Archana's stomach grumbles immediately.

" oh , right ! " sanji smacks a fist into the palm of his hand , embarrassed to have forgotten his most basic manners . what the hell kind of a gentleman is he , not getting to introductions right away ?

Hiei leveled a judgemental stare over at Kurama for a moment in silence before swiftly closing in on the fox.

" Idiot. "

He doesn't bother asking before yanking up the bottom of Kurama's pant leg, he just does it, eyeing the wound critically. The punctures are clean at least, and surprisingly neat, for a bite mark. Kurama really hadn't been kidding when he said the beast's teeth had been sharp.

But there was no telling what poisons or diseases the thing may have carried. Leaving the wound untreated was simply unacceptable. He could easily cauterize the wound shut, to prevent infection, but if there was any poison in the wound, that would have to be extracted first. But the only way to tell if that was necessary, was to ask.

kurama is much more amused than he ought to be to hear hiei call him an idiot . the shorter demon has a point , of course , but it's still funny . a sliver of a smile remains even as the wound is exposed to hiei's critical gaze . he , too , peers at it , expression far from concerned .

" well , it bit into the muscle , so walking is a chore , " the fox admits with a hum . " i did take some herbs to it in case of poison -- i've yet to feel any negative effects . " not that his plants would necessarily spare him . there are as many poisons in the world as there are ways to treat them .

She hadn't spoken to Chilchuck much in comparison to others in their party, but she knew him well enough. He was intelligent, capable, and kept the group safe. She respected him for that.

'Don't do that again'

She's already heard it once from Laios. Hearing it again from Chilchuck makes her falter. She only wanted to do the right thing. But... was there an outcome in that fight that would end well for any of them?

saying she missed a lot would be an understatement . chilchuck glances back at the party that sleeps just a short distance away , wondering if they really have gotten closer -- failing to notice the fondness in his own gaze .

they're both going to die. it's a surprising conclusion to make , given that kurama is with her. ( she doesn't have the same infatuation for kurama's skill as hiei , but she's heard the stories about yōko kurama all the same , and she's seen how kurama has grabbed victories from what seems like defeat ). however , she knows that she's slowing kurama down , that with her here , that protecting her , is making kurama more vulnerable than he would be alone. she has faith that , without her , he would survive this fight.

it's an easy decision to make , really. ( she knows how much hiei cares for kurama , deeply and without regret , different to how he thinks of her. even if she's gone , yukina knows that kurama will take care of hiei , make sure that he will still live. hiei could survive without her , she's not so sure that he could survive without kurama ).

she has never been a fighter , not like the others. and yet , she steels herself just the same. yukina moves into the fight so that their opponent would think they've won , stabbing her in the heart ( and it's almost gratifying to see the way that kurama's eyes widen and the way that his face pales ). she holds the arm with both hands , ice shooting to freeze him in place so that kurama could deal the final blow. she's fading much too fast to see him do so , but she trusts in kurama.

if nothing else is a testament to yukina's goodness , it's that she would spend the last of her life answering a question kurama didn't even have time to ask . for a moment , her brother's name only brings to mind a sickening wonder as to if hiei will ever forgive him .

then yukina is falling , and he can only crumble alongside her , arms shooting out to keep her from hitting the ground . there is a numbness that settles over him and his grief -- a coldness he clings to as though yukina left a piece of herself behind for him . it tears his focus away from wicked emotions ; places his mind solely on reality and facts . yukina is dead . hiei surely already knows , thanks to the jagan . nonetheless , it's kurama's responsibility to bring her back to him -- and he will .

( he would spill his very guts before hiei , if it would do any more than spare him from his guilt . )

with whatever tenderness he has left in him , kurama closes yukina's eyes and pulls her into his arms . he doesn't speak -- words will not bring her back , and are therefore useless .

It had been a long while since he visited Simon. To see him again, seeing how he looks now, it was hard to believe a man can look so different in a few years. But a chuckle leaves him now.

"I have been away for a good while huh?" He chuckles as he rubs the back of his neck. "I got back in the area and wanted to see you and how you were holding up." Looking to him he smiles now.

simon does not return the smile , staring at klein with weary eyes . he ought to shoo him off -- visits never seem to end well -- but this conversation feels too normal for him to want to lose it . it's been far too long since he's had an easy , simple chat .

" no need , " answers simon with a smirk . " the clink is hard enough on me . "