Saturday again, ne? Well, then, let's get on with the pre-chapter babble. First things first...

I HAVE A JIN PLUSHIE! AND OMGOMGOMG IT IS SOOOO CUTE! Yep! My custom-made plushie finally came in the mail, and it is so so so so cute! My sister was on the phone with me when I got it in the mail, and she hung up on me immediately before I could start squealing in her ear. Because I do that sometimes. I squeal. Really, really loudly. Sorry, sis... BUT OMIGAWD! PLUSHIE! THANK YOU, BABY!

I also now own Yu Yu Hakusho in it's entirety. Ray got me season three, the one season I was missing, so now I have the complete anime... he's not allowed to buy me anything else for a while... and I can do that much more research on character habits and quirks as a result. I'll sort of be easing myself into introducing more of the main cast from here on out, starting with one of Jin's... friends. Yeah, friends. From the Dark Tournament. Oh, boy... who's idea was it to let Suzuka loose again?

Random note about the chapter: An omadawn is, at least judging from the numerous Irish fairy tales I've come across the word in, a very, very, very stupid person. Calling someone by that word is basically calling them the biggest moron in the world. It is, purely and simply, an idiot. Just because I know you guys will wonder.

On another random note, there's a scene in here that I've been planning for so long now, and I would get the evilest grins just thinking about it, and I'm so, so, so happy to have finally gotten to write it even though it is so, so, so, so wrong and... well... let's just say that some black eyes are worth the time it takes to get around to them.

A huge thanks to my reviewers, who keep me going and keep me laughing just as much as my characters do. I get the best reviews, I swear. I can't WAIT to hear what you guys have to say about this one!

So let's go!


Jin was on a mission. And it wasn't going well.

"Come on, just two gates. There and back again, that's all I'll be needing."

"I already told you no." Suzuka wasn't budging. "Do you have any idea how much energy it takes to make those disks? I can't afford to spare them for your joyrides to the human world!"

Damn it. "Come on, now, I made a promise. Yer not gonna go makin' me break me promise, are ya? Ya wouldn't do that."

The master of a thousand techniques crossed his arms. "I am not giving you the gates. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to take care of."

Probably trimming his eyebrows, the redhead thought with a scowl. "Wot if I could make it worth yer while?"

"I highly doubt that's possible." Suzuka tried to walk around him; Jin stepped into his path.

"Wot if I told ya I know a feeder over there? A human feeder." There, that had his attention nicely; Suzuka had stopped to stare. "I bet ya never even heard of one o' those, have ya? She's just a young lass, too, but she can draw the energy out of ya real easy. Bet she could teach ya the trick, if ya asked her nice-like."

He could see Suzuka trying to resist the temptation. "How young is she, exactly?"

"She's just a little bit of a thing! Fourteen years old, already got the trick mastered." Hopefully Mana wouldn't hurt him for this too badly... "Wouldn't that be somethin' ya'd like to learn, a deadly kiss like that? Seems like it'd fit yer style real good, wot with that rainbow trick ya do and all."

"A deadly kiss?" The blond gave him a skeptical look. Jin nodded eagerly. "Okay, you've got me interested. But what makes you think this girl would teach me something like that?"

"I'm bettin' she'd do it if ya had somethin' to offer in return. She's a right good girl, but she's got energy problems something awful, that's why she learned to feed. I bet ya might just have somethin' that can help her with that, right?"

"I might." Suzuka looked thoughtful. Jin waited. "Fine. We'll go in the morning."

"I was kinda hopin' to go today, actually."

"Tomorrow!"

"Ahright, ahright." Jin let him pass, grinning to himself. It had been about three months since he'd come back to the Makai, long enough that he figured it was about time to make good on his promise and pay the little healer a visit. Heading down the hall, he gave Touya's door a sharp rap. "Hey, Touy!"

At first there was no answer, but after a moment of waiting he finally heard a sigh. "It's open, Jin. Come in."

He pushed the door open, stepping into his friend's tidy space. "Hey!" Touya looked up from his seat by the window. "I'm headed across to the Ningenkai tomorrow. Ya gonna come with me?"

The ice apparition studied him for several long moments. "You're visiting the girl?"

"Sure am! Gonna keep her company a while, and I might even stop in and see if ol' Yusuke is up for a fight, that's wot I'm thinkin' of doin'. So are ya in or aren't ya?"

There was a soft sigh. "Alright, Jin. I'll go with you."

Jin beamed. "Good. We'll be goin' in the mornin' once Suzuka decides he's ready."

Touya's ice-blue eyes regarded him skeptically. "Why is Suzuka coming along?"

"'Cause otherwise I don't get the gates. See ya in the mornin'!"

The redhead heard a soft-spoken 'right' as he left the room. Well, that was all going according to plan! Grinning even wider, the wind master headed back down the hall towards his own quarters. Mana would forgive him for using her as a bribe, he was sure of it. This was going to work out just fine for everyone. He could hardly wait. It was a good thing he'd kept those human clothes...


Saturday's sky was slate-gray as Mana hurried home from school. An unusually cold December had given way to an equally rough January, and there was talk of deeper snows ahead. The girl sighed, looking around at the soft piles of white and the dirtier gray slush on the roadways; they had already seen an above-average snowfall for this year. Mana liked living in an area that sported the occasional white winter, but it was hard on her legs. She wanted to get home and get a heavier skirt and maybe some leg warmers on before she and the twins met to head for the arcade.

Puffing warm air onto her fingertips, the blonde stared warily up at the ladder to the fire escape. The metal rungs were probably ice cold. This was going to suck. Sighing, the girl climbed up onto the trash bins and made the jump across to the ladder. A moment later she yelped as her hands slipped away from the bar entirely. The rungs weren't just icy cold, they were wet! Ah, fiznit...

Her fall was broken mid-way down by a pair of strong arms. "Easy, now! Yer gonna hurt yerself if ya go and-" Mana couldn't stop her arm from flailing slightly, hitting the demon in the face and knocking the hat clean off his head. "Hey! Easy, easy! Yer gonna make me drop ya!"

"J-jin?!" The redhead laughed. "When did you get back?"

"Just now!" He set her on the ground carefully. "And just in time, I'd say! Ya coulda really gotten hurt just now. Wot happened? I never saw ya slip before."

"The bars are wet." Mana wiped her hands dry on her skirt, trying not to sound too pleased to see him. "Are you staying long? I mean, do you have any actual plans or are you just stopping through?"

Jin chuckled softly, every bit as overly-bubbly as she could remember him being. "I figured I'd stay a while, yeah. I got a few friends ya might be wantin' to meet, too."

Mana blinked, noticing for the first time the two other apparitions standing off behind Jin. Touya she recognized, but the other one was new to her. Not quite as tall as Jin- although she suspected his spiky yellow hair added to the illusion that he was even that tall- he was looking her over with critical blue eyes. "So this is her, hmm?"

"Yep!" Mana flinched slightly as Jin clapped a hand onto her shoulder. "Mana, this is me buddy Suzuka. He's the guy who makes the gates for us."

Suzuka's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Honestly, Jin, can't you introduce me better than that? You should call me-"

Jin cut his friend off short, a faintly annoyed look crossing his face. "I know what it is ya like to go by, and I've told ya before I'm not callin' ya that. Ya go and find someone else to make ya feel pretty." Mana wasn't sure she wanted to know what Jin was talking about, but Suzuka looked ready to press the matter. Fortunately, Touya chose that moment to step forward.

"I'm sure you two would love to argue this out further, but perhaps it would be best if we went inside to do it?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." Jin looked over at her hopefully. "Mana, is it okay if we go upstairs with ya? It's yer house, so yer the one with the say in it."

"I guess so." The girl shifted slightly; her ankles were getting cold. "Come on. The elevator is this way."

They were scarcely inside the small space when Suzuka swept into a low bow. "Allow me to introduce myself properly! I am the fighter known as the beautiful Suzuka, master of a thousand techniques and man of a thousand faces! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"Yer a wretched omadawn is what ya are," Jin muttered sourly.

"What was that? What did you just call me?" Suzuka looked affronted. "You'd better tell me what that word means, or I swear I'll-"

"Boys," Touya said sharply. It seemed to do the trick; they both fell silent. Mana shifted uncomfortably; suddenly the elevator seemed very, very small. She was glad when they finally reached her floor and she could step out of it. Jin was right at her elbow as they headed down the hall, looking her over appraisingly as they went.

"So wot have ya been up to, then? Ya look better than ya did before. Ya got more energy!"

"I've been taking it easy." Mana unlocked the door to her apartment, silently hoping none of her neighbors would decide to come into the hallway for any reason. "Actually, I was just coming home to get changed. The twins and I were going to hang out in town before karaoke."

"Oh? Ya got somewhere new to go?" The redhead tilted his head curiously... and, she noted, shifted slightly to the side to keep Suzuka from getting around him. "Wot ya got planned?"

"We're going to go to the arcade first." He gave her a look of confusion; she explained it before he could ask. "It's a place to play video games."

"Now that's got some meaning to it!" She could almost smile at how excited he sounded. "Can I come with ya, Mana? Please?"

"I guess so." Mana dropped her bag on the table, observing the vaguely confused stares Touya and Suzuka were giving Jin. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

She headed into her room feeling... she didn't know what. Honestly, she was happy to see Jin again. A lot happier than she thought she'd be; the idea of her apartment not seeming so empty was inviting. But the fact that he'd brought friends was just a little daunting. If they were anything as active as he was, she could be in over her head.

Sighing, the girl realized there was nothing to be done about it and turned her attention to her outfit. Her favorite winter skirt had a warm crème-colored layer under a deep brown overskirt; if she wore it with a simple white button-up blouse and her favorite scarf, she should make an impression. Studying her reflection in the mirror, Mana gave herself a small nod and reached for her make-up kit. Now maybe she would feel a little more confident. Checking her reflection, she couldn't help a wry half-smile; she had read far too many fashion magazines to learn the tricks her mother hadn't been there to teach her. By the time she grabbed a pair of winter boots and headed back into the main room, she felt a lot better.

The balcony doors were open. Mana sighed lightly; she would have to run the little heater longer than usual tonight. Through the glass she could see Jin and Suzuka looking out at the city, but where was...

"I apologize for showing up uninvited. Jin seemed eager for me to come with him."

The healer turned. Touya had been looking up at the bookshelf. "Ah... it's okay. I don't mind."

The apparition gave her a crooked little smile, and Mana wondered vaguely which part of his hair was natural; the bulk of it was very short and pale blue, but his long bangs were a deep green that fell over one eye. "Your tone suggests otherwise. If it helps, I'll try not to be as demanding of your time or energy as Jin probably was." Mana could only nod. "You have some interesting titles here."

"Thank you. A lot of those are my fathers, though." The nod that she received was calmly appraising. "You can read them, if you want. I don't mind."

"I may just have to take you up on that." His eyes flicked behind her. Too late, Mana tried to turn. The ice apparition chuckled as Jin threw an arm around her from behind; she couldn't stop a light squeak from escaping.

"Suzuka says he's stayin' here. Ya ready to go yet, Mana?"

"Yeah." The girl held still for a moment before trying to pull away. "Jin..."

Smiling brightly, he let her go. "Eh, Mana? Do ya think I could maybe borrow a coat afore we go? It's pretty cold out there..."

Of course he wouldn't have a coat... "You can borrow one of my father's jackets if you'd like. You're pretty lucky, you know. He comes back home every New Years. You only missed him by two days."

"Lucky for me, then!" Did nothing daunt him? Mana felt the tiniest smile starting to form. "Yer gonna freeze yerself, though, wearin' a shirt that thin. Ya got a coat, too?"

"Of course I do." Mana headed back towards her father's empty room. Jin followed right along, waiting for the promised jacket. "I have to live in this weather, you know. Does it even snow in the demon world?"

"It depends on where ya go." He peered over her shoulder as she rooted through the closet. "Most places ya wouldn't know what snow is, but we got one or two areas where it never even melts. Just stays frosty and white all year round, it does. That's where ya get folk like Touya livin'."

"That makes sense." Ice apparitions had to live somewhere, she supposed. Ah, there was the heavy jacket she was looking for. She sighed in relief; for a moment she had been afraid her father might have taken it with him. "Here, try this on."

Jin took the coat obediently, doing as he was told for a change. "Yeah, this fits fine." Grinning slightly, he ruffled her hair again. She scowled lightly in response. "Oh, and do me a wee favor, could ya?"

"What?" Mana had a very bad feeling, especially when Jin glanced behind him before speaking again.

"Well, to get the gates I kinda might have had to try bribin' Suzuka a bit. If he asks about yer energy drainin' could ya maybe be a bit nice and tell him how it's done? He'd be willin' to make ya a trade for learnin' it."

The healer stared up at his open eyes. "You're kidding, right?"

His expression remained as guileless as ever. "Well, I had to get the gates from him somehow. He wasn't gonna give them over, and I did promise to come visit ya." Jin gave her a hopeful look. "Just be nice to him, mkay? Please?"

"Alright..."

They headed out the front door together, Jin asking her questions about what she'd done for the past three months the whole time. She told him about school festival and her father's visit and arcade on the weekends. He nodded through most of it, every so often getting side-tracked by things going on around them, and Mana couldn't help but almost feel as though no time had passed at all. It felt exactly the same walking with him as it had felt three months ago; she very nearly started to keep an eye out for Touya as they walked. Jin caught her looking around. "Ya expectin' to see someone today?"

"No..." she focused on the ground in front of her instead; the sidewalks had been icy lately. "So what have you been doing, anyway?"

"Nothin' much to talk of, really. I've done a bit of trainin' and a bit of kickin' back and that's about it." The redhead tilted his head, gazing skywards. "Well, there was a bit of a ruckus a couple of weeks ago when we thought a friend of ours had mebe drank himself to death, but he'd just passed out with his eyes open on us."

The healer frowned. "Is that even possible?"

"Sure is!" Jin sounded frighteningly cheerful. "We were just gettin' to arguin' about wot to do with his stuff when old biggie woke up on us. Gave the lot of us a scare, that one did!"

"Right..." Mana shifted her hands in her coat pocket, trying to keep her fingers warm. "Hey, Jin, you were in the Dark Tournament against Yusuke and his team, right? Is one of your friends named Rinku?"

"Eh?" Big blue eyes blinked down at her. "Rinku, yeah, he's a one of our lot. Wot were ya askin' for?"

"Someone told me that I ought to learn to use weapons the way he does." Mana stepped around a patch of sidewalk that looked particularly threatening. "They said it might be the only chance for me if I want to be a real spirit detective."

Jin frowned lightly. "Ya mean that's been in question?"

She kicked a clump of snow out of her way. "That's always been in question. I'm not enough of a fighter to be able to do the job on my own."

The apparition stopped walking and stared at her. Mana turned to look back at him, confused. "Not enough of a fighter? I've seen ya trainin' yerself! Ya work too hard to be brushed off like that!"

"Try telling that to Urameshi," the girl muttered bitterly. Jin stared down at her, his expression unreadable, and Mana remembered too late that he considered the detective to be a friend. "He said if I don't learn to do this I'll probably get myself killed. I can't fight demons if I'm always having to hold my energy back. If I can use a weapon..." she trailed off for a moment, trying to decide the best way to put the issue. It wasn't like it would bother him to hear it, but it hurt her to say it. "It might be my one chance."

Jin was frowning again. "So yer askin' about Rinku 'cause..."

"Because I really want to know how he uses the yoyos Urameshi told me about." Mana started walking again, studying the ground. She didn't like having to admit her shortcomings... "I have to learn to do this, but honestly I don't even know where to start. I've tried running a bit of energy through the bo staffs I use in karate, but I have no way of knowing if I'm doing it right."

She felt a hand on her head and stopped; Jin was staring down at her strangely again. "Ya really got no one else to help ya do this, do ya?"

The blonde shook her head slowly, wondering why he did that so often. When he rested his hand on her head it made her feel like she was a child again. Then again, there was never any sure way to tell how old a demon was; to him she was probably nothing more than just that- a child. She tried not to think about it. Jin was easier to talk to if she tried to imagine him being at least close to her own age. "I'm on my own."

Finally he showed signs of some sort of response, a contemplative look crossing his face. "Ya use staffs in yer classes, ya said?"

Mana nodded. "I've been training with them for three years. If there's anything I think I'd be able to use, it's that."

"And yer wot, on yer third level green belt? Would have started when ya hit green, then?" Jin tilted his head. "Is that a normal level for that?"

"That's the level to begin weapons work, yeah. When you reach first degree green." Mana shifted her feet slightly. "Only I'm not a third degree anything any more. I'm a brown belt now, first degree. I promoted in December."

Jin nodded, studying her with another one of the looks she couldn't read. She bore it in silence, letting him think. "I'm bettin' I can talk to Rinku for ya, then, get some learnin' for ya. It's not right that ya would hafta work this out on yer own."

"Thank you..." Mana couldn't help but feel just a little reassured. She could do this if she had that, at least... she could learn that weapon technique and hold on to her goals...

Her feet flew out from under her while she was thinking and walking at the same time. Jin caught her before she hit the ground. "Easy, there! Is that all this visit is gonna be, then, me keepin' ya from fallin' over?"

"No!" Mana straightened herself up quickly. "Thank you, but I think I'll be fine now!"

The redhead chuckled. "If ya say so, Mana. If ya say so."


The twins had been surprised to see him. Jin chuckled to himself as he and Mana headed back to her apartment that evening. It was good to see that the girl was getting out more, at the very least. Mana herself was smiling quietly; she'd finally made second place in the little café contest. The wind master smiled. "There, now, yer lookin' downright cheerful."

"Eh?" The girl blinked up at him blankly. "I am?"

"Yep!" Jin grinned down at her. "Ya been tryin' a long time to get that far, haven't ya?"

The girl nodded modestly. "Tonight's competition was pretty light, though. I had a better chance than usual."

"The college group was there, though." Sachiko had actually stood chatting with one of the girls from the next table for several minutes before sitting down. It had taken Jin a moment to recognize her without the streaks of color in her hair, but it seemed the boisterous twin had gotten to be pretty friendly with the older group. She had also, he learned later, brought earplugs.

The blonde wrinkled her nose slightly. "Like I said, it was light competition. Only one of them can sing." She shifted the purse on her shoulder. "Do your friends have any sort of eating preferences? I want to stop and pick something up for dinner before we get home."

"Well, Touy won't be picky, knowin' him. Suzuka... if he complains, just ignore him. He'll eat wot ya give him sooner or later."

"That's very nice to know." Odd, the girl sounded almost intimidated. Jin reached down, patting her on the head.

"Don't you go worryin', now, I doubt he'll stay around for long. Ya just need to be a little patient. Who knows, ya might both come out the better for it." Mana looked lightly annoyed. Jin decided it was time to change the subject. "Hey, wot was that song you were singin', anyway?"

"At the contest? It's called Evolution."

"That's the normal song ya sing, right? It's a good one." There, she was almost smiling again. "Ya know, I think yer pretty good at these contests. Yer a lot bolder when ya get up on stage."

"It's called acting. It's not that hard to imagine you're someone else when there's a microphone in your hands."

He gave her a light poke under the ribs. "Well, ya outta try bein' that way when there isn't. Ya never know, it might make ya feel pretty good."

"Whatever." But at the same time, he thought she might have been smiling as she turned away...

Later that night, trying to fall asleep, Jin wondered if he didn't maybe have a solution to Mana's weapon problems. He got up early the next morning, taking his own life into his hands by prodding Suzuka while he was still asleep. "Hey. Hey, wake up there. Come on."

There was a soft grunting noise, but the demon's eyes didn't open. Jin prodded again, and was rewarded with an elbow to the side of the head. "Go away!"

The wind master rubbed his ear. "I told ya to wake up, and yer gonna do it. I think I know how ya can get Mana to teach ya her technique."

One eye opened warily. "This had better be good, Jin."

Jin ignored the obvious hiss in his voice. "It is. Ya got any kinds of staff weapons the girl could have? The lass needs somethin' she could work her energy with, and I was thinkin' if ya could bring her somethin' she could use, ya might be able to work a deal."

"I could probably find something." Suzuka sat up slowly, combing his hair back with his fingers. "Staffs are so ungainly, though. Is that the only weapon she can work with? I admit there's a certain grace to them when they're used right, but..." he paused to yawn. Jin had to fight back laughter. "But they're so inconvenient to carry around."

"But I bet ya could make one that wasn't inconvenient at all, couldn't ya?" Jin settled into a sitting position on the ground before deciding it was more comfortable two feet up. "I've seen ya pull stuff almost outta nowhere. Can't ya make it collapse up somehow?"

"I suppose that's possible." Suzuka looked over at the sliding door irritably as Touya opened it and stepped inside. "How can you stand it out there this early in the morning? It's freezing."

Touya gave him a flat stare. "Actually, it's three degrees below. I happen to think the weather is very nice now."

"Oh. Right." There was a moment of silence before Suzuka scowled. "Jin, must you do that inside? It's cold enough without a breeze!"

"I happen to like sittin' this way." The redhead slid a few inches back in midair. "So do ya think ya might have something to work with?"

"I just might..."

The sound of a door opening cut the conversation turned. Jin turned towards the hall... and immediately wished he hadn't. Mana made her way to the kitchen, her eyes half open and her feet bare... as was her lower half in general. The girl had fallen asleep in her button-up blouse and her panties. There was an awkward silence as she got her tea and headed back into her room, oblivious to their presence. Finally, Touya spoke. "Does she do that often?"

Jin could feel his face turning red. "Every mornin' she does that, although she only ever seems to come out half-dressed like that on Sundays. Won't do any good to mention it later, either, cause the poor lass won't even know what yer talkin' about."

Suzuka was leaning over the back of the couch to stare down the hall. "Well, she's a bit young for my taste, but judging from what she's got so far I think in another five years or so-"

Jin's fist interrupted him then. Touya didn't try to stop him. Fortunately, Mana didn't ask why Suzuka had a black eye when she finally came back out, fully dressed and wide awake, to put her teacup in the sink. The girl was humming as she came back in and sat down. "So!" Neither of Jin's friends seemed to be any better able to look her in the eye than he was, although in Suzuka's case it was probably because of the swelling. "I've got some groceries I need to pick up today. Are there any preferences as to what you guys like to eat?"

Jin spoke up before the 'beautiful' fighter could. "Wotever you want to get will be fine, Mana, I already told ya that. Can I come along if I carry the bags?"

"I think that should work. What about you guys?" She looked over at the other two apparitions curiously. Touya was the first to nod.

"I think I might enjoy the walk. It seems like a pleasant enough day out."

"We'll have to go early. There's supposed to be a snowstorm rolling in tonight." Jin looked over at his icy friend quickly. Touya's eyebrows raised just slightly, a sure- if very, very subtle- sign that he liked the idea. Mana stood. "We'll go after breakfast, okay?"

"That sounds fine." Jin studied her as she headed back to the kitchen to cook; a good night's sleep seemed to have worked wonders on her mood. He heard Touya groan softly as she began to hum and couldn't hold back a grin; it had been bad enough for Touy when he'd had that song stuck in his head once he'd gotten home, and now the poor guy would be hearing it from the source. It would be stuck in his head for weeks. Jin knew that from experience.

Mana came over and sat down at the table in the living room with them for breakfast, leaving the dining room table forgotten as always, and he couldn't resist having just one or two pokes at the girl. He studied her outfit; a deep, rich brownish-burgundy skirt and a creamy sweater. "Do ya always wear darker tones in the winter?"

"I wear warm tones," she answered around bites. "Winter is a mellow season."

"Spoken like a lass who's never thrown a snowball before!" He prodded her with one chopstick. "Ya can't go tellin' me ya've never had a bit of fun in the winter before, can ya?"

"I never said I've never had fun. I just prefer to wear different colors in the winter." The girl was starting to look just a teensy bit flustered. He poked her again, laughing silently at the squeaking noise she made, and she practically batted the chopstick out of his hand. "Stop that!"

Jin stared at her and then, on a whim, leaned over to sniff at her hair. It was decidedly not strawberry scented. "Ya change yer shampoo during the winter, too?"

"I change my shampoo every season," the girl muttered irritably. "I've done that my whole life. It's something my mother used to do, too."

"Em." Jin took another sniff. She smelled like... peaches? "Do ya hafta always smell like food, though? Makes a guy hungry, that does."

"I use cherry blossoms in the spring, now back off before I go get the spoon." Mana stabbed at the eggs on her plate with her chopsticks. Jin sat back, letting here eat in peace for a few moments, before his curiosity got the best of him. She had been strawberries in fall, now peaches in winter, and then cherry blossoms in spring...

"So wot's summer?"

He was already on the roof by the time she'd gotten the spoon from the kitchen, and he didn't come back down until it was time to go. She got him then. He decided he didn't mind; smirking was almost smiling, after all...