Thanks for the reviews! =^~^= I'm going to give credit to reviewers when I can remember it! * sigh * But I'm not the brightest authoress as you can tell by my mediocre writing. It's okay, I'm happy to have so many reviewers, none-the-less! It shows that you people like my nonsense and I'm happy to have your opinions.
If you're interested in seeing your name, review! If you've reviewed the last chapter, proceed to the bottom where refreshments and cookies will be given out to the reviewers.
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The silver-haired Spirit Fox lifted his head. He smelled something strange. His stomach rumbled in response. Whatever it was, it smelled like food. He stretched his limbs and got up from his corner where he slept. He opened the door and sniffed the air. Ah…there it was. In a flash, a white struggling creature was caught in his hands. He sniffed it. It was a rabbit. Makai rabbits were an excellent food. Would the surface world's rabbits taste equally good?
He bent his head to bite into the creature's neck to kill it instantly. At least it wouldn't suffer. He took it inside the house to his corner and flexed his claws to skin the rabbit.
A light turned on. Youko's eyes adjusted to the sudden light easily. He met Botan's furious gaze and looked down at the dead creature guiltily.
"What are you doing to the poor thing?" Botan demanded. She had come to get a glass of water when she had heard the door open and close. She pulled the silk robe tightly around her slim body, suddenly aware that his piercing gaze had caught the lacy nightgown beneath. Her face pinked slightly.
"It's food," Youko announced simply. He held the rabbit up politely. "Care for a bite? The meat around the spine is the most tender."
He got a grimace in reply. "N-no thanks. Why didn't you tell me you were hungry? I could've made a sandwich for you."
"What's a sandwich? These human words are so peculiar." He shook his hair away from his amber eyes. "Besides, I'm capable of finding my own food." He dangled the rabbit by the ears and presented it to her. "You can have some if you want," he repeated.
Botan took the limp animal and wrinkled her nose. "I can make it taste better than it does now."
"I'll skin it if you don't mind." Youko slashed the pelt around the neck and pulled it off easily in one smooth move.
"Thanks, I guess. How hungry are you?"
"Depends. How long will it take you to prepare this?"
"It'll be ready by six. I'll throw some things in a pot and make a soup out of it." She yawned and looked at the clock. It was two in the morning. "About four hours."
"I suppose I can wait."
"Good. Help me fix it up."
Youko followed her unenthusiastically and watched Botan slip on an apron over the silk gown. "Here, get this knife and cut these vegetables."
Youko took the knife in his hand, as one would hold a dagger. He stabbed the carrot.
"What are you doing? Haven't you used a knife before?"
"Yes, I have…once. I killed a demon with one."
"Oh…I see. This is a knife used for cutting things to eat." She sighed at Youko's blank expression. "Here, I'll show you. You hold it like this." She took his hand and wrapped his hand correctly around the handle of the knife. She guided him to cut the vegetables.
Youko smiled and began to cut the vegetables on his own. "How do you know all these things? You've been in Makai for the past couple of years have you not?"
"Yes, but remember I told you I was a slave to the Yakuza? I cooked and cleaned for them."
Youko snorted. "I remember. Slave girl, eh? Are you sure you weren't more than a maid?"
The amethyst eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say here?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just wondering if you weren't an…shall I say…sex toy to the demons?"
"What?! I should kill you for saying that!" Botan held the knife close to Youko's throat. "Take it back," she said in a low growl.
He smirked. She had the guts to flash a knife at his direction. How charming. "I was joking, no need to kill me over a joke."
Botan eyed him angrily and returned to chopping the rabbit meat.
The ingredients were dumped into a large pot. "There. Don't catch anything else. This will stew for a good four hours. When I wake up, it'll be ready. Good night…or morning. It is two!" she smiled at is it was a joke. She kissed Youko casually on the cheek and went to her room.
When she was gone, the fox rubbed his cheek. The woman evoked emotions in him he had never felt before. It frightened him, now that he thought about it. Her contact with his skin made his skin flare. It was astounding…but at the same time, it charmed him. He knelt before the fire and fell asleep.
His nose picked up an appetizing scent. He sat up and saw Botan stirring the contents of the pot. He angled his head at what she was wearing. She wore a short, pleated black skirt and a white long-sleeved shirt. Right now the sleeves were pushed up and the fox was able to see more of her milky white skin. Her azure hair was back in a ponytail.
She seemed to sense his gaze. She looked over her shoulder to find Youko goggling at her. "Oh, you're up," she said easily, acting as if she didn't feel self-conscious when he looked at her. In truth, she felt very uncomfortable. She knew she wasn't ugly, but personally she felt she wasn't pretty enough to be graced by the handsome Fox Spirit's presence.
Youko, on the other hand, found her very pretty…not that he was going to admit that to her. He had also seen girls much prettier than her on the occasions he came to the surface world. He sniffed the bowl that Botan had set on the table of the kitchen nook. He brought his tongue to the liquid and yelped as it burned his tongue. "It's hot!" he exclaimed. "Why are you trying to kill me? First it was the tweezers now you're trying to burn me from the inside."
"I forgot you're not used to cooked food," Botan said, giggling. "You have to blow on it to cool it. Here." She dipped a spoon in the soup and blew on it to cool it. She held it up to Youko's mouth. The fox reluctantly opened his mouth. "How does it taste?"
"Better," he answered simply.
"Good. You can do this by yourself, right? I have to finish getting ready."
"Where are you going?"
"School. It's a place where humans go to learn about human things."
"Can't I go too? I'm not staying locked up in this place."
"No, you can't. You don't even know how to use a spoon. You won't even show me your human form. What good would it be?"
"I can do anything you can do."
"Really…then can you write?" Botan pressed a pencil into his hand and lay a piece of paper down.
Youko knew how to write. It was a simple process even Makai demons knew how to do. He wrote his name out with a flourish.
"Youko…Kurama? That's your full name, is it? Youko Kurama?" Botan was amazed. His writing was exceptionally neat.
"Yes. What's your whole name?"
"I-I don't have a last name. I told the people at the school I was adopted. Everyone just calls me Botan anyway. Which brings me another point. If you're going to be a human, what human name would you have?"
"Suichi Minamino," Youko replied easily.
"How did you come up with that?"
"It's my human name. I told you that I was killed and reborn as a human. That's my name. I would live up here, but I have a reputation to maintain in Makai. My human mother is in the hospital anyway. The last I heard, she has a coma. I've lived in Makai for all 300 years of my live. The minute I was old enough to walk, I escaped to Makai. That's the reason why I don't know what most of these words like…sandwich is."
Botan blanched. "Wow! You're old!"
"Allow me to attend the human school with you! I'll be bored. I'll break out and kill more animals if you don't."
"Okay, we'll talk to the office and get you a uniform and everything." Botan picked up the phone and arranged everything.
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Botan twisted a strand of azure hair around a finger as she stared blankly at the geometry problem. She hated trying to figure out the length of a line within a circle was. There were so many equations! She referred to her notes and began to write down the answer with a doubtful expression etched onto her pretty face. 'It's probably wrong anyway. Might as well guess,' she thought. She felt an ominous feeling. Someone was looking at her. She peeped around and met the gaze of a young boy in her class.
She scanned her mind for his name. Matsuo Asakura.
(Disturbedvixen: The first name is pronounced Maht-su-oh. The last name is ah-sa-ku-rah)
He was the class brain—a freshman in a sophomore class. Not that his brain was the only amazing thing about him. His storm-gray eyes seemed larger behind his glasses. He was very good-looking. He smiled at her and bowed his head back over his paper. Botan blushed and turned her head just in time. The teacher was looming over them.
Mr. Toriyama…he was a harsh teacher and barely took a liking to any student. He only seemed to take pride in having Matsuo as a student. "Ten more minutes until you turn these in!" he announced.
Botan stole a glance at Matsuo as Mr. Toriyama's back was turned. Could this boy possibly have any interest in her? She was new and the girls found her strange. Maybe the boys found her strange too. She sighed inwardly and studied the paper without thinking. That would be hoping for too much. There's no way she would be worthy of someone who deserved such high standards.
The teacher swept his owl-like gaze across the classroom. "Come in," he bellowed, noticing the shadow behind the door of the classroom.
A tall, lithe boy entered the classroom. He wore the usual black uniform with white hems that was issued for the winter weather. His steps were graceful and sure. He stood tall with his hands thrown nonchalantly into the pockets of his pants, giving him an elegant yet relaxed look. His flaming crimson hair was a single unruly wave that stuck out in odd places and came to brush his shoulder blades. That alone was a beacon that made all around him stare at his hypnotic good looks. His emerald eye settled on the classmates and regarded them with careless curiosity. His eyes were alluring, but they seemed to give him a perpetually sad look. That made his female onlookers shiver with fearful desire.
Botan stared at him. He was gorgeous. She had never seen a man this handsome except…except for Youko, but of course he didn't count as a man. He was a cold-hearted demon whether he was going to change or not. She heard the girls around her erupt into disbelieving gasps. It had, indeed, seemed as if an angel had stepped into their midst.
"Ah, a new student I see. What's your name?" Mr. Toriyama boomed.
The boy's gaze met his easily. This was unusual. Very few people could stare Mr. Toriyama directly into the eyes without wavering. "My name, sir?" he repeated. His voice was a velvety purr. "My name is Suichi Minamino."
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Okay, it wasn't much of a cliffhanger, but there's always another chapter. For you people who are dying for mushy stuff, I'm sorry but it's going to be in chapters to come. Here you go! Cookies and acknowledgement to my loyal reviewers:
Dragonbabe: You're the first to review! I appreciate the review! Sorry, Hiei won't be in this fic. It's just Youko. If Hiei gets mad over that, just tie him up and give him some chocolate. He'll be fine. *watches Hiei run around the room on sugar high * Okay, maybe not… yeah, so here's some cookies. Maybe Hiei doesn't need them…
DarkAnimeChick: I already sent you an email about what I meant so I hope you don't get mad at me for giving you the answer again! Your review is appreciated! Cookies for you!
crazy nixie: I got more up! Get un-grounded as soon as possible! Oh, I finished Silent Whisper of Roses just to let you know. Thanx for your review! Cookies for you!
miyako14: Thanks for the complement! * bows * I updated so there you go! What else did I forget…? Oh yeah, your cookies!
Tyedye/Rin: Thanks for your complement as well! As you can see I updated and you have been acknowledged. Care for some cookies?
Thundercat: Gee, thanks for saying that. It's not all that good, but I appreciate the complement just the same. Here you go, cookies of your choice.
kittykat: I'm glad you found it funny! I did too. I didn't expect him to do it, but I just wrote it on a flash of insight. Thanks!
Moonlite Goddess: Yes, you must fear the evil tweezers! Okay, you don't have to, but it's your choice. Thanks for your review. Help yourself to cookies!
Mourning Fox: You've got a cool penname. I wish I thought of that… * pats you on the back * I wasn't saying everyone was thinking perverted! There might just be some people out there who like Youko a little too much… It's okay, calm down and have a cookie!
Fire Rose: Glad you liked it! Here's a cookie.
Rosie: It would be cool to see this episode wouldn't it? It'd be the most anyone would see of Kurama's chest. I'm not a genius * blushes *
PassionateAngel: I guess it was strange, but Youko isn't really used to people touching him. Imagine that you were a killer and people were afraid of you. Would you freak out too? Thanks for your review and enjoy your cookie!
Kuwa's killer: Thanks! Here's a cookie for your troubles.
chocogurl: Youko kinda clears things up for you in this chapter. You updated your fic, so it's okay, right? Here's a cookie!
KuramaandHiei4ever: I bet you're thrilled to see your name here! Moving is hard. I moved too and this state sux, but I'm putting up with the stupid people. Here's another chapter to make you feel better. No, you can't have the entire thing of cookies!
Dark Raxiel: Spanish girl, huh? I'm a Japanese girl! Thanks for your review!
Spooky Kitty: Don't worry, things will be revealed with a lot of drama mixed in! Thanks for the complements and here are your cookies.
That was a lot of people! Keep up the reviews!