castle? Was there a dress code? Who knew.
Feeling like a piece of luggage herself, Rin and the others in Koenma's retinue were herded first through an interminable security checkpoint, complete with disconcertingly normal metal detectors, X-ray machines like at the airport, and guards checking bags - Rin wondered if people with Spirit powers were just an acceptable risk - and then into the grand entrance hall of the castle. The interior was lit by a huge chandelier of what looked like dull white bone. The floor was marble with an understated black and white checkerboard pattern. Two grand staircases, their railings as insectoid and alien as the outside of the building, swept to the second floor where a slight, red-haired woman and a tall man in black waited.
Something was on top of his head, and at first Rin thought it might be a hat or a hair piece. As she kept looking, she saw the things twitch and realized they were pointed ears, like a dog's or a fox's. Was this man the new leader of the rebel anthopovores?
Koenma was just finishing the long climb to meet the two of them at the top of the stairs, followed closely by Mayuga. Koenma swept the red-haired woman an elegant bow and said in an echoing voice, "The King of Spirit World sends his regards, and formally thanks the Demon King for agreeing to hold a summit for peace. Spirit World hopes that, with our help, the anthropovore demons will find a peaceful resolution to their conflict and once again be a united people."
The man with the fox ears jerked his chin in a minute nod, his face impassive, while Mayuga inclined her head graciously.
Brushing her hair out of her one remaining biological eye, the red-haired woman watched Koenma appraisingly for a few beats. Turning slightly to her audience below, the woman replied, her voice pitched to carry over the crowd, "The Demon King thanks the Prince of Spirit World for making this historic journey to the heart of our kingdom, and welcomes you and your retinue to our home." Her voice was low and melodic, confident and full of power. It had to be Mukuro. The room, already quiet, went absolutely silent, captivated by her words. This was a ruler. She wore the mantle of power easily, like she was born to it. "I, too, hope that Lady Mayuga Nokawa and Sir Jakaru will find a way to resolve their differences." Light reflected off the glass eyepiece covering (or replacing - Rin wasn't sure) Mukuro's other eye as she cast her cool gaze over the throng. Cheers erupted from all corners of the grand hall.
Rin ducked her head, even though there was no way Mukuro would recognize her or even know who she was, especially in the midst of so many people.
The man with the fox ears - he must be Jakaru - opened his mouth to speak. Rin wondered what he would even say. His people had (allegedly) tried to kill Mayuga, and now he was here for a peace summit. It had to be a lie, a pretense.
Mayuga stepped forward then, her rainbow antennae still bright but somehow more muted than they had been, neatly taking the spotlight and cutting off the man before he could get a word out. He stared daggers at her exposed back as she began to speak.
"The nonviolent anthropovore demons of Demon World thank Demon King Mukuro and Prince Koenma of Spirit World for believing in this dream of peace of mine." Her voice rang out strong and confident, and she swept a hand then toward the assembled crowd. Rin felt Mayuga's aura fall over the mass of people like a blanket, but it was more subtle than the time the moth demon had used her power on Rin. If she hadn't felt it before, Rin didn't know if she would have realized what was going on; something in her brain wanted to agree with everything the moth demon said, but it was more of a suggestion than an explicit command. Mayuga continued, "I truly believe that together, we can find a solution, a route to peace, and a way to feed my people. Thank you all for being here, and for dreaming with me." Her smile was radiant, her manner confident and assured. Because of course you would agree with her: there was no other option. She smiled sidelong at Jakaru, who glared back.
Spontaneous, thunderous applause and cheers broke out. Rin noticed one corner of the room was silent, glowering, and wondered if those were Jakaru's supporters. Mayuga gave a little wave, and then she, Mukuro, Koenma, and the man with the fox ears disappeared through a curtain at the back of the dais.
Later that night, Rin was toweling herself off in her room after a shower in the tiny attached bathroom. Fortunately, she had it to herself; Demon King Castle seemed to have enough space to house the whole population of Demon World. Dinner had been loud and overwhelming, served buffet style to Koenma's entire delegation at once in a lower level cafeteria.
On the bed was a schedule that explained events for the next few days: dinners, luncheons, meetings, and more were on the agenda, but Rin didn't think she would have to attend most of them. She still wasn't quite sure why she was here, but she had brought her Kindle in case she needed something to do. She was hoping that she would be lost in the shuffle and could spend most of her time in her room or sightseeing in Demon World.
Besides the bed, there was a compact couch, a desk, and a small, arrow-slit window in the wall. The décor was understated and tasteful, reminiscent of a mid-budget hotel and quite comfortable for a room in a place called 'Demon King Castle.' Rin wandered over to the window, yawning, thinking she'd get her bearings before heading to bed.
The moon was up over the rolling plains below and the craggy mountains on the horizon. Rin entertained herself for a while wondering if it was the same moon as in Human World, and if it wasn't, whether anyone had ever explored outer space in Demon World. Was Demon World round like Human World? Did the laws of physics apply the same way here? Were there galactic demons in the reaches of Demon World's galaxy? She mused, taking in the cool breeze.
Then something caught her eye. A flash of red in the dark. A fire, down on the plain? No, it was too close. Midair and level with her window. Her stomach dropped. It couldn't be. Two crimson dots - eyes, reflecting light like an animal's in the dark. It could be a bat or some other stranger Demon World creature. Or any demon, she told herself. It didn't have to be him. She wanted to look away, but couldn't. She had to know.
She stood frozen as the red eyes drew closer, focused on her, then winked out like a snuffed candle. Very faint, she caught the scent of a campfire on the wind.
Author's note: Almost exactly a year since I first published it, this 'third date' will be the last arc of this story. I want to thank everyone who has stuck with me and all my readers, new and old. Thank you to cocobyrd87 for the follow!