Hi! I'm Green and just off the bat let me say that this is the first fanfic that I've ever published and somehow I came to the conclusion that yes, Inuyasha is the subject I want to write about and none of my other interests that might gain more traction. But fuck it I'm having too much fun with this.
About the story: it's inspired by the TV show 'True Blood', especially it's premise, and I'm loosely borrowing some plot elements (especially from the first season) but if you haven't seen the show or don't like it that shouldn't be an issue. Also I promise this story has less blood and weird sex than the show has.
(The name of this story is also a reference to 'True Blood', mostly because I'm terrible at coming up with names and this was the first one that I didn't absolutely hate. Has really nothing to do with the story itself.)
Also in AO3.
Warnings: this story has several scenes with sexual harassment towards the female characters
Edited: 29.07.18
Chapter 1. Status Quo
"She was always a pretty girl, and such a kind one too -" "Oh most of us old teachers have retired since you graduated! The school is now full of fresh young minds! Speaking of young minds, I'm surprised you chose to not continue your education, you were always such a hard worker -" "She still looks so young and innocent, those wide eyes and soft lips -" "Any university would have been proud to have you, with your grades and brain -" "Her skin looks so soft, I wish I could just touch her -"
Kagome forced down the bile rising into her mouth and quickly bowed to hide the discomfort on her face.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Fujiwara but I have to hurry now, I'm about to be late, and I'm sure you have important things to do too."
She rigidly straightened herself and offered a last weak smile to the short graying man. Kagome could feel him staring after her through his thick round glasses as she sprinted across a short expanse of asphalt, coming to a small backdoor. While entering she thought bitterly about how good her morning had been before she had ran into her now retired high school math teacher.
She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose. If she wanted to get through the day she had to calm down. This wasn't anything new to her, and if she'd let every creep she met get to her she'd never be able to leave her house.
Exhaling slowly and opening her eyes Kagome plastered the brightest smile she could muster onto her face before exiting the small backroom. The sun peeked through the white blinders of the library as Kagome made her way to the front desk where the old librarian Kaede was already sorting through a small pile of returned books.
Kaede had run the town library long before Kagome was born. As a child she was convinced Kaede knew everything there was to know and as an adult Kagome knew she had been right. Kaede had always liked Kagome and never treated her differently, not even when given reason to. While Kagome knew Kaede didn't believe the things the towners said about her – she probably wouldn't have hired her if she did - she was never quite sure if Kaede would believe the truth about her either. For Kaede Kagome was a kind and hard working, if sometimes a little odd young woman, and Kagome didn't want to change that mindset. For Kagome Kaede was like a wise old mentor who she could always rely on and Kagome didn't want to change that either.
"Good morning Kaede! How are you today?" Kagome greeted cheerfully, hoping her voice matched her smile. Kaede lifted her head to peer at Kagome with her one visible eye, the other one covered by an eyepatch. Kagome had never found out what had happened to her, and in all honesty she didn't care. Some things were best to leave a secret.
"I'm doing just fine, child. I hope you are doing too", Kaede replied with a small smile of her own.
"I'm just wonderful! It's such a beautiful day! If it's like this tomorrow I think I'm going to go to the forest and read for a while before work." Mr. Fujiwara was ancient history to her.
Kaede smiled fondly. "You are more reliable than the man on TV I tell you. Kagome Higurashi, excited about finally being able to go to the forest to read. That was always how I knew the summer was upon us."
"No one ever goes to there for fun so I'm the only person there. It's peaceful", she shrugged.
"You spend too much time alone. It's not healthy to avoid people like you do, especially in your age", Kaede commented, giving Kagome her most pointed look. Kagome always thought that the fact that she only had one eye made the look that much more effective.
Despite that Kagome wasn't going to humor that particular comment which she had heard several times before. She turned away from Kaede and gestured at the pile of returns she had been sorting. "Do you want me to shelve these?"
Kaede didn't look pleased with Kagome – yet again - avoiding the topic of her non-existent social life but this time she let it go without pushing it. "Yes. Also I have a few books I want you to get and mark as reserved for Mrs. Yamada. I've written them down for you."
"I'll put these away and then I'll get to that", Kagome nodded while stacking the books into her arms and all but running away from Kaede. She knew Kaede was genuinely concerned about her but nevertheless Kagome felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny.
She decided that hiding between the shelves for a while would be a good idea.
The library was usually empty at noon, with the exception of few stay-at-home mothers and elders who came to read the day's papers. It gave Kagome the breathing room she needed. She considered her job to be a blessing, and Kaede was almost a saint for giving it to her. In the library people usually didn't stare at her or talk about her when they thought she couldn't hear what they were saying. No matter how many rumours circulated around about her the people never even thought about the possibility that she might hear them even when they weren't talking.
Kagome heard people's thoughts. She had always heard them and she never wanted to. Kagome had first realized that the voices in her head were, in fact, other people when she was a little girl, and as she grew older Kagome had learned the hard way that people didn't react well to a person claiming to read minds. And even if she didn't tell people about her "sixth sense", as she called it, it still hindered her social life a fair deal. Hearing every small and big, innocent and sometimes downright disgusting thought a person might have during the day put easily a fast stop to a budding relationship.
Kagome liked people in general but knowing too much about them was always a bad thing.
...
The day went on rather peacefully for Kagome, despite what had transpired earlier in the morning. During the lunch hour only few customers came in, all ignoring her as they passed by. Kagome got to work in peace, and when the day started rolling into the afternoon she was actually in a good mood. She didn't even dread the end of the school day when students came into the library to study for whatever school assignments they had. As long as they didn't pay any special attention to her she was good and able to tune out their thoughts.
In the evening Kagome ended her shift with closing down the library and doing some final shelving and cleaning after the customers had finally left. The sun had started to set down when she locked down the building and walked to her bike. The bike was almost offensively pink and a bit too small for her, but Kagome proudly rode on it wherever she went. It kept her in shape and was far less expensive than a car was, after all.
Pushing off from the library's parking lot she started following the main road out of the town. Kagome's family lived a thirty minute bike ride away from the town center, just on the border of the huge forest that stretched to the west from the town. Kagome's grandfather claimed that the Higurashi family had lived on that very same spot for the past 500 years and that it would be bad luck for them to move away and leave their ancestors behind.
Kagome knew he really just wanted to keep her and her brother from moving away and leaving him alone.
As Kagome rolled to the gravel in front of their white two-storey house half an hour later she was greeted with a high school soccer team's worth of bikes left laying haphazardly around the lawn. Kagome sighed and left her own bike leaning neatly against the wall near the front door. Her little brother Sota and his friends were probably raiding the kitchen after their practice, as they often did.
Unlike Kagome, Sota was always surrounded by people. He was six years younger than Kagome, sporty, social and liked by almost everyone. Sometimes Kagome envied him a little but most of the time she just worried that he'd get bullied for having a notoriously weird sister. So far that hadn't happened and Kagome was grateful.
Bracing herself Kagome entered the house, hollering "I'm home!" while removing her shoes. As she had predicted, Sota popped his messy dark head from the kitchen.
"Hi sis!" He said, spewing out cookie crumbs. Kagome scrunched her nose in disgust.
"Eat with your mouth shut, please", she asked and pushed past him into the kitchen. "Hi boys!"
"Hot." "Sexy." "Hot." "Hot." "Sexy." "Hot." "Hot." "Hot." "Sota is cuter." "Sexy." "Are there more cookies?" "Hot."
The thoughts of twelve teenage boys filled her head and she held back a snort as they innocently greeted her in unison.
The boys all sat on whatever flat surface they could, munching on whatever sugar filled goodies they had gotten their hands on. Kagome's mom always made sure the house was full of snacks, ready for any hungry teenager who walked in through their door. The Higurashi house had very early on become the high school soccer team's designated after school hangout, and being the "hot older sister" Kagome was one of the main attractions of the house. She prayed Sota didn't know what his friends were thinking about her. Not for her own sake, but she knew Sota would lose it if he knew one of his friends had the hots for his sister.
"Mama went to the store before she left for work", Sota informed and bit into an another cookie, shamelessly chewing with his mouth open. "So we should have stuff for the rest of the week."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Okay that's good. Where's Grandpa?" Kagome asked instead of telling her brother he was disgusting as she checked the overstuffed fridge and shuffled through its contents, absentmindedly wondering what she should make for dinner.
"In the garden probably. He said young people give him a headache so he went out", Sota grinned. Kagome rolled her eyes again, agreeing wholeheartedly with her grandfather, and shut the fridge door. She made her way through the kitchen to the back door and peered through the glass into the garden.
There he was, his back stubbornly set to the house, reading the days newspaper for what probably was the fourth time. Kagome smiled, slipped on the sandals resting next to the door and stepped out. Sneaking through the impeccably maintained garden she came to stand behind her grandfather and threw her arms around his neck.
"Hello Grandpa! How are you?"
Grandpa Higurashi was a small, hunched down old man with gray hair and perpetually grim expression. He was obviously startled but recovered soon, chuckling and patting his granddaughters hand.
"I'm better now that you're home, my girl."
Kagome slid next to the old man to sit on the bench he was occupying. He turned to look at her and despite his grim look there was always a sparkle of smile in his eyes reserved for his granddaughter.
Kagome's grandfather was among the handful of people that fully and unquestionably believed in her sixth sense, and he wasn't afraid to talk about it with her. Kagome's mother and little brother seldom brought up the subject. Grandpa Higurashi also believed, with all his heart, in myths and legends and magic, so a mind reading granddaughter was very exciting to him. He was never shy about telling people about his beliefs, and people had always found him to be slightly annoying with his insistent lecturing, saying he was just a crazy old man.
In Kagome's opinion the whole town should apologize him.
Kagome scooped to pick up the newspaper from the ground where it had fell from his grandfather's stiff grip. She started folding the paper but the front page caught her attention.
"Grandpa?" She said quietly after a few moments.
"Yes, Kagome?"
"Do you think they ever regret revealing themselves?"
Her grandfather glanced the front page, and then turned his eyes away. In big black blocky letters the paper declared DEMON PARENTS ENRAGED BY SEPARATED CLASSROOMS.
"I can't even entertain the idea of knowing what they are thinking", Grandpa Higurashi said absently, pulling his gray whiskers while peering into the forest with hazy eyes.
Demons existed. They had revealed themselves to the world two years ago, stating that their declining numbers and reduced living spaces forced them to either live alongside humans or perish. The creatures that had lived in nearly forgotten legends all over the world now being part of the modern times was still something most people couldn't completely comprehend, and the change hadn't gone smoothly.
The demons of Japan were, according to the government of Japan, a thriving community with a long history tied to the country's growth and a strong will to coexist with humans. The stories on news however told a different story about violence, discrimination and humiliating laws.
Kagome read through the article, her eyebrows moving closer together on every sentence she read, until she finally shut the paper with force.
"I think it's unfair how they are treated. I mean, the reason they revealed themselves was so they could continue living and they only get treated like some fairy tale monsters", Kagome huffed, wrinkling the paper in her hand. She always had a bit of a temper and people close to her knew not to upset her unless they wanted an earful.
Grandpa Higurashi continued his whisker pulling and let out a hum.
"Humans fear them. It's that simple. We fear things we can't fully understand and control."
"Humans are stupid."
Grandpa Higurashi let out an another hum and patted Kagome's hand lovingly.
"We are my girl, we sure are."
After a brief moment Kagome sighed and folded the paper. She then stood up and offered her arm to her grandfather.
"Come on Grandpa, let's go in and kick Sota and his friends out."
Grandpa Higurashi let out a wheeze that was his way of laughing and stood up. Taking up the offered arm he and Kagome started making their way back to the house.
Sota and his team were already out of the kitchen when Kagome and her grandfather stepped in. Kagome heard the sound of swords clashing and pubescent yelling coming from the TV room. Grandpa Higurashi muttered something about loud brats and their stupid games and stomped out of the room while Kagome started preparing their late dinner.
The Higurashi family always ate at odd hours and rarely together because of the work hours Kagome and her mother had. Mama Higurashi worked as a nurse in the town's health center and her hours were sometimes very unforgiving. Kagome had taken the job of cooking in the house to herself to give her mother time to relax, and she really didn't mind. Kagome had always enjoyed cooking.
After putting the rice in the cooker she walked into the TV room and informed the rowdy group of boys that it was a school night and they should probably finish the game and go home. The house was slowly emptied with a chorus of "bye's" and "see you tomorrow's". Sota took off to upstairs to change out of his school uniform and Kagome went back to the kitchen to chop vegetables.
The food was finished in no time, and after Kagome had managed to drag their grandfather from his room the Higurashi family currently present seated themselves around the table. Kagome served the food and a comfortable silence fell, everyone focusing on eating. Kagome felt the contentment radiating from Sota's thoughts and she smiled. Her brother was easy to please.
When the dinner was finished and the table cleared Sota went to his room to start his homework, their grandfather headed to sleep in his room downstairs, and Kagome stayed in the kitchen to work on the dishes. After she finished, she left a small meal under a cloth to wait for her mother to come home.
Mrs. Higurashi never complained or, in general, asked anything from her family. She was always kind and gentle, happy to give and always willing to help others, but she could never completely hide her thoughts from Kagome, who felt her exhaustion and worry over her family. Kagome made sure that whenever she was able she would look after her mother. Small acts of kindness were the easiest, since they didn't immediately set off her mother's guilt.
Finished with cleaning the rest of the kitchen Kagome wandered upstairs in search of her cat. Buyo was very fat and very lazy, and usually spend her time lounging in whatever was the warmest place of the house and not much else. The evening sun tended to warm Kagome's room, and that's where she found the cat, spread on her bed like she owned it.
She unceremoniously scooped the cat up and dropped her down outside her door.
"I need my bed and you take too much space you fatty", Kagome said and poked the kitty's nose. Buyo let out an displeased low meow when Kagome shut the door on its flat face.
Kagome walked to her window and opened it to let in some fresh air before she would start preparing herself for bed. The night had fallen and the world outside was colored blue, the treetops swaying in a gentle night breeze the only think breaking the stillness of the night. The tranquility of the scene made Kagome want to go and sit in the garden for the remaining of the night and become part of the serene picture. She leaned out from the window a bit, took in a deep breath and relaxed completely, just for a moment, letting her sixth sense relax along with her other senses. Kagome felt her grandfather dreaming downstairs, and could catch the edge of Sota's math problem filled thoughts. It was rather peaceful and homely. It wasn't perfect, but it was as close to perfect she would probably ever get to.
Kagome took it all in for a while and after taking one last breath of the fresh night air she closed the window. She wanted to catch some sleep and wake up early to enjoy her planned morning reading session in the forest.
As Kagome prepared for bed, Buyo was making her way downstairs. She was on a mission to empty her bowl Kagome had filled for her earlier and then go and pester Sota for attention.
However, as Buyo reached the kitchen she stopped as if she had walked to a wall. Her pupils went wide and she ran to the sliding glass doors that opened into the garden, nearly slammed her chubby cat face against the panel. There was something – or someone - outside.
Buyo waited patiently for a few moments. Then, like a ghost, something human shaped and silvery appeared at the tree line. Eyes, colored like molten gold, made contact with Buyo's intent green gaze.
The golden eyes blinked, once, twice. Buyo let out a happy purr.
There was that! The first chapter! Not gonna lie it's nerve wrecking for me to even think about publishing things so this is a huge step for me and I hope you enjoyed it. I have the second chapter done already and I'm going to post it soon. This was more or less an introductory chapter and I am itching to get to the good stuff.
See you!
- Green
