He would watch the young human - though she never knew it - in the early dawn or the late night just to see how her features would twist with emotion. He found the curving of her lips in a smile, or the narrowing of her eyes in a grimace the most fascinating of gestures. Such feelings displayed for all the world to look upon both confused and intrigued Sesshoumaru, but only - and he was quite positive of this - in a fleeting way that those of his ilk were notorious for.

Even now his eyes would follow her clumsy movements with boredom, as she tried so hard to catch a fire fly in her hands.

"Lord Sesshoumaru? Rin cannot catch them. Is Master Jaken right? Is Rin too slow and dim witted to catch the light bugs?"

He tilted his head slightly, studying the sour twist of her mouth and the fidgeting of her feet as she contemplated her human weakness.

"No."

It seemed there was no further need of encouragement, as she was content enough with his answer to smile toothily and continue her futile attacks on the fire flies.

As fickle as he was most of the time, Sesshoumaru found it pleased him more when she smiled.

For the moment at least.