It started with an argument. A simple stupid argument about Kagome's clothes that was blown way out of porportion and started the whole thing.
InuYasha had been in Kagome's room while she was at school, and when she came home, he had been flipping through a department store cataloge Kagome had left lying on her bed. InuYasha had asked why Kagome didn't wear any of those types of clothes, Kagome had taken it as an instant insult on her normal atire, promptly sat him, and had been holding a grude about it for two days.
Typical.
InuYasha couldn't figure out what he had said or done wrong, and how he seemed to posses the singularly useless talent to piss Kagome offwithout the slightest effort. However he came by the 'gift', he would like to take it and stuff it down the throat of whatever god saw fit to give it to him.
The young hanyou shot at glance at Kagome's stiff lined back with golden eyes. With that walk, and that smell... yup, still mad. 'But why?!' his mind shouted. 'I didn't do anything! I just wanted to know why she never wore clothes like those over here... she'd look good in them' Even the mental admission made his face rose over in a blush.
An arm clicking with prayer beas dropped around InuYasha's shoulders. "So, thinking naughty thoughts, are we InuYasha? I see it on your face; who's it about?" Miroku teased, a broad grin settling across his face, lighting his violet eyes with mirth.
Kagome's head flicked: she was listening. "No one, not a damned thing, fricking lecher. Keh!" InuYasha roughly shoved his arm of his shoulder. With a quick leap, he was in the trees, and with one more, he was out of site, safe in his own mind from the teasing and prying of his friends.
She was holding the grudge too long. She knew it, Sango knew it, Miroku knew it, little Shippou knew it, and she even suspected Kirara of knowing it too. It was just... he had been implying that she wasn't as pretty as Kikyou again, Kagome just knew it. He was always comparing her to Kikyou in looks, strength, miko power, and skill at the bow.
'When will the "You're not as good as her" ever stop? Why can't he just see me for me?' The raven headed girl sighed at the hopeless thoughts in her head and looked out over the shadowed rice fields of a village up ahead. They would probably stop for the night, she thought dimly, mind still on her thoughts before. Maybe she should just forgive him, and let things stop being tense. It wasn't her fault that InuYasha was still in love with Kikyou.
A cluster of houses and buildings came into view, and heartened, the group picked up the pace. It looked like there was and inn in this town, which meant no cold, hard ground to sleep on, thus improving everyone's moods in the morning. Happiness.
A few villagers, the last to come in for the night, waved and shouted greetings at the travelers. Kagome and the rest waved back, enjoying the air of peace and quiet that the feudal era held... some of the time.
Sango stopped a woman entering her house, and asked for directions to the inn. Following her directions, a left, down two streets, turn right... and that's where they found it: InuYasha's latest dramatic argument in the middle of a town square.
"Uh-oh, InuYasha's at it again!" Shippou pulled himself up on Miroku's Shoulder to give himself a better view. The inu-youkai shouted, "Hand over the shards, neko!" InuYasha had the Tetsuseiga out and pointed directly at a woman sitting on the ground in front of a large building. A large sign nailed to the doorpost identified it as the inn.
Kagome blinked at InuYasha and the woman. 'Neko! She's a cat demon! But... wait, shards? I haven't sensed any.' The young girl studied the figure still peering up at InuYasha and his sword with a calm look. So calm, in fact, it was starting to border on bored.
The cat demon was a lithe thing, not buxom or curved in Miroku's liking, but rather sinuey. Her green kimono was scrunched up around her knees, dirt smudging the hem all around. A small basket full of herbs and flowers sat next to her on the ground, along with a pruning knife.
A small hop aided by her hands put the girl's feet under her and into a standing position in short order. Multi-colored hair, streaked like odd highlights flipped around her head in shades of black, brown, white, and orange. A pair of small, black triangular ears, much like InuYasha's, peeped out from under the fluff of hair leading down her back, not long, not short. Topping it all was the triangular face, pointed chin, high cheek bones, button nose, and the light dusting of orange freckles that feathered across them all. The face wasn't one belonging to a great beauty, but one not meant to stand out, though it could hold it's own fair enough.
"Nay, puppy, I'll not be giving them to you, but to your miko, who you seem to have lost." The voice was husky, a light mock sliding in every tone, seemingly without thought. Her eyes gazed pasted InuYasha's to Kagome, a warm look of amusement clear on her face. "Come, stay the night, all. I shall give you the shards, for I have no need of such trifles." She shook her wrist, a slight tinkle belaying the five or so jewel shards attached to her bracelet.
The girl turned away from InuYasha, heading up the steps of the inn and melting into the cool shadows of the doorway, leaving InuYasha feeling poleaxed and quite speechless.
"But, uh... wait, no... get back here!" He shouted. A small snicker came from a few villagers hanging around to watch. The hanyou gave them a glare, which sent them scurrying off elsewhere.
'I didn't notice them! How? There are five there, I can feel them now, in the hut, but why couldn't I feel them before?' Kagome took a few steps towards the inn, her sense of curiosity, pushing out and fear she might have held for the feline demon.
"Feh, cats." InuYasha snorted and stalked into the hut, his head reappearing from around the doorpost to yell at the group. "Hey, get your asses in here! I refuse to be left along with some mangy neko!"
Kagome turned to give Miroku and Sango a look. "Think it's okay?" She asked.
Miroku looked thoughtful. "The neko's aura held no ill will for us, or anyone in general, for that matter, but that could just be her feline nature." At Kagome and Sango's inquisitive looks, he explained, "Cat's are notorious for being neutral, never picking a side in a fight, and having no real opinion on matters, unless they directly effect cats, which give their auras an effect of having no animosity. They're rather reclusive. I don't know much, but I'm sure it's safe." The monk headed towards the inn.
Sango nodded as the girls joined him, Shippou still clinging to Miroku's robes, listening. "They never came as far as my village before, so I don't know anything about them, except that they're to be avoided, but that went for most demons, so... "
Kagome pushed open the door flap and allowed her eyes to adjust to the lessened light. As soon as her eyes focused, she began giggling at the odd scene before her: the cat-girl squished on top of a very tall cupboard, in about enough space for a teakettle, holding a bracelet with five jewel shards dangling like charms, and InuYasha below her, trying to jump and snatch them.
"Give them here, catnip breath! They're not yours!" The dog demon jumped a few more times, before his foot caught on a small rug, his feet went flying up, and with a loud thud, not unlike a 'Sit', he went crashing to the ground, cursing to high heaven.
The girl grinned a Cheshire's smile from up top the cabinet. "Welcome to my inn. My name is Shiroishin, please, make yourselves at home."
AN: Yeah, I'm horrible starting a new story when I haven't even finished FS. But this one's going to be a shorty, not the epic that FS promises to be. Anyway, I love feedback, but no pressure.
♥, Aelii