Reaching Your Limits: Continual Cycle
Episode 24: Probing Questions. The Child's Problem.
"Do you know who my father is?" Yuusuke asked as his eyes watched Kurama leave the temple.
"We're supposed to be in quiet meditation," Genkai said sharply.
Yuusuke grimaced. "I can't do this today. I can't concentrate on anything," he said.
"I noticed," Genkai said with a sigh, shifting to face him. "Is that what's been bothering you all this time?"
Yuusuke nodded, falling onto his back on the soft grass. "Miya told me that my father is a demon. I spoke with my mother, but I don't think that she knew. I can't get it out of mind, though."
"Does it matter to you that much?"
"It never used to. My father was gone, and that's just how life was. But there are so many different kinds of demons. I can't help but wonder the about the other half of my genes, about what I could of inhereted from him. I can't stop myself from wondering what kind of person he was."
"What makes you think I would know?" Genkai questioned.
Yuusuke grinned. "That's a good question. I just thought that, since you work with Koenma and Koenma traces the movement between worlds, that you might know," he replied.
"I'm sorry, I can't help you."
"Can't or won't?" Yuusuke demanded. Quickly, he sat up and shook his head. "I didn't mean that."
"I understand. You're troubled," Genkai said softly.
"Very," Yuusuke admitted with a sigh.
There was a few moments of silence before Genkai spoke again. "I knew when I first met you that you had demonic blood in your veins. Not just any blood, but strong blood that will likely give you great power. That's why I asked Koenma if I could train you. However, you are not ready to attempt to use that power. You've just barely learned to use the spiritual aspect of your energy," she said slowly.
Yuusuke nodded, picking at the grass a bit. "Do you think I'll ever be ready? Do you think I'll ever learn who he was?" he asked.
"I think that you will learn what you need to know," Genkai said.
Yuusuke snorted. "That doesn't tell me anything!" he declared.
"It tells you just enough," Genkai insisted.
"Until then, what should I do?" Yuusuke asked himself.
Genkai replied for him. "Quiet meditation!" she stated firmly.
***
When Kurama arrived home, his mother was making dinner. He greeted her and was about to walk past when he changed his mind. He and his mother had much they needed to talk about and, after finally gaining the courage to speak to Miya and Sho, felt he still had enough to do this as well.
"How was your day?" he asked, sitting down at the table.
Shiori paused her movements as she cut vegetables, smiling over her shoulder at him. "It went well enough. Yukina and Hiei are upstairs," she said.
Kurama shook his head. "I will say hi to them later. I needed to speak with you," he replied.
The older woman gave a small sigh and nodded. "I knew that we would have to talk about it again, sooner or later. I guess I was just putting it off," she said.
"You must be so ashamed of me," Kurama said quietly, looking down at the table.
He heard the sound of the knife being thrown on the counter, and gentle arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Don't you ever think that, Shuuichi!" his mother scolded. "I was shocked, even a little hurt, but I was never and will never be ashamed of you. It is taking me a while to get used to the idea, I know, but you are the way that you are and I don't want that to change."
She'd said the same the first time they'd spoken, but Kurama felt relieved to hear it now. There was a conviction in her voice that helped a great weight lift from his shoulders.
"Still, I'm sorry that I couldn't be the son that you wanted me to be. I know that you held many dreams about my future," he said.
Shiori backed away, nodding slightly. "I did, and that's why it hurt. That's why it still hurts, because I can't seem to give up those dreams. But those were my dreams, not your life. I just have to come up with new ones."
"Is it that easy?" Kurama said with a small laugh.
"Don't think so for a minute," Shiori stated, making her way back over to the vegetables.
Kurama smiled at his mother's back, knowing that she hadn't meant the comment as a harsh one. He sat in a few moments of companionable silence, trying to think of something else to say.
"So, is there a special someone I should know about?" his mother finally asked, surprising him.
Kurama felt his cheeks flame. "Well..." he said, uncertain how to respond.
His mother laughed slightly. "Yukina meantioned that she thought you and Hiei looked cute together. That's how I found out in the first place. Is he, perhaps, someone who is more than a friend?"
"He might be," Kurama admitted, still blushing.
Shiori made a distressed sound. "Maybe I shouldn't have the two of you in the same room!" she declared.
Kurama's jaw dropped. "Mom! We haven't... I mean... We're just friends!" he declared.
His mother started to laugh. "I know that. I was teasing," she said, grinning at him over her shoulder.
Kurama stuck out his tongue at her. "Although, maybe...." he said. He watched as her face turned from laughter to worry, then started laughing himself. "I was teasing!" he shot back.
"Shuuichi!" Shiori exclaimed, shaking her head.
"I'll go and see how he and Yukina are doing, and let them know that supper is almost ready," Kurama offered, making his way toward the stairway.
"You know... if you ever have any problems, you can talk to me," Shiori said, stopping him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Kurama smiled and impulsively hugged her. "I know," he replied.
End Episode 24
Episode 24: Probing Questions. The Child's Problem.
"Do you know who my father is?" Yuusuke asked as his eyes watched Kurama leave the temple.
"We're supposed to be in quiet meditation," Genkai said sharply.
Yuusuke grimaced. "I can't do this today. I can't concentrate on anything," he said.
"I noticed," Genkai said with a sigh, shifting to face him. "Is that what's been bothering you all this time?"
Yuusuke nodded, falling onto his back on the soft grass. "Miya told me that my father is a demon. I spoke with my mother, but I don't think that she knew. I can't get it out of mind, though."
"Does it matter to you that much?"
"It never used to. My father was gone, and that's just how life was. But there are so many different kinds of demons. I can't help but wonder the about the other half of my genes, about what I could of inhereted from him. I can't stop myself from wondering what kind of person he was."
"What makes you think I would know?" Genkai questioned.
Yuusuke grinned. "That's a good question. I just thought that, since you work with Koenma and Koenma traces the movement between worlds, that you might know," he replied.
"I'm sorry, I can't help you."
"Can't or won't?" Yuusuke demanded. Quickly, he sat up and shook his head. "I didn't mean that."
"I understand. You're troubled," Genkai said softly.
"Very," Yuusuke admitted with a sigh.
There was a few moments of silence before Genkai spoke again. "I knew when I first met you that you had demonic blood in your veins. Not just any blood, but strong blood that will likely give you great power. That's why I asked Koenma if I could train you. However, you are not ready to attempt to use that power. You've just barely learned to use the spiritual aspect of your energy," she said slowly.
Yuusuke nodded, picking at the grass a bit. "Do you think I'll ever be ready? Do you think I'll ever learn who he was?" he asked.
"I think that you will learn what you need to know," Genkai said.
Yuusuke snorted. "That doesn't tell me anything!" he declared.
"It tells you just enough," Genkai insisted.
"Until then, what should I do?" Yuusuke asked himself.
Genkai replied for him. "Quiet meditation!" she stated firmly.
***
When Kurama arrived home, his mother was making dinner. He greeted her and was about to walk past when he changed his mind. He and his mother had much they needed to talk about and, after finally gaining the courage to speak to Miya and Sho, felt he still had enough to do this as well.
"How was your day?" he asked, sitting down at the table.
Shiori paused her movements as she cut vegetables, smiling over her shoulder at him. "It went well enough. Yukina and Hiei are upstairs," she said.
Kurama shook his head. "I will say hi to them later. I needed to speak with you," he replied.
The older woman gave a small sigh and nodded. "I knew that we would have to talk about it again, sooner or later. I guess I was just putting it off," she said.
"You must be so ashamed of me," Kurama said quietly, looking down at the table.
He heard the sound of the knife being thrown on the counter, and gentle arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Don't you ever think that, Shuuichi!" his mother scolded. "I was shocked, even a little hurt, but I was never and will never be ashamed of you. It is taking me a while to get used to the idea, I know, but you are the way that you are and I don't want that to change."
She'd said the same the first time they'd spoken, but Kurama felt relieved to hear it now. There was a conviction in her voice that helped a great weight lift from his shoulders.
"Still, I'm sorry that I couldn't be the son that you wanted me to be. I know that you held many dreams about my future," he said.
Shiori backed away, nodding slightly. "I did, and that's why it hurt. That's why it still hurts, because I can't seem to give up those dreams. But those were my dreams, not your life. I just have to come up with new ones."
"Is it that easy?" Kurama said with a small laugh.
"Don't think so for a minute," Shiori stated, making her way back over to the vegetables.
Kurama smiled at his mother's back, knowing that she hadn't meant the comment as a harsh one. He sat in a few moments of companionable silence, trying to think of something else to say.
"So, is there a special someone I should know about?" his mother finally asked, surprising him.
Kurama felt his cheeks flame. "Well..." he said, uncertain how to respond.
His mother laughed slightly. "Yukina meantioned that she thought you and Hiei looked cute together. That's how I found out in the first place. Is he, perhaps, someone who is more than a friend?"
"He might be," Kurama admitted, still blushing.
Shiori made a distressed sound. "Maybe I shouldn't have the two of you in the same room!" she declared.
Kurama's jaw dropped. "Mom! We haven't... I mean... We're just friends!" he declared.
His mother started to laugh. "I know that. I was teasing," she said, grinning at him over her shoulder.
Kurama stuck out his tongue at her. "Although, maybe...." he said. He watched as her face turned from laughter to worry, then started laughing himself. "I was teasing!" he shot back.
"Shuuichi!" Shiori exclaimed, shaking her head.
"I'll go and see how he and Yukina are doing, and let them know that supper is almost ready," Kurama offered, making his way toward the stairway.
"You know... if you ever have any problems, you can talk to me," Shiori said, stopping him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Kurama smiled and impulsively hugged her. "I know," he replied.
End Episode 24