A/N: This is a fanfiction. Fan-made work of fiction. As a fan, there are things that I am a fan of. Because I am a fan, and I do like to write as well, I decided to write my own fanfiction. This fanfiction is due to the well-known anime/manga InuYasha. I did not create InuYasha, I did not have a thought about creating InuYasha. I am in no way correlated with this work. This work was created by Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way in correlation with Rumiko Takahashi.
Thank you for checking this out. Thank her for allowing it to be so.
*Editing this story with a more personally-matured mindset in tow*
I recently went back, just out of curiosity, to take a peak at, a tiny snippet of, one of my good ol' stories… And this little adventure was not quite what I was expecting. How ashamed I am of my terrible, teenage writing: full of tropes and clichés and ramblings and—oh, the redundancy. Geez. Ten years sure changes a girl. I only hope that I will be proud of the aftermath of this overhaul.
This may take a lifetime.
… Or it, one day, may become completed.
Alas, I have not the answers you seek, but I do hope that you may enjoy.
The Complex
Chapter 1: Oh, Kami
Kagome sighed; exhaustion was fighting for her immediate attention. She gently rubbed sleep from her reddening eyes hoping to placate the infernal little monster nagging at her. As if challenging for control of her own body, a yawn then took hold. Her little remaining resolve drained right out.
"You win…" Then a mumbled curse snuck from under her breath as she slowly tiptoed her line of sight away from the clutches of her vision's own remake of The Twilight Zone and back into consciousness, back toward the staple furniture piece in front of her and the object of her affliction. Ever-aloof, the newspaper lounging across her mother's dining room table chose to blatantly ignore the young woman's dismay.
"Looks like I have no choice…"an exasperated sigh let loose. A look of much consternation took hold of the once serene face for a rather somber moment.
"I'll have to go with the more expensive apartment," she followed up with a sharp nod of her head in the affirmative.
"Not because of the pool—no," one short, quick shake in the negative jerked her dark locks to-and-fro.
"And, of course, I won't even need that fireplace. I'd never even dream of wanting one."
Another nod, "It is solely due to the efficient placement in town. And that'll… without a doubt… save me at LEAST…" Fingers unfurled from her clenched hand slowly, deftly, and with much purpose, one at a time as her sentence trailed off. Once four fingers and a thumb were extended, she nodded.
"Yes… I'd say five dollars a week. At least! That's two hundred and sixty dollars—per YEAR." Eyebrows lifted upward as her eyes went into Thoughtful Kagome mode, double-checking her numbers: the foundation of her favorite grade school subject… Sure…
Then a sheepish smile stole away her exhaustion as she summoned the one person for whom all of this bone weary work and rigorous research could be accredited.
"Mama!"
An hour or three later they pulled-in to a freshly black-topped parking lot.
A slender woman propped almost provocatively against the side of a cherry red convertible. Ember eyes peered through the thinning curl of smoke escaping her perfectly made lips. 'Interesting…'
Her black heels led the way to a nearby ashcan. She tossed the remains of a cigarette and glanced at the documents resting in her free hand one last time. Jade earrings made a soft tink in protest as the movement gently threw their comfortable footing askew as she looked up from the paperwork to watch Kagome and her mother walk up to her.
"Kagura," she stated simply and reached her finely manicured hand to meet the elder Higurashi halfway.
"I am, of course, the landlady." She nodded politely and gave a wink with one red-hued contact-donning eye, then offered a hand-shake to the younger woman, as well.
"Follow me," she tossed at them in a sing-song voice before nimbly stepping through the glass double doors. Her black heels only for a moment seemed to play a mysterious tune across the tile but were quickly silenced by carpet as she took to a set of stairs on the left, a short distance past the lobby. Soon enough they landed on the third floor, the trio stopping just outside of a door at the end of the hallway.
"C6." She slid a keycard through the security device. When two green lights appeared, she gently elbowed the door open and waved the two women ahead before following behind.
The entryway was bright and open, with an immediate immersion into the living area. A fireplace—the fireplace—sat diagonally from the entryway with the living room occupying the vast divide. A large sliding balcony door through which streamed copious amounts of natural lighting took up residency along the left wall. Immediately to the right upon entering, a small open dining area gave entry to the kitchen. The only thing breaking up the flow of the open floor plan was the high-sitting bar sheltering the kitchen that faced out across the living area. The rest of the apartment lie straight across from the entryway down a dwarf hall, past the wall partially overtaken by fireplace. There sat comfortably a single bedroom and bathroom, each with a closet of their own, and in the stunted hallway between the rooms, a final closet existed.
Kagome's mother seemed to be instantly sold, but just as instantly pried, eyes squinting almost unnoticeably, "And what of the other tenants? There aren't any questionable people staying here are there?"
"Oh," Kagura smirked, "I assure you to not worry about that. I have rules stated clearly throughout this facility, as well as stating them myself in person if and when the need may arise, and if any decide to go against them… Well, just understand that everything is in top order. Your daughter will be safe under this roof." She considered adding an "or else" for good measure, but she held her tongue. That little misspeak could be enough to cause a mother to panic. And, of course, there was no need for that.
Kagome nodded and threw her mother a look, 'Always having to go above and beyond the call of duty, Mama… Rein it in…'
As if reading her offspring's mind, she gave a little huff of acceptance. "Alright, well everything seems to be perfect."
"Mama… I mean… Are you sure about this? I know I'll be helping to pay part as well, but the pri-"
With a huff, the mother resolutely intervened, "Kagome, dear, this is what you need. If we lived in a cartoon, you know that just stepping into this room would have cued your own little theme song. It seems to be made just for you. And don't forget! It's so close to your job… I can see you living here quite nicely."
She sighed at her mother's antics, beginning to wonder if her mother was hitting the midlife crisis stage and attempting to live vicariously through her… but in the end the girl simply relented with a grateful nod.
"Well, then, I guess just give us the paperwork to sign and she'll get moved on in immediately!" Mrs. Higurashi's joy seemed to overflow and soon Kagome was feeling a little more chipper than she had since the first time her mother had mentioned her moving out.
'Maybe this won't be so bad after all', she thought with a delicate lighthearted grin.
It had only taken about a day for her to get her things moved in and—mostly put away. It was already beginning to feel like home, though. Her mother had quite literally taken over in the decorating, but Kagome found she didn't mind; at the least, it would help to relieve some homesickness just by knowing her mother's TLC radiated from every carefully placed dust collector and furniture piece. After teary-eyed hugs and the best of wishes, and not with a little forceful prodding, Kagome finally closed the door after her mother. Back leaning sluggishly against the painted metal, her thoughts were instantly torn from her mother by an angry snarl. She looked down, eyes widening by the need of which her stomach none too gently reminded her.
Mock dinner bells chimed in her ears, and then she remembered having spotted a sign upon entering the complex lobby about having a built-in coffee shop.
Sliding the keycard into her back pocket, she grabbed her purse—deftly throwing the strap over her shoulder—and lightly stepped out the door. Then, sending a quick prayer to the kami that it stayed open late, her dark brown low-tops quietly found their way to the stairs.
'Hmm…' The petite female pondered as she slowly retraced her steps through the lobby. She stood on tiptoes, walking side-to-side, looking around, 'Now where was it that I saw that sign?'
"Oooph!" The girl squeaked out from her newfound place sprawled none too neatly, or gently, on the ground.
"Yo! Watch where yer goin', wench," came a rough voice in reply.
Kagome looked up with the most startled expression. She couldn't recall having ever given anyone a reason to call her 'wench' before.
"Um, e-excuse me?" Utter shock.
"Excuse you is right. You just rammed yer ass right inda me without even a 'sorry'." The antagonist glared at her warily, and as she eyed him back, the realization hit her that he was only a boy—or man, rather, though she still had trouble considering herself a woman even—of about two years older than her twenty four. Even showier than his attitude, though, were the long locks of platinum bleached hair. It was unexpectedly beautiful, and threw her a bit from her previous line of angrily rehearsed outburst.
"Well… sorry. But it's not like I meant to. I was just looking around for a coffee shop. I thought I saw a sign? I'm new here and I'm hungry." She pouted, and then looked away from him exasperatedly, only just realizing that she was still on the ground, when she saw a hand extend to her.
She started when she realized it wasn't coming from the same direction as the grouch; this was a completely different person. As her sight traveled up an arm donned in prayer beads, deep blue eyes framed by dark bangs smiled down at her. His medium-length hair was tied back in a short ponytail at his neck, and he seemed to be wearing the traditional monk robes. It seemed oddly out of place, but then she reconsidered, thinking of her own spiritual upbringing.
"Hello, my dear. Please excuse my rude friend; he has a tendency to be ill-mannered, especially around a beautiful woman such as you. Quite uncalled for, I know." He shook his head in earnest, with a look full of pity. She could almost hear a quiet tsk tsk from his expression—or perhaps he really did utter it under his breath.
She hesitantly took his proffered hand and he lifted her up easily. As polite as he seemed at first, though, he was soon making her to believe he was acting on reasoning far less than desirable for her tastes as his other arm snaked its way around her waist.
"I would be more than happy to accompany you to the café, just right after I show you my… humble dwelling." He gave her a wink which had her quickly rethinking any possible thanks for the man; immediately she was dancing away from his grasp with both hands up in a rather kungfu-esque manner.
"Ey, monk! I thought you were tryin' to help, not scar her for life," the male from before said dryly before avoiding her rather dangerous stance with raised eyebrows and whisking the still-lost girl away by her elbow in the direction she could only hope to be the café. She glanced back over her shoulder at the blue-eyed man and saw the most perfectly crafted look of hurt plastered on his face before he slowly fell into step behind them like a crestfallen child.
"Um… I'm Kagome…?" she began, still in tow.
"You can call me InuYasha." With a thumb pointed to his chest, he almost stopped formalities there, but then continued as a thought occurred, seeming to remember some form of manners, "Sorry 'bout that. The lecher there is Miroku, an' he's s'posed to be a monk of all things," he minutely shook his head with a chuckle bereft of humor, and it made the girl wonder if maybe the humor in his friend's antics had long since died.
"He don't usually go that far, bu-ut yer the first girl we've seen move in here in'a while. Though, gotta say he pretty much does th' same shit to anything with a…" He stopped their movement for a moment outside the café entrance, hastening a glance at her backside, but finished with, "a cute face."
"But, just to warn ya, he's not the only one who's not much good at keepin' it in his pants in this building. There's a few bastards in here, but none of 'em are a real threat er nothin'." He chuckled again, but hesitantly this time with a glance around, as if afraid someone might overhear, "That cold ass bitch Kagura keeps 'em in line enough."
"Oh… O-kay," she stated simply, slowly turning this new information over in her mind. The Oompa Loompas were having more trouble than normal keeping up with the river of data streaming through Kagome and the Information Factory.
"I'll letya tag along with me this time," he grinned back at her, and up close she realized how unreal his eyes were as they shone with laughter.
'Amber? With flecks of gold?'
"'Kay. Thank you," she quickly rerouted her mind back to what he had said.
'Well, it could be worse. It could be that perv showing me everything,' she thought with a grimace as he began steering her in through the quaint coffee shop.
After he ordered, she got for herself a chocolate muffin and a simple coffee with cream and sugar.
"Cool thing is," he began again, as they waited. "Ya don't even have to use any money in this place. You got that li'l card, right?" She nodded and, once their orders were ready, watched as he swiped his keycard through the machine, following suit with her own.
"'Course these things're fer the doors, but it's hooked up to an account with yer monthly bill, too. Somehow," he explained brightly, even as he scratched his head, not totally understanding the mechanics behind the little card, but she could only nod in near wonder.
As they stalked over to a table, she noticed a couple of people lounging around still. It vaguely reminded her of when she was back in school, with people surviving off of coffee and energy drinks as they crammed.
Kagome placed her coffee and plated muffin before taking the empty seat across from InuYasha. Much to her chagrin, it wasn't going to be a peaceful late night snack getting to know her new neighbor InuYasha, or even with the addition of Miroku who sidled up in the seat next to her, but instead five more guys slowly made their way to the crowding table from various directions and degrees of activity.
Not that Kagome was introverted in the least, or even particularly shy, but…
Ambushed…
'Oh, my. Oh, Kami…' She couldn't finish as her mind began straying from all thought when they began to settle around, eyeing her curiously.
'Oh, Kami. They're all…'
"Um… Hi!" She smiled brightly, but her mental processes immediately after had stopped, frozen in darkness, as something seemed to have vehemently pulled the chain on her lightbulb of cognizance.
Her final coherent thought, 'fucking gorgeous…'
The poor chain was left still swinging in her empty mind.