I know. I have no excuse... No updates for hell-knows-how-long. Very, very sorry. Computer lost my original document, dammit, and I lost my muse.
Kurama opened his eyes weakly. He turned to glare coldly at the ebony-hair demon that was grinning wolfishly at him.
"I'm sorry for waking you, love, but we must get that beautiful hair of yours cleaned before it gets to be too much of a mess… Shame, the condition its in now is horrid…"
Kurama would have said something, but he found his vocal cords and throat to be too raw to even make a whimper. Instead, he soundlessly bared his teeth.
Karasu frowned at the gesture. "Have you forgotten your most recent punishment for biting me? Sadly, it doesn't seem that I have gotten it through to you…" There was an explosion besides Kurama, and he jump to the side, finding himself to be, surprisingly, not shackled to the wall. However, his heart sank when he realized that there was a chain leading from his neck to Karasu's hands…
"Come. You will pay later for your insolence." With that, the crow turned and gave a sharp tug on the chain, causing the fox attached to sputter and choke as he tried to stand.
Kurama was dragged –quite literally- out of the dungeon for the first time in weeks. His legs felt like jelly, and pain ripped throughout his entire body, relentless. But… he was grateful. He greatly welcomed the change of air, new scents, and change of scenery. It reminded him of the world outside of his little torture chamber.
He let himself be brought to a bright, clean bathroom, only becoming troubled when he found he had difficulty walking up the stairs to get to it. He was panting heavily, and was ready to collapse. Starvation, exhasution, and blood loss was not a very good combination…
Karasu said nothing as he watched in sick amusement as his fox struggled to follow him. He led the beaten red-head across the tiled floor, and motioned towards a rather large, round tub filled with warm water.
"In." He commanded. Kurama stared blankly at the water. Frowning, Karasu pushed him in. "You know, Pet, I really don't like repeating myself. Don't make me do it again."
Kurama was taken by surprise by the abrupt action by the crow. He sputtered, as he got water into his mouth and eyes, and the warm liquid re-opened a few of his closed wounds. He hissed in pain as his body tried to adjust to the warmth, and the effect it had on his wounds.
"Does it hurt, pet?" The crow asked in a tone that clearly said he didn't give a damn if the fox was in pain or not. He gave a small chuckle as a growl gargled through Kurama's throat.
"Now, now. Just lie back and relax. Today is special… Do you know why?" Karasu said silkily, threading his fingers through Kurama's matted hair.
"Today's the day you let me go?" Kurama snapped, not even hopeful. He knew it would never happen. But getting under his captor's skin was his only way to entertain himself. Although, he soon found it would just cause him more pain and misery…
Karasu gave a small smile as he squirted a small dose of shampoo into his palm and began lathering the mass of crimson tangles before him. "Sorry, but no, Fox. Today is a special day… Today is your ningen birthday. The day you were born into that lovely body…"
Kurama whirled around, his teeth closing on the foam-covered fingers of the crow. Karasu grabbed his head, and roughly forced it under water. Kurama struggled madly, soapy water filling his lungs. Just as he thought he would black out, he was pulled out, coughing and gagging. He was dragged out onto the cold tile, shivering. He was trying to rub the soap out of his eyes, when Karasu grabbed his hands and tied them together with gauze from a medical kit.
"Let… Me… Go…" Kurama choked out as blood bubbled up to his throat again.
"Normally, I would blow off a few limbs for that, but seeing how today is a special day, you'll be spared… For now…" Karasu bent down, and picked the wet boy up bridal-style. He carried the redhead out of the bathing room, and across the hall to his own quarters.
Kurama squirmed on the bed, when Karasu laid him down.
"Stop."
The one word was spoken with such cold harshness, and given his treatment from the last two months, made Kurama freeze in fear.
"Good, now, you will stay still as I leave for a moment. Otherwise, you won't get your reward…"
Bastard. Kurama thought, but he complied. He ached all over, though it felt good to be slightly cleaner than before...
When Karasu returned, Kurama had no choice but to let his wounds be attended to. His body soon went slack, and he closed his eyes, drifting in and out of consciousness. He hated submitting himself to allow the crow to take care of his every need. He still had some fight left, but not much, and at the moment he couldn't call on the strength to fight back. It was then he realized he had been drugged. Again.
"Shh… Relax, pet. I'm almost done. Soon I can show you that there is more torture in pleasure than pain. So much more…" Kararsu's eerie, silky, ever so cold voice dripped with false promises and concern…