Week 86: Heart

Title: Dinner with a Youkai

Rating: PG13

Genre: Almost crack? Humor? My take on the "Heart" theme from the iyfic contest at livejournal

Warnings: Nothing too graphic…I hope…

Word Count:

"I can not believe that we have been invited here!" Kagome exclaimed excitedly as the rest of the group settled around the low table. "I mean, this is the heart of Sesshoumaru's stronghold, his inner sanctum, his dinning room! How did this happen?"

Sango, while primly putting a napkin in her lap, answered. "You know as well as I do that Jaken came into our camp last night with the invitation."

"That's not what I meant!" Kagome almost snapped, "I mean, why? Isn't Sesshoumaru trying to kill us or something?"

"I believe we're about to find out," Miroku stated as the Lord of the Castle entered the room. Inuyasha, who had been unusually quiet and jumpy since the invite, glared at his half brother.

"What do you want," he spat out, his glare turning almost deadly as Sesshoumaru took his seat at the head of the table.

"We will discuss my motives for bringing you here after the meal," he replied, "Now, eat."

The servants began bringing in platter after platter of delicious smelling food. It was piled high on the plates, the meats and vegetables looking absolutely sinful after two weeks of Ramen.

The group filled their plates and began their meal. The food was as tasty as its aroma had promised. The miko had plates full of unnamed dishes all around her and she ate to her heart's content.

"This is really good!" Kagome exclaimed as she took another full bite of the meat laid before her. "What is it?"

"Our cook's specialty," Sesshoumaru answered, "Heart of wild boar."

The young priestess's chopsticks fell on her plate with a clatter as her faced paled.

"Heart of…" she whispered. She leaned back on her cushion, willing herself to keep chewing the food in her mouth, but her saliva glands had other plans. They seemed to have quit on her, leaving her with a half masticated mush rolling around sickeningly on her tongue. She tried to control her facial expressions, but she was never one for masking her emotions.

"Do you not like it?" Miroku said in between mouthfuls. "You seemed to enjoy the food before you knew what it was." He smiled graciously and leaned over the low table with another platter in his hands. "Perhaps more of the Shiokara you had earlier would help settle your stomach."

Kagome's face turned from pale to green, and she bolted to her feet. "I'm gonna hurl!" she thought as she ran from the room, her hand covering her mouth as her throat tried to betray her.

Miroku shrugged and turned to Sango. "Was it something I said?"

The demon slayer shrugged, helping herself to the Nankotsu. "I have no idea."

Shiokara is raw fish or squid in fermented fish guts and Nankotsu is fried chicken cartilage.