CHAPTER ONE
CRACK! , pitpitpitpitpit.
And just like that, comically story-like, it began to rain. It was only comical, however, to everyone with a roof over their head. Hiei was trekking through the Ningen city looking for adequate shelter, one that not only kept him completely dry but also out of sight of humans. In a city of hundreds of thousands of people, this was much harder than it sounded. In the Makai, Hiei knew how to survive- what to eat, where to sleep, who to trust (no one). But this Ningen city had him constantly frustrated.
Hiei, drenched and sprinting through the rain, became increasingly aggravated at each warm hearth he passed. He recalled Kurama's exasperation during the last storm after his attempt to find shelter.
"Hiei, you can't just burst into someone's house and demand the family leave-,"
"I needed shelter; Ningens were inhabiting it so I made them leave. This is how life works, or have you forgotten, fox?" Hiei answered as if speaking to a child,
"No, Hiei, that's how life works in demon world, not amongst humans,"
Hiei was being nagged and corrected for habits congenital to his homeland. Hiei you can't eat that! You have to pay for it! Hiei you can't assault people, especially in public! Hiei you can't go in there its private property! This was getting really old, really fast. And now it was raining.
Hiei scowled at the memory
"You have to be invited into a house and conditionally by people who are already familiar with you,"
That left four people in a city of thousands, Yusuke, Kurama, Keiko and Kuwabara. Keiko was out for obvious reasons, (the girl's nagging was about as soothing as the wails of a drowning cat). The detective and Kurama were miles away on the other side of the city... that only left one person.
For the last two hours Kuwabara had been sitting at his desk trying to finish majority of his homework before his sister came home from work. The end of his pencil was chewed, the result of frustration and determination. His math he had finished earlier thanks to some helpful hints from Keiko. He had just moved on the English and Literature a subject he had always struggled with. He didn't struggle because he was the idiot everyone thought he was, but because his psychic abilities made him not just sympathetic, but empathetic. He could feel what the author was trying to portray. He paused mid paragraph and reread the directions of the assignment-
The following is one of Edgar Allen Poe's most famous poems, "The Raven". After reading the entire poem, write notes translating in your own understanding each of paragraph. Then underline and define the rhetorical devices within each. Finally, memorize your favorite paragraph to be recited aloud in class Monday. Have Fun!
His eyes traveled downward to the poem and his sloppy, cursory notes alongside it.
"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
while I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`It's some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'." [This is E.]
[Kazuma's notes: It's late, some guy thinking about stuff... volume = books? Getting sleepy hears a noise thinks it's a guest, could have said this in less words and less redundantly.]
Kuwabara stopped for what felt like the millionth time trying to clear his head. He couldn't shake off the remnants of Poe's angst made palpable by Kuwabara's 'gift'. He massaged the muscles under his eyebrows grimacing and cursing his psychic heritage. I'm never going to get this shit finished…
Kuwabara stood up and stretched, he turned on his desk lamp illuminating his unfinished homework, then he proceeded to turn off his bedroom light- hopefully his brain would focus on what the light was focused on.
… Once upon a midnight dreary…
Pitpitpitpitpitpitpitpit.
….while I pondered weak and weary, …
God, why did this poem have to be so.. creepy? Poe was one messed up man.. Kuwabara shivered.
At that precise moment a flash of lightening illuminated the room. In that quick moment, Kuwabara could have sworn he had seen a chilling silhouette at his window lattice. Said intruder was cold, aggravated, and on his last nerve. It was his last resort to stay dry at his least favorite comrade.
Wet calloused fingers slipped under the lip of the window pushing up. One leg stretched in as the body turned sideways to enter the dark room- bringing with it the abysmal cacophony of the storm raging outside. With another gentle push downwards the noise was abruptly stifled into a dull roar.
Once Kuwabara realized the billowing figure was not the horror of "The Raven" personified, and only Hiei, (honestly anyone could have made the mistake). He became swiftly concerned and curious.
"Hiei? What are you doing here?"
"I need a dry place to stay until the rain passes." Brief and to the point.
Kuwabara collected himself hurriedly.
"Well, you're the first visitor I've had who entered the house via the second story window."
"I knew I forgot one of the fox's stipulations… " Hiei inwardly scolded.
After an awkward pause Hiei began to make himself comfortable against the wall.
Part of Kuwabara wanted to tell his less than courteous comrade to, for lack of a better phrase, hit the fucking road. This part grimaced at Hiei wringing out his cloak and thereby soaking his bedroom carpet. Another part of Kuwabara knew he could never turn down a friend in need no matter how uncouth and aggravating. And yet a third part realized as his gaze shifted to his English notes, possible distraction.
"Make yourself at home."
LINE BREAK
"Are you sure I can't get you anything? Food... a towel?" said Kuwabara rocking back on his chair desperately grasping for a break from his mundane work.
Hiei peeked open one eye from his relaxed position against the wall, one leg stretched out one arm curled around the other leg.
Tired of this cat and mouse game Hiei asked bluntly, "Am I supposed to accept?"
"Huh? oh well… its polite to decline the first time, but my mom says it's ok to accept after that."
Sigh… Hiei closed his eye again, "Yes."
Kuwabara practically jumped out of his chair,
"You got it! Comin' right up, we have some rice left over from last night- I've been wanting something like hot chocolate, and I think we still have that tub of ice cream…"
For their first time in their short careers as comrades Hiei's face displayed a look of utter shock at being served so willingly and jovially, sadly Kuwabara had missed this rare expression due to him throwing himself down the stairs in sheer unadulterated procrastination.
First chapter! Edited and revamped! Thank you so much to my Beta Readers! I purposely broke the fourth wall with my very first sentence- It's my favorite joke ^_^ !