Disclaimer: I own neither Fruits Basket nor Yu Yu Hakusho nor anything else that may pop up along the line.
Shoulder-length orange hair swished slightly and the matching reddish-brown eyes glanced over the newspaper as a customer entered the second-hand bookshop. The newspaper was raised once again when he realised it was just that red-headed teenager from that stupid preppy school down the road that made the students wear those hideous magenta uniforms. What was it called? Meiou High?
The guy at the counter then ignored the boy, who was a regular at the shop, and proceeded to read the Whisper, the best and only newspaper created by for the Underworld. The headliner was unbelievable. "Victim of Reikai Tentai Murder Spree: Spirit of Kiwagaki Caves."
He snorted in amused disbelief. How far would these biased dorks go to get the supernatural populus against the Reikai law enforcers? I mean, everyone knew the prick was a psychopathic freak was a danger to everything that couldn't be brought to the light. If the Tentai hadn't taken him out, one of the masters would have.
Speaking of masters, Lord Tamashine had sent the affirmative to his petition this morning. One of the other master's spawns had taken to tearing into the shop and roughing the place up, so he'd sent a petition to that master's direct opposition
There was a slight 'thump' as an armload of books was dropped onto the counter. The young man at the counter put down The Whisper, catching a vague scent on the small gust of air, and rung up the prices of the plant books this boy so loved. This gave him an idea.
The guy's reddish-brown eyes looked up, directly into the teenagers grass green ones. The teenager looked uneasy, which was only heightened when the guy gave him a teeth-baring grin. Not that it was an ugly grin, it was just that the teeth were immaculately white and the green-eyed red-head got the impression of a big orange cat about to chew the head of a still-squeaking mouse. So naturally the red-head was suspicious when the guy asked, "So, have you read the Monster Book of Monster Plants? It's on demon plants."
The reaction proved the orangette's theory correct. I mean, it's a little obvious he knew something since he jerked, his face went to blank shock andhis Maiki spiked for a barest moment before he went to a pleasant, blank 'whatever-are-you-talking-about' look. The guy behind the counter shrugged and feigned loss of interest.
"But whatever. That's $42.95, thanks."
The red-head smiled politely and made for the door.
"Oh! And by the way." The boy paused and looked back warily. The guy grinned again. "Be careful of the dog-man down the road. He eats foxes."
The guy howled with laughter at the look on the kid's face as it went for horrified disgust to insulted anger. The fox-child stalked out the store with his books, knowing that when he cooled down, his curiosity would badger him until he went back and figured out how that human knew what he was. The boy paused. He was pretty sure the guy was human, but then again, he'd seen and heard of stranger things.
Back in the bookstore, twenty-two-year-old Kyo Sohma laughed himself silly at the kid's expense. He was just too much like Yuki to resist teasing him.
This train of thought sobered the Cat and sent him spiralling into depression once again.
For the rest of the afternoon, Kyo stayed in silent contemplation as he read his newspaper.
Kyo padded down the towards the street towards the run-down apartment building which he lived in, well aware that he was being followed by a Reikai informant thanks to the local cats, so he turned down a side-alley.
He turned the corner at the end of the alley and lounged out of sight behind a conveniently placed dumpster, while the resident alley cats came to rub against his legs and across his shoulders.
Moments later, the informant came around the corner. Kyo pounced and took the little green man in the trench coat down. A quick wrestling match occurred which ended with Kyo firmly on the informants back, his left leg bent up and back so it was planted firmly on his butt, both hands pinned beneath his body.
"Now. You are going to tell me who sent you, why they sent you and what they hoped to gain by sending you." Kyo sounded entirely too cheerful about this. "If you don't answer promptly, truthfully and politely…heh, well, you don't want to find out what I'll do."
"Go to hell!"
Kyo's grin turned predatory. "Oh well. If that's the way you want it."
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