Well, here we go with another chapter, this one with a story behind it the same as the rest of this fic. Here goes:

I did not grow up in a household where fanfiction was regarded kindly. My grandmother thought it was useless drivel, so to speak, and frowned on me for writing stupid, childish stories when I could have been doing better things with my time. This is the same woman who would always tell me to get a life when I said I wanted to go visit my friends to play cards. Go figure. Anyway, my fanfiction writing... and my writing in general... were rather frowned upon in that household. And then I moved in with my dear mother. My mother who, like so many of us, dearly enjoys spending a quiet afternoon reading the works of other writers and laughing at her favorite characters. What my mother does NOT enjoy are authors who take forever to update. I learned that today. For the past few days, Mum darling has been asking me how my story was going. Two days ago I stupidly commented that I could possibly even have it done by Saturday.

The woman held me to it.

For the past... oh... four hours or so... I've been sitting here with Carmen literally getting up to look over my shoulder to be sure I was still writing. She snapped at my fiance (playfully) every time he tried to call me. She refused to let me be distracted. It has been an interesting experience. I'm not used to my family (save for my sister) being THAT supportive of my work... or that demanding. I figure the least she can do now is actually sit down and read it. But I think I'll wait until tomorrow to suggest it...

Mom, I love you, but you are a strange, strange individual. And I thank you, with all of my heart, for finally giving me the kind of in-home encouragement I've always wanted.

So! On the last chapter I left ya'all with... well, kind of a cliffhanger. Today we get to see what happens when we throw the twins into the mix even more than we already have. Sachiko is a very outgoing individual, but somehow I think it's her quieter twin that pulls most of the strings. Scary...

Either way, thank you everyone who reviewed, and to all the people who favorited the story I give my thanks as well. I always like getting reviews from my readers, but I know that for some people it's a bit of a hastle, so I'm thankful to each and every one of you who at least found some small way to acknowledge my work. It makes me feel good to know that people are out there reading, and every new message in my inbox makes me a very happy girl, be it a review or a favorites notification. Well, enough babbling from me. I think we all want to get on to the story now.

So let's go!

Ah, what can I say, my tag is my tag...

"You did what?!?"

Mana recoiled slightly as her friend stood there practically shaking. There weren't many things that scared her, but Sachiko angry definitely made the list of things that could make her take a few steps back. The blonde stood her ground, more from the trash can behind her than from anything else. "I didn't have a choice. I couldn't just leave him."

"You did too have a choice! Whatever happened to those things you communicate with Botan through, you could have told her! Or you could have gone to Urameshi, if you couldn't reach Botan!"

"I will not go to Urameshi for help, ever," Mana hissed, and this time Sachiko stepped back. She'd entered raw territory, and she knew it. Hachiko sat silently against the wall, staying out of it. Sachi angry was bad, but Mana angry could be worse, and she'd just as soon have neither one mad at her. Mana took a step forward, approaching the bolder of the two sisters. "I did what I had to, Sachiko. He was badly injured in the middle of a public street. Leaving him would have been irresponsible both with regards to the people around him, who had no idea what they were walking past, and with regards to his wounds, which needed immediate tending. He needed a healer and a place to stay, not a damned inquisition, and that's all they would have given him; questions, questions, and more questions."

Mana advanced further, and Sachiko continued her retreat silently as the healer kept talking. "I was not being reckless in my decision. I made sure the proper steps were taken to ensure my own safety. He's sitting up in that apartment with his powers completely bound up inside him. Making the seal was the first thing I did. I also took care after he first awakened, keeping him as drowsy as I could until I was positive that he wouldn't become violent at the first chance. I watched him like a hawk until I was certain, absolutely certain, that he had no intentions to harming me. And he won't, you know. Not right now. Because I still have his power in check, and he knows he needs me to remove the seal. But you, on the other hand," Mana looked Sachiko in the eye. "I have no idea how he'd react to you. Who knows? He just might turn violent like you seem to think he will." Which was a complete untruth, Mana was sure of it, but it seemed to do the trick anyway. Sachiko nodded, pale in the face, and Hachiko finally piped up.

"What if you talked to him first," she asked quietly, "then could we meet him? Because Mana, I don't like it either."

Mana chewed her bottom lip for a moment before answering. "Give me ten minutes. After ten minutes, go upstairs and knock on my front door, and I'll talk to you then."

Jin was still sitting on the balcony, waiting for what was next, when he heard someone clambering up the metal fire escape. Mana appeared momentarily, looking surprised, at the least, to see him. "You're awake."

"Yeah, I'm up. Wot's goin' on?"

"Well..." She hopped from the escape to the balcony, landing shakily before she toed at the floor. "I have a couple of friends... they're kinda mad at me right now... Something about not bringing strange non-humans into my house, you know?" He watched her fidget, amused. "Listen, if they come up here, can you be nice and stuff so they don't think you're going to turn psycho and eat me or something?"

Jin decided it would be fun to tease her a bit. "Aw, now why would I want to go and do somethin' like that?"

Mana's eyes grew wide. "You've got to! Please? If they think you're a threat, they'll snitch on me, they can, and then we'll both be in trouble!"

"Ya mean ya'd be the one in trouble. I'd be long gone." Mana's eyes got even wider, until he could see the whites around the pupils clearly. Jin stared at her a minute before starting to laugh. "Oh, come on! Yer not actually buyin' that, are ya?"

Mana's fist clenched, and for a moment she appeared to be eyeing his stomach, but then her tone became pleading again. "That isn't funny at all, Jin! Please, please will you talk to them and behave? Please?"

The redhead sighed. She was too emotional; picking on her didn't ever stay fun for long. "Yeah, I guess I kin do that..." Mana nodded, then stared at him almost intently for a moment before jumping to her feet "Ey! Where ya goin'?" Mana didn't answer, instead running inside. She returned a few minutes later with a knit hat that she shoved onto his head rather hard. The girl then sat back and studied him before nodding, satisfied. Jin stared. "Em... wot's at for?"

"Maybe if that horn isn't showing, they'll have a harder time thinking of you as not being human." Mana studied him again, and frowned. "You wouldn't object to maybe putting a shirt on, too, would you?"

Jin stared at her. When she asked the question like that, after slamming this thing down over his hair, he just had to make things difficult. "Yes."

They were still arguing about the shirt when Sachiko and Hachiko knocked on the door. Mana jumped, pleaded a final 'please behave' at the demon, and ran to answer the door. Jin sat and looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language and he didn't understand her the teeniest bit. It wasn't comforting.

Also not comforting was that Sachiko had a look on her face like she was ready for the warpath. The girl pushed past without waiting for permission. "So where is he?"

"On the balcony. He seems to like it out there, and-" Mana didn't get to finish. Sachi had already pushed past her.

Hachi moseyed towards the kitchen. The blonde stared at her, but the girl only shrugged. "I'm just along for the ride. Can I have a drink?"

"You know you can," Mana muttered softly, heading for the kitchen. It was easy enough to mix up a pitcher of instant iced tea as they waited for some sound from outside. Mana shifted uncomfortably.

"Will you at least LOOK at me, damn it?" Sachi's voice broke the silence outside. Mana cringed lightly; the demon couldn't be playing games right now, he just couldn't...

The reply was far too cheerful for her liking. "Wot? Oh, 'ello, didn't see ya there."

Oh, yeah, he was playing games. Mana groaned. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

"Which one?" Hachiko looked mildly entertained as her blonde friend hid her face behind her hands and shook her head. "He talks a little funny..."

"I know... I've never asked..." From behind her fingers, she could see Hachi looking at her curiously.

"What haven't you asked?"

"Ah... Anything." Mana tilted a head towards the fresh silence. It worried her. It worried her a lot. Hachiko got up to peek outside. Sachi spoke up again just as her twin reached the door.

"Are you just going to sit there and ignore me?"

"I was waitin' for ya to say 'ello back." Mana groaned and flopped against the couch in defeat. It was going to be a long, long afternoon.

This was entertaining. Hachiko wouldn't say that out loud, of course, that would end badly for everyone involved. But really, watching the frustration on her twin's face was amusing to her. It didn't help that it appeared the demon boy was doing it deliberately. Hachi stared at him. So this was the guy that Mana had been lying to them to conceal. Messy red hair, tall, well-built, and he had the eeriest twinkle in his big blue eyes. He knew he was pissing Sachiko off. He actually seemed to be enjoying it.

"Yer not much for talkin', are ya?" Hachiko stifled a giggle. Where did a demon get an Irish accent? It seemed to be putting off her sister, too; Sachiko's only answer was a glare as she stood there, sizing him up. The girl smiled as she heard sounds from behind her, towards the kitchen. She looked over at Mana; the blonde was pulling things out of the refrigerator. Mana was always a good host; no matter how unexpected a guest might be, she always tried to make them feel at home. Usually, this involved food. Hachiko watched her friend break eggs. It looked like Mana was going to make tamago, Japanese omelets. That sounded good. There was never anything like that to eat at Hachiko's house, not unless she made it herself.

That was one of the things Hachiko liked about Mana. She was so hell-bent on appearing unsuspicious that it made her more generous than most people, always offering the best she had to her friends, and always making sure there was enough for everyone so no one had to fight. Hachi, as one of five children, could appreciate that. It seemed like there was always a battle going on at home, whether it was for seats at the dinner table or the last of the orange juice in the morning. It didn't help that her older brother ate enough to choke a horse.

The raven-headed girl glanced back out the door. Her stubborn mule of a sister was still trying to stare the demon down. He was just standing there, staring back, with the most impish little smile on his face. His height and stature were unnerving, but his eyes made him seem almost harmless... although the intent for mischief was fairly clear. Hachi wasn't sure who to be more worried for, the red-head or her obstinate twin...

There was the slightest of yelps behind her, and the demon- what had Mana said his name was?- turned towards her to investigate. He had a curious look on his face as his eyes met hers for the first time. Hachiko shrugged and turned to look herself, rolling her eyes when her gaze reached the kitchen. Mana had set her hair on fire. The healing girl was whining softly as she nursed the singed strands, and suddenly, Hachiko realized that the demon boy was standing directly behind her. Odd; she hadn't even sensed him moving. He stared at Mana, and his mouth twitched.

"'Aven't I said ya should wear it up when ya cook? See, now ya've gone and set yerself on fire." Hachi stepped back as he moved past her to go investigate Mana's burnt hair. The girl had a definitive pout on her face.

"Damn evil stove..."

Sachiko tried to move past her, but Hachi held her arm out to stop her as the demon moved around the wall towards the kitchen. "Now, if ya'd just listened when I said to wear yer hair up, this wouldn't a happened."

"Jin, leave me alone! It's the stove's fault, not mine!"

Hachiko started to laugh. Behind her, she could hear her twin trying not to do the same.

"Gonna have to trim that, ya are." The demon reached over to bat at the burned hair, and Mana smacked his hand away with the fork she'd been mixing the eggs with. "Eh! That hurt! It weren't my fault the stove got ya!" The demon rubbed his hand, trying to nurse the hurt knuckles. "Yer a mean one, Mana," he mumbled with a mock-pout. Mana turned resolutely back to her cooking, looking properly flustered even if her cheeks lacked color. Hachiko quieted down, still chuckling lightly. There was no need to worry. Her best friend was going to be just fine.

Jin continued lightly poking fun at Mana while they ate. Hachiko watched, amused, as Mana grew more and more uneasy. Finally, the girl turned her back on her demon charge completely. He stared at her a few minutes, and then gave up and left her alone... only to start goading Sachiko again. "Come on, now, yer no fun if ya don't say somethin'." And then he reached over and poked her with a chopstick. Sachiko quite literally growled at him. "Well, fine, ya can just be that way. Don't see what ya got against me, though. I've never even met ya." Another poke. "Not real nice, hating on someone ya've never met before." He moved to poke her a third time, and Sachi grabbed the chopstick. "Okay, I get it, yer just anti-social."

"Want me to break that hand?"

The demon actually sat back a bit. "Well, personally, I don't think ya could. Yer kinda small and all, ya know?" He pulled at the chopstick, trying to get it back. Sachiko held on, and a small tug of war ensued. "I need that to eat with..."

"Too bad." Sachi was using the same sharp tone she did with their younger sister when she was trying to get out of her chores. Hachiko and the rest of the family knew it as her "I'm ready to start hitting things now" tone. The red-headed demon seemed oblivious, though, as he continued tugging.

"Come on, let's have it back."

"Nope."

Jin stared at Sachiko for a while, his mouth quirking as she stared right back at him. Finally, he let go of the stick. "Well, if yer gonna be that way, I'll just take yers."

Sachi's eyes went wide. "Okay, okay, take the damn thing!" Hachi raised an eyebrow, making a mental note to remember that approach for later. It could come in handy. Jin just looked pleased.

"Thank ya."

Mana was very focused on her food at this time. Hachi chuckled to herself. The poor girl must have been going insane, having her nice, quiet home invaded by someone this... outgoing. Mana wasn't exactly the social type; she had preferred to be alone since they were children. Having to actually share her home with someone that talkative and energetic must have been new to her. Hachi paused suddenly, glancing at the demon. Energetic? That didn't sound right. Usually anyone that Mana had used the binding cord on tended to be rather lethargic. The youth frowned, standing up. "Hey, Mana? Can I ask you something?" The blonde girl looked up from her plate, her expression confused. Hachi set her dish down and headed for the hallway, knowing Mana would follow. Sure enough, the healer was coming in just as Hachiko flopped onto the bed. "We need to chat."

Mana had some very interesting friends. Jin looked over at the black haired girl he was sharing the couch with curiously before going back to his plate. He probably wouldn't have been giving her such a hard time if she would have at least introduced herself, but she was the one who had come up to him hostile. She had made herself way too easy to tease.

Still, he probably needed to stop soon. He did want Mana to take that stupid cord off his wrist...

The girl was staring at him as he ate. He blinked, lowering the dish to stare back. "Wot, ya want to chat now?"

The human set her plate down and sat back, eyeing him carefully. "How long have you been staying here with Mana?"

"Me? Jest a few days now." He tilted his head, thinking. "Since about Tuesday, I think, 'cause the next day she said it was Wednesday."

The girl seemed to think for a moment before stiffening slightly. "How'd she first find you?"

"Em..." Jin frowned. Just how much trouble would this be getting Mana into? Granted, she was probably already going to be in some trouble for having him there, and he hadn't exactly been behaving like she'd asked him to, but wasn't it still better to leave the big explanation-type discussions to her? Then again, the way this human was staring at him was downright creepy. Was she trying to put the evil eye on him? "Well, I guess she just kinda found me where I was layin'. I was hurt pretty well badly, and Mana gave me somethin' to eat where I was, and then the next time I went to sleep I woke up here."

"Right..." Oh, the girl did not look pleased. Mana was going to be getting into trouble for that one, he was certain of it. "And what are you going to do when you don't need those bandages any more?"

Translation, what are you going to do to my friend, Jin realized as the girl waited for his response. She couldn't have cared less about him; she was just worried about her friend. Well, that made things simple. "Well, with any luck I'll be able to find a friend of mine and go home. I won't be needin' to stick around here any, so once Mana gets this cord offa my wrist I'll be gone. I'm not wanting to impose on her or anything..."

Damn it, now the girl was glaring at him. What had he said wrong? The black-haired youth looked him over, her expression serious, before her eyes met his again. "My name is Sachiko."

"My name's Jin. Nice to meet ya?"

"Maybe." She stood up, picking up her plate and heading towards the kitchen. "It depends on how you mind yourself around my friend. If you try to hurt her, I won't be very nice at all."

Jin looked down at his plate. "I'll be keepin' that in mind." Human women, the demon decided, were definitely a scarier lot than any demon women he could ever hope to meet...

It was only another ten or fifteen minutes before Mana came back into the room with her other friend. Jin stared; something about the girl's wind had turned peculiar on him. He stood by the door patiently, hoping that both of the eerie girls would leave soon, only to watch as Sachiko grabbed the blonde by the arm and tugged her right back in the direction she'd come with, leaving him with- Jin gulped- the second raven-haired girl.

The second girl nodded at him. "Hi. I'm Hachiko. I'm sorry about my twin. She can be a little coarse. Jin, right?"

The redhead stared, dumbfounded. "Um... yeah, that be me."

She actually smiled as she sat down. "It's nice to meet you. It's been a long time since Mana has shared her home with anyone. I hope she's not giving you too much trouble."

"Em... no?" Jin scratched the back of his neck. Trying to talk to this twin was awkward after being interrogated by the other one. "No, Mana's a good girl. Seems a little lonely sometimes, though..."

Hachiko chuckled. "Don't let her hear you say that. She'll deny it. She's taken care of herself for a pretty long time now. It's kind of a pride thing with her."

"I see." Jin frowned. "So yer not gonna be threatening me like the other one was, are ya?"

"Nope. I leave that to Sachi." The human girl sat back. "What I am going to do is ask a favor of you."

Jin leaned back against the doorframe, starting to feel slightly suspicious. "What kind of favor?"

"Just a simple one." This Hachiko had a deceptively warm smile... "Mana's sick right now, you've noticed, right? The weaker she gets, the worse she'll be. Do you think you could look after her for me?"

The wind master stared. "That sounds easy enough."

"There's a catch."

"Always is," Jin muttered. Hachiko looked at him with amusement written all over her face. He sighed. "Wot's the catch?"

"She might need to steal a bit of your energy."

Jin had thought the girl was strange before. Now he was starting to realize he had no idea. "I'm sorry... wot?"

"Mana can help herself if she takes energy from other people. It may make her a bit less sick, you know?" Hachiko looked up at him with a startlingly trusting expression. "That way you can take care of her for me, and then I won't have to turn you in."

"Em... ahright..." So much for not threatening him, then. Human women were definitely a different species altogether, Jin decided. And they were starting to frighten him now. Demon women weren't this scary. They were actually pretty straightforward and fun. This girl... this girl was possibly even scarier than her sister.

Jin did his best to stop teasing for the rest of the afternoon. He opted to sit and watch Mana do her homework instead, carefully taking note of how the girl's energy moved. She definitely had more of it than she had before, but it was kind of topsy-turvy for a while, like it was having a hard time settling. Mana was still pale as death, he noted, but she wasn't shaking as she wrote in the answers on the paper and, even more importantly, she actually made dinner herself that night. He kept up his 'surveillance' throughout the meal; Mana's reiki finally seemed to be settling a bit as she ate. In fact, it wasn't until he had gone to his room that he heard the tell-tale sign that things were still amiss; shortly past ten, the healer girl began to cough. Jin sighed. Well, he did owe it to the girl to at least try to help her, right?

Mana's eyes weren't quite as wide when he slipped into her room as they had been the night before, although she gave him an almost resentful look when he handed her the glass of water. She didn't flinch when he patted her back to stay the coughing, though, and that was progress. Even further progress was the fact that she actually mumbled a soft 'thank you' as she set her bucket to the side. Jin decided to take a chance. "Ey, Mana?"

"Hmm?" The girl looked up from the water she had been vacantly staring at. "Yeah?"

"Em..." Well, when in doubt, best to just be blunt. "How do ye go about takin' energy from other people?"

Mana blanched. He honestly hadn't thought the girl could get any more pale than she already was, but she turned white. Jin tilted his head as she stared up at him, trying to make sense of the look in her eyes. Was she afraid or angry? "Did Hachi tell you?"

"Yeah, it was her." Jin sat down on the edge of the girl's bed, trying his best to seem harmless. "She said ya kin take energy from other people. That it'll make ya not get sick." He watched the girl's fingers slip over the glass slightly. "She helped ya, didn't she? Yer stronger than ya were earlier. But yer still sick. Why is that?" The blonde didn't answer, only continued to turn the glass around in her hands, again and again and again. "Mana, why?" The girl set the glass down, pointedly ignoring him. Jin stared. Of all the stubborn people he had ever met, this one was the worst. Sighing, he reached over and took hold of her arm firmly. That got her attention; Mana's eyes finally met his. He tried one more time. "Give us a bit of talk now, eh? Why are ya still sick?"

The blonde studied him quietly before looking away... but she did speak. "I guess I'm just still hungry."

Jin blinked. "Hungry? Ya mean yer energy, right?" There was a tiny nod. "It makes ya hungry when ya don't have enough?"

"Kind of..." Jin raised an eyebrow as the girl shifted uncomfortably, realization dawning as she averted her eyes once again. Now, he realized, he was finally seeing what Mana Koyama was really like; slightly timid, nervous around people, wary about trusting... and positively childish in the way she stuck her chin up to hide it all. He wasn't dealing with a human woman, he was dealing with a human child. Fourteen years old, he reminded himself. Young kid... "If I can't regain my energy naturally, my body starts compensating in other ways. I get hungry and eat a lot, but it seems like it's never enough; I burn it all right off."

The wind master sighed. "I guess there's no choice about it, then. Ya hafta take some of mine."

Mana shifted uncomfortably. "I can't do that."

"I bet ya could if ya wanted to," Jin pressured. "It can't be that hard, yer Hachi friend seemed fine."

"No, it's just..." Mana fidgeted. "If I drain energy off of you, how will you heal?"

The wind master gaped. "That's a pitiful poor excuse, that is. Try again."

"I..." He tightened his grip on her arm as she trailed off. "I just..."

"Ya just what?" He tugged her towards him slightly. "Don't go sayin' ya just can't, cause I already know ya can."

Mana's shoulders slumped slightly. "Are you sure you want me to do this?"

Oh, for the love of... of everything, how stubborn was she going to be? "Ya helped me heal. It's only fair that I help ya in return."

Mana turned back towards him, studying him with a very blank expression. "You are a very strange apparition..."

This was starting to wear on his nerves. "No," he argued, "I just don't get why a nice girl would go and help somebody if all it'd do was make her hurt. Now are ya gonna let me help ya or not?"

Mana's shoulders heaved with a single, defeated sigh. "Close your eyes."

Jin did as he was told, feeling the first unease at the request. Just what did the girl do to draw energy, anyway? He should have asked Hachiko about that when he'd had the chance, he really should have. Was this going to hurt? Was it going to leave him weak? Was it-

Something soft brushed his mouth, and his eyes flew open.

The girl's eyes were closed as she pressed her lips against his. Her expression had a sort of passive focus, as though this was nothing more than shaking his hand. For a fleeting moment Jin wondered if he should pull back. Chaste and innocent as it was, the girl was still kissing him, after all, and he'd always had this little problem with pretty enough girls- or, according to Touya, some of the not so pretty ones when he was really drunk- that whenever they tried to kiss him, he always kissed them back, even if he wasn't at the pub with a few drinks down to blame. Yes, he thought, he really should back away before he embarrassed himself.

And then he felt the actual draining begin, and his entire body froze. It was the most singularly peculiar sensation he'd ever felt; it was as though someone had run little threads through his veins and was slowly pulling them through his blood. It tingled, like the way it did when you chewed on a battery- not that he really wanted to think about how he knew that at the time, but the feeling was similar. He could feel the fine hairs on the back of his neck prickling as Mana pulled the energy from him. It felt weird. The fact that the girl's face was still alabaster white while he could feel his own cheeks flushing just made it even more unnerving...

And then, after what seemed like a full minute, Mana sat back and looked up at him with accusing eyes. "You taste like air."

Jin stared. "Is that a bad thing?"

The young detective shook her head. "It's nice," she said softly, "and it means I'll absorb it fast."

"Do different kinds of energy have different tastes, then?" Jin was starting to feel a little curious as to how this worked. Mana was actually nodding at him. He stared. Had she literally been eating his energy? Didn't that make her a vampire?

"Everybody tastes different to me. It usually has to do with what resonates best with them, humans and demons alike. Sachiko always tastes like electricity, and it gives me an upset stomach if I drain too much, but Hachiko is kind of like rain water, and that sits better."

That was... Jin gulped. That was just a little strange, really. "And I taste like the air to ya?"

Mana nodded almost sheepishly. "It's... it's actually kind of nice. You taste like the breeze when I go up onto the roof in the springtime." Was that a blush? Jin could have sworn her cheeks were getting darker. She looked up at him with those accusing eyes again. "You didn't tell me you were a wind demon."

"Ya never asked."

She struck him on the arm then, lightly, but enough to make him glad she didn't have her spoon. "You haven't told me anything yet, anything at all."

"Ya never asked," he repeated, and then before she could hit him again, "What do ya want to know?"

Mana sighed, settling back against her pillows, the little bucket forgotten. Jin took the opportunity to gleefully tuck her in bed to see if he could make her blush more. It didn't work; the girl just snuggled under the covers and looked up at him balefully as he settled cross-legged on the bed to be more comfortable. She finally spoke again when he was settled. "Jin, who are you? What are you doing here in the human world?"

He sighed. Well, it was only right to tell her, wasn't it? Jin took a deep breath. "I came here to get away from an ambush. I have a friend where I come from, his name's Touya. Me and Touy were out walking when this guy we used to work with comes up to talk to us. We didn't want to talk to him much, but he's the persistant type, ya know? It was when we were tryin' to shake him that we got attacked."

Mana nodded, fingering the edge of her sheet idly. "So how'd you get through to this world?"

"We used a gate." Jin shifted slightly, recalling what Mana had introduced herself as. Spirit detective in training. Well, he'd never had problems with any of the spirit detectives he'd met before, but this was dangerous territory. He sighed; the girl's eyes were practically burning the side of his head. "There's this guy me and Touy know, see, who knows how to make a little hole to get through to the human realm. Except they don't always work to well. Sometimes a person gets separated from his fellows when he comes through."

Mana was staring at him now, her expression heavy. "So you can just pass through whenever you like it?"

"Oh, it's not as easy as all that now!" Jin tried his best to sound convincing. "Makin' the gates, well, supposedly it's no small thing! Me and Toy, we'll probably get yelled at for using just that one, and then the one to go home on." He flinched slightly. "Touya's got that one, though. Means I'm stuck here 'til I find him."

Forget heavy, the girl's expression was downright flat. That was never a safe look to see on a woman's face, Jin knew that from experience, and it didn't matter what species the woman was! "Jin," the human said carefully, "you are an idiot."

"I-"

Mana cut him off. "You don't repeat what you just told me to anyone, you got it? No one. Not even... especially not the twins. If they ask, you and your friend just got lucky enough to find a gap in the barriers. Got it?" He stared, dumbfounded, and the girl repeated herself more firmly. "Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Good." Mana snuggled back into her pillows slightly. "So... what's it like where you come from, anyway?"

And for all the world, now she looked like a child. Jin chuckled to himself, dredging up old memories of the forests and towns of the demon realm until Mana finally fell asleep. Honestly, he was kind of starting to like her. She was an interesting little human; she kept him amused. And she kept him fed. It seemed like a little energy was a fair trade for that, right?

Even if he did have to put up with being smacked with the damned spoon...