Oh my goodness! Okay, this is my first fanfic, so please go easy on me! I know it won't be the most perfect story in the world, and I am not worthy of so many other authors, but hey… I might be up in those ranks someday. So here I go, I'm hoping for reviews and good feedback, and I'm taking a shot at fanfiction!
Okay… I'm pretty excited about this… here we go!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own InuYasha. *sob* But I am planning on swiping the ownership note thingies! I'm going to have my pygmy lemur creep in Takahashi-san's house through a ventilation shaft, and…
Another One Bites the Dust- Chapter 1: Pickled Fruit for You!
Okay. It's official. My family has gone insane. I don't know why they found it necessary to drag me, kicking and screaming, to Wakayama.
But now that I think about it… Ah, yes, I remember.
My mother wanted me to get out in the world, get a decent job, and—dare I say it—find a man. I swear to Kami, she has these really disturbing fantasies about adorable grandchildren. Her quote:
"Kagome, you need to do something. I'm tired of watching you sit around and mope. So your Grandpa and I have decided you're going to live somewhere worthwhile, get a job, and learn to fend for yourself. So start packing, sweetie… I've already bought an apartment out in Wakayama in a quaint neighborhood. You're leaving in two weeks."
Oh joy. What a way to find out that you're getting kicked out of the house!
But I suppose I should do something with my life. I mean, for the past three years after I graduated high school, I've been sitting around doing close to nothing, as my only activities were: taking pictures of the world around me (I have an addiction to photography) and writing endlessly in my admirable, 200-pages-or-more journal.
But that's not the point.
Anyways, what really bothers me out here is all the hustle and bustle. Okay, I admit it… I'm not a city person. I'm used to the tranquility of our shrine. But that is no longer. I now live alone in a decent apartment on the third floor, near the center of the city.
All of these strangers unnerve me, and the activities I've seen in the darker alleys around here rather terrify me.
Oh well, I suppose it'll take a while to get used to.
I'm going to shoot Mama when I see her. I can't believe she talked me into getting to know my neighbors.
"Oh, so you just moved in? Might I say, welcome to the neighborhood, new person! I'm Ayame! Ayame the wolf demon! Or you can call me the fashion expert, or the chocolate enthusiast, or the girl at the end of the hallway, or—"
"It's very nice to meet you, Ayame. I'm Kagome." I interrupt, not caring to hear the rest of her identities. I look over her shoulder into the apartment she lives in, and try not to shudder. It's a bright, forest green. I never cared for green- reminds me of puke.
"Kagome? Nice name! It sounds almost exactly like mine!"
Um… only the last syllable, that is.
"So, I'll show you the ropes, I guess. Where's your apartment?" She suddenly pipes up after an awkward silence.
"Oh, it's to the right of the door at the top of the stairs here—" I say, and take a sharp breath when she grabs me by the arm and takes off. "Okey dokey. Hey! I remember the people who used to live here! They were kind of creepy- I bet they did LSD or something." Ayame says. Great. How comforting.
I open the door once we reach it in good time- thanks to Ayame's breakneck pace. Ayame practically skips in. She looks around at my apartment, consisting of four rooms- the bedroom, living room, bathroom, a small kitchen, and an offset space back in the wall for the washer and dryer near the kitchen counter. The walls are a bit faded with some stains, so some paint is required, but otherwise it's a suitable home.
"Very nice, Kagome. Did you pay for it?"
"My mother did."
Ayame grins." What a nice lady!" She chirps, trotting over to the washer and dryer. I raise an eyebrow.
"Okay, are you taking something?" For all I know, she's taking pills when my back is turned. Her face breaks into an ear-to-ear grin. "Nope!" She says, eyes glinting with amusement. "What makes you think I am?"
"So what are you going to show me?" I ask, trying to change the subject.
Ayame glances at me, thinks for a moment, and seems to remember what she was going to say before she turns back to my appliances.
"I was just going to tell you that the washer and dryers here are notorious for having mechanical issues, and that if they ever decide to bust on you, you are totally free to come and use mine."
"Er—thanks, I guess." I say, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck. I guess I'm not much of a people person either.
"There is also some construction going on down the road, if you haven't noticed already, so that can get noisy in the day. So, other than the fact that you need to paint some and get some color in here, I think you're good. Also, in the event of a fire, there is an exit window in the living room and bedroom, and if you're in the hallway, use the stairs to get out, and not the elevator—"
"I get it, Ayame!" I butt in hastily, already knowing the whole safety briefing thing. She looks at me curiously for a moment, before breaking out into a beam again.
"You know what! We could be best buddies! You know, I scratch your back, you scratch mine! Or something like that. I mean, you seem like a nice person and stuff, and I am too, so I could kind of help you out in your new life here or something…." I inwardly shudder at 'new life'. "…I bet we could even share cooking and party ideas and other things like that! Wouldn't it be fun?"
Okay… she is seriously taking something. I'd bet all the money in the world on it.
"Sounds great, Ayame." I reply, trying my hardest to sound cheery in my time of negative emotions.
Ayame squealed, clapping her hands together for effect.
"Oh, yeah!" She suddenly piped, making me jump since I wasn't ready for the shout. "I almost forgot your welcome gift!"
She shot out of the room, and within twenty seconds, she was back, holding out a curious orange fruit. "It's umeboshi!" She jumps up and down like a child. "It's delicious and sour but kind of salty, too, and it goes great with rice balls…"
Oh, kami. What have I gotten myself into?
I know it's really short for a first chapter, but the next one, I will make up for it! But I was starting to get impatient and just really wanted to get this published just as an intro. Keep in mind, this will be in Kagome's point of view, occasionally at a 3rd POV, and later on, it will be in Inuyasha's POV from time to time.
So, read, review, and hopefully enjoy! And please… no flames! That's just plain rude!
Go ahead… click the little link thing below! It says review in it! And it has a little speech bubble next to it! Click it!