FW: Ok, first off, thanks for waiting so long! Second off, sorry for making you wait so long! Explanation time: my other two stories, "WHAT did you just say?" and what "Kurama's REALLY thinking" have been taken down by because they count as "lists" and not actually stories. I got a penalty for posting them. Couldn't write until now. So you see, it's not fair to throw random objects at me for that!
Yusuke: (throws a random object at her)
FW: HEY! Didn't you listen?
Yusuke: I didn't throw it for being away, I threw it for coming back!
FW: …Glad to know I'm loved.
Botan: I'm actually looking forward to this! I like music!
Hiei: (his aura starts becoming visible)
Kurama: Hiei….
FW: Ok… TIME TO START!
Diclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, or any instrument. Except my own trumpet, and I don't own Google either, nor the images. STARTMr. Nesul obviously had a lot of experience dealing with angry teenagers, for he walked into the room without hesitation, despite Hiei's glare, Yusuke's boredom, and Kuwabara's frustration. Kurama set his book aside, and Botan finally shut her mouth. "Now you know who I am, introduce yourselves, if you don't mind."
"We mind." Hiei stated flatly, earning a curious look from their new teacher, and glares from his teammates.
"That's Hiei. He's a bit… anti-social," Kurama said, casting Hiei a quick don't-mess-with-me look. Hiei hn'ed and turned away. "My name is Kurama. Pleased to meet you."
For a second, Yusuke thought Kurama actually made a mistake in calling himself by his demon name. He quickly remembered the next quirk to their identities though. For once, Kurama wouldn't be using his human name. Koenma knew that if his mother, being very interested in his school life, happened to hear about her son in another school, she would want to talk to the school's head, would cause problems. Especially since they were "orphans." Koenma wasn't worried about the other members because Hiei and Botan had no parents to speak of, and not in the human world regardless, Kuwabara's sister would know about the mission and have no problem with it, and Yusuke's mom just flat out wouldn't care.
Yusuke grinned. To think, he almost thought the almighty Kurama made a mistake….
Mr. Nesul was musing as well during this time, and now spoke up. "What about your last name?"
Kurama feigned sadness, something easy to do, what with him being a master thief. "My last name is unknown. Even to myself. I was found as a young child, before my memory. I adopted the name "Kurama" from a fairy tale I read." Hiei smirked a little. Everyone, except the teacher, knew he was talking about his former self.
"Sorry I asked. Is Hiei like that too?"
"Yes, I'm afraid," Kurama lied easily. "He never actually chose the name, the orphanage did so for identification purposes.
Botan wasn't as good as keeping a straight face, and giggled giddily at the redhead's joke, turning the attention to her. "Oh, right! My name is Botan!"
"Do you have a last name?"
Here, she hesitated. With Kurama and Hiei not claiming last names, it may have looked suspicious if she didn't either. She really didn't have one though! Thinking quickly, she chose a name randomly.
"Jaganshi."
Yusuke choked on a cigarette no one knew he'd been smoking. Kuwabara looked like he was going to faint. Kurama stared blankly at her, for once dumbfounded. Hiei, well, he looked ready to kill.
"I'm Yusuke Urameshi, toughest kid on the block!" Yusuke broke the silence quickly, hoping to spare Botan a painful death.
"And I'm Kazuma Kuwabara, the real toughest kid on the block!" Kuwabara jumped in.
Mr. Nesul blinked.
"I don't think it was a good idea to include your "toughness" in your introductions," Kurama muttered to Yusuke, who ignored him.
Mr. Nesul put any uneasiness aside quickly, and smiled warmly at them all. "I'm grateful you all have an interest in music, but it isn't all fun and games. Are you sure you're up for this?"
After all their affirmations, he continued. "Well, what instrument do you play?"
The killer question. No of them could actually do anything. Or so they thought.
"I'm a little rusty, but I think I can still play the flute," Botan answered, thoughtful.
The others just went with their instincts.
"Drums," Yusuke answered, with a strange feeling that he was deciding how he wanted to die, like how sometimes people are given the choice of gun or knife.
"Trumpet," Kurama said, thinking somewhere in the back of his mind that trumpets are the most well-rounded instrument for beginners as far as the highest and lowest notes go.
"Sousaphone," Hiei answered, not really having any clue what he'd just said. (FW: If you don't know what a sousaphone is, go to Goole images and look it up)
"Nothing," Kuwabara said.
"He were causing trouble at the orphanage, so we decided to drag him along," Yusuke quickly added.
"Well then the first thing is to find an instrument for you," Mr. Nesul said, running a hand quickly through what remained of his almost chocolate colored hair. The hair that should have been in the center of his forehead and back about three inches was gone, and the rest would follow in a few years. "Follow me."
He led them all to another room, full of school instruments. For the first time since arriving here, Yusuke was impressed. There were all kinds of brass instruments all over the shelves, the golden color glittering beautifully. There were a few traces of silver and black, coming from flutes and clarinets too, but the main shine was definitely yellow.
Yusuke wasn't the only one impressed. Botan was humming again in delight.
Mr. Nesul stopped in the center of the room, turning to face them. "You can borrow your instruments from the school, but at the end of the season, you have to give them back."
"The fool. He says that as though we might actually want to keep them." Luckily, Hiei muttered that so softly, Mr. Nesul's aged hearing didn't pick it up.
"Now, Kazuma, was it? What would you like to try first?"
Yusuke could almost see the gears turning in his pal's head. Turning very slowly, mind you. "How about that?" He finally asked, pointing.
"…That's a drumstick."
Kuwabara frowned. "Ok, I'm lost. You pick something."
Mr. Nesul took a clarinet from a lower shelf and handed it to him. "See if you can play a note," he instructed.
Kuwabara played something, but it was far from a note.
"IT BURNS!" Yusuke yelled, covering his ears for protection.
"Stop!" Kurama almost yelled, following Yusuke's defense idea, watching the withering form of Botan on the floor.
Hiei wasn't as patient. He whipped out his ever-faithful sword, and sliced the offensive noisemaker in half. (FW: No, not Kuwabara, the clarinet)
No one moved.
"I hope you can pay for that."
END CHAPTER 2FW: And so we go. Usually, I don't plan ahead at all. It just sort of… comes to me. It helps me to use reviewer suggestions too. But this time, I have an idea! Hiei vs. the sousaphone! I don't know when I'll write it, but you can look forward to it, BECAUSE I WILL WRITE IT!
Kuwabara: What's a sousaphone?
Botan: Let's just say Hiei won't enjoy it very much.
Hiei: Hn.
FW: So, I'll see you all next time, reviews are appreciated, but not required. Flamers are welcome. As always, I'll take it in stride!
