Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Par Tout Autre Nom ❯ Calmest Before the Storm ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimers: Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho belong respectively to Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihiro Togashi.

A/N: Well… before Kazusa actually manages to find the time to skin me, I'll get this chapter posted. LOL, especially considering she's not the only one anymore who seems determined to hunt me down and eat me for making her wait. -giggles and rubs head- I'm so glad you're all having a good time, and I know it's been a terrible wait to see who's with who and how and all those burning questions, but time will tell. So long as I don't get killed first… -giggles-

To all my reviewers, you're all fabulous and wonderful, the repeats make me laugh every time I get a new note and the new readers too! I adore you all, and not just to torture with every dangling ending where you're not sure what's going on. Although that is fun… kidding, kidding. At any rate, I shall leave you to your reading. -bows and blows kisses all around-

~*~*~*~

By Any Other Name

~Calmest Before the Storm~

"Banzai! Perfect score, Kaze!" Shippou cheered out from his place on the edge of the roof, flicking his wrist to summon a fan with the kanji for "victory" emblazoned in scarlet ink across a white background. Taking advantage of the vivid pinks and golds of the rising sun peeking over the horizon to strike a pose, tail twitching where it trailed down over the edge and one knee tucked up to his chest. Shippou turned the fan back to wave it in front of his face dramatically when the cousins turned to stare up at him in mild annoyance at his continued running commentary before he taunted, "What? You want me to keep making targets and hiding your game from the street so you can throw an antique in the middle of a city? Don't mock how I choose to amuse myself!"

Shinju shrugged and silently accepted that ultimatum, holding out his hand and grinning in open challenge when Kaze passed the Hiraikotsu back, "Hand it over, Jiji, and let a pro show you how it's done."

Kaze snorted at the boast, but dutifully stepped back to sit down beside Kagome on the edge of the porch, turning in surprise when Souta make a running pass in a awkward position hunched over a soapy sponge. He tilted his head, reaching over to lightly grasp Kagome's shoulder to get her attention while Shippou pitched out a handful of acorns to create new targets for the younger monk's next throw, "Is Souta being punished?"

Kagome glanced up from Miroku's shakujou in confusion, following his gaze to her little brother cleaning the timeworn boards and letting out a soft chuckle, "Not exactly. He's embarrassed that I can throw Hiraikotsu and he can barely lift it."

"How does that relate to running a sponge back and forth like an apprentice?" Kaze reached over to lightly touch a fingertip to one of the rings on the shakujou that was never far from her hands, smiling at the melodic ping that filled the air when he let it drop against the other. "We were under the impression he was more advanced in his training level-?"

"He is," she reached up, tucking his glossy raven hair back behind his ear when it fell into his face yet again, concealing those eyes that spoke so loudly of Miroku's influence. "I told him that he needed to start focusing on getting his endurance and strength up if he wants to last training with me. Shippou just happened to be watching some weird samurai drama, saw the poor kid doing that in whatever scene it was in, and suggested Souta give it a try."

He blinked in disbelief, leaning forward to look up and not the least bit surprised to see the kitsune mimicking the action to flash a fanged grin down on him, "It's been a long time since I got to see anyone do it in real life."

"You can be so selfish it's disturbing," Kaze shook his head and sighed, looking back in time to see Shinju draw back and fling the massive weapon with expert grace and precision. "He has always had a hand for the weapons of Sango-sama… although when I was a child, I wondered if it was just to irritate the rest of us."

Kagome snickered, lifting a hand to cover her mouth while her eyes glowed with amusement, "Inuyasha often suspected Miroku-sama of such things. It wouldn't be right if his descendants were any less… colorful."

"You mean perverted, Nee-san," Shippou was suddenly hanging upside down in front of them, legs still hooked on the edge and winking when their eyes lifted to his face. "Don't let Kaze fool you either, he's just a more refined type of pervert."

The Hiraikotsu came down with a resounding thunk against the wood beside them, Shinju adding his opinion with a cheerful, "Oh definitely, Kaa-san! Who do you think taught me what I know?"

"I'm still older than you, Shinju, don't make me embarrass you in front of family," Kaze arched an eyebrow in an expression Kagome was certain came from prolonged exposure to Sesshoumaru.

They're still like him, Kagome leaned back against the bamboo railing, tilting her head as she watched the argument with a proud sort of affection. His serious face and his playful face… just in two different bodies.

Shippou landed silently behind her, his tail flicking back and forth as he whispered, "It's kinda cute, isn't it? They look a lot like him, but there are little things there -in every generation- that are all you. Miroku and Sango loved to look for those."

"It hurts to think I missed seeing that sometimes," she kept her voice low, not wanting to alert her brother or the cousins swapping threats and insults in such a casual manner. "But…"

"It would have hurt more if you'd had to watch it all the way through with the rest of us, ne?" he offered with a rare note of somber understanding in his voice, sighing as he crossed his legs to sit more comfortably beside her and rest his head on her shoulder. "I still think there are times that humanity is terribly overrated."

Kagome slanted him a look, pausing when the boards shook under the pounding of Souta's feet when he passed by again before she turned to watch discreetly with gleaming eyes, "I'll have to watch it this time, won't I? It's not my choice anymore."

"Not by yourself though," Shippou assured her, reaching over to lace his fingers through hers and squeeze to soften his inability to refute her observation. "And we've been through it all before, Kagome, we can help when it comes to that."

Her lips curved in a tiny, teasing smile, but he could still see the melancholy edge that stopped it from reaching her eyes, "You all have it planned already, don't you?"
"Of course!" his eyes took on a look of complete adoration, sitting up in front of her in a rush and reaching up to pull the simple tie out of his hair, letting that thick ponytail fall free to spill into her lap suggestively. "We are a very old and well established family, Nee-san. You think Sesshoumaru would have been satisfied with anything less?"

Kagome wrinkled his nose, already reaching for his hair and dragging her fingers through it to smooth out the kinks and minor tangles, Damn youkai hair…it just has to be so perfect. "I know he wouldn't," she admitted affectionately, turning to look around at her "boys" and soak in the domesticity of the morning scene to soothe less enjoyable thoughts from her mind. "Or did you forget how many times I spoke with Sesshoumaru before Inuyasha wished again?"

"Nah," he tilted his head back, eyes closed and smiling in delight at finally having his hair played with the way she had done so often in the past. "I remember because Inuyasha never let sneak after you. He kept stepping on me to hold me still."

Souta came skidding to a stop beside them, taking in deep breaths as he tried to refill his burning lungs, "How-how long… do I have to do this?"

Kagome gave Shippou's hair a warning tug when she felt the amusement fill his aura, patting the wood to indicate he should sit, "You aren't going to get magic results, runt, no matter what a kitsune says."

Shippou pasted on an innocent look when that drew the attention of the human boys to his face with varying stages of bland accusation, "What? I just said try it, I didn't say it would work in a day."

Kagome giggled and rose to her feet, pressing her hands to the small of her back and stretching out her spine, "Illusion time, Shippou. I want to feel some auras this morning and see where you need work."

Shinju perked up, slinging the Hiraikotsu over his shoulder as his eyes lit up in delight, "Ah then you're going to work here with me, Kaa-san? As our miko?"

"Why not? Sesshoumaru wants me to teach you history my way, and I was always better at showing than telling," she shrugged and held out a hand for Shippou to pass up her shakujou. "That means yesterday was your slack off day… this morning, we're going to get to work so you have something to show him when he comes back to pick you up tonight."

"I can help!" Shippou held up a hand eagerly, pressing a leaf to his forehead and making a slight "poof" as he obediently changed to his human appearance. "My magic-"

"Is too risky when the barriers in the house are more focused on masking meditation," Kaze cut in, reaching up to grab Shippou's ear and give it a tug. "This isn't the compound, Shippou."

"You can still help," Kagome's lips twitched at the absolutely crestfallen look on the kitsune's face, wondering if she should be worried at how immature and young he still seemed to be even after five centuries. If Sesshoumaru has any other kitsunes around, I'll have to ask if it's normal… or I could probably just ask him. Sesshoumaru likes to know everything.

"I'll get your clothes," Shippou decided, bounding back across the yard and into the house before Kagome could lift a hand to stop him, calling over his shoulder. "You can teach Kaze how to be an archer!"

Souta leaned over the rail, silent with the rest of them for a moment before he nudged his sister with a foot, "Oi, Nee-san. You are no longer allowed to say I'm too hyper even if I've eaten an entire case of chocolate Pocky, all right?"

"He'll settle down as soon as it sticks in his head that we're not going to disappear again," Kagome reached back and swatted his thigh. "Or don't you remember how you acted when I first came home?"

Souta's cheeks turned pink at the reminder, rubbing the back of his head and clearing his throat, "I remember."

"See? He's just like you, Souta, just with the whole… well, inhuman energy levels youkai have," she wrinkled her nose, reaching back to brace her weight on one hand. "He likes you."

"When I said I wanted a big brother, Kagome, I didn't mean like this, you know," he folded his arms behind his back, stretching out sore muscles as they waited for Shippou to return with Kagome's clothes.

"That's too bad," Kagome winked at Shinju and Kaze when they gave the boy a sympathetic look. "I told him he could be my little brother and he's obviously decided to take that to heart. Cheer up, Souta, you'll have fun with him once you get to know him better."

"Or you'll die from kitsune-overload," Kaze snickered at that weary expression Shinju pasted on for effect.

"Stop it, you two, it's not that bad," she shook her head. "He's just happy."

"We used to have a brother-" Shinju started only to get smacked over the head by a rather irritated looking kitsune.

"Didn't Sesshoumaru tell you to stop telling lies like that?" Shippou muttered, holding out the folded violet hakama until Kagome took it from him and stood, handing Souta the shakujou while she expertly shook it out and tied it in place. "Don't listen to them, Souta, they're just jealous because I can still beat them."

"Only because you cheat," Shinju taunted, hopping to his feet when a half-hearted swat came his way again.

"All right, all of you, that's enough," Kagome chuckled affectionately, tapping the end of the staff on the porch to get their attention once she'd taken it back. "Souta, go shower and come to the temple while we get set up for some easy stuff."

Souta snapped to attention, "You're going to teach me?"

"If you can manage to not kill each other, I'll consider it," she slanted him a dry look. "Now get moving. If Shippou beats you back with breakfast, you might not get any."

"Breakfast?" Shippou's brows lifted in confusion while Kaze rolled his eyes and hooked a finger in the back of his shirt to drag him towards the car.

"We're getting breakfast," Kaze informed him. "There are five of us, and no human has enough to feed that empty pit you call a stomach on hand."

"Oi-!"

Shinju sat back, stuffing his hands up in the sleeves of his kimono as he watched the courtyard clear and leave them in peaceful quiet, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone who could make orders like Sesshoumaru, but still sound polite."

Kagome chuckled softly, turning to look down at him while a flare of deep purple light flowed up beneath the shakujou and held it in place for her to reach back and braid her own hair, "If you spend as much time alone with a taiyoukai as I do, you can't help but pick up a few things. Not to say they're all good, but it's nice to know how to drop a command here and there that people listen to without the aid of prayer beads."

Shinju stood as well, smiling down at her in amusement at the face that accompanied her remark, "Not as entertaining though."

"Inuyasha would disagree."

"Which makes it even more entertaining."

Kagome finished with her hair, slanting him a knowing look from beneath her bangs as she curled her fingers around the staff and let the magic reabsorb into the wood with a faint ripple, "You're a sadistic little monk, Shinju."

"Miroku-sama would have been proud."

~*~*~*~

"I'm not sorry I hung up on you and stayed the night with Yukina, Yuusuke, so stop pouting," Keiko rolled her eyes as her husband went off on a rant that alternated between demanding what she'd been doing and apologizing for whatever she had thought he'd done wrong. "And I wasn't annoyed with you, I just wanted to spend some time with her and give you the chance to have the house to yourselves. You said you had a lot of reading to do and the boys were already asleep, so I decided to give you some privacy."

"Okay, okay," she could hear a low murmur in the background, wishing that Kurama was in more of a habit to talk louder and make it easier to overhear, but resigning herself to having it translated through her husband. "Oi, Keiko, you remember those pictures I gave you to hang onto before Koenma sent us on that bullshit mission?"

Keiko sighed into the phone, shifting the strap of her purse up to a more comfortable position on her shoulder while she waited for the traffic light to indicate it was safe to cross the street, "Of course I remember those pictures, Yuusuke, they're too bizarre not to remember." And too beautiful, she thought wistfully, recalling the almost ethereal light in the woman's strangely blue eyes. "What about them?"

"Kurama and Hiei aren't telling me everything, but I got a feeling they'd kill a fair share of youkai to get her over here for a chat," Yuusuke's voice drifted through to her, softer than he usually spoke and making her brows lift with involuntary curiosity.

"What does that have to do with me? I already told you I didn't have any idea who she was," she stepped into the crosswalk with the other early afternoon pedestrians, absently looking around to stay alert to her surroundings the way he'd taught her.

"You're out and around more than we can be with Koenma and all, so I just thought you could help us find her," he explained in a slightly embarrassed tone. "You know, keep an eye out places that girls would be."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, Yuusuke," Keiko giggled into the phone and shook her head, digging in her purse for the shopping list. "Places girls would be… I have to remember that. You think we have some sort of secret handshake with each other too, don't you?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," he mumbled under his breath. "Please, Keiko? It would really help and we're already stressed out from having to try and puzzle all this out with tweezers and a magnifying glass."

Keiko sighed heavily, not looking where she was going as she turned to climb the steps that would lead her to the train's platform, "I'd love to help, but it's really not that easy. I know what she looks like, but all done up in those period clothes… I don't know a name, or who she really is, or where she might be. Tell Kurama and Hiei that I'm not going to open a random door and just run… into-"

"Keiko?" Yuusuke's voice drifted unnoticed through the receiver as she stared in awe at the temple she found herself standing in front of.

Wow… wrong turn… she twisted to look back down at the street, blinking at the almost surreal feeling surrounding her, like the sounds and smells of the city had drifted away. I didn't even know this was here! How did I miss it?

"Keiko?"

The sound of metal ringing against metal from somewhere inside startled her out of her minor trance, drawing her forward to slide the shoji open as quietly as she could. Her shoes were habitually abandoned in the threshold, padding down the twisting hall until she could hear the sounds more clearly and opened that screen under that absolute need to find the source of activity.

Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at her in surprise when she let out a faint gasp, but she only noticed one: the woman standing just to the side of the two young men, obviously in the middle of making corrections to their stances and motions with an all-too familiar staff until the interruption turned her eyes away.

"Keiko!"

Yuusuke's shout was loud into that time that it was obvious even the frozen trio had heard it, one of the boys lifting a hand to hide a smile while the other glanced to the girl in silent question.

She could feel herself turning red, clearing her throat to mutter out "Call you back," in a clipped tone and hanging up before he could manage to protest. She turned the ringer off and stuffed it in her pocket just as the older of the two boys detached from the group to approach her.

"Good morning!" his voice was amazingly pleasant, the smile on his face full of genuine warmth that put her at ease in an instant as he lifted his hand to form a symbol of blessing. "Welcome to my humble temple, beautiful lady… How can I be of service to you?"

Keiko's mind drew a blank, rapidly trying to come up with something feasible while he reached out and clasped her hand in his own. Her eyes drew down to the strange "glove" wrapped in a string of prayer beads, noting in confusion that it was only on the right hand and only really covered his palm and up his forearm into the kimono, "Who-?" Who are these people? And why is he wearing something like that?

"Ah! Forgive me for my lack of manners," his voice was practically dripping with the singular charm that had Kagome rolling her eyes as she left Souta's side with a soft order to practice the katas he'd been shown while she moved to head off her descendant before his inherent perversion got the better of his good sense. "You may call me Shinju-sama, I am a holy monk whose family settled in this temple and has dedicated their lives to the service of Buddha."

"Ah, Shinju-sama," Keiko swallowed hard, tugging her hand while her mind restarted, frantically searching for a good reason to be here without screaming suspicion. "I-ah… I'm afraid I-"

"Shinju," Kagome grabbed the little dragontail and yanked her "son" back away from the flustered woman, pulling him over until he was practically bent in half and struggling not to topple over completely. When he simply looked at her upside down with his most innocent expression, she couldn't help but arch an eyebrow and warn, "Go help Souta before I show you what it feels like to have Hiraikotsu come down on your head."

He blanched ever so slightly, twisting out of her hold with an ease that suggested it wasn't the first time he'd been in such a position and lifting both hands palm out to try and plead his good intention, "Please, Kagome-sama! I am a monk of the highest caliber-"

She leaned in and whispered, "Get your high-caliber ass over to your uncle, brat."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kagome shook her head and smiled affectionately as Shinju bowed and walked back to Souta's side as calmly as though he hadn't just been threatened with severe bodily harm, "Sorry about that. Shinju is a wonderful boy… he just takes after his male ancestors a little too closely-?" One in particular.

"Ah, Urameshi Keiko… no harm done!" Keiko waved her hands dismissively, beyond grateful for the interaction that seemed to be buying her more time to come up with an excuse. "Um… isn't he… a little young to own a temple?"

"Inherited," Kagome hid a laugh behind her hand when she clearly heard Souta call Shinju a shameless pervert. "His family is well connected throughout this area and has been for some time."

Keiko stared at the girl in confusion, frowning as she tried to determine the reason for that almost wistful note that entered her voice when she didn't appear to be that much older than they were, "Have you known the family long?"

"Sometimes it feels like forever," Kagome faced her again, smiling widely at the thought and unconsciously lifting her other hand to trace the razor edge of Miroku's staff, letting the comforting warmth he'd infused in the weapon to flow into her. I've known them from the third cursed generation… I made them.

Keiko's eyes followed her hand, questions building with every passing moment, "Do you work here at the temple then?" At Kagome's inquiring look, she held out a hand to indicate the attire and around the floor, "It looked… like you were instructing."

The silent reverie dispersed and Kagome tried to unobtrusively shake off her memories as she turned to smile at the human girl, "Shinju asked me to stay when I returned home. He hasn't had a shrine miko since the Meiji era."

"You're a miko?" she repeated in awe, lifting a hand to her mouth to attempt to squelch the strangled sort of disbelief she knew was fighting to take hold of her expression. This is bad… if she's for real, couldn't she purify youkai? Kurama and Hiei? Mikos killed them in all the old legends and records.

Kagome shrugged and straightened the pleats in her hakama absently, "That's the best they can come up with to classify me, so yes. I suppose I am."

Yuusuke needs to meet this woman, Keiko let her hand fall to her side, stuffing it in her pocket and gripping the phone she could feel shaking with the constant silent ringing. "I don't understand," she finally tried to get more clarification, helplessly studying to jewel blue eyes of this "Kagome" and wondering why they seemed familiar. "How can you `suppose' you're a miko? Isn't it just you are or you aren't?"

"Well I'm not exactly a good one," Kagome's eyes glowed even brighter with her laughter as she tapped a finger to her lips with mock severity of contemplation. "I didn't start training until I was fifteen, and that's a bit old when you think about it." That and mikos aren't supposed to be violent or temperamental, and there's that whole not killing every youkai I meet problem that I seem to have.

"I… see…" Keiko blinked, not sure what to say to that, but feeling herself slowly lose the rigid tension that had gripped her the moment she arrived. This place was too peaceful, too warm to let her hold it, and that in itself was remarkable, Okay, so maybe they'd be all right. She doesn't feel like a cruel person, especially not if this place is so calm.

"But it's not like there's much call for mikos anymore, so it's hardly a massive concern," Kagome continued, waving it aside as she turned to watch Shinju guide her brother through a few simple maneuvers she recognized as Sango's style. "This era isn't exactly crawling with wild, bloodthirsty youkai, ne?" Not like Sengoku Jidai.

Wouldn't you be surprised, Keiko bit back the automatic thought with effort and instead settled on a friendly, "I suppose not. So you just perform ceremonies? Teach?"

"Among other things," she nodded to confirm those activities. "Now that Souta decided he wants to take over our own shrine, I promised our mother that I'd see he got the right training. Shinju's the only one I trust to do that, except that he needs help with his archery."

"Archery?" Keiko tried to think of the connection and simply waited for the other girl to assuage her curiosity.

"He can hit a target behind him by accident at the moment," Kagome reached up and rubbed her head in embarrassment. He gets that from me, I'm sure… but a little work and I'm sure he'll be decent. Then again, he seems to be better with Sango's weapons, and Souta was more interested in watching Shippou show off with those wakazashi…

"I'm sorry, was that too forward of me?" Kagome's attention turned back to her surroundings when she picked up the worried flare of this small woman's aura, turning to assure her.

"No, no, I'm terribly sorry," she shook her head and let out a sigh. "There just seems to be a great deal to do, and I have to plan out what I can teach them and what they'll have to learn from someone else in the family."

"That you have to teach them?" Keiko's brows lifted in surprise.

"I'm older than I look, you know," Kagome's lips quirked upwards at the assessing look that earned her. "Archery I can teach, and that's one thing that I excelled at pretty fast." It was either that or die trying.

"Do you accept students then?" Keiko inwardly cheered at the thought that struck her, trying not to seem too excited as she turned to Kagome. "I have two sons, and I'd- ah, I'd like a trained monk or miko to look over them."

"Oh?" Kagome's interest shifted, wondering if this was something she would need to bring to Sesshoumaru's attention. "Have they shown signs of sensitive awareness? Strange skills?"

Like firing energy out the tip of your finger? she barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes, thinking what Kagome would say to classify that particular skill. "They seem more intuitive than other children their age, and their doctor says they're developing intellectually much faster than usual." That's true at least.

"Interesting," Kagome's fingers squeezed the staff as her gaze turned introspective. "I'll have to talk to Shinju about actually taking on students outside family, but give me your number and I'll call you to give you an answer."

"I don't want to be any trouble," Keiko assured her, frowning when it finally clicked in her mind. The eyes… that's it. Shinju and this woman have the same eyes, and she says that's her brother, Souta. They're all related.

"It's no trouble," Kagome reached over and patted her shoulder. "I like kids, and if they have more sensitivity, they'll need to learn how to calm it or they'll go crazy. At the very least, I'll drop by if you'd like and see what I can read in their auras."

"You'd do that?"

"Not saying I'm the best one for the job or that I'd be able to do it properly, but I'd be willing to do what I can," Kagome shrugged it off, not wanting to give her any wrong impressions.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that," Keiko dug into her purse, opening her planner and writing out her information on a paper to rip out and pass on to her. Yuusuke is going to absolutely freak out.

A twinge of youki strummed up her spine, making Kagome frown slightly as she turned towards the courtyard and turned to usher Keiko out the front before Shippou could come bounding in and stun the poor woman to death, "Urameshi-san, I'm sure you had better things to do than accidentally come in and watch us go through boring trainings. I'll walk you out and call you tomorrow about seeing your boys."

Keiko's hand went back into her pocket, squeezing her phone hard as she nodded and instantly started planning ahead on just what to tell her probably seething husband when she got outside, "Thank you very much- ah, Kagome-sama?"

Kagome nodded to acknowledge it really was her name, cocking her head when she heard a faint crash that was more than likely Shippou taking down one of the other unsuspecting boys in his enthusiasm, "It's really no problem, we don't get many visitors, after all, so it's nice to meet someone from the neighborhood."

"It's the strangest thing, now that you mention it," Keiko paused to step into her shoes, tapping the toe on the ground to settle them into place before she allowed Kagome to lead her back to the steps. "I didn't even realize this temple was here… I was supposed to be at the train station."

"You didn't walk far enough," Kagome chuckled and pointed down the street. "Sorry, Urameshi-san, you turned a block too early, but I've done it before myself."

Keiko blushed and bowed to her, laughing nervously as she started down the steps, "I'm not usually so distracted, but it was a pleasure to meet you, Kagome-sama! I hope you'll be able to come visit my boys soon."

"I hope so too," Kagome bowed, waiting until she reached the street before returning to what was likely a chaotic mess by now.

~*~*~*~

When the phone rang, Yuusuke practically ripped it out of the wall, "Dammit, Keiko, don't ever do that again! I heard swords! Why the fuck did I hear swords!?"

"Oh calm down, Yuusuke, it wasn't anything for you to worry about," Keiko's voice drifted through the phone loudly enough for Kurama and Hiei to overhear. "I took a wrong turn is all."

"You hung up on me!" he continued to rail, making Kurama inwardly wince at the decibels humans were sometimes capable of producing. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been!? What happened?!

`Can you hit him and take the phone away?' Youko suggested, trying to ignore the yelling as he tossed about the parts of the myth that were still bothering him.

This is between Yuusuke and Keiko, Youko, not us, Kurama reminded with a distracted mutter, reaching out to try and take the file away from Hiei and sighing in annoyance when the hybrid didn't even look at him as he avoided the attempt.

`This is boring, Kurama, sneak out and let's go find our lover,' Youko insisted. `Let Hiei and Yuusuke kill each other going over the legend.'

Don't even think it, Fox, Hiei continued to scan the pages, brow furrowed in concentration at the magic that seemed to pulse through the lines and twist the words into an undecipherable jumble. But then the moment would pass and they'd settle back into that damnably vague text they'd read at least a dozen times throughout the night.

"What do you mean you found a temple close to the train station, there's no temple anywhere near that neighborhood," Yuusuke had calmed down enough that it was easier for the youkai to mostly tune out his voice.

"I didn't think so either, but there's one there," Keiko insisted. "It's family run and looks like it's been around practically forever."

"What does this have to do with anything?" he leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths to calm himself down now that he was certain she was safe. They were going to have a long talk tonight about hanging up after going silent and letting him hear attack sounds, but not giving him the slightest hint over where she was. "We were talking and you just hung up. Didn't you hear the phone? Or did you turn it off? What could have possibly been so important that you-?"

"She's a miko."