(no subject)
Who: Shizuru and Kurama.
Where: Shore.
When: Around midnight.
Summary: The talk enjoying the peace of the night and the sea.
After abandoning the spring, the redhead paced through the forest, following the steps that lead down to the shore. His mind still musing over his previous thoughts, not paying attention to the nocturnal wind waving his hair sideward, half covering his face.
Soon the sight of the sea extended to the distance with the whispering sound of waves.
Shizuru had left the temple earlier to have a cigarette and watch the sun set on the beach. She didn't feel right about smoking in the temple and, besides, the empty beach was rather peaceful, especially compared to home where she was almost always at odds with her brother over his schoolwork. She wasn't sure if she felt or heard the other person approach, but it didn't matter -- she knew who it was since it could only be one other person. "Y'know, sneaking up on a girl alone in the dark. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had less than honorable intentions."
He reflectively looked up at Shizuru, so lost in his own musings. "Good evening." He greeted the girl as he took a step closer with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Evidently, I am not the only one who prefers the solitude of the shore." And his eyes locked in sea behind her.
"Evidently," she agreed. Shizuru pulled out another cigarette and lit it, politely blowing the smoke away from Kurama since she was downwind. "How're you holdin' up?" she asked the red head. It was simple enough to tell from the others, but Kurama was probably the hardest to read out of the whole group. Not that she really expected him to pour his heart out to her since he hardly seemed to be that type and Shizuru didn't really expect that she was that important.
"Nothing out of the usual, just remembering. So many events have taken place in this portion of forest." He replied calmly, looking back at Shizuru. "I am not distressed by Genkai's death. I understand her... we are both, relatively old."
That was right. It was sometimes hard to remember that the red head wasn't a teenager, like he appeared to be; other times, like when he spoke, it wasn't so hard. Shizuru wasn't sure she'd ever met anyone, even someone as old as Genkai had been, that spoke as well as Kurama did -- especially not a teenager. "I don't think you really hafta be that old to understand death," she said with a small shrug. She thought about that a moment though, smirked, and added, "It probably helps though." Maybe if Yusuke had been at least just a few years older then he wouldn't have taken the death so hard.
"Well, you are an example," was the calm, yet teasing reply to the girl. She was older, but ironically younger, yet mature enough to understand. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, both are depressed. And now, I believe you are the most accurate person to support him."
"Which one? Yusuke or Kazuma?" Shizuru asked, raising an eyebrow at the red head. She was a little surprised at the suggestion whichever young man Kurama was talking about. "Doesn't matter, neither one of 'em are gonna listen to me. Comes with the territory of being the oldest and the parent-figure. You're lucky you're an only child," she said with another smirk.
"...Kuwabara. As I told you before... talking to Yusuke in this moment is futile. And this is something he has to do on his own. Who knows, perhaps Genkai's spirit gets him." He teased as his face plastered a serene smile. "And Kuwabara is lucky to have a sister like you," he continued.
That actually managed to make Shizuru smile. It was nice to be appreciated. "He’ll realize it eventually." She took another puff of her cigarette and watched as the smoke drifted off towards the ocean on the wind. In the meantime I don’t really mind playing the bad guy so long as it got her brother somewhere in life. "I still think you oughta talk to Yusuke though. You and Kazuma’re the only ones he listens to at all. At least that’s how it looks from where I’m standin’."
The redhead replied with an assertive nod. "I will, but once the funeral is over. Grief is a transitory feeling, but I believe Yusuke was startled by the unexpected event more than her death itself. So similar to the first time, and now, it is certain she is gone."
"As if death is ever expected," Shizuru retorted. As far as she was concerned, Yusuke was just being ridiculous, but hopefully Kurama and her brother would be able to get him to calm down before he ended up doing something stupid. "Well, at least this time she didn't get crushed by some musclehead asshole with a god complex. He should at least be able to comfort himself with that."
"Sometimes the idea of death exists, either directly or as a mere risk, and most of the times, it remains as a thought. In the battle against Karasu... I was almost certain I was going to perish, and I am positive everyone else believed it that way." He sighed deeply, a silent whisper. "Do you know the date of Kuwabara's exams?"
Shizuru hadn't been positive that any member of Team Urameshi had been going to die, though she'd realized that it was a distinct possibility. She didn't believe that death didn't come as a surprise, even just a little one, even if you were expecting it, though; not unless you were the one that had caused it. She let the subject drop, though, and answered Kurama's question. "Middle of next month. We've got it marked on the calendar in big red letters so Kazuma doesn't forget."
"Regardless what you would like... do you believe he will succeed? It is not I bluntly hesitate, but you know him far better than what I do." Kurama asked, averting his gaze from the sea once more.
Normally, Shizuru would have answered with a, "He will if he knows what's good for him," but Kurama seemed to be the only other person that was concerned about Kazuma's education so it only seemed right to give him an actual answer. "He can," she said after taking a long, thoughtful drag on her cigarette. "If he can live through everything that you guys have without any serious damage, then he can do anything. All it is is a question of if he wants it enough and that he's gonna have to tell you himself."
"If you realize he needs aid with certain subjects, I can help him, but I do not think he will appreciate the idea. Probably he will assume I am underestimating him. Personally, I enjoy his company." The redhead mused giving Shizuru a soft glance of empathy.
"I'm pretty sure he enjoys yours too," she replied, not sure if there was anyone that didn't enjoy Kurama's company. "If I suggest it to him he'll just bitch and moan about how I have no faith in him, so you'll probably have better luck asking him than me." It wasn't a bad idea either. Neither was bribery. Shizuru smirked to herself. "Maybe if I tell him he can have less time to study if he lets you help him then he'll be more interested."
He replied again with a slight nod, and took a step closer to the sea, but provident enough so the water didn't reach his feet."It is past midnight." He commented afterward, just by looking at the moon perfect in the sky. "And tomorrow is the wake."
Was it really that late? Shizuru checked her watch and saw that the red head was right. Everyone that wasn't already there would start arriving in only a matter of hours, so it wouldn't do for them to be up all night. "I dunno about you," she said, taking one last drag before dropping what was left of her cigarette and smothering it in the sand, "but that's way past my bedtime."
"I can escort you back to the temple, but I doubt I will sleep inmediately." He proposed turning back, no longer facing the sea, it was a fresh night, even for summer, wind teasing his locks.
"If you're comin'," Shizuru said with a shrug. "If not, I'm sure I can handle the walk back by myself." She smirked at the red head before turning away with her hands stuffed into her pockets and strolling back through the sand to the stairs that would lead her back up to the temple.
"I am aware of that." He retorted calmly as he took a step after Shizuru. "As decorum demands, regardless your might," Kurama teased as he followed.
Where: Shore.
When: Around midnight.
Summary: The talk enjoying the peace of the night and the sea.
After abandoning the spring, the redhead paced through the forest, following the steps that lead down to the shore. His mind still musing over his previous thoughts, not paying attention to the nocturnal wind waving his hair sideward, half covering his face.
Soon the sight of the sea extended to the distance with the whispering sound of waves.
Shizuru had left the temple earlier to have a cigarette and watch the sun set on the beach. She didn't feel right about smoking in the temple and, besides, the empty beach was rather peaceful, especially compared to home where she was almost always at odds with her brother over his schoolwork. She wasn't sure if she felt or heard the other person approach, but it didn't matter -- she knew who it was since it could only be one other person. "Y'know, sneaking up on a girl alone in the dark. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had less than honorable intentions."
He reflectively looked up at Shizuru, so lost in his own musings. "Good evening." He greeted the girl as he took a step closer with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Evidently, I am not the only one who prefers the solitude of the shore." And his eyes locked in sea behind her.
"Evidently," she agreed. Shizuru pulled out another cigarette and lit it, politely blowing the smoke away from Kurama since she was downwind. "How're you holdin' up?" she asked the red head. It was simple enough to tell from the others, but Kurama was probably the hardest to read out of the whole group. Not that she really expected him to pour his heart out to her since he hardly seemed to be that type and Shizuru didn't really expect that she was that important.
"Nothing out of the usual, just remembering. So many events have taken place in this portion of forest." He replied calmly, looking back at Shizuru. "I am not distressed by Genkai's death. I understand her... we are both, relatively old."
That was right. It was sometimes hard to remember that the red head wasn't a teenager, like he appeared to be; other times, like when he spoke, it wasn't so hard. Shizuru wasn't sure she'd ever met anyone, even someone as old as Genkai had been, that spoke as well as Kurama did -- especially not a teenager. "I don't think you really hafta be that old to understand death," she said with a small shrug. She thought about that a moment though, smirked, and added, "It probably helps though." Maybe if Yusuke had been at least just a few years older then he wouldn't have taken the death so hard.
"Well, you are an example," was the calm, yet teasing reply to the girl. She was older, but ironically younger, yet mature enough to understand. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, both are depressed. And now, I believe you are the most accurate person to support him."
"Which one? Yusuke or Kazuma?" Shizuru asked, raising an eyebrow at the red head. She was a little surprised at the suggestion whichever young man Kurama was talking about. "Doesn't matter, neither one of 'em are gonna listen to me. Comes with the territory of being the oldest and the parent-figure. You're lucky you're an only child," she said with another smirk.
"...Kuwabara. As I told you before... talking to Yusuke in this moment is futile. And this is something he has to do on his own. Who knows, perhaps Genkai's spirit gets him." He teased as his face plastered a serene smile. "And Kuwabara is lucky to have a sister like you," he continued.
That actually managed to make Shizuru smile. It was nice to be appreciated. "He’ll realize it eventually." She took another puff of her cigarette and watched as the smoke drifted off towards the ocean on the wind. In the meantime I don’t really mind playing the bad guy so long as it got her brother somewhere in life. "I still think you oughta talk to Yusuke though. You and Kazuma’re the only ones he listens to at all. At least that’s how it looks from where I’m standin’."
The redhead replied with an assertive nod. "I will, but once the funeral is over. Grief is a transitory feeling, but I believe Yusuke was startled by the unexpected event more than her death itself. So similar to the first time, and now, it is certain she is gone."
"As if death is ever expected," Shizuru retorted. As far as she was concerned, Yusuke was just being ridiculous, but hopefully Kurama and her brother would be able to get him to calm down before he ended up doing something stupid. "Well, at least this time she didn't get crushed by some musclehead asshole with a god complex. He should at least be able to comfort himself with that."
"Sometimes the idea of death exists, either directly or as a mere risk, and most of the times, it remains as a thought. In the battle against Karasu... I was almost certain I was going to perish, and I am positive everyone else believed it that way." He sighed deeply, a silent whisper. "Do you know the date of Kuwabara's exams?"
Shizuru hadn't been positive that any member of Team Urameshi had been going to die, though she'd realized that it was a distinct possibility. She didn't believe that death didn't come as a surprise, even just a little one, even if you were expecting it, though; not unless you were the one that had caused it. She let the subject drop, though, and answered Kurama's question. "Middle of next month. We've got it marked on the calendar in big red letters so Kazuma doesn't forget."
"Regardless what you would like... do you believe he will succeed? It is not I bluntly hesitate, but you know him far better than what I do." Kurama asked, averting his gaze from the sea once more.
Normally, Shizuru would have answered with a, "He will if he knows what's good for him," but Kurama seemed to be the only other person that was concerned about Kazuma's education so it only seemed right to give him an actual answer. "He can," she said after taking a long, thoughtful drag on her cigarette. "If he can live through everything that you guys have without any serious damage, then he can do anything. All it is is a question of if he wants it enough and that he's gonna have to tell you himself."
"If you realize he needs aid with certain subjects, I can help him, but I do not think he will appreciate the idea. Probably he will assume I am underestimating him. Personally, I enjoy his company." The redhead mused giving Shizuru a soft glance of empathy.
"I'm pretty sure he enjoys yours too," she replied, not sure if there was anyone that didn't enjoy Kurama's company. "If I suggest it to him he'll just bitch and moan about how I have no faith in him, so you'll probably have better luck asking him than me." It wasn't a bad idea either. Neither was bribery. Shizuru smirked to herself. "Maybe if I tell him he can have less time to study if he lets you help him then he'll be more interested."
He replied again with a slight nod, and took a step closer to the sea, but provident enough so the water didn't reach his feet."It is past midnight." He commented afterward, just by looking at the moon perfect in the sky. "And tomorrow is the wake."
Was it really that late? Shizuru checked her watch and saw that the red head was right. Everyone that wasn't already there would start arriving in only a matter of hours, so it wouldn't do for them to be up all night. "I dunno about you," she said, taking one last drag before dropping what was left of her cigarette and smothering it in the sand, "but that's way past my bedtime."
"I can escort you back to the temple, but I doubt I will sleep inmediately." He proposed turning back, no longer facing the sea, it was a fresh night, even for summer, wind teasing his locks.
"If you're comin'," Shizuru said with a shrug. "If not, I'm sure I can handle the walk back by myself." She smirked at the red head before turning away with her hands stuffed into her pockets and strolling back through the sand to the stairs that would lead her back up to the temple.
"I am aware of that." He retorted calmly as he took a step after Shizuru. "As decorum demands, regardless your might," Kurama teased as he followed.