Tavern of the Night! Walk-in's welcome!

[I Spirit Fox Kurama I]

K υ ʀ α ɱ α

"Regret is a different beast when you live for centuries."



This was torture. This was the atonement he'd been so long waiting for, asking for, even, waiting for lighting to strike him down. Well. Karma's a b***h, isn't it, Kurama? Now that he suffered what he'd expected to suffer, he realized he wasn't really all that repentant to begin with. Funny how that works out.

He paused long enough to be puzzled by Hiei's sudden desire to adopt the flock, all of them impossibly tucked under his arm in a squirming mass of teeth and eyes. Watched in silence as he fed them all booze. Continued to stare, positively glistening with sweat, as Hiei rendered all of his hard work up to this point absolutely pointless.

"...or you could just do that. Well done, Hiei." The shovel was shoved in the ground, moat unfinished. Likely would never be. Hard enough to attempt a den above ground, harder still to dig without the use of claws. One of the drunken gremlins smacked into his shin before conking out, drooling on the grass beside his foot. When it began to twitch, he supposed it was dreaming. Not having a seizure. No sense getting his hopes up now.

"I suppose a leash of some sort would work," he sighed, sinking into the grass beside the drunken Hiei. "So long as the material is resistant to their powers, minimal bonds would be optimal." So as not to be tangled in them come morning or some other such nightmare.

Still. He was terribly thirsty and Hiei seemed in no shape to be left alone. Green flicked to the glass again, then Hiei, lip bitten. He hadn't missed the pointed enjoyment of the drink earlier or the victory flared in triumphant reds. Sadist.

Another clone managed to get as far as the tree before it, too, stumbled over itself into a heap of drunken slumber. The three others followed suit shortly after, piled atop each other. Kurama was surprised to discover himself smiling.

"Well. That was painless enough." Wasn't so bad now that it was over.

[Hiei the Epic]

ℋιєι
▸ The Forbidden One

Lazy reds followed the motions of each miniature. As expected, they conked out accordingly, silence finally reigning but for the voice of Kurama. Eyes turned to him as Hiei laid back on the grass, arms folded behind his head. He smirked. "What will you do when they all wake up needing to piss? That is, if they don't do so in their sleep." Offspring shat themselves all the time. He doubted these clones would be much different.

Smirk. Kurama really had screwed himself this time.

"You could try putting wards on them." Gaze shifted sidelong to the redhead. "Regardless, if you leave them out here they'll be eaten by beasts or destroy things. It seems you'll have your hands full for quite some time. Your personal time will be rare, if existing at all."

Mm. This really was entertaining.

[I Spirit Fox Kurama I]

K υ ʀ α ɱ α

"Regret is a different beast when you live for centuries."



That smirk sure wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Brow lifted at it, expression carefully dispassionate. "You've certainly thought this through, haven't you?" Was that a dry touch of displeasure? A smidge of regret? Lamentable, his lack of foresight. Now he paid for it. Dearly.

"I suppose I'll simply have to sleep lightly." One of the gremlins farted in its sleep, fanged grin wide and dopey. "Or not at all." A sigh was stifled, legs drawn up to rest chin atop them. Dammit. What had he gotten himself into this time? How did an experiment turn into obligatory parenthood? "We can't take them indoors until their bowels are properly trained, so I'll sleep out here until that much is accomplished."

Hiei looked entirely too pleased with himself. That was the fox's job, and he didn't take kindly to being dethroned.

"Personal time," he gave a short laugh. He'd had all the time in the world just a few moments ago. Now look. Look at this mess. Time was once again a hot commodity. "I imagine this will have to suffice until they can manage themselves." This being sitting here on the grass beside the sprawled, drunken shadow, relishing a moment of peace.

"Strange, the things we take for granted."

[Hiei the Epic]

ℋιєι
▸ The Forbidden One

"Tch." Wide yawned flashed fangs, legs stretching out across the grass. He hadn't any idea how one trained the bowels of offspring. Something about wrapping thick lumps of cloth about the nether region. "Well hurry up. While I enjoy the outdoors, I don't want to spend all my time lingering in this little plot of grass outside of a tavern." Besides. There was chocolate inside, sitting solemn and waiting for him. He debated retrieving it. Strongly so.

"...Mn. I'm hungry." Stomach growled to make a point. He stood, reds drifting between the cluster of clones and Kurama. "I'll bring meat and... margaritas." So stay put and don't eat the damn minions. Such were the words hidden in that careful stare.

It'd be about ten minutes until he reappeared, stepping out of the building with a platter of raw meat balanced atop one hand, booze in the other. Multiple glasses of margaritas weren't exactly easy to carry when your arms were already full, so he'd opted for a bottle of... something. Hiei wasn't sure what it was. He'd just asked for something to make things more 'tolerable'. Hopefully this stuff would work.

a** hit the grass and he dropped the meat platter in front of the fox, popped the cork from the wine bottle and took a sip. "...It tastes like chocolate and fruit." Chocolate cherry wine, to be precise. After a swig of the stuff he handed it over to the redhead, leaning back on elbows. "If you made your own clones, would they be human or kitsune?" He had a bit of a slur at this point, drunken mumblings oozing past lips in that low voice. Eyes lingered on Kurama, half-lidded. "I can't believe you made children. I very specifically have avoided the chance of such things being brought into creation and then you do it purposefully." A finger pointed at him, wavering a little. "It's only fair that you suffer equally in making your own."

[I Spirit Fox Kurama I]

K υ ʀ α ɱ α

"Regret is a different beast when you live for centuries."



Humans had invented these nifty things called diapers which made bowel-training a little bit less, well, revolting. But not by much. Kurama resigned himself to obtaining something diaperlike in the morning, convinced the females who dwelt here would either have some already or know where to get them. What he dreaded was actually asking for such things, as though these creatures were actually his, somehow.

Which they most definitely weren't. He might play parent-trainer, but if any of those things started calling him 'mommy' he'd feed it to the rest of the horde.

Once he got past the stupidly large eyes and obnoxiously endearing clumsiness. It didn't help any that they were all the spitting image of Hiei.

"They aren't children in the conventional sense," he patiently explained, taking a few swigs of the wine before continuing. Mmn, that was good. Chocolate cherry with a pleasant bite on the finish. "There are merely the fruits of what is technically a parasitic plant. It requires the biological material of a mammal in order to create these fruits, which then serve to both carry and protect the seeds." None of those technicalities really mattered in the face of five red-eyed stares, but he comforted himself nonetheless. Another swig of wine stolen before he handed it back to Hiei, eyes already lightly rimmed red.

"Had I used my own hair to create them, they would have been born as I was, nothing more. Fox kits are useless to train and I didn't think you'd want to wait a hundred years for your army to serve you," he joked a little, biting down a shudder. It was cold and his shirt lay among the gremlins, burnt and ruined. Surely one of them would pee on it at some point during night.

He heaved a heavy sigh, hand buried in his hair. Glanced sidelong at the drunken finger wavering at him and grinned, unable to help himself. "You're drunk." Why are you drunk? Why get yourself drunk around me, out here, alone?

Somewhat alone. Who knew when those gremlins would wake up.

[Hiei the Epic]

ℋιєι
▸ The Forbidden One

Snort. "How do you know if I'm a mammal? You know nothing of me." He burped, blinked, and licked his lips. Eyed the bottle a moment before taking a swig of the stuff, then passed it back to Kurama. Wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Reds fixed on greens, suspicious. "Shut up." Hic.

"It proved useful to sedate them." Hic. Grunt. Body oozed down onto the grass and he eyed the mess of sleeping clones. "...Hng."

Hic.

[quiksilver001]

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A happy tune issued from her lips in a hum as she navigated the sparse crowds littering the street, brought out by the unseasonal sunshine. Her long auburn hair bounced around her shoulders as she moved, skipping on every third step. She hopped suddenly, almost careering into a man with a pot plant in her attempts to avoid the cracks in the sidewalk. She apologised to his uncommon smile, the previous hum re emerging as a whistle. She shifted the heavy package she was clutching in one arm, holding it to her stomach as she battled with the weight and the ever present gravity. Once the package was securely cradled in the crook of one arm she resumed skipping. Building up speed as she weaved through the masses. She imagined she threw up sparks as she skidded to a halt inches from the kiosk, flashing a smile to the queue as she brought her hands up, carefully inching her way around the back of the structure. She slowed as she walked past a coffee shop, sniffing the air curiously.

She reemerged moments later, carefully carrying a takeout cup in her free hand. She blew the steam from the opening, wrinkling her nose as she drank. She poked her tongue out as she lowered the cup, face scrunched up in disaproval. She never could stand the taste of coffee but she insisted on drinking it. She whistled a few discordant notes as she walked, eyes on the ground in case of sneaky cracks. She stepped through a puddle, proof of the ever changeable weather this time of year brought, scuffing her feet for extra splash. Boots now damp, she continued to wind her way through the streets, taking a route she could almost walk in her sleep. At the crossing she refused to wait for the lights, sprinting through the traffic at the first opportunity. She smiled as she reached the opening to the underground tunnel, tipping her head back to stare at the cieling above her. She walked like that most of the way along the passage, smiling as the dirt gave way to fake sky. She stretched her neck as returned her eyes forward, the whistle returning to a hum as she scuffed her feet in the dust, pausing in her melody only to drink.

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((Good Morning ^^))

[I Spirit Fox Kurama I]

K υ ʀ α ɱ α

"Regret is a different beast when you live for centuries."



"And you as well."

He chuckled, taking a few deep swallows of the wine. Now he was starting to feel it, fingertips tingling, lips semi-numb. Tension smoothed from muscles as he oozed down into the cool grass beside Hiei, propped on an elbow so he could down a few more swigs.

The whole situation was-- well, he rather suspected it was a dream at this point, but that could just be a sign of inebriation. There was no conceivable reason why they should be playing house outside by the lake, yet that's precisely what they were doing.

You don't know anything about me.

He passed the wine back to him. "I imagine I'll be learning a great deal more about you the further these...creatures...progress." Bleary greens shifted to the pile of fanged fruit-clones; yes, there they were. Still there. Still sleeping. Back to Hiei, expression softened. "At least that will make the training more interesting."

A thoughtful pause. Just how long before Hiei joined the ranks of his clones and fell asleep?

"You ignored me earlier today," he said quietly. "In pursuit of this drunken state. Unusual behavior, Hiei. However little I know of you, I do know that much." Red studied by unassuming green, lids getting heavier by the minute, tongue loosed.

"What is it you're trying to forget?"

[Hiei the Epic]

ℋιєι
▸ The Forbidden One

He made no intent to take the bottle from Kurama, instead scooting his a** over a few inches for personal space. Wary reds watched the other carefully. "I'm not one of your research projects."

Brow arched. That last statement really annoyed him. a*****e never minded his own damn business. Luckily, he was saved by the sounds of feet moving over ground not far ahead. Hiei didn't do anything about it, of course. He was too drunk and lazy at the moment, fully intent to remain where he lay and possibly nap.

But the clones had. Two of the miniature versions of him snapped awake, heads bobbling as they swayed. Cocked their heads in unison to listen.

Then they bounded off in the direction of those footsteps, faceplanting and tripping over themselves like children learning to walk. "..." Wine bottle was snatched from Kurama and he took a large gulp. "You might want to go after them."

[I Spirit Fox Kurama I]

K υ ʀ α ɱ α

"Regret is a different beast when you live for centuries."



Inward wince. But he heard the footsteps up the path as well and figured he'd better stop the ankle biters before they caused even more trouble. "Right," he stumbled to his feet, rubbing the feeling back into bare arms before setting off after the clones. "I shall return shortly."

Kurama caught the little monsters just before they summoned the energy to make a mad dash for the young woman's feet, both of them tiny enough to be tucked under an arm with room for three more to spare. "My apologies," he said breathlessly, smelling of wine and dirt and missing a shirt. But he smiled as he inclined himself in a shallow bow, hair spilling over shoulders. "They are not yet fully trained." Like apologizing for a couple of puppies who beelined for someone else's cat, intent on innocent terrorizing.

[quiksilver001]

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Aurelia drummed her fingers against the cup in her hand as she walked, no longer shuffling or skipping. She paused in her humming to tilt the coffee back, draining it with a disgusted sigh. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, nose still wrinkled as she walked. She smiled at the Tavern in the distance, skipping once as if she had forgotten what she was doing. She grimaced as the package slipped, fumbling for a moment before catching it with an arm against her thigh. She smiled happily at her unusual good fortune, having stopped dead on the track. She turned her head at the sound of frantic footsteps, peering into the distance to see two small figures running in her direction, wincing as one fell flat on it's face. She backed up two steps as the figures neared her, seeing black hair and large red eyes. A small "Oh" Of surprise escaped her lips, her head turning to see where the small figures may have come from, backing up another step. She held her coffee cup in front of her almost protectively. The figures seemed child sized but there was something off about them as they approached. She tilted her head to one side curiously, eyes fixed on the creatures behind her coffee cup shield. She watched as the infants were scooped into one arm, familiar enough with being unobservant to be unsurprised by the man's sudden appearance. She smiled as he apologised, eyes repeatedly roving to the wriggling bundles under his arm. Her smiled became a little fixed at his bow, never having been comfortable with such formalities regardless of how often it came up. Her smile thawed as he explained, shaking her head as if to say it wasn't a problem. A small silence elapsed only to be filled with the ever inane "Are they yours?"

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[Hiei the Epic]

ℋιєι
▸ The Forbidden One

Hiei, in the meantime, had passed out in a drunken state among the remaining three clones, using one as a makeshift pillow. He was stretched over the grass, legs crossed at ankles and arms folded over chest lazily. The occasional hic interrupted mild snoring, booze bottle nearly empty at his side. Contents slowly seeped out the neck to soak the backside of one of the clones half buried under his waist.

[I Spirit Fox Kurama I]

K υ ʀ α ɱ α

"Regret is a different beast when you live for centuries."



^___________^;;;

"You could say that, yes." No, not really. I merely grew them with the aid of that man's hair over there-- you see him? The drunken fool in black. Yes, that's the one. And by grew I mean, you know, in the ground. Like a vegetable.

No, he couldn't say that. She'd probably choke on her coffee and then he'd have two grumpy monsters and a suffocating female to deal with. One crisis at a time.

"If you'll excuse me," he smiled again, nerves beginning to fray. When was he going to find time to drink if these things kept running off to bite the ankles of passerby? Or relax at all, for that matter? Damn, Hiei, wanting to keep these monstrosities. Only thing worse than keeping them was the prospect of failing to do just that.

He carted them back to where Hiei lay sprawled, only to discover the bed-pile he'd made of the remaining three. One of which now stank of the chocolate cherry wine soaked into its backside. Kurama sighed, sinking to his knees to set things right-- bottle set aside, remaining meat set beside it, a bit of grass fluffed.

"You two stay here," he slurred a little, sleepy, drunk. Then, to ensure their obedience, pinned the little demons under an arm as he curled up beside the Hiei-pile. He was a fox, after all, driven by instinct to do such and reduced to instinct to be unable to do anything else.

It wasn't long before Kurama was out cold as well.

[quiksilver001]

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Aurelia nodded, her capacity for small talk completely exhausted. Her eyes returned to the squirming bundles, glad at least that they were safely tucked under that arm. She smiled vacantly as the silence stretched on, wondering idly what it was that the man wasn't saying. She returned his smile almost automatically, blinking as his words registered and she worked up enough brain power to reply "Sure" She watched as he walked away, noticing the other figure beneath the tree as her eyes followed the first stranger. She smiled happily, before frowning as she shook her cup to find it empty. Almost for lack of something to do, she watched the figure until it curled up on the grass, sighing as she stared down at her feet. After wondering why her boots were wet, she turned towards the Tavern, pushing the door open and stepping into the familiar dark of the buildings interior. She began to hum again as she crossed the floor, walking behind the bar to switch the coffee pot on. She drummed her fingers on the counter top, listening for the sounds of waking infants and other carnage outside the building.

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