" Forgive me if this sounds rude," Kurama began, respecting Ryu's interest in manners. " But, ALL of this is taking me by surprise."
" I understand." Ryu replied. He handed Kurama a scrapbook. " Though human cameras have been around only a few decades....Makai equivalents as you may know, have been around for centuries."
Kurama nodded and flipped through the pages. " These are your children?"
" Hai." Ryu smiled under his mask. " Chyna was my first-born. My mate and I were very proud of her...yet we felt unfulfilled. Don't get me wrong...I love Chyna to death." He flipped the page for Kurama, " My second child was my son, Karasu."
" Interesting names by the way," Kurama noted, peering over at Karasu.
" Hai. Karasu was born in the Month of the Crow...so we named him after it. Every month has an animal to represent it. It's not like the normal horoscope Ningens have. The ancestors created it before the Great War."
" FINALLY, I'm learning something," Kurama spat out before he could stop himself.
" My third child," Ryu was also good at ignoring things, " was Naomi. My mate died shortly after." He peered over at Karasu who stared blankly at the table in front of him. Ryu leaned closer to Kurama, " Karasu was quite attatched to his mother. After she died, he went mute for three years...refusing to speak to anyone." He sat back up.
" Karasu was first to take a mate."
Kurama nodded and glanced through the pictures. A young Karasu looked very much like the present Dawn.
" Aurora was a nice match for him...so we thought. Naomi became jealous that her big brother moved on to romantic interests and wed a year later to Malaki. He came to us a long time ago stating he was exiled from his own clan unjustly for a crime he didn't commit. It's obvious he's not one of our clan...other than by marraige."
ANOTHER clan? There were more?
" Naomi was first to give me grandchildren...my grandson Kazunori. I fussed at Karasu often after that to have children of his own. Dawn was born about 40 years later....almost like waiting 8 years to a human."
" So, what happened?"
Ryu folded his hands and rested his head on the big fists. " Karasu went away on a mission...an order from Lord Shikon. I don't quite remember what it was..." He paused. Just as he thought...Karasu was silent...blurting out the entire conversation.
" He returned a year later....to find Aurora had just given birth to a son...."
" You mean..."
" She committed adultery. I'll admit, we are a twisted and cruel clan when we're riled...but we DO have our own laws. We take our commitments very seriously. That child was NOT Karasu's...and she refused to name the father. In a fit of rage, he killed mother and child. The act is permitted....but the murder of Naomi followed shortly after. Malaki was devastated. Our guess is that the father of THAT child may have killed Naomi as an act of vengeance against Karasu."
" I'm sorry."
" Don't be. Everything will be fine in the end. After all, he goes through these phases when someone hurts him. He must be healing again...since he took you for partner. And things look good for Chyna as well....the loner. My remaining children finally have mates....even if Chyna IS choosing an Ice Maiden and Karasu a youko."
...
" Like white on rice." Karasu muttered.
" Don't be a stick in the mud. Come play in the snow."
" You go. I hate cold weather."
Kurama peered out the window and saw Chyna running around the snow with Dawn. Chyna, to his surprise, didn't even sport a jacket.
Kurama met them down there. He could feel Karasu watching him from the window. His thoughts were sidetracked when a young maskless male approached them.
" Hey, can I hang with you guys?"
Kurama eyed him cautiously, " I don't think we've met."
" Kazunori, for Pete's sake...just grab a snowball and join in! Stop being such a wuss." Chyna laughed.
Kazunori? As in...Karasu's nephew? He looked so different from the others. His hair was fairly short...just shy of his shoulders really...but a mid-shade of brown.
...
" They are growing up so fast."
" What do you want, Malaki?" Karasu asked flatly, not even looking at the short-haired youkai behind him with the rusty hair. Not the same lovely red that Kurama had.
" Is it a crime to want to talk to my brother-in-law? We missed you at the last gathering."
" I was too ill to come."
" Where'd you find Aurora's replacement?" Malaki snickered.
" Kurama cannot replace Aurora."
" You still love her."
Karasu spun around and tossed a small bomb towards Malaki. He dodged with a high pitched yelp. Luckily...the bomb was a dud.
" I HATE her, Malaki. I loved her until I saw that BASTARD child! But, there is something I love about her. I love that *I* was the one to kill her. You don't know the satisfaction of killing an unsatisfactory lover."
" I see."
Karasu peered back out the window at the group. " I love that she gave me a beautiful little girl."
" So, despite how you treat her in public...you really DO love Dawn?" Malaki asked.
" How can I not?"
" Rumor is that your NEW mate wants to adopt her and play mommy."
" I've HEARD that rumor," Karasu replied.
Malaki walked up to Karasu and peered out the window. " How do you feel about that?"
" I'm not sure. I don't want to hurt Kurama OR Dawn. I love them. I dunno. They seem to get along alright. If this...rumor is true...all Kurama has to do...is just ASK."
" Dawn accepts him." Malaki observed. " Does Ryu accept him?"
" Ryu is fond of him."
" Lord Shikon?"
" I...don't know. I don't think Lord Shikon knows he's here."
" Oh? Lord Shikon hasn't met him? He knows EVERYONE in the clan. Everyone else thinks your mate is a clan member. Would be awful if Lord Shikon rejected him."
" What are you getting at?" Karasu glared at him. " The LAST time you talked like this...I MYSTERIOUSLY met Toguro and was taken AWAY from the clan."
" What makes you think I had ANYTHING to do with Toguro?!"
Karasu turned on Malaki, " Get out, Malaki. Stay away from me and my family."
" I AM your family!" Malaki shouted. " I'm suffering too! Kazunori lost his MOTHER and his AUNT! To make things worse...his UNCLE hates him!"
Karasu turned back to him. " I have no qualms against Kazunori. Kazunori is my blood. YOU are the one I don't like."
" FINE! You'll be rid of me for now. But, I'm not going to vanish. I'm your family whether you like it or not."
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