Chapter One:
Off

Reviewers:

Cain Elphinstone

White Rose Fox

Springflowerangel

Disclaimer: All shows/ books/ video games/ songs that are mentioned in this chapter are all © to their respective owners, I don't own them.

And to the Anonymous reviewer, please leave your info or a name next time, I'd like to give you some real credit next time! 8D

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Well, something sure the hell ain't right.
- Captain Mal, "Serenity"

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It was well into her third month that Lauren realized that she hadn't looked for a new apartment or roommate yet. She'd grown used to Shuiichi, mostly due to the fact that she didn't see him very often at school or at the apartment, and grew less and less skittish around him as time went on. Still, it didn't mean she allowed her guard to be brought down, secretly still concerned as she was that if she didn't remain polite to him, he could very well turn nasty and throw her out on her butt. Of course, the teenager knew by now the chances of him acting in such an extreme manner was unlikely (not to mention out of character), but she wasn't taking any chances while she was still disoriented by her temporary move to Japan.

However, Lauren had noticed she was more comfortable with him than she had been when they'd first met. Partially due to the fact he was more than she expected, being without a doubt charming to a fault. He had been nothing but cordial and polite with her, showing that he at least accepted her company. Ever since that night in the kitchen, he would often cook meals for the both of them, without her knowing up until he knocked on her door and offered her a plate of food.

It also made a difference that she had gotten to know him a little more, what kind of common interests he had, that sort of thing. For example, that he had an interest in biology and botany and was making it his major, or that he'd recently had new additions to his family in the form of a young stepbrother and a stepfather. Apparently he would sometimes visit them, putting to rest Lauren's previous theory that he holed up in his room during the half of the day when he wasn't at class. He also would occasionally catch up with friends in town on the weekends when he wasn't working. But still, it was tidbits of information like this that made her realize how little she truly knew about him.

Well, maybe he actually gets out and does things, makes money while I'm waiting for a check from my parents. That's what I should look into, a job…

At least Lauren was getting better at the language. That certainly upped her chances of being employed. Already she could understand her professors and classmates better, to the point where she was able to read a decent amount Japanese. Perhaps a little more brokenly than she'd like, but she was getting better each day nonetheless. Maybe that would be enough to help her find work.

Which was why, one day after finishing a steady parade of classes and a surprise phone call from her mother later, Lauren went hunting for a job on the streets near the university and her apartment complex. Her reasoning was simple: that she couldn't always depend on her parents to send her checks every other week and needed to start pulling her own weight. Perhaps even help pay for the rent.

At this thought, she sighed. "But, I don't know if Shuiichi will like it, me butting in like that. Ohhhh…"

Lauren stopped to stare forlornly at the sign of a noodle house restaurant, with an an expression that might lead passerbys to think she'd experienced some traumatic event, like someone had run over her dog. Well, if she wasn't allergic to dogs and actually owned one, that is…

She shook her head, trying in vain to steeer her train of thoughts back on track. The fact was, Lauren did need the extra money, with the small amount she received from her parents usually eaten away by snack vending machines alone. Everything's so expensive here, and even if I don't help with the rent, I need more money for other things. Like school supplies…

It was then the blonde suddenly realized she'd been standing in front of the noodle restaurant for far longer than she intended. A few people were staring at her, and the teenager felt a light blush heating up her face, hurrying in the direction of the door to escape the many prying eyes. But it was just as she reached for the door handle that the door itself flew open, forcing her to leapt back out of the way and barely suppress a mild yelp of surprise. Something she was extremely glad of when she saw a familiar figure exiting the noodle house made her relax considerably.

Shuiichi.

He was with two other people she didn't recognize, but the way they all came out together, she could only guess they were friends. One was tall and gangly, with a head of uncommonly orange hair that threw her off momentarily. It wasn't usual to see someone with a color like that; Shuiichi was an anomaly, and she hazarded a guess that the carrot-top was the same. It even looked like it was a natural shade, in contrast to the many people she'd seen so far that obviously dyed or bleached their hair.

The other person was shorter than both Shuiichi and the carrot top, even if still considerably taller than Lauren herself. He was laughing at something the carrot top was saying, hunched over slightly with his hands in his pockets and a dangerous glint in his brown eyes as he surveyed the area. Shuiichi was smiling at the two in that same patient manner he did with Lauren, and for a moment she just stood there, hesitant to disturb them. Watching them in relative bewilderment before the shortest of them looked her way and saw her staring.

"What, is there something on my face?" He raised an eyebrow. "If you've got a problem with us, kid, you should just spit it out and get this over with."

Kid? I'm probably the same age as you! Was the automatic response that came to mind, but she resolved to hold her tongue no matter how rudely she was addressed. And here she thought most Japanese people were polite and observed more courteous manners towards others.

Cultural stereotypes bite the dust again. I guess I should really stop being surprised by that.

Shuiichi turned to look at her and instant recognition flared in his eyes. At least he wasn't pretending not to know her in public, although she couldn't imagine why he didn't. Even if she'd be embarrassed beyond belief if he changed his mind.

"Lauren, what are you doing here?" He turned his smile on her and she somehow found herself returning it, clearing her throat in what she hoped was a discreet manner.

"Um…I'm just, well…I'm trying to apply for a job. I…want to do something other than sit around, you know?"

The carrot-top was eyeing her curiously, and she was fighting back the urge to blush furiously at his polite, if perhaps intense expression. The other one on Shuiichi's other side was watching her with an air of boredom, making her nervous.

"A job? There are places closer to the apartment I can show you, if you'd like. They aren't hiring here, it's a family run restaurant, I'm afraid."

Shuichi motioned to the noodle house she was in front of, and Lauren sighed again at the realization of how much time she'd wasted. Out of the seven places the teenager had already visited, three were family run, two weren't hiring, and only the last two had actually given her applications which she'd squirreled away in her book bag. At this rate, she could use the help, she thought while biting her lip slightly in contemplation.

"But…what about your friends?" She replied, slightly meekly, nodding to the other two who were watching her. It was hardly fair to ask him to give up his spare time for her, after all, and she could see him pausing. Taking this into consideration as he looked to both his companions.

"Aw, I don't mind, really. It's not like I have much else to do today anyways, and I don't mind helping a pretty girl find a job. You can count on Kazuma Kuwabara!" The carrot-top broke into a goofy grin and Lauren couldn't help but find herself returning the gesture, even if his comment made her flush again. She was thoroughly amazed, like she had been with Shuiichi, that he knew perfect English with only a slight accent.

However, the other man seemed much less enthusiastic about his friend's idea. He hadn't exactly been looking at her with hostility so far, but it wasn't friendliness either. She only relaxed when he shrugged his indifference, hands still in his pockets as he too switched to English. Lauren wondered if they were all doing it for her benefit. I can speak Japanese, even if it's kind of broken and not perfect…

"Eh, I don't really have anything else to do today either. Keiko's busy with work, I'll just swing by here later on today when we're finished up. Name's Yusuke Urameshi, you?"

Shuiichi patiently waited as Lauren introduced herself, and she finally turned to look at him, uncertainly. Like a younger child waiting for instructions from an adult she didn't quite know, which as far as she concerned, was pretty much the truth while she was living in a foreign country she didn't fully understand. He gently motioned for her to follow and she seemed encouraged by his smile, or perhaps Kuwabara's effortless small talk and general warmth. But maybe it was Yusuke finally easing into the situation, realizing she wasn't a threat and gently poking fun at her now, making her blush furiously.

Either way, it was a good thing to see her out and about. So far he'd only seen her around the university grounds, always looking lost in thought or determined to get to her next set of classes or holed up in her room. She hadn't seemed to notice his taking leave from the apartment, like for work, or to visit his family. Thankfully she hadn't run into Hiei yet. He somewhat looked forward to, yet dreaded, that almost inevitable meeting.

They were barely a block away from the set of small businesses he knew to be hiring at this time of year when Lauren suddenly stopped walking, looking back at something. He and the others followed suit, and Yusuke shouted at her, asking what was wrong.

She didn't seem to hear him, her gaze still intently locked behind her. It was then Shuiichi noticed what it was she was looking at. A white cat with a black-tipped tail and black-socked feet, although one leg was an entire sleeve of black. In its mouth was a small parcel from a snack vendor, neatly wrapped with a bow tied on top. When the cat looked back, he saw one eye had a black patch around its green eyes, and Shuiichi narrowed his eyes, frowning slightly.

"Something about that cat doesn't feel right…and that's something I never thought I'd say." Kuwabara muttered beside him, as the cat looked back and forth as well as up and down the street. As if it was checking for traffic, he couldn't help but think.

"Hey, you dumb cat! Get away from the road!" Lauren called after the animal, frowning and not noticing the wariness of her three companions down the road. Eyeing a large approaching moving truck, she felt a little gasp build up in her throat when looked back towards the cat. It had dropped its pretty little parcel and was attempting to nip it back up. She heard the rumbling of engines, a panicked feeling curling in the pit of her stomach.

It's gonna get killed!

She moved without really thinking, unable to simply sit there and allow an animal become road kill.

"Lauren, don't!"

The voice only vaguely registered in her head as she turned her head to see the truck heading her way. Her heart was beating rapidly, and in the back of her mind, Lauren thought to herself, God, I'm so stupid, please don't let me die!

In one swift movement, she scooped up the cat and his reacquired parcel. Everything seemed to be moving slowly, as if to show she had almost made it, and she felt a small sense of pride, of victory—

Right before she tripped over a low hedge fence and nearly face-planted into the dirt, the cat still cradled in her arms. For several long seconds she lay there, panting heavily, heart still beating fast and hard in her chest. Sitting up and ignoring the disorientation, Lauren felt her fuzzy bundle shifting in her arms, looking down in astonishment to find the cat purring as if nothing was wrong.

It squirmed away from her, and as soon as its paws hit the ground…it stood up on its hind legs, and began dusting its body off with its front paws. But it was only when the cat's tail suddenly twitched split off into two and it looked up to smile at her that Lauren truly began to doubt her sanity.

"Ah, what a day, what a day. I thank you, miss, for saving me like you had. I'm sure if you hadn't, I would have been dead. Even demons can die, you know. Then again, if I hadn't dropped my package, you wouldn't have risked your life. Ah, what a day."

Lauren stared at the split-tailed cat with wide eyes, feeling a cold sweat breaking out on her brow, breathing shallowly and attempting to rationalize what she was seeing. "I…I don't…"

"Oh, don't look so distressed, miss. I thank you for saving my life," the cat continued, a human intelligence gleamed in its green eyes as it bowed to her, deep and low. "I will have to come back and thank you for this properly, miss. But, at the moment, I'm on an important mission. Please forgive me, but I must be going now."

And with that, the cat scooped its parcel up in its paws, placed the neat little bow in its mouth, and trotted off on all fours, tails quickly morphing back into one. Lauren stared after it with still-wide eyes, mouth gaping as any shred of sane word or even thought seemed to have fled her entirely.

"Lauren!"

The voice made her jolt in surprise, and her memory began kicking back in, heat rushing to her face all over again. Oh, I'm such an idiot for doing that! No way that cat talked, I must've hit my head harder than I thought!

She turned to see Shuiichi and his friends were crossing the street while the traffic was held up at the light down the street. Picking herself back up with her legs still shaking, he was in front of her seconds later, quickly helping her out of the bushes. His eyes scanning over her, making her feel more self-conscious.

"I'm-I'm fine, I swear, I just…need to walk it off."

Worry still plain in his expression, he even glanced around, almost with a sharpness she'd never seen in his eyes before.

"Are you sure you're all right?" He asked her gently, hands placed gingerly on her shoulders. She suddenly realized how close they were and she swallowed thickly before nodding.

"Just a little scuffed, I'm fine…" She muttered, feeling humiliated and embarrassed. She jumped when Kuwabara suddenly appeared at her side, Yusuke prowling not far behind.

"Couldn't find it. It's gone." Yusuke simply said to Shuiichi. He nodded and turned to gaze at Lauren again, that calculating look in his eyes once more.

"Come on, I think that's enough excitement for today."

"What about my job hunting? I don't—,"

He smiled and shook his head, smoothly intercepting her. "You should probably clean yourself up. No offense," he added quickly at the end when she began quickly surveying herself in panic and even a little shame. Her shirt and jeans were covered in smeared dirt and she smacked at it uselessly before giving up, her arms hanging uselessly at her side.

"Darn it…" She moaned under her breath. "I-I guess that you're right…I'll just head home. Y-You don't really have to come with me."

Tugging to free her bag from branches in a nearby bush, a hand fell in besides hers and began disentangling her bag delicately and carefully, and Lauren looked in surprise at Shuiichi. Suddenly, her bag was free, as if the branches had retreated at Shuiichi's very behest and he smiled at her, that same sweet and kind smile he always used. But this time she felt suddenly, in that moment he looked at her, that there was something else; although she wasn't sure what it was.

"Nonsense. I really don't want to see you running in traffic again," he joked and Lauren felt a slight flare of anger bloom in her.

"I'm not going to do it again, I—I was, well it was a spur of the moment thing, I don't even know why I did it, but I just, I just didn't want to see it get killed and—,"

Shuiichi raised a hand up and pressed a finger to her lips and instantly, she shut up quickly enough, realizing that she had gone off on a tangent and she felt shame replacing the anger within seconds. And the fact that she had to be stopped in her tirade only added more insult to injury. Her shoulders slumped and she gratefully took her bag.

"It's all right. You don't have to explain yourself. I'm sure Kuwabara would have done the same in your place,."

At this point, Kuwabara perked, chiming in with his same goofy, but kind grin, "Yeah, sure, I love cats! That was pretty brave of you, running out to save it and stuff."

Lauren felt a little cheered up by the words and less red-faced about the whole situation and she nodded and found herself smiling finally. "Yeah…I guess so. I like cats too, although I guess it was a little brainless to just run out like that."

Yusuke snickered a little and said something to Kuwabara, but she was distracted by Shuiichi pulling her aside, while the other two's banter went on behind them. "Come along, then. Let's get back home. I'm sure you're still a bit shaken."

He was right, of course. When wasn't he? Lauren glanced at her hands and they were still shaking slightly.

Probably why I couldn't get my bag out. Of course he can't control plants; he wasn't the one who ran out into traffic and got all shaky, it was me. She felt foolish, but deep down, she felt a small sense of pride. At least I got something done today…even if it was something stupid, too.

Shuiichi called to Yusuke and Kuwabara behind them, bidding farewell and an apology, and Yusuke shouted back. Lauren turned to look back at them, and Yusuke was waving a hand at them, a rather smug smirk on his face. "Hey, just be careful from now on, okay? Curiosity killed the cat and all that jazz!"

"Urameshi, that was terrible! What kind of joke is that?" Kuwabara growled back and the two turned heel to the opposite direction, still arguing as she and Shuiichi continued down their path. At least…I did something worthwhile today…

But Lauren didn't have a clue what was going to be waiting for her later that night.

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It wasn't morning, that much her groggy little mind had figured out. It wasn't morning, her body felt like lead, and she was now aware of the throbbing ache in her leg from where she fell earlier that day. The teenager rolled over onto her stomach and groaned, eyeing the digital clock on her bedside table saying it was three in the morning. She groaned, and then remembered that she had the weekend off and it was, currently, the weekend.

Thank God… Lauren thought with relief before closing her eyes. Why am I even awake? I should be sleeping like the dead…

And then she heard it. The yowling of cats somewhere off in the distance, but the longer she listened, the closer it seemed to come. Cats…? And it sounds like there's so many of them, too…

Memories of the cat she saved earlier that afternoon struck her and she felt a chill worm its way up and down her spine, goosebumps breaking out all over her body. The cat had promised to properly thank her later. Thank her how, though? She rubbed at her bare arms absently and got out of bed, trying to find a coat. I'll just…see what's going on. It sounds like quite a commotion. I wonder if anyone else is hearing it.

She found a coat hanging off her computer chair and tugged it on, while moving towards her door. As she was leaving she hesitated outside of Shuiichi's room, almost toying with the idea of waking him and asking for him to come with her, feeling a little mortified at the idea as soon she had it. She might possibly see a nasty side of him if she did that—like he was secretly a horrible morning person, or maybe he'd show his true colors of a jerk wearing the skin of a polite gentleman.

Wisely (or so she thought) deciding she didn't want to wake him up, Lauren shuffled her sneakers on as she reached the front door. Quickly making her way down the hall at a light, she stopped at the stairwell. Wait…why am I even going outside to check on a bunch of cats? You probably just hallucinated the whole talking bit, anyways…it's a good thing you didn't say anything, either, or you might be a loony bin by now, nice roommate or not.

During this ongoing eternal conflict, Lauren didn't notice the music at first until she paused in her train of thought. It was a strange type of sound, something she heard on the television a few times when Shuiichi was watching it. She could only assume it was some kind of traditional Japanese music; the light beat of an occasional drum, interspersed by what she believed were flutes and a few other things.

At least it's different, she mused before adding, and it sounds like it's a live…band? Orchestra?

Nevertheless, Lauren remained rooted to the spot, listening to the song as well as the cacophony of cats yowling and screeching below in the streets. She looked around and back down the hallway, seeing no lights at the door crack or shuffle of movement from behind those closed doors, and frowned in confusion.

"Doesn't anyone else hear them?" She asked aloud, expecting no answer.

Finally, she turned towards the stairwell and descended, grudgingly admitting her curiosity was overruling her instincts to just go back to bed and ignore it like her neighbors. Like her roommate. Again, that urge to go back and get him flared up again and she viciously smothered it. I don't need to run to him every time something new and unexpected comes up. He probably thinks you looked stupid after saving that cat and nearly dying in the process today. He's probably too polite to say anything…

She felt a blush coloring her face once again, feeling ashamed at herself. Stupid cats…they're messing with me, aren't they?

Lauren reached the lobby for the apartment complex and quickly shuffled to the entrance and outside, feeling the slight autumn chill overcome her and feeling glad she was wearing long pants and a jacket.

There were cats running everywhere; big ones, small ones, fat and skinny ones of all the colors of the rainbow (that were natural to felines, of course). She moved closer towards the decorative stonewall that surrounded the apartment complex, pressing against it as she peered up and down the street. A few more cats rushed past her, tails uplifted and rigid in the air, moving at breakneck speed down the street to her left. She watched in bemusement, wondering what in the world they were getting so worked over about.

Catnip, perhaps? She thought before dismissing it completely. Unless someone's growing a garden full of it, I don't think so…

Then she saw the procession, a line of…figures moving down the street. Some were as tall as her, some as tall as a cat. They moved closer, under street lamps, and she held back a strangled gasp at what she saw. People, but with ears and tails, with ordinary cats among them and walking upright like the cat she'd rescued earlier that day. Their slinky bodies swayed back and forth as the cats on the streets surrounded the procession. Black cats were moving at the intruders, kicking and hissing at them.

Bodyguards? Her mind offered strangely enough. Lauren continued to watch transfixed as the procession of cats and cat-people—garbed in kimonos and robes and so much more—worked their way closer towards her, the cats on the streets slowly scattering. Some stubbornly following the procession up until they were practically at her complex. None of the upright cats or cat-people acknowledged her as the front line passed by her. Even so, she instinctively shrank behind one of the walls, peeping out from a corner.

An ornate pallet was being carried by four cat-people, and on their dark skin, she saw impressions of spots and dots—jaguar or leopard impressions, her mind vaguely provided as she stared—and on the pallet was a lounging cat. He was large, larger than any cat she'd seen before, and he was a tawny color, like a lion, with a bushy mane around his neck. She could only think of him as a lion, not a cat, once she laid eyes on that broad little muzzle and bushy mane, as well as the tufted tail. I'm looking at a mini-lion, she thought somewhat amusedly.

A robed cat, this one of very unusual coloring—green and black, with symmetrical shapes on his face and a pair of…glasses?—stepped around the pallet as the jaguar/leopard cat-people slowly sat it down. The cat swayed as it walked closer, a scroll in its paws and it cleared its throat before looking around. Lauren had hidden behind the wall by this point, and after an awkward moment's silence, she peeked out. The green and black cat was looking at her, and gently motioned for her to come closer, looking genuinely confused at her behavior.

"Um…please come over here, if you will." He said politely to her.

Lauren blinked and pointed to herself.

"Yes, you. I don't see anyone else, do you?"

She gazed around her, shook her head and again felt foolish, but was determined not to let it show as she stepped out from behind the wall and looked around her. Some cats had split tails, some were miniatures of their larger big cat cousins, like the mini-lion on his pallet, and others were regular cats. Some had regular fur coloring, and others ranged from the strangest combinations of pink, green, neon yellow and much more. It was an extremely odd sight.

She wondered briefly if this was the result of ingesting something she shouldn't have. Could food poisoning be making her dream these odd things? It has to be a dream. I'm dreaming a lucid, strange dream of upright walking, talking cats.

The green and black cat cleared his throat again and opened his scroll and began to read it.

"On behalf of the Demon Cat Kingdom, the Demon Cat King himself would like to convey his deepest gratitude, for today, you have saved none other than his only son, Prince Maharu. The King of our kingdom wishes to convey his personal thanks to you."

Lauren stood there, feeling more than a little awkward as she stared at the cats and then at their so-called king. He peeped his eyes open, and she was surprised to see green instead of gold as he glanced at her with a toothy grin.

"Mmm…thanks a lot, honey. 'Preciate it." Amusement practically oozed from the regal cat, but also a sense of gratification as well. Lauren hesitated before she smiled a little and she nodded to him.

"You're welcome…" She replied warmly, jumping almost a foot back when a scroll with a ribbon tied on it was thrust under her nose by a tabby cat with kind yellow eyes. The cat looked young, but was kind of paunchy as well, and gave her a grin.

"This is a list of the absolutely wonderful gifts you shall receive, starting tomorrow! We've worked hard to secure these and we have a feeling that you will be pleased by them!" The cat stated and Lauren reached out for the scroll, almost expecting it to jump out and bite her. The texture of the scroll was rough, but not too coarse as she took it in her hand. She was instantly curious about the written contents, but gazed back at the Demon Cat King. The black and green cat cleared his throat again and adjusted his glasses.

"We appreciate your valiant rescue and hope that your gifts will please you."

Lauren only nodded again and uttered a timid "thank you" to the cats, feeling odder and odder the more time she spent outside with these cats talking with them.

With that said, the music started up again, startling her, and the jaguar/leopard people picked up the King's pallet and the whole company of cats took their leave. Lauren stood there, watching, although none of the other cats or cat-people looked at her in return. Soon they were gone and she was alone with the silence again.

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