Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Something In Your Eyes ❯ Gemstones ( Chapter 1 )

Author's note: This all is the product of listening to j-pop, looking at art by Kitsune (specifically Destiny, for Rose Argent's story), reading alternate universe fics by Sandy Youko, and watching The Princess Bride for the eight hundred and twelfth time, all in the same afternoon. Characters from Yu Yu Hakusho may show up at some point, but mostly, these are original characters living in the Makai according to YYH.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH. That would be marvelous nice if I did, but I don't. It belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi and all other related parties. Don't sue me; it's pretty pointless. I'm a student, no job, blood, turnips, you get the idea. The original characters in here, however, do belong to me and if you harm them in any way, I'll be forced to roast you on a spit over an open fire and feed you to ravenous chibi Hii-chans. Though I'm not really sure why you would feel the need to harm them. But who knows? Notes on some of the weirdness here can be found at the end. Now, onward to the madness.

Something In Your Eyes
A Yu Yu Hakusho Home Made fic by Kitsuneko

Part One: Gemstones

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Something in your eyes
Tells me you were wrong
Shows me you've been missing something
You can't quite remember what
Something in your eyes
Makes me want to tell the truth
Makes me ache for something new
It's the first time in my life
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A young youko stands under a tree, her arm slung over the lowest branch, head resting on her exposed upper arm. The slight bulge of underdeveloped breasts add contours to the sage green dress that drapes over her slender form, the ragged hem of the white under dress peeking out at her feet. A white cord holds the fabric up, letting some of it fold loosely over at the waist. A brown shawl, the fabric pattered to look like tree bark, is wrapped around her shoulders haphazardly, one end nearly dragging on the ground. Her hair is a soft, medium brown, simple but pretty, and already reaches her mid-back. Dark amber eyes sparkly playfully from under long black lashes. A pair of long, brown-orange ears sprout from her hair and a long, fluffy tail waves at her back. She smiles, her head cocked to one side, then pulls herself up into the tree, struggling to keep her shawl from falling.

Another youko, her fur a copper tone, orange-red with slight hints of pink, walks up to the tree carrying a handful of wildflowers. A pretty silk dress in air-pale pink adorns her frame, giving her the look of a tiny princess. Her hair is strawberry blonde and curls all over. Dazzling purple eyes, framed up into sharp curves, starkly contrast her copper and pink tones. She tosses the bunch of flowers up in the air, letting them shower down on her and get caught in her hair. The light brown youko dangles her shawl in front of her companion who takes told of it, giving it a little tug, which is met by another. This sets off a game as one youko clings to the tree for support, balancing on the branch, while the other fights back from the ground. The first youko finally leaps out of the tree, landing just past her friend and immediately running off, pulling the shawl taut behind her. She quickly turns around, jerking the tortured piece of fabric towards her, causing the other fox to lose her balance and catapult into her arms. They both fall over, one laid out across the other. The copper fox peers down at the brown one for a moment, then nuzzles her head against her shoulder as the other wraps her in a warm embrace.

"I have to go away tomorrow," the copper one whispers after a long moment of catching their breath.

"What? Why?" The other starts to get up, dismayed, but her companion refuses to let her, cuddling closer.

"Sei, you know they want to train me as a geisha..."

"But why now? Can't you stay here a while more?"

"I'm sorry..." Both sigh softly, lapsing into silence. They wouldn't talk about it any more. Yaki didn't have to leave just yet, so they could have just a little while longer. The summer stars twinkle in the Makai sky as the pair goes to sleep together for the last time.

"Mo-ku-SEI!" The sudden noise in her pointed ear startled Mokusei out of her memories. Looking towards the sound, she glared at the source, a tall, muscular demon sporting fangs and short lavender hair that spiked in every direction. Gray blue eyes stared back at her in an equally foul mood. She grabbed a pipe that was being passed by and inhaled sharply before letting it continue on, then blew a long stream of sweet smoke in his face. He coughed, waving a hand in front of his face to ward off the cloud.

"Serves you right, Kanbai," she growled as he fought to find a breath of fresh air. Youko parties were known for their Makai cannabis, as well as other exotic drugs, and Mokusei was becoming increasingly fond of them. However, she had yet to build up the resistance that more experienced youko had and she was drawing dangerously close to the edge of her tolerance. Not that it was going to change her behavior at all...

"Man oh man, I've seen you doped up, but even then, you're not so out there as you are right now. What's gotten into you?" Kanbai put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn and blink up at him, uncomprehending. "...other than dope, poppy liquor, and Mushroom tea," he finished. Mokusei just shrugged, her eyes crossing slightly.

"Jus' thinkin'," she slurred, before slumping onto the bar, barely functional.

"And passing out..." Kanbai shook his head and gathered her up into his arms, hauling her out of the bar, kicking the occasional youko who was spread out across the floor for one reason or another. Once outside, he laid her down on the cool wood planks of the docks, rubbing his temples in annoyance.

"If ya weren't so out of it, I'd ask ya to shift, but since you probably can't even remember how, looks like I'll have to carry you home like this..." With that, he scooped her up into his arms, supporting her legs and back each with an arm. Her head lolled back as he carried her down the pier, but the fresh air soon restored some of her senses and she lifted her head just enough to let it flop down on his chest, cradled against his forearm. He looked down at her limp form, analyzing her face. Softly almond shaped eyes were shut, lashes lying across lightly tanned cheeks. Those cheeks had a bright blush spread across the high bones and the tip of her nose held the warm tone as well. Her lips were just barely parted, pink flesh lined with slightly caramel tones. The long expanse of neck and shoulder lay exposed by her loose sage green shirt, the laces in the front threatening to come undone. Her silky ears lay back against her hair, relaxed in sleep. She nuzzled closer, turning towards him a bit and threatening to make him melt. He rolled his eyes up to the night sky with the eternal question of 'why me'.

The planks of the worn wooden docks seemed to roll out before him for a moment, then ebb back again, counter point to the tides. The slow lapping brought him to the end of the docks, where one roll crashed into another. Here a galleon, the wood all dark with a bloody sheen, rocked gently in awkward circular motions. The great canvas sails were bundled up around themselves and ropes hung like limp snakes that coiled on the deck. A gangplank led down to the docks and tilted from one side to another as the ship rocked. The figurehead stared out proudly, a female youkai with curling ram's horns and a fish's tail. Her hands, held up to ward off danger, were cloven hooves that came to slight points at the front. [1] Though worn, the wood was well oiled, the result of regular polishing. Across the stern, The Genkai was burnt into the wood in heavy script. Kanbai ascended the gangplank, navigating through the familiar mazes of ropes to the door that led below deck. For years, they had made The Genkai their home, traveling along the coasts of the Makai, heading inland to steal whatever caught their fancy at the moment and never actually resorting to piracy.

His boots echoed slightly across the smooth deck as he dodged hanging ropes and pushed back the door that led down below deck. The air was musty down there, smelling of oil, mold, and metal. There were storage rooms for spoils, gear, and supplies, and two had been converted to bedrooms. Kanbai kicked open the door to one and took the last, tired steps to the side of Mokusei's bed. He set her down carefully, hoping to not wake her. He didn't want to leave her dressed, but figured she wouldn't be too happy with him in the morning, so he settled for taking off her thick leather boots and gloves. She still hadn't stirred at all, so he headed for the door. However, a bleary voice forced him to stop.

"Ka-nbai...?" Mokusei's voice cracked as she spoke and she cleared her throat weakly. He came back over to her bed and pulled the blanket up around her some more.

"Go to sleep, Sei. You're tired and stoned."

"...I am?"

"Yeah..." He turned to leave again, but she grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers around his.

"Ya know... I love you..." She pulled on his hand, dragging him down so he was kneeling next to the bed.

"No, you don't, Sei, and you're not even going to remember this in the morning," he said, barely concealing the sad frustration in his voice.

"Well...." There was a long pause before she continued. "Even if I don't remember it, it's still true." Kanbai just shook his head.

"You're stoned," he said, like it was the answer to his every woe. But she pulled him till he was leaning over her and kissed him, a slow, sleepy kiss. She tasted both spicy and sweet from all the poppy and pot she had gorged herself on. But it was her and Kanbai didn't care what she was on, considering this was probably all he'd ever get of her. He broke the kiss reluctantly, running a hand over her hair, following the edge of one of her furry ears, making it twitch a little. She had finally opened her eyes, amber stones that had yet to really harden, and he wondered why she didn't have blue eyes. They would have suited her better, to his thinking. She smiled up at him gently, as if she had finally come off her high.

"Good night, Sei. I'll see you in the morning," he whispered, finally allowed to leave the room.

Kanbai woke up late that morning but found that Mokusei was still asleep. However, her arms were stretched out above her head, a sure sign that she would wake up soon. Kanbai left the boat to buy some breakfast for them and returned just as Mokusei was fully waking up. He had decided that he would test what had happened the night before. He had known his partner long enough to read her reactions; if she remembered what had happened the night before and had really meant it, he would know. So he brought the food in on a stand, setting it over her legs and sitting at the foot of her bed.

"Well, this is a surprise. What's the occasion? And is there coffee?"

"Oh, no real reason. And yes, there is," he said, lying on one count; he knew better than to deny her coffee after one of those dreaded youko dope parties.

"You're lying to me," she countered, tossing a berry into her mouth and licking the purple juice from her fingertips.

"No, I'm not. It's right here," he pushed a mug closer to her. She grinned at him, sarcasm written across her face. She took the offered drink, sipping it slowly and willing her headache to go away, or at least to have her head itself leave for the moment. However, neither party seemed willing to do so, forcing her to fall back onto her pillow and threatening to knock over the stand. But Kanbai steadied it and, seeing as she didn't want to move again, started dropping pieces of fruit into her mouth. She munched them quietly, ignoring his protests that she might choke on something, just motioning for him to continue feeding her. He rolled his eyes at the crazy fox but reveled in the moment. Maybe there was more to last night than he had thought. He waved a berry in front of her face, close to her lips, but not actually letting it drop. Annoyed, she opened her mouth, a silent plea to be fed. Just like a kit, he thought with a smirk. Then, without warning, she snapped at his fingers, pulling the food from him. Yeah, just like a kit. She finally sat back up, taking another sip of coffee.

"Are you even eating?" He gestured to a half-eaten roll and she shrugged, lying back down. When they had finished eating, he set the stand on the floor, then leaned over her and rested his crossed arms on her belly.

"Hey, fox, about last night..."

"Let me guess, ya had to carry me home? Look, sorry about all that. But ya know how it is," she said, reaching out to ruffle his hair. He abruptly straightened up, taking the tray with him as he left the room. Mokusei sat up, looking after him, confused. She knew she had done some very weird stuff the night before, but she figured if she ignored the subject, he would know that she had just been too high to know what she was doing. Which was true. To an extent. But she couldn't figure out why he had acted so hurt over it. Had her high declaration of love pissed him off that much?

Kanbai grumbled to himself as he cleared off the tray, tossing little bits of food off the side of the boat to amuse the black sea birds that inhabited the area.

"Yeah, fox, I know how it is. But hey, don't worry about it. It's nothing much. You're a youko. No one expects you to feel anything that isn't physical. Stupid youko..."

Mokusei peered around the corner soon enough to catch part of what her partner had said. She slowly walked up behind him, careful not to make a sound, then clamped her hands over his eyes.

"Guess who!"

"A stupid fox?" he muttered. Mokusei took her hands away, letting him turn around. She pouted, making her eyes big and innocent.

"You can't possibly mean me...." She leaned towards him, practically purring. Kanbai scowled and roughly pushed her out of his way, causing her to spin around and lose her balance. She landed on her rear with a little yelp as her tail got twisted under her. Kanbai didn't bother to look back and let her flail around, trying to get herself back up.

"It's okay! My tail broke my fall! No worries! Ow," she rambled as she pulled herself back up by the railing of the ship. She tottered off, holding her tail protectively and smoothing down the ruffled fur. She climbed up the rope netting that hung off the back of the ship. Slipping her feet into two of the squares, she leaned across it, staring down at the deck.

"Hey, Kabi, how long are we going to stay here?"

"I have no idea," he shouted back up at her.

"Can we stay a few more days? I got invited to a party and I really want to attend," she said, now hanging upside down from the net. She saw him shake his head and mutter something she couldn't quite hear before replying.

"Fine, but is it another dope party?"

"What youko party isn't?"

"You're telling me..." She grinned down at her grumpy friend and back-flipped from the net, landing crouched and ready to spring, her tail lashing behind her, ears pinned. She lunged forward, tackling Kanbai, and they both fell in a tangle of limbs and stray ropes. She grinned down at him, a ridiculous smile plastered on her face, making her eyes cross. He finally rewarded her with a small chuckled that blossomed into full laughter as the pair made fools of themselves.

Mokusei braided her hair in front of the grand full length mirror in her room, then pulled on her heavy leather boots, folding the tops down so they didn't quite reach her knees. After tying her moneybag to her belt, she came above deck to find Kanbai already waiting for her. They left the ship and crossed the wharf, weaving in and out of the crowds of strange youkai to the door of The Razor Temple, a well known bar that catered to the bizarre tastes of youko -- it even had a basement for any other purpose deranged youko managed to come up with.

On quiet nights, it masqueraded as a bar and inn, but it was called on to be the host for some of the best and biggest dope orgies in the Makai. Mokusei, though not amazingly fond of these parties, had been invited by an acquaintance and was interested in seeing what promised to be one of the biggest parties of the decade. The main room was huge, but divided into many smaller areas. A large dance floor was situated between the bar that ran along the left wall and the scattered tables that occupied the right side. In the back, stairs led to the basement and another door provided a second exit.

When they entered the bar, youko were already filling the main room, pushing some of the tables out of the way to make more room on the floor. Mokusei took up residence on one of the bar stools, waving for Kanbai to sit next to her. She called for a pot of tea, then started a conversation with Kanbai over the din of voices and exotic music that was being played by someone out of sight. The bartender set a pot of tea before her and a pair of cups. Kanbai put his hands up to refuse the drink, but the youko ignored him and filled both cups, insisting that he try it. He took a hesitant sip and swallowed awkwardly, his eyes crossing. Mokusei was no longer paying much attention though and he was free to simply twirl the cup on its saucer.

Mokusei sipped from her cup of tea, closing her eyes as the stinging liquid flowed down her throat. She looked up, scanning around the room, looking for familiar faces or alluring strangers. The room was a throbbing sea of hell foxes. There wasn't a space in the room that wasn't occupied by a male with roughhewn muscles, long hair, and a joint, or a vixen with smooth limbs, softly curving edges, and sharply predatory eyes gazing over the top of a tea cup. Couples danced and groups of lovers were already staking out their portions of the floor while geisha entertained the more charming patrons. And the still unknown musicians lulled the less active into sleep that promised fantasies induced by the dream flowers sold there.

Mokusei watched all of this, noting that she didn't really belong to any of the established groups, though she would have been comfortable mingling with any one of them. But the choice of company was made for her when an ornate kimono caught her eye. The fabric started with cream and fading into soft strawberry, ivy vines that blossomed into simple flowers embroidered onto it in gold thread and a plain black obi holding it together. The girl's back was turned to Mokusei, but she could make out her hair, tightly curled and bound up into a cluster of three buns at the nape of her neck. Intrigued, Mokusei crossed the crowded room, only to lose sight of the geisha before reaching her. Disappointed, she walked back to her seat at the bar, only to find the geisha waiting for her. She could finally see her features; sharply angled eyes contrasting with a slightly chubby face, wide nose and barely defined cheekbones, lips covered with white makeup and redrawn in pale, matte pink. She smelled of white lilac powder and strawberry juice, a fresh breeze through the heavy cloud of air in the bar. Her smile was small and delicate, her pose careful and elegant. She was like a small jade ornament next to a worn wood statue when standing by Mokusei and her purple eyes flashed peacock green.

"Sei... it's been so long, I wasn't sure it was you. But it is, isn't it? The same Sei who used to play with me and spend the summer nights in fields before they took me away?"

"Yaki? It can't be..." Mokusei stood in shock, staring at her childhood companion, all grown up.

"Ah, but it is. I didn't think I'd ever see you again. I've been to so many cities all over the Makai. I haven't seen home in almost a century. But I hear you've been moving around a bit as well, making a name for yourself as a pirate," she smiled gently while speaking with a slightly haughty air.

"Yeah, I hear I'm getting popular in the Reikai. Seems I've got some baubles that they'd like back," Mokusei sighed dramatically. She was still unsure about the encounter, half-convinced that she'd had much more tea than she realized and was hallucinating the whole thing. Yaki reached out to her, twining her fingers around Mokusei's.

"I've been made the adopted daughter where I'm working and soon I'll inherit the okiya. [2] You don't know how much I hate it with the other geisha though. I've been so lonely, Sei. You're the only friend I ever had," she said, leaning towards Mokusei in old familiarity. Mokusei pulled back a bit, suddenly nervous. The friendship they had shared had always held hints of childhood sweethearts and after years of separation, Mokusei had been able to hold on to the dream image she had of Yaki and let a small flower of infatuation grow. And now, she found she was unsure of what she felt. It had been so long, but memories were strong. And Yaki was very pretty...

Kanbai cleared his throat a bit, calling Mokusei's attention to him. She looked surprised, but Yaki gave her a polite, reassuring smile.

"Right, sorry. Yaki, this is my partner, Kanbai. Kanbai, this is an old friend," she said, waving a hand between the two of them in uniting gestures.

"It's nice to meet you. Sorry I can't say I've heard about you; Mokusei doesn't mention old friends very often. Just drags me to parties like this to make new ones," Kanbai said, grinning with a bit of ill-hidden malice. Yaki smiled back pleasantly and gave a small bow.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I always wondered what became of my dear Sei. I hope you've been keeping her out of trouble."

"That's an impossible task; this girl couldn't avoid trouble if it ran away from her." This made Yaki laugh, the sound of a thousand tiny bells chiming in the background.

"Yes, I know all too well."

"Can we stop talking about me now?" Mokusei was now standing with her hands on her hips, looking insulted. The other two just laughed the more for this, and continued sharing stories of their troubles with the brown youko. Finally, the laughter subsided and Mokusei was able to tear her eyes away from the pair.

"Kanbai, would you be a dear and excuse us for a moment. Just a little business between old friends is all," Yaki purred. Kanbai nodded and Mokusei looked confused as Yaki led her out the back door. He waited until they were out of earshot, which in this chaos, wasn't actually very far, before muttering about stupid foxes and stupid Koorime and applied a few other adjectives to both groups. He tapped his fingers on the counter for a moment, tracing patterns on the wood with his nails, before jumping up and leaving the bar through the front door. He could get to the side this way and listen to the foxes' conversation without being noticed.

"Sei, I really have missed you... I want to go back to the way it used to be. I'll get my money from Mother, close my accounts at the tea houses, and I can travel with you," Yaki said quietly. Kanbai was crouched behind the corner, unable to see the pair, only to listen in on their conversation.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm a pirate, it's not the most stable lifestyle and you're so high class. And there's Kanbai to consider," Mokusei said with a vein of uncertainty in her voice. Meanwhile, Kanbai held his breath without realizing it.

"I have plenty of money; you could give up piracy. Let Kanbai keep the boat if he wants to, take your half of your spoils, and we'll find some place to live together."

"Yaki, I know you mean well and it is tempting, but I really don't want to give up piracy. It's my li-" Mokusei was cut off as Yaki suddenly kissed her, their lips barely touching. Kanbai dared to peer around the corner just then and was frozen for a moment by the sight of the two youko kissing. Mokusei had her hands against Yaki's shoulders, half warding her off, half pulling her in closer, while Yaki held her around the waist. Mokusei turned her head away, blushing brightly, and Yaki sighed sadly.

"I really did miss you," she whispered as if it could make everything right between them.

"I... I know, Yaki. I just... can't. I should go..." Yaki nodded sadly and released her hold on the other youko. Mokusei turned to walk away, but Yaki called out to her.

"I could come with you. On the ship." Mokusei stopped for a minute and replied without turning around.

"Let me sleep on it," she said before walking away. She rounded the corner, planning to leave immediately. When she did, she found herself tripping over the crouched form of Kanbai. The air around him was cool and he looked up at her with fear in his eyes. He scrambled to his feet, pushing against the side of the tavern, and locked eyes with Mokusei for a tight-wire moment. He just shook his head, his hands starting to shake as he stared at her, backing away awkwardly. He turned suddenly and bolted down the street, little chips of ice falling in his wake. Mokusei stood there, sputtering for a second, then ran after her partner.

Kanbai ran past the ship, not really caring when he stopped running. For all he cared, he could freeze a path across the ocean and find some nice, quiet island to waste away on. There wasn't any real point to it; how could he be such a fool as to think that he could ever get some form of commitment from a youko? And Mokusei wasn't even a normal youko. Without realizing it, he had reached the end of the pier. He stood, staring out to sea, arms now slack at his sides. He exhaled slowly, a white cloud forming in the air. He walked to the edge and rested a hand on the worn wood post that supported the pier. He finally sat down, dangling his legs over the edge and tossing shards of ice into the water. He ignored the pounding footsteps behind him and tried to ignore the warming embrace around his shoulders and the fall of hair that draped over his arms.

"Who is she?" he asked, "You've never told me anything about where you came from."

"We grew up together. It was kind of... puppy love. Or kit love, as the case may be. But copper youko are rare and she was sold to become a geisha. I hadn't seen her in a few centuries, but it seems she's migrated back here to work. Or to find me. I'm not really sure. I guess... there's more to it than I realized. Between us that is. Or she thinks there's more. Or I think there's more, or there could be more or should be. I don't know," Mokusei stopped herself before she degenerated into rambling completely.

"Do you want there to be more?" Kanbai spoke quietly, hunching over himself.

"Do I... Kabi, I don't... I..." she turned him around, her hair falling around them. "I don't know. I haven't seen her in so long; I want to give her a chance."

"And what about me? Are you ever going to give me a chance?" Kanbai held his gaze steady, even as tears began to track down the youko's face.

"Inari-sama... I'm sorry... If Yaki hadn't come back, I wouldn't have to deal with this. I'd be with you. But now, I just don't know. I don't want to lose either of you," she said, half collapsing onto his shoulder. He hesitantly put his arms around her, letting her curl up against him.

"Mokusei... Look, ask her to come with us. We'll fix up a room for her and you two can catch up with each other. Then you can decide who you want. If you want to go with her, you can take you're half of everything, then some extra in exchange for leaving the ship with me. And if you stay with me... well, we'll see." He rubbed soothing circles across her back under her silk hair while trying to figure out what had possessed him to make that offer. Granted, he might end up looking good in Mokusei's eyes and winning her over. But at the same time, he was giving that spoiled copper youko a fighting chance of stealing her away. He really hoped he wouldn't regret this. But he knew he would in the end; he always did. Anyone who gets involved with a couple of youko ends up regretting it. But if he didn't, he'd either have an unhappy youko or no youko at all.

At that moment, said youko snuggled a bit closer, curling up on her side, her head resting on Kanbai's lap. He twined his fingers in her hair, rubbing his thumb over a lock of it. Her body shuddered as she let out a heavy sigh and he ran his hand across the folds of her sage green shirt. She rolled onto her back lazily and looked up at him, just barely smiling.

"Hey... Can we go home now?"

"Yeah, sure," Kanbai replied, smiling down at her. He stood up first, then offered her a hand. As they walked back down the pier, Mokusei threw her arm over his shoulders and he wrapped his arm around her waist. She cast him a sideways glance, still smiling.

"You know, I really do love you."

"Yeah, I know, fox."

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Something in your eyes
Is causing all this heartbreak
Is asking me to end this
Don't you think it's time to die
Something in your eyes
Forces me to look beyond
Shattered mirrors in my eyes
How much pain you plan to bring
------------------------------------------------

When they got back to the ship, Yaki was waiting, fanning herself with a large fan. She smiled to both of them and bowed slightly.

"I was worried when the two of you dashed off, so I came here to make sure everything was all right."

"Yeah, we're fine. About your idea to join us on the ship. Um... forget about sleeping on it; running did the trick. We'd like you to stay," Mokusei said, carefully stressing the 'we'. Yaki's eyes lit up with genuine joy and she enveloped both of them in a warmhearted hug. As they ascended the gangplank, Mokusei gave her old friend a playfully stern look.

"There are some rules you're going to have to abide by, lest we're forced to toss you overboard."

"Okay. And what are these rules?" Yaki asked, smiling brightly.

"One, never touch the ropes. Inari only knows what might fall, fly, or run away if those knots come undone."

"Two," Kanbai chimed in, "if you're in charge of breakfast, always make coffee. You don't want to see what she's like without it." This prompted another bell chime of laughter from the copper youko.

"Three, never -talk- to anything in the treasure rooms. It might steal your soul in exchange for a muffin, or give you extra limbs, or some other strange thing," Mokusei added, completely serious. Well, maybe not completely.

The process of finding room for Yaki was less than pleasant. She had been amazingly efficient in getting porters, servants, and eager strangers to move her possessions over to the docks. She had failed to mention just how many possessions she had. Bag upon box upon crate upon cart of finery were dumped by the gangplank, waiting for Mokusei and Kanbai to load it into some empty storage room. An empty storage room they were having trouble finding. After moving piles of gold and gems from one room into another, they had space for both Yaki and her masses of wealth. She immediately began making it look 'homey,' while the other two crashed for the night, which by now was actually early morning.

Around noon, Yaki was overwhelmed with sheer boredom; the others were still asleep and she wanted nothing more than to burst into Mokusei's room, waking her up, and spend the day catching up on lost time. But she figured that after the warnings about never forgetting to give her coffee, Mokusei must not be the most enjoyable person to see in the morning. And since she didn't have the slightest idea where she would get coffee, she gave up on the idea. She was tempted to go wandering through the town, but she was not familiar with the area and the idea of wandering around alone in a strange and probably dangerous town did not strike her as being particularly wise. Which meant she would be forced to stay on the ship, without touching any ropes or talking to any treasure, with nothing to do. She was not pleased in the slightest. She ended up sitting outside the door to Mokusei's room, just staring at it and waiting for the youko to wake up. However, she could only stand that for so long and she finally decided to go into the room and wait, hoping that she would 'accidentally' wake her while doing so.

The brown youko was strewn out across her bed with sheets tangled around her entire body. Her tan shoulders were bare, along with slashes of exposed ribs where the sheets failed to meet. Her tail hung over the edge of the bed, the tip of it twitching slightly. Her arms were folded over her head and her hair draped over them in messy waves and curls. Yaki sat down on the edge of the bed, pushing twisted vines of sheets out of her way. She was terribly sleepy, since she hadn't slept more than a few hours, and decided to use Mokusei's belly as a pillow and was soon enjoying a peaceful fox nap.

Kanbai woke up with a raging headache that was compelling him to behead himself immediately. He staggered around his room, gathering his clothes from the floor where he had thrown them earlier. He grabbed some gold and made his way to the town to buy breakfast for them. He had to make a conscious effort to remember that he way now buying for three, instead of two. Once back at the ship, he fixed the usually tray of food and went to Mokusei's room to wake her. He set the tray down before opening the door and sticking his head in. Inside, Yaki was curled up with her head resting on Mokusei and both were asleep. Kanbai opened and closed his mouth a few times, then took his food off the tray, pushed it into the room, and closed the door again. He knew Mokusei would be waking up soon and Yaki with her and would need her coffee. He retreated to his room and curled up on his bed to eat his meal. They would be leaving the town as soon as Mokusei was functional and he needed to reorganize some of the equipment and ropes on the deck before they did, so he ate quickly and headed up to start.

Mokusei stretched slowly, arching her back and spreading her arms above her head. An unusual weight pressed gently on her from the waist down and she propped herself up on her elbows to look at whatever it was. She found that a certain copper youko was using her as a pillow and was still sleeping comfortably. Mokusei tried to move her blankets to relocate Yaki so she could get out of bed, but she failed in that and Yaki remained peacefully asleep. Mokusei then attempted to just pull her legs out from under her lazy companion. She scooted back in her bed, slowly freeing herself until she lost her balance and fell out of bed entirely, waking Yaki and landing on her back on the floor.

"Sei, are you quite alright?" Yaki asked, leaning over the edge of the bed.

"Oh, yeah... I'm just fine," Mokusei said once she had gotten her breath back. "Well, that was fun. Remind me to not let you sleep with me again." Yaki slithered her way out of bed so she was lying on top of Mokusei with her hands on either side of her head, looking down at her.

"Really," she stated instead of questioned. Mokusei blinked up at her, somewhat uncomfortable in the position. She started to inch her way out from under Yaki for the second time that morning, but the geisha brought more of her weight down to keep her from moving. Mokusei glanced to her left at the door and saw the tray of food waiting for them.

"Oh! Look, there's food for us. Kanbai's such a sweetie like that, isn't he? Gods, I hope there's coffee..." She continued to babble as she pushed Yaki, who was practically purring, off herself and scrambled over to the safety of food. She hastily grabbed her mug of coffee and began gulping it down as Yaki hunted around for something she considered edible. She finally settled on the muffin sitting in the middle and started pulling off chunks while watching Mokusei toss berries into her mouth.

She's so different. Was she like this when we were kits? She was never pushy like this. Why's she asking so much? This was a mistake; I can never have them both. Kanbai, where the hell are you? Get me out of this. I don't want this anymore. I don't want her anymore. I can't...

She's so different. Was she like this when we were kits? She was never so timid. What's stopping her? I thought she wanted me; she gave me the chance to come here. Sei, what are you afraid of? I'm right here, finally. Isn't this what you wanted? I've wanted you for so long. Can't you...

Kanbai looped the last length of rope around his arm, twirling the end for a minute. Thoughtfully, he let the coils fall from his arms as he tied the end into a hangman's noose. He swung it around and caught it again, enjoying the weight of the thick, coarse hemp.

Damn that girl. Both those girls. I'm trying, really I am. I don't know what she wants from me. I gave her free reign to do whatever she wants with that little copper whore. And I didn't interfere when she took advantage of that. What more does she expect me to do? What more can I do? I knew it would happen. Get involved with youko and you get hurt. It's only natural that the most heartless, self-centered, vile creatures should also be the most alluring, beautiful, charming, sexy... Dammit! The pendulum swings both ways, boy, but for you, it'll always swing down. [3]

He finally recoiled the rope, leaving it tied, and took it to his room, where he tucked it behind his bed. He then went to the door of Mokusei's room and knocked three times before opening it. Mokusei was sitting, curled up on one side of the tray he had left for her, with Yaki sitting across from her with her back to the door.

"Morning. Just wanted to make sure you were awake; you had told me you had some errands to run in town before we left."

"Oh! Right. I forgot completely," Mokusei said, hopping up. She practically skipped over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, saying, "Thanks for reminding me. You're a doll." She then grabbed her money pouch and left the two rivals in her room.

"Miss Yaki, before we leave, I suggest you tie down your possessions, should we hit rough seas. I've got rope ready and I'll be happy to help you with it," Kanbai said through clenched teeth. Yaki beamed up at him and nodded, standing to follow him to her room.

Yaki's room was filled with boxes, which Kanbai stacked against the walls where there were metal rings set into the wood. The pair then tied them down, two ropes across the front and one on each side. They only had one left to do when Yaki stopped and turned to face Kanbai.

"I'd like to thank you for letting me stay. I realize I'm imposing and I'm sure I annoy you to no end. But I just want to thank you for giving me a chance to reunite with her. It's been so long. I'm glad she had someone like you to take care of her all these years. You're an incredible friend to her," she took his hands in hers while saying this, and finished with a gentle smile. Kanbai stood still for a moment, staring in silent disbelief. Finally, he found his voice, though it was a little more than a whispered hiss.

"Yes, I am an incredible friend to her. And I'm completely in love with her and I stood a chance of getting her to love me and I put that all on the line because she wanted you to have that same chance of winning her. And I still don't know what possessed me to do that, but I know that I had to give her what she wanted. So I let you barge into our lives and spread yourself over everything and I'm sick of it!"

"I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't realize... I didn't know you felt that way towards her. I didn't mean to... interfere. I just thought..."

"No, you didn't think! Not of her, not of me, never of anyone but yourself. Damn you," he grabbed her wrists and hauled her over to one of the free sets of rings on the far wall. He tied her wrists together and bound them to the top ring, then tied her ankles the same way. He then pulled a dagger from his side and pointed it at her belly.

"Damn you!" He slashed it across her torso.

"You're trying to steal her!" He pulled it across her left cheek, leaving a thick trail of blood behind.

"Damn you!" He drew his arm back to plunge the dagger into her belly and froze, staring into her wild violet eyes and the dagger dropped from his now limp hand. He backed out of the room, looking at Yaki like she was the plague itself, muttering curses on her with trembling lips. He was a few feet away from the door when he turned and ran, slamming the door to his room behind him as he almost fell onto his bed, grasping wildly for the rope he'd tucked by it earlier.

Mokusei tossed the flower seller a gold coin and a wink, leaning the mixed bunch of flowers against her shoulder. She was already carrying two baskets of provisions and her spur of the moment purchase was testing her skills in balance. She tottered carefully through the light early morning crowds of the market district. It was a rather long walk back to the docks and she didn't have the energy for this kind of work. She spotted a street urchin wandering past and whistled to him.

"Hey, kid, interested in helping me out? I'll give ya a gold if you carry these for me," she called, grinning broadly. The child smiled winningly and walked over.

"Sure, I'll help. But only for two gold."

"I don't really think you're in a position to bargain, hun. One gold, or I'll find myself a new set of arms." The boy shrugged and took the baskets.

"Hey, it never hurts to try."

They say that people who are about to kill themselves become strangely calm, perfectly content with their decision. They've realized they're going to die and it no longer weighs on them. As though they are already dead. They say that this happens to people.

They were wrong.

Kanbai was in a state of complete panic. He'd already given up on the rope, for reasons his brain could not quite follow. Maybe it would take too much time to get it set up. He was terrified that he would take to long to do this and Mokusei would get back and try to stop him. Or maybe it was the possibility that she wouldn't try. At the same time, he didn't even like the idea of hanging; he wanted it to hurt more. He deserved to have it hurt more. Why exactly he deserved this, he wasn't entirely sure. He knew that something in his behavior was fundamentally wrong, but what or even when eluded him. And maybe, somewhere in the back of his brain, which was now pulsing like it was threatening to crack open his skull and worm it's way out, he was afraid that what he was trying so hard to do would actually succeed. He was afraid that he'd really finish this and Mokusei would come back to the ship and find him dead. And maybe she would cry for days on end and maybe she wouldn't even care. Maybe Yaki would tell her what he had said and she would blame herself and the copper geisha for what he had done and would get rid of her, in one sense or another. Then again, she might roll her eyes at the jealous boy and sail off with her new girlfriend to live in the lap of luxury. He didn't know, and in all likelihood, that was what scared him most of all.

The boy set Mokusei's baskets by her feet, then stepped back, watching as she fumbled through her money pouch. She flipped two coins to him and smirked inwardly at his confused expression.

"You said I only got one gold if I carried them for you...?"

"Right. One gold for carrying the baskets, and another one for being a brat after my own heart," Mokusei said, half chuckling.

"Oh. Well, a'ight. Works for me. Thanks, lady." He turned back and was soon back among the crowds of youkai that milled around the city. Mokusei smirked, gathered her baskets, and turned to walk up the gangplank.

Kanbai pulled the knife across his wrist again, his thumb pressed against the jutting bone there, helping him to cut deeper, like he was slicing a crisp fruit. Blood sprang up to fill the canal of sundered flesh that ran parallel to half a dozen others on each wrist. The cuts were deep, running through layers of tender skin and smooth, blue veins, no halfhearted attempt at problem solving. Rivulets of blood tumbled down his arms and pooled in the partially cupped palms, dripping off his elbows and pouring from his hands onto his legs and bed sheets. His heart pounded like mad in his constricting chest; he could hear her walking across the deck. She'd come down soon and he still wasn't dead. He could feel his mind slipping away from this place, but it had been doing that since long before he found the knife. But his body was still holding on; abused, but still strong. Frustrated beyond all thought, he slammed the point of the blade into his wrist, roughly tearing the skin, and choked on a poorly suppressed howl.

Mokusei descended the steps into the galley, baskets bumping against the walls as she walked.

"Tadaima!" Mokusei set the baskets down in the end storage room and walked back up the hall to Yaki's room. She was surprised when she didn't get any reply and knocked on the door, wondering where they'd run off to. Still getting no response, she entered the room, sliding her hand over the rough wood as she walked through.

Time stopped for a moment. Mokusei's brain couldn't seem to effectively process the fact that Yaki was tied to the wall with her kimono cut and a line of blood running down her cheek, but no obvious, major damage. Mokusei started forward, hesitated, swaying on her feet for a moment, then crossed the room. She fumbled with the knotted ropes, babbling constantly to Yaki until she was finally able to lower her to the floor.

"Okaeri... I'm sorry I caused so much trouble," Yaki said slowly, sitting up against the wall as Mokusei checked her over. She stopped and looked up at her face, confusion written on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"I... Kanbai said I was interf-"

"What?! Oh, SHIT!" Mokusei spun around as she scrambled to her feet. She lost her balance, one knee hitting the floor, then righted herself and bolted out of the room.

Kanbai could hear her screaming. She was coming down the hall and he could count down the seconds as she slammed against his door before being able to really stop herself, jerked at the door knob, and pushed the door inward forcefully, stumbling in with the remnants of her momentum.

Mokusei didn't hesitate this time. She threw herself down at Kanbai's feet, grabbing the top sheet that had been shoved aside and tearing it into strips with her teeth. She wrenched the knife out of his hands and wrapped one of the strips around his wrists, the sweet cream color soaking in the stark red. She tied another around that wrist, knotting it tightly and praying that it would stop the bleeding. Kanbai sat quietly as she wrapped his other wrist, not fighting her, staring blankly at her as she struggled for his life when he wouldn't. She didn't speak, only chewed on her lower lip as she tied off the last bandage. She held both his wrists tightly, pressing them together, her knuckles turning white. She pressed her lips to his fingers, feeling their coolness and letting her breath warm them in little gusts.

"Kabi?" She spoke with her lips still against his hands, murmuring against them. "Kabi, talk to me."

"Sei... I'm tired," he ducked his head down to rest a cheek against her head.

"Yeah, I know. Me too."

"Could we go to sleep?"

"Not just yet, love. I want to make sure these have stopped," Mokusei said as she crawled up onto the bed next to him, turning him towards her without letting go of his wrists.

"What these?" Kanbai gave her a dazed look, not taking his eyes away from her face.

"Your wrists," she answered, matter-of-factly. Kanbai made an incoherent noise and leaned against her shoulder. For an undetermined amount of time, they just sat like that. Slowly, Mokusei eased her hands away from his wrists and let them drop into his lap. She pulled him into her arms and leaned back in the disheveled bed. She held him close, wrapped around him, between the last rib and the start of his hip, in a soft, hollow spot.

"Sei... was she okay?" Kanbai's voice was sand papery, hurting his throat as it came out.

"Yeah, she was fine, I guess."

"I don't know what-"

"No," she stopped him with a finger over his lips, "don't make me think about it. We can just lie here and pretend that everything's right and we're happy and in the morning we'll leave this place and never come back and we'll worry about it all then. We can just lie here now," she half begged, pulling him closer to her and clamping down on the sob that was caught in her throat.

"You know, I really do love you, fox..." Kanbai wrapped an arm around her and put his head on her shoulder. Mokusei swallowed hard and closed her eyes.

"Yeah, I know."

Author's Notes:

[1] Capricorn! My daughter/best friend's sign, even if she hates it.

[2] The home of a 'family' of geisha is called okiya. The 'mother' of an okiya chooses a younger girl to be her adopted daughter, thereby passing control of the okiya on to her.

[3] Quote from SR71, an American band.