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Chapter Text

The clicking of Hiei’s boots on the tiled floor reverberated through the egregiously bright and polished marble hallway. There was a determined tick to his jaw and urgency to his stride as he rounded the pillared corner. If he just made it out of this last door away from Koenma’s office, his chances of running into anyone he had the severe displeasure of knowing decreased exponentially. He couldn’t use his demonic speed without alerting them to his presence, but if he could just blend in with the rest of the unmemorable beings in the next hall down he could—

“Boo!”

His hopes dwindled right before his very eyes in the form of powdery blue hair and a garish, glaringly bright kimono.

Hiei stared back at the ferry-girl stoically as she ambushed him on his way out of the dull, bureaucratic hell that was the Spirit World. She had leapt out from an adjacent corridor in a show of theatrics, amethyst eyes brimming with excitement and pink lips curved up into an eager smile.

He didn’t bother disguising how very much he was not excited from his flat tone. “How did you find me?”

The ferry-girl covered her giggle with a dainty hand, eyes crinkling with mirth. “I know all of the secret passages in Spirit World, silly.”

Of course she did.

“The Prince mentioned you were looking for me. What do you want, woman?”

She tilted her head at him, mouth falling into a displeased pout. “Well, that’s no way to greet an old friend, is it?”

Hiei frowned dismissively, shoving his hands into his pockets. “We aren’t friends.”

“Acquaintances, then?”

“None of the above,” he rejected, side-stepping her and continuing on his way.

“Hiei!” she called out, voice echoing in the empty hall. “Wait up!”

The fire-demon tromped onwards determinedly. He didn’t intend to linger in this world any longer than need be. Mukuro had tasked him with delivering a scroll to the toddler Prince and now that his duty was fulfilled, he was free to return to Demon World.

“I know you can hear me!” she exclaimed persistently, sandals slapping against the tiled floor in a hurried cadence. “I only need a moment of your time!”

The sound of her lilting voice reverberating off the walls only served to exacerbate his prickly mood. He was sure the annoying pest would follow him all the way out of the temple at this rate and that simply wasn’t something he was willing to endure.

“What is it, woman?” he snapped, coming to a halt and whirling around to glare at her. “What possible reason could you have to accost me relentlessly?”

The bluette nearly crashed into him, her fresh meadows scent suffocating his senses as she managed to thwart a full on collision. Recovering with a sheepish smile, she slid a hand into the large sleeve of her kimono and rooted around until she retrieved a small item from its folds. “Tada!” the ferry-girl sang, displaying the card with a sweeping flourish. “You’re officially invited to Fall Fest!”

“Fall-what?”

“Fall Fest!” she repeated enthusiastically. “That’s what Kuwabara dubbed it anyway. For the next two weeks, the good old gang will be partaking in all things autumn!”

Hiei glanced down at the horrendously orange invitation. It was decorated with all manner of strange and pointless things: dead leaves, smiling vegetables and a ridiculous looking apparition to name a few.

“What is this, ferry-girl?”

“Humans celebrate the season in a myriad of ways and Kuwabara’s taken it upon himself to introduce Yukina to its many wonders and traditions. He and Keiko have all sorts of super fun activities lined up, culminating in a Halloween Bash at Genkai’s Temple.”

“Sounds abysmal.”

“Quite the opposite, actually! I’m sure even a grump like you will eventually see the appeal,” she stated, motioning to poke his shoulder but thinking better of it at the last second. “And what’s more, this whole thing is for Yukina.”

The fire-demon’s scowl deepened at the mention of his sister. They all knew she was the key to his surrender, especially now that he had recently revealed the truth of his relation to the ice-maiden. It wasn’t a decision he made lightly. It wasn’t something he had done on a whim. Now that Yukina knew exactly who he was, Hiei fully intended to be there for her.

Unfortunately, that resolution put him in an undesirable position. He considered how she might feel if he reneged on the first real opportunity to make good on his word and prove that his commitment wasn’t for mere show. If he failed to attend an event centered around her enjoyment, she would surely be disappointed. Perhaps not in him directly, but in his absence itself.

He ground his teeth together when he realized what needed to be done. His word was his bond; he would see this through even if it led to his inevitable doom. Crimson eyes flicked back up to meet kunzite as he snatched the invitation out of her grasp. “Fine. I’ll be there.”

“Oh, I just knew you would!” The ferry-girl’s expression lifted joyfully as she clapped her hands together. “It’s like Yusuke always says: you may not be around often, but you always show up when it matters most!”

Hiei glanced away, unsettled by the saccharine assessment.

“I understand all of this is new to you,” she began carefully. “And you may find yourself out of your element when it comes to these Human World customs…”

“What’s your point, woman?”

“I’ll be happy to help you out as needed. Keep you informed and the like. I’m pretty well versed in Human World affairs, you know.”

“I don’t need help, ferry-girl.”

“Botan,” she corrected primly. “And you may not need it now, but my generous offer remains on the table for the entirety of Fall Fest.”

He merely continued to frown at her. The woman wasn’t deterred in the slightest bit.

“See you soon! I’m sure we’ll all have a boo-tiful time!”

Hiei grimaced, resisting the overwhelming urge to burn the tasteless invitation to ashes as the infuriating woman all but skipped away.

Chapter Text

“Should we wait for Hiei?” Keiko asked as they stood beneath the wiry sign of Apple Acres.

Botan shrugged, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand as she searched the surrounding trees for any suspect fire-demon shaped shadows.

“He’ll find us eventually,” Yusuke reasoned, flicking his shades up to cast the rest of the group a teasing look. “You know he loves making those edgy, dramatic entrances.”

Kuwabara snorted. “Yeah, shorty’ll probably just sneak in without paying and find us with that freaky third eye of his anyway.”

“Kazuma…” A light frown marred Yukina’s gentle features.

Kuwabara immediately wised up with a remorseful wince. “Sorry, my sweet.”

“Tactless as he is, Kazuma has a point,” Shizuru conceded, pushing off of the fence she was leaning against. “We might as well get a move on.”

“Yes.” Yukina nodded. “I’m sure my brother will arrive when he can.”

“Let’s be on our way, then,” Kurama agreed, gesturing for the ladies to head into the orchard first.

The motley crew of seven continued onwards with their empty baskets in tow. Excitement strummed in Botan’s veins as she glanced around at the rows of trees. It was a beautifully crisp and sunny day. There was a slight chill in the air, but the beaming sun, coupled with her cute yet functional weather appropriate attire kept her sufficiently comfortable. Donned in a pair of jeans, a thick sweater and knee high boots, she took in the feeling of the cold air against her cheeks and the earthy scents surrounding her. She had never done something so mundanely human before. It was thrilling.

The group naturally split up as they each headed towards their respective areas of interest. Botan had done her fair share of research and had her sights set on finding the Golden Russet grove. She read that they were the perfect type of apple for making cider: another activity she was all too eager to try during Fall Fest.

“Hm…” The ferry-girl wrestled with her map ten minutes later, standing before a hedge of perfectly trimmed trees. “Where on earth could those apples be?”

“Lost already, woman?”

The cutting voice startled her, pulling the bluette from her terse concentration. Spinning around, her eyes widened upon spotting Hiei standing near the edge of the row with his arms folded over his chest.

“Hiei!” she exclaimed brightly, the map crinkling slightly under the weight of surprise and satisfaction. “You actually came!”

“I told you I would.”

“And I didn’t doubt you for a second!” she replied, crossing over to him with a smile. “Did you see Yukina? She’s around here somewhere.”

“She was with the oaf,” he revealed, a small frown tucked away in the corner of his mouth. “I have no intention of listening to that clown croak incessantly all afternoon—”

“So, you chose to find me instead?” she finished teasingly, setting her free hand on her hip. “Sounds like somebody is taking me up on my benevolent offer, after all.”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I just happened upon you, ferry-girl.”

Botan bit back a giggle at his expense, fully well knowing it would only serve to irritate him further. The fire-demon was dressed in a thin, long-sleeved white shirt. The material looked softer than the usual battle-resistant clothing he donned. Casual, in a way she wasn’t used to seeing. His hiruiseki stone rested over his chest, glinting with an arctic, mysterious glow.

The golden filter of the midday sun fell upon the fire-demon in warm rays, illuminating the streaks of blue that outlined his raven hair and the fiery irises of his eyes. He looked comfortable. At ease with himself. His return to Demon World and his subsequent time at Mukuro’s clearly did him well.

“I’m searching for a specific apple but I seem to have gotten turned around,” she informed him. “Care to join me on the hunt?”

“Not particularly.”

“Well, you’re already here, so you might as well participate.”

“I hardly see the appeal in menial labor.”

“It never hurts to stop and enjoy nature every once in a while,” she reasoned. “There’s something healing about tending to the land.”

“If you were that interested in harvesting you should have taken up farming instead of ferrying.”

“It’s called having hobbies, Hiei,” she quipped back lightly. “You should try it sometime.”

“Hn.”

She returned her gaze to the map she found on her way inside. Tilting it to and fro, the ferry-girl tried her best to make sense of it. She was usually so good with directions, too.

“Give me that, woman.”

Botan didn’t hesitate, handing the glossy guide over without objection. Hiei squinted down at the map, glimpsed around at their surroundings, and then glared back down at the map again.

“I really don’t understand what I’m doing wrong,” she lamented, shoulders drooping defeatedly. “The Golden Russets were supposed to be right here!”

“It’s simple: your map is outdated.”

“What? That can’t be…” Botan leaned over his shoulder and spotted the date printed in a barely noticeable font at the bottom left corner. She was two years too late to make any use of it. “Oh poo! I wonder how this old thing got in the mix…”

“Hn.” Hiei discarded the map without a care, letting it fall to the leafy brush as he tugged his bandana off in one smooth motion.

“W-what do you think you’re doing?!” she whispered harshly, as the jagan slowly awakened. “Are you mad? Someone could walk by at any minute and—”

“Quiet, woman,” he ordered snappily. “I can’t concentrate when you prattle on like that.”

Botan pressed her lips together in a petulant pout. He was undoubtedly checking on Yukina—ensuring Kuwabara hadn’t gotten too close or the like—but he didn’t have to be so rude about it. A beat passed before the jagan’s blue glow eventually subsided and the eye closed shut. Hiei wasted no time re-tying his bandana and walking off in the opposite direction, booted tread crunching over dead leaves and grass.

Botan picked up the useless map and followed after him curiously. She wasn’t sure where he was going or why, but it wasn’t as though she had any better prospects. With any luck, he would lead her back to the others. Maybe one of them had come across her Golden Russet trove. Or, perhaps Kurama could use plant-to-plant telepathy to—

Her thoughts cut short when her eyes fell upon the golden-brown apples she’d been searching for all along.

“The Golden Russets!” she marveled, the sun’s light outlining the fruits like little ringed halos. “You found them!”

He grunted dismissively.

“Oh, thank you, Hiei!” she gushed, practically skipping to the row of trees to examine their yield. Hanging from the branches were an array of round and medium-sized apples, all in varying states of ripeness. A couple of bruised and rotting ones littered the ground, serving as compost for the soil. “Would you like to pick a few of them with me?”

“I see no point.”

“Alright,” Botan conceded, pushing the straw basket into his hands. “Then you can carry the goods.”

Hiei opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted when Yukina and Kuwabara appeared at the end of their lane. The ice-maiden looked all too happy to see her brother actively participating for a change. Kuwabara strolled beside her, lugging a basket full of brightly colored and disparately shaped apples.

“So this is where you disappeared to, brother,” Yukina said with a small smile. “I was worried that Botan was all alone after running into Yusuke and Keiko by the Fujis and Shizuru and Kurama near the Honey Crisps.”

Botan laughed nervously, feeling oddly embarrassed at being caught alone with the fire-demon. “Y-yes, he so valiantly saved me from my lonesomeness.”

“The only thing I spared you from was your incompetence,” Hiei amended sharply as his gaze landed on his sister. “The ferry-girl was pitifully lost.”

“Hey!”

Kuwabara’s charcoal eyes narrowed as he studied them, causing Hiei to bristle and Botan’s angered flush to darken for another reason entirely. She wasn’t sure which wheels were turning in the psychic’s perceptive mind, but he ended up dismissing them entirely with a shake of his head. “You better pick up the pace, Botan. We’re supposed to be meeting outside the barn in fifteen minutes. Urameshi’s itching to check out the ingredients and I promised my coworkers I’d bring back some souvenirs.”

“Right!” She nodded, her focus sharpening on the task at hand. “You two go on ahead; we’ll catch up in no time at all.”

Kuwabara nodded and left after Yukina offered them a parting smile.

Hiei waited until the ice-maiden was out of earshot to pin her with a bored look. “We?”

“Well, you’re perfectly free to spend the next fifteen minutes with Yukina and Kuwabara if you like,” she suggested, her tone airy, as if the matter meant nothing at all. “I’m sure Kuwabara’s love sonnets will be music to your ears.”

Hiei looked as though he wanted to retch as he faced the trees once more. “Just pick the damn apples, woman.”

Botan grinned, returning her attention to the Golden Russets. She read that it was important to pick the freshest ones, without any discoloration or softened integrity. Reaching out for her first pick of the day, her hand enclosed over the slightly rough skin. It twisted off with little resistance–a sure testament to its readiness. Humming a little tune as they walked down the line, her basket slowly but surely filled.

“In my preparations for Fall Fest, I read about an ancient festival across the sea called Samhain. It’s quite interesting, actually! It marked the end of harvesting season and kicked off the darker half of the year, when the veil between the living and the Spirit World was said to be thinnest. Humans lit bonfires and offered food to keep spirits happy, and wore masks to confuse the pesky troublemakers,” she informed as she continued her inspection of the fruit hanging from thin branches, pleased to have someone to share her research with. “But what interests me most is the divination aspect of it all. Did you know they had several different methods of using apples to predict their romantic futures? Some involved bobbing for apples while others used the apple peels themselves. Pretty neat, huh?”

“Is that how you intend to waste these?” Hiei asked, hiking a brow at the now nearly filled basket.

“No, these babies will be used to make the most delicious cider you’ve ever tasted!” she declared. Her eyes lingered on the large batch, pressing a finger to her chin contemplatively as a tempting idea began to take form. “But I suppose I could use the skins to—oh, never mind, what am I saying?”

“You should do it, woman.”

“I-I should?” Blue brows rounded as her cheeks warmed, despite the brisk autumn breeze. “W-well, I don’t have anybody to—”

“Use Yukina and the oaf,” he clarified, making his true intentions known. “If the tradition holds any credence, it will prove what an unholy match they are.”

“And what happens if they’re perfectly aligned?”

“Then I’ll burn the evidence to the ground.”

“Oh, you’re terrible, Hiei!” she scolded with a shake of her head as she deposited another apple in the basket. Despite her words, she found herself fighting back a smile at the fire-demon’s scheming. “Absolutely awful.”

Hiei wasn’t fazed, merely grunting out a sound that was a cross between a scoff and a dark chuckle in response.

In the end, the fire-demon remained at her side until Keiko suggested they queue up for a hayride. Botan wasn’t at all surprised when Hiei quietly vanished out of sight, biting back a knowing laugh as the trees rustled in time with his great escape. As she tracked his retreating shadow in the distance, Botan found herself privately wishing that this wouldn’t be the last she saw of him.

Chapter Text

Hiei lurked on the outskirts of another Fool Fest activity, lingering long after the burning orange sun had dipped beneath the dark blue horizon. The usual suspects were huddled around a large fire, glowing embers floating above their heads and lighting up the dark of the woods like fireflies on a clear summer night. He observed them silently from a branch hidden in a nearby tree—as he usually did when forced into paltry socialization against his will. His sister was seated on an aged log next to the oaf, smiling contentedly while learning how to roast marshmallows in an effort to create something called a “shmoor”. While participating in these get-togethers often left a bad taste in his mouth, he couldn’t find it in himself to regret witnessing more of her ever-growing moments of happiness.

Or so he thought, until the brief respite was broken by a shrill shriek, a sharp slap and the subsequent thunk of a body crashing to the dirt floor.

“Geez, Keiko, you didn’t have to get that violent!” Yusuke huffed, dusting himself off as he plunked back down beside his harpy.

“Keep your hands to yourself and it won’t happen again,” Keiko admonished tightly.

Across from the feuding lovers sat the oaf’s sister and the fox. He had seen the more sensible psychic wander over to the ferry-girl to question the empty space beside her, but the bluette simply shooed her away without much of an explanation.

It was a peculiar exchange. The annoying woman was often in the mix of everything—butting into others’ affairs, piping in with unsolicited opinions and riling people up with her teasing words—but in this moment she sat calmly, simply observing the others while he observed her.

Dropping down from his perch in the tree, he landed on his feet quietly. He could feel the group’s eyes on his back as he crossed over to the bluette, but he pretended not to notice. Hiei didn’t know what it was that drew him to the woman as of late, nor did he intend to overthink it. The most logical conclusion was to consider it a byproduct of the group’s dynamics. The others had all been paired together in some way, shape or form, leaving both he and the woman as the odd men out.

“Alone again, ferry-girl?”

Botan’s expression lifted upon seeing him, a peculiar flip in script that he still wasn’t accustomed to. “I’m not alone,” she chirped, pushing the extra cup into his hands. “I saved this spot just for you. I figured you’d get tired of skulking around in the shadows eventually.”

“I wasn’t skulking,” he denied flatly. The cup was still fairly warm, its contents the color of honeyed ale. “What is this?”

“Apple cider, made by yours truly!” she answered through a proud grin. “Go on, have a taste.”

The fire-demon did as instructed, letting the warm, tart liquid glide down his throat. By now, the others had stopped staring at him and continued talking amongst themselves. Crimson met amethyst as the flavors played on his tongue. “It’s sweet.”

“And oh so comforting on a chilly autumn night!”

Hiei brought the drink up to his lips again in lieu of responding. The woman must have spruced it up with other spices because he tasted a hint of cinnamon as well.

“It’s a lovely evening, isn’t it?” Botan commented, bright eyes lifting skyward. “Certainly not as dreadful as you were probably imagining.”

“Hn.” The fire-demon grunted noncommittally as he followed her gaze up to the starry expanse above. He hadn’t attended every single ridiculous event on the roster, but he did make an appearance when his schedule allowed. Strangely enough, in every one of his appearances, he found himself ending up beside the nosy ferry-girl.

Hiei wasn’t entirely sure what was happening or why he allowed her to get so close. Perhaps he had gone soft. Maybe he was going senile. Or perhaps, he grew tired of the effort it took to maintain the distance between them.

It was strange. There was once a time when nearly everyone seated around the fire was afraid of him. A well-timed glare or an icy death threat would leave them quivering with fear. The slightest hint of malevolent intent was more than enough to unsettle even the elder Kuwabara. But somewhere along the way, they had all taken to treating him like a normal man and not a cursed emiko with more crimes stacked up under his belt and blood on his hands than he cared to keep track of.

The ferry-girl remained the worst offender of all with her open smiles and earnest sincerity. Even now, she sat far too close to him, her floral scent prevalent amidst the thick smoke of the bonfire.

“What’s the verdict, Yukina?” Shizuru asked, fixing her brown eyes on the ice-maiden. “Are you enjoying my baby brother’s Fall Fest extravaganza?”

Yukina nodded. “Very much so! Thank you all for planning so many elaborate events just for my sake.”

“Aw, you don’t have to thank us, my sweet!” Kuwabara declared, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I wish we could have done this for you sooner.”

“I would never expect you to shirk your studies or your responsibilities for my sake, Kazuma,” she said solemnly. “But I am glad that we can all spend this time together.”

A disgustingly saccharine blush saturated the clown’s sharp cheekbones.

“Cheers to that!” Botan raised her paper cup in the air.

The others followed suit, letting out their own exclamations in agreement. Hiei drained the rest of his cider without any of the fanfare, setting the empty cup down beside his feet.

“Humans usually trade ghost stories around campfires,” Keiko mentioned, tucking a lock of hair behind her ears. “Do you want to start us off, Yukina?”

“Ghost stories?”

“Yeah, you know…” Yusuke paused to blow on his burnt marshmallow, the small morsel as dark as charcoal. “Superstitions. Urban legends. Dramatic retellings about things that probably never happened. That kinda thing.”

“Oh!” Yukina blinked with recognition. “We have plenty of those in the glacial village.”

“Do tell,” Kurama suggested, retracting his perfectly roasted marshmallow from the fire. “Demon World legends are typically steeped in more fact than fiction.”

Hiei wasn’t particularly interested in hearing about the ridiculous notions the koorime used to keep their clanswomen held captive on that desolate, floating rock, but he listened nonetheless.

“Well, the most popular one was the Lady of the Snow. She disguises her voice as someone you know and beckons you during a storm. If you answer her call, your soul will be hers. All it takes is a single word in response to spell out your doom,” Yukina retold, gazing into the flames as she recalled the tale. “Supposedly, she was a grief-stricken maiden who lost her life centuries ago and intends to lure others into the tundra to keep her company.”

“Creepy,” Kuwabara commented with a shudder.

“So… don’t follow the hot lady into the snow,” Yusuke mumbled through a mouthful of scorched marshmallow. “Got it.”

It wasn’t lost on Hiei that Yukina purposely avoided the countless superstitions centering on men or emikos, most likely for his sake. He caught his sister’s ruby eyes over the fire and nodded at the affectionate smile she afforded him.

“That was a great start, dear!” Botan commended with a clap of her hands. “Does anyone have a spooky story that can top that?”

“What about the Sarayashiki Poltergeist?” Kuwabara tried.

“Lame.” Yusuke quickly shot down with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Keiko hummed in thought before offering up, “The Ghost Train?”

“Anticlimactic,” Shizuru replied, shaking her head. “I always wondered about The Man in the Tanuki Mask, though.”

“I believe that was actually debunked quite some time ago,” Kurama refuted smoothly.

Shizuru arched a brow. “Really?”

“Yes, the culprit turned out to be a drunken salaryman.”

“Underwhelming, but not surprising.”

“I’ve got it!” Kuwabara snapped his fingers. “Possession at the Shrine!”

“That’s about as scary as a lullaby,” Yusuke vetoed again.

“…Is it just me, or do all these stories pale in comparison to all the supernatural events we’ve lived through?” Keiko asked, taking a thoughtful bite from her chocolate.

Yusuke shrugged in that heedless way of his. “I guess dealing with sharp-fanged demons, psychotic psychics and apocalypse after apocalypse really dulls your fear factor.”

The rest of them seemed to agree, the crackle of the fire the only sounds amongst the once lively group. An almost awkward air blanketed the area now that they had nothing festive to talk about.

“Well, that’s quite alright!” Botan voiced sunnily, chasing away the stilted atmosphere. She held out her indulgent tower of marshmallows and chocolates sandwiched between two cookies. “Bonfires aren’t just for ghost stories, they’re for enjoying tasty treats and spending time with friends.”

“Botan makes a good point,” Kurama concurred, watching the fire’s flame lick at the air as the smoke rose towards the stars. “Perhaps for once we need not dwell on the many horrors of the three worlds.”

“I’m all in favor of that.” Shizuru tipped her cup towards the fox in a show of support before finishing off her cider.

The night advanced uneventfully after that. Hiei barely listened as they all spoke about their mundane human jobs and the latest chaotic event that rocked the Spirit World. Kurama asked about how things were transpiring at Mukuro’s fortress, but Hiei refused to reveal too much. The affairs of the stronghold weren’t anyone else’s business—especially not that of the fox, who once aligned with Yomi.

Time ticked on easily, as it tended to do with this crowd.

The moon cradled higher in the sky and their drinks ran low.

Beside him, the ferry-girl suppressed a slight shiver. A cursory glance in her direction revealed that she had crossed her arms over her chest, body tensed up in an effort to retain its dwindling warmth. It was hard not to notice the discomfort in her expression or her growing frown highlighted within the fire’s ambient glow.

Hiei reacted before he could think better of it, raising his energy just enough so that the heat would spread out and envelop her form. Botan’s shoulders relaxed first, her blue brows unfurrowed next and her pink lips parted on a quiet gasp. When their gazes met and her mouth curved into a small, grateful smile, Hiei couldn’t find it within himself to regret his momentary lapse in stoicism.

Crimson eyes lingered on the woman long after she glanced away, a new warmth entirely unrelated to the flames of his energy filling his chest.

Chapter Text

Botan watched Yukina cut jagged edges at the end of a white blanket, before tilting her head at her friend. “I’m certain Kuwabara would be more than willing to purchase whichever costume you wanted, dear.”

“I know,” the ice-maiden admitted, a small smile painting her lips as she continued her task. “But I don’t want to burden Kazuma. He’s already done so much for me.”

“And he’d be honored to do even more.” Botan grinned, holding out her own odds and ends in front of her to measure them. “But this way is pretty fun, too, isn’t it?”

Yukina giggled from across the low table. “It is. I used to help make kimonos back home, so this feels very familiar to me.”

“Perfect, then you can help me with my costume. I barely know what I’m doing!”

Yukina glanced over at her mess of black materials, a small crinkle in her seafoam blue brows. “What are you trying to fashion?”

“Why, it’s—”

Botan was cut off by the gentle swoosh of the shoji doors sliding open, revealing none other than Hiei. She wasn’t sure if she would ever get used to the fire-demon showing up whenever and wherever he pleased without warning, but she couldn’t deny the warmth that filled her chest as he stepped through the threshold. It was an entirely new development—one the ferry-girl refused to dwell on or overcomplicate.

“Brother,” Yukina greeted, taking a stand. “I didn’t know you’d be stopping by today. I would have prepared your favorites if I did.”

“Don’t bother,” he dismissed, crimson eyes passing over the mess of fabrics and sewing tools. “I didn’t intend to interrupt.”

“You’re not interrupting anything,” she insisted, taking his arm and drawing him further inside. “You can keep Botan company while I make something for the three of us.”

Hiei was left with no choice but to acquiesce to his sister’s will, any arguments he might have had dying in the wake of Yukina’s gentle persistence. He shirked off his cloak and scarf, before lowering himself into a cross-legged position a few feet away from the ferry-girl.

“Hello Hiei!” Botan greeted chipperly. “I didn’t expect to see you on a free day.”

“I was in the vicinity.”

“Returning a human who crossed the barrier?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Well, don’t look so glum about it. You’re a regular hero!”

“Hardly. Don’t confuse duty with heroism.”

Botan giggled.

He reached out and grabbed a black headband, inspecting it with just the slightest bit of curious interest. “What is all this for, woman?”

“My costume, of course!” she answered, holding the soft material to her body. “For our Halloween Party at the end of the month.”

Hiei grimaced, dropping the accessory back on the table with a clatter.

“Care to guess what I’m going as?”

“A black hole,” he surmised, based on all of the dark items spread about.

“No, silly!” She shook her head and then lifted her fist, bending her wrist as if it was a makeshift paw. “I’m going as a black cat!”

“I fail to see the significance… or the relevance.”

“Black cats are pretty popular around this time of year. Humans believe that crossing one’s path brings bad luck,” she explained, the Fall Fest knowledge slipping easily from her mouth. “But this adorable kitty will be breaking that unfair stigma! I’ll be the luckiest feline in all three worlds. And cute as a button to boot.”

Hiei scoffed.

“Don’t give me that look, mister. What are you going to be?”

“Invisible,” he bit out. “I don’t plan on attending such a deranged affair.”

“Oh, but you simply have to!” Botan urged, her grip tightening insistently on the smooth fabric. “There’ll be music and games and so many of our friends, too!”

“You’re making me less inclined to attend with every word that escapes your mouth.”

“Don’t be a downer, Hiei. The party is the culmination of all the events rolled into one. It’s our Fall Fest Finale!”

“Now you’re just making things up, ferry-girl.”

“I’m not!” she insisted with a shake of her head. “What’s more: Yukina will definitely be expecting you. You have to at least make an appearance.”

“…”

“Which means you’ll certainly need a costume,” she continued on, amethyst eyes examining and cataloguing him carefully. “Let’s see… what would suit you best…?”

“Worry about your own wardrobe, woman. If I attend, it won’t be in costume.”

“That’s a shame, Hiei,” she pointed out, imagining him in all manner of ensembles. “You’ve got a great figure and you’re quite handsome, too. You could pull off any number of looks.”

Hiei hiked a dark brow.

Botan realized what she just admitted outloud, nervous laughter bubbling out of her throat. “And I say that completely objectively. You know… from friend to friend.”

“I’ve told you before: we aren’t friends.”

“Now you’re just being a grouchy fibber.”

Hiei’s eyes narrowed. “What makes you think you and I would ever be friends?”

It was her turn to raise a brow this time, distinctly looking around at the cloth strewn about the room, down to herself, and back at Hiei. “Well, you’re here, aren’t you? Sitting with me. Talking to me. Not threatening to end my existence. One might say that makes us friends.”

“I’m here for Yukina.”

“I know that, but you’re still—”

“I mean it, ferry-girl. After this Fool Fest is over, I intend to keep my distance.”

“Oh.” She nodded slowly, pretending to be convinced. “I see.”

“Far away.”

“Far away. Got it.”

“In Demon World. As far away as physically possible from interfering ferry-girls with ridiculous notions of friendship playing on loop in their delusional little minds.”

Botan pursed her lips together pointedly.

Silence descended upon the two. Abrupt, terse and tense.

The change in mood very clearly disgruntled the fire-demon, as evidenced by the impatient bite of his voice. “What now, woman?”

Botan didn’t deign to look his way, fiddling with the tail of her costume. “You’ve just gone and hurt my feelings now, is all.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his brow twitch. He wasn’t expecting her to say that. Nor was he prepared to deal with the consequences of his nasty little words. Good. Serves him right! Botan resisted the urge to smirk victoriously and she pushed her lips into a pout instead. She let her shoulders droop for added effect, sighing as she reached for the cat ears she would be attaching to her headband.

“Woman.”

“…”

“Ferry-girl.”

“…”

“Botan.”

So, he knew her name, after all. Although it was a pleasant surprise, it wasn’t nearly enough to cease her completely and totally justified cold shoulder. Botan hummed to herself while gluing on the black velvety ears, body angled away from him.

“Fine, you insufferable woman,” he conceded tightly. “What sort of wretched human costumes were you thinking of?”

Botan perked up immediately, turning to catch his narrowed gaze with renewed vigor.

“A pirate?”

“No.”

“Hmmm. Werewolf?”

“No.”

“Oh, you’d make a wonderful vampire!”

“No.”

“Then how about something mythical? You have the perfect body for a merman.”

Hiei shot her a particularly incensed death glare. “You’re truly demented, woman.”

Botan’s shoulders shook as she laughed. She had never seen the fire-demon look so disturbed before and she had to admit, it was an extremely satisfying sight. “Well, what would you be comfortable dressing up as?”

“Nothing.”

“Would it help if you heard what the others were planning?”

“No.”

“Alright then.” She carried on, ignoring his objections completely in lieu of waving her arm across the table. “As you can see, Yukina’s currently crafting her ghost costume.”

Hiei glanced over at the bedsheet with disdain. “She can’t be serious.”

“As a heart-attack!”

Hiei’s expression darkened with distaste.

Botan tilted her head at him. “What, you don’t like it?”

“Not only is it ridiculous and demeaning, but it’s also pitifully trite.”

“Well, that’s what your sister wanted…”

“Absurd,” he scoffed, glaring at the bedsheet. “This world’s influence has been a detriment to her.”

“I don’t know, I still say a life here trumps the glacial village and all its restrictions,” Botan ascertained. “I’d rather Yukina have the freedom to do as she pleases, even if it is unorthodox.”

“That goes without saying, ferry-girl,” he grumbled. “Even so, it doesn’t mean I have to agree with her… peculiar preferences.”

Botan tittered. The way his lips downturned into a softened frown was almost—dare she think it—cute. “Well, I suppose not even twins will always see eye-to-eye.”

“Hn.”

“Oh, I just thought of the most adorable idea!” Botan exclaimed, pulling another white sheet from the floor. “You could dress up as a ghost, too! Then we’d have a regular old twin haunting!”

“Not a chance.”

“Come now, Hiei, we’re running out of options,” she complained. “At this rate, you might as well shift into that evil jagan form and call it a day!”

Hiei shot her a smirk that was equal parts teasing and menacing. “Be careful what you wish for, ferry-girl.”

An indignant squeal pierced through the room as the energy shifted into malevolent territory. She recognized that intense aura all too well, recoiling immediately. “Ew, Hiei! Stop!”

The fire-demon chuckled darkly, his skin tinging a faint hue of green.

“Hiei!”

Chapter Text

Crimson eyes scanned the group one by one beneath dark, furrowed brows. Yukina, the ex-detective, his harpy, the Kuwabaras, and the fox all stood in the middle of a long line leading towards their next Fool Fest attraction. But something wasn’t right. He snuck a subtle glance ahead of them and then behind, his frown deepening at the distinct lack of blue hair, bright eyes and a melodic voice.

“The ferry-girl,” Hiei muttered lowly, against his better judgement. “Where is she?”

“Botan got caught up in some Spirit World business,” Keiko informed him. “She told us to save her a spot in line.”

“Do you think we should let some others go ahead of us?” Yukina suggested, the beginnings of worry creeping onto her expression. “We seem to be moving forward fairly quickly…”

“Eh, Botan always manages to pop in out of nowhere just in the nick of time,” Yusuke reassured, mischief glinting in his eyes as he wiggled his brows at the fire-demon. “Kinda like someone else we know.”

Hiei huffed and looked away.

“Why are you asking, hamster legs?” Kuwabara questioned, examining him with a judgmental stare. “You’re not trying to mack on her are you?”

“Really, Kazuma?” Shizuru’s usually unbothered countenance was colored with exasperation as she regarded the oaf.

“Don’t look at me like that, Shizuru! They were totally flirting at the apple orchard!” he accused, pointing a finger Hiei’s way. “And then again at the bonfire.”

“Is that what that was?” Yusuke snorted, sliding his arm around his woman’s shoulders.

“Don’t confuse it,” Hiei cut in. “That infernal ferry-girl is the one who bound me to this nonsensical chain of events in the first place. If I’m forced to suffer through another Fool Fest affair, then so should she.”

Yusuke traded an unconvinced look with Kuwabara before chuckling. “Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, bud.”

Hiei resisted the mounting urge to unleash his Dragon of the Darkness Flame on every single soul in the vicinity, including the humans innocently awaiting their thrills. He could already imagine the screams of terror and the stench of burnt flesh. His little death fantasy was the only thing keeping him grounded.

“Don’t listen to them, brother,” Yukina said softly. “I think it’s nice that you and Botan are getting along.”

“Yukina—” he gritted, fantasy thoroughly ruined by his sister’s innocent, yet unhelpful remark.

Before he had the chance to say anything else, the fox cleared his throat.

“It appears we’ll be entering soon. Do remember that these are merely humans playing a role,” Kurama urged, his emerald gaze lingering on Yusuke and Hiei for a second too long. “Reacting violently won’t bode well for any of us.”

Hiei dismissed the fox’s heedings. The sole reason he joined them tonight was to guard Yukina while she traversed the bizarre attraction. If anyone made the unfortunate mistake of touching either one of them, they would immediately find themselves without the ability to ever touch anything again.

The line edged forward, prompting Hiei to do the same. The so-called haunted house was in the near distance. It appeared to be a typical two story human abode, messily decorated with little rhyme or reason. A plastic skeleton stood on the lawn. Cobwebs lined the windows. Fake blood smeared across the steps of the entrance. He failed to see what was so hair-raising about it, but he could sense the tendrils of fear and anticipation tainting the autumn air as the line of humans pushed closer and closer to the entrance.

“How are we doing this?” Yusuke asked. “They said we can either buddy up or go solo.”

“I refuse to go in with Yusuke,” Keiko declared, crossing her sweatered arms. “He’s always trying to scare the actors.”

“Aw, don’t be like that, Keiko,” he teased with a snicker. “Who else but me will protect you from all the big, bad freaks in there?”

She turned away from him with a huff. “I can protect myself, thank you very much.”

“I’ll go with you, hon,” Shizuru offered, stepping closer to Keiko as the line moved forward. “I’m not sticking around to see what mischief they get into.”

Kuwabara looked around at the group and then down to Yukina, a foolishly lovesick grin stretching over his features. “Heh, maybe Urameshi should go with Kurama. Then I can escort my sweet!”

“Hey, I’m not some prized pony you can just pawn off on whoever so that you can hold hands with Yukina.” Yusuke scowled. “Besides, I was planning on going alone. You know, to show these actors a thing or two about horror.”

“I would prefer to be on my own as well,” Kurama expressed as their group reached the front of the line.

Bandaged from head to toe, the employee manning the front door allowed the two human women entry first before closing the doorway off again with a simple red rope. Hiei’s eyes narrowed in thought. They were staggering entrances. All the more reason to ensure he went with Yukina. He would allow the imbecile to believe he was accompanying her for now. It would be all the more sweeter to snatch the chance away from him right before their entry.

Hiei smirked as one by one, their group continued to shrink.

Yusuke headed inside next with a salute.

Then the fox.

And as soon as the bandaged fool removed the rope, it would be his turn.

“I hope the others are alright,” Yukina fretted at the sounds of muted shrieks emitting from the old house.

“You don’t have to worry about a thing, my snow cone,” Kuwabara declared, his gravely voice dropping an octave. “The great Kazuma Kuwabara will protect you until the end, baby.”

“Think again, you fool,” Hiei interjected, taking a step forward. “I’m—”

“Reporting for duty!” Botan announced sportively, appearing out of thin air. “It looks like I barely made it, too. Don’t tell me everyone else already entered?”

“Botan, I’m so glad you made it!” Yukina greeted. “The others went ahead, but you and I can still go in together.”

The ferry-girl glanced over Yukina’s shoulder to where Kuwabara was adamantly shaking his head and mouthing the word ‘no,’ at her. She chuckled nervously and before Hiei knew it, the woman had grabbed his arm in a vice-grip. “Well, I’d love to, dear, but I promised your surly brother I’d be going in with him!”

Hiei’s sadistic expression fell.

“Yup!” she tittered, squeezing tighter in all of her terrible, overzealous acting. “You two go on inside first. Hiei and I will be right behind you!”

Hiei wanted to protest, but the surprising strength that the ferry-girl exuded caught him thoroughly off guard. He would have to use brute force if he intended to break free from her hold in time to stop Yukina. And that wasn’t something he was willing to do to a non-fighter.

“Next up,” the bandaged worker droned boredly from the entrance.

“We’ll see you at the end,” Yukina avowed, casting a smile their way, before Kuwabara carefully guided her inside.

Botan released him as soon as the door closed again. The glare he shot her would have made lesser men soil themselves, but the ferry-girl was either too dense or too oblivious to realize what she had just done.

“Now, Hiei,” she began seriously, “I know you hate seeing Kuwabara with Yukina, but he’s been really excited to—”

“I don’t care about the oaf. The only reason I came to this infernal hell hole was to ensure Yukina’s safety,” he gritted. “You’ve singlehandedly ruined that chance.”

Botan blinked slowly, the realization setting in. “Oh my, I had no idea your motives were so genuine. I thought you were just pulling the overprotective brother card!”

He glared harder.

“Don’t look at me like that, Hiei, she’s in great hands. Kuwabara would never let anything happen to Yukina,” the woman carried on in that blithe and unaffected way of hers. “Besides, in the slight chance that there is any danger beyond those doors, Yukina is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.”

“I know that, woman.”

“Then stop worrying!” she urged lightly. “You’ll get premature wrinkles if you keep scowling at everyone and everything!”

She emphasized her statement by pointing at her forehead and wrinkling her brows.

“Hn.”

“You’re still angry, aren’t you?” she pointed out unhelpfully.

“What do you think, ferry-girl?”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m certain you and I can still catch up to them if we speedwalk through the attraction,” she touted hopefully. “That works out nicely for me, because I’m not too keen on getting jump-scared, anyway!”

Hiei’s eyes thinned. “Don’t tell me this nonsense actually frightens you.”

“It’s not exactly my idea of a good time,” she admitted, poking the pads of her index fingers together. “In fact, why don’t we skip it entirely and meet the others at the back exit?”

Suddenly, this night just turned itself around. A smirk curled the edges of his lips.

“Not a chance, woman,” he refused. “We’re seeing this Cursed Complex through to the end.”

“Next guests.”

“Oh poo,” she lamented, shoulders wilting as she hesitated near the entrance.

Hiei trudged forward without preamble, prompting Botan to scramble after him in fear of being left alone. The tight corridor—narrow enough for only a single body to pass through at a time—was pitch black, and once the door to the entrance had shut behind them, no light was let in. The fire-demon’s enhanced sight was rendered useless in the wake of the Human World tricks. No matter, though. He had faced more dire straits than these.

“Ohhh, Hiei, I don’t like this,” Botan bemoaned from behind him.

He scoffed. “Already? We aren’t even ten feet in, ferry-girl.”

“I thought I’d be able to see!”

“You yourself said there’s no real harm to be had through these doors. Pull yourself together.”

There was a pause.

“You have a point.”

He grunted and began advancing through the dark. Upon hearing the click of his boots moving further away, Botan let out a dismayed gasp. He could feel the displacement of air as she tried and failed to grasp his cloak. When her hands found no purchase in front of her, she audibly slid them along the closed-in walls surrounding them to guide her.

“This wall feels wet and gross.”

He smirked and continued moving forward until his senses alerted him to a small gust of air rising from beneath what he could only assume to be the end of the corridor. It was close. Practically right under his nose. Reaching a hand out, he eventually found a cold handle gripped firmly beneath his warm skin. As he tugged it open, the ferry-girl squawked behind him in a blind panic.

“Something just grabbed my foot! Help me!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, woman,” he said as the light from the next room finally filled the corridor. Turning around with another reproach at the ready, he stopped short when he saw what was going on in the pitch black hallway. There were milky white hands everywhere, sticking out of holes in the floor, pulling at her knees and ankles.

“Hiei!”

He bit back the wicked grin fighting its way onto his lips. “There’s nothing there.”

“I feel it!” She squeaked, twisting back and forth to get away from the hands grabbing her.

“You’re imagining things,” he told her. “Stop wasting time. The door is already open.”

She blinked as she finally looked up into the dim light instead of fighting against the hands at her feet. When she saw the path ahead and Hiei’s dark shadow, she cried out in relief and ran towards him. He crossed his arms as one last hand attempted to snatch her ankle while she ran through the doorway to freedom. The door slowly creaked closed behind her and she rested her palms on her knees to try to catch her rattled breath, seemingly safe from the hands at last.

“I’m so glad you found the door. I was starting to go a bit cuckoo in there!”

Hiei turned away from her to keep a blank face. “Hn.”

The pair had walked into another dim hallway, but this time the dull lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling were rocking back and forth and blinking, giving a disorienting feeling to the bloody stone walls and concrete floor. Hiei leisurely guided them through while the ferry-girl followed behind, chewing on her fingernails as her head whipped back and forth to check for anything about to grab at her. Reaching the end of the hall, they found a set of stairs going down.

“Poo, not the basement.”

He ignored her and descended the dirty, damp steps.

The first room resembled a scene out of Kurama’s television. If he remembered correctly, the humans called it an asylum. Rusted medical instruments—broken needles, tarnished forceps, and bloodied scalpels—lay scattered around the padded white room. Wailing patients were strapped to gurneys and tables between the stained medical curtains. Some were mid-procedure, fake viscera on display for the guests. A lone man dressed only in a hospital gown, rocked back and forth and pulled his messy hair between his skeletal fingers at the opposite end of the room.

Hiei rolled his eyes at the dramatic display and strolled through, nobody daring to bother him as he crossed the room. Maybe they weren’t as stupid as he originally thought. The ferry-girl, however, had no such luck. The ‘crazed’ man charged straight at her and she screamed, instinctually holding her hands out in front of her chest to protect herself. The actor stopped short of tackling her and instead began running his fingers down her ponytail and muttering about pretty, pretty hair. He pulled rusted scissors from his gown and Botan had the mind to deftly duck away before the instrument could do any harm to her powdery locks.

“You have to pay the fee if you want to flee~!” The man cackled, chasing after her again as if to snip a strand of her hair.

She squealed and plowed into the fire demon in her haste to get away, clutching at Hiei’s cloak and begging him to keep moving.

Her fear was sweet, sweet revenge.

Hiei took his time walking into the next room until the actor circled back towards his assigned post. Glancing down at the delicate fingers buried in the dark material of his cloak, he frowned. “Let go, woman.”

When she realized what she was doing, her cheeks burned a light shade of pink.

“Sorry about that, Hiei.” Botan laughed nervously as she released his cloak from her shaking hand.

The next room proceeded in much the same fashion, except this one featured an electric chair as its main attraction. One actor was pulling on the lever that caused sparks to fly out the chair while the other actor writhed and shook as if he was being electrocuted, foamy drool dripping down his chin for added effect. Hiei rather liked witnessing the human being tortured, but the ferry-girl had other feelings about it. Her doe eyes would widen each time the lever was pulled, and when a man dressed in a matching green medical outfit began pulling her towards the chair, she quickly wrapped both hands around Hiei’s wrist to keep from being dragged away.

Once outside the room and standing at the bottom of the next set of steps, she noticed what she had done.

“Oh, not again!” The woman dropped her cold fingers from his wrist. “I didn’t mean to invade your personal space for a second time. Silly me!”

She was met with a weak glare as the phantom touch of her cool, slender fingers ghosted along his skin. It was a halfhearted effort on his part, but convincing enough to deter the ferry-girl.

Giggling anxiously and turning her attention to the staircase, she continued. “Anyway, shall we head on up?”

Red eyes flickered down his arm to where her hands used to be. It was… odd that she would cling to him, of all souls, for comfort. It was a first for the fire-demon. To be needed in this way. And while he knew it was a thoughtless act of survival on the ferry-girl’s part, her actions all week indicated that she actually did trust and believe in him on some strange, misguided level.

“Hiei?”

He grunted dismissively and ascended the rickety stairs, the ferry-girl hot on his heels.

They were immediately thrust into another ‘gruesome’ scene. This time, body parts hung from the ceiling by way of dangling chains. An actor stood in the corner dressed in a pair of soiled overalls with the head of a pig sitting on their shoulders. Chopped bits of flesh flew off of another performer as the swine-like monstrosity slammed their meat cleaver into the shaking body. There were no jump-scares in this room, but Botan was visibly disturbed nonetheless as they traversed through to the next.

The next room was presented as a run-down kitchen, with more body parts strewn around in various places and fake blood splattered on the walls and actors. The demented chef was stirring eyeballs and other organs in a large cauldron over a fire. He grinned as the duo walked in, beckoning them over to his stew.

The chef held a ladle out to them. “This one was a liar. You can taste it in the tongue.”

The ferry-girl cringed and backpedaled, and the cook laughed maniacally, smearing the blood on the corner of his mouth with his hand. She came to a stop as she backed into another body. It was an old hag, and she pulled at Botan’s fingers once she’d whirled around to see what was behind her.

“You have to peel the skin nice and slow,” the hag began her ominous song, “or it doesn’t scream right.”

The ferry-girl quickly pulled her hand away and made for the next room, but instead wailed and turned bodily into Hiei when a man with a cleaver jumped out in front of her. If Hiei wasn’t so used to taking hits like this at the fortress, he would have been knocked over by the force of it. He narrowed his eyes and pulled them both along as she kept her arms wrapped around his bicep with her own eyes squeezed shut. The entertainers backed off immediately as he walked out into the next hall.

Left in a brief respite of silence and solitude, Hiei stared at Botan for a moment too long. Much to his own disgust, the terror on her expression was no longer something he found entertaining. Her pathetic quivering and cowering no longer kindled his dark sense of amusement. Any thrill he once gained at the start of the journey was replaced with something much more troubling. And far more confusing. He stared down at the woman in his arms as a strange urge grew from within. The longer she clung to him, the more he found himself wanting to protect—

Hiei instantly killed that ridiculous notion, wondering where it surged up from all of a sudden. It must have been the effects of this Cursed Complex. It had to be. He needed to escape this madhouse before they were both driven insane.

And there was only one way to do that with the ferry-girl in tow.

“You can open your eyes now, woman.”

“A-are we out of there?”

“Yes.”

“I did it again, didn’t I?” she tittered once her lashes fluttered open, her hands going to her cheeks in all her embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what keeps coming over me. I told you I’m not very good at these things, right?”

“I don’t care, ferry-girl. Your useless apologies are marginally worse than your incessant clinging. If you intend to exit this place before daybreak, you’ll stop floundering and let me handle things.”

“Um?” she trailed off. “I don’t—”

“Hold on to me for the remainder of this ordeal. We’ll get out faster that way.”

The ferry-girl’s brows disappeared behind power blue bangs as the light of hope returned to her widened eyes. “…Do you really mean that, Hiei?”

“That is why I said it.”

“Oh, thank you!” She lit up, linking their arms back together. “My hero!”

“Don’t get the wrong idea, woman,” he warned tightly. “This isn’t an act of benevolence and I’m far from anyone’s hero.”

“That’s fine! Maybe a villain is just what I need.” She winked at him. “After all, these actors don’t seem to want to bother you.”

She’d said it conspiratorially, but something about her words left a treacly, warm feeling in his chest.

He wasn’t left with any time to quash it as the ferry-girl set off with a renewed pep in her step. Eventually they’d entered the attic and he found himself distracted in the room full of broken porcelain baby dolls. Unlike the last few areas, the woman was ooh’ing and ahh’ing at the macabre decorations instead of shaking in her boots. Now that she was attached to him like leech, he was subjected to soft curves and gentle touches as she pressed against him.  Hiei imagined that self-flagellation was less tortuous than whatever the hell was going on in his own mind.

“Do you see that? I wonder how she got up there!” Botan gasped in a haze of wonder, pointing up at the actress hanging in the corner of the ceiling in a dingy white dress and blacked-out eyes.

“Hn.”

Yes, this night had quickly taken a turn for the worse. He allowed his impulsive emotions to override his good sense, and now he was bound to the cheerful woman with no end in sight. He had nobody to blame but himself.

And Fool Fest. He blamed Fool Fest.

His musings were abruptly cut short by a sudden, shrill screeching piercing his eardrums. Apparently, the woman led them into the next area and she wasn’t faring well. There was a large variety of insects writhing along the flat surfaces of the room. While she danced around them in a hysteric frenzy, the fire-demon merely crushed them under his boots as he walked through. They were nearly out of the bug-infested chamber when Hiei felt a familiar presence creeping up behind them. Faster than the average human could detect, a man with a spider mask and eight legs attached to his back charged at them and lifted the ferry-girl off the ground.

Botan let out another ear-splitting shriek, slapping at her assailant's arms desperately. “Hiei, don’t let it take me, please!”

“Bahahaha, GOTCHYA BOTAN!” Yusuke cackled as he lowered her back on her feet and shifted his mask up. “It’s only me. See?”

“How dare you, Yusuke!” she scolded sharply, pulling away from him and setting herself to rights. “You know I hate these jump-scares!”

“Sorry, Bo.” He chuckled, not sounding very sorry at all. “I’ve been trolling this place for some fun. These actors are lame.”

She harrumphed. “Well you didn’t have to scare me.”

“I was 0 for 2. Kurama sensed me before I got close and Yukina didn’t even bat an eye.”

“Serves you right!” She huffed and—to Hiei’s complete horror—nestled herself back into his side, hugging his arm once more. “Shall we move on?” she sniffed, turning her nose in the air to Yusuke, whose jaw had found itself on the floor. “The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

The ex-detective stammered momentarily, eyes darting back and forth between the demon and spirit. “You’ve gotta be shitting me,” he muttered, disbelief giving way to a tickled amusement that could only spell trouble. “Kuwabara was actually right for once?!”

Hiei growled at the idiot, shaking the woman off his arm. “Shut your mouth, detective.”

Botan tilted her head in bewilderment. “Right about what, Yusuke?”

The detective threw his head back as he laughed. “About you climbing Hiei’s tree! My flabbers are gasted, you naughty Grim Reaper.”

It took her a second to realize what he was saying before outrage overtook her expression. “Yusuke!” she gritted out warningly, summoning a heavy metal bat. It took less than a second for her to strike him over the head with it. And even less than that for her to turn on her heel in a huff and stomp ahead.

Hiei spared one glance down at the ex-detective’s unconscious form before stepping over him as if he were nothing more than another unsightly feature marking the room.

“You’ll give him brain damage at this rate,” he warned, hands pushed into his pockets as he caught up with the incensed woman.

“Oh dear! I was only trying to knock some much needed sense into him,” she defended, her tone managing to reach a convincing blend of innocent and cheery.

He smirked, finding himself strangely impressed. “How uncharacteristically violent for a ferry-girl.”

Botan winced sheepishly. “We all have our faults, I suppose.”

“I never said it was a problem, woman.”

She paused for a moment, features shifting into a slow, genuine smile.

As they continued perusing the Cursed Complex, and as the ferry-girl tucked more and more comfortably against him, two things became abundantly clear.

He didn’t mind being alone with her.

And, loathe though he was to admit it, perhaps the oaf and the ex-detective weren’t so far off the mark after all.