Hello everyone!
Welcome to Stranded, yet another Inuyasha fanfiction. I swear, I am so in tune with these characters I doubt I'll ever be able to write for a different fandom again. If you're wondering about Pretty Kagome: Revised, I just want you to know it's not been canceled or anything, I just need something else to stretch my legs a bit.
Also, expect some shorter chapter length than I usually hand over. Not that I don't love giving you guys a good chunk to read, but I need to learn to relax through writing fanfiction, I'm so uptight about my original stuff I need some sort of plain fun writing again.
I hope you enjoy it!
-SugarRos
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the others, I do not own Japan or North Korea, and I do not own the computer I am currently sitting at typing on. Seems there's a lot I don't own. We should fix that.
Dedication: To a wonderful beta, who was shocked to hear I'd actually written something, laughed at me, and edited this thing up.
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Stranded.
Chapter One
"Higurashi, my office. Now."
Kagome sighed and unfolded her nylon-covered legs. She stood from her swivel chair and flattened the back of her pencil skirt against her thighs before plastering a haphazard grin on her face and moving out from behind her desk. She didn't miss the unsympathetic snicker from her desk mate as she walked by. She shot a look of vexation right back at her. It figured she was the one being called in, and not Sango.
Being summoned to her boss's office wasn't like being called into the principal's office in middle or high school. It wasn't usually associated with being lectured or having done something bad. In fact, good news usually came from the editor's room, and good news was almost always an assignment.
This time was no different, Kagome knew, and was hoping for something just as exciting as her last assignment. Her previous duel-assignment with Sango had them traveling to South Africa to the Chalkey Tree House, a hotel built around a tree, rating their surroundings and experiences. It was beautiful and exotic, and Kagome loved her job more and more every time an assignment took her to new and exciting places.
But that had been three weeks ago. Kagome was now well-rested and eager for somewhere new to go and explore. Unfortunately it was Kikyou that handed out the assignments, and more than anything that dealt with her job, Kagome hated Kikyou the most.
Taking a deep breath and smoothing her rather disagreeable hair, she knocked three rapid beats onto the door and pushed it open immediately.
Kikyou's office was not as most would think. It was small and perfectly square. The only objects out of place were a pile of newspapers and a giant mound of 'out' papers ready to be moved on to the next station. The large square oak desk was otherwise clean, organized to perfection, and held home to a very large Mac desktop, a sleek jar of ballpoint pens and a large desktop calendar. The calendar was filled blue with written ink, scribbled on in detail, the handwriting so small no one but Kikyou herself could read it.
"Higurashi, come in. Sit." Kikyou's voice was demanding, not inviting, and Kagome didn't hesitate to follow directions exactly as they were laid out. She sat. To her left was a wall-engulfed window, with plastic, vertical drapes pulled off to the side. Kagome had to will herself not to look out the window. It was tempting. The early morning sky was still slightly pink and orange, and the office overlooked the Korakuen garden, leaving the whole office feeling open and fresh.
Kikyou did not move from behind her desk, her fingers furiously typing on the smooth, flat keyboard. Her ink black hair pulled up into an elegant, very long ponytail, wrapped once around the base before cascading straight down the back of her chair. Her lips shone pink with gloss in the morning sun. All in all, she looked perfect.
Kagome somehow always felt inferior to Kikyou. It was strange to her that her coworkers said they looked so much alike, because she just didn't see it. Where Kikyou's hair was long and black and straight, Kagome's was midnight and wavy and seemed to fight its way out of every style she stuck it in. Where Kikyou's face and skin shone pale and elegant, Kagome's skin was tanned from her traveling, her makeup no more than some eyeliner and mascara, and there was a stupid pimple fighting its way to the surface right above her left eyebrow.
She waited patiently until Kikyou finally typed her last word and hit the enter key, successfully finishing up whatever email she was shooting out. She pulled the Bluetooth earpiece out of her ear and laid it on the desk, turning to Kagome and smiling a tight smile.
"All rested up from South Africa."
It wasn't a question but Kagome answered anyway. "Yes, thank you Kikyou-san. I'm ready for another assignment."
"That's good to hear." Kikyou's back stayed straight and tall, elbows on her desk. Kagome slumped just a bit, slightly intimidated even after all these years working for the same boss. "You and Sango are the best team we have going for us at the moment," she continued, "I want to make sure you two are well-rested and prepared for where I'm about to send you."
Aruba flashed into Kagome's mind. Dubai, Paris, New York City, Aspen maybe? She felt the rush she usually did when being handed a new assignment, giddy and excited and on top of the world.
"This assignment is a little different," Kikyou started. She leaned back into her chair suddenly, crossing her legs and turning to look out the window. It was a posture of relaxation Kagome had never seen before. "Something no one else is really…. Up to par to handle."
A shiver went down her spine, slight but noticeable. Something was off about Kikyou today. She was softer, reluctant in her movements. A moment ago she had been all hard edges and stiff formalities. Now she seemed tired. Her face was still perfect, her hair still in place, but the essence of her, somehow, had changed.
"Ah… do you mean we'll need a detailed report about the place?" She wasn't sure she understood what Kikyou meant by 'handle.'
She hesitated. "…Somewhat. Yes, a detailed report will be mandatory, but I've been told by the higher ups that we need this report to sustain a reader interest story. I need someone who has the drive to see this one through." She looked back to Kagome now, her deep eyes piercing, and raised one elegantly plucked eyebrow. "Do you feel that you and Sango can accept and carry it out until it's done?"
Kagome softly cleared her throat as she pushed the queasy feeling in her stomach aside and nodded her head. "It sounds like quite a challenge. I enjoy challenges. So does Sango."
"Yes, even more that you it seems."
If it was an attempt at humor Kikyou didn't show it; her back was perfectly straight again, her intense demeanor back in place. "Good," she said, picking up a newspaper from the top of the stack on her desk and placing it heavily down in front of Kagome.
The large black-and-white photo staring her in the face was porky and stunted, squinted eyes hidden behind large, thick-framed glasses. Thin black hair teased up into an almost-fro, and a small, creepy smile with too much gum showing through made up the eerie face of Kim Jong-il.
Kagome's first reaction was to shudder – which she was able to suppress from Kikyou's piercing gaze – and her second reaction was to wonder which page of the paper held her assignment. She opened her mouth to ask when Kikyou's perfectly manicured index finger pressed down onto the picture.
"This," she said in a strangely tired voice, "is where you and Sango will be headed." Then she sat back and waited for Kagome's reaction.
She opened her mouth to speak, closed it, then said: "North Korea?"
"Yes, North Korea." She started shuffling through papers as she continued to speak. "You and Sango will be going on one of those Government-controlled tours. I need an article on what to do and what not to do, who to speak to, who to bribe-"
"Bribe?" Kagome said, and then clamped her mouth shut at her boss's raised eyebrow.
"Bribe, Kagome, these people take bribes. Alcohol, money, sweets and candy not available to them…" She ticked the items off each finger.
Slowly, Kagome reached out and picked up the paper, staring at the face of one of the most terrible dictators in the current world. Her dreams of Aruba and Dubai floated out the giant wall-sized window to her right, and she felt her heart sink.
"So, can I trust you're on board with the assignment?"
Kagome willed herself to say no. No, dammit, no! "Yes."
...Damn!
"Of course I'll take it, Kikyou-san, I always love a challenge." She didn't know for sure, but she swore a look of relief washed over Kikyou's features.
"I knew convincing you would be easy. Sango is a different story."
"I was wondering why you called me in on an assignment for both of us."
"I'll be breaking the news to her right after you. I'm counting on you to convince her accept as well. I feel Sango will be... difficult… about this assignment."
That was an understatement. Sango's answer would be a flat and simple no. Kagome wished she had the nerve to say no as well.
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"I can't believe you said yes." Kagome said, leaning forward over the small café table in disbelief. "I was counting on you to say no. Who in their right mind would want to take a sunny little vacation in North Korea?"
"You would, apparently. You said yes too, you know." Sango sat back leisurely in the iron flowered chair, her left leg crossed over her right, swinging to-and-fro without a care in the world.
"I said yes because Kikyou is scary. Perfect and scary. And I happen to like my job."
"I like my job too."
"Yeah, but not enough to say yes to every offer placed on the table. You said no to Morocco, remember?"
She shrugged. "It was way too hot in Morocco when they asked us to go. Besides, the twins wrote a great piece about Morocco, they were perfect for the assignment."
"The twins couldn't write themselves out of the doorway." Kagome said, snappish. "That's why they take the assignments we don't." She let herself feel embarrassed for spouting childish insults, but she was so thrown from her usual views she just couldn't help it.
Sango sighed and put down the newspaper in front of her. Kim Jong-il's creepy face grinned up at them. Kagome reached over and picked the paper up, slamming it down on the opposite side, effectively cutting off any view of him.
"Oh, Kagome. Calm down, he's just a man."
"Are you kidding? Just a man? Why do you think Kikyou was so apprehensive to request we take this assignment? You've heard the rumors too, Sango."
Sango rolled her eyes. "Yeah, the crazy rumors." She leaned in over the table, close to Kagome's face. "There are no youkai ruling over Kim Jong-il. He's just a man with a really bad superiority complex."
Kagome sat back in her chair with a huff. "The violence and absolute control just doesn't make much sense otherwise. Once it was discovered that Hitler-"
"Hitler was different," Sango said, interrupting. "He massacred an entire population, and once it was discovered that he'd given his soul up to Naraku, well…" She let her sentence hang.
Kagome thought it over before answering; "I don't think this is much different. I know it was said that Naraku was destroyed by Midoriko, but it wasn't really ever proven. That's the problem."
"Kagome, you really think Kikyou would send us to a country run by Naraku?"
Again, she paused, thinking. Then; "No, probably not."
"There, see?" Sango grinned, picking up her menu as a waitress approached their table.
"Have we decided what we'd like to drink?" She asked, her tone polite and professional.
"Yes, a coffee for me, please. Black." She shot a glance at Kagome before sighing and offering the menu back to the waitress. "And a decaf for my extremely worrisome friend, please."
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I hope you guys enjoyed it. Not a lot of action, but I promise its coming up. :D
Thanks for reading! Reviews and crits are, as always, more than welcome. Please let me know what you think!
~SugarRos