He was a Chinese Lord and a powerful Inu Daiyokai. She was a beautiful human Geiko sent from Japan as a gift from the Demon Lord's father. At first, Lord Sesshoumaru had denied her company harshly, snarling and growling and nipping at her. He wasn't the type to get close to people and the very idea that his father had gone as far as to buy him a human Geiko, of all beings, irritated him to no end. He did not need a companion or the company of a woman. He wanted to be left alone to think, meditate and brood as he usually did. And he certainly did not need to be bothered with the obligation to entertain a woman, human or otherwise.

But there was something special about this human Geiko. Ever since she arrived at his Shiro, his inner yokai had become enticed by merely looking at her and smelling her scent. 'Rainwater, wildflowers, grass, trees... She smells of spring...' It wasn't that the human smelled overly attractive, is was simply that his inner-self did not totally recoil at the girl's scent. Which, for Lord Sesshoumaru, was unusual. In nearly 700 years he had never scented something so... Relaxing. It unnerved him every time the woman would pass by his shoji or he would enter a room she had recently been in.

It was physically unnoticeable to others around him but his inner demon would stop momentarily, to sniff her out, to relish in the scent before they proceeded onto whatever mundane task was next on their list for the day.

It wasn't just her scent either, she didn't seem to fear him. More like she was intrigued by him, she had this need to know him, to figure him out. And not for mating purposes like most woman, she was simply curious about him. For some reason, her curiosity toward him did not upset him, more like enticed. He too was curious about her, she was proving to be very hard for this Sesshoumaru to unravel and read. Which for him was not typical, he had never before fallen into the world of the unknown like he had when it came to this human Geiko.

It had taken many weeks of being thrown out of the room, growled at, snarled at, even nipped at before finally Sesshoumaru allowed the girl to stay within his presence. He would not look at her, at least, she did not catch his stolen glances. He would not speak to her or allow her to touch him but he would listen as she babbled on and on about the most interesting things Sesshoumaru had ever heard a woman speak of.

She was well trained in the arts, as most Geiko were expected to be. However, this human woman wanted nothing to do with the arts, no matter how good she might be at fan dancing or shamisen. She wanted to be a Miko or a Ninja. Such topics always made Sesshoumaru want to laugh but, he would choke these foreign impulses down as he listened to her.

The human Geiko was sitting on her knees on a cushion just below Lord Sesshoumaru's throne. She had a white and red silk kimono on, her hair was laying in loose sheets around her back and framing her beautiful face. Her cheeks were rosy as she sipped her cup of sake and continued to babble, a far too happy and comfortable smile on her painted lips.

Sesshoumaru had to force himself to look away from those lips as she continued their one-sided conversation. It was becoming more and more difficult to look away from her these days. The more time he allowed himself to spend in the Geiko's presence, the more his inner beast fought against him. But, he just couldn't stay away from her any longer, her company was oddly pleasing somehow.

"I think women should be allowed to do as they please. Why can't a human woman be a fierce warrior or in a position of power? We birth babies." She shook her head in anger as she took another sip and raising a fist to the men she thought of as she spoke. "Men could never do that because they are weak!"

"Hn..." Was his response to her declaration. His first audible response in nearly a month. Also, he was agreeing with her.

Rin gasped, clearly shocked as she turned her gaze towards him, searching the golden eyes that were staring down into her chestnut pools for the first time. Rin blinked as she crawled up the steps to where Sesshoumaru's throne was sitting. She moved slowly, never taking her eyes from his as she cautiously got closer to him. She stopped just before his knees and straightened herself, staring intently back at him, a sheepish grin on her red lips.

"So he does speak..." She chided, an involuntary giggle escaping her.

Sesshoumaru stared back at her for a moment longer, not sure how to respond to her closeness or her chiding tone. No other living being, besides his own mother, would dare breach his personal bubble like this, and they surely would not mock him. He wouldn't admit it aloud but, that was something he definitely liked about her. This human woman was bound to keep him busy, no matter what their relationship turned into, if it did in fact, ever turn into anything at all. He blinked, averting his eyes from hers, the jade, dragon-shaped candle holder on the wall beside him suddenly becoming very interesting to the Demon Lord.

"It is hard to speak to one such as yourself. I have not been able to get a word in edgewise..." His rich baritone voice seemed to echo around the room they were in, sending shivers down the Geiko's silk clad body. She blinked at him as she slowly recovered from the shock caused by the beautiful sound of his voice. A few moments of silence passed between them before she fell at his feet in a fit of giggles, the sake clearly taking over the situation.

Sesshoumaru's gaze found her again. Her long ebony hair was fanned out beneath her, her slender, tightly wrapped, silk-clad frame was trembling with humor. Her usually pale cheeks rosy from the drink and her chestnut brown eyes were closed as she laughed at him. He growled at her, even though his inner beast lay dormant, apparently not bothered in the slightest by her reaction. "And what, might I ask, is so funny?"

The Geiko stopped almost immediately, sitting up and bowing her head to her lord. "M.. haha... M'lord... I am sorry... I thought you were mute or something..." She took a steadying breath, fighting down more giggles. "When I couldn't get you to respond to me, I asked the servants about you but... hehe... They all seem too terrified of you to divulge any information to me." She reported that last part as if she found it funny that anyone would ever fear the demon lord.

'As they should be... But why is she not fearful?' "And you are not afraid of me, Geiko?"

The Geiko looked annoyed now. "My name is Rin, my Lord." She retorted curtly, her eye twitching slightly as she responded.

"That does not answer my question, Geiko." Lord Sesshoumaru replied, putting extra emphasis on the word Geiko. The slightest of smirks playing with the corner of his lips as he challenged her.

Rin sighed in annoyance before bowing again and standing. She held their gaze for a moment, challenging back. "Fearing what I do not understand is a very human concept. I repel all things human, my Lord. They are destructive and foolish beings." She stated simply before turning on her heel and walking, like the proud and graceful Geiko she was, away from him. The last thing she heard before slamming his shoji shut behind her was Sesshoumaru's "Hn..."

Rin smiled to herself as she walked down the long corridor to her bed chambers. It was slow going, but progress was indeed being made. She was happy with the events of the night.

Sesshoumaru stared at the closed Shoji, the echo of the wood slamming together still ringing in his sensitive ears. His inner beast was riled up now, half wanting to chase her down and put her in her place. However, he couldn't be totally angry by her actions. Her attitude toward him left him oddly excited. "Strange..." He mused to himself as he stood and stretched before following her out.

Sesshoumaru followed her scent down the corridor, his feet seemingly moving on their own accord. He stopped just outside her bed chambers, he rested his hand against the wood frame of the door. 'Rainwater and wildflowers... I wonder if she tastes as delicious as she smells...' Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he backed away from her shoji and turned on his heel and disappeared down the hallway.

He slammed his own shoji shut, nearly trampling a servant in his haste to hide. He slid down the wall of his bedchamber, clutching his chest with his claws and breathing heavily. His molten honey eyes bleeding pink as he tried to beat his inner yokai down. 'What the hell was that about?'

I want her... This Rin...

'The Geiko? You cannot be serious...'

Her name is Rin.

'Her name is irrelevant...'

Not to me. It is a very nice name... It suits her.

'You have lost your mind if you think I will allow you to have the human as your lover. She is human!'

Her name is Rin and she will be our mate, whether you like it or not. You do not get to choose. I do...

'I will not allow this!'

You are not in control here. You do not get to choose.

...

I bet she does taste nice...

"Enough of this!" Sesshoumaru growled at himself as he stood and walked to the balcony and took flight. He needed air, needed to think. He couldn't get away from his inner yokai but he could get his inner yokai away from the Geiko. At least for the night.

Rin dressed for bed. All the while humming to herself immensely pleased with her triumph. Failing, though, to grasp the full extent of said triumph.