A/N: Hello once again, Denizens of the FanFiction World!

There will be no update tomorrow because of it being the holidays in my country and I will be out of town! Expect daily updates to pick up again the next evening!

Symbols Guide:

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama
~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts.
Unless it's used in a sentence like this, which merely indicates emphasis.
"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."


Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!

Koenma's Ma Fū Kan spell almost jailed Shinobu Sensui,
but at the last moment Itsuki escaped with the dying antagonist,
robbing Yusuke of his fight, but drawing the Chapter Black Saga to a close
as Koenma transferred the spell onto the hole to Demon World and successfully closed it.

A day or so later and Toriko is followed home after grocery shopping by a mysterious stranger,
one that Hiei finds suspect and subsequently drops unannounced into Toriko's home to interrogate her about,
surprising her into slicing a knife through her thumb at his abrupt appearance.

~!**!~

Koenma has forged a contract with Akari that puts her in his employ as a Spirit Detective, much like Kurama
and Hiei, and releases her into Human World until he has need of her, but being as she looks so young,
a nosy human has caught her 'out of school,' and with her illusions not working it is Kurama
who steps up to intervene...


"We are not related." Kurama found himself responding more quickly than he intended, though his distaste at the thought remained completely hidden within his mind.

"She is a new student at Meiou High School, and it was my responsibility to fetch her at home as she just moved into the area and does not know her way around. I am sorry to say that I neglected that duty and have been summarily punished by her teachers for it with rigorous after-school assignments, one of them being to catch her up on the work that she missed in the meantime. I apologize for any inconvenience upon your person, sir, but we need to return to the school grounds post-haste."

Kurama grabbed Akari's arm firmly, and as he turned to drag her with him, he hoped his glare at her would be sufficient enough to silence any protests she thought to make at their predicament, knowing their chances of slipping away would hinge on her willingness to cooperate through their charade.

"Come along, Akari. Let me explain the streets again."3

Akari held back the urge to rip her arm away from Kurama when he grabbed her, taking her off guard since she hadn't been paying much attention. She let him guide her, catching his glare and meeting it with equal intensity. Her irritation would have normally caused her to give a smart remark, but her mind was too stuck on what had happened to let her speak at all. So, she instead turned her eyes forward. She pulled on her energy, testing the hold she had on it. It seemed fine, completely able to be utilized. So why hadn't an illusion worked? Before long, she found herself grumbling aloud, incomplete sentences galore. "Perhaps it was…. No, that's not it…" Her eyes shifted periodically until she turned her gaze back to the male beside her, deciding she'd simply add to the burning bridge between them and test it again. Yet, she hesitated, and changed her mind. Instead, she tried it on a passing human child, who only continued skipping down the street merrily. Her eyebrows etched together and her eyes turned to the ground. She flexed her fingers, trying to discreetly toy with her own shadow. When she felt the power run through her body, she knew her shadow was morphed, even if just a little. This isn't right. As soon as she noticed that Kurama had lead her away from the officer, she pulled her arm away from him. "I appreciate your gesture, but I had the situation under control." She said as her eyes found another human, trying for the third time to create an illusion, which easily was seen to have been a failure. "I didn't ask for assistance."

She glanced down as the dog from a few moments ago hopped, his paws scratching against her calf as he yipped at her again. She sighed, closing her eyes in irritation. There was just no ridding her of the pest, and now she was with the redhead. It just wasn't her day.

~!**!~

Hiei felt slight amusement at Toriko's reaction, but not enough to show any evidence whatsoever to his inner emotions. He eyed her, eyes roving to the cut on her hand as the smell hit his nose. Rustic, metallic. A quieter smell compared to that of the blood of a demon. His eyes roved upwards to meet hers, surprised to see vibrant green orbs meeting his gaze. He held that gaze quietly, finding himself unable to break eye contact once she had spoken.

Immediately, he opened his mouth to answer, feeling as if he had no reason to hold back, no reason to not enlighten her of his entrance into the home in which she resided. "To your first inquiry, I noticed the male who walked you home. He's unnatural compared to the normal human do-gooder. I'm asking if you know him." He paused, watching her turn and fumble for her glasses. He followed her motions, momentarily wondering why she fumbled so desperately for the overly thick lenses. "Two, you left a window open." He didn't specify which one, since she didn't ask, but as he watched the female, a small part of him wondered why he had told her that when, had anyone else asked him, he would've simply brushed it off and waited for them to answer him first. *

"I have no idea who he was." Toriko pushed her glasses farther up her face with the finger of her uninjured hand, answering his question with as much straightforwardness as he allowed her in a gesture of goodwill.

"I didn't ask for his help." She spat more angrily than she intended, "Nor did I particularly want it. Or need it." She coughed and regained her composure, her former depression bubbling out of her as anger. "Humans don't understand that as a general rule, I've found. So I just let him do as he wished." She shrugged.

Her eyes flickered towards the stairs at the other end of the kitchen beyond the cabinet Hiei stood near, her mind briefly working through the four rooms and bathroom upstairs. She never went in any besides her bedroom, and the bathroom's window was much too small for even her or Hiei to get through, narrowing down the options to the window in her room, which she ruefully remembered leaving open the majority of the time out of neglect, even when it rained. The fresh air kept the room a least a little less stuffy than she felt inside the house, a feeling she carried over from her days before Human World, she was sure, but a feeling she never chose to question for fear of an answer.

"Do you usually enter people's homes unannounced? Or is it just going to be something you reserve especially for me?" She turned back to her cutting board, not expecting an answer from the glowering fire demon behind her, glaring at her balled up fist and squeezing it tight briefly before opening it, glad to see that her non-human state had healed the wound quite nicely and she ran the digit under water and wiped it on her apron, returning to the strawberries whose stems she was removing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Hiei had not moved, his arms folded over his chest.

"If you aren't leaving, grab me the bucket out of the freezer?" She nodded her head towards the refrigerator to her left, reaching above herself for a second bowl, on a whim intending to make a second ice cream dessert for Hiei, going back to cutting more strawberries so that the both of them would have enough.

~!**!~

Kurama took little notice of Akari's mumblings, refusing to release his grip on her arm until they were around the next corner of the block and out of sight of the man who stopped her.

At that point, he released her and straightened the jacket of his uniform, brushing off some invisible dirt from the hem and eyeing the dog who followed them with careful consideration.

"You're welcome." He provided without prompting, looking her up and down. "I do not think Koenma took into consideration how young you would appear to those of this World, otherwise he would have ensured your enrollment into a school of some sort. Hiei tends to keep to himself well enough, and could just wipe the mind of anyone bothering him if he decided to get caught. You must be having trouble with your illusions to not be able to slip away in a similar matter. That poses a problem."

He considered her again, "I would suggest you either permanently lie low or see to getting into a school." He paused. "If you choose the later, I suppose I could get you into Meiou High School rather easily. Though at the moment the only opening I can think of would be in my class, so we'd be forced to see each other every day. Toriko as well." He raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you're interested?"3

Akari's eyes narrowed at his ease of deduction of her situation; she never did well with people who seemed so easily able to figure her out. Out of habit, she merely shrugged a shoulder. "Even if I used an illusion, it wouldn't erase their memory. That sort of thing is not in my power." She had been told of this person's brain capacity, even witnessed it a bit in the cavern a few weeks ago, but she hadn't quite considered that she'd be dealing with it. "You expect me to simply sit inside four walls that happened to be cramped with people, all of whom I care less than nothing about?" Her retort wasn't anything special, nothing really out of the normality for her. However, her need to get away felt as if she was rushing herself, not thinking things through properly. "Why stay cooped up, indoors, when I can roam and do whatever I feel like, whenever I feel like?" She paused, offering a small sneer. "Don't worry, that doesn't include throwing children into traffic."

Again, she paused, thinking to herself. If she roamed, she'd be able to figure out what was happening with her energy. However, if she enrolled into a school, not only would she be around people she didn't care much for, but she'd have plenty of people to test on. Plenty of humans who were plenty susceptible to illusions, because of their own way they illusioned themselves from time to time. She ran her hand through her hair, as if doing so would brush away her headache and clear her mind. I don't much like lying low either. That would mean completely isolating myself, in a warehouse or perhaps an old building, like I did last week. That's why I took to wandering in the first place. She huffed. Getting enrolled into a school was not ideal, but staying inside was even less appealing. It's all about what's less appealing now, huh? "Would you prefer to keep watch over me, in your own territory? Don't get me wrong, it's not something I enjoy, but I'm practically bored out of my mind." Her eyes rolled first to the sky, then down to the dog at her ankles. It watched her as if it were waiting on her, as if she had something to offer. "Surely it will entertain me enough to…. keep me out of trouble, no?" The dog barked and hopped around her, causing a small sound of frustration. Leave, she thought as she glared at the animal, which, surprisingly, responded with a whine and a tucked tail. Its ears lowered and she stared even harder at it until it gave one last protesting whine and sat on its haunches. She cursed under her breath and turned an annoyed gaze to the redhead. "As much as I would prefer to not stay in your company, being in a place where I can observe humans and not be bored sounds much more appealing. Looks like we'll have to deal with each other more often than desired, unless you can manage a different school, but I doubt that."

~!**!~

Hiei raised a brow at Toriko's question. "Why go through the trouble of making one person feel special?" He retorted, more out of dry humor than to actually answer her question, though it did 'kill two birds with one stone', as the humans often said. He hadn't felt need to respond to her statements about the humans because, well, adding to them was pointless. His view of this plane of existence was surely easy to see, unless the person were a complete dolt. He cared not for the humans or this world, but for now, he had no reason to… what was the word he was looking for? Strike out against them, maybe? Hm, it didn't seem fit.

He stood in his spot, feet planted as he watched her curiously. Her hand moved with precision and skill, as if she'd done this particular thing a million times in her life. Of course, Hiei was fully aware of her demon blood, but not particularly her past. She hadn't seemed the cooking type. After all, she had hidden her gaze with lenses so thick, he had assumed they impaired her vision, rather than helped at all. As the thought crossed his mind, he began watching to see if such a thing was true. It seemed not, as her hand steadily moved the blade over the small fruit, slicing them into small bits with ease. How little he knew of her almost frustrated him, but at the same time, he didn't care enough to pry. He didn't care enough to snoop- at least, not as much as he had when he had seen Kurama. He watched her carefully, as if doing so would crack the code behind her, tell him everything he needed to know about this person who had so recently lumped herself in with the team.

Okay, maybe he was more curious than he let himself believe.

When she tossed a demand at him, he scoffed, for a moment acting as if she had no reign over him. However, he found himself complying. He turned and walked to the freezer, fetching the object she had asked for and setting it beside her before moving away. He planted himself comfortably in a chair, as if he had done so before, and took to looking around speculatively. "What on earth is that odor protruding from that…. thing?" he asked suddenly as his ruby gaze turned to the fruits. They smelled… odd. He wasn't sure what to think of them, their smell was so unique. It burned his nostrils, but interested him at the same time. *

For some reason, Toriko found herself more at ease around the crimson-eyed male, her mind not constantly reminding her that she was a danger to him seeing as how she knew he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Her nervous stammer hadn't manifested as of yet. It usually did because her thoughts were so hell-bent on protecting everyone else from herself that she hardly had time to consider her words before finding that she was expected to speak.

"You mean the strawberries?" She wanted to know, picking a whole one up and taking an experimental sniff. While her senses weren't quite at human level, after years of disuse and being forced to constantly be around the creatures who infested the planet with their wet sheep smell, they had dulled so she didn't go insane.

She tossed one over her shoulder at him without pausing to look. "Try it."

She cracked open the bucket of ice cream and scooped it into the bowls, giving them both a generous portion and then scattering the strawberries over the top, garnishing it with another, whole strawberry on the side of the scoops.

Toriko pulled out an extra spoon to slip into the extra bowl, gathering the two servings into a balance on her left arm while shutting the bucket and clicking the lid on tightly. The bucket went into the freezer as she reached Hiei in the chair at the table shortly thereafter and plopped a bowl in front of him.

Carrying her own into the chair across from him and promptly sitting down, she began to devour the dessert with fervor, not caring in the slightest what Hiei thought at that moment, her mind's depression compelling her to eat.

~!**!~

Kurama did not respond to Akari goading him with a comment about throwing a child into traffic, which he assumed she did strictly for his reaction.

"My suggestion at you entering Meiou High is less for my personal gain at getting to observe you in a closed environment, as invigorating as I'm sure that would be," He did nothing to hide his dry amusement at her even thinking that was his intention with the offer, "And more a thought as to your pending employment with Koenma. I would do it only because I believe he would have had me do it in the first place were his mind on task, not because I think that forcing you to be cooped up all day is the ideal solution to your problem."

Here he sighed slightly, "As to getting you into a different school, Meiou enrollment would certainly take up less of my time as the paperwork will be an extra breeze and it is unlikely you will not be accepted since you will be doing so at my behest." Here he moved off back in the direction of the school, assuming she would follow, "Just don't expect me to do your homework."3

A small sound of irritation managed to escape Akari's lips for what felt like the thousandth time today. As he droned on and on, or at least that's what it seemed to her, Akari felt tempted to simply walk away. Yet his comment had her standin there, crossing her arms over her chest, lightly tapping her fingers on her arms. She wasn't sure how she thought of this person matching her sarcasm and figuring her out, and then offering to enrol her in the school he attended. He almost seemed as if he was everywhere, a personality almost too large to comprehend- caring to those he worked with and completely cold with those he didn't, yet still seeming to offer assistance. She didn't know how to handle it just yet. So she stuck with what she knew. "Who knows, maybe you'll get a show," she sneered, shrugging her shoulders again. She disregarded anything else he said about enrollment, only having half listened anyways, but as soon as he turned to walk away, she raised a brow. It isn't that he trusts me, but that he trusts his own capabilities. This whisper from her conscious brought curiosity with it. Not many times before had she seen someone turn their back on someone who was considered an enemy, or disliked and distrusted in the very least. She huffed another big breath of air and decided to follow, as she assumed he wanted her to do.

She stayed silent a bit, watching his back as he casually strolled down the sidewalk. Part of her wanted to pick him apart, figure out what bothered him and use it, but another part of her recalled the cavern at Demon Door's Cave and shivered internally at the memory. She had sensed his demon energy from the start, yet it seemed no one had known what type of demon he was.

Suddenly, her brain caught up with her, registering the words he had said at least a whole minute earlier. Her expression turned sour, though her lips were curved upwards in mocking amusement. "Please, like I'd ask your help on simple paperwork." She paused, moving just a bit quicker to get only a tad closer, but not enough to be within arm's length of the redhead. "You're putting yourself on a pretty high pedestal, don't you think? You aren't a God."

~!**!~

Hiei raised a brow and glanced at the red fruit in her hand. He scrutinized it from the short distance and found that, at that moment, he wasn't interested in the food. At all. So, when she tossed it to him, he merely caught it out of instinct and stared at it. Again, he didn't know what to make of it, the smell or the appearance. He picked a seed from the outer layer and looked it over with a raised brow of uncertainty. He sniffed it again before giving in to curiosity.

Hiei sunk his teeth into the smallest bite possible, only taking a moment to figure out that it wasn't exactly an enticing treat, but it wasn't something he disliked either. He took another bite, this time taking a mouthful of the red object, and thinking harder about the taste. Bitter, yet kind of sweet. Odd, definitely. Different than anything else he'd eaten before. But he found himself popping the rest of it into his mouth with indifference. Once he had swallowed it, he registered that maybe he actually enjoyed the taste. So, when Toriko slid into a seat across from him and slid a bowl to him filled with the little red fruit called Strawberry, he picked a small piece out and ate it alone while his eyes and nose surveyed the frozen lump of cream-colored something in front of him. He raised a brow and looked up at Toriko, waiting for an explanation about what she had offered him. While he waited, he clasped the spoon and took a small sample of the frozen treat, carefully slipping the spoon into his mouth for the small sample.

The taste was almost an entire shock to Hiei. It was cold and sweet, something he hadn't exactly expected. It froze his teeth and throat, making him give a small cough of surprise and to glare at the bowl, as if it had actually harmed him. And then he turned accusing eyes onto Toriko, silently demanding an explanation for the shock of cold. *

Ravenously making her way through the treat, Toriko did not look up until she had scraped the end of her spoon at the very bottom in the hopes of getting the last liquid remains of the ice cream into her mouth.

As she sat back from the bowl into her chair, she pushed her glasses up from where they had fallen farther down her nose while she bent over the ice cream, only now taking stock of Hiei and his demanding glare.

"If you don't like it, I'm eating it." She made as if to reach over and take the bowl from him.

~!**!~

Kurama allowed his mouth to twitch into a small smile at Akari's remark, knowing she spoke only out of ignorance on the matter and not allowing himself to become ruffled at her comment.

"A demon not a god among humans?" Kurama mused, "Well, certainly not anyone lower than B Class." He knew perfectly well that her demon class was likely at the low end of the B spectrum at the very least, but he felt as if her arrogance on the matter needed to be met on equal ground or she would never learn. 3

Akari raised a brow at the redhead, unsure of how to react. Several thoughts came to mind, but she refrained for a moment before huffing. Then a sneer formed on her features. Amusement filtered through to the forefront of her mind and dominated her thoughts for a moment. The longer she kept her mouth shut, the wider her grin grew until she snickered aloud. "It's nice to think you're clever. Nice joke though. It actually made me laugh." She forced her hands into the pockets of her jeans as she walked, her expression swiftly shifting. "I'm not sure what you're playing at, but I am no lower than a B class. I thought that was evident, since not many people can create illusions for dimensional beasts." She paused, eyes narrowing at the back of his head. "Maybe I should've let him leave. It'd save me of this trouble, dealing with someone like you. Frankly, you piss me off."

The dog at her heels, which she had forgotten, growled in the direction of the redhead and she rounded on it, waving a hand at it in the calmest way possible. "Shoo, you pest." She hadn't realized that she'd said it in a low voice until s growl vibrated in her chest and the animal tucked tail and walked away. Without thinking much about it, she turned and continued walking, huffing lightly. "And quite frankly, as much as people say you're the smart one on the team of the new detective, I find your thought process closed off and bothersome." Another huff. "Below B class, my ass."

~!**!~

Hiei watched Toriko devour her bowlful of the extremely cold treat with a small glare, waiting expectantly. By the time she had raised her eyes to his, he had a bit of strawberry in his mouth, taking the safe route. While his mouth no longer stung from the odd sensation of the overly cold cream, he didn't chance another bite.

However, when she reached for his bowl, his glare darkened and he moved it just out of her reach, merely making his point by grabbing another strawberry bit and popping it into his mouth. He didn't threaten her, by any means, but he wasn't going to waste the strawberries she had cut up, especially since he found himself liking them the more he ate them. "What is this ridiculous substance," he inquired as he poked at the ice cream, watching it move around. Curiously, he chanced another bite, this time finding that it didn't cause sudden pain to his teeth or throat. At least, not to the intensity as before. It was withstandable now that he expected it.

He found that the sugary substance appealed to his taste, causing him to not only take another bite, but to actually almost crave the next one before he finished the current spoonful. And, when he decided to try something else and add the strawberry to the cream, he felt the perfect blend of taste. Before he knew it, he was staring at an empty bowl, curiously waiting for an explanation. What is it and why do I crave more? *

"The humans call it 'ice cream.'" Toriko explained, "Though it always seemed more like 'sweet snow' to me. I think perhaps they use a type of dairy in the mixture and name it such." She found herself smiling at him as he stared at his bowl, recognizing his expression as she often wore it herself in regards to the dessert.

Before he could say another word, she swept their bowls up off to the counter with the intention of giving them both another serving.

"Do you want more strawberries too?" She called as she fetched the bucket once more from its place in the freezer and returned to the countertop to grab the ice cream scoop.

~!**!~

"Do not mistake me," Kurama said darkly as they continued down the sidewalk, "I find your presence as enjoyable as I did Elder Toguro's. And almost as trying. I don't think you yet realize how much I do know about you, nor how open my mind truly is, but allow me to give you the smallest unadulterated taste of my non-judgemental observations."

He made a small motion to indicate the dog that slowly moved away from them in defeat. "You act as if you have no idea why that dog immediately took a liking to you, and yet I would have thought scars as deep as yours would be a constant reminder as to his avid interest in your person."

He went on without waiting for her reaction, "So, if you're done testing my thought processes, I suggest we get to the school quickly before the teachers leave for the day and we are stuck in one another's company tomorrow once more. I don't think either of us wish to remain in the other's presence for a minute longer than necessary."3

Akari felt the change in the redhead in front of her, felt the change in the air around him, and immediately the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she narrowed her eyes even further. The moment he began speaking, she felt a stir in her stomach that told her she'd picked a fight she wouldn't win. She'd gotten under his skin, just as she'd been trying to do all along, and his response was a complete blow. Her stomach churned and instinctively a hand moved to the top of her head, her fingertips tracing the scars atop her head. She snarled out of mere instinct, feeling backed into a corner even though she had put herself there. Her lips twitched, threatening to pull back over her teeth in an even louder threat that said he had crossed a very thin line. Yet, at the same time, another emotion pulled at the forefront of her mind, echoing in the very recesses of her mind. I'd forgotten what it feels like, communicating with someone who cares not for my past nor my future. She wasn't sure what the emotion was; shame or embarrassment, possibly, but her anger shadowed it entirely. Every inch of her being wanted to strike, wanted to show him that she did not enjoy a game of personal attacks, but she refrained, only allowing her snarl to fade off.

She took a deep breath and forced a calm expression, though her tone was anything but unwavering. "It's too bad I can't show you that pain. I'd gladly do so, though I'm sure not only would I end up in a fight that I am not naive enough to instigate, but I'd lose my life in the process. While you may not believe so, I do have things I wish to do, and being near any of you and your team is not on the agenda." She stuffed her balled fists into her pockets again, not really realizing she had been clenching them hard enough to draw blood until that moment. She felt the slightest bit of temptation to bring up the boy he had killed, Game Master, but something told her to refrain. And that is exactly what she did: silenced herself. If possible, she wouldn't say another word.

~!**!~

Hiei didn't react when the bowl was taken from him aside from following Toriko's motions. His mind lulled over the words that made up the name of the treat: Ice cream, he thought as he watched her grab the bucket from the freezer again. Like she had said, he didn't agree with the name. As she had indicated, it reminded him of sweetened snow. And he found himself fond of such a thing, such a concept. It had appealed to his taste buds and had tickled his throat once he got accustomed to the cold.

As Toriko spoke, he raised a brow at her, as if the question was unnecessary. Of course, he didn't expect her to see it with her back to him, so he responded with a simple response of what he thought, what he had expected. "Don't they go together?"

In truth, he had thought that the strawberries were supposed to go with the sweet snow. He had assumed that the strawberries were made for this very purpose: to accompany the sweet taste and slightly contradict it, yet add to the flavor at the same time. Obviously, he didn't know as much as he had thought he did. *

Toriko felt a trifle confused at Hiei's question, scooping more ice cream into their bowls. "You mean all the time? No." She began slicing the tops off more strawberries, feeling too impatient to enjoy more of the treat to do any more than slice them in half this time. "Though I suppose that means you want more?"

~!**!~

"I would not wish your circumstances on anyone." Kurama said truthfully after taking a large breath in an attempt to clear his emotions. "And I appreciate you not completely throwing my words back in my face. I did not mean to belittle your situation. I hope that your time under Koenma seems to pass in the blink of an eye." And he meant it.

Neither of them said a word as they made their way the next few blocks to the school. Kurama led her onto the grounds and wove his way through the corridors to where he knew the principal would be at this hour.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir," Kurama started to say when the older man did not take notice of them at his door immediately.

"Minamino!" The principal's face brightened, "What brings you here? Please, come in, sit down. Who's your friend?"

"Her name is Akari, sir. She would like to be enrolled at the school."

The principal sized the girl up for a moment, "Well, if she's here at your request, I don't see why we can't get the paperwork done. Let me dig around here and find it for you. You can attend immediately?" He aimed the last question at Akari as he got up to dig through one of the file cabinets.

Kurama glanced at Akari out of the corner of his eyes and nodded slightly to her in case she was not sure how to answer.3

Akari hadn't said anything to Kurama's words that were, in her opinion, as close to an apology as she would get, not that she wanted one. She had earned a comment, but hadn't been quick enough to expect something of that magnitude. So, she disregarded his words entirely and walked in silence the rest of the way. She took careful mental note of how to get to the building, and even more careful note of the inside when he lead her through the doors.

By the time they were in a small office, Akari had her expression under complete control, her hands at her sides calmly and her breathing normal all over again, as if nothing had happened on the trek up here. She stood to the side, close to the door in case she decided to change her mind.

Yet, when the elder man turned to her and inquired of her availability, she met his gaze evenly and nodded. "Of course. I've just arrived in town, so I'm searching for a school, and this one was recommended. I can appear as soon as you'll have me." She spared no glance to Kurama as she watched the man rifle through files upon files of work, the sound almost irritating her. "If I may ask, what time do classes begin?" she inquired, deciding to at least act like she was from a different area, more as a cover than anything else.

~!**!~

Hiei speculated the new information as he listened to her scoop copious amounts of ice cream into the bowls, his eyes following the motion curiously. It came out of the tub just as easily as he had thought it would, the substance being soft enough to simply abide by the whims of the person who desired it. When he heard her question, he closed his eyes calmly, as if he were suddenly tired, but in reality he was picturing the sweets from Demon world, all of which were nothing compared to this. "Indeed," was his lone response. He wasn't sure what he enjoyed more: the fruit or the sweet snow. *

When Toriko turned around with their bowls and caught Hiei in his moment of thought, she paused in mid-step, appreciating the curve of his cheek and the line of his jaw, finding his appearance quite enjoyable and tilting her head slightly to the side as she stared, unabashedly appreciating the handsomeness of his face while he was not able to look back.

~!**!~

"You will be expected to be in your homeroom at eight-thirty a.m. sharp." The man found the pages he looked for and plopped them down on the side of the desk nearest to her.

"If you decide to pursue some of our extracurricular club activities, some of them have morning practices that require you to be on the grounds as early as seven, though I'm sure they'll tell you that should you be interested."

He sat back down behind the desk, "I imagine Minamino has already informed you that the only opening we have at the moment is in his class, so I'll leave it up to him to show you around. He's more than up for the task. I won't worry about your application being submitted before your attendance. If Minamino here vouches for you, I can't imagine finding a better student to fill the space. Just bring it with you in the morning and hand it directly to me. I'll take care of things from my end and make sure it's official before you set foot on the grounds tomorrow."3

Akari watched the man, nodding when it felt necessary here and there. Occasionally, she made a sound that meant she was listening, but her eyes were elsewhere, taking in the items in and on his desk as he had rifled through everything. However, as soon as the papers slapped onto the surface, she stepped forward with a small smile. "I'm sure," she began, part of her hating what she was about to say, "that Minamino is one of your top students." She felt that she'd complimented him, but it was the only way she could say she acknowledged what the man was saying about accepting her. It took everything in her power to keep a calm smile in place, so much so that she felt a bit of heat in her cheeks. "I'll have this to you first thing," she said calmly, glancing at the paperwork as she picked it up. Her eyes roved over them quickly, gathering some information before looking up again. "I look forward to the classes you have to offer." For a moment, she recalled a couple of kids walking down the street the day before, talking about a very specific school, and she mimicked their words easily. "I've heard much about this school and its high ranks. It will definitely be interesting."

The man smiled at her and suddenly held out a small bag, opening it up to reveal clothing materials. "There are several sizes in here. Take these home, and wear the one that fits you best to school tomorrow."

Akari nodded and accepted the bag, glancing inside for a brief moment. "Thank you." She glanced at the clock on the wall, as if it were significant to check the time. "Now, please excuse me, but I have somewhere else to run to really fast. Thank you for your time." For once, she offered her hand to be shaken and gave a small bow before turning and leaving the room, not caring to wait on Kurama, or Minamino, as the man had called him.

~!**!~

Hiei had glanced down without meaning to when he began recalling the different sweets in the demon world. He called several images in his mind of different treats he had indulged in during his free time there, whether he had stolen it or actually earned it did not matter. They had each had their own flavor, their own texture, and he had liked a few of them.

But none of them compared to the substance he found himself suddenly looking up and searching for. Instead, his eyes met Toriko's, and he watched her almost curiously. Her head was turned at an odd angle, as if trying to see something in a different light, and her lips were slightly parted in thought. He raised a brow at her.

"Is there something of interest I can help you with?" he asked, his tone even, as if he wasn't amused by something so small as the way she was watching him. *

Her eyes roved his profile, still appreciating the cut of his face, and when he turned to look at her, she didn't seem to register that there was anything wrong with how she let her eyes roam over his features, his crimson eyes giving away his real thoughts on the way she looked at him.

Safely behind the thick lenses of her glasses, a slight buzz trickled across her eyes and thrilled through her body as she continued for a moment longer to take in his lips, his hair, one set of fingers encircling a bowl twitching as the brief thought of running them through the spikes flashed over her mind before he spoke and broke the spell she placed on herself.

Just enough of the tingle in her body remained in that next second that she blurted out before she could think, "No. You are simply a remarkably attractive creature and I was briefly distracted."

Her own words sent the tingle dropping out of her toes suddenly and she lowered her gaze, a great nervousness replacing any sense of pleasure looking at him had consumed her with as she did so. "I-I'm sorry." She breathed as she put the bowl down in front of him in a clatter, immediately lowering herself into the chair next to him and burying herself into eating the ice cream as if it would distract her from the awkwardness she felt right then.

~!**!~

Kurama nodded briefly at the principal who just smiled as the redhead swiftly turned and followed Akari out the door, easily able to keep pace with her brusque speed as she found her way outside of the school.

"I admit I'm impressed." He intoned when they made it through the main doors. "I was going to offer to walk you here in the morning, but it appears you are quite capable of handling yourself. See in you class."3

Akari walked calmly through the halls, using small checkpoints she had noted as she passed on her way to the front doors. She ran a hand through her curls and took a deep breath, more than aware of Kurama following behind. And as soon as she stepped foot outside and he spoke, she paused for a mere moment. For a second, she glanced over her shoulder at him, her expression bored. "You didn't expect me to live with Sensui for a decade and not figure out how to make sure I got around, did you? Now that would be a stupid assumption." With that, she turned and walked away, hands stretched into the air almost languidly as she left the school gates and headed due north, her mind on getting back to the building she had taken to occupying at night. In her mind, she pictured the things she needed to fill out the paperwork, and for once, she felt a bit of satisfaction at saving something Sensui had done for her. At least the ID and Social Security Card will be useful, unlike everything else. she thought as she walked, arms dropping to swing by her sides.

~!**!~

Hiei watched her curiously, all trace of amusement slowly slipping from him as she didn't answer right away. He noted that she didn't move even in inch aside from a few muscle twitches and her eyes, if he was seeing through the lenses correctly. And then his eyes were brought to her twitching hand, and momentarily he felt suspicion. However, the next emotion that came over him was shock; her words left him, at first, stunned and at a loss for words, though his expression gave none of that away. He simply kept a calm atmosphere around himself as he stared at the female who now stuttered an apology out as she slid a bowl to him. Not even the right bowl, but he didn't point it out; he didn't care much about germs- he'd live in a hell if he did care. Instead, he scoffed and picked at the strawberries, eating them first before continuing on with the soft, sweet snow. "Perhaps you should think before you speak, if you're that embarrassed," he said suddenly, not letting his face nor tone give away any of his thoughts on the words she had said to him. In truth, he didn't know how to respond, but he wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself. So he played it off and acted as if he didn't care one way or the either.. *

"But it's true!" She protested, unsure if he thought she was embarrassed for saying something she did think was truth. Which wasn't the case.

She didn't look up from her bowl either way, and squeezed her eyes shut, trying very hard to continue to say what was on her mind as he always did.

A wash of her energy roiled over her entire body, uncalled for, and she found herself speaking miraculously the words at the tip of her tongue without hesitation, spilling out into the air, "You're a very fine specimen of demon, obviously fire-type, though most people couldn't tell that just by looking at you, and your eyes are a fascinating shade of crimson, even if I'm not quite sure why you decided to have aesthetic surgery to add an extra eye, but I'm sure it's just as handsome as the rest of you, though I agree with you decision to keep it hidden while here in Human World as I'm sure it would draw more than a few looks."

She paused to take a breath and her energy swooped back out of her, leaving her a little breathless and turning her cheeks pink as she remembered what exactly she said.3

~!**!~

Akari had walked rather swiftly, as if getting the paperwork done was top priority. However, the moment she stepped into the fully furnished house and her nose caught a huge whiff of the stuffy, dirty air that moved when the wind did, she merely stood for a moment. Then, without thinking twice about it, she tossed the papers unceremoniously onto a nearby surface- a coffee table- and left all over again. She had returned to the park bench where she had taken to use for her afternoon naps when she wanted nothing better than such a thing. And, for a short moment, she lay there in peace, no children around or anything of the sort. She wouldn't sleep, but she felt as if laying here would help her sort her emotions from earlier, help her work through them and them forget them.

Indeed, as she had thought earlier, the redhead's comment had not only angered her, but made her feel ashamed. In the eyes of a demon, their physical traits were everything. Without the things that identified one as a demon, one was almost considered human. It was something Kings in the demon realm established for their servants- disobey and you lose something of your demon skin. It was a symbol of shame, of ignorance being paid off with pain and shame for everyone to see. It was-

Akari's eyes snapped open at the sudden pressure that was added to her stomach, her frayed emotions causing her nerves to become a mirror, and for a second she thought she would have to fight. However, she met soft brown eyes of a small puppy- the same pup she had thought she had gotten rid of- and she immediately sighed a breath of relief. For a few moments, she watched him get comfortable until he was curled on her abdomen, eyes watching her as he laid his chin on his paws. After a moment, Akari sighed again and ran her hand along his soft, thick, light brown fur, and he moved a paw as if to meet her gesture, showing the white on his chest as he gave a small sound that made her smile, for the first time in a very long time, a soft and genuine smile. "You're so small. Tell me, how do you make it in this world? Surely you have no owner…." When the dog only responded with a turn of its head, she sighed and rested her head on her arm and closed her eyes. "It's alright. You can stay. I won't harm you."

~!**!~

Hiei had stuffed a spoonful of the sweet snow into his mouth just as Toriko began speaking up again. For a moment, her voice wavered, and then she became completely sure of herself and said her next words with strong dedication. And for a moment, he was more than slightly amused, his sneer being the only hint of such emotions. However, as soon as she began naming what type of demon he was and brought up his third eye, his sneer practically dissolved into the air and he began paying very close attention to every move she made from muscle twitches to deliberate motions of her hands. It was possible Kurama had enlightened her on those facts, except for the way she introduced her knowledge of such things.

Finally, when she commented on how 'beautiful' his Jagan would be, his amusement returned tenfold before shifting again to complete seriousness. He didn't respond right away; no, he was measuring her energy and how it continued to fluctuate. As he eyed her with another spoonful of Ice cream in his mouth, he thought of the various ways she would have figured that all out without anyone telling him. Sure, demons with red eyes normally are fire wielders, but that is only the case with about 75% of the populace with red eyes. Perhaps she had figured it out simply by watching? He wasn't sure, but he opened his mouth anyways.

"If you so believe that my third eye is so beautiful, then you obviously need more time to observe." His tone was even as he stood from his chair and moved to the counter, placing his empty bowl where she had been standing when he first arrived. He considered showing her, but did nothing of the sort. Instead he turned to face her again, eyes dark, though he felt no anger, only slight irritation. "Indeed it has its value, but beautiful is not the word. I do not do anything that pertains to how I look merely because that is a waste of my time. I have no idea what Prosthetic Surgery is, but I can assure you that I have never experienced it, since it seems directly involved with how one looks. I hold no interest in experimenting with my looks, and I never will." *

Toriko tilted her head to the side as he spoke, though her face still stared deeply into her bowl as if it would reveal the darkest secrets of the universe and she had only to stare. When she spoke again, her voice was much quieter, more even, feeling more herself than she had in the last several moments.

"Why would every part of you not be attractive? Even an additional eye?" She shook her head, "I cannot speak for the humans that I find myself surrounded with even after all this time, because I do not see them for what they are, but even in my misplaced memory I can recall no non-human ever having not been so." She finally looked up off into the distance, "Even as twisted as their spirit may be, they are still..." She faded off, feeling her entire body tense as she vaguely touched memories that scared her, as any remembrance of time past tended to do.

Worthy of love.

She turned around to face him, bringing her bowl with her as she stood and crossed the room, coming up next to him to take his bowl and shifting a few steps to the right to place it and hers in the sink, turning on the water and letting it pour and fill the bowls.

"And I never used the word, 'beautiful.' That was a word of your own conjuring. Though I suppose a swordsman would be familiar with the term, as a blade can be considered very pleasing to the eye." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, just as quickly turning her gaze back to the sink, grabbing a scrubber to rid the bowls of stray food, though her eyes had softened a good deal and she regarded the bowls with a sort of kindness not meant for them.

"I did not mean to presume you were the type to adjust your appearance out of sake of vanity. There are many humans who do so, and not a few non-humans who do the same. The two are not so different, really." She had stopped her business of cleaning and was looking off into the distance again.3

Hiei stayed where he had placed himself, even leaning against the counter in a lazy manner as his eyes calmly followed Toriko when she moved as well. He raised a brow at her words of his eye once more, this time out of curiosity rather than incredulity. He didn't interrupt her as she continued to speak, his mind taking in her words and considering them carefully. He found it odd for a demon to compliment everyone as a whole. It was so unlike anything he'd heard before. Normally a demon would ridicule other demons for not being as fair as they should be, or as fair as the person issuing the insult. Normal demons would think themselves above everyone else in the department of looks, but she seemed to think everyone and everything had worth when it came to that department. His mind ticked through the possible reasons behind her view, but none of them seemed to fit in with her personality. At all. So he settled for simply listening, wondering if she'd drop a hint somewhere subtle where she thought he wouldn't notice. But as her lips continued to move and her words continued on, he found himself unable to figure her out- at least to the depth he wanted to. He shifted his weight just a tad and stood upright, as if he were about to take his leave.

"Perhaps," he said casually, his voice even and betraying no emotions, "one day you will witness it." He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his cloak and turned to face her from where he now stood by the table. His curiosity kept him planted there, whereas normally he would have left much sooner. Much, much sooner. However, for now, he felt the need to linger, as if something would come to him, something would come of this, if he stayed. "Then you wouldn't consider it only for looks. After all, why cover something up if it is meant to be shown off?"

"Why?" Toriko went back to her washing, blinking twice in thought, finishing and wiping the bowls dry with a towel before putting them in the drying rack that held her other dishes from dinner. It was at this point she turned to face him, catching his steady gaze in her own.

"Because it is meant to remain hidden. If not for aesthetics, then it serves some deeper purpose, and whatever secret it protects keeps it behind a cloth and out of the direct sight of prying eyes." She did not break her stare with him.

"And why do you hide it. That is the question." She did not expect him to answer her and did not actually pose it as a question, perse, for a secret was not meant to be shared, and certainly not between two persons who barely knew one another.

So, she took off her apron, slipping it over the top of her head and folding it once before placing it on the counter.

"Stay or leave. My home is open to you. My existence is mundane and I cannot imagine it holding the slightest interest for such a fair beast as wild as yourself, but you will do as you please, I think, for whatever greater purpose your mind deems appropriate." As she spoke, she walked past him without so much as giving him another glance, making her way up the stairs to her bedroom and sitting cross-legged on the bed, wryly taking note of the window open and the curtains blowing in the breeze as she opened a textbook and proceeded to finish her homework.3

Hiei merely met Toriko's gaze and kept it level with his own, not even showing a reaction to her inquiry other than watching her. He didn't feel like answering, since he felt that if she truly wanted to know, she'd either ask Kurama or simply wait and figure it out herself. So he simply turned away to leave, listening as she spoke and pausing with his back to her. And as her words continued, he felt the slightest bit of emotion towards her words; it was ironic that she felt that way, since he found himself even more curious than before about her, yet she saw herself as small and not much worthy of someone's attention. As soon as she passed him, he scoffed and watched her go by before following silently, deciding he'd go the way he came and not bother with the locked front door.

By the time he reached the room he had entered through, she was sitting on her bed, nose in a book and a pen in her hand, but he didn't pause to take it all in. He merely walked by her and lifted himself into the windowsill. With only the smallest glance back for curiosity's sake, he let himself drop to the nearest tree branch and proceeded to vacate the premises entirely.

If curiosity still had this grip on him later, he could always go back for observation. *


Minamino - family or surname

Jagan Eye - (wiki) Evil Eye

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star