A future scene includes the almost viewing of Yu Yu Hakusho attributed to a certain brother, but she stops him from seeing it just in time. Then later, they end up sitting down and watching a few episodes together. Quite a scene actually. But I need to establish the relationship, and she has to meet Youko first.
That is going to funny. Except for the chosen episode…or one of them. It's not going to be pretty. Not at all. But it will happen. And he's going to see them playing a Yu Yu Hakusho game, but only for a second. He can't find out yet!
You need to stop detecting my story line It's evil of you... Not really…but I wanted to say that.
Most of that was for Bara-Minamino….
I know my spelling is off a bit, but only because I type so freaking fast It'd be worse if it weren't for the miracle of Word.
She finally gets into the tree in this one, and The Sacred Bovine, she's not that good. KURAMA is that good, but Kass is not.
BTW, the long one, like the 21 page one I've been promising, well…this is it…and it's actually like 23…
Kassandra didn't see anything of any four of the boys until Monday morning, when they ran up behind her at the bus stop. She however, pretended to completely not notice.
Sam however, who was looking over her shoulder did, and tried frantically to point this out.
Kass finally turned around.
"Ohayo…"
She then turned right back around.
(Ohayo Good Morning)
She really wasn't in the mood for confusion, and paying attention to them would do that, without a doubt. At least until noon. Then she was functioning fully and was able to deal with it. She was a lot surer that she wouldn't make a slip up in the afternoon than in the morning. Eventually, the boys assumed she wasn't a morning person, and didn't talk to her until noon.
When the bus came, they took the same seats as yesterday.
At school, the teachers were the same as yesterday. She managed to ignore Kuwabara for the most part. Yusuke wasn't so bad once you got to know him, but of course she knew just how to get past his defenses, and how to push his buttons.
Of course she had to be secretive about how she knew, but she usually just said random guess.
She decided that Hiei had decided she wasn't worthy of his hatred, or his respect at the moment, so she tolerated occasional insults from him, but mostly surprised him by either knowing what it means, or answering back with one of her own.
She avoided any and all arguments with him though, and was kind of wary of him entering her mind.
But she definitely got on well with Kurama. They had the project nearly done by this point, but were spending more time than necessary on it. His knowledge and her creativity made a perfect blend. He knew what to say, and she knew how to put it together.
She managed to keep her calm, and not go crazy fan girl on him, though she most likely would have done so if she had any less control.
She however found that she couldn't help but stare sometimes, though she quickly caught herself. And if he ever did notice, she was relatively sure that,
He wouldn't be extremely bothered by it.
And She'd be able to come up with some excuse, like she was really staring at the air past him, thinking.
It was basically the same every morning and every day, and every night. She shared classes with them, shared a bus with them, and then came home and slept. Her computer sat there and gathered dust.
Not really, she dusted it every day. She didn't go outside, and she didn't practice with her weapons at all. She did really well until Friday. Well…Saturday morning actually.
You! Mortal I inhabit! Get your lazy arse out of bed!
NO, Voice that inhabits my head! I don't want to!
You don't have a choice! GET!
Alright, Alright…I'm getting, I'm getting…Getting where?
Outside, you dolt! Use your weaponry skills or lose them. Your choice.
USE THEM! I've worked too hard to LOSE THEM!
My thought process, and apparently yours as well…Wait…how is that your thought process?
Shutting up now…You'll find out in a week…I don't want to wait a week!
No response from the voice.
Kass muttered something under her breath and grabbed both of her weapons from their hooks.
She was out of the door before anyone could stop her. Mainly, because it was 4 o clock in the morning and everyone was asleep.
She looked down at her katana and cursed. She had just realized she hadn't practiced with it for months…she probably forgotten everything…
Not so…she managed to remember the basics. Bare basics. But that was better than she expected.
She sheathed her katana and pulled out the whip. Today She was going to make it to the top of the tree. She was…she really was.
The whip curled around the branch.
Focusing was hard to do when her mind was wandering…to the many fantasies she'd had for the past 3 years.
All of which concerning one particular person, and all of which were relatively CLEAN! And ended with her being just as pure as when they started.
Before, they'd just been fantasies…but now…
She fell on her butt as she missed the branch.
"Focus, will you!"
She tried again and ended up somehow suspended from the branch from one wrist.
"Crap…how'd that happen?"
She tries to dislodge herself, but ends up getting her ankle mixed up in the mess too.
A few minutes later she had the other ankle tied up too.
Stop and imagine this.
Okay good. Imagining done.
While Kass was attempting to dislodge herself from the mess she'd somehow got herself into, someone came up behind her.
Er…under her… thankfully, she never wore skirts, so all they could see was a poor almost 16 year old girl tangled up hopelessly.
"Kass…Do you need some help?"
Kass started and leaned her head back so she could see the speaker.
"Oh…Hi Kurama…Yeah…Um…help would be nice…"
He smiles though she couldn't see. The only way she'd been able to tell it was him, was because she'd seen long bright red hair.
That was enough.
He reaches up and disentangles her wrist.
She slips completely upside down.
"How did you freaking do that? You pull one little thing and it comes undone, but I end up getting my ankles tied up too…"
He chuckles.
"Its a bit hard o get yourself out of situations, though quite easy to get into them."
"So I can see. It's still not fair. I could have been hanging here all freaking day, if you hadn't come along. By the way…can you finish untangling me? I think I feel the blood rushing to my head…"
He chuckles again.
"No problem."
He reaches up and frees the first of her ankles.
Now she was dangling from one foot.
"Ooooooooooooooooooo…Dizzy…. Please…Help…. Stop…. the…Spiiiiining…."
He hurriedly reaches out and unties her ankle and catches her before she hits the ground.
"That was close…I could have had serious brain damage…" She said absently, apparently oblivious.
-- …Do I need to say anything? --
- No…but you're going to aren't you? -
-- Yes. Kiss her! --
-NO! –
-- Why not? --
-I only met her a week ago! -
-- Are you trying to make a point? --
-Yes. It's inappropriate! We are in the Ningenkai…-
-- I always seem to forget that…so what ARE you going to do? --
- Put her down before you get any ideas, make me do something I'll regret, and blame it on me. -
-- Now why would I do that? --
- Because you've done it before, and you'll do it again. But by putting her down, I can extend the time between before and again. Hence saving Kass from a rather uncomfortable situation. -
-- Who said it'd be uncomfortable? --
Oh, if only he could slap him…but he couldn't.
"Um…Kurama?"
"Yes?"
"Could you put me down? I kind of just realized you were still holding me. This might look strange to anyone walking by."
Kurama blinked and placed her on the ground.
In his head, Youko sulked.
Kassandra wasn't sure why she'd bothered protesting. He was probably about to put her down anyway. He looked like he was seriously contemplating something.
It really did!
Is there any particular reason you were watching that closely? The little voice in the back of her head teased.
Nope…except for the obvious one. I've only had a crush on him since the 7th grade!
Oh, that's it? You're probably just going to let him walk away without him knowing aren't you?
That would be ideeeeal. He already has an entire crowd of fan girls at school. I think another one just might scare him off…
You are pointlessI lack the point to care.
She looked over to Kurama, who'd probably had been staring at her since she got into that conversation.
"Hi. You know those annoying voices in your head?"
When he nods she continues.
"Well, I just got in an argument with mine. She seemed to think. Oh wait…nothing you need to hear. Wouldn't want to bore you. I still need to get my whip out of the tree now."
She looked up at the whip that was dangling in the tree. She reaches up and tries to pull it off. It didn't budge.
She leaned against the tree and glared up at it.
"Stupid tree…It's holding my whip hostage."
Kurama chuckled and stood next to her, looking p at the tree.
"What were you trying to do?"
"Flip myself up onto the tree branch."
"Really? Why?"
"No reason."
"Hmm…Well…try flipping up, and that'll probably fix your problem."
"Which problem?"
"Your hostage situation."
"Oh…but I'm going to miss…you might want to move…my landings aren't too good yet…"
She grabs the end and tries to flip up she misses terribly, but she does dislodge the whip. She falls back to the ground.
"Told you."
He chuckles and helps her stand up.
"Here try this."
He stands behind her and tells her to try again.
"Are you sure you want to stand there?"
"Just try it one more time, Kass It's all I ask."
Kass sighs and wraps the whip around the branch, like every other time she tried.
"Now what, genius?"
"Now you get a little bit of help, and land neatly on the branch."
"Help as in?"
"Nevermind that, just focus on landing on the branch."
Kass shrugs.
"You're the all-knowing one-of-a-kind- Right focus."
She almost called him kitsune. That would not have been good. She wasn't supposed to know that yet.
I don't think you're even supposed to know he's a demon.
Shut it.
Fine!
I didn't mean it…
But the voice was ignoring her.
"Here I go, most likely going to break my neck."
She started to flip up and feels a pair of hands on her waist helping her up. She would have frozen, had she been on the ground, but since she was in the air, that wasn't possible.
Miraculously, she manages to land somehow, even after that shock.
Kassandra clung to the branch like it was a floatation device.
"Kass?"
Kassandra opened one eye.
"Oh…Hi…Whooooooaaaa…. I'm high up…I don't do so good with heights…"
It was true…she must be…15 feet in the air.
"Drop down."
"Are you CRAZY?"
"Maybe."
"That's not comforting…"
"Just jump."
"NO!"
"Am I going to have to come up there to get you down?"
"Unless you can pry me off this branch from down there, yes."
Silence.
"Okay then."
"WHAT? Are you insane? This branch won't hold us both!"
No answer. A green vine wrapped around the branch and Kurama flipped himself up.
Kassandra, uncomfortable in a clinging position, stood up shakily.
"Show off."
"Maybe a little."
"Hn."
"Hey fox! What are you doing in that tree?"
"Saving a koneko, Kuwabara."
"Really? What color?"
Kurama looks over at Kassandra, successfully hidden from view by the leafy branches.
"Black and white and brown."
Kassandra rolls her eyes. Then she realizes he called her a kitten.
She glares.
He smiles at her innocently.
"Bring it down, Kurama. I want to pet it!"
Kass's eyes widen and she shudders before she can stop herself.
"Oh…fox…it's scared! Hurry."
Meanwhile Kassandra was making choking faces, while Kurama was trying not to laugh.
"Only if you take 16 large steps backward, and promise not to touch it for 5 minutes after I get down to the ground."
Kassandra stops making faces and glares. Kurama responds with a 'Would you prefer I didn't?' look.
Kassandra makes frantic waving motions with her hand and almost falls out of the tree.
Kurama grabs her shirt collar from behind and pulls her back up on the branch.
"Fine, fox, I don't know why you'd say something like that, but fine just get that poor thing out of the tree."
Kassandra nearly pokes her head out of the tree and yells at him, but Kurama covers her mouth.
"Be right down, both of us."
"How are you going to get us both down, genius?" Kassandra hisses quietly, so the dolt underneath them can't hear.
"Very carefully. And in a way that will most likely freak Kuwabara out too." He answers back just as quiet.
"What are you going to do?" Should she be a bit worried now?
Too late to be worried. His whip was now hanging from a higher branch, and she looked at it, then down on the ground and nearly fell off again.
"You're not thinking about-"
Too late again. He had one arm around her waist and had jumped off. Too amazed to do anything, Kassandra had her eyes open the entire time.
Her entire body was tense until she realized exactly who this was. By that time however, it was over. The short ride was over.
She would have pouted, but by that time she'd remembered that now they had Kuwabara to deal with.
Stupid baka…
Wait…that made no sense…same thing…
Ah well, who cares…
She turns to smile at Kuwabara.
"Um…Hi?"
He runs off screaming.
"What'd I do?" She asked surprised.
Kurama shrugged before removing his arm from her waist.
She hadn't realized it was still there. She suddenly found herself blushing.
Had her eyes been open, she would have noticed Kurama blushing from the thoughts Youko had been whispering.
- Quit it! -
--Why? --
-Because…it's not helping! -
--Really? Not helping you do what? --
- Youko, please stop -
--You're begging with me? Am I getting that close? --
- Youko… -
--Fine…but that's what, the second time today, she's been in your arms like that? --
- Youko…-
--Fine, fine, fine…I'll leave…well not leave…I can't…just be thankful I can't come out right now, because a ningen might see… --
-I am thankful -
Kurama looks down at Kass who was looking at the ground, blushing. Was this feeling mutual?
When he feels his face has returned to it's normal color, he taps her on the shoulder.
"Kass, would you like to go inside and finish the project now? We could, and probably should, finish it today."
"You're right of course, can't think of an instance when you haven't been, but I don't know if I can let you in the house, it's only what, 5:30 in the morning? My parents might object…"
"Why?"
"They'll jump to the conclusion that we're dating and flip at me."
Before he can respond she notices a light go on in the kitchen and brightens up. Especially when she sees her Mom's silhouette in the window.
"But, since one is up, I can just ask."
She runs across the yard and taps on the window.
Having a quick wordless conversation, she receives permission to let him in. After thanking her mother loudly, she runs back.
"She said I can let you in."
"I could see that…"
"Really?"
"Yeah. You thanked her quite loudly. If she'd said no, you would have come back pouting, then you'd go instead and bring the project out here."
"And you've only known me for a week?"
"Your mannerisms are apparent to anyone who cares."
"So you do?" She teases.
He doesn't answer.
"Okay then…inside the house, where it is not wet with morning dew, or dark. Well…it might still be dark…but not as dark…what was Kuwabara doing up at this hour?"
"No idea…He usually sleeps like a log until 3."
"I know." She says before she can stop herself. "I mean, Dylan is like that, and I guess I am too, except that I get up early, and then I just don't functional properly till noon."
"So I've noticed."
She considers saying really you have? But decides to instead simply go inside the house.
"Are you coming?"
He rushes across the lawn, thinking about what she said.
Fast Forward
Kass leaned back on the couch to look back at their finally completed project.
"It's done."
Kurama looks over at her.
"Yes it is."
She punches him lightly in the shoulder.
"Have you got nothing else to say? We have been working a week on this!"
"I'm glad it's done…" He lies. Now he didn't have an excuse to visit her everyday. He really did enjoy her company.
"I am too…kind of…but not really…"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…now I don't have a freaking excuse to let you in the house at 5:30 in the morning. I almost wish she'd assign us another project…"
"Me too…"
Kassandra looks over at him surprise.
"You do?"
"Yes…I really enjoyed spending time with you, even if-"
"-even if we spent it working our butts off?"
He laughs.
"Yes. Even if we spent it working our butts off."
Kassandra smiles brightly.
"Kurama…there's something I want to tell you."
She was going to do it. She was going to tell him he was an anime character.
"I-"
"Kass! No boys in the house before Mom and Dad wake up! I'm gonna tell!"
James rushed back up he stairs.
"I got permission, you dolt! Gosh…you'd think I always went behind their back…"
"You might…you have a devious side, Kass."
She smile at him with angelic innocence, complete with a halo.
"And what makes you say that?"
"Oh, only the different tricks you've pulled on Yusuke and Kuwabara."
Kass bats her eyes, though the halo loses a bit of its glow.
"Which tricks?"
"Do I need to go into details?"
"Maybe…which tricks?"
So he goes off to list all the tricks she'd played on the humans in the past week.
Quite a list.
With each one the halo lost a bit of it's glow. Just as he was starting on the trick she'd pulled on Wednesday, she stops him.
"Okay, okay, I get the picture…So I'm not the epitome of angelic behavior? Who is?"
"If I knew, I'd congratulate them. Must be quite a title to maintain."
Kass nods.
The halo had disappeared.
"There it is again…that evil silence…" Kassandra muttered.
Kurama laughed.
Kass smiled, and started to say what she had earlier, buit the two boys tramping down the stairs, with a rather familiar box in their hands, caused her to jump.
"Oi! Did I give you permission to use that?"
They both stuck their heads out of the family room.
"No."
"Then why are you?"
"Because Mom did."
"What did you guys do, bother her until she told you to go play a game, any game?"
They both nod.
Kassandra, who'd half been expecting this, simply got a fume puff, which was a pretty clear signal to her brothers to scoot off and play the game. Kurama noticed this too, and placed a hand on her arm.
"Kassandra, maybe we should let them be. We can go see how Kuwabara survived."
"Um…Shuuichi, that's a great idea! Boys, tell mom I left the house!"
"To go where?"
"None of your business! To a friends house…Play my game!"
"Okay!" They say cheerily.
They would say exactly what she told them to. Except, instead of divulging that the friend was boy, they'd keep it to themselves, and if Mom ever found out, they'd attribute it to being distracted by the game.
It worked every other time…
"You realize you contradicted yourself…"
"Huh?"
The pair were walking up the front walk of his house.
"You said none of your business, then told them anyway."
"I do that a lot. They're used to it, but are you?"
"Mostly. But I still felt the need to point that out?"
"Why?"
He shrugs while he opens the door.
"I'm like that I guess."
She steps inside. This was the first time she'd been inside and I guess you could say she was a bit disappointed that nothing was in ruins. Except, it smelled like something was on fire.
"Is something on fire?"
"No. It's Kuwabara's turn to cook."
"That would do it…"
She wanders over to the kitchen.
"Hey guys! Whoa!"
Unlike what Kurama had said,
(:Gasp: The fox was wrong?)
Kuwabara was NOT cooking. It was Hiei.
And he wasn't using the stove.
Had she been a better situation she wouldn't have done anything other than shrug, but since she figured she was supposed to be surprised…
Kassandra stared in disbelief, and almost screamed. Thankfully, Kurama stopped her just in time.
"Um…I think its time we had another talk…"
Kassandra stares at him.
"Mah! Mu Tink?" She says muffled by his hand.
He takes his hand off her mouth and leads her into the living room, and she sat down on the couch, as far away from Hiei as possible. Relatively far from Kurama as well, but hey.
She was supposed to be freaked out.
"Hiei, why were you cooking?"
"Kuwabara came running in screaming. I was hungry, and the baka hasn't come back down yet."
Kurama nods. He'd have done the same, but still.
"Why weren't you using the stove?"
"Because I didn't feel like acting like a ningen today." Hiei seemed to be ignoring Kass's presence completely.
"Why didn't you stop when you sensed me come in?"
"Because I thought you were alone. Had I known you'd had your girlfriend with you, I would have."
Kurama saw Kassandra twitch out of the corner of his eye.
-- Ooo…It burns… --
- Youko…we might need to wipe her memory of this entire event…-
--Talking to the wrong person. Hiei is the Jagan eye user, not me. --
- I know that. But you need to talk to him. I need to talk to Kassandra. She seems a bit…shocked…-
--Understandable. I can't believe he called her your girlfriend…--
- Youko, please…I think it would be easier if- -
--Yeah, yeah, I got it. Talk to the crazy psychopathic fire demon with the mind powers…-- Thank you. -
--On one condition- If it doesn't work, for any reason, I get to come out and talk to Kassandra. --
-Fine! Just- -
--I know! Hiei! --
---Hn. What? ---
--We need you to do a wind wipe. I think that might be easier than explaining that we're demons. --
---Would, but I can't. ---
--Why not? --
--- Her mind can't be tampered with….---
Youko cocked an eyebrow
--You sure? --
---Yes. ---
--YES! That means I get to come out and talk to her… I got to go tell Shuuichi now…--
Youko left in a much better mood.
"Okay, Kassandra. I told you about demons and the like, right?"
The girl nods.
"Okay, well, Hiei is a youkai."
"Is that a type of demon?"
"Yes. Another way to put it is apparition. But demon is the simplest term."
"Okay…so are there any other demons I should know about?"
"Well-"
--Shuuichi… --
- Yes? -
-- He can't do it… --
-Why not? -
--Her mind is sealed from tampering… --
- Great… -
-- I know isn't it? Remember your promise…--
-I remember…but not at this exact moment. I need to get her ready for that trauma.-
-- What trauma? --
-Never mind. Give me 15 minutes. -
--You have 5 --
-10. -
-- Fine! But not a second more…--
Kurama sighs and turns back to Kassandra.
"Yes…there is."
"Okay…who?"
He sighs again. That was the third time.
"Me."
Shock. Shock. Shock. She was supposed to be shocked, but that was hard to do.
She somehow manages it by simply staring.
Hiei, who was leaning against the back of the couch with his eyes closed chuckled.
"Good luck, Kurama."
Kurama casts a glance in his direction, and the fire demon, apparition, or youkai, whatever you want to call it, left to finish cooking his meal.
" Well, now that that is settled…Kassandra."
She turned her attention back to him, aiming to look confused and a little scared.
From his reaction, she'd say she did a really good job.
"This is probably a bit confusing isn't it."
Kassandra didn't know whether to shake her head or to nod.
Thankfully staring at the ground seemed to work.
"I'm not sure how to interpret that, but is there anything you want me too go over again?"
"All of it?"
He sighs.
"ALL of it?"
"How are you a demon? You just…seem so normal…"
"Yes, your first experience with demons was not a great, one, and I don't think your second was much better."
"Believe me. I think I'd rather see Hiei cooking eggs than that demon in the park."
The clatter in the kitchen let them know that Hiei was now done cooking.
(Hiei…. cooking…still getting used to that… : Bursts out laughing, but stops when the katana comes down on her head.: Ow. : Swirly eyes: )
Kassandra tried to lean back to look at him, but Kurama started talking again.
No matter how interesting Hiei cooking was, Kurama was infinitely more interesting.
(No offense to Hiei-san…)
"I'm sure that's true, but my point is you probably didn't exactly get a great first impression."
Kass shakes her head.
"So you're probably under the impression that all demons are evil."
Kass shakes her head.
"No. Nothing is all evil. Hiei is just an anti-social jerk, but that doesn't mean they all are. And that one in the park was most likely a bad example. There are good and bad humans too, but hopefully people don't walk around saying the entire human race is evil, right?"
It was the most she'd said since she'd walked in the door. Almost the most she'd said since she woke up. It might actually be…
The couch cushion next to her burst into flames.
Kassandra jumped off the couch and backed into Kurama.
"Sorry…but the couch just burst into flames…"
"Hiei!"
"Hn."
"Sorry Kass, he's not usually like this."
"I'm sure…"
She looked up at Kurama, since her back was to him it was like looking at him upside down.
Omigosh, he's just as hot like that as he is normally.
And you expected anything else?
Oh, you're talking to me again?
If I stopped, you'd slip up or something…
Hn.
Stop that…you're starting to sound like Hiei.
Really?
Yes…
Huh…
The voice groans.
Kassandra opens her eyes again, and she's looking at the burnt couch.
"Kassandra…sit…"
Without even stopping to think, she sits down.
Kurama sits next to her.
" Have I covered everything?"
"No. How are you a demon?"
"Ah yes…I've been avoiding that question, haven't I?"
Kass nods.
"It's a bit confusing, but the shortest of the short version, is I share a body with a spirit fox."
"Oh…that would be why they call you 'fox' isn't it?"
"Yes…"
Kassandra looked at her feet.
"Wow…"
"It gets worse."
"Huh?"
"I promised that Spirit Fox he could come out and talk to you."
"And that's bad… why?"
"Because…well…"
--1 minute--
- Thanks for the notice...-
--You're welcome…55 seconds…--
"Because why?"
Kass looked up at him with a curious expression on her face.
"Well…"
--47 seconds--
Kassandra cocked her head to one side.
She really did want to know.
- Oh crap…-
--40 seconds!--
"He's a bit…unruly."
--Unruly! --
"How can he be? He's part of you…"
--Oh how surprised she's going to be when she realizes I'm nothing like you…30 seconds…--
"You'd be surprised. Just promise me something."
"Okay…what?"
"Don't listen to him…"
"Why?"
"He might say some stuff that might not be considered…appropriate…"
"Like, in a perverted sense?"
--15 seconds --
"Yes…in a perverted sense…"
"Okay…um…when?"
--10 seconds --
"In about 10 seconds."
--9 --
"Really….anything else I should know about him?"
--6...--
"Only that I'll know everything he does to you, though I don'tthink that here is much I'll be able to do about it…"
-- 4 --
"I'll be fine…"
--3 --
"Just remember…Hiei's in the kitchen if he does try anything-"
--2--
"I'll be fine, honest."
-- 1 --
Kurama sighed and the air around him was a bit hazy for a bit. A sort of silver haze.
Youko Kurama had arrived…