Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any characters of the story
A/N: R&R
Title: How to Be a Woman
Chapter 1: What didn't kill me yet awaits me tonight
She looked at people who passed her. What am I doing here? Fore some reason, again, she felt out of place. The loud music, the dark dance floor, and flashy arrogant crowd were not included in her personal definition of the term "fun."
She stood by the dark wall, avoiding anyone…It was supposed to be a wild "girls night out," and turned "as bad as it gets."
With half—empty drink in her hand, casually supporting the wall with her back, she narrowed her eyes and looked at the party; at first, everyone here seemed to be so different, as if every person, dressing in the morning, did everything to look and behave original, powerful, or eccentric. They took on images of downtown businessmen, yuppie students, extravagant artists, or eventually supermodels. How original…She smiled with irony. They tried so hard, with almost each detail of their attire, makeup, hair, or behavior matched to the roles they tried to play. Their fake bright smiles, trained to perfection "natural moves" of their bodies, bogus friendliness—all of their behavior was so empty…
Ironically, she thought, they try so hard to be exceptional, but as the result, they all look the same, synthetic and artificial… And none of them seems to notice, how odd…
She moved her eyes to her friend, who just started talking to some playboish silver—hair, and probably brain—dead youkai. No, she looked closer, furry ears and no markings; this would be a super—cute hanoyu, then. Her friend was looking the hanoyu in eyes, smiling dreamily… Oh no, why didn't I take my own car? Now, I am stuck here forever…
Earlier that day:
Kagome couldn't describe her happiness…If she would have to explain what she felt right now, she would have to scream with happiness. The feeling that grew within her was better than anything she ever felt, it was warm, joyful, and increasingly raising; An ecstasy. Pure, untainted happiness of being alive, overwhelming each part of her body and mind.
"Sango!" Kagome yelled to her phone as soon as he realized that Sango picked up her call, not even waiting for her friend to say hello. "Sango!" Kagome tried to explain what just happened, but suddenly, she found herself out of breath and words.
"Kagome?" Sango's calm voice reached Kagome, "Are you all right? You sound…"
"Oh, Sango, you won't believe. I can't believe." Kagome laughed, "Sango, something unbelievable just happened!"
Sango only smiled warmly listening to her friend. Kagome can't find right words? Yup, it had to be truly unbelievable news.
"Sango, I have to tell you first" Kagome inhaled "I have been accepted to Tama University for Miko Program" She kept her breath in waiting for Sango's response. One second. Five seconds. After half of minute, Kagome couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Sango, say something…" She started, thinking that Sango didn't like the idea of her moving out of Tokyo.
"Aaaa!" This time it was Sango yelling, "I am so proud of you! I knew you could do it!" Sango was still half speechless, feeling a mixture of pride, happiness, and… sorrow. "But Kagome, I will miss you so much…" Sango felt tears coming to her eyes and felt happy that Kagome couldn't see her right now. She was almost crying, it was so silly, she should be happy for her friend.
"I know, Sango." Kagome's voice cooled down a little as she sensed her friend's sorrow. "But you probably even won't notice my absence. It will be your second year at Tokyo University, you will take more of your law classes and will be busy like hell."
"Yeah, you are probably right." Sango thought about her class schedule for upcoming fall and took a big breath. "I will be busy, but it doesn't mean that I won't miss you, Kagome." Sango voice was serious and quiet. And Kagome new why…
"So," Sango realized that this conversation slowly makes Kagome feeling down. "We should celebrate it!" She decided to put her girlfriend back on a track of happiness and joy.
"What's about…" she started, but Kagome instantly interrupted her own with suggestion:
"Party! I was invited by Kiyoko to this birthday party of this guy. "
"What guy? And Kiyoko!"
"Kiyoko, my cousin, remember? She also attends the Tama, but she will start her senior year this fall. She thought, since I will study there too, that it would be nice to meet some new people from the school."
"Kagome, I still don't get you…What has this party to do with Tama?"
"Oh, right. The party is organized for someone from Tama, who, during summer lives in Tokyo. His name is Inu…something." Kagome said with one breath.
So, party for exceptional humans and the most powerful youkai, since only such attend Tama. Sango wasn't sure…
"Kagome, I don't know, maybe you should go without me this time…"
"Sango…" there was a playful warning in Kagome voice "You shall not defy a powerful miko!" her voice low and overly dramatic.
"Well, even if so called powerful miko is technically not in training yet?" Now Sango was laughing. There was no way she could reject Kagome wish, not today. "OK, Mighty and Powerful Miko, partying at Inu-something place it is!"
ooOoo
A small apartment, clogged with too many books room, dark window overlooking a poor street of suburban Tokyo, screams of neighbors' children coming from behind walls of other apartments…Kami, how she hated this place…She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She lived here for over a year now. She looked around her small ugly apartment and thought of their old place. How warm seemed the memories of their family…
Sango glanced at herself in the mirror, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles on her black skirt. The knee-long, flawlessly fitted skirt and a simple velvet black tank top, carefully matched sandals, hair, and makeup…All this was carefully prepared for tonight and perfect; yet something was off… perhaps it was not the dress; perhaps there was something wrong with her… Her reflection looked Sango in the eyes, smiling ironically, as if wanted to voice her thoughts: "You don't belong here. And you don't belong there, so don't even try."
The tall serious woman in the mirror seemed not to fit into any surroundings. But did she wanted to?
After the accident, she was unconscious for days, and then immobilized in the hospital bed for another month. But when she waked up, even before she opened her eyes from the cataleptic sleep, she remembered. There was death, blood, different faces, colors, and movements around her; she couldn't make sense of anything she saw…she also remembered silence, an almost paralyzing deafness that overflow her and confound all senses…
And then the realization: They are dead…why do I still live?
If anything kept her alive that day, one life force that pushed her for any action to save herself from the burning car, it was the thought that she was the only one that was able to reach for his hand and pull him out too. That she has to take care of him—it was the last thought in her mind as she passed out after he was safe, and it was the only thought that forced her to wake up every morning.
Some said that on that day she saved her brother's life. She thought that it was Kohaku, who kept her alive.
A phone ring awoke her from her momentary stupor. She shook her head, as if with this simple gesture she could repel all sad thoughts. Today, she was supposed to have fun, to celebrate, and maybe finally enjoy the life a little bit.
"Hello? Is it you Kagome?" She straightened up her shoulders and smiled.
"Are you ready for fun?" Kagome voice was filled with happiness and laughter.
"Oh, Mighty Miko, I am."
"Then, my dear Sango, its fantastic, since I am waiting for you downstairs for fifteen minutes!" Kagome kept complaining as Sango grabbed her purse, turned off lights and left the apartment.
ooOoo
Lets the fun begin, Sango thought with sarcasm as she walked through doors of the large mansion. The crowd looked like typical yuppie gathering, where everyone was tuned into senseless, pseudo—intellectual conversations and idiotic drinking till morning. It looks like a lovely evening.
ooOoo
Kagome approached her friend: "Sango, he is fantastic, don't you think?" With a fire in her eyes and slightly flushed face, Kagome radiated positive energy and happiness.
"Well," Sango sent an appreciative look toward the hanoyu, "Is that the birthday—boy?"
"Come, I have to introduce you." Kagome pulled Sango by her wrist to meet her new friend.
"You see, this is Sango, my best friend." Kagome beamed "And this, Sango, is Inuyasha" she looked at the hanoyu with a small blush, "Inuyasha is also a student at Tama, you know?" Sango looked at the tall hanoyu and smiled.
"That's great, is this your freshman year too?"
"Yes," Kagme answered for Inuyasha and added "But all Inuyasha's family attended the Tama, and his brother went there too."
"Keh," Inuyasha looked uncomfortable as Kagome mentioned his brother. "Let's better join the others; I will introduce you to my best friends: Miroku and Kouga. They should be somewhere around…" He paused looking around the crowd.
As he tried to locate their friend in the thick crowd, Sango noticed two tall figures coming towards them. The taller, looking suspiciously similar to Inuyasha, noticed the trio and sent them a resentful look.
"Are those your friends?" Sango pointed towards two men. If this is like his best friends look like, I wonder about enemies, she thought smiling. The two looked so aloof and cold, as if were disgusted not only with Inuyasha, but the all party as well.
"Keh, those are no friends of mine. That's my brother Sesshomaru and his friend Tohru." Inuyasha said pointing with his chin towards approaching them men.
"Oh" Kagome seemed not to notice unfriendly tone in his voice "It will be lovely to meet them." And before Inuyasha could stop her, she smiled at Sesshomaru, who stopped a few steps from them and looked at Kagome blankly. Inuyasha only frowned, but followed Kagome and introduced the party to his brother. During all this time Sesshomaru stared at them, not saying a word with a bored expression on his face. "Unbelievable, he didn't even blink." Sango whispered tilting her head towards Kagome's ear "Can you imagine not blinking for ten minutes? I wonder if this is an innate ability of pompous assholes, or it's something he takes special classes for." Kagome couldn't keep her herself from a chuckle. In fact, she wasn't the only one; she noticed that Inuyasha overheard Sango and now was grinning at his brother like crazy.
"Pleased to meet you." Sango suddenly felt guilty. I don't even know the guy and already make fun of him. It wasn't fair. "My name is Sango." She stepped towards Sesshomaru and extended her hand towards him.
Sesshomaru looked at her coldly, than moved his eyes slowly, inch by inch down her body towards the outstretched hand. Not even moving a muscle in his face, he stood like that for a while, and then, just turned around ignoring Sango and her companions completely. Sango stood like enchanted, her hand still waiting for a friendly handshake… For a moment, she felt as if someone just slapped her face. The self—conscious feeling of everyone looking at them hit her; she blinked her eyes and started to notice the loud disco music overflowing the room. With her face flushed, she turned around to look at her friends.
Kagome's mouth were open and Inuyasha looked angry, "He has always been like that, just ignore him."
"So, this was your brother?" She looked down at her hand, as if looking there for reason of Sesshomaru actions. She flexed her fingers and took a deep breath.
"Keh, a half brother, being exact." Sango smiled at his comment. Poor guy, she thought of Inuyasha, I met this demon only once and already hate him; he has to bear his royal behavior every day…She looked at the hanoyu and decided to forget about the incident. "Come-on, Inuyasha is right, lets ignore the whole thing. We have birthday to celebrate, don't we?" With this, she laughed and pulled Kagome's hand towards the crowd.
OoOoo
Tohru observed the exchange of offends with a slight interest; no, he was not interested with Sesshomaru, after all, his behavior was like usual. He stared at the two mortal women that stood next to Inuyasha. Tohru focused on them; the shorter one, the one who was smiling almost all the time was lovely; her milk—white skin, large blue eyes, and fantastic long legs…She wore green and absolutely short summer dress. The exceptionally strong miko energy beamed from her small form. There is nothing as attractive as woman with attractive aura. Tohru smiled at her, and she blushed. How charming, he thought stepping a little closer to her. But then, his attention was grabbed by something new. The tall girl sent Sesshomaru an angry look, still nothing new about angry woman, but something else about her...Through narrowed eyes, Tohru looked at the human and froze. It was not her emotion, not even her look, but her aura that almost paralyzed him. Now he saw clearly; around Sango, energy of crystallized light vibrated and pulsed like a light on a supernova. Never in his life seeing a human with such power of live, such a pure life energy, so strong and animate… Looking at her, he knew that she didn't possess any miko or spiritual powers, but even without them, she was the purest and the most powerful human he has ever encountered. Well, well. well…Tohru looked at the tall angry girl and smirked, such a vigorous onna, possibilities may be endless… He moved away from Kagome and approached his new object of this evening's affections.
ooOoo
Oh no, not this guy again… Trying to hide from the annoying demon, she walked into a dark hallway, and stood still by one of the walls. "Sango, are you there?" A hopeful vice reached her; Tohru was getting closer. Shit, shit, shit! How does he keep finding me? Then she realized, Stupid youkai smell. Determined to escape from Thoru's as far as possible, she looked for a new solution. Looking around, she noticed large heavy doors at the end of the hallway. Carefully not to make any noise, she walked towards the unknown room. Hoping that the room was empty, she put her hand on the door handle and pressed it quietly and slipped into dark space. Gods, I hope no one is here.
She looked around; the place was hardly illuminated by a small desk lamp, large windows overlooked the night sky.
Slowly walking in, she noticed endless volumes of books covering walls of the room. A library? She smiled and decided that for the first time this evening she encountered something really interesting. The library was huge, with bookshelves reaching the tall ceiling; a small ladder was placed next to one of the walls to reach for to higher placed books. Everything, bathed with shadows and a warm light of the small lamp, almost whispered to her, alluring with its cozy ambience. A lovely fireplace, a large mahogany desk, and a comfy—looking sofa tempted Sango to just reach for one of the books and ignore the rest of the party. Well, why not? She smiled and came closer to the shelves. With a growing interest, the girl reached for a volume of poetry. Pablo Neruda? Hmm…She grinned and opened her somewhere in the middle, and words instantly caught her attention:.
"How terrible and brief my desire was to you!
Cemetery of kisses, there is still fire in your tombs,
still the fruited boughs burn, pecked at by birds.
Oh the bitten mouth, oh the kissed limbs,
oh the hungering teeth, oh the entwined bodies."
Holding the book carefully in her hand, she touched her lips captivated by the feverish, almost angry desire of the poem… She could sense something sore and painful in the printed verses, hungry and avid at the same time. She let her thoughts wander and lost the perception of where she was and for how long, as if something in the poem overtook her…
She took a deep breath, ready to read on, when something cough her attention. A chuckle. A chuckle? Oh gods, not Tohru again…She didn't even look behind her; only Tohru could be persistent enough to hunt her down, even in the most secluded part of the house.
"Well, we seem to bump to each other all the time tonight, isn't that lovely?" She kept her eyes seriously focused on the book, her voice dipping with sarcasm, as if she meant to say instead: "Will you go away?"
"Lovely?" a cold voice cut her stream of thought, "Annoying, perhaps." She looked behind her shoulder and froze for a moment. Sesshomaru. This little…she narrowed her eyes in disgust. "What are you doing here?"
"This is my house. And in fact, this is my book." He pointed at the volume in her hands. "And I would appreciate if you could put it back on the shelf. I do not wish anyone to touch my belongings…" He pronounced every word carefully looking at Sango with a bored expression on his face.
In her first reaction, Sango was almost startled. After all, she invaded a private part of the mansion, she hardly knew the owner, and the youkai standing before her was pretty scary…But on the second look, she wouldn't be herself, if she would allow a pompous youkai to intimidate her.
She looked at him with a gentle, almost naïve smile and carelessly placed the book on the desk. Then, with a lazy grace of a cat, she moved toward other shelf, reaching over his shoulder and pulling another book, a college dictionary. He looked at her, a mixture of surprise and annoyance written on his face.
"Well, you see, Inuyasha allowed me to go wherever I wanted in the house…" She paused looking at him, "So how come do you mind?"
"Because this is my library and those are my books, not Inuyasha's!" he hissed through gritted teeth. Tiny strains of red interfered with the golden tone of his eyes. The way he stared at her now, almost made her laugh—as if he attempted to bite her. Well, buddy, it doesn't work with me... She smirked ignoring his anger. Looking back at the oversized volume in her hands, she flipped a few pages, looking for something. "Ah, yes, I got it!" she grinned at the book, read one passage, and looked back at the youkai. He looked royally pissed right now, and Sango made her smile even wider. "Thank you, Sesshomaru, for letting me use your dictionary." She sounded like a schoolgirl, "I wasn't sure if I was right, but, after I checked carefully, it appears that I was correct." With a small official bow, she handed him the still open dictionary.
"Now, allow me to fulfill your wish, Sesshomaru—sama, and depart from your sight." She turned towards the door. Yet, before she left, she grabbed the book from the desk "Do you mind if I finish this in other room?" She looked at him hopefully.
"Yes, in the matter of fact, I do." The youkai kept staring at her angrily. Sango tilted her head and sent him a challenging look. Oh, you stupid, thick—headed whimp, she thought, but only gritted her teeth and hissed quietly towards Sesshomaru:
"Bite me, demon." Then, she turned on her heel, straightened her shoulders and left with book in her hand.
Sesshomaru wasn't sure what just happened. Did this human just invade his private study, touched his books, and finally stole one offending him? Anger slowly build up within the youkai. This bitch. He stood there, dumbfound, with the open dictionary in his hands. Not sure if he should ignore her, or simply catch her and strangle in the hallway, he looked blankly at the pages of the dictionary, and…
Oh, bitch, you are dead…a growl escaped his lips as he realized that she just handed him an Royal Oxford Dictionary definition of asshole…
ooOoo
A/N: Please, review!