Night Vision: In Which We Post Another Fanfic

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not own the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters (they are the property of Togashi Yoshihiro et al), and does not make any money from said characters. Don't sue.

 

What Kenshin does own, however, are all the original characters in this work. Any attempt to "borrow" these characters will be met with the katana, or worse.

 

The events in Idiot Beloved take place shortly after the Dark Tournament; Firebird Sweet directly follows that timeline. This story is set many, many years after that.

 

Title: Night Vision

Author: JaganshiKenshin

Genre: General

Rating: K

 

Summary: A foggy, lonely night, and someone is stalking Hiei.

 

A/N: Set many years after the Dark Tournament, this story's one of Hiei's shortest, and as close as Hiei will ever come to experiencing 'angst.'

 

Thanks for reading this, and Hiei appreciates your reviews!

 

"It's rude to hide your aura."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night Vision

by

Kenshin

Night falls early in November.

 

The chill Tokyo air smelt of death, soaking into Hiei's bones. It was a place in which to hide, to forget every blessing ever bestowed, bleak as an endless desert.

 

Compact and muscled, with bristling black hair, and not exactly human, Hiei trudged a lesser downtown avenue.

 

A few stores were still open, throwing swaths of light onto the pavement, but no one was buying.

Luminous fog hung in curtains that kept passersby hidden, and though no one was in sight now, Hiei knew was being hunted. And I'm too tired for a fight, too down.

 

Yet when footsteps echoed behind him, he ducked down a cross street, sliding from self-pity to Yellow Alert in an eyeblink

 

Read The Rest:

 

Here.

Walking To Siberia: A Yuu Yuu Hakusho Fanfic

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not own the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters (they are the property of Togashi Yoshihiro et al), and makes no money from said characters.

What Kenshin does own, however, are all the original characters in this work. Any attempt to "borrow" these characters will be met with the katana, or worse.

Idiot Beloved takes place shortly after the Dark Tournament; Firebird Sweet directly follows.

Title: Walking To Siberia

Author: JaganshiKenshin

Genre: General

Rating: K+/PG-13

Summary: Why is Hiei on a tiger to "Siberia?"

A/N: As always, thanks for your reviews and faves.

"Come to the summit if you want her back alive!"

 

Walking to Siberia

by

JaganshiKenshin

 

'He who rides the tiger cannot easily dismount.'

 

Said someone or other, somewhere. Hiei realized this was true; the great beast's powerful shoulders shifted beneath his clutching knees with each step. To dismount before they reached the summit could prove fatal.

 

Shafts of light pierced the dense forest, igniting the tiger's fur to gold. A Siberian with flaring ruff, the beast dwarfed the narrow trail. On either side loomed pine, fir, larch, and spruce, heavy with resin, glistening with dew.

 

"Are we there yet?" The tiger spoke in a semi-comical whine. For a wild creature just given his freedom, the tiger seemed lazy and ungrateful.

 

"No." A pine branch smacked Hiei's face. "Siberia's at the top of this hill."

 

Except that this was Montana, and the hill was a mountain.

 

Hiei was compact, tough, a born fighter with bristling black hair decorated by a white halo, and, though he could pass for human easily enough, he was not. He was a youkai, with powers some might see as magic.

 

'With great freedom comes great responsibility.' Who had said that one? On this particular day, Hiei had more responsibility than he wanted, and if he let himself dwell on what had brought him here-

This was different from riding a horse, closer to the ground, the back long and dangerously flexible. Horses might stomp, bite, and toss you, but they weren't equipped with fangs like butcher knives and claws like grappling hooks.

 

It all started with that miserable crow.

 

Which was actually a jaki-one of those small youkai that often act as messengers. It had startled Hiei as he strolled the grounds of the Kidd's California estate. This jaki very much resembled a crow, if you ignored the three yellow eyes lined up in a row above its blood-red beak.

 

Alighting on a branch just beyond Hiei's reach, the creature delivered an imperative: "We have your Firebird. If you want to see her alive again, come to the summit riding a tiger."

 

 

Continue reading here.

Five Rules For Fighting: In Which Dr. Inkenstein Posts A Fanfic

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not own the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters (they are the property of Togashi Yoshihiro et al), and does not make any money from said characters.

 

What Kenshin does own, however, are all the original characters in this work. Any attempt to "borrow" these characters will be met with the katana, or worse.

 

Idiot Beloved takes place shortly after the Dark Tournament; Firebird Sweet directly follows. For reference, I use a combination of the subtitled YYH anime and the American manga, plus some of the CD dramas.

 

This particular tale is told from the antagonist's point of view.

Title: Five Rules For Fighting

Author: JaganshiKenshin

Genre: Action/Adventure, General

Rating: K+/PG-13

Summary: Hiei encounters a youkai in disguise-and he means to have Hiei's hide.

 

A/N: As always, thanks for your reviews and faves!

 

A killer lies in wait for Hiei.

Five Rules For Fighting

by

Kenshin

 

"It's Hiei all right." AkaRaikou's informant ducked back into the reeking alley. "Even though he ain't wearing that black mantle or sword."

 

AkaRaikou scowled, thinking furiously.

 

In the Makai, Hiei was still notorious. But several years had passed since the Dark Tournament. It was said Hiei no longer wielded the Kokuryuuha, and indeed, hardly ever carried a sword.

 

It was also rumored that Hiei had lost a step or two, living as he did in the human realm. That he was an easy mark. But those who spoke of such things did so in hurried, fearful whispers, which meant anyone seeking to make a name for himself could still legitimately aim to take down Hiei.

 

AkaRaikou-the name meant Red Lightning-had been scouting for Hiei about a week now, and had been forced to pay first one insider, then another, and tonight, this human thug. What was his name? Yama-something? Hardly worth remembering.

 

But at least this one delivered.

 

Keeping his voice pitched high, as befitted his current form, Lightning said, "Are you sure it's Hiei?"

 

"Sure I'm sure." The thug bared tobacco-stained teeth. "But kid, are YOU sure?"

 

"Just do it. I'm not paying you to second-guess."

 

They stepped out of the alley, human and youkai. The thug a cheap punk-for-hire, to be had for the price of some booze.

 

Lightning looked human, but this was temporary. He had taken the appearance of a small and fragile ten-year-old boy, and it was a strain keeping his youki suppressed.

 

He was a shapeshifter, and his real form was ten feet of bronzed lightning and clawed thunder. Strength wasn't his only merit. He also had speed to spare.

 

Any moment now, he would secure his fearsome reputation with the murder of Jagan Master Hiei.

 

 

See the rest HERE.

Mr. Hiei: In Which Dr. Inkenstein Returns To Fan Fic

It's been a long time.  Here's an into and an excerpt:

 

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not own the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters (they are the property of Togashi Yoshihiro et al), and does not make any money from said characters.

 

What Kenshin does own, however, are all the original characters in this work. Any attempt to "borrow" these characters will be met with the katana, or worse.

Idiot Beloved takes place right after the Dark Tournament; Firebird Sweet directly follows. For reference, I use a combination of the subtitled YYH anime and the American manga, plus some of the CD dramas.

 

Title: Mr. Hiei

Author: JaganshiKenshin

Genre: General, Mystery

Rating: K+/PG-13

Summary: Hiei awakens in a place he's never seen, and a fog that's alive.

A/N: This one-shot is peppered with OCs. As always, thanks for your faves and reviews!

 

Outside a building near the woods lurks a strange, threatening creature that challenges Hiei's ingenuity.

Mr. Hiei

by

Kenshin

 

Jagan Master Hiei, special operative for both the top-secret Agency, and Koenma. Somewhat unwilling member of Team Urameshi, especially when I have to bail them out of a jam.

 

 

Great. You know who you are. Ten points.

 

 

 

Battling vertigo, Hiei leaned against the sink while he checked his pockets. In his wallet was Agency ID, but no plane ticket. Money. About a hundred US dollars, plus its equivalent in several other currencies. Standard contents. No convenient little card telling him of his mission.

 

He was wearing jeans, and a sweatshirt chewed off at the arms, as if he'd just come from a disreputable gym, or an even more disreputable rehearsal hall.

 

Not a black-tie case of espionage then, but the Agency gear meant he wasn't fighting monsters on his own dime either.

 

His phone-another Agency special-remained in his pocket. He could place a call, ask 'Where am I and what was I doing?' Embarrass himself. Maybe later.

 

He made the return journey by clinging to the opposite wall.

 

With a rolling garment rack containing angel costumes, boxes stacked against the wall, and an old sofa, the attic didn't look like a particularly dangerous place.

 

The girl was still sitting on her trunk, wide-eyed.

 

Hiei spoke. "You said everyone's gone. How do you know?"

 

"Same way I know you're a live wire," said the girl. "I just know things."

 

So the kid's a psychic? Or has a strong sixth sense, like Kuwabara and my Firebird, Shayla Kidd.

 

He trudged toward the window.

 

"Don't look outside," she warned.

 

Hiei looked, and slid to his knees.

 

"Told you not to look."

 

 

Read more Here!

 

 

 

Nightwalk! In Which Dr. Inkenstein Returns To Fandom

EXCERPT.  With "cover" illo:

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not own the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters (they are the property of Togashi Yoshihiro et al), and does not make any money from said characters.

 

What Kenshin does own, however, are all the original characters in this work. Any attempt to "borrow" these characters will be met with the katana, or worse.

 

For those into timelines,Idiot Beloved is set after the Dark Tournament; Firebird Sweet follows. For background on the mysterious Agency, see Operation Rosary, Trade Secret, Farewell Mr. Groovy, and The Book of Cat With Moon. Nightwalk Pavilion takes place soon after Maya's Tale, when the boys are now in their early 20s, Hiei being the eldest by a few years.

 

This particular story concerns a couple of Spirit Detectives, detecting. And features a rare-for this author-appearance by Urameshi Yuusuke.

 

 

Title: Nightwalk Pavilion

Author: JaganshiKenshin

Genre: General, Mystery

Rating: K+/PG-13

 

Summary: The town is deserted, Kuwabara is acting strangely, and Kurama is missing. It's up to Hiei and Yuusuke to find out why.

 

A/N: Thanks for reading this, and I appreciate your reviews!

 

Could it really be a place where dreams come true?

 

Nightwalk Pavilion (Part 1: Barrier! Hiei and Yuusuke Walk Into A Trap!)

by

Kenshin

 

On that soft June night, the main drag was deserted, but not deserted enough.

 

"Yo, Hiei!" From the end of the block, someone hailed him, and with a long-suffering sigh, Hiei stopped.

 

Six feet of gristle and bone, with a granite slab-face topped by a carrot-colored buzz cut, Kuwabara Kazuma approached.

 

Every three or four steps, Kuwabara took a little sidewise jog, then corrected his course. Strange, Hiei thought, like he can't decide whether to stay or go.

 

Kuwabara lurched to a halt. He looked down at Hiei. He rasped, "Just the guy I wanna see."

 

"I doubt it." Hiei prided himself on having gained enough patience to handle even Kuwabara with detachment. He had, in fact, just been ejected from filming a rather involved commercial for a new department store. Two weeks of close confinement with make-up artists and costumers poking at him like some Barbie doll, and Hiei had refrained from slaying a single one of them.

 

Then the financial backers withdrew, and the project was canceled. Still Hiei had slain no one. This was progress.

Find the rest here.

All I Want For Christmas: In Which Dr. Inkenstein Posts a YYH Fan Fic

With a cameo appearance by fountain pens and ink.

 

 

 

 

 

This particular Christmas tale involves Kitajima Maya, Kurama, Hiei, and a rare appearance by Yuusuke. It occurs a few months after the conclusion of Maya's Tale.

 

Title: All I Want For Christmas

 

Author: JaganshiKenshin

 

Genre: General, Humor

 

Rating: K+/PG-13

 

Summary: 'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the town, many creatures were stirring, and one was a clown.

 

A/N: As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!

 

"I just want a normal night on the town!"

 

 

All I Want For Christmas

by

Kenshin

 

(Excerpt:)

 

"Enough," said Hiei, holding out a hand like a traffic cop.

 

 

Urameshi frowned at Hiei's hand. "Why is your hand blue?"

 

 

"My fountain pen leaked."

 

 

"Your-"

 

 

"Baystate Blue. Don't ask."

 

 

"Let him eat your hand. Maybe it'll poison him."

 

 

 

Read the rest here!

Halloween! In Which Dr. Inkenstein Weighs in Late

Since it is already December, why not post my Yuu Yuu Hakusho Halloween fan fic here?

 

Thanks.  Knew you'd understand.

 

 

 

 

Mob Scene

by

Kenshin

 

Having been shot, stabbed, poisoned, then dumped off the top of a building not fifteen minutes before, Hiei was quite naturally a step slow, and a bit peevish.

 

When a rangy Siamese cat came tearing out of the night, yowling at the top of its lungs, Hiei thought his eardrums would burst as well. He turned toward the direction from which he had come, to see what the ruckus was about.

 

The cat leapt straight at him, clung on, then clambered from his leg to his shoulders, its needle-sharp claws stabbing through his jeans.

 

Hiei took several eyeblinks to react: "Ow."

 

Moments later, Futoi Junior cannonballed past. Hiei was tired, but not too tired to clothesline Junior off his feet. He spoke above the caterwauling in his ear. "You weren't planning to make a meal of this cat, were you?"

 

Junior's eyes bulged. "Naw," he said, picking himself up off the street. "But that was."

 

The creature which barreled after Futoi Junior looked not only hungry, but capable of swallowing him whole at a gulp.

 

It was an oni, but unlike the mild-mannered Joruju Saotome, Koenma's big blue assistant, this one was red. Breathing steam. With horns. Tusks. And a wild mane of black hair.

 

Except most of the oni was missing. This was just the head. A head the size of a compact car.

 

Before Hiei could react, it struck him-and went right through him, without impact. Then it vanished.

 

 

Find the rest HERE.

Maya's Tale: In Which Dr. Inkenstein Posts The Latest YYH Fic

 

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not own the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters (they are the property of Togashi Yoshihiro et al), and does not make any money from said characters.

 

What Kenshin does own, however, are all the original characters in this work. Any attempt to "borrow" these characters will be met with the katana, or worse.

Idiot Beloved takes place shortly after the Dark Tournament; Firebird Sweet directly follows that timeline. For reference, I use a combination of the subtitled YYH anime and the American manga, plus some of the CD dramas.

 

Have you ever wondered what happened to Kitajima Maya, who appeared in the YYH manga extra and CD drama, "Two Shots?" Here is her story.

The action takes place right after the long story arc of The Book of Cat With Moon.

Title: Maya's Tale (C1: Prologue)

Author: JaganshiKenshin

Genre: Action/Adventure, General

Rating: K+/PG-13

Summary: On a lonely street in a derelict neighborhood, two sisters huddle in fear of a mysterious man.

A/N: As always, thank you for reading this, and I appreciate your reviews!

Maya's Tale (1: Prologue)

by

Kenshin

Though elderly, the Kawasaki sisters were neither cowards nor fools.

 

"Come away from the window, Ruth," called Olivia. "It's past midnight."

 

"He's out again," murmured Ruth.

 

"Oh, dear. Well, all the more reason to come away." Nevertheless, Olivia joined her sister to peer out the parlor's long lace curtains.

 

Their mother had been British; their father Japanese. Being of an industrious nature, dealing in antiquities, both parents had left their daughters not only a business and a tidy inheritance, but a Victorian house in a then-fashionable neighborhood.

 

In its heyday some 50 years ago, the street had been alive with the bustle of familiies: mothers pushing their little ones in strollers, students peddling off to school, fathers returning home from work.

 

Today, over half the houses were unoccupied.

 

The parlor was illuminated by a single brass lamp on the drum table in the far corner. It cast a warm, dim circle of light on the wing chair next to it, and was only meant to read by. But when Olivia glanced out the window, she fought the urge to turn it off altogether.

 

A street lamp bathed the sidewalk with furtive, icy light. Across the street, a rambling single-story house crouched like a sleeping beast, lightless and ominous.

 

"I can't see him."

 

"The streetlight," said Ruth. "He's behind it."

 

Having enjoyed the benefit of a pleasant, peaceful, family, both sisters were eager to re-create this in their own lives. It was not to be.

 

Younger than Ruth by some three years, Olivia had married three times, and each time the marriage had ended without the comfort of children, until she realized the fault lay with her.

 

Ruth had remained single. Both sister's generous mothering instincts were poured out onto every living soul lucky enough to cross their paths.

 

"There," whispered Ruth. "He just stepped out. Can he see us, do you think?"

 

"The way you carry on, you'd think he could hear us."

 

Sometimes, Olivia and Ruth spoke of selling the house, moving to a high-rise in a busier section of town.

 

But in the first place, the market being what it was, the street being what it was, who would buy?

 

In the second, this was their home. They were too stubborn to leave.

 

Ruth pointed. "He's got that camera, again."

 

Olivia lowered her voice to a whisper as well. "He gives me the shakes."

 

Strolling down the street was a tall man, of European descent, dressed in a long, fur-collared overcoat, as though for a Russian winter, with gloves red as blood and a fur hat, for all that it was April.

 

Judging by the loose skin of his jowls, he was in his 60s, and no one could say whether the neat moustache and goatee were an attempt to disguise or to emphasize that age.

 

The overall effect would be considered charming, or even comical, if not for his sinister aura.

 

"I can hear his footsteps," fretted Ruth. "I swear it."

 

Though not as susceptible to flights of fancy as dear Ruth, Olivia thought she could hear them, too: slow, measured, tolling out like a bell, doom, doom.

 

As if he knows, as if he is putting on a display.

 

"It's so cold," sighed Ruth.

 

"And getting dark so early."

 

"As though spring is afraid to come."

 

"Just like it was fifty years ago."

 

They looked at one another then, a hard measuring look. Had the time come to open the Vault?

 

What does he do with that camera?" fretted Ruth.

 

"Perhaps he photographs the moon," said Olivia, seeking to reassure her sister. "Or the clouds. Or houses."

 

"Don't say that, Olivia. Don't even think it!"

 

He stopped then, swiveling his head toward the house.

 

Olivia's mouth went dry. "That sweet little girl," she whispered. "You don't suppose-"

 

Ruth made no reply, but in the cold, dimly-lit parlor, she clutched at her sister's hand.

-30-

(To be continued: Early-morning television fare: alien abductions, Bigfoot, and ghosts)

The whole story is

Here.

Farewell, Mr. Groovy: In Which Dr. Inkenstein Takes A Breather

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not own the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters (they are the property of Togashi Yoshihiro et al), and does not make any money from said characters.

What Kenshin does own, however, are all the original characters in this work. Any attempt to "borrow" these characters will be met with the katana, or worse.

The events in Idiot Beloved take place shortly after the Dark Tournament; Firebird Sweet directly follows that timeline. For reference, I use a combination of the subtitled YYH anime and the American manga, plus some of the CD dramas.

The mysterious Agency is first introduced in Operation Rosary. Farewell,Mr. Groovy occurs during the long timeline of The Book of Cat With Moon-just after Trade Secret and just before we are about to meet Kitajima Maya in Maya's Tale. Is it a murder mystery? A character study? Both? Neither? All we know is that it was inspired by a license plate, and an offhand comment from our favorite reader.

Title: Farewell, Mr. Groovy (C1:In The Belly of the Whale)

Author: JaganshiKenshin

Genre: Action/Adventure, Humor

Rating: K+/PG-13

Summary: Hiei is called to the Agency's Tokyo office-again. But this time, there are no horses, no monsters, no exploding multidimensional contraptions, only an unusual request.

A/N: As always, I appreciate your reviews!

Laughing on the outside, crying on the inside?

Farewell, Mr. Groovy (1: In The Belly of the Whale)

by

Kenshin

Mr. Groovy was dead. Of that, Hiei was certain.

What was unclear: "What's this got to do with me?"

Hiei sat opposite Narita Shun, the vast expanse of Shun's executive-issue desk between them.

"Nothing," conceded N.

In the big window just over N's shoulder, worms of rain crawled mindlessly. Maybe the Tokyo Bureau chief spent his days staring out that window. Just not today.

Ceaseless, relentless rain may have been on tap this October morning, but N had turned his back on it. Hiei forced himself to look away as well. "Didn't that guy kill himself? And he's been dead, what, a month now? Why's this even of interest? Was Mr. Groovy suspected of espionage?"

"No." N swiveled his chair to glance at the rain, then back at Hiei. "And you're right. It has nothing to do with you. Which is precisely why I don't expect you to take the case."

Continued here

Trade Secret: In Which Dr. Inkenstein Posts a YYH Fic

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not own the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters or The Batman (they are the property of Togashi Yoshihiro and Bob Kane/DC), and does not make any money from said characters.

What Kenshin does own, however, are all the original characters

in this work, such as Father Brian and 'N.' Any attempt to "borrow" these characters will be met with the katana, or worse.

The events in Idiot Beloved take place shortly after the Dark Tournament; Firebird Sweet directly follows that timeline. For reference, I use a combination of the subtitled YYH anime and the American manga, plus some of the CD dramas.

This particular tale takes place about a year after the events in Are You Loathsome Tonight...and the 'Batman' we see here is a combination of 'Batman: The Animated Series' and one or two other sources, including the earliest Detective Comics.

Title: Trade Secret: Prologue

Author: JaganshiKenshin

Genre: Action/Adventure, Humor

Rating: K+/PG-13

Summary: When an old friend asks Hiei to take an assignment at odds with his secret dread, Hiei balks at the fence.

A/N: Thanks for reading this, and I appreciate your reviews!

Dark Knight-meet Flying Shadow

Trade Secret (a Yuu Yuu Hakusho/Batman crossover: Prologue)

by

Kenshin

"No," said Hiei.

Ah, well, thought Father Brian McCormick. It's to be expected.

The carpet was soft and deep, and pale, milky light streamed in from the tall bank of windows opposite Father Brian's chair. But sure and these Agency offices are just the thing of a glorious September morn, he mused.

A pity it is that we are all four of us gathered under such unhappy circumstances.

Mr. Narita Shun (whom everyone called 'N') and Father Brian comprised two of the quartet. Hiei, the third. And though Father Brian knew full well the reason for Hiei's refusal, he kept his mouth shut.

Not so N.

A distinguished, portly gentleman, and head of the Agency's Tokyo branch, N was trying to persuade Hiei. Alas, thought Father Brian. The lad won't persuade. No, you need a different tactic with that one. Maybe pleading.

Just now, N assumed an expression of long-suffering, because Hiei was saying to him, "Is this a matter of national security?"

"It is not," admitted N.

"Has it caused Godzilla to rampage through the streets?"

"It has not."

Hiei folded his arms. "Then which of the two syllables making up 'N-O' has escaped your understanding?"

Seated at his black lacquer desk, N tried to stare Hiei down. Father Brian knew this also was an exercise in futility.

Yoshikawa Industries was the name on this suite of offices, situated in a Shibuya district hi-rise. That was merely a front. The firm dealt not in electronics, but espionage.

Sometimes, the Agency had a hand in wrangling the inevitable youkai who decided a life of crime in the human world was their calling. The existence of such creatures was not generally known, even to some of the agents. But it was known to Hiei.

N pinched the bridge of his nose, while Hiei glowered at all and sundry, including Father Brian.

To the untrained eye, here was a good-looking lad in his middle twenties, with bristling black hair, keen crimson gaze, and a build for swift combat.

Except that Hiei wasn't exactly human.

For one, humans didn't come equipped with a third eye, for all that Hiei's Jagan was an implant and hidden behind his white headband.

On permanent duty in Tokyo by way of Boston, Father Brian had watched Hiei grow over these last few years from a sullen loner with a sense of honor, to a sullen loner with a sense of honor and a bulging caseload.

Give the boy credit. He griped, but always got his man. And there is far more to the heart, human or youkai, than presents itself on the surface.

No doubt Hiei's interior life was as surprising and varied as anyone else's, while the house of his spirit contained a nobility that he himself would vehemently deny.

Ah, the dear little pissant.

Father Brian shifted his attention to the fourth person in the office: a tall man, caped and costumed, a mystery wrapped in an enigma, apparently absorbed in studying the view of Tokyo.

Hiei turned an almost comically-wounded gaze on Father Brian. "Aren't you always telling me I have the right to refuse any of your so-called assignments?"

Father Brian played his trump card. "Ah, sure an' I got nothin' t' do with this one, lad."

"Then why are you here?" Hiei demanded.

"Me? I just wanted to meet The Batman." Father Brian waved a hand. And in between the time that he turned toward the Caped Crusader and the time he turned back, Hiei had gone.

Disappeared. Vanished. Exited in an eyeblink.

Not so much as a doorknob had clicked, not a curtain had stirred. Father Brian chuckled, shaking his head in fond exasperation. The lad could move like greased lightning itself when so inclined.

N sighed. The Batman grumbled in disgust.

But Father Brian settled deeper into the easy chair. "Oh, he'll be back," Father Brian assured them. "Count on it."

-30-

(To be continued: What sort of job could be hellish enough to make Hiei bolt?)

Read the rest here.

Elementary, My Dear Hiei: In Which We Pause To Post Fanfics

A haunted mansion is the setting, and a frightened family discovers two mysterious strangers at their doorstep on a dark and stormy night.

Excerpt:

Behind every shadow lurks danger

Elementary, My Dear Hiei (C1: The Curse of the Haunted Manor)

by

Kenshin

It was a dark and stormy night when the beleaguered Puffington clan discovered two trespassers.

The rain did not so much fall as gush like clear blood from a lightning-clawed sky. Crashes of thunder rattled the windows of the mansion house, wringing from the un-nerved occupants startled cries.....




"Why not call the coppers on them?" inquired Smarmy. "We've every right. They're trespassing on our land after all."


"But Smarmy dear," Pudge reminded him. "The phone is dead."


This was true; Pudge feared they might be reduced to communicating with the outside world by post.


As one, their gazes fell upon the mysterious envelope lying on the side table.


"Shall we open the letter?"


They had feared to do so before, but now it seemed urgent. Dumpling lifted the letter, and handed it to Merope.


Mopey passed it wordlessly to her brother, who fobbed it off on Smarmy, who handed it like a hot potato to Pudge.


Pudge took it in her shaking hands. There was a heavy red wax seal, and then the thick cream-colored paper crackled as she withdrew the missive, hand-written in a bold black script.


With all that had occurred, Pudge's courage failed. "Oh, I can't! You read it, Dumpy dear."


Taking the letter, Dumpling cleared his throat and read:

'Expect us for dinner tonight at 8 PM.

- Monsieurs Hero and Delamont.'


They all looked at one another in complete puzzlement.


"Who...?" wondered Smarmy.


"Eight o'clock," said Twitchy, "Why that's right about-"


The doorbell rang.


"Don't let them in," whispered Mope. "I'm afraid."


"They're here!" Eyes wide with panic, Twitchy clutched at his shirt. "What shall we do?"


"Stiff upper lip," said Dumpy, "and pray the ghosts don't put in an appearance."

Read the rest here!

We Interrupt This Bloggage (To Post a FanFic)

(And after this Yuu Yuu Hakusho entry, we will return to our regular posting.)

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not own the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters (they are the property of Togashi Yoshihiro et al), and does not make any money from said characters. Don't sue.

What Kenshin does own, however, are all the original characters in this work. Any attempt to "borrow" these characters will be met with the katana, or worse.

As canon, I use a combination of the Japanese anime and the American manga. The events in Idiot Beloved take place right after the Dark Tournament; Firebird Sweet continues. Most of my shorter fics continue with that timeline.

Sidekick, in which I have fun with titles from classic cowboy movies, marks the conclusion of the Cowboy Trilogy. Hiei is now back in Japan, after Once Upon A Time In The West(to which he refers here). AND we re-introduce Kurama's viewpoint, which I've sorely missed.

Title: Sidekick (1: Call Me Gizmo)
Author: JaganshiKenshin
Genre: Action/Adventure, Humor
Rating: K+/PG-13
Summary: Hiei's claiming to be a cowboy, Kurama's frazzled, and to top it off there's a haunted hotel. Could this assignment get any worse?


Excerpt:

Upon his return from America, Hiei had been insufferable. I don't particularly care for this role-reversal. I prefer Hiei grumpy and easily provoked, not the other way round. It leaves me feeling childish, off-balance, all too ready with a defensive reply.

"I rode a race horse," Hiei added smugly.

"You did not."

"I did. Jockey Stomper. That should summarize it for you."

"When did you do this?"

"Last month."

"Where?" I challenged.

"Arizona."

I said, intending sarcasm, "Did you win?"

"In spades."

"You never mentioned."

"You're not my nursemaid."

"Cowboys are not the same as jockeys," I said feebly.

"Excellent observation. I'm the cowboy, you're the sidekick. And as my sidekick, you need a sidekick name."

I shut my eyes. "This should be fun."

"Think I'll call you Gizmo."

"Gizmo."

"For all the junk you keep in your hair."

"Not this again," I said. "Do I bug you about your sword?"

"Seriously, do you ever wash it?"

"I wasn't aware your sword needed me to wash it."

Hiei was bulldog-persistent. "Or do you just re-load every time you take a shower?"

"Of what possible interest is the state of my hair?"

Hiei waved an eloquent hand. "Getting stuffy in here."

It was not stuffy. It was icy on this warm October day, another anomaly which set my teeth on edge. "Save that hostility for the opposition."

"Just passing the time," said Hiei.

The elevator dinged. The doors slid open. With growing apprehension, I stepped into the unknown, Hiei at my heels.

(To be continued: An unpleasant surprise awaits.)


Illustrations:

They're not wearing cowboy hats, and these illos are on the old side.  Still...

The tale is completed, and the rest is found here.


Thank you for your patience.  Now, back to fountain pens.